Brightside Nomads
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Belated Musing of a Wandering Family

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Time gives perspective, and since it’s been about a year since our return, I think I can finally put down a few words to sum up our journey. The intent of making this site was to create something that our kids could have and reflect on as they get older. It’s been great fun cataloging the journey and we will continue to do so as we venture further afield across this great planet. We also get a lot of pleasure from strangers and friends who have happened upon the site. The sharing of our travels and the conversations it prompts are fantastic.

As I look back at a year in a car with my family, traveling almost 24,000 miles, experiencing new adventures, and connecting with old places and friends I just feel blessed. Watching my children grow in wonder and knowledge is a gift that will be the greatest I have ever been given. Getting to know my children in a way few father’s get to is nothing short of amazing. I have a much more real and deep relationship with each child. They are more open to sharing with Katie and I, even when it’s embarrassing or personal. I’m not sure how the depth of the relationships with our children would have occurred had we not spent so much time together. As we move forward, back in our “normal” lives, the relationships keep getting stronger. Now I’ve always had a great relationship with the kiddos, but what I gained from our year wandering was a profound depth.

The relationship wasn’t just one way either. I feel our kids have a better understanding of mom and dad because they got to see many of the aspects of life that we hold dear. Adventure, nature, beauty in the simplest of things, great friendships, meeting new people, and respecting/taking care of the world we live in. One of the main goals Katie and I had for the trip was to give our children the ability to be flexible and to adapt quickly to new experiences. We also wanted to instill in them a sense of exploration of the world around them. We wanted them to know that the world is soo much bigger than the small town we live in. As Katie and I talk about the adventure, we feel all the kids have developed these traits and have started to incorporate them into their own personalities. Each child has been changed forever by the experience and it is exciting to see how they carry that forward as they grow up.

I would recommend this experience to every family. We know that taking a full year off to do so might not be realistic for everyone. But even a week or two of time with your kids, going somewhere you’ve never gone before, can be life-changing. Katie and I will always cherish this journey as something that was truly a once in a lifetime experience and profoundly life-affirming. We will always wander, sometimes alone, sometimes together, ever forward, and never lost.

The Nomads will Return…

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Lifestyle

From South Dakota to East Jordan…The Final Miles

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Mount Rushmore

It’s been an amazing journey as we’ve navigated the length and breadth of these beautiful United States. But as with all things, there has to be an end. Our end is coming soon, but we have a couple of stops left before we make the final push back to our home. After leaving Colorado we headed northeast to visit the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Both Katie and I have visited before but we thought it would be a nice final spot for the kids. The area has all the history of Mt Rushmore and the gold rush but also plenty of touristy fun.

We spent twos days in the Black Hills taking in a little history and having some fun in town. Mount Rushmore is a cool stop. It’s very popular and crowded but learning the history of why and how it was created is fascinating. Seeing the big heads of the presidents is cool and you really get a sense of their sheer size while your there. It’s also amazing to think that they carved 90% of the faces using dynamite to blow away the surface rock. We had a fun day at the park and then headed to town for some food. We found a surprisingly great Indian restaurant and had a wonderful dinner to cap off our day.

The next day we stayed around town and took in some of the local flavor. One awesome place we found was the Rushmore Tramway Adventures park. The park offered one of the coolest ropes courses I’ve seen and an Alpine Slide!! Katie and the girls decided to go on the ropes course. Colette had been asking to do a ropes course for about 4 months so this was a special treat for her. Lennox and I went on the Alpine Slide and had a blast luging down the mountain and feeling the G’s as we sped much too fast around the corners. The day was awesome and we all had a great time. If you embrace the complete tourist trap this area is you can have a great time. The next day we were off to make the two-day journey to Chicago and an impromptu family get together before making the push home.

It’s Waiting for You…Wall Drug

No trip across the country would be complete without passing (and stopping) at Wall Drug. The curious roadside attraction has been going strong for decades and offers ridiculous attractions and curios for everyone in your family. There’s not much to see when traveling through the plains so it can be a welcome pitstop for bored children and weary parents. I’ve passed by this place many times on my travels across the country but never really stopped. We decided to stop and explore for a bit as we made our way back to the REAL world. We had a blast. The place is full of western nostalgia, boardwalk games, and cookie signs. It seemed like there was something new and curious around every corner. Please note that there are innumerable small items for sale that your children will want. They are strategically located close to the floor and in every nook and cranny. My prediction is you will not be able to leave empty handed…and that’s ok. A little piece of Americana can go a long way to making an enjoyable trip across the country.

The McLeod’s in Chicago

This was a short but sweet couple days in Chicago. We stayed with my older brother and his family so the kids were able to spend some quality time with their two cousins. We arrived late on Friday, and on Saturday we had a BBQ planned with my other brother who also lives in the Chicago area and my folks who came in from Michigan. We had a wonderful time together, as we always do, but it was much too quick. In the blink of an eye, it was Sunday and we had to pack up our car for the final drive home. We said our happy and tearful farewells and headed east for northern Michigan and the house we left behind. I would have said “our home” a year ago but one of the most profound things you realize when traveling for this long is that home is always with you as long as you have your loved ones close at hand. Next stop…The Epilogue…

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Adventure

Revisiting My Life in the Mountains – Two Decades, A Beautiful Wife and Three Kids Later.

