Travel blog

Despite our best efforts to mask on plains, trains. buses, gondolas etc.(and seriously we ere the OnLY ones with masks on), I still managed to pick up a bug, putting me in bed for 2 days with nasal congestion, chest congestion, body aches and slight fever. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this sick x. Covid test, 2 yrs expired was neg. It’s one of those times you yearn yo be transported into your own bed with a snap. Instead, the owner of Ravello Rooms drove us to Naples, an hour away. Our flight home leaves in the morning. So there’s the unfortunate ending and a not so fun birthday buy hey, that’s what blogs are about- the good and the bad. Reflections to come, hopefully from my bed!

It is forecasted to be a scorching and humid 90 degrees today, scratch hiking Path of the Gods!! Breakfast under the lemon tree branches is relaxing. We’ve never seen lemon trees form a crawling vine over a patio cover but it provides great shade. We meet a couple from Minn over a typical European breakfast spread.

Our plan is to walk the gardens at Villa Rufolo and then to wander the alleys. We enter the Piazza Duomo and find just the right number of tourists to feel lively but not overwhelming. Ravello is to our relief, calmer, more relaxed and sedate than the other coastal towns. We have no desire to go down and visit the tourist-heavy Amalfi!

The elaborate villa was built in the 1300’s for the Rufolo dynasty and the main walls are still standing. The views are incredible. The town stages a concert series from the balcony in August.

Next we visit the cathedral in the Piazza Duomo built in 1036, with a 30th century interpretation. The pulpit is supported by 6 twisting columns set on marble lions and decorated with mosaics of peacocks and birds.

Today we leave the crowds and head up the mountain to Ravello. Unbeknownst to us, the elevator at Palazzo Tasso is only operational during office hours starting at 8 so we had to carry our luggage down 3 flights of stairs. I had reserved a car to transport us and our luggage from Sorrento after breakfast. Geraldo made the 2 hr drive along the coast to Amalfi and was an informative driver. He told us there are 2000 steps up Positano, that the island is privately owned. and that the coastal area between Naples to Salerno is owned by the Parc Nationale. There is no limit on the number of ships coming in but large ships must anchor a mile away. The tourists empty out by Nov 1-April and there are about half the restaurants and hotels open in the winter, however Ravello shuts down completely. The weather remains nice.

The coastal is crowded with cars parked along the sides. These belong to residents and workers as there are no parking garages in Positano. These belong buses squeeze by alongside cars and scooters. Occasionally cyclists are also on he road. The views are magnificent.

Geraldo drops us off at the edge of a narrow road facing but high above the ocean. There is a steep set of stairs to a small gate, the entrance to Ravello Rooms. The owner’s daughter leads us up 2 more levels of stairs and checks us in. The view from the breakfast balcony is breathtaking.

Ravello is a small town above Amalfi. The bus ride down is 30 min on the winding road. There does not seem to be much of a reason to join all the tourists in Amalfi. Ravello is quiet, the breeze blows through and we can see terraced hillsides of gardens and what appear to be lemon groves. The weather is sunny and warm, nearly 90 today, a bit too hot for a hike. We relax and enjoy the calm.

We took a walk in the late afternoon past terraced hillsides

old ruin walls

and a mozzarella cheese store

Here is a local delivery truck, going up the hill on the ramp side

As I was taking a picture of the evening lights, I spotted a fire on the hills of Ravello.

We are finally over jet lag and sleeping regular hours! We didn’t rush this morning but took a leisurely breakfast and then down the long set of stairs to the ferries. We were standing in the line at gate 10 to Capri at 10:15 when the lady at the gate said our ticket was not her company. We made a fast scramble back up to find the correct gate and boat. We were the last passengers on.

We arrived amidst a swarm of people at Marina Grande, all trying to figure out a way to get to Capri City. We figured out you can take the funicular which had a very long line, bus, or you can walk 2.3 km uphill. We opted to walk. The walk isn’t long but given the heat and humidity, we were drenched in sweat by the time we arrived.

Lemon ice slushes do a good job of cooling us down. The central plaza was packed with people so we chose to walk 30 min to Gardini de Augustus, a lovely small garden with a spectacular view of the city and coast. Best of all, it was not crowded!

We spent a few hours exploring then decided to escape the crowds, took the funicular down and the ferry back. We met a nice couple from Calgary on the ferry and had a fun chat about places travelled.

We stopped at Ravi for gelatos, our third visit this week. When in Italy, must have gelato every day!!

It appears, after talking to other tourists, that many hotels do not provide their own breakfast but instead provide breakfast at Fauro Bar on the plaza. Ours is a standard eggs, croissant, breads and coffee. The plaza is a very busy place and breakfast is not a serene affair, good if you like to people watch! There are huge tour groups and others traveling alone, many European cigarette smokers, and motorbikes. Morning deliveries traverse the promenade which closes to traffic later in the morning. All in all a bustling place.

The wharf is below the plaza, down a lot of steps. At the bottom are ticket booths for ferries that cruise the coast to various cities such as Positano, Amalfi, Salerno, Capri etc. We are going to Positano. The ride is 30 min and the coastline is beautiful.

Positano is a cascade of colorful buildings that rise steeply from the sea. The cobblestone promenade goes straight up to stairs, the only way to many of the hotels and apartments. It is a dramatic scene as you approach.

Less photogenic are its alleys. We watch in disbelief as porters carry luggage, 3 suitcases at a time up the steep steps. It’s not an ideal place to stay!

The duomo above the wharf provides shade and respite as well as public art.

Our ferry ride back, billed as to Sorrento, surprised its riders by going via Capri, making it a 50 min ride. Though many were unhappy about this unadvertised stop, it was an unattended tour to Capri and with calm waters, was pleasant nonetheless less.

Tonight we celebrated my birthday early with a delicious dinner followed by tiramisu at Fuoro 51.

We took a shuttle to the Munich Airport in the morning and caught our Lufthansa flight to Naples. From the air we could see the multitude of peaks from the alps changing to cities with considerable density. I’ve had the impression of Naples being a gritty city and didn’t want to risk anything so I booked car transport to and from Naples. We were met by a friendly driver who sped us to Sorrento.

The highway is reasonably orderly and we travel from inland toward the coast. He is a friendly guy, pointing out landmarks along the way but alas we find it difficult to hear him and make out his Italian accent. We do learn that he is from Malagna “city of wheat”, a town known for pasta. Traffic is light and he says the ride is fast compared to usual.
The drive takes about an hour and we arrive at the central plaza. It is a disorderly traffic circle!!

Cars are not permitted any further so he directs us up the cobblestone promenade toward our hotel, the Palazzo Tasso. We see their flag hanging from the balcony but can’t find the front door. I call reception and she directs us to the alley behind where the entrance is. Our room is on the top of a 3 story building and has only a skylight. It is immaculate but with not much character. The receptionist is friendly, telling us about her best friend who visited Yosemite and SF recently. After checking in, we walk the streets. There are “lemon” stores since the region is known for its lemon groves, and high end clothing stores. It is quite touristy and there are tons of people, quite a change from Austria.

The Marina Grande is down by the pier and a has a stretch of beach front chairs/ umbrellas and seafood restaurants. We have seafood pasta and sea bream, delicious compared to our meals in Austria.

The city comes to life at night as people dine, drink wine, stroll the promenade and some street musicians play far into the evening. We can hear the activity until past midnight.

Pouring rain in the morning but forecasted to clear. The woman at the gas station told us it has been a particularly wet summer. We chatted about water shortages in the US and Europe. She said their aquifers have also dropped from 8 meters to 1 and conservation efforts exist in neighboring countries. She said the increase in hotels and ski resorts are contributing to a water shortage. She said people are buying land with water rights and some old water rights are preventing usage of water in some areas.

We head to Mittersill to hike the Schosswendklamm gorge which had been recommended by the lady at the visitor’s center. It is a gorgeous cirque with rivelets of water running down the cliff sides. Most of the visitors are Turkish, which we learn make up the majority of immigrants in the Innsbruck area.

Mid-afternoon, we depart from Tyrol and head to Munich, where we return our car. The airport Marriott is not really at the airport, but is in Freising, a 15 car ride away. It takes us a while to find the pick up location of their shuttle. We arrive in time to walk downtown to Preising Augustino for a traditional German dinner. The platz or square is quiet but a pleasant place to walk.

The Hotel Kaiserhof puts out a lovely and hearty breakfast spread- eggs cooked 3 ways, assortment of many types of breads, cheeses and meats, fruits, sausages, yogurts, muesli and sweet breads We eat enough to skip lunch. The Austrians make great coffee! It was forecasted to be a beautiful day and the clouds were lifting. We know we should make the most of it.

They had minimal information in the hotel lobby on regarding the park which was about what I could find online. All I knew was that it was a large protected area with a myriad of hiking trails, lakes etc.; where they were and how to access them was a mystery. There was some mention of an info center in Mittersill so that seemed like a good start. Lo and behold, the center was a regular small national park visitors’ center and the lady was extremely helpful. She explained that a national park is just protected space. It is not like parks in the US that have a defined entrance and trail heads. Hohe Tauern covers 1200 sq meters running lengthwise from close to Innsbruck to Salzburg and depth wise from the mountain top to the edge of the valley. Villages are interspersed along its length with gondolas that take you up to where you can hike, gorges you can hike up, lakes and reservoirs with trails, etc. Basically you access the lands and trails from any of the villages. I now understood why info was so hard yo find. Each village had its own trail map and visitor info. There is one panoramic road called the Grossglockner High Alpine Road that is 48 km long and starts in Fucht, a 30 min drive away! We decided to start there. She pointed out several “must sees” but it would take weeks to fully explore this area!!

The main road to Fucht runs lengthwise through the valley and we see that the bright green spaces we were admiring, are actually clearings in the forest, for cows to graze or for ski runs. More and more of the hillsides are being cleared. We weren’t sure how protected these land are as much of it appears to be privately owned.

We share the Grossglockner High Alpine Road with cyclists. It is steep and we are impressed with their athleticism as well as their fearlessness, coming down at speeds faster than we dared to drive, 30-40 mph? The early morning clouds were breaking and we were treated to an ethereal and majestic scene as we rise above the cloud layer.

We reach the high point and looking down can see the winding road we came up.

From here we can also see the backside of the mountain which resembles the eastern sierras, more barren, perhaps the clouds get stuck and don’t drop as much precipitation.

We head back down the mountain, opting not to continue on the switchbacks up to the glacier. On our way back, we stop at the town of Ziller em See, a beautiful setting along the lake with mountains behind it. We can imagine how gorgeous it must be with snow on them. Thus ends our day at Hohe Tauern.

We savored the pastries (dieting when we return) and the last views of Innsbruck as we ate breakfast in our room. It is adieu to Innsbruck;; we’ve enjoyed our stay here . Today, we will make our way east to Kitzbuhler.

The roads though narrow, are fairly easy to drive since traffic is light. The skies are overcast which is typical of Austria. Our first stop is Alpbach, said to be the “the most beautiful village in Austria”. It certainly does have charm with its well preserved wooden buildings and colorful flowers hanging from the balconies. There is no city center or downtown area. The narrow cobblestone streets lined with homes and hotels, are bus routes to the ski lifts, They wind uphill to join hiking and bike paths in the summer and ski runs in the winter.

We stop at a grocery store to pick up sandwiches, made to order for an unbelievable price of $2.50 each. Can you get anything resembling lunch for that price in the Bay Area? I chat with the young man at the deli counter, who proudly tells me he has been to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Like the young man in the Sixt office, who was proud to have been to LA and loved the “vibe”, there is no mention of politics, just an admiration for the US. It’s refreshing! We eat in the car at the edge of the forest and then continue on.

The town of Raffen has historically been known for its glass blowing. The old town is lovely but the glass blowing, although an interesting process to watch, is now for tourism and I’m not impressed with the glasswork for sale, which doesn’t exhibit much artistry.

In the parking lot we happen to notice a large sign regarding ticks! A search online revealed information about ticks in the woods that carry Lyme disease!!! The forests do resemble the lushnes of Maine and New Hampshire unfortunately. We will have to be more vigilent.

We arrive at our destination, the Hotel Kaiserhof Kirzbuhel around 5. Ray does a good job of navigating into a space in the very, very narrow parking garage, trying hard to avoid dings and scratches to the rental car. The ski gondola runs alongside our room, mostly empty, all day.

A short note on the conservation efforts we’ve seen thus far. The hotels and restaurants have no plastic containers or water bottles at all, cutlery is bamboo or metal, no plastic bags in grocery stores and very little packaging for produce. The hotels encourage drinking Tyrol tap water. Whereas Europe has always been minimalistic, it is even more so. There is very little in the way of disposables, evidenced by street trash bins which are tiny.

We’ve noticed how lean people are. In the grocery stores, the cracker/cookie/snack section is small with just a few options in small packages. There is no large frozen food, processed food section. The major sections are produce, fresh foods and wine! Surprisingly though, the diet is mainly carbs – pasta, bread and potatoes and not much in the way of vegetables other than lettuce and tomato salads. The air is clean and nature is all around. It sure does feel like a healthier lifestyle. It also makes us realize how much the US is an example of excess in so many aspects of our lives.

It’s a beautiful day, blue skies, sunshine and cool temperatures. We must make the most of it! We have a car reserved through Sixt at the Innsbruck Airport so need to make our way there on the F bus that stops every 25 min. in front of the hotel. Getting a bus ticket seems like an easy task. The girl at reception said you can buy them on the bus, but alas she is wrong. We spend 30 min trying to figure out how to buy them, while 2 F buses go by. The machine is not in English and we don’t know how much the ride should cost. An elderly woman on the street looks as stumped as us. I finally find and download the bus app and am able to purchase a ticket which has to be used on my device. Knowing the dollar amount, Ray then sees he can buy one from the machine for 3,20 euros. We are so proud to have figured it out! These are little challenges that I find fun in being in a foreign country. We pick up a Peugeot and are off on our day’s adventure. With no plan in mind we read about towns that are about an hour max drive and settle on Oext, west of Innsbruck. Tall cliffs with billowing clouds and green valleys line the highway. It appears that villages, most with ski runs and chalets sit high above in this long narrow valley. It is a beautiful scene.

Oext has a cable car that runs steeply up to 7,000 ft. At the top are hiking trails and we spent several hours exploring. The views of the villages below are incredible.

As we descend, a guy is preparing to hang glide off the mountain.

The sun sets with a golden palette in front of our hotel.

We enjoy wienerschnitzel and listen to a trio playing jazz tunes in the square, thus ending a perfect day.

Today was a laid back day-a day to recover from jet lag and to stay dry, since we Californians are not used to rain. After the rains let up, we walked the city, getting out of the “old town” tourist area. I love to wander through parts of a city where the locals live and work. We passed through the university area, residential streets and schoolyards. The city is tidy and well kept with bicycle trails that meander throughout the city and along the river. Although not as numerous as in Denmark, bikes are a visible mode of transportation and car traffic is light for a city. We marvel at the old architecture and the religious paintings on church and building walls.

Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol, the western state (province) of Austria, occupies 40 sq mi, slightly larger than SF’s 49 sq mi. but a population of 132,000 compared to 1m in SF. It lies along the River Inn and is bordered by the North Tyrol Limestone Alps, the Nordkette and the Stubai Alps to the south. It is a winter wonderland, known for its skiing. It’s not a cultural arts mecca; I tried hard to search for art exhibits, concerts and performances and came up empty handed. The food of Tyrol consists mainly of pork loin, boiled beef, spinach and cheese dumplings, spaetzle, sauerkraut and of course wienerschnitzel. We very much enjoyed the wienerschnitzel and German potato salad but not fond of the pretzel bread dumpling, dense as a baseball; pretzel bread is better as a bread roll!

Some city scenes along our walk.

Sunny days are hard to come by. The average rainfall for Sept is 3”, half of the amount in other months. But the mountain sides are lush and green. We should be thankful there are parts of the world that still get measurable amounts of precipitation!

I can’t believe we are here, but I’m grateful we are! With Jen’s pregnancy (planned trip to Taiwan) and Ray’s punctured knee (planned hiking trip in Alberta), I’ve canceled more trips than traveled this year.

