Picturesque Grand Teton National Park⛰️

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My first trip to Grand Teton National Park was over 30 years ago when my daughter was six months old. I was with her father as we did a quick western loop of National Parks before we moved from New Mexico to Northern California. My memory is faint but I do remember the majestic craggy peaks that are Grand Teton.  I was back in Wyoming during an east – west car swap in September of 2026. It was a spectacular stop and a lovely drive as I headed north from Jackson to Yellowstone National Park. 

I spent the night in Jackson. It is a lovely town full of shops, restaurants and bars.  They have their iconic arches made from elk antlers at each corner of Jackson Town Square.  I remember these from my first trip and, at the time, I didn’t realize that elk shed their antlers annually so it’s a terrific use of discarded antlers. Apparently, each arch weighs about 10,000 pounds and is made from 2,000 antlers with internal steel supports. They naturally decay over time so they are replaced about every ten years. 

A scenic landscape featuring black cows grazing in a grassy field with mountains in the background, illuminated by warm sunset hues.
Cattle grazing in front of the Grand Tetons at sunrise

My first stop before I left Jackson was to hunt for a Thomas Dambo troll which is in Rendezvous Park about 5 miles from Jackson. It was sunrise and 29 degrees as I headed down the path to find Mama Mimi sitting next to a man-made pond. She is lounging next to the pond with one leg out front next to the water.  I was unable to see her from the front because the two bridges along the trail were frozen and precarious. She is well worth the trip because the setting is so lovely with trees and a pristine pond.

I approached Grand Teton National Park from the south and drove through some farmland as the sun rose. This gave the jagged granite peaks a pink hue as the cattle grazed below.  I was immediately stuck by how similar they looked to Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia in South America. Both sets of mountains have jagged granite peaks, dramatically rise from the hills below and have glaciers in their nooks and crannies. I was surprised to learn that the Grand Tetons are taller at 13,770 feet while Mount Fitz Roy is 11,073 feet. Both are dramatic although the Grand Tetons are much easier to get to and you don’t even need to know Spanish.

I went at sunrise because I wanted to see the iconic Moulton barn which is along Mormon row. It is so named for the 30 Mormon families that homesteaded in the Jackson Hole area in the 1890’s. The Moulton barn is a lovely dark brown with the majestic mountains behind as the sun rises and illuminates the front of the barn and the crags cast shadows in the mountains behind.

From there, I drove up to Jenny Lake which must be one of the most photographed lakes with the Tetons as backdrop.  It’s a glacier-carved lake and is known as having exceptionally clean water. I hiked and drove along the edge of the lake and must have taken a hundred pictures. I saw a pair of deer as I explored but never saw a bear or moose.

Calm lake reflecting mountains and trees under a clear blue sky, with rocks in the foreground.
Lovely Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park

I drove up Route 89 which, after Jenny Lake, goes along the edge of Jackson Lake.  There is a lovely hotel called Jackson Lake Lodge with several restaurants inside and an enormous three-story glass atrium that overlooks the lake. I happened to be there on their final weekend before shutting down for the season. There is a sense that you are on borrowed time as the influx of snow and cold are likely only weeks away. 

I’ve been to over 50 national parks and this is one of the easiest to drive with exceptional views and overlooks at every turn. Coming up from the south, I rarely ran into any traffic and loved the ease of pulling over at multiple stops to take in all the beauty. I’m glad I returned. Have you been to the Grand Tetons?

❤️The Heart of the Lincoln Highway

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In the fall of 2026, I drove cross country to swap cars between the east and west coasts. I decided to drive on Interstate 80 through Iowa and Nebraska in order to find a few more Thomas Dambo Trolls. I might have come for the trolls but I was rewarded with a beautiful section of the Lincoln Highway. Although the Lincoln Highway does not exist as it was originally designed in 1913, most of Interstate 80 in Iowa and Nebraska are along the original 3,389-mile transcontinental route from New York City to San Francisco.

Crossing the Mississippi River from Illinois to Iowa on I-80, I drove through Le Clare, Iowa. This is a scenic riverfront town along the Mississippi and is home to the Buffalo Bill Museum and a historic district with 19th century architecture. I was really surprised by the number of tourists milling around as well as a126-foot replica of a Victorian-era steamboat, Riverboat Twilight.

The bust of Lincoln along Interstate 80 and the Lincoln Highway

I arrived at my first stop in Clinton, Iowa to search for 4 Dambo troll installations that were introduced in April of 2026. My first troll in Clinton, was Marvin. He is lying prone under a stunning oak tree. He is found in the Bickelhaupt Arboretum and on the Saturday afternoon when I arrived there were about 30 high schoolers out in the park for their homecoming pictures. I found Marvin easily by following the older folks who were not dressed in ties and dresses.  

Warren was the next troll that I found and it’s in a surprising location. I have been hunting trolls for 2 years and Warren is hidden inside an old building by the train tracks. When I drove up, all I saw was a nondescript white building. My google search pointed me to the building. There were several signs outside of the building that said do not enter. So here I am in a random town in the middle of the country with no people around and I decide to go ahead into “the forbidden” building. As I approached the building, I saw some bird houses on the outside which is always a sure indicator of a troll ahead (Dambo got his start with birdhouses).  Once I entered through the only entrance, I found three connected rooms where branches created a maze of sorts to get to the final room that housed Warren laying on his back in an old dilapidated room. It’s weird to see a troll in what looks like an old office with ceiling tiles above. I have since learned that Iowa is debating the safety of the installation and they are likely to close it at some point because the wood is a fire hazard. I hope it can be moved.

