It’s a shame that Jackson, WY has become a tourist trap. Real estate is very expensive, shops are packed with souvenir tee-shirts, ball caps, and Western-themed stuff made in China; and the town is full of camera-wielding Asian, European, and American visitors. Of course, we are visitors, too; so, there you have it. There are some very good restaurants in town, although pricey. And, the Western Art Museum is wonderful. But the main reason for coming is to visit Grand Teton National Park. The Tetons are beautiful, especially when covered almost to the base with late spring snow. We shouldn’t complain, really, since we got permission to dry-camp for free in the newly paved parking lot at Teton Village ski resort. It was the off-season, and the Village was fairly empty. Skiing was over for the ... read more

One side trip we really enjoyed was to Snow Canyon State Park. There is no snow there; the park was named after the Snow family. It is a desert park with unusual rock formations, sculpted sandstone mountains, and beautiful spring flowers. Here are some pictures. ... read more

Heading to Texas was a bit uneventful, which was a good thing, since we skirted some stormy weather on the way. Dan took Diane to the shooting range, where she tried out his 36 caliber handgun--a bit more powerful than the 22 she was using. Dan and Megan are getting married in May 2012, and we were so excited to share their plans. We cooked shrimp and grits for them, went out for some Texas BBQ, and had dinner with Megan’s mom, too. Soon it was time to say goodbye, and we headed to Sedona, Arizona for a timeshare exchange family reunion with Alan and his family. On the way there, we overnighted at a Texas rest stop, a New Mexico casino, and an Arizona rest stop. Between New Mexico and Sedona, we encountered some really ... read more

Arriving in Pennsylvania, we learned Diane’s cousin Virginia had passed away after surgery. They were two years apart and used to get into trouble together as youngsters. She left us way too soon. The silver lining of that tragedy is that we were able to visit with some of Diane’s relatives whom we hadn’t seen in a long time. We spent a week with sister Carol and husband Ted at their home in Waynesboro, PA. Interesting that Alan was born at Waynesboro Hospital, where Carol and Ted worked before their retirement. Small world…. Ted took the two of us on a driving trip to Gettysburg, where he played Civil War Historian and told many interesting stories on the way over. We really enjoyed our visit, and Carol is a fantastic cook! Next stop was Richmond, VA ... read more

Organizing pictures can be overwhelming. What other excuse could I have for waiting a whole year to update the blog… On our way to Texas in spring 2010, we stopped in Alabama to visit friends Patti and Bill. We cruised Lake Martin on their boat and jet ski, played lots of Sequence and Wizard, and enjoyed Patti’s great cooking. We loved the area and even looked at a few homes for sale. We have no idea yet when or where we’ll settle down, but it never hurts to look. After a maintenance stop in Dallas and visits with Dan and Megan, we headed to Branson, since we’ve never been there and were told it was a fun place. We took in a couple of shows and were duly impressed. The billboard for the Titanic show, however, ... read more