‘Iolani Palace and Mt. Tantalus

We got up nice and early, and headed directly for the 9am opening of the ‘Iolani Palace, the only actual Royal Palace on U.S. soil. The building was beautiful inside and out. I snapped photos all around our waiting space on the front porch area. As part of the welcome address and rules, they informed […]

Hiking Oak Creek Canyon

Yeah right, buddy! Try and catch my pathetic ass as I roll down the mountainside past you!

Instructing in Phoenix

So apparently the cure is to actually leave.

Faerieworlds 2011

It’s a scrumptious tradition. This was our fifth year and I hope the habit doesn’t fade.

Girls in the Gorge

When the seasonal affective disorder symptoms were about to make us want to gouge out our eyes with forks, Mother Nature blessed us with ONE gorgeous day before the rain and cool temps rolled back in.

Red Rock Canyon SP & Hoover Dam

I was on the road early, hoping to put the few hours behind me that I should have done the night before. In a couple hours, I left I-5 toward Bakersfield and then to Red Rock Canyon State Park. It is a beautiful place, and I even went for an actual hike, but drat it […]

Stuck in The Dalles

I planned a holiday gift for my mother. It didn’t quite work, but close.

Falls and Sunshine in the Gorge

Our consistent girl whined with the predictable nature of an almost-13-year-old that she does not like to go on hikes, and we didn’t bring enough food or drink, and—about that time she was off like a forest-dwelling gazelle.