Helmut is in a park right by the Mississippi River and he’s holding a tree in his arms with the trunk and roots hidden by his forward leg. It’s a large tree so I’m curious how this will hold up in the coming years. The final troll is called Enchanted Branches and is in Eagle Point Park. I really love this installation because it’s more abstract and built upon a downed tree. It looks like a tree that came alive with a rudimentary face and several out reached arms and legs, hence the name, Enchanted Branches.

The Dambo installation called Enchanted Branches in Clinton, IA

From Clinton, I drove to the Amana Colonies with the middle of Iowa right off the Lincoln Highway.  This area was settled by German dissidents who left Europe in 1714. Amana is seven communities who lived communally between 1855 and the Great Depression. I can imagine that Octoberfest would be quite the celebration and it was a lovely community filled with German restaurants and artisans.

I arrived in the Danish town of Elk Horn, Iowa complete with a Danish style windmill. The Museum of Danish America sits in the middle of an expansive prairie. The museum has a history of Denmark and the immigration of Danish folks to the United States. Along with a Viking history which included a replica of the Kensington Stone. The Kensington Stone is a stone that is covered in runic inscriptions that was found in 1898 by Olof Ohman and it’s supposed to be proof that the Vikings were in North America in the 1300’s. The validity of the stone is something that my father had his 8th grade history students write a paper on. My family spent about a week in Minnesota looking for mooring holes back in 1968 and there were several pictures of myself in pig tails pointing to holes in large stones.  Anyone who was in my father’s history class remembers writing a paper on the Kensington Stone.  At the museum, there is also a troll called Fjord Faergemand looking over the prairie with the wind in her hair. It looks like she is paddling a boat into a sea of grass.

I stumbled on a terrific museum called the Archway Monument that straddles interstate 80 in Nebraska. The museum shows the progression of travel and migration through the Midwest to the west at the confluence of the Oregon, California and Mormon trails.  I find it remarkable that these great pathways all depart from this central location in the middle of the prairie. From Mormons and their carts, stage coaches and model t’s up to Cadillacs on the Lincoln Highway, the entire history is here as you walk above Interstate 80.

The end of my trip along the Lincoln Highway was at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument in Albany County, Wyoming.  There is a bronze bust that is over 12 feet high sitting on top of a 30-foot granite pedestal. I was there on a beautiful day and Lincoln’s profile against a blue sky was stunning and an appropriate end to my experience on the Lincoln Highway.

I imagined that traveling across the Midwest would be nothing but prairie but I was pleasantly surprised to discover the stories and artisans who have made this place so special. If you want to find America, start with the Lincoln Highway.

Surprising Nemours Estate⛲️

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I was born and raised in Wilmington Delaware. The duPont name has been synonymies with Delaware for over 200 years. High Schools, highways, country clubs, hotels, buildings, gardens and mansions throughout the state bear the duPont name. My first job was at the Hotel duPont, my grandfather worked and retired from duPont. My mother’s first job out of college was at duPont. Up until 1990, duPont employees comprised one out of ten workers in Delaware. So, with duPont being so prevalent, I am surprised it took me over 50 years to visit the Nemours estate and Children’s Hospital.  I certainly drove past it’s10 foot stone walls topped with glass many times. I had assumed that the glass was to keep patients in (my 9-year-old mind incorrectly thought it was an insane asylum).  The rumor was that it was actually to keep the public and other duPonters out following a bitter business and family dispute over the duPont company. In the summer of 2026, I finally visited the Nemours estate with my friend, Wendy, and it was surprising in its beauty and innovation.

Alfred I. duPont built the 77-room mansion in 1909 for his second wife Alicia. Both Alfred and Alicia were Francophiles and loved all things French. The name Nemours comes from the town that Alfred’s great great grandfather emigrated from in France. The duPont company was founded close by on the Brandywine River where they initially manufactured gun powder. The company was established in 1802 by Eleuthere Irenee du Pont de Nemours and grew over the years to be one of the world’s largest chemical science corporations. The original home and gun powder manufacturing facility can be toured today and is known as Hagley Museum and is only a few miles from the Nemours Estate.

The elegant grand staircase at the Nemours Estate.

While I had several field trips as a child to various duPont estates like Hagley Museum, Winterthur and Longwood Gardens, somehow the Nemours estate was missed. This 47,000-square-foot chateau modeled after the Petit Trianon at Versailles is a lovely home with each room impeccably decorated with 18th-century French furniture, tapestries, 16th-century art work and personal items. It’s not just that It’s so beautifully preserved but that 95% of the furnishings are original to the home. Alicia duPont died just five years after moving into the mansion, Alfred married his third wife Jessie Ball duPont. Alfred died in 1935 and his will outlined the creation of a charitable trust dedicated to the care of disabled children and the preservation of the Nemours Estate for public enjoyment. From 1935 until her death in 1977, Jessie maintained and prepared the home for public use.  This is in stark contrast to the Vanderbilt estate Biltmore where the home was opened to the public after the home was deserted for many years. The Nemours Estate reflects this continuity. 

