It’s incredible what a tree-lined path can do for the mind, to make you feel a million miles away from the city around you…

This wonderful little museum is located, let’s be honest, in the glorious middle of nowhere, half an hour east of The Dalles.

Not only was it pouring rain in the dead of winter, but more importantly about two thirds of the place were closed for a massive renovation project…

Visiting Narada Falls, Longmire, Paradise, Alder Lake, and more…

Along the Taku, you feel the essence of frontier here, thrilling you with its freedom and its dangers…

Twice in October 2017, I visited fabulous Silver Falls State Park, just south of Silverton, Oregon. Here is the second set of two. (See the first.) I was amazed how much the tree colors had changed in just a few weeks. Ah, autumn!

This park is a land of giant trees, lush fern forest floors, streams, creeks, and massive waterfalls (three of which you get to hike behind)...

Near Gaziantep in southern Turkey is the Birecik reservoir along the River Euphrates. The waters covered the ancient town of Zeugma...

We returned to the Euphrates, but further south, along the Syrian border. There we had a wonderful local lunch and basked in the warm, humid air. In the shade of course.  

As we traveled in southern Turkey we stopped for a few minutes along the beautiful, tranquil River Euphrates. A Chinese tour group was stopping there at the same time as us. And a stray dog ran up to both of us looking for a handout...

Any list of the must-see spots of northeastern Turkey in my mind has to include the ruins of the city of Ani, which you will find in the Kars region, right along the border with Armenia. There are two parts actually, the former city overlooking a river valley, and a countless cave dwellings below along the river...

A series of hiking and mountain biking trails that take you through forests so thick they make you feel a million lightyears from the Willamette Valley just a little below…

Continuing my quest to visit all the parks of Oregon, I visited Fields Bridge Park in April 2017…

Today I hopped in my car and visited the always fabulous Trillium Lake and the Columbia River Gorge…