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A Sweet Homecoming

I can’t explain the feeling of crossing the border into Colorado with my family in tow. I was so excited to show them a part of my life that so profoundly shaped the person I am today. As the landscape changed from desert to high mountain the anticipation only grew. Familiar landmarks started to jog in my mind and a feeling of coming home crept into my soul. Our destination for this leg of our journey was Crested Butte, CO. To get there you need to drive deep into the heart of the Rockies, past Blue Mesa reservoir, through the town of Gunnison (home to my college Western State Colorado University) and on to the 12 to 14 thousand foot peaks rising in the distance. Crested Butte is nestled at the foot of its namesake peak and surrounded by some of the most pristine mountain wilderness in America. This town just happens to be the wildflower capital of the state and we hit it at its peak. To make the trip all the sweeter I got to reconnect with a great college friend whom I hadn’t seen in 20 years. As we drove into town, we were greeted by locals and families walking the streets, townie bikes swirling around through the meandering traffic, and the sweet smell of mountain air. We found our home for the week and unloaded our car under the sunset kissed peak of Mt. Crested Butte looming serenely above us.

Mill Creek Adventures

One of my favorite hikes, when I was going to school at WSU, was Mill Creek. I really wanted to take the fam on this hike so we packed up the truck and drove out. Mill Creek is a nice hike that winds through Aspen groves and crosses a mountain stream. Canyon walls rise up hundreds of feet on both sides, with some cool hoodoo rock formations at the peaks. The valley was a nice contrast of vivid green down the center against dark rock walls to the left and right. We had a nice picnic by the stream and on the way back ran into a small herd of cattle, complete with Bull. We thought it was going to charge us but it just snorted and we survived. A great hike with the glorious sunny weather. I like taking the family to places I used to frequent when I was a slightly younger man.

Almost Paradise…

One place we loved to go in college was Paradise Divide. This was a pass high in the mountains overlooking Crested Butte. The dirt roads up to the divide were good but narrow and a small section had you driving along a steep sloping drop off that feels at least a thousand feet to the valley floor below. Knowing some in my family are a bit afraid of high places, we took the back road up. We got stopped a couple miles from the spot I wanted to go because the snow was still blocking the road on this side! It’s very common for snow to be present deep into summer in the high country. I was kind of bummed we couldn’t get all the way to the spot but we had a nice hike just the same that took us to Emerald Lake. This is an incredibly beautiful lake in the high mountains with a deep green color. We saw dozens of beautiful wildflowers on our hike and had a great time, again blessed by blue sunny skies.

Katie and I Reach the Peak

Mount Crested Butte offers a super cool day camp experience called Mountain Adventures. This camp offers rock climbing, ropes course, zip lining, archery, and other assorted outdoor activities. This camp is for the older kids 7+. For Lennox’s age, they offered the less strenuous Camp CB.  He loved it! He would go to a climbing wall, bungee trampoline and even jump from 30 feet onto a huge airbag. The kids did a few days at the camps and loved every second. This also gave Katie and I the chance to do some activities on our own. One such activity was hiking to the peak of Mt Crested Butte at 12,162 ft. Though not an overly technical hike it was still a tough one for us due to the high drops and altitude. After hiking some well-traveled trails the path disappears and you are left to your own scrambling devices for the last 150 ft or so. The views from the top well outweighed any of the challenges to getting there. It felt exhilarating to be on top of the world.  So many peaks can be seen from the top, it almost seems like you can see all of the Rockies from this vantage point. This a nice final accomplishment for us on our journey around the United States. It seemed there was a sort of spiritual parallel to climbing this peak and coming to the finish our journey that started almost a year ago. We highly recommend the hike, but make sure you’re ready for a mental and physical challenge. Especially if you’re not used to high exertion in the mountains.

Small Town 4th of July, Mountain Style!

Having lived in a small town for some years, we are used to the fun folksy vibe they give off during celebrations. Crested Butte was no different. The day was blue skies and sunshine and everyone was in a great mode. The highlight of the day was the parade. Most ski towns are full of unique individuals, characters if you will, and CB is no exception. A great mix of irreverent style, rebellious individualism, and patriotic spirit. I would imagine that the first Americans to celebrate independence day did not look much different. Everyone had a blast. The kids scampered around trying to get candy while locals threw water balloons at the floats and parade participants. It’s probably the only time I got to see and avocado and a cross-dressed Dorothy from the wizard of OZ take a water balloon to the face! Speaking of water, the parade culminated in an incredible water fight at the end of the main street. This fight is an epic mix of combatants including, kids with an assortment of squirt guns, adults with buckets and water balloons, and the local fire department armed with full-on water hoses. Such fun was had by the girls as they ran to and fro trying at the same to avoid and inflict watery attacks. Lennox was a bit overwhelmed by the spectacle and hung back on the fringes. Twenty minutes later it was over. The only remnants were small muddy streams flowing lazily away from the street and fragments of colorful rubber strewn across the street like some sort of birthday confetti. The rest of the day was spent shopping and seeing friends. We ended the day catching some music mountainside with our friends, an alternative to fireworks due to the stage 2 fire ban which was in effect. All in all a great way to spend the fourth in a home away from home.