One of the most interesting floors in the estate is the basement.  Here we find Alfred’s engineering skills at work.  He held over 200 patents. They have their own room to make ice, a water-carbonation and bottling room and its own private electrical generator. There is also, no surprise, an elevator and dumb waiter along with a multi-story silver safe so that all the silver could be securely kept and moved from floor to floor.  The basement also houses a billboard room and two bowling allies. There was a small perch between the allies where a servant’s child would reset the pins. It’s all quite remarkable.

The formal French-style gardens of the Nemours Estate

The main floors and second floor are fully appointed as it was when it first opened to the public in 1977.  A doll house for Jessie and Alfred’s adopted daughter, the library, extensive kitchen and a spiraling staircase to the second floor. The second floor has several bedrooms with a view of the outside gardens. It’s homey but grand which seem incongruous but it is. 

My friend, Wendy, and I arrived with only 45 minutes to see the interior of the mansion but there were helpful guides dressed in blue in many of the rooms to share information and make suggestions. Unfortunately, there is a large car collection but we didn’t have time to see that area of the mansion.  The exterior is breathtaking with its extensive manicured gardens. The Nemours gardens are the largest formal French-style gardens in North America, spanning 200 to 300 acres of fountains, woodlands and landscaping. It has one of the largest reflecting pools I’ve ever seen let alone in a private home. It’s like a little (maybe medium) slice of Versailles in northern Delaware. 

There are bigger homes like the Biltmore or Hearst Castle but I found Nemours to be inviting, lovely and surprising. I wish we had more time to explore and, I will, likely return.

Longwood Gardens: A Treasure⛲️

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I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and don’t remember my first trip to Longwood Gardens but I do remember many pilgrimages with my grandfather, Daddy Ott. All of my childhood recollections of this magical spot are at the side of my garden loving grandfather. I was the youngest of his grandchildren and so, he frequently was my babysitter. We would glide in his maroon Buick in the back hills of Delaware and Pennsylvania to arrive at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. 

Longwood was originally purchased by the quaker, George Peirce, in the 1700’s. His great grandsons Samuel and Joshua Peirce planted an extensive collection of trees on the grounds and it became Peirce’s Park. In 1906, the family lost interest in the land and there was a threat of selling the land to a lumber company. Pierre S. DuPont, industrialist and philanthropist, purchased the land and developed gardens, a conservatory and fountains. In 1954, after Pierre’s death, it was opened to the public. I’m sure my first visit was in the early 1960’s.  My grandfather always admired the rock garden which is near the bell tower on the property.  I remember him telling me that the extensive rock garden in my childhood home was inspired by the rock garden at Longwood.  In my young mind I couldn’t figure out why rocks would be planted in a garden. It’s not like they will grow right?

Main Fountain Garden at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA

Over the years, I returned to Longwood. While my parents still lived locally, I returned to this garden on college breaks and trips home after my grandfather passed away. There is rarely a time of year when there isn’t something in bloom.  The mums of fall or the tulips of spring, the seasons set their clock at Longwood. The Grand Conservatory was built in 1921.  For me, when I enter into that 4-acre glass house, it’s a coming home.  There are few spaces that are always meticulously manicured and breath taking with blossoms and greenery as far as the eye can see even in the dead of winter. One of my favorite rooms is the Orchid Room and it contains 200 to 300 different varieties of orchids. It’s a place of respite with the melody of falling water and the scent of exotic flowers. It’s home to the largest organ I have ever seen with 10,010 pipes and is apparently the largest organ built for a private residence (before it was opened to the public).  

One of the highlights of Longwood is the various fountains throughout the gardens.  There is the classic Italian Water Garden where my parents got engaged and the Open Air Theater fountain where water is used as a curtain for open air performances where my next-door neighbors frequently performed.  The most impressive of all is the Main Fountain Garden which is enormous 6.5 acres of fountains and greenery with 1,719 fountain jets that can shoot upwards of 175 feet in the air.  I was recently in the gardens a few weeks ago and when those jets shoot 175 feet in the air, I just gasp. I remember a fountain show at night from several years ago and somehow, they had engineered that there would be flames inside a curtain of water. It’s mind boggling. Almost a decade ago I was able to see a fireworks show which was absolutely mesmerizing with the fountain as a backdrop. 

Christmas is a peak time to visit Longwood. I can remember as a teenager, we would drive up to the parking lot of Longwood to see all the surrounding trees covered in lights. It has been transformed in the last 40 years to be quite the spectacle. Wandering at night to see the twinkling lights in branches high above to light tunnels or a giant string of lightbulbs floating on a lake; I can’t imagine the effort it takes to come up with new ideas each year to keep us all intrigued. It might be freezing cold but it’s a wonderland of light and music. 

Giant Christmas lights floating on a lake at Longwood Gardens

I can mark my whole life with photos from Longwood.  Whether exploring with my beloved grandfather, taking my children in strollers and hiking to the top of the bell tower or hiking with my brothers and cousins across the meadow to the farmhouse. I have been here for every season of my life. The person I have visited Longwood the most with is my dear friend, Wendy, who worked here for a time and she knows all the history and nooks and crannies of the gardens. There is a space called the grotto under the main fountains and it’s always a place of cool tranquility on a hot day with a circular waterfall dropping from the ceiling in a rock encased cave. 

