Category Archives: Travel Blogs

Backpacking, National Parks, Troy's Blog

Lewis Falls Trail

After a full day of hiking in Shenandoah National Park, it was time to retire to our cabin and get ready for our evening meal. The only thing was that the forecast for the next day was for clouds and periods of rain and we had one hike left to do in our short time in Shenandoah – Lewis Falls Trail. This was the most important of our hikes in this great national park because it was the trail on our National Parks Monopoly board. It was decided then, another hike that was longer and covered more altitude than the others we had completed earlier in the day.

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This trail is 3.3 miles round trip from our cabin and back again. It’s not the distance that makes it more challenging, it the 1,000 feet of altitude that you change from the start to the waterfalls and then you have to climb that 1,000 feet again on the way back. To make things a little more challenging, we wanted to get back before 9 pm when the nearest restaurant closes otherwise there is not really a place to get food after a full day of hiking in Shenandoah.

Looking over the top of the Falls

The trail starts out relatively flat and easy to hike but eventually that drop in altitude finds you and it starts going downhill quickly. Downhill is easier but remember to watch out for roots and rocks in the trail that could trip you. We made it to the falls in pretty good time passing only a couple of other hikers on the way. Lewis Falls

Lewis Falls is a nice waterfall and one of the highest in the park at 81 feet tall but at the time we were there the stream going over the cliff is not very large compared to several other waterfalls in the park. Getting a good view during the summer is a little more challenging because parts of the waterfall are covered with leaves and the steep cliffs around it make for getting a different and better view difficult. Still, I enjoyed this waterfall and the adventure to get to it.

Our Wildlife Encounter on Lewis Falls Trail

Due to time restraints and wanting to get back before the restaurant closes we didn’t spend much time at the falls taking it in. Also, we weren’t well prepared to be on the trail after dark so we needed to do the most difficult portion of our hike at a faster pace. Along the way back we encountered a deer taking the trail toward us which was kind of fun to see but delayed our return both because of wanted to observe the deer and not wanted to chase it. After awhile of watching it decided to meander off the trail allowing us to pass and continue our trek up the mountain. We were all really tired and hot after this hike but we did manage to get something to eat before total darkness enveloped the area.

Dinner in the Big Meadows Lodge

Family Ramblings, Troy's Blog

2016 Plans and Goals

Reflecting on 2015, which you can read about here, I came up with some things I would like to accomplish in this next year.  First and foremost, I want to enjoy the activities and adventures we embark on. We did a lot of fun and exciting activities last year but I didn’t feel like I got the most out of them that I could because there was always another event coming up soon requiring attention to plan and prepare for taking attention away from what I was doing. It seemed like we were always in a rush to do whatever it was we were doing because there was something else that needed to get done or was scheduled. If I can help it that won’t be the case in 2016 for us!

An ocean sunrise

My next goal is to explore Window Trail in Big Bend National Park, Padre Island National Seashore, and Hot Springs National Park. I’m pretty confident in being able to complete this in the next year as we already have some lodging accommodations, airfare, and a car reserved. I’m looking forward to this trip as we will be staying in Big Bend which will only be the second time staying right in a park reducing travel time and increasing exploration time.

Using the GoPro Hero 4 underwater

As has been the case for the past several years, I want to continue learning and improving my photography. Originally I set the bar at wanting to take 3,500  photos this year. That just makes me laugh now after having taking over 11,000 in the past year. I’ve decided to up that to 5,000 photos towards the goal of improving. That means working on composition and technique, not just randomly taking pictures of family and friends or the dog. As part of this I want to capture images of individual snowflakes.

A woodland mushroom

Along with the photography goal I would like to complete the Photography Experiment board by learning more about flash, fill flash, rock climbing, and travel portraits. This is a goal that would be nice to complete but if it doesn’t happen I won’t be too concerned. Still, working a little on it would be good.

Time at the lake

Continuing to update and improve this site is another one of my goals for this year. Since I needed to re-build this website in 2015 I find several broken links that need to be addressed as well as some programming pieces that need to continue to be worked on to get them to work as I have envisioned.

Being watched in the woods

I’ve wanted to put together a video from all of the photos taken on our trip to Alaska in 2013. It’s probably time to get this done so I can remove the photos from my computer and free up space. It is uncertain at this point if I will be able to post the video as I’m probably going to use music that is copyrighted preventing me from being able to use it on the internet.

Just floating on the water

One final goal for 2016 is to volunteer more. I feel like I failed at helping others in 2015 and that is something important to me to get back to this next year. Sure I volunteered to help coach my daughters basketball team and spent a number of hours volunteering at our church. I guess it comes down to volunteering at food shelves more. Seeing people starving is something that affects me and a priority for me to help reduce to the best of my ability. We are so fortunate to be able to have all that we need and it is up to us to help those that we can. Food and shelter are at the top of my list to help with when possible.