We flew to Munich and with a former flight attendant as a seat mate, had a delightfully entertaining flight. We were treated very kindly by all the flight attendants who stopped by to hug and chat with her. After 11 hrs, we arrived in Munich and proceeded to what I assumed was the main railway station, only to find the central station was a 20 min ride away. This story seems familiar! We still arrived with several hours to spare; the station was clean, safe and organized. We nodded off through most of the 2 hr ride and I set my alarm to make sure we didn’t sleep past the Innsbruck stop.
Our room at the AC Hotel Marriott overlooks the old town “Altstadt” with a beautiful backdrop – the jagged spires of the Nordkette range. Old Town is charming and quaint, especially early in the morning before the tourists descend upon it.

When in Austria, dine on strudel. The Strudel Cafe is tiny but serves a wonderful assortment of strudels sweet and savory. We chose 2-plain apple and plain cherry, the pastry thin and light and the fillings not too sweet. It is not unusual to meet other travelers from the Bay Area and the other couple in the cafe was from Sacramento. They were planning to hike the upper ridge at the top of the cable car line.

We went up the funicular, the first ride in a series of 3 but were told the cable car was closed due to technical issues. When it started up again, we were undecided about going up as the cloud cover appeared so thick. It really was a $100 gamble but after looking at the live cameras, decided to chance it. We got lucky. The second segment takes you to Seegrube. We were above the cloud cover, with a spectacular view of Innsbruck encircled by the Inn River. This is the view skiers get as they descend! Innsbruck was the site of the 1976 Olympics and we can see why it is such a jewel of ski locales. .

The last segment takes you to Hungerbuth at 6.300 ft in elevation. There are no ski lifts here but the scenery is jaw dropping beautiful. We stay for several hours and finally head down as the clouds close in around us.

The afternoon showers have passed and we end the day with a walk along the riverfront.

Our flight isn’t until almost 5 and since we will be sitting for 12 hours, decided to take a long stroll. Sinatra is a quiet section of Tokyo with plenty of trees. The hotel and surrounding office buildings sit on a slope and have small gardens and walking paths in between. It is a pleasant place. The hotel sits next to the train tracks and occasionally you can feel rumbling in the room, even 15 floors high.

Thus ends our tour of Japan. Wonderful country, friendly and kind people- thank you for your hospitality.

It is the last leg of our trip and we have Shinkansen tickets from Kanazawa to Tokyo at 11 am. It is a short taxi ride to the station after our last breakfast buffet. The trip takes 3 hours and routes through Toyama and Nagano.

In the distance, there is snow on the highest and farthest mountains, perhaps the same storm that brought the season’s first snowfall to Mt. Fuji. Nagano, the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics is beautiful with autumn colors on its forested mountains. We see several ski runs.

The Tokyo Station is overwhelming to say the least. There are stairs and passageways leading in so many directions with a million signs every which way. So many train lines, JR Rail and Shinkansen. It takes us a while to realize our hotel is not near this station and we need get to the Shinigawa Station in south Tokyo. Ray was determined not to take another expensive taxi ride after our experience in Osaka, so the only other alternative was to figure out the subway/train system, and we have all afternoon to do so.

We wander around more until we find the right line and track but where are the ticket offices? It turns out we were inside the main terminal already and there are no tickets sold there, but our original ticket was good for any train. We board the local train then after studying the map for a long time, find our way to the right exit and outside to the Tokyo Marriott shuttle bus stop. That was quite the adventure!!

It is gusty outside but we opt to try tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) rather than a hotel meal. With some help from the hotel doorman, we make it to Maruhachi in Shinagawa. It has 1k good reviews online! There are only 10 seats at the counter and most of guests, all men, seem to be regulars.

The tonkatsu is amazing- juicy and crisp, and comes with the miso soup I have ever had. We watch them cook; the soup has sautéed fresh onions and carrots. What a meal -my smaller cutlet is around $12 and Ray’s larger one is about $15. It is so much fun to sit with the locals and pretend to be a non-tourist.

We walk the 30 min back in the gusty wind through the back streets and are glad we ventured out tonight. It would have been so easy to have stayed in but now I feel like I can say I have been to Tokyo.

Looking out our hotel window, the view could be NYC. There is nothing that identifies it as being Japanese except that the streets are void of traffic. It is a public transportation system that works for all residents, making the roads bike able and walkable.

We spent most of the day strolling through Kenrokuen Garden, adjacent to the castle grounds. In 1676, the 5th lord Maeda started the landscaping. In 1822, the 12th lord created a stream and bridges, naming it Kerokuen. Two years later the current strolling garden was completed. After the abolishment of feudal domains, the garden was opened to the public in 1894.

The pine trees are protected using yukitsuri (ropes to protect branches from heavy snow).

Posts support the branches on many of the larger pine trees. Trees that are solid and straight have guide lines to other trees that are slanted.

The gardens are an example of Japanese artistry.

Walking by the Shigure-tei Teahouse, Ray decides that having green tea would be pleasant and we join a small group in a simple tea ceremony. The tea house is simple but elegant. We find that sitting on your knees takes some flexibility we do not have!

Since it is a beautiful afternoon, we continue our wal across town and over the bridge to the Higashi Chaya District. It turns out a few nights ago when we walked through deserted alleys thinking we were in this geisha district, we actually hadn’t walked far enough. The area is bustling with tourists and there are a number of sweets shops.

Kanazawa is known for its gold leafing. We don’t indulge in gold leave cones but do try their matcha ice cream on a sheet of mochi and inside a crisp wafer. By then, we had heard the sad election news which put a damper on the day. We console ourselves with sweets but it doesn’t help much.

Further into the area is a beautiful shrine.

We find it curious that there are no restaurants in this area, only cafes that sell sweets – lots of mochi and matcha! The areas of Kanazawa we are in does not have very many restaurants. Where do tourists eat, we wonder. The concierge at our hotel had given us a map with more than enough restaurants but none are open at night!

We end up at the same small restaurant where we ate a day ago. Coincidentally at the counter, we meet a couple also from California, Portola Valley it turns out. We commiserate about the election and she mentions having driven through Woodside the day Vance was visiting and seeing a group of Trump supporters there. We are all shell shocked at the results and talk about not returning to the US. We share our thoughts about living in a bubble in Silicon Valley where obviously our values don’t align with the rest of the country. Unfortunately, we have reached the end of our trip and head for Tokyo tomorrow in preparation for our flight home on Friday.

We were jolted awake early in the morning by swaying and a big tremor. The Noto Peninsula was the site of a large earthquake in Jan. Kanazawa suffered some minor damage.

There is nothing quite like an Asian breakfast buffet in nice hotels and one of our favorite aspects of traveling to Asian countries. The Hotel Sanraku Kanazawa does a nice job. They work to limit crowds by only allowing a certain number of people in at a time, and encouraging guests to go down after 8:30 am to avoid lines. The Japanese buffet was a notch above the western food, impeccably presented with varieties of pickled foods, soups we have never seen before, as well as sushi and some interesting surprises

Well stuffed, we walked through the now byustling seafood market. We were awed by the volume and quality of fresh fish being packed for transport, sold raw, and cooked for customers. We in California are so conscious about sustainability and following the Monterey Bay fish lists, and here are huge volumes of seafood caught whatever way and sold so cheaply. It is like another world to us and I can’t totally wrap my mind around it. Seafood is as much of culture in Japan as a burger is in the US. How realistic is it to change culture and economy?

The origami store is next door and we spend quite a bit of time there admiring this craft.

Then on to the Kanazawa Castle. We enter the castle park and had no idea what was in store for us. The outer park is spacious and green.

From the outside, this looks like another castle or palace, similar to what we saw in Osaka and Kyoto.

I spent time photographing the heavy Kahokumon Gate that opens into the castle complex.

From there, the moat is well maintained.

Once inside, we tour the main structure and learn that the castle was completely destroyed by fire and rebuilt several times, the last in 1881. In the 2000’s, an incredible endeavor was started to rebuild the compound and all the buildings in existence today are renovations. It is hard to believe the stone walls were rebuilt by hand, one rock at a time with filler rocks hammered into the joints. Traditional construction methods are being used including notched beams without nails. Interior walls are held together with bamboo lashed with rope, then covered with a mud-like paste. Wood is hand-carved and the roof is covered by hand with sheets of lead. The Maeda family was in residence here for 14 generations. Their family crest was the plum as can be seen in the rafters.

The following pictures were taken from the video explaining the construction methods.

A VR rendering shows life in the castle.

We admired the craftsmanship of this incredible restoration.

Ouside, work is in progress on the next building. Men are painstakingly clearing mud from ruins of rock walls.

We’ve gained a new appreciation for this site.

Further down the path is the Gyokusen’inmaru Garden, also reconstructed.

I was quite taken by this stationery shop which was originally founded in 1827. Takashi Araki and his sister are sixth generation descendants who now run the shop. They do intricate origami and post instructional videos on YouTube. Their creations are unbelievably complex involving hundreds of folds. The shop is filled with beautiful origami papers, some of which come in large rolls like wrapping paper. Most of the figures are folded, but there are tiny flowers and objects made by winding thin strips of paper. There is even a miniature candy/ice cream shop. Unfortunately the creations are not for sale.

Today is another travel day. Our rail tickets are for 1pm so we have plenty of time for a walk. We take a walking loop above the old town toward the former Takaysma Castle grounds. The path is in the forest, quiet with only a few people.

The overlook provides a view of Takayama and a huge temple in the distance which we later learn is an organization that promotes peace and spirituality.

At the train station, we think we are ahead of the game by arriving an hour early but passengers cannot enter the gate area until 15 min before do we wait. Our ride passes small rice fields and follows the river. It appears that cities are generally located in valleys surrounded by low mountains and forests.

We stop in Toyama to connect on the Shinkansen, though we were unaware of this as the ticket as far as we could understand, did not specify. Fortunately I had selected a 40 min and not a 5 min. break in between! The Shinkansen is much less crowded and the tide to Kanazawa is only 40 min. We see larger houses not unlike US suburbs.

Our hotel , Sanruku Kanazawa is a modern hotel right across from the fish market. After checking in, we take a walk. The market stalls are all closed but looks like a real seafood market. Kanazawa is a very modern city with a busy main thoroughfare but the “geisha” district is deserted, quite unlike Kyoto. Where are all the tourists, we wonder. It makes Kyoto and Osaka look llike cities on steroids! It seems the city caters more to Japanese tourists as there are few English signs. Even the restaurant names are all in Japanese and we need our translation app to decipher the restaurant menus posted outside. One store, closed for the evening, looks fascinating as it is an origami store. More to explore tomorrow.

The rains have passed and it is a gorgeous day. Shirakawa-go, a rural village with thatched houses was on my list of places to go but I couldn’t figure out how to get there when I was planning this trip. In Takayama, I saw a local bus schedule but all the buses for today were sold out. I found a sightseeing bus and booked seats on that. We never travel on tours and this was about as close to a bus tour as we have ever been. It included a visit to a smaller village Ainokura Gassho-zukuri as well. We boarded the bus early in the morning and met a couple from Seattle; naturally conversation led to the election. We were all glad to be out of the country on Nov. 5!

The ride took 80 min. and almost all of the trip was through tunnels, one of which was 7 mi. long. It ran along a jade colored river and many farm fields, ending in the forest, full of autumn color.

The small village has 20 gassho style houses which are still inhabited.. The exterior is built to withstand heavy snow and the inside is plain with tatami floors. The second floor typically housed family “factory businesses” such as silk or paper making. Farming alone did not provide enough income for families.

Shirakawa-go was another hour away, and we ran into a huge traffic jam as cars were waiting to enter. Here I thought visiting this village would be like going to Montana where very few people go! The power of the internet, making this little village a big tourist destination. It is also a beautiful Sunday and being out in nature must be a huge draw for lcity residents.

The old village is on the outskirts of the newer Shirakawa and across the river on the other end of a long suspension bridge. Several paths lead away from the Main Street and off to the end is a 15 min uphill climb to the observation platform. Many people opt for the walk versus waiting for the shuttle bus. The setting is beautiful- along the river, in a valley surrounded by mountains, crimson with fall colors. The preserved historic homes are called omigachi with currently house around 500 inhabitants . The newer section of town has around 1000 residents. The omigachi are interspersed with more modern houses and appears to be a bit overbuilt. I imagine at one time, it being green fields with widely spaced thatched houses and local people at work and daily living. What is it like now to live in a place overrun by tourists and cars all day every day? Strangers on your rural paths surrounding your home. Other than laundry hanging outside and vegetable gardens, we saw no evidence of daily life.

The open air cultural heritage center has a large display of buildings and is a very pretty setting.

Wada house is open for viewing. The ground floor has screens and tatamis. Up a very steep staircase is an area for a small business. The ceiling is made of large wood beams tied together with rope. The view from the open windows overlooks rice fields and gardens.

Persimmons trees are heavy with ripe fruit and I spot a house with hoshigaki-persimmons hanging to dry just like I make. Mine look just like theirs!

We wander the streets and photograph roof after roof. The houses are certainly unique.

It was a wonderful day in a beautiful place. The bus tour worked out well since in this case it only provided transportation and brief explanations and was not a guided tour. We still prefer the freedom of traveling on our own when possible and being able to wander without time constraints.

We went back to Suzuka for dinner. It seemed much quieter there today. We met a friendly Japanese family from Seattle while standing in line. They told us about their long wait until 9pm for a train from Tokyo to Kanazawa as all seats were sold out. I think we should reserve our seats for the trip to Tokyo!

The morning started with a light drizzle which turned into a steady downpour by mid-afternoon. The streets were full of us crazy tourists walking around the old town with umbrellas and wet shoes.
Takayama is an old castle town; the castle no longer exists but models in the museum depict the structures which sat high on the hill. The townspeople and businesses lived in what has now been preserved as the “old town”.

The morning market has only a few booths this rainy morning so we continue on our walk to the Museum of History and Art, a large building with 16 small rooms each containing exhibits related to Takayama’s cultural arts. Hida carpentry is an ancient craft of this area and there are many wood sculptures on display. Hida is the center of Japan’s timber producing region.

The highlight of Takayama is the Festival Float Exhibition Hall or Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan, a UNESCO site. The festivals are regarded as one of three most beautiful festivals in Japan, and magnificent floats which date from the 17th century, are paraded through the streets at night, 12 for the spring festival and 11 for the autumn festival. 4-5 floats are displayed in the exhibition hall at a time, and interchanged every 3 months. Lanterns are hung around the floats to light them up. Each float can weigh around 2 tons and are pulled by upwards of 80 people. The lead float has no wheels, others have 3 or 4 wheels. Men dressed in blue robes are in front pulling, and men dressed in gray are in back pushing.

The Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine looks down over the exhibition hall.

We walked back to the hotel through a downpour and stayed in until evening. Yesterday, the popular restaurant Suzuya was fully booked. Today we were able to get in after a 30 min wait in line. The inside is lively and bustling. It was well worth the wait. We had picked radish, mountain vegetables with miso paste on a Hoda leaf (magnolia) cooked over a flame, Hida beef which we grilled over a small charcoal grill, and a small hotpot of miso soup and mountain vegetables. It was one of the best meals we have had in Japan and at a good price. We also enjoyed having so many vegetables, sorely lacking in most restaurants we have been to so far.

In the gift shops we see a lot of dolls oddly without faces. We learned they are called Sarubobo, originally made during WW II, they are souvenirs of Takayama now. There are several explanations-no faces because the owner’s emotions can be reflected, or they were made by mothers during the war and faces were too sad to be reflected.

We have JR Rail tickets on a nonstop to Takayama and arrive early at the Kyoto Station so as not to miss our train. Ray does a good job of asking directions and after standing in the wrong place twice, we finally get to the correct track, and line for car 3. The train is comfortable and we roll along for 4 hrs out of the city, along the river past small towns and farms alongside heavily forested low mountains.

We arrive in Takayama, a small historic town northeast of Kyoto. Fortunately the rains have not yet arrived. The streets are lined with gutters, most of which have grates, but on the side streets, some are open and are 2 ft deep- don’t want to step into one by mistake!!

Since we are too early to check-in, we wander the streets of the quaint old town in search of lunch. Oddly, all the places we go in to require reservations, are full or sold out of food! The last option is a Hida burger made with specially raised Hida beef, a variety of Wagyu. It is quite good. We stop at a supermarket for fruit and like Osaka and Kyoto, the fruit, especially the grapes, are picture perfect.

Our room at Chusan Grand Takayama is spacious. But the hotel is older and has few amenities. The receptionist said our room was expensive compared to normal. She thought I had reserved through booking.com but I had not. It made me wonder if Japanese locals get a better rate on the hotel site. Takayama is a hard place to eat. The restaurants are either fully booked or need a reservation. After a lot of walking around, we eat at a tiny ramen shop- ramen was not the best.

