Past Exploration: Gettysburg 158, Part 3

(Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; July 3, 2021) – The stage was set, the audience seated, the orchestra at the ready; the final curtain was about to rise for the great clash of the Titans on the fields of Gettysburg. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, desperate for a final knock-out blow that would humble the Union, win Southern … Continue reading Past Exploration: Gettysburg 158, Part 3

Past Exploration: Gettysburg 158, Part 2

(Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; July 2, 2021) – We pay a sizable price for tickets so we can to to the movies to see sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll, but a bit of historical research will reveal truth was far stranger and far more exciting that fiction ever could be. The fate of nations often hinges on mere … Continue reading Past Exploration: Gettysburg 158, Part 2

Past Exploration: Gettysburg 158, Part 1

(Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; July 1, 2021) – The biggest, loudest, bloodiest, most violent single battle ever to burn the landscape in North America began today…158 years ago. The three-day Battle of Gettysburg was the culmination of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s second campaign to invade the North, taking the war to the Yankees for a change … Continue reading Past Exploration: Gettysburg 158, Part 1

Travel Log: Whiling Away the Hours in Williams

(Albuquerque, New Mexico; May 18, 2021) – Williams and the Grand Canyon are now far in my rearview mirror as I steadily make my way east to Florida. Williams is a charming little town that found some creative ways to survive the blow of being bypassed by Interstate 40 in 1984 and the decommissioning of … Continue reading Travel Log: Whiling Away the Hours in Williams

Travel Log: Back to the Canyon

(Williams, Arizona; May 16, 2021) –I’ve come back to the Grand Canyon. I first laid eyes on this unbelievable place in October 2018 during the Grand Tour USA. Once my decision was made last year to depart Washington State and repair to Tennessee, the Grand Canyon was the first place on my list of places … Continue reading Travel Log: Back to the Canyon

Photo Finish: Mount Adams!

The second-highest mountain in Washington State is, of course, another volcano: Mount Adams! Known as the 'brother' to the more famous (and active) Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams soars upwards to 12,821 feet (3,743 meters). Mount Adams is shorter than Mount Rainier, but actually contains more volume than Rainier. Mount Adams' early eruptive history begins … Continue reading Photo Finish: Mount Adams!

Photo Finish: Mount St. Helens, Part 2

I had intended to focus today's Photo Finish to Mount Adams, but yesterday I had a chance to go hiking near Mount St. Helens. I spent the day on the Hummocks Trail. The Hummocks are the piles of debris leftover from the collapsed north face of the mountain. The collapse of that side of the … Continue reading Photo Finish: Mount St. Helens, Part 2

Photo Finish: Washington State Memories!

Continuing my retrospective on my favorite places in Washington State, we now turn to the Evergreen State's most famous volcano--Mount St. Helens! A stratovolcano fueled by the Pacific Ring of Fire, Mount St. Helens is part of the Cascade volcanic arc, a chain of volcanoes running from California up into Canada. Interestingly enough, Mount St. … Continue reading Photo Finish: Washington State Memories!

Christmas Eve Brothers!

Every day a different show is put on when one lives near the mountains. Looking west to the Olympic Mountains on Christmas Eve morning. The twin peaks in the distance are The Brothers, a prominent set of peaks in the Olympic Mountains. The south peak (on the left) rises to 6,842 feet above sea level … Continue reading Christmas Eve Brothers!

SPECIAL EDITION!! Photo Finish–The Brothers Through the Year!

The Brothers are a prominent set of peaks in the Olympic Mountains. The south peak (on the left) rises to 6,842 feet above sea level while the north peak (on the right) rises to 6,650 feet. The peaks are 22 miles from where I live in Silverdale. The Brothers hold the distinction of being one … Continue reading SPECIAL EDITION!! Photo Finish–The Brothers Through the Year!