Adventure – Valerie's Voice

Athens, Greece

Athens was the focus of our first five days in Greece. We met up with our friends at the hotel we were all staying at on the afternoon of our arrival. We hung out and toured Athens charming streets and many ruins, including, of course, the famous Acropolis.

The Acropolis in Athens. Acropolis means any fortified citadel built on an elevated area of an ancient Greek city.

It’s hard to comprehend how old some of the ruins are…going back centuries…

We visited the Acropolis museum (very well done) on a guided tour, before we climbed up to see the Parthenon and The Temple of Athena Nike, The propylaea (grand gateway) and The Erechtheion, another temple.

The Erechtheion, is a smaller temple/shrine to Athena Polias, Poseidon, and the mythical king Erechtheus. The six female statues support the roof. The originals are now in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

The first modern Olympic stadium in Athens, 1896.

The Arch of Hadrian. Hadrian, a roman emperor, was an admirer of Greek culture, with a lot of influence and recognition.

One day we went on a tour that took us away from the city and through the countryside. Our destination was a lovely seaside town, Nafplio.

The narrow Corinth Canal – cutting through the isthmus to create a shortcut for ships at the time.

We stopped at the Corinth Canal to view this “shortcut” dugout from the Ionian Sea to Aegean Sea. It was dug in the late 1800’s. It’s an impressive sight but no longer serves the bigger ships of today.

These lions (missing their heads) carved in this stone gateway is called Lion Gate at Mycenae.

We also stopped at the Mycenae acropolis and walked under the stone gateway called the Lion Gate leading up to the acropolis in Mycenae. It is supposed to be the oldest know monument sculpture in Europe, carved in 1250 BCE.

It is here in Nafplio where we ate our best lunch. We ordered a traditional Greek fare: moussaka (made with eggplant and tuna). It was delicious. We ate in an outside cafe, along the harbor overlooking giant yachts.

Back in Athens we saw small, charming outdoor cafes, markets, many ruins, lots of churches, cypress trees, graffiti, cats (yes, stray cats all over the place and people feed them).

“The most famous, centrally located old church in Athens is Panagia Kapnikarea. Built around 1050 AD, it sits right in the middle of Ermou Street (the city’s premier shopping thoroughfare).”Google

The fish market is part of Athen’s Varvakios Agora. An agora is an open public space used for public gatherings and commerce.

I loved seeing all the different olives in this stand.

We stopped at Mokka Special Coffee shop near the market square for a specialty Greek coffee.

There is so much ancient history in this area…it was interesting to hear and learn, but hard to comprehend and remember.

Streets lined with stores and small outdoor cafes.

Greece is a beautiful country…friendly folks too… with so much to offer. As usual we saw only a small portion of it.

We definitely would go back if the opportunity presented itself, but then we say that about most places we visit. There are so many beautiful places in this big, wonderful world. We are grateful we can travel to see a few of them.

Fun graffiti ( among a lot of not so fun graffit). Notice the cat house in the left corner. People put out food and water to feed the stray cats everywhere.

“It’s a funny thing coming home. 
Nothing changes. 
Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. 
You realize what’s changed is you.” 
Eric Roth

There are a lot of colorful bougainvillea plants thriving and growing tall all around town.

The Cruise, Part II

We woke up to another beautiful day in Greece, at a port in Rhodes.

Before our trip we had prearranged a 4+ mile hike along the sea with a tour company. They picked us up at the dock and drove us several miles away to the start of a trail along the rocky coast.

Chapels are everywhere. This was St. Agatha chapel located at the beginning of our hike on Rhodes.

We had a wonderful guide, and the views of the sea were stunning.

It took several hours, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Photo by our guide, Marguerite. Apparently this photo was added to her company’s website.

Photo by our guide, Marguerite. Beach in this photo is Agatha Beach.

We stopped at Limni Beach to swim in the cool, refreshing, clear waters.

Swimming in the Mediterranean. photo by dh

Anthony Quinn Bay ~ made famous because of the 1961 movie *Guns of Navarone* he starred in.

The next day we disembarked on the isle of Crete where we went to a local family organic farm where they grow olive trees and grapes. We tasted the wine and had some cheese and bread and tomatoes while watching traditional Greek dancers performed for us. It was delightful.