Typhoon Kong Rey moving through Taiwan will bring rain to Japan today and tomorrow. Light rain has begun to fall. Tomorrow may be a museum day.

I was excited to see the gardens in Kyoto and they did not disappoint. Even Ray enjoyed them tremendously. We realized that “seen one temple, seen them all” is absolutely not true. Each is unique as are the gardens around them. In a video at Murin-an, we realized how tending just pine trees alone is done with patience and exactness- candling, needling and pruning-removing each new sprout of needles to create a feeling of fullness and softness. Murin-an Garden was one of our favorite gardens, created with ponds and waterfalls to take advantage of the flowing water when Lake Biwa was formed as a dam to provide water from Tokyo to Kyoto and for hydroelectric power. The small garden and its rock paths are exquisite as is the tea house with tatamis that look out onto the garden.

The majority of Japanese are atheists and believe more in superstitions. They go to temples to honor their ancestors on special occasions like weddings, birthdays or deaths. Temples have altars and statues of Budhas. Monks own, live in and care for them. Shrines are small altars set up to honor a deity and there are thousands of them- deity of health, relationships etc and they can be found all over the city. People go to make a wish or pray for someone/something- you pull the cord to ring the bell to wake the deity, bow twice, clap twice and make your wish.

Our next destination is Nanzen-Ji, a Zen Buddhist temple and Hojo Garden. It was established in 1291 , burned in 1895 and rebuilt in 1905. This is our favorite site as the temple is awe inspiring and the many Japanese maples create a very peaceful atmosphere. Red foliage in a few more weeks must be gorgeous.

To the east of the temple is a small garden with a very European looking arched structure made of red bricks. This is the aqueduct which brings water from Lake Biwa.

Following the Philosopher’s Path, we make a brief stop at Eikando Temple.

About a mile away is Ginkakuji “Temple of the Silver Pavilion”. Ashikaga Yoshimasa, a shogun originally built this as a villa, which was converted to a temple after his death. Several natural features can be seen- a pond, mossy mounds, overlook, dry sand garden and rocks. There are so many visitors including school groups that the one way paths are packed, making for a non-contemplative environment!

That completes our day’s temple and garden viewing. We get ready for our 3 hr evening walking tour of Gion, the geisha district, which we signed up for through TripAdvisor. We meet our guide and group at corner of a very busy shopping area. We are a group of 8 consisting of 2 sisters from Brazil, a couple from Calgary and a couple of men from DC and the Philippines. Our guide Kats is local and takes us through 2 geisha streets. Kyoto is one of the remaining cities with geisha tea houses of which there are about 200. Our guide said that being a geisha is no longer as popular as historically when it was considered glamorous and when some poor families turned their girls over to become geishas. They currently enter at age 15 and are an apprentice or “maiko” until age 20. They live in tea houses under the care of a mother geisha, the tea houses are identified by a long small metal plate next to the door and wooden plates which bear each geisha’s name. Geishas are considered entertainers – dance, song and hostesses. We see a geisha in a cab but none walking in the lanterned alleys.

We are led through local streets, to the guide’s home where his mother gives us candy, up alleys to overlooks, to several shrines and Kodaji Temple.

Yasaka Pagoda is a pleasant surprise, a brightly lit structure rising up 45 meters. The top is a lightning hazard! Pagodas and temples were constructed without nails. The notched beams allow for flex in an earthquake.

We learn that after the Sarin gas terrorist attack in Tokyo, the government removed all trash cans from city streets. People carry their trash home. People do not eat on subways, trains or on the street, and Japanese cities are tidy with no litter. One of our group members asked about the homeless. Apparently a few decades ago, the homeless in Kyoto were moved to Osaka where they are housed in a special section. Thus ends our informative tour. We head to a very reasonably priced sushi restaurant recommended by the hotel. Pontocho Kappa Sushi, At 9pm, there is pretty much a table available anywhere.

Today we logged an impressive 11.5 miles of walking . I am finding that my year of elementary Japanese from Foothill decades ago, combined with my knowledge of some Chinese characters is increasing my comprehension of signs and place names. The Japanese are extremely respectful and polite, exchanging bows and thank you’s back and forth several times.

Note to self: bring battery pack charger for iphone. Pants with pockets are essential.

Kyoto is an attractive city with a river that runs through it. Breakfast is on the 17th floor and the view at sunrise is lovely. There is a buffet of Japanese and Western food. Funny thing is, the instructions given to everyone says Japanese breakfast on 6th floor at 7 and Western on floor 17 at 6:30. Actually it is a combined buffet on 17th floor at 7 but I think the Japanese are too polite to tell the front desk their directions are wrong so several people were patiently sitting and waiting for 30 min. everyday.

Since it is such a beautiful day, we are heading west out of town to Arashiya and the Sagano Bamboo Forest. I’m hoping to do some morning photography and bring my tripod. The ride is on the subway then the JR Rail. We are still in awe at the public transportation system, on time, frequent and most of all immaculate and safe. It puts our Bay Area to shame, but then you look at the density of users and we could never match that revenue. Each ride based on distance only costs $1 max.

The bamboo forest is 6 sq miles with a paved path all visitors must follow. It is already getting crowded by the time we arrive at 9, a tidal wave of people. It is beautiful but not tripod friendly!! There are several species of bamboo, most are Moso, and bamboo can grow several feet in just 3 weeks. They do harvest it for various uses, like disposable chopsticks which are found in almost every restaurant.

We follow the crowds to Tenryu-ji Temple, a World Heritage Site. I’m told “no tripods”. We are not about to defy the rules here and I put it away. The temple was built in 1338 and is the finest example of Japanese garden design. Sogen Pool reflects the surrounding colors. We are a bit early for fall colors. Some leaves are starting to turn and I can imagine how splendid it must be in full autumn color.

The grounds are spacious and peaceful. We are delighted to see a ceremony happening and watch as it unfolds. It is their Annual Founders Day Celebration. Women dressed in beautiful kimonos are gathering and join men dressed in suits and robes. We watch quietly as a tea ceremony takes place.

Adjacent to the temple is Okachi Sandi Villa, the former residence of the samurai film actor Ikichi Denjin. The grounds are beautiful and overlooks Kyoto with cherry blossom trees as a foreground to give the illusion of floating in a cloud of cherry blossoms. We can only imagine…

We spent some time just wandering the park before retracing our steps back through the forest and towards the rail station. Exiting the Nijo station, our next stop is Nijo Castle. It is designated as a National Treasure since it is the only surviving example of a fortified palace complex. Built in 1603, it housed the Shogun Tokugawa and 200 years of peace and prosperity until the return of political control to the emperor and the start of the Meiji period and later democratic state. There are 6 connected buildings decorated with magnificent wall paintings and intricately carved transoms. Photography is not allowed inside but what struck me is the simplicity of the interior compared to European castles- only tatamis cover the floors and rooms are void of any furniture. The gardens are simple but elegant. Ray jokes, “in a Marie Kondo” way.

After a brief rest at the hotel, we wander out to Gion, the geisha district. It is an old town area with lanterns and alleys flanked by a busy restaurant filled streets. We ate grilled assorted seafood. More exploring of this area tomorrow night. We logged 9 miles today.

Before departing Osaka, we indulged in breakfast at the hotel which brought us back to our travels in China and their incredible hotel breakfast buffets. This one has 3 huge stations-1. breads, pastries, fruit, salad, cheese and drinks 2. Eggs to order, cereals, sausages, gyoza, rice, takoyaki and soup 3. Japanese breakfast offerings. Everything was beautifully presented.

We had a nice walk to the subway station headed to the Shin Osaka station where we would catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto. We stood in line for a half an hour at a large ticket area marked Shinkansen and JR Rail tickets- seemed pretty self explanatory to us. I was feeling quite efficient that we could purchase tickets and at the same time pick up our online tickets for our future travel routes. The girl informed us we could do neither and we couldn’t understand why but oh well. She pointed out the ticket office across the way that looked just like hers. But then we spotted a “tickets for foreign visitors” office! We got all accomplished in 10 min.!

Then on to the Shinkansen, such a sleek, smooth and fast ride, taking only 15 min to Kyoto.

We passed small plots of farms and tall hills on both sides. The scenery is so much more green and approaching Kyoto, the buildings lower and less dense than Osaka. There is more of a calmer ambience, even in the subway stations which are considerably less crowded. As in Osaka, the subway corridors underground connect to an underground “city” of shops and restaurants. Our hotel, the Okinawa Kyoto is right next to the main corridor. As we traverse these subway corridors, I am reminded that we luckily traveled light. Elevators are few and far between, and one sign pointing up led to 3 continuous flights of stairs, from the bottom looking like a small mountain!

It is a rainy afternoon so we do some sightseeing planning trying to maximize our efficiency in seeing as many sights as we can. It’s actually nice not walking today. We ate in the basement level of the train station.

It rained overnight but cleared by morning. Google maps has failed us- worked great yesterday with step by step directions for walking and the subway. Today it has switched to Japanese! Apparently it does this a few days after you arrive and I’m unable to change it back despite checking all settings. Apple Maps will have to do.

Today’s destination is the Kuromon Fish Market, which the guidebooks said was a place where restaurants buy their seafood. However it actually is a market comprised of a huge area, several blocks long, covered like usual, of small shops and stalls selling very fresh seafood for consumption. You pick what you want and they grill it for you. I later read that the real auction is at the Central Osaka Fish Market but takes place at 4am and most people cannot get there as public transportation doesn’t start that early. Apparently similar markets in Tokyo have also been transformed into consumer seafood stands. We got our fill of the best grilled unagi (eel) I have ever had, my favorite at any Japanese restaurant. It was buttery smooth, melt in your mouth good. We saw fish and other things we had never seen before, though nothing was exotic or made me cringe because they are extinct. That was a relief!

We picked up some sweets-a delicious mochi filled with red bean paste and a perfect strawberry in the middle. That leads me to mention about the fruit here. The apples are monstrous, so big they barely fit in my hand. All the fruit is picture perfect, uniform with not a blemish and looking like wax fruit. My first thought was they must be grown with a ton of chemicals but reading online I learned that Japanese farms are small and the government has very strict standards for quality so farmers spend a lot of effort to grow the very best quality and appearance to exact standards WOW! The strawberry in my mochi was sweet, firm and tasted so good.

It was only noon by the time we had had our fill so after much deliberation, decided to the Museum of Ethnology. The deliberation because it was over an hour away by train and walking, but it is located far north of central Osaka and we thought would be interesting to get out of the tourist area. It really was off the beaten path but we enjoy seeing where normal people live when we travel so on we went. Despite a brief hiccup on our train routing where we had to disembark at a stop that Google maps showed we stay on, we did ok. A helpful European couple and rail station worker helped redirect us. An hour out of the city center and it was still densely populated with older high rise and low apartments, making us feel grateful for the wide open spaces we live in. It reminded me of Hong Kong, and other Asian cities. China in comparison has much newer construction and more public spaces like parks and squares. We saw kids playing sports on schoolyard artificial turf.

The trains are packed with young people, mostly 20-30 year olds. I think getting around for the elderly must be challenging. At our stop in Suita, we were surprised to see a small bamboo forest alongside the main road.

We walked for a half an hour through a lovely area that we later learned was the site for Expi 70. We didn’t have time to fully explore the Japanese Garden, ponds and cultural park but saw a ferris wheel, very odd Tower of the Sun and stone paths. Everything was in good but not “tourist” shape. The entire area is a huge amount of open space with grass, trees and nature!

This museum was a Whoa moment. It is the largest museum of ethnology and research institution in the world with over 345,000 artifacts. The cavernous rooms have life-size objects from all parts of the world, depicting daily life and culture. The displays are not in glass cases but out in the open- instruments, tools, costumes, cooking implements, boats, carriages….It is awe inspiring and made us wonder how they acquired such an extensive collection. We spent way too much time trying to figure out their audio guide and finally gave up and just wandered. It was unlike any museum we have ever seen and a lesson on the cultural history and lifestyles of every country. Ray was particularly astonished at the collection in the history of guitars. This is not a place where you go just once; it needs multiple visits to absorb.

We trekked back to Yamaha Station to find the trains were not running- horrors, can this be possible in Japan where everything runs perfectly and on time? We were directed to the monorail and then subway where we arrived back close to the hotel. We grabbed a quick bowl of ramen from the same unnamed place we had our first dinner, thus ending our stay in Osaka.Total miles walked today, 8.5.

It seems like forever that I have been talking about going to Japan and with many iterations of an itinerary that comprised of Hokkaido then not Hokkaido. So it is hard to believe we are actually here. Our flight was uneventful and with iPads and downloaded movies and shows, 12 hrs actually passes quickly. Thank you United for leaving the middle seat open. I have to say, food on international flights has deteriorated considerably since we last flew abroad. Can you believe Robert’s favorite food as a child was lasagna on American Airlines? On this flight, we never got served breakfast since there was so much turbulence and so we landed hungry. Ray thinks the routing to Asia has changed, going over more ocean instead of north over Alaska and Russian air spaces, and therefore a longer and bumpier flight; he should know!

We arrived in Osaka mid afternoon and took a cab to the W Hotel, owned by but not Marriott branded. The city is way more industrialized than I had anticipated with rail yards , shipyards etc. high rises etc on every available space. The ride took over 30 min and was expensive. In retrospect we could have figured out the route by subway but I figured we would be tired and unfamiliar with the rail system- live and learn. The hotel is in the Manami district, not unlike 5th Ave and convenient to the main rail station. After checking in, we walked in search of food and found a section of covered pedestrian alleys with small restaurants and food stalls, drug stores, knickknacks and misc products, which we later discovered is typical of Osaka-covered for protection from the elements and packed with people on weekends. We settled on bowls of ramen with delicious broth. Then back to the hotel where we collapsed into bed.

The guidebooks say Osaka is a foodies paradise. We basically ate our way through Osaka today.

Our destination today was the Keitakuen Gardens near Tennoji Park. We were so proud to have figured out the subway system, purchased commuter cards and filled them with money for several days of rides, arriving at the park to find it was undergoing construction and closed. We ended up walking through Shin sekai, an old town, with long pedestrian streets lined with shops and restaurants, decorated like the early 1900’s. We saw a young crowd in front of a Takoyaki shop (octopus balls) and it didn’t take much convincing to try. We ate them on the street like locals. They were piping hot and very savory and flavorful.

We kept walking toward Dotombori Street looking for Mizuno which the guidebook had highly recommended the traditional okonomiyaki-savory pancakes filled with meat, seafood, and vegetables, but the line was hours long. We decided to do crab instead at Kani Doraku Dotombori which was flavorful and sweet.

Next stop, the Osaka Castle. We are now pros at navigating the subways- the stops are in English but not much else. Although uncomfortable in the warm muggy air, we diligently wear masks on public transport and crowded stores. Many Japanese, young and old,, wear masks as well.

The historic castle is in the middle of high rises with a wide promenade that encircles the moat. There are 2 entrances that go over the moat and inside are a few gardens and the palace, with adornments cast in bronze and gold gilded. I had thought the palace would be furnished to resemble what it looked like before but it has several floors of displays and a viewing platform on floor 8. It is packed full of people all trying to navigate the narrow corridors.

Osaka has very little free space. The small field at Tennoji Park where families had set blankets and kids played ball was astroturf. Walking so much of the city, we did not see a single playground- maybe in the outlying areas?The main city areas are pretty much void of trees, grass and nature. We retraced our steps back to the Dotombori area and found no line at Mizumo. The place has only 7 seats in front of a long grill where the savory pancakes made with yam batter and filled with seafood are made. Delicious!

By evening, the area was becoming crazy crowded and we have never seen so many people, mostly young, walking and eating. It resembled the Richmond Night Market but this is year round and all day and into the night. We went into a few larger stores.

One sells only capsule machine. Capsule machines are outside many stores and for a few cents you can get a plastic ball with a treat inside. There was a Japanese anime store where the salesgirl had amazing nails. Most surprising was a 3 story Go go Clamp games place with rows and rows of all kinds of things you could win using the clamps like at carnivals.

Ray said that kids growing up here are like in an alternate universe, never seeing grass, trees or nature!. It is certainly a very different life. Though people are generally quiet, speaking in soft voices, the streets are immaculate, people are neatly dressed, and everyone is polite and non confrontational. It is very safe-I think I shocked the desk clerk when asking if stms in convenience stores are safe. The exchange rate is very favorable and so things are cheap in comparison to the US, especially in restaurants where there is no tipping. There are very few non-Japanese workers; all restaurant workers are young Japanese. Tourists are Chinese and Korean with few Europeans this time of year. It appears there may be more visitors from other parts of Japan.

