Places
Articles about places, sights, and general travel details.
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Yosemite, CA
Yosemite is one of those truly magical places that must be experienced in person. My family went there regularly when I was growing up but I had not been back for many years. My son and I went there in 2015 and even though I went there many times in the past it seemed new again. We went right before the main summer rush so there were lots of tourists but we avoided the main tourist onslaught. I forgot how the granite walls tower above you when viewed from the valley. The sights in Yosemite simply cannot be adequately captured with a camera. You lose the scale and grandeur of…
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Kananaskis
When we visit the Banff area we always stay a timeshare in Canmore. Canmore is a very nice town. It is most definitely a tourist town but it is a very nice one. The downtown has lots of nice shops, eating places, galleries, etc. Banff is way too large and crowded for me but Canmore is just the right size. On the west side of Canmore is a long loop road that goes by Spray Lakes and on to Kananaskis. To get there take Three Sisters Drive and turn on Spray Lakes Road. Take Hwy-742 (Smth-Darrien Highway) to Kananaskis. This is a gravel road but it is wide, well traveled,…
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Johnston Canyon
Johnston Canyon is a very cool trail that should not be missed. It is less than 2 miles to the upper waterfall with not much elevation gain. This hike is extremely popular and the large parking easily overflows during tourist season. I like getting photos without people in them so we started the hike a little later in the day to avoid the majority of the crowds. There are lots of things to see on this hike including several waterfalls. I recommend bringing a good camera, tripod, and hiking daypack with emergency supplies. This hike has lots to see. The well groomed and well traveled trail includes catwalks that hug sheer rock…
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Spiral Tunnels, Alberta Canada
If you’re a train nut and in the Banff area then you might want to make a stop at the Kicking Horse Pass near the town of Field on Hwy-1 (Trans Canada Hwy). The viewpoint contains a large parking lot, informational signs, restrooms, and a few train artifacts. You can see the lower tunnel from the viewing area. The original tracks were much shorter and had a dangerous amount of slope. The tunnels lengthened that stretch of track allowing for a much more gentle grade. For more technical information see this Wikipedia article. We stopped at the tunnels three times and on the last stop we waited about 45 minutes for a…
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Banff Area
The Banff area is one of the most scenic and spectacular places in North American. I visited the area twice but have only seen the scenery once. On my first trip severe forest fires to the south obscured most of the scenic views. When visiting the Banff area be prepared to be amazed but also expect to do LOTS of driving. We stayed in Canmore, just north of Banff, and it seems as though everywhere is at least an hour away. Click on a photo for a more detailed blog article on the specific places. We live in the Seattle, Washington area and it takes at least two long days…
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Stanwood, WA
Bonhoeffer Botanical Gardens Exit 215 on I-5 2420 300th Street, NW Stanwood Open daily during daylight hours
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Astoria, OR
Astoria is a seaside port city at the northern tip of Oregon. It features lots of small business, a quaint downtown area, a variety of architectural styles, and several unique attractions. From Washington you cross the mighty Columbia River on the 4+ mile Astoria Astoria–Megler Bridge. This bridge seems to hover above the water for most of its length but reaches aloft nearly 200′ near Astoria. When visiting Astoria I like to stop at the Bowpicker for some fish and chips. This tiny takeout venue is a small boat located at the corner of 17th & Duane Street. They have only one item available, namely, albacore tuna fish and chips.…
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Cataldo, ID
In the late summer of 2016 on the drive back from Yellowstone I wanted to camp near the Washington border. I was several hours behind schedule and the goal was to get somewhere around Cataldo, ID. I had to visit the town with the same name as me. The driving hours rolled by and I got near the goal and started looking for campsites. It was Memorial Day weekend so I knew spots would be at a premium but I hoped to find some backcountry spot to pitch the tent. Every campsite that we encountered was full. I decided to continue westward towards the Washington/Idaho border to try to find…
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Cool Places Around Sedona, AZ
Copper Art Museum 849 Main Street Clarkdale, AZ CopperArtMuseum.com 928-649-1858 The Copper Art Museum in Clarkdale, AZ is one of those surprising places that you do not expect to find. While on other excursions I heard a few other tourists take about the Copper Museum so we decided to visit. The museum is located in the old, restored High School building. The museum has the biggest collection of copper items that I have ever seen. Items include military art, cookware, drink ware, distillery and wine making objects, art, architecture, religious items, etc. There is so much to see there and I found it completely fascinating. My favorite artifacts were the…
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Bend, Oregon
The city of Bend lies in the high desert area of central Oregon. Our timeshare has properties there and we decided to go. I wondered if there would be enough things to do for an entire week. After getting there the problem was narrowing the list of activities to make them fit into a week. Deserts evoke the feeling of desolate, isolated, hot, and pretty monochromatic. The Central Oregon high desert contains something for just about everyone including trails, rock formations, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, forests, shops, galleries, museums, outdoor artwork, and wildlife. I cannot possibly list all of things to do in the Bend area. Rather, I will describe some…