Author: Mary Jane

  • A Day in the Redwoods

    There is a saying … taking off like a herd of turtles! That describes the beginning of my day. I so enjoy the morning time. When I left today around 9:30 I was disappointed that it was cloudy – the first day where I didn’t have blue sky and sunshine.…

  • The Redwoods

    The Redwoods National Park and the State Park are connected. Following the directions from the folks at the campground, I headed to the State Park. I found myself on Howland Hill Rd. As soon as I arrived on this gravel road, I realized the comment made by the Park Ranger…

  • Crescent City on the Beach

    I discovered that this location has so much to offer – within 15 minutes or so, I can get to Crescent City beach on the Pacific Ocean. After finding the Visitor’s Center and getting the lay of the land, I headed to the beach and the lighthouse. The lighthouse has…

  • On the road again …

    It was good to be at the RCRI Board meeting and the presentation I did with Lynn Daly and Craig Abbott went well. That being said, it is so good to get back on the camper van and hit the road. I took almost 3 days from Bozeman, MT to…

  • Close encounter ?

    You might think that I encountered these creatures on a hike – not so! Yesterday I went to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. These animals – for various reasons – faced euthanasia. For example, the grizzly and her sibling were taught by their mother to look for food around…

  • A day in Yellowstone

    Today I took a full day tour of the lower loop in Yellowstone. What a gift not to be driving and also getting a wonderful overview of this beautiful park. Our guide, Ken, gave us an overview of the history of the park and also explained the various types of…

  • Yellowstone – Day 1

    A friend of mine asked me if I mind all the driving. I really don’t – the scenery along the way is pretty incredible. I was advised to get to the entrance gate around 8. Well, due to a number of things I arrived around 9:30. There was a line…

  • Grand Tetons – Day 2

    Today was a full day – I had to get up very early to meet the 7:30 a.m. 1/2 day tour. It was a great experience lasting until noon. Rowan, our tour guide, is extremely knowledgeable in geology and in the glaciers, which added quite a bit to the time…

  • Grand Tetons … Day 1

    I arrived at my new campsite yesterday, a day to get settled in. Today I went to the Grand Tetons National park for the day. I am staying about an hour from the entrance so the drive takes a little over an hour but it is beautiful at every turn.…

  • Trail to Delicate Arch

    When I got my times entry for Arches yesterday, I wanted to get an early time and was glad to get the 8:00 a.m. entry, which means I hoped to leave by 7:30. I was all set to do so but the sunrise was so spectacular that I waited since…