The journey from Rabat to Meknes is a short one, only some 150 km, but it is a large distance culturally and architecturally. Rabat is a large, mostly modern city. There is a fairly small medina, but most of the city is more modern Other than the redoubt of the Udayas, there is relatively little of great historical significance as far as extant structures are concerned.. Meknes, on the other hand, is much more rich with historical structures, and is frankly, to me at least, a much more vibrant city for the visitor. Our visit began with a visit to the Royal Granaries and Stables, established by Moulay Ismail (Ismail ibn Sharif). By all accounts, this man who ruled Morocco during the years 1672-1727 was a man who lived large. Known as the "Warrior King", he ... read more

So the real journey begins today. I suspect that if you were to poll your friends and acquaintances, a fair number would tell you that Casablanca is the capital of Morocco, but the real capital is Rabat. Rabat occupies the left bank of the Bou Regreg river, while the ancient city of Salé occupies the right bank. One gets the impression that there is a fair amount of competition between the two, such that they are now constructing an entertainment complex along the river on the Salé side to answer questions as to why Rabat gets everything. Many people live in Salé and work in Rabat. Rabat is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco, a list which also includes Fes, Marrakech, and Meknes. We will visit all. Rabat had some sort of settlement somewhat ... read more

As you drive northward from Corinth MS, you pass through rolling, low-lying hills, through lanes and roads of mostly neat lawns and gardens surrounding small nondescript houses or mobile homes. The landscape is dotted with small churches with names like Mt. Moriah and Bethel and Calgary. But it was another church we sought, a small wooden meeting house with the name of Shiloh, which incongruously means "place of peace". We came because this small church has lent its name to the site of a Civil War battle and battlefield that shocked America, and still stands as one of the most gruesome chapters in America's history, a battle that was the most hard-fought in the western theater of the Civil War and set a new standard for carnage. Today, the battlefield drowses in the early autumn afternoon, ... read more

Ostensibly, this trip was organized around the idea of being at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park for the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. About 20 years ago, we were here with the kids for that annual event, and it was a magical moment lying on the shore of the lake and watching 1-2 meters per minute pass overhead. But I always recognized that meteorological events might interfere with the metro viewing, and the more controllable goal (but not discussed) was the completion of the hike up to Grinnell Glacier. We made this with the children 21 years ago and the view from the top was unbelievable. Three years ago, when we were here with our wonderful friend Jan Henry, the upper portion of the trail was closed by snowpack, and I am not sure ... read more

At the start of the morning, we went by the hotel where my sister was going to be staying. Mistaken on when she was arriving, we were disappointed in finding her, but were treated to a little deer group including a young fawn. We were acutely aware that we needed to get more conditioning done if we were to successfully complete the climb to Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park. We also knew that we had attempted the hike to Crypt Lake twice in the past and never come close to succeeding in making it. Therefore we decided to take the hike in Waterton Lakes National Park to Bertha Lake. At 5.7 miles round trip with about 1600 feet elevation gain, somehow it sounded workable as a goal. The trail started out as a fairly gentle ... read more