From a variety of places
And there are more! From Alaska to the California coast. From Florida and St. Louis Missouri.
Flowers Providing Local Color
Filed under Photography, Travel, wildlife
Five photos from July 4 in Peoria IL
For strange reasons we decided to travel to Central Illinois for Independence Day. Most things were closed of course, but we did manage to make go of it.
Filed under American History, Family, Travel
A Hidden National Park – Lake Clark
The only way to get to this park, is by a small plane. Port Allsworth serves as the hub. lake Clark Airlines out of Anchorage makes it fairly simple, not inexpensive, but straightforward. The park provides a remote setting with gorgeous vistas. The Ranger Station and Visitor Center are closed on Sundays.
Filed under National Parks, Photography, Travel
Spring 2024
Filed under garden, Photography
Superior Island Hopping
After four years of delays, I finally landed on Isle Royale National Park. National Park #55 for me rates high on peacefulness scale and the lodging might be the best so far.
The ferries are the most economical way to traverse Lake Superior, but they book up quickly. We decided to fly. $350 round trip – it takes about 40 minutes to make the flight. It’s a little tight, but comfortable.
Isle Royale is only open from May through October and only 25,000 people a year make the journey. In June, the wildflowers show off.
The moose swim in the lakes, the otters play in the harbor, the loons sing their tales, and eagles rule the sky.
They provide water tours or you can rent a John boat and explore on your own.
And hiking provides endless color, fragrant balsam firs, and blue water.
And the Housekeeping Cabins have huge windows with stunning views of the lake (and moose for us).
Filed under Art, National Parks, Photography, Travel, wildlife
New Season New Backyard Show
My neighbors and I started a joint flower garden that spans our borders. We call it the Peace Garden – a play of the Canadian-North Dakota garden.
We are trying to keep everything MONative – native to Missouri. The summers are hot and dry, they take care of themselves.
There is a sister garden too that has a spiderwort that shows off all day most of the summer.
Filed under garden, Photography, wildlife
Traveling Back in Time on the Natchez Trace
It’s a sad story really…
Presidents’ Day Weekend. Kind of fitting, so many of their decisions created the trauma and drama of the Trace
We started in Holly Mississippi where Ida B Wells Barnett got her start at Rust College. The Coffee was terrible, the art was folksy.
It’s ultimately a clash between humanity and manifest destiny. The Choctaw and the Chickasaw were slowly pushed out of these lands as the Trace brought a continuous moving chain of settlers. One treaty and broken treaty after another, the Native People lost it all. They had their own Trail of tears tears before the Cherokee.
Slavery, poverty, the destruction of cultures, underlies all the beauty of Mississippi. I can never be happy there. But, I continue to return.
Filed under American History, National Parks, Photography, Uncategorized
North Cascades National Park
Filed under Art, National Parks, Photography, Travel
Cascading through Pacific NW
Two tectonic plates are colliding in the northwest part of the United States resulting in a landscape of volcanoes, waterfalls, and lava flows. Enjoy the tour…
Filed under Art, National Parks, Photography, Travel
Simple Things in Florida
I travel to Florida for theme parks, beaches, and state parks. Along with those popular attractions, there are more casual experiences.
In Winter Garden at the Conservation Center
Filed under Photography, Travel, wildlife
Freshly "Pic'ed" 