Before I head to Philadelphia today, just let all of you who have diligently followed the blog, I am almost at the end (sniff, sniff) and will be back in Lebanon this Tuesday, where I will stay with my good friend Joel Fournier for a couple of days, before leaving on November 6th to Holland. Not much planned in the coming days, so if you want to see more or hear more, just give me ring at 603-3697700. [View Full Entry]

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Rain has pounding hard over the last couple of days on my way: time to head home? I arrived Friday evening in Baltimore where I stay with my good friend Yongqiang and meeting also Rong in Delaware. October 21-25 Charlotte is the first stop. A high rise city on a Sunday in the South in the morning and we drop in episcopal service with an african american congregation. My mother hoped for a gospel service, but it is a little bit more subdued. On the other hand we were received with a warm welcome and got a bit of the atmosphere. [View Full Entry]

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Almost two months has passed, where did the time goes? From an late summer, I entered an early Fall, and that means a change of colors in the NE: and have to miss:(? October 17-22, Smokey mountains, Blue-Ridge Parkway From Nashville, I drove in my car and my car in theirs to the border with North Carolina for a couple of days of a more nature experience. Before getting to that, you have all what makes the Smokies the best visited park in the USA with 2 millions visitors a year: an arcade, trill-full, bad-food tourist towns of Gatlinburg and Cherokee. [View Full Entry]

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October 13-15, Memphis and Nashville As some of you may know, my parents love to travel. During my stay in both the NW (Portland, OR) and the NE (Lebanon, NH) they have tasted already a significant amount of what the USA has to offer, but never been in the SE, and that's where I meet them for two weeks through Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. I planned everything well, and the easiness of the internet brings me to the right motel in Memphis that my father has booked...................it is so easy, and with a "TomTom" (a GPS car navigation system), we [View Full Entry]

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Last week I traveled from the high mountains of Yosemite to the high planes of Albuquerque. Now at the point to cross back over to the east: two weeks through Tennessee, North Caroline, together with my parents. Looking forward to it! For now, enjoy the pictures of Death Valley with the lowest point in the States (yes below sea-level) and the high desert of Arizona and New Mexico. [View Full Entry]

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A long day it was yesterday, crossing Death Valley (yes, my car made it, in precaution I cooled the engine by blowing hot air through the car), and rushing to a Maobi Regional State Park, where I swam in the Colorado River this morning. Today I take a little break in Flagstaff at Beau Hostel. September 29 and 30; Route 89, Route 395 and Bode State Park After my hike to Emerald lake, the road is again cleared for the cars (still some lonely Lake Tahoe marathon runners were present) and I head out towards Yosemite over route 89 and [View Full Entry]

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September 30 and October 1;Yosemite Yosemite is spectacular and can be revisited so many times, and still you (probably) can discover new things, time after time. But I spent only a little bit more than a full day, did some of the touristie things, did hike Sentinel down in the dark (luckily there were two locals with flashlights to guide me back to the car), and was in luck to enter Yosemite from the east: starting from Mono Lake Basin, through Lee Vinning canyon, over the Tioga pass (almost 10,000 feet, my highest point so far) and down to my campsite. [View Full Entry]

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September 28-29, Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe, the cleanest, bluest lake (or is that Crater lake). I arrived early morning at the north shore: it is a little bit in the mountains around, a little bit windy, but oh so beautiful. Pictures do it no right, so my eyes and memory have to keep it with me! I pick one of the few remaining campsites (end of the summer season is very near.................snow is predicted for overnight), and at the entrance of D.L. Bliss state park they tell me that the Lake Tahoe marathon is held for tomorrow: so I am "stuck" [View Full Entry]

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I just left the high plains of California and temperature finally got above 25 oC. ...............and on my way to Death Valley Sept 27, to Reno: My "final" destination is Lake Tahoe, but before I will settle myself for a couple of days above 2000 meters (6000 feet), I traveled from Ashland to the foot of the "Big Blue Lake" in Reno, NV. Lunch at Burney Fall State Park, crossing the devastated area by the eruption of Mt Lassen, in the beginning of the 20th century (19 something) and through the vall [View Full Entry]

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The pacific NW are behind me now, passed Lake Tahoe and I am at the foot of Yossemite………….and a second feeling of “Winter” touched me, with a slight accumulation of snow. Pacific NW, September 20-26 From the high planes of Glacier NP to the pacific sea shore in over 500 miles: my first physical contact with Idaho (despite living in Oregon for more than six years!), and only just the north part which brings me to Pacific Time Zone. After a great dinner in Seattle’s Chinatown and a grunchie performance (two guitars, two drummers…& [View Full Entry]

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