People along the way

I want to add a section of Drivingdundee for people that I meet along the way on my journey. The people in “people along the way” are ones that I met in a number of places. The places for meeting someone could be on a trail, campground, on the road or even a watering hole but it is someone that I had a conversation with and I enjoyed the time we spoke together. If we have spoken and you did not make this page don’t think I did not have fun talking to you or learning about you it maybe that I just have not gotten to updating the site.

July 20 2024 – I also enjoyed meeting new people on my journey and was at Ranger talks during my time at Savage river campground.  While at a ranger talk a woman sat next to me and then hit me to kill a mosquito, being in Alaska that is OK as long as you kill the mosquitoes.  Well it turns out that Charlotte was with a group of 28 people on a bus for 36 days!  She and I went hiking the following day and enjoyed chatting.  Charlotte is from MD and she certainly enjoys her time traveling.  She even gave me ideas for getting to Antartica in the future.  I am sure going to get in touch with her when I am in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area.  Stay safe during your travels my friend.

July 5/6, 2024 – When waiting for my flight to King Salmon a couple of older gentlemen sat next to me.  One was a Vietnam veteran, Andy, who is battling cancer and other health issues due to agent orange used in Vietnam.  Andy is a photographer and his cousin Paul is along for the journey.  These two have had many adventures together over the years and I look forward to hearing more about their journey on our water taxi ride to Katmai tomorrow.  Andy and his wife go to parks allowing him to photograph wildlife and he makes a calendar each year of his photos.  Andy also has a printer that he prints his own prints of his photos, maybe something that I will have to look into.  Andy and Paul were on my water taxi and we spent the day together out at Brooks Falls.  I have really enjoyed getting to know these two fine men.  Andy thanks again for the service and sacrifice you made to our country.

July 4, 2024 – it was a big day for meeting people and interactions making “people along the way” entries.  A shout out to my Alaskan Airlines flight attendant who was working first class and I was in coach but she was just a wonderful person.  When I got on he was very kind to me and told me that I was also kind.  I went to the restroom and we started to talk.  She is from California and likes to fish.  She made the blog as the following day when I was talking to my cousin she spotted me at the hotel and we started chatting once again.  I hope to have her on another Alaskan Airlines flight as she was wonderful.

July 4, 2024 – The shuttle bus from the lodge to the airport was filled with guests who were leaving like me.  A couple with their kids was on the shuttle with me both ways and we chatted a bit.  The family had taken their kids all over the world and had enjoyed listening to my stories of my journey but I also enjoyed their stories.  We also had a man named Christian on our shuttle who had just finished ten  days of camping and canoeing in Glacier Bay!  Christian works on small cruise ships and had plenty of stories to share about those adventures.  Christian also lives on is sailboat in Mexico when he is not working on the cruise ship in Alaska.  He had plenty of adventures to share and the six of us talked on the bus ride, at the airport, and when we made it to Juneau.  It turned out that all of us were on the same flight to Anchorage so we continued to tell stories.  It turns out that Christian was able to get some wonderful video of wildlife on his ten days of camping in the park.  I was a bit jealous of the quality of the videos but also knew that it was something for me to strive to achieve as I was getting better with my camera.  I offered him a lift to his hotel and we said goodbye.  I may see him again in Whittier, where is boat is stationed if I can get to Whittier on a Friday.  If I don’t see him maybe we will catch up again down in Mexico, All the best for sailing my friend.

July 3/4, 2024 – Waiting on my boat to enjoy a day going to the glaciers at Glacier Bay National Park I heard a young lady, Hannah, behind me in line say “is that an otter?”  Her partner Conrad said “no it is a bouy.”  I then had to chime in and say no that is an otter and a bouy but the both were correct.  We started to chat and when we finally boarded the boat we all chose the top deck.  The journey within Glacier Bay we stopped and chatted.  It turns out that Conrad flew helicopters in Dallas for the news stations and they lived not far from Dallas.  They are not living in “Sin City,” Las Vegas, and are electricians.  They were going on a kayak trip for a few days following our boat journey.  I asked where they were staying it turned out that the campground in Glacier Bay was there home for two nights.  We send goodbye after our boat journey.  I went to get my stamp on my passport and ran into them again at the visitor center.  Again we had a nice chat but said our goodbyes.  After a hearty dinner I wanted to get a hike in so off I went on a journey.  When I started it was in the campground and I notice that there was all kinds of wood from trees cut down but also that the park service has a “warming” hut and free firewood.  I found my new friends at the warming hut with Hannah trying to start a fire.  She got it going but rested on her laurels and it went out.  Conrad then had to come and work to get the fire going once again.  The conversation we had lasted a few hours but seemed only like a few minutes.  Once again we said our goodbyes and I walked back to the lodge.  As luck would have it, the following day Conrad and Hannah were getting ready to leave on their journey and I had a taxi coming to recover me for the 4th festivities and I ran into them again.  It was like seeing an old friend and we had a lovely conversation once again.  We did have to say our final goodbye as they needed to get moving towards their kayak journey and I my 4th celebration.  Until we see each other again.