Longwood has been the standard by which I evaluate all other gardens.  It’s a tough standard to compete with. Nothing meets the sheer size and diversity of Longwood and it’s always a different experience depending on the time of year. I go there to be with my friend, to remember my grandfather and to imagine my young parents looking for a bright future together. If you haven’t been, I hope you get to experience it regardless of the season. 

Troll Hunting🧐

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I began troll hunting in October of 2024.  I had no idea that I was beginning something that has been a happy diversion for the last two years. I got started because I saw friends posting pictures of these wooden giants on social media and, at the time, thought that they were only in the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine. I had planned a New England trip around the fact that I wanted to see the trolls that were there. If you are going to start troll hunting, this is the spot to start because they have a map that they give out with the locations of all five trolls. It was shortly after this initiation into Thomas Dambo’s trolls that I realized there were several hundred trolls around the world. I didn’t realize what I had started but it’s been a blast hunting the trolls that are hidden throughout the United States (about 70).

There is something exciting about walking down a trail in the forest to find a gentle giant either like Gro in a meditative cross-legged pose or Birk with his enormous gangly arms and legs. These are two of the five trolls at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Once I found Thomas Dambo’s website with the troll map, I realized that I had started an exciting hunt as I traveled in my RV, Abeona, across the United States. My next troll was in Seattle. Freddie Feetsplinter is likely one of the easiest trolls to find because he’s standing in front of the National Nordic Museum.  You could actually drive by and not even get out of your car. This is not true for the other trolls in the Seattle area as some are upwards of a two-mile hike (Bruun Idun in Lincoln Park) or ferry ride (Oscar the Bird King on Vashon Island). 

My cousins in the hands of Rose Wonders in Filoli Gardens, Woodside CA

Dambo has two traveling displays in the United States and one of them is a banner find because there are 12 trolls in the collection. TROLLS: A Field Study is a whimsical collection as many of the trolls are equipped with nets or doing handstands. They are only 7-9 feet tall. I was able to see the collection at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, NC and it happened to coincide with the opening of 7 other permanent trolls throughout the state from Big Pete with the Big Feet in Charlotte, Little Sallie (not little) in Highpoint, and the collecting of 5 in Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh which has one of my favorite trolls, Mother Strong Tail which has to be one of the largest trolls because it’s over 645 feet long.  Her tail starts at Dix who is holding the end all the way through the forest, bridging high above the trail until it ends wrapped around Mother Strong Tail.  So, I ended up getting 19 trolls all in one week which was a banner week.

The other traveling show is called TROLLS: Save the Humans with six trolls and at the time I saw them in Filoli Historic House and Garden in Woodside, CA, my school aged cousins were able to climb on top of them.  This is almost always discouraged at most instillations. As I write this, these trolls are located at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY.  Thomas Dambo used recycled materials for all his trolls and his message is to “waste no more”. 

I have three favorite trolls at this point, after seeing 62 trolls to date. One is Little Bibbi in Dayton OH at the Aullwood Audubon. He appears to be running to take off with makeshift wings on his arms.  Another favorite is in Mrs. Skipper in East Providence, RI right along the water and she’s holding an actual boat above her head.  Mama Zelda’s Hair is an amazing piece with her hair being a maze to navigate to get to the center. There is also Rose Wonders who was initially at Burning Man in 2025 but now is permanently installed in Filoli Gardens, Woodside, CA and you can enter from her back and climb steps up to her hands. She stands 27 feet tall and appears to be examining you. 

There are two trolls that I have found that are not made from recycled wood. One is Big Rusty who is made out of metal in Hainesport, NJ and I found quite intimidating to find since it has a keep out sign on the way into the parking lot although there is another sign saying it’s fine. The entire installation is in an abandoned pottery factory and it’s covered entirely in graffiti.  The other troll is the Golden Rabbit in Detroit Lakes, MN which is made entirely of yellow rubber from plastic manufacturing crates. That is probably the hardest location to find and get to as it is close to two miles from the parking lot and there are some steep inclines. When in doubt in finding a location, I write the name of the troll in google maps and almost every time it will show up. 

The farthest troll was in Santiago, Chile.  My brother, Rick, and I found the troll by taking a cab to the park and finding Ulla sitting lake side. This one was disconcerting because on the Dambo Troll Map it’s listed as RIP (or no longer in existence) but I can affirm that Ulla is sitting patiently lakeside although the map indicates it was dismantled in 2022. 

Probably the most fun is taking someone else to find a troll. My brother, Rick, has been there for several trolls (Ulla in Santiago and Pia the Peacemaker in Bainbridge Island, WA), my brother, Dave, and his family have been there for the ones in Filoli Gardens, Woodside CA, my daughter, Natalie, helped me find Freddie Feetsplinter in Seattle, my friend, Susannah, went along to discover Jakob Two Trees in Issaquah, WA and my friend, Wendy. was along for the encounter with Big Rusty in New Jersey. 

