Category: travel

Traveling across the country, with a two year old, to hike at 10,000 feet seemed like a daunting task.  But it turned out to be the highlight of our summer. It was the break we needed from the monotony of everyday tasks. The week of fresh crisp air and  mountain vistas renewed our tired souls after a year of pandemic living.  At Rocky Mountain National Park, our glorious Creator has revealed his magnificence through the grandeur of his creation.

 “Here let us feel ourselves more vulnerable and in awe, silhouetted against the backdrop of your beauty and holiness, small beneath towering trees and wide skies, small but known”

– Douglas McKelvey

In some ways, this trip was an escape from the disappointments that hang heavy on our hearts. We entered the year hopeful that this would be the year our family would grow. And as the end of the year drew closer, we felt a growing need to get away. Vacation days had been stored away and the west coast was calling. So we made an uncharacteristically impulsive decision and booked two tickets to San Francisco.

It turns out that the week before Thanksgiving is a great time to find airline deals. It’s also a perfect time to visit the bay area. Fall on the California coast was balm to our tired souls. Walking among the redwoods, driving the pacific coast highway, biking through golden gate park, watching the sunset over the pacific ocean – it was all so restorative.  We had a week to breathe deeply and to disconnect from the heartbreak at home. And it was so so good.

My mom wanted to celebrate her birthday with a girl’s trip to Texas. Like every devoted HGTV fan, her heart was set on traveling to Waco to experience Magnolia in all its glory.

Not having ever been to Waco before, it’s hard to imagine that downtown had much life at all before Chip and Jo resurrected the silos. The Magnolia grounds are an oasis in an otherwise sleepy cityscape. While we did enjoy some unique shopping and dining options, much of downtown Waco is empty. It came as quite a surprise to our group who (let’s be honest!) probably expected the whole town to have undergone a ‘fixer upper’ makeover. It seems the Gaines are breathing new life into this town. And it will be interesting to see where that momentum will take Waco.

A day at the silos is definitely worth the trip to Waco. The shopping, the cupcakes, the garden – it’s all been so thoughtfully designed. And it was the perfect spot for a weekend with the girls.

A recent stay in Europe began with a few days in Munich. It’s a city proud of its history of brewing beer and building BMWs. Somehow the third largest city in Germany manages to feel clean and quiet.

Just 20 minutes outside of Munich is the Dachau Concentration Camp. Opened in 1933, Dachau was the first camp the Nazis operated in Germany. For twelve years, thousands of prisoners lived and worked and died on these grounds. We listened to stories of suffering and brutality while we stood in the rooms, in the cells, in the chambers where it had occurred.

One rental car and two hours on the autobahn found us in the southeastern corner of Bavaria. A region rich in history and natural beauty, it is home to small mountain villages and fairy-tale palaces. We had just enough time to roam the streets of Berchtesgaden and the grounds of this royal residence.

One last stop before leaving Germany. The view from the top of Mount Jenner, overlooking Lake Konigssee.

Last fall, my sister and brother-in-law moved across the state line and settled in the Music City. Not quite a year of living in Nashville, and they seem to feel right at home. In a city where the foodie scene is booming and live music venues are on every corner, one weekend is not enough.

In the northwestern corner of Montana, among the peaks of the continental divide, are one million acres of protected splendor. A paradise of wildlife and mountain peaks. A place to experience the grandeur and the creativity of our Creator.

Anyone wanting to drive the width of the park, must take a journey on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The only road to traverse the park, it is 53 miles of narrow and winding pavement. The curves are harrowing but the views are majestic. If you look closely at the photo below, you can see cars making their way up into the mountains.

If Glacier National Park is on your bucket list, go now! Scientists studying this area are estimating that all the glaciers may disappear by 2030 if global warming continues at the current rate. Today, there are about 25 glaciers remaining in the park.  One of the largest, Jackson Glacier, is pictured below.

This park is home to black and grizzly bears. This guy was our closest bear encounter

 Michael and I recently took a weekend trip to the mountains. We booked a room in Hendersonville out of convenience. It’s close to Asheville, where we planned to spend some time, as well as the state park where we planned to do some hiking. We did not intend to spend much time in Hendersonville, so we were pleasantly surprised by the charm of this small mountain town.

The historic downtown is clean and walkable. There is a long list of local restaurants that all looked amazing. And best of all, we happened to be there during the annual Garden Jubilee. The streets were filled with flowers and shrubs, herbs and vegetables, all locally grown and all for sale. I’m a sucker for a street festival and this one was beautiful.