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The Solo Road Part 4 – Nebraska
22-25 May 2023 Connecting the dots between the Black Hills and Denver, CO, my route was taking me through the panhandle of Nebraska. Until recently, I had no reason to stop in Nebraska, but my sister and her husband moved their cattle ranch to Nebraska last summer. First, I had to find my way into…
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The Solo Road Part 3 – South Dakota
18-22 May 2023 Equally popular and overlooked, the Black Hills of South Dakota are a true gem. It would be a stretch to include the Black Hills in discussions about the Rocky Mountains, as it should be, since they have a character uniquely their own. I spent five days romping around the Black Hills, hiking,…
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The Solo Road Part 2 – Wyoming
16 May 2023 Next up on my route south was Yellowstone National Park. My past experiences with Yellowstone left something to be desired… Given that I missed the eruption at Old Faithful some years ago, it is the parking lots, gift shops, and crowds that stand out in my memory. Another attempt to explore a…
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The Solo Road Part 1 – Montana
15 May 2023 So began the adventure alone. I had about a month to get from Montana to New Mexico. With a car full of camping and climbing gear, the American West was my oyster, I just had to find the pearls. I suppose it was my mom who taught me to take the scenic…
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A Fork in Our Trail
For sixteen months, Maggie and I were rarely more than a stone’s throw from each other. Sharing in all the sights, sounds, and smells from far corners of the globe, and making new memories together everyday. Routines of normal working life make spending so much time with your significant other impossible, unless you somehow work…
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The Gravity of Canyonlands
In our down time this past spring, Maggie and I decided to sign up for a Wilderness First Responder (WFR, or “woofer“) course. Maggie needed to renew her WFR certification ahead of starting a ranger position with the National Park Service, and I had been thinking about taking the course for quite some time. When…
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‘Twas the Skison – for Backcountry
After our South American summer vacation, Maggie and I were in Colorado, thrust back into the heart of winter. Attempting to save a little money, and knowing that we would be spending a good chunk of time abroad, we decided to forgo ski passes for the 22-23 season and devote more time to backcountry skiing.…
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Chao, for now, Chile – Puerto Varas to Denver
Having checked off most everything on our list, it was time to make our way back to the United States. Maggie and I made the most of our last day in Santiago by romping around town and seeing things we missed on our first visit. 10 February 2023 The joy ride in our rental car…
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A Long Drive to Find Big Trees – Caleta Olivia to Puerto Varas
Maggie and I were closing the distance to Puerto Montt, where we had to return our rental car. A few more days of driving lay ahead, but we tried to make the most of it on the long road north before ending our South American adventure. 6 February 2023 Our seaside nook near Caleta Olivia…
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Not Quite the End of the World – Punta Arenas & Monte Leon National Park
Maggie and I had about a week left in South America. We wanted to get a far south as we could, but we needed to budget some time for the long drive back north. We settled on stopping through Punta Arenas, then made some fun stops on the way north through Argentina. 3 February 2023…
Boldly going nowhere in particular