— After the Mexican War, there was a need to establish a road through the rugged Texas country to advance west. The route would be used by mail carriers as well as pioneers and gold seekers heading to California. Two … Read More

— On our first day in the North Cascades National Park, we experienced majestic mountain ranges and roaring rivers. After an easy hike in the River Loop trail, we proceeded to the Rock Shelter trail and Trail of the Cedars … Read More

— Doeskin Ranch is an area inside the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, in northwest Austin. The area was set up to protect primarily two endangered species: the golden-cheeked warbler and the black-capped vireo. Those endangered songbirds rely on specialized habitats … Read More

— As a cloudy, drizzly day was coming to a close, the sun showed signs of life very briefly towards sunset time. Luckily for me, the Copperfield Nature Trail is very close to my house. I rushed to the small … Read More

Happy 102nd anniversary to Bandelier National Monument! On February 11, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to establish Bandelier National Monument. That piece of legislation protected 33,000 acres of rugged land with a beautiful canyon and mesa country. Bandelier NM also … Read More

— Through a contact known to a friend of mine, we were lucky to secure a long weekend in Bandera, the Texas Cowboy Capital of the World. We like the Bandera area a lot. It has great food (barbecue, Tex-Mex, … Read More

— Not in London town, as the song goes. Around mid-December 2017 we had one of those thick foggy morning in the Austin area. It was the same foggy pattern that prevented us from seeing the first Supermoon of 2018. … Read More

— January 9, 2018, marked the 110th anniversary of Muir Woods National Monument, established by President Theodore Roosevelt. The land was donated by William Kent, who requested the park be named after the famous conservationist John Muir. As I noted … Read More

— As the Rocky Mountain NP anniversary approaches this week, I took a trip back down memory lane and looked at some of my old photos from our last trip to that park. Has it been over 10 years really?!? … Read More

— Not being one to take selfies often — I prefer not to spoil the scenery — I’ll make an exception for this shot. This is a throwback-Thursday photo made about 3 years ago. Yes, I was happy to make … Read More