Lunch on the prairie

That should keep me busy this year and hopefully allow me to enjoy our adventures. If not, there are more homeowner projects to undertake and a potential hiking trip in the Rocky Mountains.

Family Ramblings, Troy's Blog

2015 in Review

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This past year seems more like a blur that lasted a few months rather than a full year as our family kept quite busy with lot’s of projects and activities. Now that 2015 has wrapped up and we’re on to 2016 it seems like a good time to review which goals were accomplished and those that I fell short on. Looking over my goals for this past year, which were published in this post (click on ‘post’ to read it), I see we managed to achieve half of them.

Warm Caribbean Waters

Exploring Padre Island and Hot Springs ended up being delayed until this spring. Instead we took in Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Shenandoah National Park to see Lewis Falls. The timeframe for Padre Island and Hot Springs became filled with an anniversary celebration trip for Karen’s mom and dad who have been together for over 40 years. Definitely an accomplishment worth celebrating in my book!

Putting in windows

It may have almost killed me (at least it felt like it) but we completed our window project. I estimated my time spent which ended up at over 110 hours of my weekends and evenings to complete. That doesn’t include the time of others that helped me tear out the old ones and lift in the new ones. You can’t imagine how greatful I am to those that helped us and to be done with this home improvement.
Water Lily

Continuing my learning of photography took a back seat for much of the year so I didn’t complete my Photography Experiment Monopoly board once again. Maybe this year. In spite of this I did still manage to take over 11,000 pictures with my Sony Nex. That doesn’t include the thousands of images taken with my new photography addition – a GoPro Hero 4. By the way, I really enjoy the GoPro and where it can go and what it can do. I have definitely learned more about photography composition and techniques with the opportunities I was fortunate to have.

There were other accomplishments during 2015 which may end up in a different post.

Lake Superior, Troy's Blog

Superior Respect

Earlier this summer we had the opportunity to host a French Exchange Student for a couple of weeks. During this time it was decided a trip to see the largest freshwater lake in the world would be appropriate since it is only a few hours away. There was only about 24 hours to take in this vast Lake Superior shoreline and unfortunately rain was forecast for most of these 24 hours. The forecast proved extremely accurate. With that rain came wind and the occasional thunderstorm but we managed to take in views of Lake Superior the demand respect from anyone on the water.

Four Foot Waves Crashing

There warnings all along Minnesota’s North Shore to stay out of the water. So no swimming, kayaking, or other small boat activities were advised. These photos give you an idea of the dangers of Lake Superior at certain times which is why respect for this ocean like lake is needed.

Waves Crashing Against the Shore

The nice thing about being around the shoreline on these rainy days is that during the busiest tourist season of the year there weren’t very many people taking in the sights. A raincoat/rain suit and an umbrella makes it possible to still enjoy this amazing lake.

Wave after Wave Rolling Towards Shore

At time the waves get big enough to create a small tube. At certain times of the year people put on wetsuits and go surfing on Lake Superior , usually in the late fall and winter, enjoying the large waves that can be created.

Creating a Tube on the Water

Family Ramblings, Troy's Blog

A New Year, A New Site

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This has been a much longer journey than I expected but we’re finally back with new content. Back in March MonopolyTraveler.com had some uninvited guests who destroyed portions of this site. There were many attempts by a number of people to revive and restore things back to normal without success. Each time we thought we had the website back to normal and secure from these intruders new issues would pop up causing the necessary action of taking it down. By the end of March it was determined that MonopolyTraveler.com would have to be completely re-built from scratch requiring a significant amount of time.

One of the projects on the to do list was to make it more mobile friendly so this seemed like a good time to accomplish that and way over due. At that time a decision was made to look over all aspects of the website and decide what we liked and what should be updated in addition to making it more mobile friendly. Some of the components of this website were no longer functioning correctly and needed to be replaced or re-programed so those were addressed along with bringing more focus to the photographs. After some debate between putting time and energy into re-building the existing site with some improvements or going with an entirely different theme it was decided to use the time towards a new theme so here it is.

Working into the long hours of the night programming and testing a new site

Unfortunately existing commitments and unexpected events required more time away which continually delayed the completion of MonopolyTraveler. In spite of our best efforts there always seemed to be something else that was a higher priority taking time from assembling a new site so there it sat for months and months. Finally it has become a high enough priority and my last goal of getting this ready before the New Year is somewhat met. It has been a nice break from blogging but there are many photographs and experiences I want to share and a stress relief by having this off my to do list. There are still pieces that are being worked on and noticeable changes may come up as the mobile version is not completely satisfactory but for now here we go.

By the way, I said new content – not necessarily better or useful content, just new.

