On the Road to Denali
We broke up the five hour drive from Anchorage to Denali with a few stops. We did a couple of short hikes to take in some waterfalls and try to spot some birds. Some Iditarod …
Category: Nature
Scenes (and Food) from Anchorage, Alaska
We arrived in Alaska just after the September equinox as the days were beginning to get shorter, but we certainly filled all the available daylight hours with adventures (accompanied by borrowed bear spray whenever we …
Along the Turnagain Arm in Alaska
The Turnagain Arm is a narrow body of water sitting south of Anchorage and north of the Kenai Peninsula. The Seward Highway extends along the its northern border, right on the edge. We drove along …
Alaska Botanical Garden
Alaska! Another new state in our grand adventure! Unfortunately, we did not go to Alaska in the van. Doug needed to be in Michigan on Thursday and Alaska on Friday, so that meant we had …
Greetings from Des Moines, Iowa
Pappajohn Sculpture Park The Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a 4.4 acre park in the heart of downtown Des Moines with 28 sculptures. It is operated by the Des Moines Art Center (which we also visited), …
Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden
The Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, are open for a whopping two hours a week during summer months only, but that didn’t stop me! The gardens are indeed “test” …
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden (Iowa) were a delightful surprise. At 12 acres, they aren’t the biggest gardens I’ve visited, but what they had packed a punch. The experience starts in the parking lot. …
Nature Scenes in Northwestern Missouri
We spent some time hanging out in the Northeastern corner of Missouri, where we went to two National Wildlife Refuges and stayed in various parks where we did some birding. Again and again we saw …
Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Conservatory
At 15 acres, the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, (new state!) are relatively small, which was good, because I was there during a heatwave. I was there early in the morning, but it …
Scenes from Lubbock, Texas
Prairie Dog Town Gotta stop and see Prairie Dog Town while visiting Lubbock – especially since it might not be there for long. It was established in the 1930s by K.N. Clapp, who was alarmed …