In an attempt to avoid the fires, we headed off to the Freycinet Peninsula on the east coast of Tasmania. We arrived late afternoon, set up at a campground in Coles Bay, and headed off to climb Mt Amos. Mt Amos has the best view of Wineglass Bay, the most photographed bay in Australia. We…
After 4 flights over 3 days, we arrived Tasmania with only one major hiccup, a Costco-size bottle of tequila broken in our luggage. Good thing it was not with our clothes. Brooke and Cal picked us up at the airport in Devonport and we checked into an AirBnB for the night. The next morning, we…
As the British out grew Charleston and the Carolinas, they sent James Oglethorpe south to establish Georgia and the port city of Savannah. He established Savannah under several strict laws including no slavery, no drinking, and no Catholics. His laws stuck for almost 10 years until he returned to England. As a port town, it…
Charleston was where the first shots were fired to start the Civil War. South Carolina was the first state to pull out of the United States just two weeks after Lincoln was elected president. South Carolina was also one of the richest states. Many of the wealthiest men in America lived in Charleston. Charleston was…
Things Jim and I learned while visiting Williamsburg, Virginia You didn’t want to be a Drummer Boy in the Civil War – Commands were given to troops during a battle via the drums so of course everyone was aiming for him The Stocks is better than the Pillory – If convicted of minor crime, you were…
As the 2nd stop on our historical tour, Philadelphia did not disappoint. Jim and I were glad we chose to go north to south on this tour. Besides the fact that heading south meant every city was going to get a little warmer, we are now learning that it allows us to move chronologically. In…
With fall weather upon us, Jim and I decided to head to the East Coast to tour five historical cities: Boston, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Charlestown, and Savanna. With a final stop in Miami to join Jim’s brother’s, Doug, family for Thanksgiving. We arrived Boston during a cold snap. Sunny and 39 degrees didn’t sound bad. But…
In years past, Jim and I have spent late fall catching up on work. We now find ourselves looking for a new fall activity. You can only do so much wine tasting. In late September, Lisa invited us to join them in Utah for some canyoneering, a sport neither Jim nor I had ever done.…
Every year in the beginning of October, Jim puts together a hiking trip to seek out the Golden Larch. These trees only grow in the alpine region around 5000 – 7000 feet. They are only found in the Pacific Northwest. When you hit them in their prime, they are vibrant yellow. There is nothing like…
For Thursday, I had two options: get up in the cold and head back up to the Concord-Lexington col… or, go to the Mazama Country Store, enjoy a cup of tea with a fresh, baked scone, and do some fall hiking. It didn’t take me long to make my decision. After sending George and Jim…