We also had a chance to dance with the dancers at the end. It was fun.

The last stop on our cruise was Santorini. We opted to stay onboard because the next day we would fly to Santorini for a four-night stay on our own. It was very pleasant to be on the ship with so many passengers disembarked. We had the hot tub to ourselves and a nice relaxing experience.

The cruise went quickly. We had a lovely dinner on board, on our last night.

A super-sweet flower arrangement tucked away in the corner of the winery.

"And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, 
your hair messy 
and your eyes sparkling." 
Shanti

The Cruise, Part I

Our time in Greece was marvelous. It was divided into three parts. Five nights in Athens, a four-night cruise through the isles, and four nights on the island of Santorini. I couldn’t decide where to begin writing about our adventures. I decided to start with my favorites, instead of chronological order. But then, I couldn’t determine between the four-night cruise or the four-night stay on the island of Santorini…I decided to start with the cruise.

I love being on the water and was happy to be on the Celestial Discovery, a smaller ship (1200 passenger) cruising the Mediterranean Sea and stopping at a couple of the 1,200 islands in Greece. We had a delightful tour director who took good care of us. We disembarked on a four islands: Mykonos, Patmos, Rhoades, Crete, and also disembarked at a stop in Ephesus, Turkey.

Besides seeing the scenic, small, cubical white-washed buildings (some with blue trim and all with no peaked roofs) and the narrow alley ways between houses on the islands and the picturesque scene of these buildings enveloping the hillsides up from the water, each island was unique in its own way.

Our first stop was not an island, but we sailed to Turkey, to visit Ephesus. The incredible ruins of this town where Apostle Paul, and other Biblical personalities walked the streets, 2,000 years ago, was incredible to see. The ancient city of Ephesus’ excavated remains go back several centuries.

“The Library of Celsus is the most iconic structure in Ephesus — and one of the most beautiful ancient libraries ever built. Completed in the 2nd century A.D., it once held over 12,000 scrolls…” quote off internet

At one time Ephesus was a massive economic and intellectual hub of the Roman Empire, and a center for early Christianity. It amazes me that so many of these ruins are intact today…and that we can meander through them and envision all the activity they represent.

The Temple of Hadrian was built in the 2nd century AD (before 138 AD) to honor Emperor Hadrian’s visits to the city.

Later, that same day , we sailed to Patmos where the apostle John was exiled from Ephesus, and where John had his visions described in the Bible’s book of Revelation. Researchers are confident the cave ~ The Cave of the Apocalypse ~ where we visited, is indeed where John actually received his divine visions. It is said the crack in the rock wall above (we looked up) is believed to be the spot where God’s voice echoed, symbolizing the Holy Trinity (3 fissures in the rock). This site, as is Ephesus, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a landmark or area formally recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as possessing “Outstanding Universal Value”)

The chapel attached to the cave. No pictures were allowed inside.

It was meaningful to me to be there in this cave on Patmos. Our guide told wonderful stories. The one I remember is that after the ruler who sent John to exile at Patmos died, John returned to Ephesus as an old man. In church, when the congregation asked him for a word, he would simply say “Love one another.”

When his disciples grew weary of hearing the same phrase and asked why he always repeated it, John replied: “Because it is the Lord’s command, and if this only is done, it is enough.” Amen. I enjoyed hearing that story.

Back on the ship, we sailed during the night, to Rhodes…(to be continued.)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”     John 13:34-35

The CAT Museum

It’s not a kitty cat museum, but an art museum. After reading my blog post on our visit to the Chihuly art glass museum in St. Petersburg FL, a friend invited us to join them to see a modern art museum with Chihuly glass in Shoreview, Minnesota.

It all began when Gerard Cafesjian started collecting artwork when he was young. He became a prominent businessman and philanthropist and believed that art should be accessible and personal. His approach to collecting was to focus on what he loved rather than just famous names or price tags.

The outside of the CAT Museum is blue glass.

“Mr. Cafesjian instilled in his family a spirit of generosity and a love of art. When he passed away in 2013 [at age 88] his vast collection was brought together as the Cafesjian Art Trust (CAT). Embracing his legacy as a collector and as a champion of the arts, his daughter Kathie created a free museum in Shoreview, Minnesota to serve as a dynamic hub of created inspiration and contemporary art. The CAT Museum opened in October 2022…” (quote from CAT Museum website).

