Today begins the upward trek! Getting out of town at 8am was a whole lot like joining rush hour traffic, if streets were muddy paths and cars were hikers wearing enormous packs and trucks were donkeys and yaks. I’d known these treks were popular, but seeing the body-jam in person is another thing. People found … More Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 2: Bistari, bistari
And then we found the real current. Between the current and the wind, we were suddenly fighting actual waves. My rowing muscles, which had been born only that morning, started to howl. As we came around the first knob of Mica Island, making progress against the shore at a rate of two inches per paddle stroke, I began wailing along with them. … More Canoeing and Camping in Voyageurs National Park
After all the (self-inflicted) stress and tears of planning this trip to America’s most Canada-adjacent National Park, the adventure itself went off entirely without a hitch, and it was a gorgeous, only slightly painful adventure. In this first installment, we make our way successfully to Kettle Falls. Or maybe one hitch? The night we spent … More Voyageurs National Park: A visit to Kettle Falls Hotel
This is a somewhat lengthy narrative about the trouble I had making plans to go canoeing and camping in Voyageurs National Park. If you have money burning holes in your pockets, you will not have the same trouble I had. If you’re trying to plan a canoeing trip in Voyageurs on a budget, this blog … More Planning a camping trip to Voyageurs National Park is not for the faint-hearted
We promptly stripped off every piece of clothing we were wearing, wrung five or six cups of water out into the trash can, then hung them up to dry. I then pulled my even-wetter backup outfit out of my backpack, poured about two inches of water out of the bottom of the backpack, and decided to go to dinner wrapped in a bedsheet. … More Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 1: there should be an ark around here somewhere?
Protests also meant our stop at the Supreme Court got nixed, which is a pity because Dustin thought hopping off and joining the folks protesting the overturning of Roe v. Wade might be an excellent opportunity to get arrested for the first time. … More Laura’s Journal: A Night on the Town (in a bus) in DC
A transcription of the journal entries shown in these photos begins below the last photo. A more proper blog post with lots of photos will be up soon! Transcription: Saturday, July 23 to Monday, July 25, 2002SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK Five-star tours from the King and Queen of the park! Pat and Dyanne are family friends … More Laura’s Journal: Three Days in Shenandoah
A transcription of the photographed journal pages can be found at the bottom of the page. Also, lots of photos because it turns out I’m too far behind on regular blog posts to catch up. So! Transcription: Sunday, May 8 and Monday, May 9, 2022GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREASUTRO BATHS & FORT POINT When I … More Sutro Baths & Golden Gate
Transcriptions of the journal pages in the photographs below can be found at the bottom of the page. I’ve stopped believing I’ll ever turn this into a proper blog post, so I’ve included photos here. The gulls do not care. Transcription: Thursday, May 5, 2022 GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION: ALCATRAZ ISLAND Welcome to San Francisco! … More Laura’s Journals: Alcatraz, of course
For a transcription of these photographed journal pages, please scroll down! A fancier blog post with loads of pictures will hopefully get posted someday. Transcription of photographed journal pages: Tuesday, May 3, 2022GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK Who knew Nevada was so high?? In my defense, apparently I’ve spent my whole life under the impression that … More Laura’s Journal: Great Basin National Park
Thither & Yon 