USA adventures...part three

After leaving Montana, I headed west through some of the most stunningly beautiful parts of Washington State (with the most fantastic rain clouds I have seen since leaving China!), past Seattle and into the Olympic Peninsular. There I drove through Port Angeles and into Forks, of Twilight fame, a quaint little town very much reliant on the books' fame but full of hidden gems and interesting people. Then I hiked a trail I have long wanted to visit, the Hoh River Rainforest Trail, full of stunning forests covered in moss, and little beasties that popped up to greet me. Ending my trip in Seattle was a little disappointing after all that wildlife (though I did spend a day shopping in The Elliot Bay Book Company, where I returned with many a read!! All in all, an excellent trip!

Deer in Glacier National Park

Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park

The Hoh River Rainforest

Hungry squirrel!

Hummingbird

A very watchful young elk

My beloved Pacific Ocean!

USA adventures...part two

After a fabulous few days hiking in Yellowstone, I drove up through the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, and through the lovely town of Kalispell, to the very quaint town of Whitefish. Just outside, I joined the highlight of my travels, the Bar W Guest Ranch where I stayed for several days. The weather was suprisingly hot for this time of year, and I spent my hours, riding, walking, eating, riding, riding some more (!), arena skills such as barrel racing and pole bending, and practised my hand at roping cows and team penning. In the evenings we had delicious meals cooked in the beautiful homestead, bbqs out in the gazebo by the lake, rides in the horsedrawn cart and drinking beers to piano and guitar music on the porch with excellent company. Fabulous. I really did not want to leave, but afterwards I got to spend a day in the stunning Glacier National Park, possibly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Where I was also lucky enough to see a grizzly up close. I shall definitely be returning to Montana.

Bar W Ranch, Whitefish, Montana

Bar W Ranch, Whitefish, Montana

Chilling out after a long morning trail ride

Barrel racing

Frolics!

Team penning

Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park

USA adventures...part one

Bit late in my holiday posts but things continue to be manic in old Norfolk!

My trip to the States was primarily to spend a week in Minnesota catching up with old friends from Hawaii, and celebrating my dear friend Susie's wedding. But after going all that way, I decided to make the most of the trip and travel across country, visiting some of the sites I have longed to see. I hired a car and drived from Minneapolis to Seattle, making a few stops along the way...

Badlands, South Dakota

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Crazy Horse Mountain, Sout Dakota

Crazy Horse Mountain...a work in progress..

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Early spring in Yellowstone

Old Faithful

One small step for man...

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.
Little Gidding, T.S. Eliot

On July 20, 1969 (21st in the UK!) the human race accomplished possibly the greatest scientific and technological leap in our relatively short history, when a human first set foot on the moon. Although some may argue that our space programmes have reached their potential, but surely it is our desire for exploration that makes us who we are…

Regardless, this is certainly a time to celebrate what we have achieved and encourage the scientific exploration of our own planet if not others…something I hope to learn much from in my lifetime.

NASA anniversary website