The Cafesjion’s have a big heart. This piece titled Purple Heart, by Tommy Tanggara, was hanging behind the reception desk as you enter.

We learned that his daughter Kathie continues the philanthropic support by covering busing charges for school children so they can come to tour the CAT Museum. The cost of busing is one of the holdbacks for field-trips. This is a wonderful gift.

There is a room for children to make art. I liked this fun piece hanging in the children’s area. No name or credit.

Our docent talked about six pieces of art that morning. Of course, art is your own interpretation, especially modern art. I sometimes have trouble understanding modern art, so I appreciated her suggestions about each piece. There was the obligatory mostly all-white painting in most modern art museums (she didn’t talk about that one), which I never get…but there were other pieces I appreciated.

Instantly recognizable Chilhuly glass chandelier in the lobby of the CAT.

In the entrance there is a signature Chihuly glass chandelier, and there was a Chihuly glass ceiling that was originally from Chihuly’s home in Naples, Florida. I’ve seen Chihuly glass ceilings before, but this museum invited you to lay on the carpeted floor and look up. We did.

Chihuly’s glass ceiling, from his home in Naples, FL.

Other than seeing Chihuly, my favorite piece was made with glass beads, Puzzles Circles and Patterns. The artist, Thando Ntobela, is from South Africa, where beading “has been a source of creative expression in Africa for centuries, yet it largely remains unrecognized and under-celebrated in art exhibitions and galleries. An art form associated with women…”. (quote from the artist’s plaque)

Puzzles Circles and Patterns, made by Thando Ntobela.

On each artist’s plaque there was a QR code to listen to the artist. This was the only one I listened to, but it was fun to hear Thando Ntobela explain how beading makes her happy, and when she feels sad she beads to make her feel happy again. She wants her work to make others happy. Her piece did make me happy.

There were a three more favorites…one glass piece, and two landscape scenes, but very different from each other. One titled Eruptor (I missed taking a photo of the artist plaque so I can’t credit the artist) of bike paths and mountains in the SW, and the other piece entitled Monument Valley, by Jin Jeong.

Eruptor…landscape of mountains and bicycle paths in SW United States.

Monument Valley, painted by Jin Jeong…oil on linen, with some linen at the top left unpainted.

A beautiful green glass art piece, called Emerald, crafted by Vladimir Prochazka.

After our time at the museum, we planned to go to a nearby French bakery for lunch. As we entered, we all commented on how the display case, full of pastries, was its own little art museum…so many beautifully crafted pastries. It was hard to choose which one to order.

More edible works of art. Just a few examples.

This was a fun outing. I hope to get back to the CAT museum this fall when there will be a new exhibition.

There were a few artworks outside the CAT Museum..

A Fishy Story

On our trip to the north shore, once again we were blessed with beautiful sunrises…always a highlight when we are up at the cabin…looking out over the great expanse of water, Lake Superior. I never tire of seeing the orange ball.

We did have unseasonably warm weather while up north. On our first day we drove into a park looking for cross-country skiing. The weather had been too warm, so there was none to be found. I asked the ranger if there were any clear paved paths to walk or hike on, and her customer chimed in that he had been looking all around the area and hadn’t found any. It is that in-between season in Minnesota, a lot of slushy-icy-melting snow cover.

It was a beautiful sunny day and since we couldn’t ski we drove into Two Harbors and parked at Agate Bay to walk out on the pier. The path was clear and it is always fun to walk out “on the water.” Along the pier we saw the gentleman I had talked to earlier at the park. He recognized me and said, “looks like we both found some clear pavement to walk on.” And we laughed.

The beacon at the end of the long pier. We saw its warning beam at night.

Soon we were almost to the beacon at the end of the pier. There was a fisherman along the side and he looked like he was struggling to hold onto his pole. Then, I heard him ask the guy (our new friend) who was walking in front of us if he would help him pull in a fish. Now that’s an unusual request.

The guy willingly hopped down on the ledge and grabbed the large net, ready to swoop in and capture the fish. It took a while…the fisherman kept reeling in the line, and then letting out a little slack to keep the line from snapping…and it took several minutes of alternating between the two. Gary and I stopped to watch the process and take some photos.

