Relaxing days in the Conch Republic: Key West, Florida

Tropical garden at the Audubon House In our first 24 hours in Key West, we visited a place called The Audubon House that Audubon never lived in or even visited, went to Mallory Square for a fabled sunset celebration known for its street performers, including jugglers, clowns, psychics, artists, and musicians, that was, in reality, … Continue reading Relaxing days in the Conch Republic: Key West, Florida

Nothin’ could be finer: A dog’s life in North Carolina

We are at the beach house of our friends Larry and Laurie. They are in Italy for two weeks visiting their son, who works in Rome, and touring the country. We are here caring for their sweet, easygoing pup, Banjo. The house is on Oak Island, a barrier island in the Brunswick beaches off the … Continue reading Nothin’ could be finer: A dog’s life in North Carolina

Badlands National Park: A Western Wonderland

Before reaching Badlands National Park, I had doubts as to whether it would be worth the time and effort to stop there. We had already seen and done so much on this trip, much of it in the same region as Badlands NP, including Theodore Roosevelt National Park with its Badlands and petrified forest, the … Continue reading Badlands National Park: A Western Wonderland

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Devil’s Tower, and the Black Hills

A unique feature of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is that it is comprised of two separate units that are 70 miles apart, posing challenges to a visitor. We first spent a day in the less-visited North Unit where took a ranger hike that focused on the geology and wildlife in the area, followed by the … Continue reading Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Devil’s Tower, and the Black Hills

Jumping Buffalo, Prairie Dogs, and Montana Mermaids

On this trip, John and I have had a wonderful opportunity of broadening our knowledge of the culture and history of the state of Montana by spending three nights in Helena and another three nights in Great Falls. I wish we could say that we did our research and decided that these two cities were … Continue reading Jumping Buffalo, Prairie Dogs, and Montana Mermaids

An Accidental Reunion in Glacier National Park

I spent a summer during college working at the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park. At the time, I had barely travelled outside of the Southeast and I was awestruck by the park. It was simply the most beautiful place I’d ever seen. Fast forward to now, many years later, and after visiting nearly … Continue reading An Accidental Reunion in Glacier National Park

Out of the Grits Belt and into New Mexico, Land of Enchantment

John often remarks that one of the downsides of living in the deep South is that one can drive for an entire day in any direction and still find grits on the menu. Arriving in Santa Fe, just over 1,000 miles from home, everything immediately feels exotic. The glorious desert-loving flowers, Pueblo adobe buildings everywhere … Continue reading Out of the Grits Belt and into New Mexico, Land of Enchantment