I have mixed feelings about man-made dams. We've visited Grand Coulee dam as well as several other dams along the Columbia River, and they certainly are engineering marvels. Many of them have generated economic prosperity for the surrounding communities and states and have eliminated devastating flash flooding. They have also caused significant and irrevocable harm …
Probably the last place you want to go during a global health crisis is Las Vegas. The casinos, the shows, the dining -- I can't imagine any of those experiences being particularly safe right now. However, if you find yourself passing through Vegas at night, as we did on our recent long weekend trip to …
Last weekend the sun was out, Mt. Rainier was towering overhead, and we took advantage of the break in the weather to squeeze in a Saturday morning hike before I needed to be home, accessible, and on-call for work. We set out for the Rampart Ridge Loop trail from Longmire in Mt. Rainier National Park, …
Our final day in Joshua Tree National Park we hiked more than I think I've ever hiked in one day -- 12+ miles, logging more than 34,500 steps! After our previous day exploring the central areas of the park, which are definitely the busiest areas of the park, it was wonderful escaping to the much …
Continue reading Joshua Tree National Park: Black Rock Hikes
After spending our initial day in Joshua Tree National Park exploring the easternmost side of the park -- primarily by car -- we were ready to enjoy the sunshine and stretch our legs on a series of hikes throughout the central areas of the park on our second day. Day 2 Itinerary: Ryan and Hidden …
Continue reading Joshua Tree National Park: Hidden Valley Hikes
While we continue to mask, socially distance from others, wash our hands, work from home, and go months on end without gathering with friends or family, I cannot entirely live in a sterile hole. Working for a health care organization and helping to communicate all things COVID-19 to our doctors, nursing staff, pharmacists, admin teams, …
I've seen lots of COVID-19-inspired reflection posts about 2020 - challenges we faced, things we learned, how we persevered, what we'll carry with us moving forward, etc. This is not that kind of post. This is a post I write every single year looking back on our adventures. It's a simple and happy post. It's …
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Heather's Compass 