Some have wild hair made from branches or a 10-foot beard and one in Dayton had his leg across a creek. Dambo is quite the artist and it’s fascinating to see the detail on the bottom of a troll’s foot or the ear lobe. It’s like a giant easter egg hunt looking for the next surprise hiding in the forest or across a field or standing in a park.  If you decide to go on a hunt yourself, check out the troll map and look for birdhouses as that is where Dambo got his start and it’s a sure sign you are on the right path.  Happy hunting. 

Discovering Pittsburgh🏙️

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In the Summer of 2026, I was traveling east in my car to relocate the car and pick up a few National Parks that I hadn’t seen yet.  Pittsburgh seemed like a great location to stop off for a day. I believe that I must have gone to Pittsburgh at some point in my childhood since my brother, Rick went to Carnegie Mellon University. It’s safe to say that I haven’t been in over 50 years; so, it was brand new to me. I was really surprised by how many interesting things there were to do in this vibrant medium-size city. It sits at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers as they merge to form the Ohio River in what is called the “Golden Triangle”.  With all the rivers there are 446 bridges. That is an insane amount of bridges. It actually surpasses Venice which sits on top of water; so, isn’t that crazy?

The Pittsburgh skyline from the Duquesne Incline at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers

To truly get a view of the entire downtown, I headed up to the Duquesne Incline.  I got a ride to the base of the incline so I could scope out how easy it would be to walk back across the river to downtown and I am happy to report that almost every bridge has a separate pedestrian thoroughfare which makes this bridge-filled city very walkable. The Duquesne Incline was opened in 1877 and at 9 AM on a Monday, I was the only rider.  It’s cash only (exactly 5 dollars round trip); they have change machines to be able to pay the exact fare. Once the green light shines in the depot, you walk around to a trolley car of sorts and the door shuts behind you. It’s quite the adventure up the incline which climbs 793 feet up the side of Mount Washington. It’s basically on a train track and the car sits perpendicular to the tracks. I was a little anxious to travel alone up the side of the mountain in a car with tracks that looked at least a hundred years old and actually were. I was relieved to get to the top and be able see the vast expanse of the city below and at least 20 of the 446 bridges. It was overcast but I had a clear view of the downtown below. I was really glad that this was my first stop so that I had my bearings. 

From the Duquesne Incline, I walked over the Fort Pitt Bridge to Point State Park.  This is a park right at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. The first fort located on this point was Fort Duquesne built by the French in 1754; they destroyed the fort as they retreated from a British attack during the French and Indian wars. Fort Pitt which was built by the British forces in 1759 and its outline can be seen in the present-day park. From this park I walked along the Allegheny River to cross over on the Andy Warhol bridge which brought me to The Warhol art museum.

The Warhol houses a lifetime of art work by the pop artist. Andy Warhol who was born in Pittsburgh. It’s an interesting set up as you take an elevator to the top of the seven-story museum and each floor represents a decade of his work. On the second floor they incorporate his work with another artist or two which is an interesting juxtaposition. It’s the largest museum in North America dedicated to a single artist. There are also spaces where you are encouraged to touch making it very experiential. There was one room with large silver rectangular balloons that ping and pong around the dark room with several fans keeping the silver objects moving. 

I took a ride share to the Carnegie Art and Natural History Museum. The museum is in the heart of the University of Pittsburgh campus which is next door to Carnegie Mellon University. The museum was built by Andrew Carnegie in 1896. There are some wonderful spaces in the building with a huge marble staircase and a room of imposing columns and replicas of ancient Greek statues. I am always on the lookout for impressionists and this museum had its fair share of Monet, Renoir and Degas. 

The Heinz Chapel is on the Pitt campus as well and well worth a quick visit. It reminded me of the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal with its huge blue stained glass. It’s one of those spaces like the Long Room in Dublin or the Sagrada Familia where it takes your breath away when you walk in. There is also the Cathedral of Learning which is a 535 foot tall Gothic Revival skyscraper in the middle of the Pitt campus. Completed in 1937, it reminded me a little of the Empire State Building. I was most impressed by its nickname “Cathy”as I didn’t realize I had an entire building named after me. An Uber driver told me about the nickname since she knew (from the app) that my name was spelled with a C. She even claimed that I might be able to find a tshirt with the building and name on it. I didn’t have enough time to hunt for one, but it’s nice to know that my name (correctly spelled) is standing proudly above this interesting city

There is history, art and two major sporting venues all within walking distance of this vibrant multi-faceted city. I highly recommend a visit. 

Elusive Isle Royale National Park✈️

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I’d wager that unless you are a National Park Chaser, you have never heard of Isle Royale National Park. It is frequently the last national park people visit in the lower 48. It’s not easy to get to and requires advanced planning. I have twice attempted to plan a trip to this island on the northern edge of Lake Superior and failed because of timing. It’s on an island and there are only two ways to get there; by boat or by plane. It’s only open from April 15th to October 31st and on top of that, the ferries and seaplanes have more limited operating schedules. I had initially wanted to stay on the island but finding a room and then transportation was tricky. One of the ferries takes 6 hours to get there. I ended up contacting Isle Royale Seaplanes and, 6 months in advance, was able to grab a round-trip flight for a day trip. This solved the issue of finding an accommodation. 