An Afternoon on Irwin Lake

Heading Out

It was bittersweet to have to leave CB. On one hand, we are making our way back to our home in Michigan which we are all excited for, but on the other, we had such a great time we didn’t want to leave. I get a little emotional at being able to share the area where some of my most formative growth happened with my family and watch them all love it as much as I do. I think this place will be a special memory for all of us. The kids already want to come back every year and I think Katie has a new found understanding of what makes me tick. On our way out of the area, we stopped at my college, Western State, to snap some photos and show the kiddos some of my old haunts. We weren’t leaving Colorado yet though. We planned a couple days in Boulder before heading out for our final eastward trek home.

Random Access Memories

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Western State Colorado University

Hanging Out On a Boulder Near the Flat Irons

We only had a few days in Boulder, and we mainly planned to do some light hiking and shopping. We just wanted to have a little taste of urban life before heading out. We shopped and explored the Pearl Street Mall area. We found an awesome Acai bowl place and bought some gifts for friends and family. One day I snuck off the beaten path just a bit to see the house featured in Mork and Mindy. Now any of you who know that show, consider yourself old, but also feel lucky you saw some of the raw genius of Robin Williams. We took a nice hike in Chautauqua Park to the base of the Flatirons and took in the beauty of mountains giving way to the plains. We took off the final day and did some much-needed school shopping for the kids. Heading out of Boulder and Colorado we waved a sad farewell, but we all know we’ll be back many times to visit.

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What’s Hot, Red, and Full of Rocks…Moab!!

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Desert Playground – Moab

So after spending the last three weeks in 100+ temps, we thought it would be a good idea to stop at one more hot spot; Moab, Utah. We actually don’t mind the heat and have learned to make the most of our days early. I spent a bit of time in Moab during my college years. Mainly we came here to mountain bike, as it’s one of the best places in the US to do so. This time we had no mountain biking plans and hiking was the activity of choice. There is no shortage of options for outdoor hiking in and around Moab. There’s Canyonlands National Park, Arches National park and more public terrain than you can imagine. We decided, for our short trip, that Arches National Park was the best choice. It’s compact, offers a great variety of shorter family hikes and is absolutely incredible to explore.

Arches National Park – Day 1

On our first of three trips to the park, we decided on some shorter hikes and a drive around the large loop. We first hit up Double Arch. A short hike and a cool double arch that rose 80  feet above our heads. The terrain also offered some bouldering that our kids love. It’s pretty spectacular that you can get this close to these wonderous formations.

Next, we basically crossed the road to The Windows Arch and Turret Arch formations. The Windows are two arches in close proximity. You can go walk up underneath them and look out on the crazy arches landscape and mountains in the distance. If you take a vantage point a little further away you can see both arches at once and the formation almost looks like some kind of troll faced pair of glasses. Turret Arch stands directly across from The Windows. The Turret formation vaguely resembles a castle with a spire, hence the name. The whole loop is about a half mile. Easy for even the crankiest of kids. The loop provided ample opportunity for great photos and rock climbing for the kids. If you go in summer be prepared for some serious crowds and head out early to beat the heat. After taking in these first few arches, we decided to drive the 18-mile loop. You can see some amazing sites from your car along this drive. There are also dozens of pull outs so you can jump out and snap some epic pics. There are large towers, soaring rock fins, petrified sand dunes, bloody red and white chimneys, and of course arches. This is a great drive to take when the heat of the day starts pounding. This was a great first day in the park for us. We headed back to our hotel for some late day swimming and sampling some of the eateries Moab has on display.

The Arches loop drive.

Arches National Park – Day 2

Day 2 we decided to take a larger hike to one of the most iconic arches in the park; Delicate Arch. This hike is fairly moderate, but can become harder as the heat increases. You get to hike a big slick rock formation and through a small wash canyon on your way up. It’s a three mile round trip with almost 500 feet of elevation. The reward at the end is worth it. (even with a couple of cranking kids) I have seen the pics of the arch in magazines but they don’t prepare you for its real-life presence. The arch is big, I’d say maybe 70-80 feet tall and 30 feet wide. It’s stunning. The end of the hike could be a bit challenging if you have a fear of heights as you walk a narrow ledge around to the arch. It’s really not that bad if you don’t let your head get in the way. We took some great pictures and Colette ventured out to the arch itself for a little one on one. Even little Lennox liked the hike once he got to the top. The hike is crowded so be prepared for a lot of people on the trail and taking pics at the arch. The three mile hike ended back at the parking lot where there’s a short hike to some petroglyphs. The display is on the smaller side but no less impressive. We love to walk in the path of history and to know that Native Americans roamed this land and left their marks hundreds of years ago is always super cool.

