This past September I was fortunate to once again explore the boundary water canoe area in northern Minnesota.
I think I was about 5 or 6 years-old when my parents took our family on our first trip into the Minnesota wilderness and have been coming back ever since. It seems there are always new things to see and experience. This trip was no different. Because we only had three in our party, we had to occasionally paddle a single canoe, which was a first for me. I enjoyed it!
I made a short film to capture some of the experiences. Thank you to Cam and Riley Leonard for traversing the pristine Minnesota wilderness with me!
Enjoy!!
Sticky post
The path up St. Sunday's Craig with a view of Helvellyn across the valley
I recently put the finishing touches on a short film I made highlighting some of my experiences hiking the UK’s Coast to Coast trail this past September. It is meant to compliment the article that I’ve written which is available here.
Best wishes to everyone in the coming New Year and thank you for finding my blog. Enjoy!!
As a writer, I’m always looking for places that might inspire my next story. Sometimes it’s a place I’ve discovered by accident or one I have visited years before. My current work-in-progress, a literary short story entitled Sego, is set in a place I visited often as a child, Paradise Valley, Montana.
I’m sure like many, when a place has paradise in its title, I tend to be skeptical. The word is often used to describe everything from bars to clothing designers, home builders to car washes. For me, a place described as paradise has to be truly special. Paradise Valley is befitting of its title and on the grandest scale.
Paradise Valley is located between Livingston and Gardner, Montana, (the north entrance to Yellowstone Park) sandwiched between the Absoraka and Gallatin Mountain ranges. The valley once dotted with ranches, now more luxury homes, is home to the Yellowstone River and unbelievable vistas.
I first became acquainted with Paradise Valley at a young age. My aunt and uncle operated a cattle ranch in the valley. I clearly remember the summer days I spend there as a boy. We woke early to milk the cows then ate pancakes outside under the shadow of the mountains in my aunt’s flower garden summer kitchen. We spent days with our cousins riding horses to change irrigation dams in the rolling hills leading to the mountains, fished for trout in the mountain fed streams, dug night crawlers under swaying aspen trees, floated the Yellowstone River’s frigid water on hot summer days in inner tubes, and often packed a lunch to eat in a mountain meadow.
Granted, having family living in such a wonderful place can shape an opinion, but I think most that have the chance to witness the beauty of Paradise Valley will come away feeling the same as I do. It has an intoxicating presence.
You can’t just drive through the valley to appreciate it, you need to slow down and get out of the car. Simply head south out of Livingston on highway 89. Several miles south of Livingston, you’ll come to East River Road (State hwy 540). Take the curvy two lane highway heading south and you’ll come to a quaint little restaurant called Pine Creek Lodge. Take Hwy 540 a little farther south and you’ll come to Luccock Park Rd that leads into the mountains and Pine Creek Recreation Area. There you will find a wonderful hiking trail that climbs through a pine forest and along the rushing waters of Pine Creek.
After all that fresh air, head further south and you’ll come to Chico Hot Springs. Growing up, it was a place to swim and soothe our aching muscles, but today it has much more to offer. Check it out here:https://www.chicohotsprings.com/
Rick Steves, the famous travel writer, refers to less traveled places in Europe as “back doors.” Paradise Valley is a “back door.” I’d urge anyone heading West to Yellowstone Park, to take little extra time for a visit.
There are many remarkable places in the world. Some are far away, some at our doorstep; some are well-known and others cloaked in obscurity. I’ve been lucky to have visited a wide range of these interesting places, and I thought they would be fun to share. Enjoy!
When I go on vacation, I enjoy going to places less traveled. My favorite trips have always been to locations you won’t find listed in the top 100 vacation destinations. For example, off-the-beaten-path places like Tofte, Minnesota, Turkey State Run State Park, Indiana, Assategue Island, Virginia and the beach at St. Joseph, Michigan are a few places I have enjoyed visiting with my family.
There
are many remarkable places in the world.
Some are far away, some at our doorstep; some are well-known and others
cloaked in obscurity. I’ve been lucky to have visited a wide range of these
interesting places, and I thought they would be fun to share. Enjoy!
Frazier Creek Falls
Across the gravel road from our former family farm
(the land was recently sold), tucked into the bluffs along the Mississippi
River near Quincy, Illinois is a majestic waterfall. Easily viewed from the road that edges
perilously close to the cliff overlooking the falls, it’s a frequent stopping
point for the unsuspecting traveler.
It’s one of those hidden gems with a little history.
I was lucky to have grandparents whose farm sat on a
hill overlooking the falls. During rainy
periods its muffled roar was ever present.
During low water times, my brothers, cousins and friends would spend
hours having stick races, collecting tadpoles and fishing for tiny sunfish
above and below the tumbling water. In
the summer we often waded barefooted on the falls feeling the soft goo of the
algae that grew on its sun-bleached limestone.
I was fortunate, my two sons (now
both grown) were able to share similar experiences.
There was a hand-me-down story about that falls that I’m not sure will ever be verified. Supposedly, the first settlers in the area planted a grist mill on top of the falls. According to my grandfather, you could see the pin holes drilled into the bedrock used to hold the mill in place. When I was younger, I could never find them. However, in later years, maybe thanks to heavy rains that washed away the silt that had coated the limestone, I found four square holes, equidistant in spacing, bored into the rock on the upper part of the falls. Perhaps proof the old story is true!
You’ve made your travel plans, your itinerary is set, but before heading to the airport take the time to prepare yourself both physically and mentally. Getting in the right frame of mind and being physically fit play a big role in determining the kind of trip you will experience.
It’s hard balancing your excitement with your worries. All the planning in the world can’t completely prepare you for what you might experience. The thrill of traveling across the Atlantic Ocean and stepping into a country you’ve heard about all your life is an adrenalin pumping experience. Conversely, unplanned deviations, your flight getting canceled, a train delay, a hotel that doesn’t have your booking, or worse, getting pick pocketed, can contribute to energy robbing stress.
Unexpected itinerary changes are upsetting, but they don’t have to ruin your trip. Having an open mind and being flexible go a long way in making the best out of a difficult situation. Also, there are tools in your traveler’s toolbox you should always have at the ready. The following three were helpful for our trip. Continue reading
Most travelers, including me, want their trip to be free from stress. The key is good planning.
The two most common ways of traveling through Europe are with a guided tour group or by planning it yourself. Both have advantages. A huge plus of traveling with a group is that the tour organizer takes care of the logistics. They are responsible for your travel itinerary, hotel accommodations and make many of the dining reservations. They provide an experienced guide to help you along the way, and as an added bonus, are usually knowledgeable about places and bits of history you might not find in a guide book. Another big plus is the built in camaraderie. Having a familiar face to see every day is reassuring, especially if you are an introvert like me. The first time I went to Europe, this was the way I traveled. Continue reading
Europe seems so far away, 4000 plus miles, a eight to nine hour flight from the continental United States. Why invest the time and expense of making such a trip?
Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. Location for several Harry Potter films.
In a series of posts I’d like to share some things I learned on a recent journey with my son and future daughter-in-law to Great Britain and Switzerland. I’ll share a few tips, talk about some of the challenges of overseas travel and explain why taking such a trip is a winning proposition for individuals who thrive on exploring their creativity, enjoy learning about history or simply have an inkling of wanderlust. Continue reading
You’ve made your travel plans, your itinerary is set, but before heading to the airport take the time to prepare yourself both physically and mentally. Getting in the right frame of mind and being physically fit play a big role in determining the kind of trip you will experience.
Most travelers, including me, want their trip to be free from stress. The key is good planning.