I traveled to Isle Royale’s Rock Harbor on about the most beautiful day on Lake Superior. There wasn’t any smoke, the sky was blue and there was barely a breeze.  Perfect seaplane flying weather. It’s impossible to know that 6 months in advance so I was very fortunate. 

The plane flies out of Houghton, Michigan which is on the upper peninsula. I was surprised that the planes take off from a smaller inland lake, Portage Lake but it makes sense since the waves on Lake Superior are notorious for being more like an ocean. I was on the plane with 6 women who were backpacking the island for several days. There was another plane that had a few day trippers like me. The island is 45 miles long and there are many campsites, so if backpacking is your jam, this is a beautiful spot. 

My transportation to Isle Royale National Park

We flew for 45 minutes up to Rock Harbor, Isle Royale and landed at a special dock for seaplanes. It was then a short walk to the visitor’s center in Snug Harbor. This is the main area for ferries to arrive, the largest of which is Isle Royale Queen which departs form Copper Harbor Michigan and carries 85 passengers for the 3 1/2 hour one way trip. The Queen had not arrived yet, so I had plenty of time to grab a leisurely lunch at the snack bar. With only 3 employees in the snack bar, I was glad I arrived before the crush of newly deposited day trippers. 

Later, I took the Stoll Trail along the lakefront towards Scoville Point. I thought it was going to be an “easy” trail but found the extensive boardwalks intimidating. These are not the boardwalks of Atlantic City but very narrow 10-inch-wide boards. With my size 12 feet, trail runners were quite cramped. When I found about 30 feet of steps made from these same narrow boards, I froze for a moment, scared to take a step forward. There was brush and overgrown vegetation and I had no idea what would happen if I slipped off.  I found this to be a test of my balance as going up a very narrow step without a handrail is intimidating. I was really glad I brought my hiking poles because there were several areas of rock scrambling. I was surprised that more of the trail was heavily wooded with dense trees but once you came out next to the rocky coastline, it was truly desolate and serene. I passed two sets of hikers on the whole trail. It is truly isolated and pristine.

The narrow boardwalk steps on the Stoll Trail

I also went to the American dock which has a nice view of Snug Harbor opposite where the ferries arrive. There is a defunct dock that once was the place where vacationers arrived in the 1920’s.  The steamship America wrecked in 1928. It was there that I heard the call of a loon which transported me back to the backwoods of Maine. 

There aren’t any cars on the island.  All supplies come in by ferries and are transported with carts and a few tractors. This all makes for a peaceful, nature first reprieve. I would say that the highlight of the trip was waiting for the return flight to Houghton. There were five of us day trippers waiting for the plane and we were all park chasers. Two of the passengers were visiting the last park in the lower 48. So, then we compared notes on our highlights and lowlights of other parks.  There, next to a dock in the wilds of Lake Superior, I found my people. Most agreed that Bryce Canyon and Yellowstone were worth a second trip. My most disappointing park was Pinnacles since couldn’t drive my RV to the caving trails.  I was able to get advice on the Virgin Islands and Alaska as they are next on my list of parks to visit. 

I found the people friendly, the wilderness serene and the experience uplifting. 

The Black Hills of South Dakota🦬

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I had been to Badlands National Park in South Dakota about five years ago. It is a truly mesmerizing place.  This trip was to check off another national park in my quest to see all 63 national parks, Wind Cave National Park and the revered Custer State Park were on the list as well. When traveling across country, as I have done several times at this point, leaving I-90 to head south into the Black Hills always seemed too far out of the way. It was completely worth the trip and, in fact, I wish I had more time to spend.

After spending the night in Hot Springs, South Dakota, a charming town with hanging flower baskets and historic buildings, I drove up to the east entrance of Custer State Park. I asked the ranger at the entrance kiosk for advice on where to head and she suggested the Wild Life Loop Road and then to Needles Highway. So, I did just that.

One of hundreds of American bison in Custer State Park

The Wild Life Loop is 18 miles long and takes about an hour to drive. That seems like a long time for 18 miles but what you don’t realize is that there will be wildlife and they don’t stick to the surrounding prairie. I was probably driving for about a mile when the cars were stopped in front of me. There were hundreds of American bison milling about the surrounding hills and several were crossing the road. It is mind blowing to happen upon hundreds of these beautiful creatures roaming across the prairie. The sheer size and majestic stature of the animals is something to behold. They graze on grass and seem unimpressed with all the twenty or so vehicles mesmerized by the sight. It takes me back to visiting the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota. I spent two hours desperately chasing two bison that other visitors had seen and eventually saw one about two miles off in the distance. What a contrast to Custer State Park where over 1,300 bison live. 

I also saw the “Begging Burros” which are a feral group of donkeys who approach vehicles. They are quite brazen and there were some thirty people out on the prairies petting the friendly animals. 

I absolutely love “prairie dog towns”. My first was at Badlands National Park and its signature is a large field with holes some ten feet apart dotting the landscape and tiny heads popping up out of the holes. There were at least three prairie dog towns along the Wild Life Loop Road. I stopped and watched the busy activity and listened for the chirps of the small brown prairie dogs. 