We visited one more site this day; Balanced Rock. As the name suggests, this is a huge boulder balanced a hundred feet up on a small pillar of rock. The hike is super short and you can walk around the rock in under 15 min. It’s a great formation for the sheer audacity of its appearance. The kids climbed and bopped around as Katie and I speculated as to where it will fall when it tumbles. And tumble it will. Even though this park is all made of hard rock, from a geological perspective it’s very active and changing. The arches and balanced rocks won’t last forever. The rangers say that this park and the formations it contains are just the blink of an eye in the span of geologic history. The good news is that we probably have thousands of years before this alien landscape disappears.

Arches National Park – Day 3

On our last day in the park, we choose to go and see Landscape Arch. This is another iconic arch in the park and a short hike. This is the longest and highest arch in the park. The span is a couple hundred feet in the air and is almost the length of a football field. By this time I think the kids had enough arches. Katie and I really enjoyed this short hike and we got to see a couple of other small arches along the way.

We left the park and headed to our next destination. Another homecoming for me, as we were headed to Colorado high country. There awaited my alma mater (Western State Colorado University)  and some of the most epic snowboarding I’ve ever ridden. Onwards to Gunnison and Crested Butte.

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Brian Head, Hurricane, St. George & Dinosaur Tracks… it’s sounding weird

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Welcome to Utah

We drove out of Yellowstone and made it to Salt Lake City where we spent a night to break up the drive.  We have found the kids do better if we don’t have super long drives and it’s probably the same for the parents.  We were also planning on camping for the next 4 days and with it being summer we wanted to find a campsite early.  Our camping plans were quickly kiboshed after Lennox got sick.  We decided to find an Airbnb rather than stay in a tent with a puking child.  The temperatures were also dropping into the low 40’s at night in the area and although we could do it, that is pretty chilly for the kids.  Our last minute search lead us to a place we had never heard of, Brian Head, Utah, for a few nights.  It’s always good to be flexible while traveling and also can be fun to discover places you may never find otherwise.  Brian Head is a super small town/ski resort sitting at an elevation of 10,000 ft.  It is way up there and you can feel it.   It is about an hour from Bryce Canyon National Park and we discovered 10 minutes away was Cedar Breaks National Monument.  Being at a ski resort in summer meant we had the whole place to ourselves and it ended up being a perfect spot to relax and recover our sick little guy and then explore some spectacular parks.

Brian Head and Cedar Break National Monument

The drive up the mountain to Brian Head opened our eyes to the destruction a forest fire can cause.  There were stretches of trees charred black for miles.  In 2017 a wildfire burned 71,000 acres of the land here, the aftermath is very sad to view.  Cedar Break National Monument is an enormous amphitheater of beautifully colored sedimentary rock that has been carved away into beautiful formations.  We viewed this park from above and it was a spectacular site.  It is part of the Grand Staircase, a geological formation which begins at the floor of the Grand Canyon and steps up across the Western US.  Seeing these natural wonders and learning about the geology behind their formation makes you realize just how fluid the earth’s surface is and gives you perspective on time and the mere blink of an eye we stand on this earth.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon is out of this world.  From your drive into the park the red-hued rock formations are spectacular and as you explore further it becomes even more impressive.  Looking out from above the park offers amazing views of the hoodoos balancing below and as you walk into the canyon your perspective changes and you begin to appreciate the enormity of the formations surrounding you.  We started our day here early to beat the heat and it is a good thing we did because it gets smoking hot at the bottom of the canyon.  We took the Navajo Loop/Queens Garden trail which starts at the rim of the canyon and quickly descends in elevation while you walk along a windy path with steep drops.  This always makes me a little nervous with the kids but they did great and the path was quite wide and well traveled.  As we dropped down it was evident how difficult the steep hike up was and we knew we would have some work on the other side getting out.  We enjoyed our time and our surroundings, many of the rock formations have names, like Thors Hammer, the Queens Garden, Wall Street, so it is fun to look at these and make up your own.  Being at Bryce is like walking through a fairyland, each hoodoo formation is unique and unbelievable.  I’m not going to lie our hike was tough, it was 3 miles and 600 ft of elevation but the heat was a factor, and the kids aren’t always sunshine and rainbows.  They did realize in order to get back to our car we needed to climb out of this canyon so with many breaks and some snacks they pushed on.  We were playing leapfrog with another family with small children so this added some excitement.   I was happy when I saw the mom carrying her little one up the steep hills that Lennox was only pulling on my arm and still able to walk.  There were definitely some big cheers as we reached the top of the canyon and cold drinks needed, it was a great accomplishment and well worth the trek to the bottom.

 

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Hurricane, Utah

After leaving Brian Head we had a short drive to our next Airbnb in Hurricane, Utah.  It is right next to St. George which we discovered is the fastest growing metropolis in the United States!  There is construction on every corner of this place and it is pretty wild.  You can see why people are coming here in droves, the weather is warm and it is surrounded by amazing rock formations.  It is an outdoor playground with lots of mountain biking and a short two-hour drive from Las Vegas.  We had a week here and our main goal besides exploring was finishing school.  I appreciate what teachers endure at the end of the school year so much now.  The last month was a struggle, we, however, promised (or bribed) the girls if they finished their books by the end of this week they would be able to buy guinea pigs upon our return. With lots of hard work, they both busted through their books and I was as excited as they were to be done with their homeschooling year!!!

