Something New

As  you can see I haven't blogged in a while.  After some musing and mulling over I have decided to rechristen this blog as a hiking guide and travel-log more than anything else.  I will still kept the older posts so feel free to click through them if you ever get bored.  In the coming days I will start posting descriptions and pictures and recommendations of hikes I have done.  I hope that you will enjoy the new format and please feel free to comment on hikes you like or ones you have heard about and would like to see on the blog.  There are so many hikes out there, especially in the Intermountain Region, that I will need all the help I can get in finding them.  Enjoy!

Fa'11

Fall is rapidly becoming winter just as this year seems to be rapidly ending. It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating New Year's and now it is almost Thanksgiving. I enjoy all four seasons because each one is so different from the last. Each has its own perks; Winter the cleanness of a white blanket of snow, Spring the green rebirth of plants and nature, Summer the heat and the lazy days, Fall the color of the leaves and the crispness in the night air. Happy Fall!

The Pacific Northwest

To finish off summer on the right note I took a trip up to the Pacific Northwest; specifically Portland, the Oregon Coast and then on to Seattle before a train ride back to Portland. It was a fun trip and the weather couldn't have been better. Here are a few snapshots of the trip.

Ahoy, Florida

Last month I was the lucky recipient of a free trip to Amelia Island Florida. It was a great relaxing week. Here are some of the sights seen from the island.

Rock Solid

Arches National Park is one of those places you can get lost in for days on end while never seeing the same thing twice. There is just so much to explore and so much more to take in that you really need days and a willingness to walk the whole park. Seeing as we only had 3 days to explore not to mention 2 parks to visit, this trip to Arches focused more on the highlights that one shouldn't miss. Enjoy.

Solitude in Canyonlands

One of the best things about visiting the National Parks in the winter is the solitude. This is especially true at Canyonlands where you can walk into a meadow and listen to the silence all around you. It is invigorating, which comes in handy since it is just a few degrees above freezing and you don't want to keep still for too long. A few examples:

Golden Arches

Last weekend was spent in Moab or more specifically Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Here are a few photos from Day 1 spent in Arches.

Road Trip Time

(Doesn't Sally look tough here?)

In what is becoming an annual event, Becky and I are about to take another winter road trip. This time we are off to Moab. I don't know what it is about the red rocks of Utah but they just seem to call to me, plus Becky has never been to Arches or Canyonlands and I can't let this injustice stand! Really this little vacation can't come soon enough but then again what vacation can? Pictures of our adventure will follow in the coming weeks.

Long Beach

Last month I went to sunny Southern California with some of my family and visit some family that lives there. The only problem was that the sun decided that it would rather not make an appearance so it turned out to be a visit to cloudy, rainy Southern California. While the lack of sun subdued the trip a little it was still a lot of fun and just nice to get away for a few days. Below are some pictures of lovely Long Beach.