I drove on the Needles Highway next. There are two single lane tunnels on this road that my RV Abeona would not have been able to traverse. I was in my passenger van so I was able to complete the drive. The last three miles of this drive as you head towards Sylvan Lake is spectacular. Large gray finger like rock formations rise out of the ground. Driving through the last Eye of the Needle tunnel was nerve racking as some people walk the tunnel and both directions of car traffic try to traverse. It was 85 degrees and there were hundreds of folks along the banks of Sylvan Lake with several people on kayaks and stand-up boards. 

I headed to Wind Cave National Park which had two more herds of American bison roaming the prairie and, of course, more prairie dogs. There are no self-guided tours of the Wind Cave so I had a 4 PM guided tour of the Garden of Eden tour. Wind Cave was my 50th National Park in my quest to see all 63.  It is not the big ta-da that Carlsbad Caverns is with an enormous entrance or the size of Mammoth Cave (426 miles) but it’s unique in the rare formations. Wind Cave has 95% of the world’s boxwork formations which are delicate fin formations and look like carton inserts. They also had iridescent popcorn formations as well. It is called Wind Cave National Park because of the wind that emits from the original 10-inch by 14-inch entrance due to fluctuating barometric pressure. 

I headed north and east to Wall, South Dakota and was struck by the massive fields of sunflowers. It was a fitting end to an eclectic mix of wildlife, natural formations and the everlasting prairie. I was under time pressure and had to forgo visiting Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse memorial and Jewel Cave. It’s all here in the Black Hills. So much to explore that I’ll have to return again. 

Are You Sovereign?🤴🏻

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SOVEREIGN (noun)

a: one possessing or held to possess supreme political power or sovereignty

b: one that exercises supreme authority within a limited sphere

c: an acknowledged leader : arbiter

Each of us is sovereign.

I learned this concept from a great coach I know, Alysia Vrolyk. I think this is completely applicable to all sorts of areas of your life (and of course mine). It’s probably most applicable if you have a teenage son, are in a committed relationship, work with others or are a coach. So if you are a hermit? Not so much. But if you aren’t, pay attention. You have supreme power over you. I am the acknowledged leader of me. I can love you or lead you or teach you but it is only you who decides what to do with what I give you. Sovereign. 

The best illustration or example of this is the first time a teenage child gets behind the wheel and drives off without any co-pilot…without their mom to tell them to slow down or turn the music down. It’s terrifying but true – they are now officially sovereign. Whether that car (and its contents) returns to the driveway is completely and utterly up to that child behind the wheel and all the other sovereigns out there on the road. I have to say I wish I had this concept when my kids were looking at colleges. It’s not up to me, or their guidance counselor or their best friend. The decision of what school is completely up to my sovereign child.

So how do you incorporate a little sovereignty into your life? Here are some tips:

  1. No meddling. Do not meddle in other sovereigns unless you are invited to a détente. So if I’ve started a new exercise regime and I think it would be an awesome idea if my significant other would do the same….stop. If I think the Vice President of Operations should make her whole crew work every weekend until the backlog is gone…stop.   If I think the client’s goal should be to get a promotion instead of feeling confident in their industry knowledge…stop. Respect the authority of others to make their own decisions. If you have not been invited to meddle, don’t.
  2. Detach from the outcome. I wrote recently that my daughter had to decide between three jobs. One of them would have left her in NYC and the other two brought her back home to North Carolina. I could not get attached to any outcome. All three jobs had their pros and cons but if I was excessively attached (like calling every day to find out how job prospect B was coming or constantly talking up prospect B), she would not have ultimately been able to make her own decision. I would have been way too invested in one outcome over another and…she would have resented my opinion. Detach from the outcome.
  3. The gift you bring is your presence. Just because they are their own sovereigns does not mean you can’t be present. In the anguishing weeks where my daughter had to decide where she wanted to be this Fall, we talked several times on the phone. I was present. I listened. She played through the scenarios. She made decisions. I was a sounding board. I wasn’t there to sell her on what I wanted. I was there to let her think things through. It’s the same with clients working through a dilemma. I am present and ask the questions that help them do their own best thinking. You don’t know what you don’t know until you know. Only a sovereign can know what they really want. Sit back and be present.
  4. No sweat. The great facilitator Paul McGinniss uses this phrase when modeling the coaching dialogue and the client hasn’t taken a step they planned. This happens all the time when a client doesn’t do the action they said they wanted to. They didn’t start… exercising, studying for the exam, standing up to their boss, having a meeting with their team. No sweat. Is it still important to you? What would make you feel like you are moving forward on this goal? They are their own sovereign. Let them decide the direction they want to go. You aren’t there for accountability; you are there for reflection and re-framing. Don’t sweat it.
  5. You need to respect your own sovereignty. Don’t lose yourself in giving your time and presence to others. Don’t change the borders of your sovereign just because your neighbor asks. This is not a time to let folks roll over you. Keep the moat filled, the drawbridge in working order and your crown shined up. Don’t diminish your own self-respect. It is great to respect someone else’s space as long as they don’t tread on yours. Keep your back bone and self-respect.

When you grant other’s sovereignty, it’s freeing. You are no longer trying to be a backseat driver for everyone else. You have control of your steering wheel; if someone else fails, let it be. They are on their journey and you are on yours. Accepting that everyone has their own sovereignty untangles the expectations so that we are free to make decisions for ourselves and no one else.

