Fall foliage at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, with Prairie Flameleaf Sumac in shades of red, orange, and yellow and the white, feathery plumes of Roosevelt Weed rising in the background.

Yellow Hues at Balcones Canyonlands

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Whether you go on a long hike or a short walk, the sights at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge will always please you. In the fall, you have vibrant colors from the Prairie Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus lanceolata) and Roosevelt Weed … Read More

Monochrome photograph of the limestone ruins of a building at Fort McKavett State Historic Site, seen from a low angle, with the sun forming a starburst through an empty upper window beneath a streaked, dramatic sky.

What Time Cannot Erase

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When I was planning the itinerary for my February 2026 visit to Big Bend Ranch State Park, one place stood out along the route: the Fort McKavett State Historic Site. The preliminary information I read about the site gave me … Read More

Sheer limestone cliffs of Santa Elena Canyon tower above the calm green water of the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. The canyon walls and a strip of blue sky are reflected in the still river, with a weathered gray boulder and green reeds in the foreground.

Walls That Need No Wall

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On a December morning in 2021, I stood at the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park, where the Rio Grande slips between limestone walls that rise as much as 1,500 feet (457 m) above the water. … Read More

A shaded rest area framed by live oak branches, with a wooden bench overlooking the calm blue water of Brushy Creek Lake in Cedar Park, Texas.

Shade, Clear Water, and Two Wheels — A Morning on the Brushy Creek Regional Trail

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How could I resist a morning ride on the Brushy Creek Regional Trail? The temperature was moderate for a Texas August, in the upper 70s to low 80s °F (25–28 °C), so I set out to bike the entire length … Read More

Port Isabel Lighthouse silhouetted against a fiery orange and pink sunset sky, with children playing on the steps and families relaxing on the grassy hill below, Port Isabel, Texas.

A Beacon Above the Bridge

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We used to spend time at South Padre Island a few years ago. The beaches there are clean and inviting, though the six-to-seven-hour drive from Austin can wear you down by the time you arrive. Anyone making that drive will … Read More

Ponderosa pines stand in a golden meadow at dawn, with hazy blue mountain ridges and soft pink clouds in the background near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

Summer Daze, Mountain Mornings

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Lens-Artists Challenge #406: Summer Daze Anne sets up this week‘s Lens-Artists Challenge with a fact the whole country (and the world?) seems to be experiencing. She wrote, “My goodness it’s triple digits Fahrenheit… Heat waves come and go during the … Read More

Panoramic view from the Cinco Tinajas lookout in Big Bend Ranch State Park, with a sandy creek wash winding through green desert scrub toward distant mesas under a blue sky.

An Oasis on the Other Side of Nowhere

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Whenever I visit Big Bend Ranch State Park, just west of Big Bend National Park, one of my favorite hikes is the one to Cinco Tinajas. The trailhead sits about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from the Sauceda Ranger Station, and … Read More

View over the red-tiled rooftops of Congonhas, Minas Gerais, seen from the terrace of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus, with green mountains under a bright, cloud-filled sky.

Aleijadinho’s Masterwork — A Pilgrimage to Congonhas

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Lens-Artists Challenge #405: Adventures Welcome back from the Lens-Artists short break! This week, Ann-Christine has asked us to share adventures we have experienced “from long ago or lately.” I wholeheartedly agree with her that “every day is an adventure.” Take … Read More

Close-up of Grosvenor Arch, a golden sandstone double arch glowing in warm light against a blue sky, framed by a juniper on the right and evergreens below, in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah.

Unprotected Views and Values

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You may wonder why I am reposting this article. On July 13, 2026, there was a new executive order reducing Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from about 1.87 million acres to roughly 182,000 acres. That is a cut of about 90 … Read More

Cobblestone boardwalk trail winding beneath a dense green forest canopy in Parque do Cocó, Fortaleza, Brazil.

An Urban Oasis: Fortaleza’s Parque do Cocó

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When we were in Fortaleza in June 2026, one of the things we wanted to do after spending time with family was explore parts of the city we hadn’t visited before. Since this is my hometown, there wasn’t much left … Read More

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