Our last day, a laid back day for relaxing. Breakfast was cornbread, sweet potato hash with egg. We lounged around in the morning watching the rains blow through leaving beautiful rainbows. Around noon, we finally figured out where to go and attempted to find the “secret” beach. The road goes out from the stables near Poipu and down a dirt and rocky road to the Malauwahi cave trail. The cave is actually a preserved historical cave and sinkhole where 7000 years of sediment and fossils have been found. From there, Ha’ula Beach is a quiet rarely visited beautiful beach and we enjoy the sand and warm clear blue water.

Dinner, after much deliberation was at Eating House 1849, a Hawaiian fusion restaurant where I had misoyaki black cod “butterfish” and Ray had short ribs. The local shrimp was delicious as well.

So ends our stay in Kauai. Aloha until next time.

There was another couple as guests today and so breakfast had more options. The Mediterranean Shakshuka was delicious and more to my taste-light and flavorful. We have reservations for the shuttle at Wapai to go out to Ke’e Beach. There was a recent outbreak of norovirus on the backpacking trail and the trail to Ke’e Beach has been closed for disinfecting. Fortunately this week, part of the trail from Ha’en State Park to Hanakapi’aibeach is now open for day use, which we were happy about since the road was washed out in 2018 and we missed seeing the north shore.

The views of the Na Pali coast are beautiful along the trail but the trail is steep, slippery in many spots, and quite hot and humid. I have not sweat like that in a long time! Several times we contemplated turning back but made it out 4 miles to an overlook of the beach. I polled everyone coming down as to trail conditions, thinking I wouldn’t make it back safely!!
Unfortunately we had dinner reservations and didn’t have time to get down to the beach, another 15 min climb downhill. We shuttled back in time to get to the farm.

Common Ground is a regenerative agriforest, serving dinners with everything sourced from the farm or within 10 miles. We had a local Hawaiian meal with breadfruit, soursop, sweet potatoes and vegetables, and rib eye butchered locally. It was fresh, light and delicious.

Breakfast of frittata was a bit rich for me and I am still pining for better!

We enjoyed the coolness of Waimea so much, we decided to hike the canyon again. Today we the Pihea Trail which starts at the Pu’u o Kila Lookout, hiked up and intended to join the Alaka’i swamp trail. However almost at the top, the trail got very rough and we decided it was wiser to turn back. Nevertheless we walked over 5 miles through beautiful native ‘ohi’a and fern filled rainforest with the mist billowing in and out. We had wonderful views of the Na Pali Coast from high above the cliff.

Parakeet Flower

On our way down, we stopped again for a few more papayas then visited the farmers market in Poipu. There were several farm tables selling the exact same fruits and vegetables at the same prices. They seem pretty competitive with eachother and most of them finished the evening with a lot left. It didn’t seem like a very productive afternoon for them. We noticed we had paid more for our papayas, dragon fruit and bananas, but our bananas were also much sweeter than at the inn.
Merrimans was in the shopping center with fresh fish on the menu. We ordered 2 dishes and shared- fresh ono and local shrimp. and macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi. All was delicious.

I was missing Alexis’ breakfast today. The guest host, Molly cooks very American- heavy with cream and more of a “make it easy” large casseroles. Her egg casserole lacked sophistication and elegance. It was filling though and we didn’t need lunch.

Our last trip to Waimea Canyon was in 2018 after the huge floods and many of the trails were washed out or too slippery to hike. Our return trip gave us many options for hiking. We did the Canyon Trail, a steep down hill and up to a ridge overlooking the canyon. We hiked close to 6 miles and enjoyed the 10 degree cooler temperatures at 2500 ft elevation, compared to the 85 degrees in town.

On our way back, we were pleased to see the papaya orchard still in existence. An older Chinese man was at the fruit stand and we had a nice chat. He is from Fujian. We bought huge papayas, a green mango, dragon fruit, longan and apple bananas, the best bananas I have ever had. He even gave us a free bunch. Next we picked up our Lillikoi pie we had custom ordered for today. Full of our favorite dessert foods, we stopped for Thai food and enjoyed our dessert on the lanai.

There is something about Hawaii that brings a sense of calm and ease. We arrived in Kauai before noon and Marjorie’s Inn is exactly as we remembered. Mike told us they have a guest host as Alexis is on the mainland visiting grandchildren. They are thinking of selling the place and he is making some necessary repairs. Alas, nothing remains forever.

The weather is quite warm, upper 80’s and the sun is strong. We walk along the coast at Poipu and find a Thai restaurant for dinner. Roosters roam around everywhere and the sound of them crowing takes me back to prior trips in Hawaii.

On the road today to Steamboat Springs, Colorado where we will spend a day fishing. It is surprising to see that Northern Utah has some huge mining companies such as Rio Tinto digging into the hillsides, mining copper, aluminum and other minerals. The striated red rock reminds us of Dubois, the eastern Wind River Range in Wyoming and we discover we are actually on the south end of that range. North of Park City, an entire new resort with many ski runs is under construction.

After 800+ miles and too many hay fields, we are getting a bit punchy. Ray – “We should stop at one of these tractor stores and see what new tractors have. They must have all kinds of new lifts, forks…” Me – “Yeah, tell them you are Farmer Ray looking to upgrade your fleet of tractors to the latest technology.”

How can we miss seeing the Dinosaur National Monument, only a 9 mile detour from the main road? The 5 min. shuttle takes us to the fossil quarry, now under cover in a two story building where one side is rock with bones still embedded. Paleontologists have unearthed over 400 dinosaurs, mostly stegosaurus and camarasaurus. It is amazing to see.

• 

The geology of the surrounding area is quite interesting, rock from many time periods and cliffs with sharp jagged rocks that resemble the back of a stegosaurus. Below winds the Green River.

The highway is as straight as an arrow and the scene reminds me of being in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania -mesas, low lying canyon walls and distant mountain ranges. All that is missing is wildlife of which we see little.

It is early evening and we arrive in Steamboat Springs, a charming ski town with a Main Street that is so similar to many other Colorado resort towns that I feel like I have been here before. We enjoy a wonderful dinner of lasagna and cioppini at Mazzola’s Italian Restaurant. We are determined on this trip to continue our very healthy, mostly homemade salad and veggie diet, which we have maintained this summer and I especially, relish every bite of this dinner. Tomorrow back to lettuce and bell peppers!

Tonight we are at the Steamboat Mountain Lodge. Thinking that it is not vacation season, we have been winging it without reservations most nights, totally out of my comfort zone – the past 2 nights we got the last rooms!

There is no greater joy than being a grandparent. Our well planned 2weeks came with a hitch. The day before Robert’s family was to arrive on July 3, they all tested positive for Covid. Instead of coming to our house, they spent 5 days in SF and we had to postpone Kira’s birthday celebration. I think we are all finding covid to be a big nuisance! Since Jen, Czarek and Ela were already here, we spent the 4th with them, watching fireworks in MV and going on the redwood railway on Sat. Unfortunately it was very very hot.

Finally, Robert’s family arrived on Sunday July 7 and we baked and decorated Kira’s cake and had a lovely bbq cheeseburgers and hot dog dinner. It was wonderful to have everyone together. We spent a couple of days with Robert after which he left and we were with 3 kids. A bit overwhelming at times but great times as well. The biggest challenge is finding activities that can entertain ages 4, 7 and 10.

Isaac went to Redwood Grove Camp mornings all week and absolutely loved it. He was so sad that it ended on Friday. Kira went to swim class in MV and Zoe hung out “doing stuff”. We sewed a dress for Ela, made yeast bread, and did a lot of cooking. With the girls, we painted rocks, cooked, and had a trailer party with games, popcorn and The Siund of Music. We went on the Redwood Railroad on a nice cool day, scooted to Santa Rita, ate Japanese food, had an egg hunt, made a milk carton birdhouse, signed up for summer reading and ate lots of ice cream including frozen Easter eggs and smoothies. All in all it was a successful visit and they all agreed it was splendid.

Alas, no one seems to know why there are no bug hatches this year. Is the water too warm, the temperatures outside too hot, the flows not right??? The DuVals find it a bit disappointing and their declining physical abilities make it a challenge in wading and also walking the trail to fishing spots. Therefore they fish for short periods and are not successful. We do enjoy nice dinners together..

We attempt to fish the Firehole in the park and encounter very windy days. The Gibbons is better as Ron catches a nice fish, as do I. On the Madison, I have a few hook ups, land a nice one and fight a big one that gets away. It is not as productive as past years and dry fly fishing is pretty much nonexistent.

We leave Livingston and make a stop just north of Bozeman to visit a former POST colleague, Megan Derhammer who has relocated to Montana with her family. They show us their “Mobil cabins” which are custom log cabins that they ship out to buyers. We visit with their pigs, goats and neighbor alpacas before attempting to fish their local fishing hole.

We reach Slide Inn in the afternoon and meet up with the DuVals, who we will be fishing with this week. They are staying in a cabin at Slide Inn. We hope the fishing is good this year!

After driving for 3 days, we arrived in Livingston , Montana where we will be for several days, fishing the Depuys River and Slough Creek at the north end of the park. Unfortunately the fly shops say that there are no bugs hatching and that it is too early to fish at Slough Creek. We will try anyway as Ray is determined. Armed with bear spray, we drive an hour and hike to the lower creek. There is not a fish to be seen and no apparent action. The only saving grace is that the valley is beautiful and the hike is quite lively. We decided not to attempt the upper creek trail. As an alternative, we fished the Gibbons inside Yellowstone where I caught several baby fish.

We had a 2 day reservation on the Depuys River. The grass was waist high and seeding so the pollen levels did mischief on Ray’s allergies. I had a few takes but did not land any fish. Ray dis fairly well but again, we saw very little evidence of bug hatches and rising fish. The scenery was picture perfect as it had snowed a few days ago with freezing night temperatures so snow was still on the higher elevations. We weren’t sure about returning next year as it appeared we were on the river too early. By the time we decided, all the spots were filled.

We spend the morning at Van Deusen Botanic Garden where the rhododendrons are in full bloom-such a delight, in colors I have never seen before. The Tibetan poppies are my favorite – a shade of misty blue. We walked there, down tree lined streets with beautifully manicured old and stately homes.

Today Isaac will be 4 and Zoe and I have big plans to make a Harry Potter Midnight bus. We have been discussing this for weeks after Zoe found the recipe in her cookbook and wanted to make it.
After leaving the botanic garden, I shop for groceries at the local Safeway then take Lyft to Zoe’s school to pick her up and walk home with her. Lyft was slow and I was afraid I might be late but ended up getting there right on time. The groceries were heavy and Zoe was unable to help as her backpack was just as heavy! But we have a wonderful walk discussing our cooking plans and she tells me all about school.

Step by step we construct the bus and all is looking good. We are so pleased! Into the oven it goes and that’s when things literally fall apart! The bus leans precariously and as we move it out of the oven, it falls over!! Zoe finds skewers and skewered together, it makes it to the table, looking fairly impressive to a 4 yr old. Everyone says it is really delicious and the meatloaf recipe is a keeper.

Sunday was spent at Stanley Park. The kids on bikes are now much faster than us walkers. Zoe took us on a hike through the woods in search of a “face” on a log. We actually found it after many twists and turns in the woods. Stanley park was a busy place and the beach was packed as the weather was perfect. We love the diversity that exists in Vancouver..

We departed Vancouver on Monday morning for Squamish and spent a couple of nights exploring the area, Our rustic cabin at Sunwolf sat alongside the river and it was peaceful and quiet. We hiked up at Whistler to a pond, and explored the surrounding provincial parks in the area. Late spring is shoulder season and we had the place to ourselves. On the way back we stopped for Japanese food and my dragon roll was delicious.

Friday was fun fair day at the kids’ school so after spending Friday with Robert and Isaac, we went to their school where bouncy houses and games and food were set up. The girls performed with their chorus and a dj provided entertainment until evening. It was nice to meet their classmates and their families. So many of the families are Asian.

We spent the evening in the pool watching them show their swimming abilities. All of them are now comfortable in the water, with Kira a little fish. They are so very proud to show their accomplishments.

On Saturday we went to the Sky to Sea Gondola and hiked around at the top. Then spent the evening at the Richmond night market, something I have wanted to do for a long time but got put off by covid and being in Vancouver at the wrong time of the year (only open in late spring to fall). What a fun place that is, with lots of food booths selling a huge variety of Asian foods. Not surprisingly, the market is very crowded!

We arrived in Vancouver on wed. for a weeklong visit to celebrate birthdays and to spend a few days exploring the area north near whistler. We are staying at Sonder, just a short walk from Robert’s place. It has a kitchenette and is operated completely virtually. We spent the evening with Robert and Kira, ate lots of pastries for breakfast and walked the city near the waterfront. We picked up Zoe after school on Thursday and the two of us made our way via Lyft to the sushi class, her birthday present.

What an amazing experience it was to take a cooking class with her. The teacher was young and lively, a “chef” who had spent time in Japan. Zoe loves all things Japanese so this was perfect. She was quite skilled with knives and we created several rolls, made a sesame seed dressing for spinach, then got to eat it all. I have to say it was great fun and I was so proud to be her grandmother. She agreed it was a wonderful birthday present!

Our last day in the Grand Canyon and the end of our touring adventures. Tomorrow we head to Prescott to visit an old neighbor and then on to Phoenix to see Ray’s brothers.

We hiked a small portion of the Bright Angels Trail in the morning, down to the lower tunnel. In retrospect we could have made it down to the first rest house but we weren’t sure how difficult it would be coming up. Turns out we underestimated our ability and it was easy coming up 600 ft. I found it more difficult going down, probably because we had looked at the trail from the top and how close the trail comes to the edge of the cliff!

In the early evening, we took the shuttle to Hopi Point for some sunset photography and the overlook was perfect. This evening’s sky was the best of all the days we’ve been here – clear blue with a few strategic clouds that turned vivid orange at sunset. The canyon walls had an orange then purple hue and I was able to capture the glow on the edges of the cliffs. I will have plenty to do with my camera photos, but a few iPhone images are here. It was a perfect ending to our stay. For dinner, I cleaned the refrigerator and made a nice hot pot of chicken stew. We’ve eaten out only twice this trip which is a big advantage of the trailer- much healthier meals than bad restaurant food; the food options are quite poor here.

Today is our long walk day, starting at the beginning of the Hermits Rest Road, closed to car traffic. There are several lookout points along the road and one can walk or take the shuttle. In total the road is 8 mi one way. The scenery is breathtaking as with every bend, you get a different view of the canyon. The best time is low light at the end of the day and I hope to go out to a few points tomorrow with camera. The trail is paved at the beginning and the last 2mi, and dirt in between. Some of the sections are awfully close to the edge and we chose to take the road! It is a very pleasant walk, a beautiful day with a cool breeze.

At the end of our 8 mi walk, we catch the shuttle back to the village. It is packed and we again are the only ones with masks on. The sun is setting after our showers and spontaneously, we decide to check out the canyon. We catch the last of the suns glow. The canyon is purple and blue.

What a wild night of rain, hail and winds! But morning dawned clear but gusty. Driving out of the campground we encountered 2 male elks duking it out amidst a herd of females. It is rutting season. One chased the other away. He was handsome with huge antlers.

We visited the informative displays at the visitor center the headed out to Mather Point and a section of the Rim Trail. The rains came and Ray turned back. I kept going around the village, past the historic studio and to Bright Angel Trailhead. There people were coming up on mules.

I walked past the depot and thought what great train ride that must be!

The bike path/ greenway went through a forested area. In total my walk was 6.6 mi. When I returned to the campground, the male elk was laying on the ground with his harem!

Today was a travel day but quite windy with gusts up to 40mph. We thought about staying an extra day in Page to wait out the winds but it turned out to be fine, with a headwind and not side winds as we drove to the Grand Canyon. This is a view of Marble Canyon.

We entered through the east entrance and were told to check with the campground office regarding the potential government shutdown. Seriously we thought, wouldn’t the campground run by DNC stay open? This gave us a bit of sorry as we drove in!

Desert View is the first viewpoint on the eastern side and what a view it is. From here you can see the Colorado River make a 90 degree turn. The canyon is so vast we can’t even figure out where the hikers go down on the rim to rim trail. The north rim is rugged and beautiful.