Do you really need all that stuff?🧐

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That question is rhetorical. I’d wager most of us don’t need most of our “stuff.” If you have moved in the last year, or lost or gained weight recently, you may be feeling the pain of dragging, moving and reshuffling your stuff. Your “fat” clothes and your “skinny” clothes. Your low carb cookbooks and your crockpot cookbooks, and your low carb crock pot cookbooks. Your ticket stubs to that community theater show and the coupon for the oil change that you don’t want to misplace; but do. It’s a whole bunch of stuff. It’s all weighing you down. At least it’s weighed me down.

The Uros of the Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca (Dolores far right).

A trip to another culture can help you refocus your priorities. I found myself at the end of my trip to Peru on the floating islands on Lake Titicaca, its charming Uros people and my guide on the island, Dolores. It was sobering. Twenty or so folks living on a floating island of reeds (yes, you could feel the island actually float above the water) and Dolores’ one-room “house” that had nothing but a bed and some clothes (perhaps three sets) hanging on the wall. Dolores had a one-month old baby wrapped in a blanket on her back. That’s it. No bottles, diapers, bottle warmers, baby blankets, pacifiers, pink hats or booties or any other baby paraphernalia. My travel partner Vicki and I compared notes as she had a newborn granddaughter back in the U.S. with the typical compliment of baby trappings. This was austere. Cue in the mirror. “Wow, Cathy, you have got a lot of stuff.”

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Does it fit? I’ve lost weight in the last year. I don’t want the weight back. I have dropped several dress sizes in the last two years. There is no need for me to hold onto clothes that are too baggy, the wrong color or made of wool (it’s scratchy). There is also no need for me to hold onto clothes that are too tight. Some things just don’t fit my body type. My torso is too long, I can’t stand bell shaped sleeves, and even though I can wear something, doesn’t mean I will. If it doesn’t fit? Donate it, sell it or give it away. There is no point dragging “sets” of clothes for being fat or being thin.

Does anyone else want it? Go google Swedish Death Cleaning. Basically, your children (if you have any) don’t want your stuff. They are not going to want to sort through all my stuff upon my death. My kids aren’t going to fight over the candle holder on my desk, the ceramic goose from Cozumel or the treadmill. If no one else is going to want it, and it is gathering dust in your attic or a far-flung closet, it may be time to donate, sell or give it away to a better home. I realize this may be adding to someone else’s stuff, but that’s their heir’s problem, not yours. I can assure you that when someone passes away from the Uros tribe, it probably takes about thirty minutes to sort through their belongings.

Can it be digitized? You never know when catastrophe can hit. My dear friends lost their home last year to the fires in Sonoma County and I personally had my home flooded by Hurricane Matthew. Irreplaceable things were lost. Digitize all those portraits of your kids and back up the videos of the soccer and football games from their youth to the Cloud. I am about one third of the way through this process. There are services that will save a digital copy of these irreplaceable moments of your life. My daughter playing clarinet at age sixteen and my son running for gold in the all state track meet come to mind. I don’t want to lose those moments that are on film or in photographs. Thanks to technology you don’t have to. Think worst-case scenario and digitize those moments that matter.

Are you really collecting something? If you have a doll collection that has two dolls in it, is it really a collection? I’ve read about people suddenly starting to collect turtles, giraffes or Hummel ceramics, and now their friends and family start adding to the collection on every birthday or holiday. It’s fine to have a collection, just make sure you love it and, perhaps, make sure it doesn’t define you. Your stuff does not define you. I try and purchase a Starbucks coffee cup in any major city I visit. I only have room for seven mugs to display. I weed out mugs as a more exotic location is added. Chicago just lost out to Peru (sorry, Chicago). Make a decision about what or when you truly want to collect something, and then inform your family and friends that your turtle collection is something you truly cherish, rather than something that becomes an embarrassing liability.

Do you own uni-taskers? Alton Brown, while on his show Good Eats, was famous for using one single item, like a garbage can lid, for multiple uses. Let’s say a smoker, steamer and, well, lid to a garbage can. Since moving back into my home over a year ago, I have been slowly culling out “doubles” like can openers and 3-quart pots. I had a menagerie of icing tips, misfit spoons and candles that did not fit any of my candle holders. I had crazy uni-taskers like round ice cube molds, cheese cutters, and sausage stuffers. Perhaps these could be used for more than one use, but if I haven’t touched it in five years? It’s time to go.

Is it essential? I just finished the book, AWOL on the Appalachian Trail. My friend hiked most of the trail several years ago. What you carry, as the author did, are the essentials. One pair of underwear essentials (yikes). One pair shoes. One pair of pants. One t-shirt. Folks tear a guide book into thirds to keep down the weight in their pack (having the other thirds of the guide sent when needed). You really need to hone down what you need when you decide to hike for four to five months. When you carry all the belongings you need on your back, it has a way of resetting your priorities. You are there for the experience, not keeping score of material objects. I’m not suggesting you get rid of anything that can’t fit on your back, but it’s sometimes helpful to look through that lens to help you decide how necessary it is.

I was amazed at how simple the Uros people and Dolores lived. One common cooking area for the entire island. One solar panel for electricity. One bathroom. There are some 116 inhabited floating islands and their way of life dates back the 15th century. The simplicity of it all is inspiring.