Happy 2nd half of 2026! I have been living in the analog world (while using digital tools) for the last several months and have not had the time or inclination to update this blog. Glad to see you again! What have I been up to you ask? Well, making it through the first year of my mom’s passing by sorting through a lot of physical possessions and deciding which ones should be digitized, which ones passed on to other family members, some I have known most of my life and some cousins I am just getting to know better – than just stories that my mom or dad told! Walking through my ancestry has been fascinating and I still have several more years of coordinating and documenting to do.

Meanwhile, some very dear old friends, whom I have not connected with in person since our children were little, came out to the west coast for a wedding and made the extra effort to come north to see us! It was great to catch up again and learn all about their travels and challenges. It’s funny how people just click right back in after much time apart. There are obviously differences due to us all getting older, but it felt very, very familiar. I have to admit I was distracted by a pest that entered our attic and our upcoming road trip. So, while I did my best to be a good hostess, I know my full attention was not “in the moment” like I prefer to be. Never-the-less, I am grateful for the time they gave us and have very fond memories of the things we did manage to schedule – a trip to the beach, hiking, dinners out and in and a tour of Gamble House in Pasadena.

Next up, we hit the road for 2 weeks! As I look back on the journey, I am grateful that everything went well and that we did not have any car troubles, wild animal troubles, and that all of the friends and family we were traveling to see were healthy enough to see us and visit for a bit. We drove through 7 states to largely visit and enjoy family and friends in 2 states. We drove through Nevada (114°) and discovered SubZero Nitrogen Ice Cream in Cedar City, Utah – so good! And so necessary after our AC struggling to keep us cool. Nevada is good for gambling and scorpions, I said, after making it safely through. Sorry Nevada, not your fault. Anyplace that had nuclear testing done on the landscape would struggle. Checking into our hotel in Utah was a relief. Ah… AC and a pool.

The next day we drove through Utah and stopped in Green River. This town has been hit hard financially. But Green River coffee was a welcome stop for EV charging and a great Black & Tan to keep us rolling on. I really hope someone can help revitalize this town. There were some high end golf courses in the area (hint, hint). We made it to Fort Collins, CO where we saw cousins on my mom’s side of the family, our daughter, her friends and lots and lots of wonderful restaurants and creative shops. I love this city. They’ve done a great job with speed limits, creative railings for bridge and river crossings, floral plantings, burying power cables underground, balancing town and country and just general great community building. Good job FoCo. Keep it up! We also enjoyed hiking the reservoir area and visiting the food truck rally, finding another SubZero Nitro Ice Cream shop and the farmer’s market on the weekend. Nearby Loveland is also really great, despite the widening of a main street that made finding our dinner restaurant, challenging. Some places I can recommend in Fort Collins are: Tasty Harmony for great vegetarian food, Totally 80’s Pizza – so fun!, Sunny Sky Pies – exceptional, The Pourhouse (Loveland), Taco Stop, Edison’s Ice Cream and if you have time for a drive to Colorado Springs, like we did to see a friend, Ivywild is a must stop. It’s an old Elementary School that has been purchased by a brewery and turned in to a community center complete with restaurants and an outdoor or indoor wedding venue. So unique and a fun stop. None of us were drinking and it was still a fun stop.

Once we had completed the mission of handing off antiques and costume jewelry to cousins, and enjoying our daughter and her town for a week, we headed north to see my brother and his wife and visit two National Parks, Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Grand Teton is my absolute favorite. I visited when I was 15 and have a memorable photo my dad and I took together (of a Jenny Lake). I was really looking forward to going back and showing it to my husband. It did not disappoint! Taking a boat to the other side of Jenny Lake and hiking around the amazing trails and waterfalls was, wonder-full. We stayed in Jackson, Wyoming at the Huff House Inn and ate just a few blocks away (very walkable town) at Roosevelts, Hand Fired Pizza and Jackson Drug for Huckleberry milkshakes! YUM. The Huckleberry is Wyoming’s berry and they make everything with it. The next day we toured the Morman historical village and drove north through the park seeing the snake river, waterfalls, bison, deer and Ox Bow bend. We had lunch at Colter Bay Village and then doubled back to see the Jackson Lake Dam. We ended our day where we would stay the next few days, in Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone. Little did I know that their “park internet” link would not work for me at all. So I survived without internet for 4 days. I think I should have been given a badge or something (just kidding). It was aggravating and divine at the same time! I did see them trenching for fiber optic cable in the park though. Not sure how that permit got approved, however we are in different management of National Parks now – things just will NOT be the same.

Bison. Just recently in the news a man was tossed in the air by a grumpy bison. It was not the man’s fault, he was not too close, but what’s too close with wildlife? Honestly. I subscribe to the “thumb rule” if you can hold your thumb up at arm’s length and not cover the animal with your thumb, you are too close. However, sometimes that is not possible. Like driving on a road when they decide to cross from one field to another. We witnessed just such a crossing with big daddy’s, mama’s with their babies and all sizes in between. Thankfully, we allowed space and were okay. However, the look that this big bison pinned both cars with as he crossed, clearly said, “DON’T MOVE.” We did not, but we did take a lot of photos.

In my humble opinion, my fellow Americans have been too raised on amusement parks and petting zoos and have absolutely NO idea how to act around wilderness or wildlife. They do the dumbest things, truly. It’s stunning when you witness it. And yes, people die every day in National Parks. People die a lot along PCH in Malibu too – however that’s a different story for another time. Density of humans and wildlife always cause dicey situations. We seem unable to give wildlife enough space. The funniest quote I heard recently was “When man stood upright, all the blood drained from his brain and he just makes stupid decisions now.” I laughed out loud when I heard it. Possibly an evolutionary glitch for sure! (I’m still laughing.)

Anyway, we took a tour the first day in Yellowstone and it was well worth the money spent. We saw a lot of the top gems and did not have to worry about parking. The tour guide gave us tips on how to see obscure places that should not be missed and how to hit the remaining popular spots while everyone else was going in for dinner. It was great advice and by the end of the 2nd day, we had some parking lots to ourselves.

Our vacation time having run out, we headed out of the park, through Idaho (uneventful) crossed into Utah (which was a bit apocalyptic with it’s wildfire smoke), through the corner of Arizona briefly, back through Nevada (which was at least in the double digits this time) and back into CA. Ahhh, familiar, soft, rolling hills. There’s no place like home. We were glad to find our home as we left it and yes, I had to replace all the potted plants on the front porch, but other than that, no harm done.

I immediately put the car in the shop for a spa day and new tires, caught up with local friends and we dove back into our busy schedules. I remain grateful that all went as planned and hoped, we and our family and friends were healthy and safe and everyone was happy and living life their best way. I am SO pleased at all of the people in the National Parks who shared their phones and helped take photos of family groups, shared the very narrow and steep trails without pushing or having a “me first” attitude. I think it’s a great example of how many and diverse people just want to work together and explore this amazing world.

Now if we can get our global leadership onboard – life will be great! Until next time, share the road, give wildlife the space it needs, water a baby tree until it’s 2-3 years old and smile at your neighbor. Peace.