We were fortunate to have gotten space in Trailer Village which is actually in the park. Spaces are large and tree lined so it is quite nice. It feels less like a zoo than Zion. There is limited food options but we weren’t planning to eat out anyway so that is fine. The park runs shuttles and 2 main rim trails and viewpoints are on roads closed to cars. We used our evening to figure out our plan for the next few days. I am hoping to get 2 evenings of decent sunsets but am not really interested in getting up for sunrises! Our excitement today was seeing another Alto trailer a few spaces away.

It is night time and we have had thunder and lightning with rains for the past few hours. Hail is coming down and we hope the pellets are small enough, they are not damaging our exterior. What wild weather!

We got up early for our 8 am start time, me still feeling apprehensive and nervous about this hike. Hopefully we make it in and out in one piece, and hopefully I get up and down the ladder without panicking. Was this a crazy idea?

The lot was empty and we were the first guests to arrive. The other 4 didn’t arrive until 8 and what a relief, they were not 30 somethings but were gray haired couples. We introduced ourselves and they said they were from Texas! I thought, “oh my, better watch what I say!” We wore masks in the tranport car but no one else did. As we got to talking, Monica said they were Canadians and she volunteers for the Democratic committee and that it is so hard living in Dallas. The other couple, all friends, were originally from India and also not Republicans. What a relief!!

That was the start to our amazing day. They turned out to be great people to hike with, about the same hiking level as us. We were told 800 people went through the regular Antelope Canyons yesterday but this hike was just 6 plus 2 guides from 8-2pm and we could spend as much time in each area as we liked as noone would be coming through. Sweet!

You enter down a sandy trail followed by a rope ladder and wooden slats down a steep 400 ft sandy hill. It was way easier than half dome! Falling is a very soft landing and we all made it down without a problem.

We walked 5-10 min into the slot canyon and everyone gasped with delight at the sight before us and this was only the entrance. The 10 ft ladder was next. Unlike the photos, this ladder is secured to the wall, has handrails and metal treads. It is very secure and my fears were unfounded.

From there you enter the chambers, 8 in all but the middle ones are the best. I spent almost 2 1/2 hours photographing there practically alone as the rest of them looked and left to go visit outside and eat lunch. I was in my element and could have stayed all week. The swirls of smooth rock was mesmerizing and so beautiful. Around every bend was a new shot and with the light changing every 15 minutes, the color of the walls and shadows were never the same. The patterns and swirls captivated me. I skipped eating lunch and made the most of every minute until noon.

We then proceeded to the narrows, the part of the canyon not yet carved out, with some passages just wide enough for us to pass through sideways. The guides told us this canyon is down from where the water flows and water can get 50 ft high in a flash flood. The combination of water and wind is what creates these rock formations. One couple chose to go further up the ledges and into a small chamber. The rest of us stayed behind. That was more than I could handle- know your limitations!

At 1:30 it was time for the climb out, up the sandy slope and rope ladder we had come down on. We had pictured it being much more difficult. Half dome was a lot harder. We all made it out, huffing and puffing up the trail but feeling pretty good that at our ages, we completed the hike and had a great time.

Cardiac Canyon was only recently opened and only a few hundred people have gone through so we felt very fortunate to have seen it in such serene and exclusive conditions. With the popularity of Antelope Canyon growing through social media, it won’t be long before crowds find this tour. I am sure they will be bringing more than 6 people a day in here.

We went back to the campground for showers then out to Big John’s for bbq and headed over to Horse Shoe Bend.my my were there a lot of people, some posing way to close to the edge in my opinion. We got some nice iconic shots with the iPhone which did better than my camera, arms can reach much further out than tripods.

We watched the sunset then the moonrise on this the Moon Festival . It was the perfect ending to a lovely day.

Today was our scheduled Canyon X photography tour, a 3 hour visit inside a slot canyon through Taadidiin Tours. Antelope Canyon is a long canyon outside of Page on Navajo Land. There are about 13 companies that do tours but this one we selected allows camera bags and tripods; we are a group of 3 with a guide. When we arrived, we were astonished to see quite a few huge tour buses in the lot, oh no we thought! Apparently this company has contracts with tour groups and they take people in small groups of around 10-15 people at a time. Today the groups were all Korean. We were driven to the entrance in a van and entered through a series of steps on a sandy downhill slope. From there, our guide pointed out good shots and held groups back whike we were shooting however it was crowded and lots of groups came through, peopke apologizing for interrupting! I found it amusing that one woman said, “I would love to see your work. I’ll bet it is beautiful!” There was ample time to photograph and the colors are stunning. I found it most challenging to photograph upwards towards the sky as the light difference was so great. There was also a great contrast in light levels on the canyon walls. Below is a preview of photos taken with my phone. Camera shots still need to be processed. A tripod was a necessity.

We received an eye opening lesson on the history of the Navajo, and similarly how all Native Americans were treated in the 1860’s and beyond. They were driven off their land and incarcerated, making the Long Walk to camp. Later, children were sent to boarding schools to indoctrinate them to American culture; speaking the Navajo language or celebrating their culture was forbidden. Now, even with repatriation, they are only able to live on the land but do not own it. It is held in trust.. We learned from our guide, Patrick that the Navajos only have rights 3 ft deep; the federal gov owns the water and mineral rights. He was 7th generation on the land and many elders still have a lot of animosity. The younger generation just wants to move on.

Our guides told us that even when the tribes vote against certain environmental issues such as mining, the government moves forward anyway, through eminent domain. A few years ago, the tribe was not in agreement with the federal government on a former coal power plant and therefore it was shut down. They now look to the future of solar on the land for revenue. It was a sad reminder of how badly non-whites were treated throughout history in the US.

Taadidiin is family owned and is doing quite well. It was started by Nick’s grandfather; Nick is a guide for the Cardiac Canyon tour.

The canyons used to be open for anyone to explore but in 1997 flash floods killed 11 visitors and so visits are now regulated. Luckily, they usually know in the morning if there is a threat of flash floods.

We packed up and made our way to Page AZ. The scenery is strikingly beautiful and incredible. The layers of rock are perfectly straight in places and tilted in others. Once in a while, an outcropping of sandstone appears- one looked like a perfectly round water tank standing in the middle of a firmer lava field. Another resembling mushrooms. I was told that the winter rains this year has brought a profusion of yellow wildflowers. The Page Lake Powell Campground is quiet and surrounded by red hills. In the shade, it is quite comfortable.

Page is a much more modern and expanding city than we had pictured. It was originally a community that housed workers building the dam and has grown as tourism increased at Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend and after Antelope Canyon opened in 1997. Social media has contributed to its recent popularity drawing 3M visitors a year. Page is also the home of two of the largest electrical generation units in the western United States.

After the sun goes lower, it cools off and evenings are lovely. We headed over to the Glen Canyon Recreation Area – Glen Canyon Dam across the Colorado River and forms Lake Powell . What a magnificent view and feat of engineering and construction. We walked across the bridge on both sides of the road, the view of the canyon on one side and high above the 710 ft high dam on the other.

This dam has an interesting history and is still a source of contention by environmentalists who want it taken down; that will never happen. Glen Canyon Dam has a 1,288,000-kilowatt capacity when fully online.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Canyon_Dam

Our plan was to explore Kolob Canyon, the northwest corner of Zion which has a 5 mi scenic drive. However, when we got there, we saw that the 5 mi drive had been reduced to 3 due to rock slides, and the first 3 miles were not the most scenic. We took a few pictures and asked about other places in the area. Several others had also made the drive up there only to be disappointed – seriously nps, make this info known and stop recommending this place! What we did realize was that this is where we had brought the kids and turned back some 30 yrs ago on a Las Vegas trip in the winter. We actually didn’t go to the main Zion entrance as it was too far. This was before the internet and we hadn’t researched Zion but went for a drive to “check out” the area.

Snow Canyon State Park is one of Utah’s 42 state parks, with scenic beauty but a lot fewer visitors. It is about an hour from Zion and somewhat on the way back to Springdale. We spent the day there, doing some walking but the mid day sun and heat made it difficult to hike. The park has red petrified sand dunes, lava fields and tubes , and sandstone cliffs. We made a note that this would be a fantastic place to visit in the winter! The landscape is amazing and makes us want to study geology.

Jenny’s canyon was a small slot canyon with nooks and crannies, and a great place for kids to climb around in. It was a preview of what we hope to see later this week and was a good exercise as I realized how low the light is, making a tripod essential for photography.

We were able to meet up with Carol and Jim Vorhaus for dinner at the Spotted Dog and had a fun time visiting. They just arrived in Zion and will be traveling to Bryce and the Grand Canyon.We so treasure and value our long time friendships.

Weeping Rock was a place I wanted to return to with my camera and tripod as I had identified many telephoto opportunities. We decided to go up early to avoid the crowds and for better lighting. We were one of the first up there and I had plenty of time to photograph the dripping water and hanging plants. Without the crowds, the place is heavenly and so peaceful. The dripping water makes for a beautiful setting for the hanging plants. It is my favorite spot in the park.

We spent about 2 hrs there before heading back to the campground for “dinner” at lunchtime, our plan for the day in order to drive and hike east canyon in the late afternoon and evening. This is the highway that leads east toward Bryce and one you can drive along. We will be exiting a different way so decided to spend sunset there. We left at about 4 pm to hike the Canyon Trail late in the day but the canyon trail parking lot was still full so we continued down the road. We were not disappointed – the incredible towering sandstone cliffs and striations. are breathtaking and unlike anywhere else we have been. The views around each bend were spectacular. We spent 4 hrs stopping and photographing and finally drove out at dark.

We got up early to get into the park before the crowds arrived. We started out by driving to the gate but turned back after seeing the long lines. Walking ended up being faster and we boarded the shuttle at the visitors center, getting off at the Grotto stop in order to hike upper, middle and lower emerald pools. They were somewhat of a let down as there was very little water and way too many people on the trail. We turned back and only went to the middle pool. Zion Canyon is 15 mi long and 2,640 ft high. It’s sandstone cliffs are deep red and quite impressive.

Weeping Rock was our next stop and the short but steep climb was very worthwhile. Water seeps through the sandstone and shale creating hanging gardens and dripping water. It was gorgeous.

We ate lunch at the Grotto under deep red sandstone cliffs.

After lunch, we took the shuttle to the end of the line at Temple of Sinawava and walked the Virgin River trail toward the Narrows where one can wade into the canyon. We watched the throngs of people wading across the river to the canyon some with rental boots and waders, others in gym shoes or bare feet (they didn’t get very far); it resembled a mass migration!

The buses were very crowded and warm at the end of the day, making for a miserable ride, with us being the only ones wearing masks. People have no choice but to take the shuttle as it is an 8 mi walk on the road to get back to the visitors center. Zion has only one main road. An alternative is to rent bikes. We bought icees to cool off and walked the way back to the campground instead of taking the city bus. Time to relax after a 6-7 mi walking day.

it has been surprising to see such crowds in late September but if you think about it, it makes sense as summers are too hot here. The visitors are a combo of young Europeans, and older retired people. I suppose there are just too many of us baby boomers, traveling the country and fulfilling dreams of seeing the national parks in retirement!We did observe how fit and lean Europeans are, no matter their age as contrasted to Americans who for the most part are hugely overweight.

Off again after a week in the Bay Area but only an overnight for me after babysitting Ela. It was a mad rush to pack food and necessities for trailering but Friday came and we were off. Driving south through Gilroy, it was quite smoky and the lush green hills of Pacheco Pass in March are now dry and brown.What astounds me when driving through the country, is the amount of variety in snack foods and drinks for sale. These gas station stores have a dizzying array of stuff. At one store, drinks occupied 3 entire walls of refrigerators!

6 hrs later we arrive in Barstow. The next day, our routing to Zion takes us through Vegas. It has been close to 30 years since we have been here and we are amazed at how much it has grown with its ritzy hotels and concert venues. The landscape after Vegas becomes more interesting with rugged high sandstone cliffs.

We arrive at Zion Canyon Campground late in the afternoon and decide to get a lay of the land before tomorrow. We learn that the main road from the visitors center is closed to traffic and all guests must take the shuttle which only runs from 7am to 7 pm.All the trails branch off from the main road which is 8 mi long. Therefore it will be difficult to carry my camera and tripod all day while hiking. I will have to go with just an iPhone. It also makes it impossible to get sunset photos beyond a mile or less of the visitors center. I applaud the park for implementing such an efficient shuttle system but for photographers, travel is better after October. We are fortunate there was no lottery system as in past years.

The sun was setting as we walked up the road from the visitors center and I captured an iconic Zion shot.

The Zion Canyon Campground is quite nice, only a 5 min walk to the visitors center. It is quiet and the sir let’s have plenty of trees to provide shade from the hot sun. So late in sept and still so hot!!

Fishing the Rogue River at Gold Beach in Oregon has been a twenty year old tradition for us. It seems our loyalty to several things has come up to surprise me lately- 32 years with the same doctor. 17 years with my hair stylist, and 20 yrs fishing with Greg our guide every September . We were first introduced to him by a colleague of Ray’s whose brother in law had a boat and fished the Rogue regularly. Greg was 40 at the time, loved the river and put his heart and soul into making sure we caught fish. He prided himself on being an exceptional guide. For 20 yrs , we never bought store salmon, catching enough to freeze for the year. The last few years however, have been tough with us returning home empty handed or with only 1-2 small fish. We thought we’d give it one more try this year.

The drive up is always enjoyable, passing the Humboldt Redwoods. This time we stayed in Trinidad, just outside of the Redwoods NP and in the morning hiked and photographed the rising mist in the redwoods on the Damnation Trail.

Greg was gruff and grumpy today, complaining that young guides are filling their boats with 5-6 people and making 2-3x what he makes a day. With salmon fishing closed in the ocean and rivers of CA, guides and private boats have been fishing the Rogue all summer and fall. We have never seen so many boats in the bay, a boat traffic jam, making his job not so pleasant. Secondly, everyone has started to use huge metal flashers, not to his liking. This makes the rods heavier, reeling in the fish faster and not as much fun. I have trouble holding and reeling in the huge one on my line while keeping my balance with the huge swells at the mouth of the river. With all the lines in the water and fish going crazy seeing the flashers, tangles between boats is a common occurrence. No wonder he is grumpy! We got caught up twice. He said he resisted switching but catching a fish is near impossible without flashers and his clients were asking if he had any. So we realized that may have been the issue for us the past few years. So at 60, sadly Greg appears to be biding time until retirement. He wants us to bring additional people so his day is more worthwhile. Such a shame how things have changed in 20 years. Nevertheless we ended up with quite a haul, not so good the second day, which also turned out to be quite smoky. Funny with us catching fewer, Greg was more relaxed and in a better mood.

We totaled close to 50 lbs of filets, and had to buy another cooler to pack them for the drive home. We’ll probably be back to continue the tradition at least until he calls it quits.

We took a leisurely drive through Avenue of the Giants before getting home to cut, pack and vacuum seal fish

It is a short 30 minute drive from Lee Vining to the town of Mammoth Lakes. We had plans to meet Ray Milano for a couple of days of fishing in the eastern Sierras. It has been almost a decade since we have been out in this direction, and since we have seen Ray and Monica, whom we have known since graduate school days. Ray met us in the morning and we followed him to the Owens River where we fished all morning with the Sierras as our backdrop. You certainly can’t ask for a more beautiful setting. The fish were elusive though the guys caught a couple.

In the afternoon we fished nearby Hot Creek which is a narrow river that winds through a deep canyon. This too proved to be a challenging fishing spot but we had fun trying. Monica met us for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Mammoth Lakes. It was fun catching up and it was like no time had passed.

The next day, our plan was to drive to Devils Post Pile and fish the San Joaquin River. Because of restrictions on the number of cars allowed into the park, we needed to pass the ranger station before it opened at 7am. We met a bit after 6 and got to the river while mist was still rising. This is an easily accessed river with lots of flat open areas to fish from, and a flat bottom for wading. I even caught a couple of trout and had a few nice grabs. We spent the entire day here with a brief break walking to the Devils Post Pile. This is a rare geologic sight of columnar basalt rising up to 60 ft. About 100,000 years ago, cooling lava cracked into these symmetrical columns; 45% are hexagonal and form a mosaic pattern.

We ended our trip with dinner at the Milano’s mountain home. We hope to be back before a decade this next time.