State Parks, Troy's Blog

Waterfalls at Tettegouche

High Falls on the Baptism River

While hosting a student from France this summer we took a couple of days to head to the North Shore of Minnesota to see Lake Superior. A great place to stop is Tettegouche State Park to see both Lake Superior and the highest waterfalls entirely in Minnesota (there’s one slightly taller but it borders Minnesota and Canada). This was in the middle of August so the waterfalls are not gushing with as much ferociousness as earlier in the year but still a beautiful sight. It was raining and nearing nightfall during our time here which actually allowed us to have these falls all to ourselves. A rare opportunity this time of year.

Jumping into the Baptism River at High Falls

The Baptism River is cold (yet warm when compared to Lake Superior) people like to swim near the falls and jump from a nearby cliff. A dry towel to wipe the water from your skin and warm clothing to put on shortly after was a good idea on this day as the temperature was not very warm and there was no sun to warm up in so hypothermia was certainly a possibility. If you’re ever in the area I highly recommend a stop at Tettegouche State Park to explore the high falls. There is a short hike of just under a mile to get there from the nearest parking lot which is worth it if you can make it. There are a couple of smaller waterfalls to see if you have the time to hike to them. Darkness was approaching so we were unable to check out the rest of the smaller waterfalls. That will have to wait for another time.

Up the River to The High Falls

Michigan, Troy's Blog

Lake Michigan Labor Day

The Beautiful Sand

Is there a better way to spend a beautiful Labor Day than going to the beach? The water is about as warm as it will get for the year and the temperatures are still warm enough to sit in the sand and soak it in. A recent trip to southern Michigan brought the opportunity to explore Grand Haven State Park. This is essentially a state park on a large beach. The biggest issue with going here on Labor Day Weekend is the large numbers of people. Parking can be a challenge but the beach is definitely worth it.

Lighthouse and Pier

The sand is amazing – very soft. I’ve been to several beaches in the Caribbean, Eastern, Southern, and Western United States, and Mexico and this beach easily compares to many of those. At least during the summer months. If you grow tired of playing in the sand you can take some time to stroll on the pier and check out the lighthouse. There is also a large musical fountain that puts on a show during the nights. While it may be difficult to imagine, this area is basically a sand dune. When I picture sand dunes I think of deserts. This one has a lot of plants growing on it to cover most of the sand but where these plants have not populated or disappeared you can see the vast areas of white sand making this an area to enjoy.

The Sand Dune

Exploring, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Troy's Blog

The Place of a Thousand Drips

Waterfall Stream at the Place of a Thousand Drips

On our last morning exploring Great Smoky Mountain National Park we decided to find one last waterfall or two that are listed as waterfalls that you can drive to on our Waterfalls pamphlet we purchased the day before at the Cades Cove Visitor Center. This is a stop on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail which is basically a hiking trail for cars for those unable or unwilling to hike. There are several places to stop on this trail and hike if you desire otherwise there’s much to see from the comfort of your vehicle. I don’t recommend bringing a large RV through this area as the roads are one land with several tight corners.

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There is a pull off on the right side of the road which you have to cross to see this tiny waterfall. At least it was a tiny waterfall while we were there. Looking at other peoples pictures of this place show much more water flowing during wetter times. In order to see the waterfall up close we had to scramble up a few steep rocks which is just the sort of challenge made for a younger person and so up we went. Once near the falls you could see many areas where water was dripping through the moss making its way eventually to a small stream in on to one of the many rivers in the park. It was easy to determine that we were there during a dry time as the moss which clings to the sides of rocks was beginning to dry down in the summer sun. During the wetter times this climb may be too dangerous to do because of the slippery rocks so a definite advantage of the lower water flow.

Viewing the Falls From a Nearby Small Cave

Troy's Blog, Wildflowers

Early Spring in the Woods

The First Flowers of the Spring

We had a few absolutely beautiful spring days with temperatures in the upper 60’s to lower 70’s and I couldn’t stay inside and take care of the many things needing attention. I had to escape to the outdoors and go exploring. The first flowers of the spring were just beginning to open up providing a comfort in knowing that winter has lost its grip once again and it is time for our landscapes to come alive. In searching for these early signs of life I learned that the flowers that bloom before the trees leaf out are called ephemeral flowers. Time well spent avoiding the to-do lists as these types of days are limited each year and must be taken advantage of if at all possible. The photo above is of bloodroot growing under the protection of a massive oak tree. Below is moss which has the old spores from last season along with new spores for the current season. The last photo is of a rue anemone. All of these flowers opened up while I was exploring the woods they were found in making it fun to witness.

Moss Actively Growing

 

More Ephemeral Flowers

Family Ramblings, Troy's Blog

Goal Progress–Windows

Applying Stain and Finish to Windows

One of my goals set for 2015 is to complete the installation of replacement windows on the house. There are five windows left as the rest have been replaced a few years ago. This has been done in stages to spread the cost out in order to avoid borrowing money for this project. At this point two of the windows are almost complete. They’ve been stained and finish applied. The other three are on their way. It’s nice to have this much progress but I definitely look forward to this project being behind us.

Staining and Finishing Windows