After several minutes we could see the fish on the line, in the water, near the surface and it was a big one! A really big one. The guy on the pier with the net went into action and caught the fish in the net. It was exciting. The fish measured 24-30″, from the fisherman’s mid-thigh to the ground.

I asked the fisherman what kind of fish it was…he said a “Lake Trout”. Nobody guessed the weight, but everyone (a few others had gathered to watch) realized it was unusually large. I took some pictures and the fisherman gave me his text number. I sent the photos on to him and thanked him for “the show.” And we merrily walked back towards shore.

We ended our day by sitting around a bon fire outside the cabin.

Fiery orange in the morning, fiery orange at night, and a serendipity in-between…how splendid.

Week Two in Virginia

*Forgive me if this comes to your email twice. I tried publishing this at 6:30 am but it hasn’t gone through so I recreated the post and am trying it again.*

Continuing a photo journal of our adventures from week two, visiting family, in Arlington, Virginia (showing one to three…photos a day).

The impressive nave and chancel of the National Cathedral. It filled up for the advent service.

Sunday, November 30, was the first Sunday of Advent, and it was a special one. We went to an advent service in the Washington National Cathedral.

Heavenly voice and Bible readings filled the spectacular cathedral, and made for a memorable event.

Gary and I decided to take an overnight trip up to Pennsylvania to visit Gary’s family. His hometown is only about three hours away from where we were staying in Virginia, so we got up early Monday morning and drove to Pennsylvania for an over night visit.

One perspective of the farm where Gary grew up, in Pennsylvania.

We stopped at his younger sister’s farm for a visit. Then, we drove to the farm where Gary grew up. The friendly Mennonite folks who live there invited us in for a chat. They are lovely people.

Another perspective of the farm…this is the field where one of my favorite pictures was taken of our two young boys running in the field.

Later that evening, a lot of family members joined us for a dinner out, even though it was last minute.

We decided to drive back Tuesday morning, forgoing another farm visit to Gary’s other sister’s farm, simply because it was snowing and slick driving conditions. But we were grateful to be able to take this time to reconnect…our short stay was very enjoyable.

On Wednesday we ran errands and did some laundry and just hung out. Zoey and I made enchiladas for dinner.

We were ready again on Thursday to take the Metro into the city. The Metro is such a great system. We stopped at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, honoring the 34th U.S. President, on our way to the United States Botanic Garden.

The Lincoln Memorial model made of plant parts.

There was plenty to see indoors with special December exhibits: models of DC landmarks made from plant parts, and thousands of poinsettias were placed in groups all around the gardens.

A lovely display of pink/white poinsettias…I don’t think I’ve seen this sweet color of poinsettias before.

Next, we walked to the White House to check out the new ballroom construction, but we couldn’t see a thing.

After school the kids helped us count the miscellaneous coins the family had accumulated over the year. The bank said the coins had to be counted and put in wrappers. It turned out to be a fun project…and profitable.

Fun looking at and counting all the coins, and finding several foreign coins in the mix.

We went up to the rooftop to observe December’s full moon, Thursday December 4.

Lunch on Friday was in DuPont Circle. We met friends who were former neighbors in Northfield for many years. They moved to the DC area a few years ago.

We had a lovely lunch with our friends from Minnesota.

We arranged to meet at a restaurant along the Metro line so both parties could just hop on the Metro. We had a great time. As we walked back to the Metro station we stopped at a pop-up Christmas Market which was fun to peruse. There was leftover dusting of snow on trees and roses… it felt “Christmassy.”

Still swinging on the playground. The previous dusting of snow melted.

Zoey had Portuguese lessons again on Saturday. We went on another pleasurable walk with Ezra. Mid-afternoon we walked to a park near their apartment. The kids still enjoy play grounds. We stopped for an ice cream cone on the way home. It’s never too cold for ice cream.

Week One in Virginia

We left Northfield a week before Thanksgiving to go visit our son and his family in Arlington, Virginia. On our way to the airport I realized I still had my slippers on! Fortunately, we were close enough to home so we had time to turn around and get my shoes! (I won’t mention the full cup of coffee I spilled all over my backpack at the airport.)