 

Zion National Park

We heard Zion gets super crowded and in order to secure parking, you have to arrive early.  Early isn’t too hard for us so we were fine with that.  In addition, it was going to be another hot one so the morning hikes are best.  We didn’t anticipate just how many people were swarming on Zion though.  By the time we got in line for the bus into the park, the wait was already an hour!   The hour passed as the kids chased lizards and frogs and did some Junior Ranger work.  Not so bad.  We opted for 3 shorter hikes and this gave us a perfect first taste of Zion.

Searching for Dino Tracks

We were full of excitement to find out we were staying in an area with evidence of dinosaurs nearby.  We had to go investigate.  The first site we went to was ok but a bit of a letdown.  We found the marked tracks after hiking a short ways in scorching heat, they were small and hard to decipher.  To the non-paleontologist I think they look like scratches in the rock but that’s ok, knowing this was a path actual dinos stepped foot was amazing and we were glad we went, the hunt was still on though.  The next day we ventured out to the second site.  This was an adventure, lots of dirt road driving through the desert with no cell signal and no cars in site.  It’s amazing how remote so much of the land in the United States is.  It felt like if our car broke down we may never get help but that didn’t happen and we always are prepared with lots of water just in case.  When we arrived at the actual site there was great signage explaining the tracks and what dinos they belonged to.  These tracks were huge and it was well worth the desolate drive to see them.

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Coming back home…our 2nd home that is… Portland, Oregon

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Driving up the Coast

For Katie and I, Oregon holds a special place in our hearts. We met in Portland, fell in love, bought our first home and started our family here. Portland is also where we both started our work life after college. We spent the better part of a decade exploring the state, watching the little big town grow and making some great friends. As we crossed the border from Cali in Oregon, we both felt the exhilaration that one can only get when coming back to something they have missed greatly.

The Oregon coast is one of the most rugged and beautiful sites you will ever behold. High craggy cliffs give way to sandy beaches in a beautiful dance as you go from looking at the beach out your window to looking down at the ocean from 100’s of feet up. The water can range in color from seafoam grey to almost jade green depending on the day. The landscape is lush green with moss covered rocks and towering old growth trees rising to the sky. It’s really breathtaking and we highly recommend to anyone a drive up the Oregon coast on highway 101.

We spent a few days on the Oregon coast, stopping in Newport for a night and some delicious Rogue beer and ending up in Cannon Beach. One last stop before Cannon Beach took us to Tillamook, OR. For those who don’t know, this is the home of the Tillamook Dairy company, and possibly the best cheesemongers in the US. We love the cheese and ice cream and used to come visit the factory when we lived here. We stopped for a short visit and were amazed how much the “little” cheese factory had grown in the decades since we left. They still make awesome dairy products and are worth the trip down to see them.

Cannon Beach

When we lived in Portland we would take day and overnight trips to Cannon Beach. The town is very art focused but still keeps an easy beach vibe. There are miles of flat sandy beaches to walk and relax on. The real treat of this beach is that you can get up close and personal with one of the 100’s of Oregon rock islands. These rocks tower from the surf and awesome to behold as waves crash against their bases. They are also home to many migratory birds, including the rare Puffin. The big rock in Cannon Beach is called “Haystack Rock” and when the tide is out you can walk right up to the base and see all the abundant sealife contained in its tidepools. We also had a great visit during this part of our trip from Fred and Barb! (Katie’s parents) The kids loved this stop. They got to hang with Grandma and Grandpa, run free on the beach, frolick in the icy cold Pacific and search for strange creatures in the tide pools. There was also some kite flying, which is a cultural rite of passage in Cannon Beach. We knew we were in for a special trip after our amazing stay.

The Rose City Adventures

After a short hour or so drive from the coast, we landed at our home for the week. We rented a nice home on the west slope of Portland which was a perfect location for us to explore the city from. This time of year in Portland is amazing! There are countless numbers of flowering trees, shrubs, and bushes and they were all in full bloom. Colors ranged from soft pastels to vivid oranges and all the spectrum in between. This made driving around town a delight. Grandma and grandpa gave us a nice gift on the first day we were there and took the kids to the zoo. The kids had a blast but more importantly, Katie and I got some much needed alone time to explore the city unencumbered by small clingy humans. We drove by our first home and many of the other haunts we used to frequent. It was a really nice homecoming. The rest of the week was spent seeing sites and enjoying many of the things that are uniquely Portland. We went to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), shopped downtown, visited the famous Rose Test Garden, and had a seafood feast to commemorate Mother’s Day and grandma’s birthday. We had an awesome time with Katie’s parents and we couldn’t be happier that they joined us on our trip.

 

Japanese Garden

One of Portland’s most incredible sites is the Japenese Gardens. They are located near the top of what’s called the West Hills which sits hundreds of feet above Portland. So the views are amazing. But the gardens themselves almost defy explanation. They are peaceful, serene works of living art that immediately relax the soul and bring joy to the heart. We hope the pics do a little justice to this great space and please put this on your list if you ever make it to Portland. As an added bonus this time we got to see a collection of Bonsai trees, some were over 200 years old! Just amazing!

