Many years ago, when my husband Andy and I were visiting Mount Rainier National Park, we encountered a young couple who had come there to hike to the summit. Upon learning that they enjoyed backpacking, we recommended that they return someday to circumnavigate the mountain on the Wonderland Trail. They…
In 1992, my husband Andy and I camped for 4 nights at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state. It was our first trip to this spectacular park—a magnificent wilderness that ironically, Andy was indifferent to visiting. While hiking one day, we spotted a sign for the Wonderland Trail—a ~100-mile…
Two years ago, as I beamed up at the customs agent from my driver’s seat, the thought that Canadian authorities might not approve of my travel plans was the furthest thing from my mind. I’d vacationed in Canada dozens of times and had never encountered trouble at the border. What’s…
In April, I joined fellow blogger, Emma from Words And Peace, in reading a work of contemporary French fiction, L’Archipel d’une autre vie, by Andreï Makine. We invited people to read along with us in French or English and set up a schedule to read one-quarter of the book every…
Last month, I went on a road trip to Washington DC with one of my daughters. It was our first significant outing together since early 2020. It felt great to be out of the house and DC was the perfect setting to spread our wings since we’re both interested in…
In April, my daughter Rita and I took a trip to Washington DC. We’d received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. It was spring break, during her last and horribly trying year of public school, and we were itching to get out of the house. A day before we left,…
For the last several summers, I have traveled to France, in part because I love the country and culture, but also to boost my French skills. In 2015 and 2016, I took French classes while staying with a famille d’accueil. These were rewarding experiences that definitely improved my French. This…
Last week, I was talking to a friend who will be traveling to France for work later this month. This is his first time voyaging overseas and he has no knowledge of France, so he was unsure of what to expect. We were talking about his trip when he mentioned that he…