I guess I was excited. We were going to spend time with our son and his family. They are moving to India. We were happy to have some quality time to create more memories before they leave… and it was fun to take the grandchildren on adventures while mom and dad stayed home to work and pack! 😉

The nice apartment building where our son’s family has lived since January 2025.

This blog post will be a diary: a photo essay, with one, or maybe two, pictures per day to capture our first week. It was challenging to select the photos out of the hundreds I took!

A walk in the woods with Ezra. Still a touch of fall in the air.

Our first full day we dropped Zoey off for Portuguese lessons and Gary and I went for a long walk with Ezra. This is the day we made chocolate chip cookies which I blogged about a couple weeks ago.

We also “packed” Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes online. This is an outreach project by Samaritan’s Purse that delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to children in need worldwide.

For breakfast on Sunday morning our granddaughter, who especially likes to cook and bake, made waffles. Her brother made blueberry syrup.

Ezra had a play date scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Zoey and I made a mosaic candle holder from a craft kit.

On Monday, we walked the kids to school. We did so each morning, and we also picked them every afternoon. It’s a .8 mile round-trip walk.

…a beautiful building made with marble from Italy.

On our first Monday while Tim & Andrea worked/packed, Gary and I took the Metro to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Performing Arts. We walked down the Hall of Nations (flags from all countries) and the Hall of States (flags from all states). Minnesota’s new flag was on display. The Kennedy Center is a beautiful building, made of marble from Italy, with chandeliers from Sweden. We had a fantastic tour guide…all to ourselves.

A hall inside the Kennedy Arts Center, with beautiful crystal chandliers.

Tuesday morning Gary and I went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. This is a somber, yet incredible, must-see museum.

Pictures of shoe piles and pictures of hair piles (from the victims) left a lasting impression. We also went through a special exhibit designed just for kids, which was very well done.

Tuesday afternoon, Zoey taught grandma how to make Flan!

The kids Thanksgiving break started on Wednesday. We took the grandkids to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center which is a Smithsonian Museum near Dulles airport (not to be confused with its companion museum, The National Air and Space Museum).

The Udvar-Hazy Center displays hundreds of air and space craft, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, a Concorde, and a Blackbird SR-71 (fastest manned jet).

The space shuttle Discovery was a sight to see. There were so many interesting aircraft in this museum. It was impressive, and a lot of fun.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner together. The kids and I made apple crisp to go along with the pumpkin pie.

Of course the kids were off school on Friday too, so Gary and I and the kids hopped on the Metro …

The Metro system is so easy to use and a great way to get around DC.

and took it to the National Gallery of Art.

I really liked this place.

I was immediately drawn to the first painting I saw in the museum. I envisioned myself in the painting…looking out over Lake Superior.

One really needs multiple visits to do justice to this art museum (I could say that of all of the museums), but this first time for me in the National Art Gallery was a lot of fun. We each chose an animal, color, and object to look for in the art works.

In the courtyard of the apartment building.

On Saturday, we walked through the Farmer’s Market near the apartment, took a short drive along the Potomac River, the kids showed off their skills on their hover boards, and we all went out for dinner at a Japanese restaurant.

*****

Night falls over Washington DC…

6:49 pm on November 24, 2025.
Views of the capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Performing Arts building (the large building with white lights on left side of photo) to name a few…

Are we in Idaho?

When I was younger, I wrote a letter to Pan Am Airlines (a viable airline at the time) asking to be put on their waitlist to go to the moon. They wrote back (I was amazed), and told me the list was full!

I guess I’ve always been fascinated by the moon. I do enjoy the moon, and especially a full moon. Seeing the moon’s reflection on the water is always spectacular. But, crescent moons are sweet too…like a wink, or smile from heaven.

Full moon over Lake Superior, Minnesota 2020.

So, when I saw on Idaho’s map, Craters of the Moon National Monument, I added it to my list of places to see in Idaho. It is a 750,000 acre park. According to the internet, the difference between national park and national monument are:

 “...are their establishment [1] method, [2] primary purpose, and [3] scope of preservation. National parks are created by an Act of Congress to preserve a broader scope of natural and recreational values, while national monuments are designated by the President under the Antiquities Act to protect a singular, significant natural or natural object.”

