Memories

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.

Bears everywhere in hyperphagia preparing for hibernation. Of course we kept our distance; this photo with a 400mm telephoto. But they were just interested in grazing the tundra.

These three wild horses were meandering up a slope along the road in Mesa Verde last fall. Such a joy. In 2022 we saw the old "Ghost" wild horse which our grandson spotted. Learned last year he hasn't been seen for awhile. We have life time passes. Just wanted to share.