Bonsai Garden

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Old Friends

Katie’s parents left late in the week and we still had a handful of days left in our old home.  One thing we looked forward to most was reconnecting with our old friends. We invited our friends Marissa and Kevin over to the house for a nice home grilled meal. They brought their two great boys over which was awesome for our kids. Colette, Sienna, and Lennox have not had many opportunities to play with kids so this was a treat and they enjoyed it to the fullest. The adults had a wonderful time catching up and sharing stories of the past decades that have gone by. It was really nice to see some friends from the past and felt as though no time had gone by at all.

One of Katie’s hometown friends who she grew up with in East Jordan lives out near Hood River. Hood River is about an hour east of Portland and sits along the banks of the mighty Columbia River. It’s a beautiful drive along the Columbia River Gorge. The gorge walls rise hundreds of feet up either side of the river and are covered with green pines and rocky cliff faces. The river is about a half-mile wide and provides a beautiful juxtaposition with the rugged landscape on either side.  There are also many waterfalls along the way. The most famous is Multnomah Falls. We have stopped there many times in the past and thought it would be great to show the kids this cool landmark as well. While still beautiful, the falls were a bit sad because of some massive wildfires in 2017 burning much of the landscape around the falls which caused the park service to close many of the trails that were once available. We met Cathleen at the Full Sail brewery in downtown Hood River and she surprised us by bringing her husband Mike whom we thought would be working. We only had an hour with this great couple but it was filled with lively conversation and lots of laughs. Cathleen and her family will be coming back to East Jordan in the summer so we’ll get to see them and their children back home.

I got to reconnect with some of my best friends from the college days. Portland sits very close to the Columbia River and on the other side of the river is Washington state. I met Frank and Todd Limberg during my undergrad at the Western State University of Colorado. We were close friends all through college and I lived with Todd when I first moved to Portland back in the late 90’s. It had been at least 10 years since I last saw these two hooligans and their lovely wives. Both Katie and I we super psyched to spend some quality time with all of them. This time came in the form of a Mother’s Day bbq at Todd’s house. Todd is married to Becky and they have a son named Riley. Frank is married to Maria and they have two kids Cash and Ella. As an added treat we got to see their parents, who we became friends with, Donna and Mike. It may have been over a decade since our last visit but it felt as though a day hadn’t passed. We ate, drank and laughed the night away. And even though their kids are quite a bit older than ours, they all played and had an awesome time. When it came time to leave we didn’t want it to end. I think we will all try a little harder to make sure another decade doesn’t pass with us not getting together. This was our last hurrah in Portland. The next day we headed north…way north to about the farthest north and west you can go and still be in the United States. Orcas Island here we come.

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Roaring Ocean and Giant Trees – Northern California

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Redwood National Park

California is a huge state and we had a long drive North after leaving San Francisco to our next stop in Northern Cali.  The drive was beautiful, through mountains and valleys, and amongst ocean views and giant trees.  We arrived at our Airbnb nestled on top of a little mountain with the steepest driveway I have ever seen. From the house, we could look down on the tiny town of 350 people, Orick, California.  It was perfect!  For the next few days, we explored some of the most beautiful forests in existence.  We hiked amongst the largest trees in the world, the Coastal Redwoods.   The forests here breath life straight into your soul while making you feel like a mere pebble on the surface of the earth.  Your eyes can wander up to space typically filled with clouds and see deep red veined bark and green boughs gently swaying.  Walking among these monsters is so unexplainable and unearthly you must experience it for yourself but here are some photos to try to give some perspective on the wonders of the forest.

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Fern Canyon

We ventured off to Fern Canyon for a hike and getting there was half the adventure.  I’m not a very experienced off-road traveler and although there was a “road” it was a good thing we had our big vehicle to navigate through the rough terrain.  There has been lots of rain here so we had to drive through a fair amount of water, bump over potholes, through a river, and rumble along the gravel road.  The ocean’s foam tipped wavey surface stretched off into the horizon on one side and Elk grazed casually on the other, both were pretty spectacular.  We started our hike at Fern Canyon tiptoeing around trying to avoid the water but soon realized we were all in and the only navigable path was to jump in the water.  The kids were soon knee-deep and having a blast.  The vegetation around us was almost a glowing green as the sunlight illuminated the canyon.  It felt like you were in Jurassic Park, and in fact, one of the movies was filmed here.  This hike ranks high on the list for beauty and adventure and the rush of spring water made it even more exhilarating.

Agate Beach

We started looking for agates even though we don’t know exactly what we’re looking for.  The ocean was spectacular on this spring day and we enjoyed searching for stones and sea creatures.  We still don’t know if we found any agates, most likely not, but we had a great walk on the sandy shore.

Elk

It was amazing to see elk grazing in the grass so close to the road.  Each day they seemed to wander to a new spot, sometimes right by a local house.  There are many road signs showing elk attacking humans and the bodily harm they can cause which, although serious, was so absurd it made us laugh.

