Niagra Falls

In the spring 0f 2015, on our way to visit relatives in Michigan, we stopped for a brief visit to Niagra Falls. Looking straight down from the Canadian side, we could see an ant-like crowd of people in yellow ponchos, waiting for a tour boat to take them to the base of the falls. A rainbow created by the sun shining through the mist from the river framed the scene.

The winter had been unusually cold and snowy. Even in early May, much of the river bank was rimmed in white, and giant boulders of ice still sat at the base of the falls.

Larch Valley, Banff National Park, Alberta

Going way back for this one – June of 1980. Probably my favorite day of hiking ever, from one of my favorite vacations. After climbing for several hours through towering forests, we came over a ridge and suddenly found ourselves in a lush alpine valley, dotted with wildflowers, surrounded by snow capped peaks, and cut through by a rushing glacial stream. We felt like we had stumbled into Shangri-La.