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We have been very fortunate to travel to some wonderful places and would like to share a few pictures with you. Click on any of the olive colored buttons. This page covers the US, Canada and south of the border. The next two pages include trips in Europe and various places across the Pacific Ocean. I have also included Tidbits, a brief series of other trip descriptions.
Again, click on the olive green buttons to see details.



 From time to time we like to spend a few days in Monterey and the Carmel area. This time (June 2008) we included a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a marvelous and well known display of what the ocean has to offer. This very modern building with its numerous tanks and interesting lay-out was once a thriving fish cannery. But with the decline of sardines in the bay prior to WWII, the industry folded up. Now it is a major attraction for the young and old alike.


The sea shore at Carmel



 The middle of April is a great time to do a hike in one of the parks east of San Francisco. Mount Diablo is well known for its many trails and scenic spots. But another favorite of ours is Sunol Park, a few mile further south. It not only offers good trails but it has the distinction of having its 'Little Yosemite", a nice canyon with boulders, waterfall and lush vegetation. It is the time of year when wild flowers abound and bees are busy pollinating..


Resting along the trail

 This was a short excursion to Lake Tahoe in the winter of 2008. The weather was perfect, the snow pack deep and it was time to go skiing one more time. Along the way we stopped to take in the scenery.


Skiing at Lake Tahoe

 In September 2007 we took a ten day tour of some of the East Coast attractions. Sharon had never been to the Amish country nor Niagara Falls. Neither of us had seen Gettysburg. Here are some of the highlights of our trip.
Gettysburg
Amish Country
Niagara Falls
Washington D.C,


Niagara Falls as seen from our hotel room

 Sardine Lake, in the California Sierras, is a pretty spot. With the Sierra Butes as a back drop, it is a favorite place for fishermen, while the surrounding mountains have numerous trails and other lakes to explore. At the edge of the lower lake is a log-cabin-lodge that has been there for eons and serves dinner in the evening. We joined neighbor friends, stayed in Graeagle and hiked up to the Butes.


Sunset over Lower Sardine Lake

 There are numerous trails to hike in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. In June 2007, during our vacation at the Lair of the Bear, our two daughters and I joined a small group for a day-hike up Blue Canyon. Our path started at 9000 feet and reached well over 10000 feet. It crossed a few creeks and some rugged slopes. Wild flowers abounded and the scenery was grand.


On the trail to Blue Lake

 The Galapagos, off the coast of Ecuador, are islands with a unique and diverse wildlife that is virtually without predators. Except for a few hawks and barn owls, the animals are not afraid of each other, nor of humans. Birds, such as the albatross and boobies, might build their nests right along the paths we traversed during our one week visit. We slept aboard the ship Xpedition and made landings with the Zodiacs. What an experience !!!


Our "home" for a week, The Xpedition

 California has many interesting places to visit and unusual things to do and see. Along the coast are beaches and steep mountain sides that drop into the Pacific Ocean creating bays and inlets with splendid vistas. A few miles inland you can visit the wine country and even go on a safari. This section covers some of these attractions, including outings to San Francisco.


Waves breaking along the rugged coast

The Panama Canal has always been an interesting story and in the spring of 2005 we booked passage on a sailing ship that took us from Costa Rica, through the canal and onto Barbados. Along the way we stopped to explore a stranded submarine that dates back to the Civil War days. Of course the highlight was to go through the canal, just like my father had done many years ago.

 


"Mules" at one of the locks

It was the thrill of a life time; a private rafting trip down part of the Colorado River. We did it with friends who had the equipment and experience. Here is our story of a marvelous week on the River as we recount the exhilaration of the rapids and the tranquility of the scenery. This was also the time that a rattlesnake got me.

 

Rafting down the mighty river

No one ever complains about the scenery in Yosemite. It is awesome and never dull. The two of us keep going back to take walks, climb a rock or just sit near the edge of a stream. Yosemite has "The Valley" with its monumental monoliths such as El Capitan and Half Dome. Then there is the high country with pristine lakes and meadows to explore.

 


Half Dome at Sunset

The Southwest has been an attraction to us for many years. While working for a living, Jay spent many days in Casa Grande, then later in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. In the fall of 2005 we took a few days to revisit Scottsdale and Sedona, Arizona. Here again: fall and spring are great, summer hot, and winter has a new face with snow.

      The "Vortex" made visible

In September 2005 we decided to go to Oregon. Jay had found out about a resort at Klamath Lake called The Running Y Range. From there, we thought, it would be interesting to see Crater Lake, do some white water rafting on the Upper Klamath River, and then visit the Oregon Caves.

 


The Running Y Ranch

Crossing the Sierra Nevada over the two highest passes can be an interesting three day tour. We did this in June 2005 right after the passes opened from a long winter slumber. The drive on Highway 108 and back over the Tioga Pass were fun to do in our 300ZX.

 

 


Tuolumne Meadows