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Paul Bunyan and the Trees of Mystery

When Paul Bunyan and Big Blue are 50 feet tall you must stop for the photo op.  Of course, we checked out the Trees of Mystery which had some interesting things to see and the best part was the sky ride to a beautiful overlook.  Well, that was the best part for everyone except for Sienna.  She is a bit afraid of heights and once at the top decide she would hike down the “extreme trail” instead of board the sky ride again.  Thankfully Matt volunteered to join her on the hike which ended up being super steep and hardcore.  They were troopers for sure.  After we stopped at the drive-through tree which was a bit tight for my comfort in our oversized car but we made it!

Ocean Power

The ocean in this part of California is no joke.  The wind whips, waves roar and it would eat you up if you let it.  It gives you perspective on all those who brave these waters and the elements.  What an amazing land to walk along.

Final hike and scenic drive through the most magnificent grove of Coastal Redwoods

The kids completed another Junior Ranger Program and we bid farewell to these majestic trees.  It still blows my mind some of these trees are thousands of years old.  Imagine what has walked among them and the earth’s changes they have experienced, resilient creatures they are.  It is also sad to note that 95 out of every 100 of these magnificent trees were logged in the past.  We are lucky to have the National Parks to preserve and protect these wonders so our future generations can experience their grandeur.

 

 

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A Killer Time in the Orcas with a Little Emerald City Thrown in for Good Measure

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Ferry Boat to the Corner of America

Sadly we left the Portland area for a drive up north. The day was sunny so the drive up was amazing. We were treated to views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Baker, the Olympic Peninsula, and Mt. Rainier. We got to Seattle and kept on going. Our destination was farther North and West, Orcas Island. To get to the island you need to take a car ferry from the mainland. The trip takes a little over an hour and offers some of the most idyllic scenes of the Northwest one could ever hope to see. Mist rolled across the islands and water as we went.  The mist lifted to the heavens as the first rays of the sun slowly fought their way through. It’s an awesome scene to behold grey horizons give way to blue sky and craggy lush pine covered islands. We had been to the island once before for a wedding but it did not afford us an opportunity to really explore.

The ferry docked and we drove off down narrow two-lane roads through pastoral farmland to our home for the week on the bayside in the town of Eastsound.

Exploring the Northwest Paradise, Hiking Mountains, and Traversing Lakes

This island is very quaint and laid back. The town opens a little later and closes a little early. The island is filled with farmers, artists, fisherman, and when the season is high tourists. We had incredible sunny weather for our stay. This gave us the opportunity to take many trips around the island to discover it’s many hidden treasures.

Our first trip was a hike up Turtleback Mountain. This was a strenuous 3 mile hike up an 800 ft peak through a vanilla pine-scented forest and moss-covered granite outcroppings. It was awesome! All the kids grumbled a little as we made our way up, but we got to the top and were rewarded with stunning vistas of the surrounding islands and the Canadian Rockies off in the distance. My little guy Lennox likes to complain on these harder hikes, but we’ve found that a conversation about superheroes is a great distraction to get him to the top.

The next trip we decided to go to Obstruction Pass State Park. The trail was short and took us through the forest down to the cobble beach. The goal was a little tide pooling. When we arrived at the beach we saw a beautiful Heron fishing the low tide. We love to see animals in nature, although Sienna and Lennox sometimes get a bit too excited and run right at them causing them to flee. You can’t fault the excitement and wonder of being a kid seeing some of this stuff for the first time up close and personal. We had a wonderful time searching the tide pools and basking in the afternoon sun.

Another hike we went on took us to Cascade Lake and Cascade Falls.  The Cascade Lake trail is an easy three-mile hike around the entire lake with great views of Mt Constitution reflected on its surface. Halfway around the lake is a bridge. This bridge is famous with the locals as a rite of passage as people walk to its center and jump off. The bridge is about 20ft above the water. Colette, Sienna and I could not summon the will to do the jump, so Katie took the challenge. Amazingly our little guy Lennox decided to jump the bridge as well! It was so cool to watch mom and son brave the fear of the jump and plunge into the chilly mountain lake. I do have to mention that although she didn’t jump, Sienna braved the cold water for a swim. So proud of them both. After the hike, we drove to the top of Mt Constitution for views of the other islands from 2,000+ feet above. An amazing day for sure.

The cascade falls trail is actually the trailhead for 4 other waterfalls. the hike is super short but the access they provide to the falls is awesome and leads to some beautiful scenery.

Whale Watching

The only other time we went whale watching was off Cape Cod in the late fall. We had great success then and hoped that same luck would come with us to the other coast. One thing we really wanted to see were the Orca whales. Pods of killer whales frequent these waters, but we were very early in the season so it was a 50/50 chance to see these great creatures. We showed up early to the boat, found our spots on board, and were ready to explore. The boat was much smaller than the huge whaling ship we took on the cape. We like the more intimate setting as we wouldn’t have to worry so much about trying to get around people for a picture. We motored out of the harbor and into the greater sound and the Strait of Georgia. We actually passed into Canadian waters which was awesome. Alas, this was not our day to find the Orcas, however, we did get very lucky and were able to view a number of Humpback whales. Our driver was great and got us very close for some great pics. We had a great day and all the kids had fun seeing the whales and running around the boat. On the way back we saw sea lions. This particular species is the largest in North America and they also bark the loudest! The sun was out all day and almost gave us the sense we were in the Carribean islands. The water was turquoise blue and the only giveaway was that the islands were covered with Pine instead of Palm. We loved our day on the water and didn’t want it to end.