It is rare occasion to have Tuolumne to your self and we treasured every minute of our time there. The combination of Hurricane Hilary down in southern CA, it being a monday, and that all the campgrounds are closed this year due to heavy snow resulted in seclusion in Tuolumne Meadows and Lyell Fork. We spent half the day passing through to the eastern Sierras then an entire day on the way back hiking Lyell Creek and Dana Fork , Ray fishing from time to time. The weather was cool, the skies blue and the air clean. Yosemite, especially Tuolumne has always been my “happy place” and favorite place in world. We are certainly fortunate to live so close to this treasure.

Then at sunset on to the Lee Vining through Tioga Pass.

On Friday, we loaded up and after bagel Sammie’s at Butte Bagel, headed to Denver. We made several stops for Ela and the drive was less painful than going out. Our Airbnb was close to Aurora, conveniently located and comfortable.

Jen, Ela and I visited the Denver Art Museum on Sat. and Ela charmed all the visitors, smiling and waving. The cultural plaza is a beautifully designed place. Denver reminds me of the Chicago suburbs and is a sprawling city without too much character.

We ended our stay with dinner at a Burmese place which ended up being a both in an International Food Court consisting of 5 small stalls in an old JC Penney’s building.

Our morning hike was at south Crested Butte near Taylor Creek. The day got hot around 11 so this was followed by ice cream for lunch- why not?

With everyone acclimated to the altitude, we took an evening hike on Teddys Trail which is an offshoot of the Snodgrass Trail just outside of Crested Butte. At sunset, the low light on the hills are magnificent. We walked about 1/3 of the trail, encountered horses, and thoroughly enjoyed this ending of our visit.

It was a lazy day, beginning with breakfast outside at Paradise Cafe. We lingered over coffee while Ela slept in the carrier. At 10, it was cool and we wandered through the quaint downtown, browsing in the shops and the many art galleries.

We ventured home when it got warm and spent the afternoon napping, playing with Ela and relaxing. We ventured out for a delicious dinner at Ryce Asian Fusion, Ela attracting the attention of many people who wave and smile at her. We were startled to see signs of a wildfire, billowy white and orange smoke rising up over the nearby mountain. By the time we were headed home, the news reported a wildfire between Gunnison and Crested Butte, started by a lightning strike. The regular lightning storms, not always accompanied by rain, are a real threat to the dry landscape. Colorado needs rain. We hope the fire does not bring smoke and dies not affect our drive to Denver on Friday as there are not many options for routes out of Crested Butte.

We started the morning with a grocery run, French toast, and plans to go in search of wildflowers. The volunteer at the visitor’s center was helpful but by noon, the temperature was already close to 80 degrees. That plus the strong sun and altitude made walking unpleasant. Crested Butte is beautiful, surrounded by green peaks and pine forests. Much of the wildflowers we’re past their prime so we found a shady spot under the bridge, had our picnic lunch and went back to the house.

Dinner at the house was followed by ice cream and a nice cool walk at Mt. Crested Butte Lodge and ski area.

Our original plan to meet Jen and family in Crested Butte was thwarted when Czarek got called for jury duty. Jen chose to come alone with Ela. Not wanting her to make the 4 hr drive from Denver to CB by herself, we volunteered to pick her up in Denver. The plan became more complicated as she had to return her rental car. We left Basalt at 8 am consolidating our luggage to make space for Jen, Ela (with car seat) and their bags.

The 3 hr drive went quickly as we passed much of the same road we had covered in the last week.

Arriving at her hotel downtown, I stayed with Ela while Ray went with her to gather the car seat and load up the car. We waited a couple of hours in the room and lobby as she drove to the Denver Airport and returned by train. Packed to the roof, we set off on what felt like an eternity. Driving long distance with a baby, we realized, is not like a couple’s roadtrip. Making stops prolongs the drive and the altitude changes made Ela’s ears uncomfortable. She was a trooper but the last hour was difficult for her and we all felt so sad for her. We stopped for dinner at a pizza pasta restaurant in Gunnison and she became her cherry self again.

We finally arrived at the vrbo at dusk. Ela at 9 months is a total delight, crawling with glee around exploring all the rooms. We had a few hitches- the house did not have ac, but we were able to cool it down by opening windows. The pack and play turned out to be a large playpen without sheets, but we made do and called it a night.

We did some exploring in the morning, driving up past the Rudi Reservoir and dam, in search of the “little fished” section of the river. We reached the fork after about 30 min and saw that it was narrow with big boulders and not very accessible. We later learned the fish are plentiful and eager. Back down by the bridge, we fished the flats. Ray caught a couple but not me. I was eagerly anticipating our guided session in the afternoon. We met Sam Merrill at 12:15 and he took us to a spot not far from the bridge, a honey hole, he called it. His line was set up with 3 flies, the top being a “worm”, rubber legs which looked like a strip of fruit roll up. He taught us to be sensitive to the indicator and to fish with very little line. I pulled in fish after fish and Ray caught a huge brown. What I learned is that rivers and fish are very different in each river and knowing how to fish it is crucial. This river has shallows and fish swim all around your feet but if you don’t have the right technique, you will catch nothing. We had a fun day and it was so worth the money!

With great anticipation, we got to the river early and fished by the bridge. A guy upstream from us was catching one after another. Across the river, a young guide was with a family and the 2 kids were pulling them out without pause, seemingly with little fly casting experience and skill. What gives?? Finally I shouted out to him asking his name and fly shop, and his availability the next day. His name was Sam and he was available tomorrow afternoon.
That hole was occupied all day. We left in the late afternoon and had a nice early dinner at Heather’s, chicken pot pies, yum! Taylor Creek Fly Shop sold us some itty bitty flies, nearly impossible to hold and even more so to tie on. Evening fishing was ok. I landed 2.

Beautiful scenery on the way from Woodland Park to Basalt. The highway winds through dense pine forests, up passes and past famous ski resorts – Breckinridge, Aspen, Vail etc. The continental divide at Independence Pass is the highest paved highway in the US at 12,000 ft. We walked up the path to the overlook which was breathtaking but I yearned to keep walking and went up the trail to the summit, not at all out of breath from the high altitude. The photography was exhilarating.

We arrived in at the Basalt Mountain Lodge and went out onto the Frying Pan for a short evening period of fishing.

We ended up spending more time in this canyon than we had planned. Eleven Mile Canyon is fed by cold water from the dam and stays cool and fishable when the other rivers and lakes were not. It is beautiful and I walked sections of it. We had some but not huge success.

The heat wave is still on and the river was running warm. According to Landon, morning fishing is not possible because the sun heats up the water very quickly and by 10 or 11 is too warm. Typically afternoon clouds and thunderstorms will cool the water so that by 3 or 4 pm it is more favorable. We met up with him at 1 and he took us to the Dream Stream. We could see dark clouds as we walked, thunder in the distance but we trusted that Landon knew when to leave the area.

It was an intense afternoon, rushing from spot to spot. I think Landon was determined we catch fish and didn’t know how long we would have on the river. Obviously conditions were not normal and were definitely unpredictable. Landon equates what we were doing to hunting- he spots fish and we cast out over the fish trying to entice it. I was alternating between a dry fly set up and a nymph rig, going after a fish he saw underwater. I hooked one and we went running up and downstream, following the fish, with him holding my waders so I wouldn’t fall. I felt my arm burn as I tried to hold on, keeping tension on the rod and reeling him in. Finally, we brought it in the net. It was a huge brown trout! Next it was Ray’s turn and he and Landon went racing downstream. He also caught a nice size brown.

Just as quickly as it started, the fish stopped biting and the water temperature was 72, so we ended our fishing and left. Unfortunately our 2 day booking ended up being only 2 half days, but such is fishing, you never know what weather and fishing conditions will be like.

We left home sat morning and drove for two days through record high temperatures in Nevada and Utah that were 100-106 degrees. Colorado was cooler but also unseasonably hot, 86 degrees at elevations of 8500-9000ft.
we learned that it had been a long winter with lots of snow, which quickly switched to a heat wave. We drove through Grand Junction, through the impressive Gleneood Canyon, over the pass at Vail up to 12,000 ft and past the continental divide. It is a beautiful state.

It is Tuesday and today we met up with our guide, Landon Mayer who is well known for his books and presentations on dry fly fishing and fishing the “Dream Stream”. We met early at the town of Hartsel and followed him to Antero Reservoir, a large shallow lake surrounded by mountains and salt flats. There we attempted to chase big trout by casting to rising fish and wading the very mucky lakebed. Alas the high temperatures caused the water temperature to rise and we had to quit at noon, no fish caught today.

We were sad to leave Montana and could easily have stayed for weeks and weeks in this very scenic state. Henry’s Fork is a tributary of the Snake River or “North Fork of the Snake” that is famous for its flyfishing. However mainly good fishing during insect hatches which occur unpredictably and for varying amounts of time. In the parking area, fishermen were sitting in their trailers waiting for the “hatch”. Fields of Mules Ears created a vivid yellow palette.

Harriman Sate Park sits alongside the river with trails and a working ranch. The Harriman family transferred 11,000 acres to the state of Idaho in 1977 for public use and wildlife preservation. Trumpeter swans, osprey, eagles and other fis loving birds make their home here.

We spent the morning fishing the Firehole River. I finally caught a fish, though small, it felt like an accomplishment on our last day on the river. At the picnic area, I was surprised to see a mama bear and her two cubs.

By noon, dark clouds swept in with a downpour and hail that made even the bison seek shelter in the woods. The rains put down the fish and we drove north to Mammoth Hot Springs for a quick visit.

The gusty winds and rain died down by evening and we tried fishing the Madison River, hoping that conditions had improved.
I was able to catch 3 fish in one hour!

We met up with our friends Ron and Gay on Friday night and it is great having company to share stories, food and laughs. Unfortunately the Madison River is not fishing well this week and our morning session on Saturday was a bust. Cool temperate and rain have delayed the insect hatches and muddied the water. Typically lots of fisher people (fishermen and women) stake out the good holes but on this day, we had the entire river to ourselves; the river was deserted. In the afternoon, we tried the upper Madison below Hebgen dam and had some success. We caught 5 between us which was not bad- we are grateful for small victories this trip!

Sunday was a glorious day in the park after hitting “bison sighting traffic”. The fish were elusive, not much action, but the setting was spectacular and we rewarded our work with huckleberry ice cream in waffle cones.

Monday morning we tried to beat the crowds by entering earlier apparently others had the same idea and the entrance line backed up into West Yellowstone! We got to the river around 10 and saw thatfish were rising!! But even more surprising was the herd of bison and their calves at our fishing spot, crossing the river and grazing across the river from us. Sharing our fishing spot with wildlife made it that much more special. It also meant that we had an audience watching us fish.

Catching the trout in the Firehole requires technical skill which all of us except Ray are still developing; he caught several on dry flies. “ It’s all in the perfect drift”, he says. I guess my drift is far from perfect as they jump all around me but never take the wide assortment of flies I cast out. I do have fun trying though. By noon, the thunderstorms roll in and continue into the evening. We take a brief drive to Midway Geyser and Biscuit Basin, both overrun with tourists, which we don’t experience from our fishing spot. Last stop is for bbq ribs at the Firehole BBQ and back to the trailer.

The weather has gradually improved as has my flyfishing skills. We’ve spent time on the Madison River, on the Upper Madison below Hegben Dam, and on the Firehole River in the park. The best fishing has been on the Firehole. Not only is the scenery stunning but the fish have been jumping. Although challenging to figure out what they will take, catching one on a dry fly is a huge thrill. Today is the first day I have felt like I know what I’m doing and also feeling independent and proficient. It is a good feeling and instead of frustration, I feel like this is a sport I can actually see myself having a future pursuing. I was able to catch 2 today on my own. I might even try tying a fly!

I have been chatting with every fisherman I run into. Mostly older guys, they are happy to share their wisdom, tips and encouragement. I find I can learn a lot from people and also hear great stories, like the guy who told me he had an encounter with a grizzly up river, his friend who had the bear spray was far away and not about to come running! Our main encounters have been with bison.

Afternoon or early evening rainstorms are a sight to behold.

No rain but rather gusty winds starting at noon.. We again headed into the park and ended up in a long line of traffic, which delayed our arrival to the Firehole right when the wind gusts began.

The Firehole River flows through several geyser basins in Yellowstone including the one which contains Old Faithful.. The river was named by early trappers for the steam that makes it appear to be smoking as if on fire.

Temperatures in the river have been measured as high as 86 degrees and the water contains dissolved chemicals and minerals such as boron and arsenic. Despite this, brown and rainbow trout live and spawn in the river. It is a well known stream for flyfishing.

The chilly gusts up to 30 mph are truly an annoyance and I alternate between fishing and hiding in the car listening to an audiobook. The fish occasionally rise to feed and I rush out to fish with a dry fly but swinging a small fly into this wind is frustrating. By the end of the day, I have had it with the wind and call it quits.

I made a nice breakfast for Fathers’ Day- pancakes, eggs and leftover sausage from Pinky’s in Livingston. Only problem was, I left the syrup at home. Outside, the rain was coming down steadily and forecasted to continue all day. We could stay in our nice warm and dry 100 sq ft trailer or we could venture out. The lure of scrabble was not enough to keep Ray sedentary so we headed off to Yellowstone to fish the Firehole River. Rain is actually not a problem once you put on waders, boots and a good rain jacket with hood. Wading requires being in the water anyway.

Despite the rain, it was pleasant fishing, and the park was quite empty. However by noon, the winds picked up and came in gusts, too nasty for me and I hid in the car. There’s no stopping hard core Ray and he kept at it all afternoon, catching 12 fish; I had a few grabs.

By early evening, the skies cleared and I took a walk to the geysers. We regularly fish in Yellowstone but usually avoid the main sites because of the crowds so this was an unexpected opportunity.

We have a 2 day reservation to fish the DePuy Spring Creek in Livingston. This private ranch is located alongside the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley. The entrance is a “Gone With the Wind” house with tall white columns. 10 slots each day are available along the 3 mile stretch of creek, which has become so popular the days of June and July fill up a year in advance; we met a gentleman who has been coming for 30 years. It is run by the 4th generation of the DePuy family, Darrell is the groundskeeper and manager of the ranch/flyfishing operations; his mother was a DePuy.

1905, the DePuy family moved from Kansas to Livingston where they purchased a small farm on the Yellowstone river in Paradise Valley, supporting the family with farming, sheep and cattle ranching. Over the years, additional property was added to create the current DePuy ranch. During the late 1950’s, Warren DePuy decided to build a fish hatchery on the property. After obtaining ownership of the water rights to a large spring creek that flowed through a portion of the ranch, he bulldozed a diversion to redirect the creek outflow so it could feed the newly-built hatchery, grew it to be one of the largest in the country. When a highway was constructed through the hatchery, the original creek was dredged to add a series of new channels, drops, pools, and runs throughout the ranch, resulting in the world-famous spring creek fishery.

We have exceptional weather and thoroughly enjoy our time on the creek. Spring creeks are challenging to fish as the water is clear and slow flowing, so the trout can see everything you cast, including your line. They are cautious and selective in what they try to eat, so finding the right fly, being stealthy in approaching and casting are critical. This is the first time I felt casting expertise was critical and I realize I need to perfect my stealthiness and accuracy. Fishing spring creeks, unlike other rivers and lakes is watching for “rising fish”, the circles in the water and casting your fly to drift over their head, hoping they open their mouths to take your fly instead of a real bug floating by. The DePuy is only about 50-60 feet wide with a silty mucky bottom that is hard to wade. I don’t venture more than 5 feet from the bank and have to pull up my feet every few minutes else they get more and more stuck! During a slow part of the day, I go to take a break for lunch and wouldn’t you know, the fish decide to eat too! Ray catches 6 while I am gone.
All in all, I managed to hook 3 trout in the 2 days but am not able to land them and they get away. Boy are they strong. Ray catches a total of 14!

We fished practically 8 am to 6 or 7pm – swinging a rod and fly all day (crazy huh?) and fall into bed at night. It is a hard place to leave.

It has been 8 months since we last took Cali-alto, our trailer out and a good cleaning was in order, followed by a dry run hitching and unhitching, and a sigh of relief that all appears to be in working order. Despite our efforts to be minimalist, the essentials for this 3 week trip filled the trailer cabinets, trunk and back seat of the car. I think much of the gear is related to flyfishing and I can’t imagine how we would manage if we were flying.

Livingston, Montana is our first destination and we spend nights at rv parks in Winnemucca Nevada and Pocatello Idaho, all quite nice with clean hot showers. Spring in Nevada is quite different from the hot dry brown landscape we usually see. The vegetation is green as are the surrounding mountainsides which makes for an enjoyable drive.

