Day 2 of my trip around the Cabot Trail starting from Pleasant Bay. Hiked the Skyline Trail; one of the more popular trails in the park. A 9.2 km looped trail taking around 3 hours. It culminates in a boardwalk of 265 steps ( I counted), which takes you down to numerous observation points overlooking the rugged coast. You can also catch a glimpse of the winding Cabot Trail as it snakes its way up and down. This was followed by a short hike along MacIntosh Brook trail - a 30 minute return trip with a small waterfall at the end. Off to Beaulach Ban Falls, the highest waterfall in the park. Luckily it can be viewed as a roadside waterfall being at the end of a short gravel road. It was flowing feebly this day ... read more

Day 2 of my trip to Grand Manan Island started with a half hour ferry ride to another nearby island - White Head Island. A very foggy day limiting visibility by the water. Once at the island I visited Gull Cove, a small fishing village. This was followed by a hike to Long Point Lighthouse, at the other end of the island. Returning to Grand Manan in the early afternoon, I drove to the south of the island to see the majestic cliffs. A short hike at the top provided wonderful views of the cliffs and sea below. On my way back to the hotel I stopped at Seal Cove Beach and picked up numerous "mermaid tears" lying on the beach. Mermaid tears, or sea glass, are small pieces of glass found in the world's oceans. ... read more

On a recent trip to Utah I visited Monument Valley as well. I took this iconic photo of Highway 163. Many may notice it from the Forrest Gump movie - Run Forrest run. This is the exact location where he stopped his run.... read more

The mittens! Elephant Butte! Three sisters! John Ford's Point! Camel Butte! Totem Pole! North Window! These are all interesting rock formations you can see along the Valley Drive at Monument Valley in Arizona. The 17 mile gravel road is in poor shape at the best of time. Although I initially tried to drive it myself, I quickly turned around after seeing the state of the road. I would not subject my rental to that road. Fortunately, the Navaho provide guided tours of the route in high clearance vehicles. A word of advice. Tell them the 75$ fee is too expensive. I did, and as I walked away someone came running to me to say that, "for me", I could have the tour for 50$! Go figure. This valley is the site of hundreds of movie productions. ... read more

A great day visiting Natural Bridges National Monument - 35 miles in the middle of nowhere in southern Utah. The site contains 3 of the longest natural bridges in the world - Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo; names from the hopi. The scenic, nine-mile Bridge View Drive leads to the three natural bridges. Additionally, hiking trails lead directly to the base of each bridge so you can see them up-close. As one of the trail signs indicated: A strenuous hike rewards the adventurous. I hiked to the base of all three, and although not long hikes, the paths were quite steep. On one, you descend 500 feet in .6 of a mile. The ladders and safety railings helped! In total I probably hiked 3-4 hours for the 3 bridges combined. Needless to say, I will sleep well ... read more