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Random Island Thoughts

Along with all the other activities, we did find a couple other distractions. Located on the west side of the island is Orcas Island Pottery. This is a super cool studio with really unique pottery and glazings. There’s a swing and treehouse to distract the kids! This brought our breakage anxiety way down. We found some great pieces at this studio and highly recommend checking it out if you’re on the island.

Nestled in a little cove on the East side of the island is the town of Olga. Here sits an unassuming house that hides an incredible seafood store. We saw hand-painted signs along the road and decided to stop. We were so glad we did. The owner’s farm clams right in the cove in front of their house. Local fishermen bring fresh salmon, Dungeness crabs, and shrimp as well. We grabbed a bunch of fresh seafood treats and had a great feast that evening. You could taste the salty sea in every bite. We loved it. Search out Buck Bay Shellfish Farms if you want the freshest seafood on the island.

The Emerald City and a Birthday

After our relaxing time on the Orcas we wanted a couple days to hang in Seattle. We also wanted to give Lennox his Birthday experience at Chuck E Cheeses! (his choice). We did a lot of touristy things like visit the Pike Street Market, ride the Seattle Wheel, and visit the Space Needle. One major highlight of our short trip to the Emerald City was the Chihuly Museum. Such an incredible artist with the ability to manifest his visions into incredible, almost living, glass sculptures. Even the kids were in awe, which says a lot for an art based museum visit. Seattle is a fun town. We ate our way through the visit and had many laughs as we strolled the streets. Our next stop is a brief visit to some great cousins in Spokane with our final destination being Yellowstone National Park.

Walking Seattle

Chihuly Museum

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Lennox’s Cheesy Birthday!!

 

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The Mighty Yosemite Valley

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“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” – John Muir

 

Five Days in the Yosemite Valley

Much like in Joshua Tree, words fail me when trying to describe our experience here in Yosemite. Yosemite National Park is an incredible place. We came into the park through the South entrance, which is a beautiful drive. The road in is very curvy and slow but somehow driving high in the mountains at sunset makes it all worthwhile. The most spectacular part of this drive is exiting the tunnel into the Yosemite Valley. You are greeted by a humbling vista of the whole valley, El Capitan standing regally, guarding over the valley floor, Bridalveil falls flowing unending into the forest below and the Merced River winding like a silver snake towards the towering edifice of Half Dome in the distance. The might Yosemite Falls showering the valley floor from thousands of feet above. And this was just what we could see from the very first pull out after the tunnel exit. We spent the next week learning about the history of this park, hiking into nature to get up close and personal with these majestic landmarks, and just being happy to be alive and able to enjoy this paradise on earth. Sienna got to spend her birthday in Yosemite. (Lucky for anyone let alone an 8 year old!) She is so full of life and has no fear. The raw beauty of Yosemite matched her soul’s intensity perfectly. Lennox, Sienna, and Colette got to be sworn in as Junior Rangers and Katie and I both hope a little of the magic of this place carries with them as they grow. We hope that the images we captured share a tiny bit of the majesty of the Yosemite Valley and serve to inspire any who see them continue to support and steward these national treasures.

Winter in the Valley

Yosemite Falls and Bobcats!

From the Valley Floor with a Birthday Girl

Mirror Lake

Ranger Hike, Junior Ranger, and More Bobcat!

Bridalveil Falls

Sunsetting on our Trip to the Valley

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We Have Definitely Found What We’re Looking For!!

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BEHOLD!!!! Joshua Tree National Park

This place defies explanation. I’m going to give a brief synopsis of our visit, but I think the pictures that follow will tell the story much better. We camped for five days in this beautiful park. We knew we would have a special time when we got incredibly lucky and found an epic camping spot in the extremely coveted Hidden Valley campground. Rocks loomed all around our tent and they were formed in such a way that the kids could climb all around and really get hands-on with the rocks around us.  Hidden Valley is a rock climbers paradise and the kids were amazed to see all the climbers high overhead scrambling up the massive rock faces. We did a ton of hiking and saw many of the parks major sights. The weather was glorious!! 80+ during the day and mid 50’s at night. We explored, cooked our camp meals and had one of the best adventures of our lives. The kids also completed a wonderful junior ranger program. If you get a chance to visit this park, run!! don’t walk to your car and get at it. For a treat, before we headed to the LA area, we spent a night in Palm Springs. The temperature was in the mid 90’s, we played in the pool, got much needed showers, and walked the streets of this hip destination. Next stop…la la land.

Hidden Valley Campground

Cholla Garden

Skull Rock and other Rocky Fun

Mountain Tops, Old Mines, and Joshua Trees

Bushwackin!

Joshua Tree City and Palm Springs

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