Wednesday Sept. 9, I first noted smoke as part of our day. We continued to spend time outdoors as we learned about the AQI (air quality index) and began following it as closely as we do Covid-19 stats. We tried to go out at first, but the air was yellowish with smoke. Oregon’s terribly destructiveContinue reading “A smoke-shortened month”
Tag Archives: Landscape
Glacier National Park
Postcard views. Need I say more? Before our visit, I didn’t know that Glacier is one of the most popular, most heavily visited US National Parks, despite its remote location in northwest Montana. The peak season is barely three months, and some years less. Visitors are down 58% this year. BUT, visitor levels in AugustContinue reading “Glacier National Park”
A Window Into Montana
“You couldn’t take a bad picture here,” Jonathan said, looking out the car window. He was right. Everywhere you look driving into the mountains around us are stands of lodgepole pine, narrow avalanche chutes blanketed in grass, and bare faces of stone bordered by undulating piles of scree. The day was overcast and cool, quiteContinue reading “A Window Into Montana”
Curiosities of the OH/PA border.
What makes Ohio different from other places we’ve visited? There are a few things that have impressed and surprised us. One is grass–there are huge lawns around many houses, and tracts of open land covered by grass without a house nearby. These are often lovely, but who mows all that acreage? True, there are lotsContinue reading “Curiosities of the OH/PA border.”
Northern Ohio begins to reveal its secrets
Symbols on a local tourist map turned out to be covered bridges, and on a perfect sunny afternoon we set out to see three that are all very near Conneaut. Whizzing by on the highway, Ohio is flat and featureless. The creeks that wind their way into Lake Erie are invisible. In contrast, covered bridgesContinue reading “Northern Ohio begins to reveal its secrets”
Guest Post: Visiting Chernobyl
by Joyce Heard I am delighted to introduce my good friend, Joyce Heard. A fellow Harvard grad, Joyce worked in journalism in the US, then moved to France after meeting her husband Jean-Marie while on a Rotary International fellowship. Now a long term European observer, Joyce and Jean-Marie divide their time between Aix-en-Provence and southernContinue reading “Guest Post: Visiting Chernobyl”
Cairns: Tropical North Queensland
Before the plane lands in Cairns you see the new environment. Unlike anywhere else we’ve been in Australia, the forest of north Queensland is dense green. Enough rain falls year round to keep a thick cover of trees and underbrush growing. We thought Darwin would be like this, but even though it is often hotter,Continue reading “Cairns: Tropical North Queensland”
Uluru: A Wonder of the World
We planned to skip the Ghan’s Uluru option (crowds, distance, expense) and tour Alice Springs, where the train stops for the day. We changed our minds when we found that the scenic flight from Alice to Uluru included a stop on the ground to see Uluru up close, a drive around the rock, and someContinue reading “Uluru: A Wonder of the World”
The Ghan: Railroad Adventure to Katharine, NT
We wanted to see the interior of Australia, that vast dry landscape that fuels novel after novel, starting for me with The Thorn Birds, on through the mysteries of Arthur Upfield (The Bone is Pointed). Everyone in Australia knows the true stories of exploration by Burke and Wills, who completed their crossing of the continent,Continue reading “The Ghan: Railroad Adventure to Katharine, NT”
The Heat of Darwin
Stepping outside the airport terminal in Darwin, the humidity wraps you like a thick fog. It’s over 90°F, and barely started on the walk to collect the rental car, our clothes are sticking to us. Our new Airbnb is nearby, our host is waiting, and we get all the instructions we need in short order.Continue reading “The Heat of Darwin”
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