It was a sunny, but chilly day when we visited the Craters of the Moon National Monument. It features vast lava fields deposited from volcanic eruption of deep fissures years ago. At the Visitor’s Center we picked up a map of a seven-mile driving loop through the park. There were designated stops along the way to get out for a scenic overlook, or take a hike. We did both.

The short hike through Devil’s Orchard was level, and paved, and I felt like we were walking through a strange botanical garden. Although we missed the peak for wildflowers in the park, there is amazingly diverse plant life in these lava fields. Most common is the sagebrush.

Dwarf buckwheat is an interesting plant…they look like white spots dotted almost evenly on the black lava rocks…

Dwarf Buckwheat growing like polka dots on the dark terrain.

There are numerous mini volcano formations known as spatter cones and cinder cones. We hiked up a cinder cone named Inferno Cone.

A cinder cone is formed from the accumulation of gas-charged volcanic fragments (cinders) ejected from a single vent.

On top of Inferno Cone…the top is level, but the cinder line on this photo is where the steep conical sides meet at the top.

The hike was a steep climb, but worth the view at the top.

It’s so hard to show depth in a photo. This tree is hanging over the edge of the cinder cone.

From the Craters of the Moon brochure, “astronauts confirmed that most lunar craters resulted from meteorite impacts, not volcanism. The craters of Craters of the Moon however, are definitely of volcanic origin…. from a series of deep fissures known collectively as the Great Rift that cross the Snake River Plain.”

I may not have gone to the moon with Pan Am, but I think I am satisfied with seeing Craters of the Moon and its diverse landscape. When you enter the park and drive through this amazing area, it sure looks like you are on the moon!

It was a great adventure.

Although not related to the moon adventure, we visited another site in the Idaho wilderness worth mentioning.

A barrack and the mess hall at Minidoka Internment camp.

The Minidoka National Historic Site is remnants of a Japanese Internment camp. We drove miles into the desert to find the visitor’s center and the remains of a few camp buildings. During World War II this camp held over 13,000 (out of 120,000) Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated without due process of law.

A root cellar built by those incarcerated to store crops grown at Minidoka. It is surprisingly large.

As most Visitor’s Center are, this one was full of information. And to make our visit even more interesting, the National Park ranger we talked with was a granddaughter of one of the incarcerated. Her grandfather was interned at this very Camp Minidoka. She was passionate about its history and she could answer any question we asked. The site preserves a real, but sad chapter in our history.

Idaho

When I told others we were taking a trip to Idaho most people asked why. I explained. “of the fifty states, Idaho is the only state I haven’t been in” (although my brother told me we were on a road trip with our parents and drove through Idaho to get to Washington when we were young. He is four years older so he remembers.)

Now, if people were to ask me, “Why Idaho?” I would say because it is a beautiful state with a lot to offer…including a large portion of the Rocky Mountains and 3,500 miles of rivers. We spent a lot of time by the Snake River.

This ice cream is shaped to look like an Idaho baked potato with sour cream. It was fun to try.

Idaho is known for its potatoes. While doing some research I learned about Westside Drive-In in Boise, that offered potato-shaped ice cream. That was curious. We made the drive-in our first stop out of the airport. It was tasty treat and a great way to start our vacation. Then, we drove two hours to Twin Falls and settled into an AirBnB in southeastern Idaho. We took day trips from there.

We spent a lot of time along the Snake River viewing canyons, gorges, water falls, and watching Base jumpers jump off the Perrine Bridge…counting on their parachutes to open and land safely on the ground 486’ below. It was fascinating to watch.

An experienced jumper attaches another person to his harness for a tandem jump. Unfortunately I couldn’t figure out how to post the video of this endeavor.

This screen shot is of the BASE jumper from one of the videos.

The Perrine Bridge is a stunning arch bridge and stands 486 feet above the Snake River, and has the distinction of being the eighth highest bridge in the United States. The Perrine Bridge attracts BASE jumpers from all over the world because it is one of the few structures they [jumpers] can use without getting special permits.

Trying to capture how deep this gorge is…this is looking down at the river…ripples from a motor boat and a kayak in the picture too.

(BASE jumping is an extreme sport where an individual leaps from a fixed object and uses a single parachute to land. The term “BASE” is an acronym for the four types of locations: Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and the Earth (cliffs).) We were fortunate to witness four jumpers, (one tandem) while walking next to the bridge.

