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The Last Nine People (and One Dog) on Earth
On Wednesday the 5th of April, I woke up at Yellow Dog Lodge in the Northwest Territories as one of the last people on earth. Only a few miles away from the quaint, off-the-grid lodge and cabin complex where we resided, the world as I knew it cut off, dropped away. Frankly, it just ended, like the edge of a flat-worlder's map. I don't know what happened to the people beyond the end point, but I came to terms with it pretty quickly. There was there, and here was here. And I was here. One of the last people on earth.
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The Wonder of the Aurora at Yellow Dog Lodge
Fifteen minutes after midnight, I am napping in an armchair and Mom and Mason are sprawled on the coach. Then Gordon pokes his head in and says the magic words: "I see the aurora." We leap from our seats (literally) and pull on layer after layer of clothes. It's about 10 degrees outside, so I'm tugging on my gloves and mitten covers and simultaneously trying to put my phone on my cheap tripod. We clatter outside and tip our heads back and there...
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High-Up in The Austrian Alps: 48 Hours in Innsbruck
We took a small local train that wove through the mountains like a snake, stopping in small towns with peaked train stations and only a few roads stretching off into the emerald-green hills. We went over bridges that spanned deep ravines and we were even with the clouds that settled low over the valley. A hawk soared beneath the struts of one bridge just as we crossed. Then we emerged high in the mountains over Innsbruck.
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Colorful Camden: Sea Winds, Mountain Views, and Lobstah!
The last stop on our weeklong trip to Maine was the coastal town of Camden, Maine. We rolled into Camden after a long day of driving through inland Maine. We were too hungry to park at our hotel and walk, so we drove downtown. It was dark, but we could smell the sea off to our left and see the rows of cute shops and restaurants.
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To the Main! –Heading Inland like the Fishermen of Old
My parents and I greatly enjoyed our time in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, and I would return in a heart beat to climb the Iron Ladder Trails and explore along the rocky coast like kid explorers again. However, there is so much more of Maine to see, so we departed from Bar Harbor early one morning--and headed to the main!
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I love ME…I mean Maine!
After a busy month of work, hunting, and visitors, my parents and I jetted off to enjoy the easternmost state in the Union. We choose Maine because none of us had been before, and the idea of rugged coastlines, mountainous forests, and stunning fall foliage sounded like an excellent way to spend a week. Even as the plane circled the coast above Portland, I could see hints of reds and yellows in the trees.
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Waiting on Wapiti: a Lifetime Hunt for a Bull Elk
When every one else is getting ready for Pumpkin Spice lattes and scarves, my family welcomes fall in a different way. September is archery hunting season. Being part of a hunting family includes some oddities. For example, the first time I ate a steak at a restaurant when I was 10, I leaned over and told my mom the meat tasted funny. This is because I grew up eating elk steak and elk burger. One elk feeds my family for a whole year and it’s my family’s go-to protein. Additionally, I never went through the ‘where does meat come from?’ phase, nor the shock that beef comes from cows and…
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A Gem in the German Alps: Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Springtime
2022 European Adventure: Part 5 of 6 Garmisch-Partenkirchen (along with being a mouthful of a name) is a beautiful town nestled in a valley in the German Alps. When deciding where to go after the lovely town of Heidelberg, all it took was one picture before I was hooked on Garmisch-Partenkirchen (just scroll down and you’ll probably feel the same). With low hanging clouds, jagged peaks, traditional Bavarian architecture, and a long history, this is the perfect European mountain town. Getting to Garmisch-Partenkirchen was another adventure, as train travel often seems to be (no splitting trains this time, which is a shame because we were ready!), but several long delays…
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The Red-Stone Ruins of Heidelberg Castle
2022 European Adventure: Part 4 of 6 Any one who knows me knows this: I am obsessed with castles. The German town of Heidelberg is home to imposing castle ruins rising above a red-roofed medieval town. It’s the medieval kind of castle, with towers and bricks and spiral staircases and looming walls. Palaces are the lacy, frilly, gold-gilt ones. That’s not what I’m about. I love fortresses, castles, bastions–anything that can be defended and, preferably, sports an imposing skyline. I can’t pinpoint a moment when my love affair with castles began, though I can guess at all the little pieces that influenced it:. Cair Paravel in Narnia. The Royal Palace…
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Highway to Heidelberg: a Must-See Stop on the Way Through Germany
2022 European Adventure: Part 3 of 6 Heidelberg is red-roofed, green rolling hills, river running through it magical. The next stop on my European Adventure is Heidelberg, Germany! I picked this place–I’ve been dying to go for ages. Actually, there are very few places in Germany that I don’t want to go. However, this one has been on my list since my Study Abroad program. And the reason I wanted so badly to visit Heidelberg is because of the beautiful castle looming above this town. However, this post isn’t about the lovely castle at all (the next one, here, is entirely about the castle!), but about the other amazing things…
