Memories

I made my first visit to Glacier National Park in 2023, and it truly captured my heart. So a return visit this summer was a must! Hidden Lake Trail is one of my favorite GNP hikes - incredible terrain, gorgeous wildflowers and plenty of wildlife, from marmots to ground squirrels to bighorn sheep to mountain goats! Spotting this mountain goat beside the trail was an extra special treat! ❤️

We visited Yosemite last summer and saw all the devastation from the fires that have ravaged California in the last few years. This tree was actually broken off a few feet above the frame of this picture from fire damage. My son felt bad for it so he gave it a hug.

This year 2024, I turned 65 and went on my birthday trip by myself to Olympic National Park, and then drove down the coast to the Red Wood National Park. Absolutely a wonderful time.

I visited Alaska for the first time with my mother during the summer of 1997. I'd never seen such beautiful landscapes in my short, suburban life. During that trip, we visited Denali National Park and stayed at a hotel at the base of Mount Denali. Even though it took a week for me to adjust to the sun going down so late, it was worth it to see a bear and moose in the wild for the first time!

Denali National Park. The Bear right outside our Bus Stop! Magnificent ♥️

Grinnell Glacier Trail, Glacier National Park, 2019. The hardest hike I've done, and I was a little scared, but I'm so glad I did it! GNP is my favorite park and I've made so many great memories there. I love the ranger talks, especially at Two Medicine Campground.

I had been to RMNP four times previously, and had never seen a single moose. They must have heard I was eager to see them, because on this trip I saw over two dozen, mostly cows with older calves.

I drove into the park just after midnight, and waited for the moon to set behind the mountains. Then, the sky really lit up. I just snapped and snapped and snapped photos for four hours while I stared up at the stars above, I'd never seen so many. Thank goodness I only had to set the focus once, because my eyes were too full of tears after that to be able to do it again!

Little Bead settling in for the night with mom. Most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.