At the visitor’s center, on the other side of the bridge, was a temporary 911 memorial display (we were visiting close to that date). The group hung a gigantic American flag on a cable over the gorge. It was impressive.

Shoshone Falls…there is not much water flowing over the falls this time of year. (Twin Falls is considered high dessert.) However, in the spring Shoshone Falls is called the Niagara of the west and the falls are gushing and look very full (in photos).

We picnicked at Shoshone Falls, and saw Perrine Coulee Falls and many other miscellaneous waterfalls.

We also walked to the Devil’s Washbowl, a waterfall within the Malad Gorge in Thousand Springs State Park.

Looking down on Malad Gorge, formed by the Malad River that flows into the Snake River.

We hiked in Adams Gulch and caught the beautiful sight of quaking aspen trees, their leaves turning from green…to lime green… to a brilliant yellow, that contrast beautifully with the green evergreen trees.

The striking contrast of the yellow aspens and evergreen trees.

We hiked on a well-defined hiking, and mountain biking, trail.

We drove to Ketchum, the ski village near Sun Valley Resort, nestled within the Rocky Mountains, specifically in the Wood River Valley at the base of Bald Mountain.

Beautiful Bald Mountain and the Sun Valley Ski Resort.

Sun Valley was America’s first destination ski resort.

The mountains are inviting so we continued to drive north of Ketchum for several miles to see their majesty.

On our way up a mountain…and then down into a valley.

Looking at a valley from Smiley Lodge. We turned around here and drove back up the mountain pass.

We also spent time in Craters of the Moon National Monument. I will write about that another time.

Our final evening, a farewell dinner on the deck at Redhawk Gastropub, overlooking the Snake River.

Our time went fast, as it usually does while on vacation, but I’m glad we were able to see a few of the wonderful sights in beautiful Idaho, and to make some fun memories there.

And I did it! I can say I’ve been in all 50 states.

2025 Villa Louis Carriage Classic

As soon as I learned of the Carriage Classic, I knew I wanted to attend. A few years ago we toured the 1871 historic home, Villa Louis (on the National Register of Historic Places), on St. Feriole Island on the Mississippi River.

It is there where I learned the Carriage Classic is an annual event, going on 45 years, and is always held the weekend after Labor Day.

We visited with the owner and learned this restored carriage was a 1864 Studebaker Trap, originally owned by the Studebaker family.

Carriages came in all colors: black, yellow, cranberry, green…

…and a beautifully restored wooden carriage.

Folks from all over the United States trailer their horses and carriages and gather together in the park across the lawn from Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. They come to participate in contests and to show off their pride and joy, their horses and carriages.

Many of the carriages had an area for picnic baskets and/or luggage in the back.

The idea of yesteryear with horses and carriages, and my fairly new interest in horses, encouraged me to put the date on the calendar earlier this year, so as not to miss this event. I’m glad we made time for it.

It was a wonderful drive down the Mississippi River on our first day, stopping to take a bike ride on the Root River State Trail and discovering lefse chips. We continued on to stay overnight near the Carriage Classic so we could be at the entrance soon after it opened on Friday morning. Friday was the first day of the three-day event. We enjoyed our one day attendance a lot.

A modern horse in the front of this line…

It was unusually cold and windy. Due to the wind, I did not wear my “fancier” straw hat that I had brought along, but many of the Classic participants did wear their hats, and some dressed in costume, which is part of the tradition we were told.

There were several miniature horses too.

Many of the carriages were restored, and shone beautifully. All the horses were groomed impeccably. The carriage drivers meandered on a wide-open field before participating in their special events. Spectators could meander along with them, and take photos. That was special.

This carriage was pulled by four horses…we only saw one with four horses this day.

I enjoyed taking over a hundred photos, of the horses, carriages, hats, temporary stables, historic hotel, flowers and more…there was so much to see. It was all so picturesque.

There was a food stand with delicious breakfast and lunch items for reasonable rates so we didn’t have to leave the grounds. There were table and chairs set up for comfort, and small bleachers were at some venues. There was live music – a man and his synthesizer – playing tunes during the competitions. There was no entry fee, and no parking fee.

Even though the temperature was chilly, the sky was mostly sunny and it was a delightful day to be at the Carriage Classic watching the nuances of “another world” go by.