Once we hit Idaho, we see acres and acres of potato fields, courtesy of McDonalds’ Simplot, watered by long moving sprinklers. We arrive in Livingston in the early evening, detach the trailer and meet a former SJ Flycaster acquaintance for dinner. Downtown Livingston’s Main Street is charming, with restored historic brick buildings housing restaurants, shops and many art galleries. Bob gives us a tour of the town and the outskirts which are framed by the Absaroka mountain range, sporting snowy peaks and bright green cliff sides. The Yellowstone River runs through town, still muddy from recent rains. Livingston, about the size of Truckee, is still a safe enclave, free of crime and traffic, and the quality of life is good if you can handle -20 degrees and many winter days that don’t get above 0 degrees! It is the reason why there are so many part-time residents. We have to admit the setting is incredible beautiful and housing very affordable.

Our whirlwind weekend continues as we board our flight to nyc. It is late evening as we take a cab to our hotel in Chelsea; the lights of the city are beautiful from our 21st level window. Ray and I walk to Time Square and back returning after midnight.

Robert arrives after a red eye flight and we hurriedly dress and figure out public transportation to Brooklyn. We arrive just in time and enter the Polish Catholic Church. I expected a full congregation for high mass but it is mostly our families and friends. The mass is in Polish and quite long which is exemplary of the 2 babies who sit through the entire service. The baptism follows the mass and is memorable. Then the celebration begins at Kafsa, a polish European restaurant, for a seated lunch, music and dancing, dinner and cake. Aside from the music being quite loud, it is a lovely party.

We make our way back to Manhattan and take a lovely walk to the High Line, The Vessel and back. The streets feel safe and the city lively.

I left the hotel early, drove around campus which looked more familiar to me today. Campus town is definitely much nicer. I walked West Nevada where our family home still stands, surrounded by run down rooming houses. The house still looks the same though the front yard is severely overgrown and in need of tlc. I drove past the house my family moved to after I left home. It also looks the same. How different from the demo and rebuild of Silicon Valley. CU is quite a livable community, which I appreciate now more than before. Age makes you realize that there is something to be said about the value of safety and simplicity in small towns.

I joined my class for a tour of the school. We were all struck by the metal detectors at each entrance and the long tables for searching backpacks- glad to see such measures but sad we have come to this, grateful we did not have these issues in our youth but troubled that it is such a part of today’s youth. Walking through the halls, certain memories come back but they are in bits and pieces.

My next stop on memory lane was Lake Iroquois, where my parents had bought lots, intending for my brother and I to each bring our families. We spent several summers at our house there, in a prefab house they had put up. Unfortunately for my parents, neither of us stayed in town. The lake development is in Loda, a small town in the middle of farm fields, 45 min from CU. Surprisingly how the lake is fully built up considering its location. I had a hard time finding our house among all the winding streets. My parents would be amazed to see it now.

Urbana High School graduating class of 1973. It certainly is hard to believe it’s been 50 years. Although highly anticipating the event 5 years ago, I was undecided as to whether to attend the reunion due to covid then since the weekend conflicted with Ela’s christening. But a few weeks ago, after getting covid, decided that 50 only comes around once. Since we were heading east anyway, I tried to arrange flights to make it happen and was able to use our remaining American Airlines flight credit for part of the trip. The plan was for us to fly to Chicago, Ray would visit his sister and I would drive to Urbana to attend the first night of the 2 night event.

It was a full flight and we arrived in Chicago around 9 pm, checked in and drove around Glenview looking for food, finding everything closed, settled fir McDonalds. We stayed north of the airport Thursday night, met Elaine and Roger for breakfast as my favorite breakfast place, Walker Brothers then I took off in a rental car. I arrived at the outskirts of campus and didn’t recognize the area. The old campus buildings had been filled in with new construction and has grown considerably. I found the I Hotel and suddenly was filled with excitement and apprehension- what if I didn’t recognize anyone? Was it a good idea to come? My first encounter was in the lobby and I realized everyone had the same feelings. People have really changed in 50 years! I had arranged to meet up with Tom and his wife before the evening event. We had connected on FB but meeting in person was quite fun. He told me about Val and pointed her out to me; she was outside. I ran out to say hi and we had a great chat, spending most of the event together.

The event was held at Riggs, a relatively new brewery and it was a blast. Our classmate organizers had made name tags with our high school yearbook picture on them so we could identify eachother. So many mentioned they love my photos, I realized this is my biggest fan base haha! We all agreed the women aged better than the men! Everyone was super friendly and happy to see one another and I realized that after 50 years, we are all the same. It didn’t matter who was homecoming queen or most popular. It felt like being transported in time – everyone looked 50 yrs older but we didn’t feel 50 yrs had passed. Then there were curious stories -Craig said he remembers I had to get up and sing a solo in 7th grade. I sang “Getting to Know You” and he was in awe of my singing in front of the entire class. I have no recollection of this!

The alarm goes off at 4am and we are tempted to stay in our warm bed and not take the chance on a possible launch, but we drag ourselves up and out of the room, getting to the parking lot by 4:45. Winds are mild and even in the dark, we can see it is partly cloudy; all looks good!

As we enter the field, it starts to rain…no way; there was no rain in the forecast. We duck into souvenir shops to stay dry, I am so souvenired-out by now but act interested in order to avoid being out in the rain. The flag is yellow, meaning a weather hold, but out on the field there is a lot more activity than yesterday. In front of us, 2 Dawn Patrol balloons are lit up in the dark sky, a very magical sight. Above them, a drone is circling, checking weather conditions.

We are in an open section mid- field where Rainbow Ryders, a hot air balloon ride company has a large number of balloons. All of them are being inflated at once and one by one, are being launched with passengers in their big baskets. Although the flag is still yellow, we suspect today is a go.

Suddenly all around us and all over the field, balloons are going up. What an unbelievably incredible sight. I don’t know which way to look or which way to turn as so much is happening so quickly. The soaring balloons are a sight unlike anything I have ever seen! We are in awe.

Within a few minutes, hundreds are floating in the sky, forming a colorful array that stretches for miles in the distance and ground level to high in the sky. It reminds me of Mary Poppins, Ray starts singing, ”Up, Up and Away” by the Fifth Dimension.

Many of the ”special shape” balloons are from other countries with Brazil, Belgium, UK, Canada and even Taiwan well represented. The majority of the colorful regular shaped balloons are from the US.

By 9am, several balloons are coming down in nearby fields, with chase crews going after them in pick up trucks. Occasionally, some end up on city streets and surrounding neighborhoods. We watch as one basket lands tipped over and several crew members pull it to safety. can you imagine being in the basket that lands askew?

What an exciting morning it has been! We sure are glad we didn’t stay in bed!

The 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is this week. We didn’t get here in time for the opening but it was somewhat deliberate as I was trying to avoid the crowds. Turns out Monday and Tuesday are slow days, hardly any crowds at all. We don’t know what to expect and where to go despite the info on their website so we play it safe and follow their recommendation to get there by 4:30am. There is no traffic at all and we are one of the first in to the parking lot. The light mist has stopped, which is encouraging. There are several lots, all enter from the main road. We park in ”granny” in front of the museum; $20 is collected as you enter. From there, the walk is about .5 mi. to the huge grassy field. Not knowing where to go, we walk a third of the way in and stand on a slight knoll while all around us pick up trucks arrive with their gear in the truck beds or in a trailer they are towing. The field is divided into rectangles on a map with balloon operators assigned a rectangle by coordinates; we stand randomly in C 12 and watched the field fill up, wondering if there is a spectator section as it doesn’t seem safe for people to be milling around in the dark with pickups driving around, but apparently that is how it is!

We have now been standing around in the dark for about an hour and at about 6am we start to wonder, as no one is making a move toward unloading. Dawn Patrol is scheduled to start at 6, Mass Ascension at 7. I finally go up to one truck and ask, and am told they are waiting- the committee is meeting to decide on conditions; they are in a weather hold. But she says once they get the go ahead, it only takes 15 min to set up. Yesterday the launch was delayed by 90 minutes.

We learn that the weather might seem fine to us but up high, wind conditions are not good and rain/lightning is forecasted for 8am. ideal conditions are westerly light winds to pull the balloons across, then straight up, and then back, ”the box effect”.

By 7am the launch is cancelled, but conditions are good for a static display and the place comes to life. One by one, baskets are unloaded and tipped on their side. Balloons are stretched out on the ground and hooked to the baskets. We are amazed how long and big the balloons are. A fan blows air in and the balloon is slowly inflated. The big propane tank is placed inside as the basket is uprighted and its flame keeps the balloon upright.

What a magnificent sight to see them up close and we are pleased the crowds are light which allows us to walk around freely.

There are fewer balloons today; they had over 600 on the weekend but it is a thrill just the same. By 8:30, the balloons are getting deflated. It takes a crew to pull the fabric together, fold and pack it back up, and we are grateful they have taken the time to do so.

The ”pilots” come from all over the US. Some run businesses that provide hot air balloon rides, others are amateurs that do this for fun; several are sponsored by companies.

We take a walk to the concession tents but the offerings – breakfast burritos and donuts are not appealing so we head out, with plans to try again tomorrow.

“The High Toad to Taos” is the suggested route to Santa Fe, though most people take it going in the opposite direction. The low road is the highway which runs along the river. It is a rainy morning and even with gray skies, the drive is scenic. At 8,000 ft, the forest is dense with pines and tall junipers. As the road descends, the vegetation is desert-like but the terrain is that of peaks and valleys.

The Church of San Jose de Gracia in the tiny town of La Trampas was built between 1774-76.

Chimayo, situated in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is famous for the weavings of the Ortega and Trujillo families, and there are several small and very old buildings marked “weavers”.  
Our next stop is El Santuario de Chimayo, a present-day pilgrimage site and Roman Catholic chapel.

The skies begin to clear as we enter Santa Fe. We have tickets for the Georgia O’keeffe museum, which is just delightful. Santa Fe’s historic downtown is simply beautiful, with uniform adobe buildings around a plaza and several streets beyond. It is clean and well maintained full of galleries, a few artists doing demos, and an art fair. This was what I had pictured Taos would be like. We spend a very enjoyable afternoon strolling through the art fair and high end galleries, admiring the exquisite and beautiful art, and eating french pastries in the park.

The skies darken and a huge crackle of lightning sends us back to the car and on our way to Albuquerque for the night.

At first glance, Taos appears like a town that has past its glory days. We are in search of a bakery or coffee shop and all are closed. The local barber tells us that staffing has been an issue since covid, and that the galleries don’t open until 11 or afternoon.

As we stroll, we come upon the plaza, and discover this is where the action is on a saturday. The farmers market has drawn a crowd and there is live music. Adjacent to the plaza is a modern pedestrian mall with galleries, boutique shops and cafes. We enjoy visiting the many small galleries and I am drawn to the work of a watercolor artist who runs a gallery with his work and that of a few others. Lynn McLain’s paintings resemble photographs and he spends some time explaining his technique; I am inspired to try this medium.

All in all, Taos though artsy and quaint, was not what I had expected. I had envisioned more outdoor sculptures, murals, artists at work in open studios and demonstrations. I was hoping to see art being created and not just being sold – it was a bit too commercialized for me. In retrospect, a day trip would have sufficed.

Leaving Ouray, we cross the Red Mountain Pass and Molas pass for the last time to Silverton and Durango. Much of the foliage has fallen in Silverton with peak color over. Ray takes a short break to fish the Animas River in Durango, the only river in Colorado he has not caught a fish. Well today he caught one so now we can happily continue on our way.

Southern Colorado and northern New Mexico is heavily forested with dense pines on the sides of the San Juan Mountains, sprinkled with spots of yellow aspens. Fields of hay and pastures appear where the land has been cleared. As we approach Taos, the vegetation changes to what we expected New Mexico to be like, flat, dry and desert-like.

Suddenly, popping out of the landscape are unusual structures which we quickly realize is the 300+ acre Greater World Earthship Community, started by architect Mike Reynolds and Earthship Biotecture. The self-sufficient dwellings are built with natural and recycled materials and with energy conservation in mind. The community is fully off the grid, using exclusively solar and wind power, and designed to collect water, manage sewage and produce food for their inhabitants’ use.
We feel like we have been transported into something out of Star Wars!

EVE stands for Earthship Village Ecologies. Designed as an “urban housing environment,” it was made up of five studio apartments that share a communal living space. Eve was never finished and is now used as a greenhouse to grow plants fir residents.

A few miles further lies the Rio Grande Gorge bridge which sits 600 ft above the river. It is the fifth highest bridge in the United States. During its construction in the 1960s, funding did not exist to continue the road on the other side, leading to its nickname, the “Bridge to Nowhere.” Looking down from the railing at the plunging gorge makes me very nervous!

We are staying at the Sagebrush Inn snd after checking in, we have a Peruvian meal at Aji, decent but not the 5 star rated goodness on yelp.

Our last day in Colorado and we are determined to make the most of it. We head west out of Ridgway, checking on the foliage along County Road 7 again but find the leaves mostly brown and still green, so we head back on the main road toward the Dallas Divide. We can see storm clouds toward the southern high pass but the weather forecast is for clearing in an hour.

The area near Placerville heading toward Telluride has steep red cliffs which quickly change to high mountain peaks and deep channeled valleys of the San Juan Mountains. The foliage is multicolored compared to the yellow aspens of Red Mountain Pass. The highway runs alongside the San Miguel River, one of the last free flowing rivers in the southwest. Flowing 81 miles, its cool, clean water provides a rare refuge for native fish; 30 miles of this river are protected in preserves.

It is cloudy and misting in sections until we reach Lizard Head Pass, elevation 10,246 ft. and the western section of the San Juan Skyway. As we eat our lunch, the clouds break revealing a dusting of snow on the nearby peaks.

With the sun breaking through, we anticipate a scenic drive back and are not disappointed. Trout Lake’s north shore is quite a sight with tall mountains and orange aspens.

We decide to explore the little town of Ophir, off the main highway on a dirt road. At first sight, Ophir, established in 1881, looks like an abandoned mining town.

Driving a few miles further up the road, we see a small village (population 159) set in one of the most beautiful places to live. Though it is not for the faint of heart as avalanches are frequent and the weather is subarctic; the road is closed in winter. Ophir Pass to the east connects to 550, Red Mountain Pass via a 4 wheel drive road that winds high above a cliffside without guardrails! The town is located two miles from the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, the world’s first hydroelectric plant to supply alternating current electricity for an industrial purpose (mining).

There is still daylight as we approach Ridgway, and daylight must not be wasted, so our last night here is spent fishing the Uncompahgre River at Pa Co Chu Puk one last time, and surprise, surprise, I catch a rainbow around 14”! Ray 0 Linda 1

We scrapped our initial plan to explore the county roads around Silverton after reading they are 4WD rough roads. Instead, we chose to go up Owl Creek Pass to Silver Jack Reservoir. This is the road that True Grit and How the West was Won were filmed.

What a beautiful drive it is, climbing up to 10,000 ft. with the Cimmaron Mountains to one side and views of Chimney Rock on the other.

We stopped for lunch alongside the Cimmaron River, which comes out of Silver Jack Reservoir. With my eyes in the camera viewfinder, photographing the creek, I am surprised when a huge black cow appears in my photo.

Groves of aspens with backdrops of gold and green beckon me to walk in the woods. Other than the atvs on the road and an occasional cow, it is peaceful.

Silver Jack Reservoir is almost dry, the sandy bottom visible as cliffs and undulations.

We have certainly been fortunate with the weather and couldn’t ask for more beautiful days, temperatures in the 60’s, blue skies, puffy clouds and little wind.

Not being morning people, we are struggling to get up and be out before dawn. Today’s goal is to shoot the early morning mist, reflections and red mountain glow at Crystal Lake in Ironton Park. Fortunately the crazy scary road through Red Mountain Pass is deserted at this hour and we arrive at sunrise, well before the light hits the top of Red Mountain. Photographers are already lined up along the bank, tripods in place, trying to stay warm in the 39degree chill. Heavy mist is rising above the water and several ducks create circular ripples as they dunk and feed. Next to me is a woman from Prescott, AZ also heading to the balloon fiesta. We photograph the emerging colors on the mountain, the mist and the reflections. Ray leaves to warm up; I stay for 90 minutes before my frozen fingers lead me back to the car. It was worth the early rise.

The early morning light is still magical so we head to yesterday’s spot in Ironton Park. We walk on the dirt roads, and at last, I begin to feel this place. I tell Ray that walking as opposed to driving, allows me to ”see” and construct photographic images. Foreground, background, lighting and composition are very hard to do when standing by the side of a road. I feel very satisfied with my images this morning; they feel like me and I like the compositions.

The afternoon storm clouds move in and sends us back to Ouray. Already we can see that winds are blowing the aspen leaves off and know that in a week, all the color will be gone.

We end the day with some flyfishing on the Uncompahgre River in Pa Co Chu Puk campground and park. Ray 3, Linda 0.

Finding peak color is hit and miss, and a bit of luck. I am told color is about 2 weeks late in this area but that all it takes is a few cold nights. Apparently Aspens cluster in families with networks of roots and so on some mountainsides you may see groupings of different colors, some at peak color, others with leaves already gone. My photography instructor directed me to areas outside of Ridgway with spectacular foliage – County Road 7, Dallas Divide, and Last Dollar Road. Unfortunately after driving an hour, we discover that this area has not yet turned color and yellows are spotty. Finding colorful trees in addition to photogenic spots, not to mention places to pull over, is just too challenging. We ended up driving back up to Red Mountain Pass. We spend the entire day up there, admiring and photographing. In one of the aspen groves, I meet a former Colorado forest ranger from Santa Cruz. she got to backpack and hike for her work.

At Ironton Park Downtown historical site is now a ghost town but was once a thriving downtown with hotel, stores, theatre, depot and courthouse, most built between 1870-1950. At its height, in the 1880-1890’s, Ironton (Copper Glen) was the second largest silver mining district in Colorado with a population of over 1,000. it was the major transportation junction between Red Mountain Town and Ouray, with 2 narrow gauge trains a day to/from Silverton. The fall colors provide a beautiful backdrop for the dilapidated buildings.

Further up the road are houses that were moved from the former Ironton and are to be preserved.

The second leg of our journey takes us from Farmington, New Mexico to Ouray, Colorado via Durango and Silverton, a 3 hr drive. We pass pueblos, deep red cliffs, beautiful mesas and several Native American reservations. In Silverton, we admire the vivid colors and feel encouraged that our timing may be right for autumn foliage. Molas Pass (10,970 ft) between Silverton and Durango parallels the railway and is part of the 233 mile San Juan Skyway, a national scenic byway in southwest Colorado.

We stop for produce at Natural Grocers, a terrific local Durango natural foods store with Serious Delights bakery and enjoy their delicious sandwiches at a picnic spot alongside the Animas River. From there, Hwy 550 is named the Million Dollar Highway, consisting of the Red Mountain Pass, a distance of 25 mi. to Ouray, The pass is 11,000 ft in elevation in the San Juan Mts of southwestern Colorado and separates the Uncompahgre and Los Animas watersheds. It is named for the iron oxide rock of Red Mountain on its northeast side.

This section is breathtakingly beautiful. At one pull-out, someone else said, ”It doesn’t get much better than this!”

By the side of the road marked Hayden Trailhead is a lovely lake at the base of a dazzling yellow mountainside. Crystal Lake is a dammed, spring fed, man-made lake. The reflections draw photographers to its banks all day. We join them and view it from many angles, and to my great joy, puffy white clouds roll in just in time for reflection pictures.

Further along the highway is a suspended platform with a view of the 120 ft drop of Bear Creek Falls- gives me the hebejebes to be on it and looking down!

The lower end of Red Mountain Pass was blasted into near vertical cliffs, hundreds of feet above Red Mountain Creek and the Uncompahgre River. Narrow, with no shoulder, winding switchbacks, and an 8% grade. It is very treacherous, especially in winter with frequent avalanches. This is the road we have to take each time we go to see the fall foliage at Red Mountain!

We finally arrive in Ouray, a very small town at 7,800 ft elevation, population 1,000, with the nickname ”Switzerland of America”. As we drive through downtown, the sky is awash with alpenglow.

Today we are going to attempt fishing at the tailwaters, directly below the dam. There is a BLM parking area with a trail that switchbacks down the cliff, meanders through marshy grassland, pools of water and 10 ft tall bushes to finally reach the river. But…that only takes you to the channel. Getting to the main river requires some serious wading through muck and over rocky bottoms. I am resigned to staying put until a group of friendly guys who have been coming from Boston for 40 yrs, direct us to a shallower section. I can’t believe I make it, wading across the channel, around a small island and ending up in a fishable spot. This section is beautiful, movie-worthy and pristine. People say it is crowded today – they don’t know crowded!

The water right below the dam is COLD and by mid-afternoon, my feet are freezing so I end up casting from the grassy bank, below bushes to get out of the strong sun. Even with a hat on, the top of me is burning hot while my feet are cold. The fishing is decent, for everyone else as people around me catch fish. It was so difficult getting over here that we stay put until dusk.

Ray catches several nice sized fish. Ray 6 Linda 0

We loved the burgers from Three Rivers and go back for more, doing carry-out this time.

We learn early in the morning that our guide is in the ER with covid and there are no other available guides, so we are out of luck and on our own. We feel badly for the guide but are also thankful he got covid before seeing us! The guy in the fly shop tells us that tiny midges are the trout’s only food source and therefore tiny itsy bitsy flies are used to fish. They are sooo tiny, it is hard to hold them in your fingers, much less tying a knot in the hole! Tying 2 flies on is supposed to resemble a cluster of midges, which we begin to comprehend after seeing them clumped on our waders and fishing line.

We stop in a variety of places, the river is quite mucky in places due to yesterday’s storm. It takes me a while to get my groove back since it has been a number if months since I last fished. Ray catches a couple; I catch 3 about the size of sardines. We don’t have much luck but we are learning about this river.

After lunch, we try to reach the other side of the river, driving down a bumpy dirt road until we reach a flooded out wash. The workman on a bulldozer waves to us saying we can make it in our rental Honda Passport, but we don’t chance it. so much for this side of the river. We do see lots of oil pumps everywhere, even on BLM land.

We get burgers from Three Rivers, sitting inside, a bit nervously, though it is practically empty. As we walk out, a couple of men on the bench yell to us, ”We don’t have covid!” Sigh…

Getting on an airplane these days creates a myriad of emotions-anticipation of new adventures, joy in returning to normalcy, uncertainty about changes to transit procedures and the never ending anxiety about covid. We’ve traveled so much with the trailer, we have forgotten how challenging it is to stuff all our belongings into suitcases. I stuff the bare minimum of flyfishing gear with jacket, rain gear, waders, boots and wading staff into one roll on; clothing, tripod and hiking boots into another and then there is my photography bag which always seems to weigh a ton.

Our flight is on time and we are seated next to a beautifully coiffed and very talkative woman in her 60’s who has a wings pin on her lapel. She is a flight attendant returning from Australia. She tells us her favorite route was to Taiwan but because of the threat of attack by China, has chosen a new route. she keeps us entertained on the less than 2 hour flight.

Albuquerque airport is small and we quickly get our car and begin our 3 hour drive to Farmington. Storm clouds roll in with gusts and heavy rain. Such timing… this rain will wash the rivers out, making for poor fishing conditions.

We check in at the Best Western. Our guide for tomorrow calls and we arrange a meeting time. We are looking forward to fishing the San Juan river.

We hike an easy trail to String Lake and Leigh Lake. The parking lot is quite full with families bringing rafts, kayaks and paddleboards to play in the water. Leigh Lake is serene with clear teal waters. We stop for ice cream then Ray tries his luck at the tailwaters of the Snake below the dam. I chose to sit in the shade with my audiobook. The afternoon sun is blistering hot. I cook our dinner of hamburgers on the campstove, with a view high above Jackson Lake. We head back to Jackson Dam where I land 3 small cutthroats on nymphs and surprisingly land one on a dry fly! The Teton range is gorgeous. We enjoy our fishing adventures as we prepare to head out tomorrow. It has been a very productive time fishing, my totals are 19 landed, 17 hooked!

I’m sad to leave this magical place. We go out for our final morning fishing. There are guides with their clients in each of our favorite places so we walk further down the trail. I chat with a woman and her son from Minn. They tell me the cabins across the river are for rent through vrbo or Montana Anglers. It ends up being a spectacular morning as I land 1, which I am proud to say was all done myself, from set up, hook, to bring it in. It jumps away right by the net, was a large and beautiful fish. I hook 2 more before we leave. We spend some time talking to Kelly who says Jan/Feb can be good. May is deserted but the runoff is good nymphing. Mid June to mid July is dry fly season and most years busy here. Fall is hoppers.

Our next stop after lunch from Firehouse bbq is Grand Teton NP. We drive through Yellowstone which is peacefully deserted because of the floods last month. Road closures caused lots of cancellations. Funny thing is I have never seen it so void of wildlife. We are staying in the campground at the north end of the Tetons at Flagg Ranch. After setting up camp and having dinner, we head for the nearby Snake River where Ray catches a few suckers

Yellowstone NP is our destination today and we are going to fish the ”fire hole”. hopefully there will be rising fish. It should be cooler at the higher elevation. Alas, no fish rising so we move further upstream. I set my small backpack down on the grass and try nymphing a side channel. Whrn we decide to leave, my bag is no where to be found . Ray is franctic; I think we shoild find cell service so I can use find my friends to locate it. We drive a bit up the toad, asking people along the way. Ray recognizes one large family and the girl looks so relieved to have found its owner. My fault for leaving it there but did she really need to pick it up?Anyway it ended well.

Afternoon and we are back, preparing for our last evening fishing. To my disappointment, there is someone in our spot and they are pulling in fish one after another. I don’t have much luck and go in search of Ray who puts me in a good spot..I land 3, hook 2. One of the fish landed is an 8” brown trout. They are coming for parigons, 2 nymphs.

I’ve finally reached a point of independence in flyfishing and I believe it comes with experience in catching fish. in other words, you can practice, go to class and watch videos but you can’t improve unless you catch fish, which is hard to do in CA. Ray’s allergies kept him in today, away from the forecasted gusty winds so I ventured out by myself. Amazing isn’t it, that I would feel ok going off alone, but it is potentially our last morning here and mornings are heavenly, so I really don’t want to sit in the trailer. It is cloudy and cool. I land a small one by the bridge then head down the trail. I hook a good sized one then my line sinks and I work what seems like a fish but maybe is just caught. After 15 min with the line not moving, I pull and break the line, still unsure if it was s big fish or what. A few casts later, the same thing happens in the same spot…not a big fish after all! (landed 1, hooked 1)

We drive 30 min to Ennis, the nearest town. It reminds me of Truckee. We buy groceries at the only grocery store in town, not a huge selection of produce and meats, and makes me feel grateful for the options we have in the bay area. Their produce section is 1/4 of an aisle but the chips section is a full aisle, go figure. Ennis has wind gusts of 40-50mph; I can’t even open the car door.

It is hot this afternoon, gusty and the skies look smoky. I check and there is a fire near Helena, west of here. unfortunately it is too windy and smoky to fish. Here is a photo of Montana at its not so finest.

The sunset is unique.

In the parking lot, guys in the car next to us tell me I crushed it last night, did a great job landing fish, and that they had fun watching me. I think they were wanting our fishing spot! I’ve gone to the dark side and switched from dry flies to nymphs, not my preference but they catch fish. The morning air is fresh and cool. We stay in our favorite spot upstream where we had our banner night. No bites for me. We fish until 1 and break for lunch; it is cloudy and cool all morning, a lovely day. We visit the fly shop after lunch and hang out in the trailer. After dinner we are back on the river, hoping for a repeat. It is peaceful as the weekend crowds have gone and there are only a few people out. I start a little upstream, cast in from the bank and get angry at myself as it appears I am hooked on a rock. I let go of the rod and get ready to pull the line when to my astonishment, it is actually a fish! I quickly pick up the rod, working it but the fish goes into more rocks and breaks the line. Next I go to our spot where Ray is pulling them out one at a time. The caddis are flying around, a good sign. A few casts and I land one, hook 2. The caddis disappear and the fish stop biting. The evening sky is gorgeous and a bright rainbow appears. We reluctantly call it a night but walking past the bridge, Ray casts out one last time and lands one! I cast and hook 2! ( 1 landed, 5 hooked)

Saturday, we again got out early and fished left of 3 Dollar Bridge close to the second stairs. Standing on the bank, i cast in my salmonfly and nymph and a fish grabbed it immediately but I didn’t hook it. I cast again and I see the fish up against 2 rocks come up for it but didn’t grab. I then drifted it over and over and as the salmonfly sank slightly, I see the  fish make a grab for it. What a thrill!
Afternoon is super hot and we stay in then go for a drive, sit out the wind and sprinkles then head to Raynald’s bridge. I start where we were the first night, no luck. Then caddis are flying everywhere and Ray finds a spot far down the trail where the waves calm to a slow area. What a thrilling night.
I catch one, landing it – my reel falls off. We finally get it in the net with photo. I catch another that Ray nets. Then I catch one that jumps in the air twice and breaks off. Next I land one and net it myself. One more gets away. Then Ray helps me net one that I land; it has a bum jaw. 6 in one night, a great evening (4 landed, 4 hooked)

This afternoon is forecasted to be very hot. We get out early and fish 3Dollar Bridge until noon. Ray discovers a deep trough near a wadable area and shows me how to drift it. I use a salmonfly dropper with a nymph and drift it over and over. I catch 2 fish, one which gets away from Ray’s net, the next one netted but as Ray finds his phone, I try to keep it in the water and it jumps out..alas no photo! After lunch we head back out downstream of 3 Dollar Bridge, a very bushy and rocky area on the opposite shore. A fish takes my salmonfly and breaks off the line, another fish hooked but not landed. We fish until late afternoon.  I photograph the lightning storm and am delighted to find I captured a lightning bolt. Evening is very gusty and no caddis are hatching so we watch the sunset from the top of the hill. (2 landed, 1 hooked)

We arrive at Kelly Galloup’s Slide Inn on Wed.  after a 2 days drive through the desert of Nevada where the scenery doesn’t change, just mile after mile of scrub brush and solar farms. Surprisingly, towns seem to be booming with small casinos and lots of new construction. They certainly look economically better off than many small towns in other states like California for example.  We overnight at New Frontiers RV Park in Winnemucca, huge and new. The town has big events all summer, bringing tourists in for entertainment and gambling. Crossing the border of Idaho, the arid land turns into green fields of hay and potatoes, irrigated by huge moving sprinklers. Simplot factories, producers of McDonalds french fries are huge, surrounded by potato fields.
We overnight at the Pocatello KOA Journey RV Park, quiet in a residential area.

Camping in Calialto at Kelly Galloup’s Slide Inn has been my dream; we’ve stayed in the cabins before but this is the first time we’ve brought the trailer for an extended stay. We have site 4 and as we set up, our neighbor tells us he and his girlfriend have covid, as did the guy in the site prior to us, and many other campers who had gathered for a July 4th party, great…
We keep our distance and vow to keep to ourselves. After dinner, we head to the Madison River with great anticipation, a short drive away and fish left of Raynald’s Bridge until dark. I hook a rainbow on a dry fly in the dark by feel, a nice start to the trip.  (1 fish hooked)

On Thursday, I am still getting my bearings and trying to be coordinated, learning and using the skills I have been perfecting- tying knots, casting, looking at the waters. I get some grabs that didn’t set, hooked a big one under the bridge which was a thrill, land 3 baby fish. We fish morning until lunchtime, then stay in during the afternoon heat of high 80’s, wait out the early evening gusts and thunderstorms, then go out until dark. Sunsets are gorgeous, sometimes with rainbows.  Ray spends a lot of time trying to keep the trailer cool. We learn that once it gets above 90, it is a lost cause. All that glass means all that heat. (Landed 3, Hooked 2)

The border crossing is smooth and quick, and in less than 3 hrs we are in Seattle. With time to tour before watching the Warriors, we stop at the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum at the Seattle Center.
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum at the Seattle Center features the blown glass artwork of Dale Chihuly. The installations are exquisite, and the outdoor pieces blend with the spring blooms.

The blown glass exhibits are divided into sections- an indoor glass garden, baskets, ikebana, chandeliers, sea life, macchia, persian, the glass house and the outdoor garden. I attempt to hone in on individual pieces, their relationship to each other and especially to the plants around them.

From there, we walk past the Museum of Pop Culture, formerly the Museum of Roc and Roll.

The last of the photos from this series were taken outside the Museum of Pop Culture. I was intrigued by the curves and colors- designed by architect Frank O. Gehry to convey the energy and fluidity of music. The 3,000 panels are made of 21,000 individually cut stainless steel and aluminum shingles which respond to different light conditions, reminding us that culture is constantly evolving.