May 30, 2024 – I was in my van relaxing and reading when the camp host came by asking for my name to validate I was in the correct spot.  I asked if she could help me make sure I had three nights at the campsite since I had the issue at Grand Tetons, thought I had an extra night.  Well Lydia said she would do so and we got to chatting.  She just finished her first year at a Junior College and will get her associates degree in the fall in conservation!  Graduating a full semester early is quite the accomplishment since she is working this summer at Custer State Park and not taking classes.  Lydia is the oldest of four kids (I think) with a sister in high school, brother in middle school, and a sister in elementary school.  She is working the summer as a camp host but not at one campground but as a roving host, giving he hosts living at the campground a couple of days off.  Not being assigned to a single campground she has to go a total of four campgrounds and lives I a dorm style room provided by the South Dakota Parks.  The cool thing is she get a “company” truck to use to drive to the campgrounds.  Lydia is looking forward to people visiting her this summer.  Her boyfriend is coming soon and he wants to see Mount Rushmore so that he will do when she is working on a Thursday but otherwise they will be hiking and exploring the area together.  Lydia’s grandmother is coming as well and wants to visit Wall Drug.  That is a place that you only want to go to once and both she and I have been there.  She being the good Granddaughter is going to go with her grandmother and enjoy time with her.  I have to say that I enjoyed speaking with Lydia and it seemed like only a few minutes but as I get to telling stories it ended by over an hour.  Thanks for listening to the stories of my journey to visit all the parks.  I look forward to hearing about the great things you are going to do in your life. 

May 28, 2024 – While in the Grand Tetons, you come across bear traffic jams.  The dam was backed up and so was the road after the bridge until you get to the “No stopping” area.  Being a good park citizen I went to a safe spot and pulled over and started to walk towards the dam.  A young couple, Kat and Terrill, were sitting on the roof of a jeep. They asked if I thought it was worth it for them to stay and what it was that people were looking at by the dam.  Earlier in the day, I had noticed a bear and cub before the dam and thought that it was the bear and cub coming down the hill to the river and suggested that they stay.  I decided to stay with them.  Kat working in a church and Terrill works with songwriters in Nashville.  Cool jobs they have and I asked them about their work and enjoyed the time getting to know them.  We got to talking as we were waiting for over 30 minutes before we spotted the bear on our side of the river!  Needless to say Kat was very excited but we only spotted the bear for a few minutes.  Disappointment came in as we thought the bear sighting was over but then we saw the cub running and jumping around with mamma not far behind.  Kat was so excited she saw a bear and got a video of the bear’s antics.  Kat and Terrill had come to Jackson for a wedding and I hope that enjoying a day at the park was a cherry on top of the ice cream of watching friends get married.  Thanks for speaking and spending time with me.  Until we meet again, maybe in Nashville! 

May 17, 2024 – After a morning of hiking in the canyon of Bryce Canyon I went back to the van and then took a bus ride to the visitor center to use the postal drop.  The driver of the bus on the way back made me think, I still have energy and should hike the rim trail from Bryce Point the highest part of the park.  Well that is what I did after going to the van and get my hiking stuff.  When I got off the bus and started to make my journey along the rim there were two couples at the first viewing area.  One of the women mentioned something about trees that are dead tell stories so I was intrigued.  I asked the remaining three if they were going any further up the trail and it was a hard NO.  They said they were lazy and owned it so they two men were not going.  Well the other woman decided to start the journey and met her friend.  The two of them along with me made it to the Bryce Point lookout and they were happy at the view and they made the walk.  I mentioned that they should continue down the view point to the end to really see the hoodoos.  I have to say I think that these two ladies were very happy their made the journey to Bryce Point lookout.  We chatted a bit, took photos and off I was on my journey for the rim trail.  Safe travels on your bikes with your mates back to California. 

December 12, 2023 – I was headed to Hot Springs in Big Bend and there was a sign saying no RV, dual wheeled vehicles or trailers beyond this point with a parking area.  There was a guy with a van parked there and a guy with a trailer that had a dozen bikes leaving the trailer.  I asked him how much further if he knew and he said about a 1/2 mile and offered to give me a ride in the back of his truck.  I had a few things to get done so I declined the offer.  I then embarked on my hike to the hot springs picnic area and hike was not bad along the road and it was about the 1/2 mile.  When I got to the picnic area he and his family had a picnic table and I stopped and said hello.  We got to talking and they are from Kerrville, TX and work at a Christian camp called Camp Eagle.  They have been working for 13 years at the park but originally were from Oklahoma.  I ended up spending about 30 minutes talking to them then walked to the hot springs with Adam and Mo, their oldest son.  Kirsten and Louis stayed back to clean up lunch and I am sure had some words about eating lunch.  When we got to the springs everyone got in and I did not as my Dr. does not like me getting into hot tubs but I did put my feet in the water.  It was nice and warm in a little area of the “hot tub.”  I have to say that I did enjoy speaking with and spending time with Adam and Kirsten and their family.  Such good people and they even offered to take me back to Dundee after they got ready.  I declined but said if they pass me I might take the ride.  I made it back to Dundee and left before they arrived at their trailer.  Adam and Kirsten thanks for the time at the hot springs it was wonderful getting to speak with you and your children.

November 22, 2023 – I got to meet Laura and Dena at the Coldplay concert in Malaysia. These two were sitting outside in the rain listening to the music due to not having a ticket. I was able to get them into the show and the three of us had a wonderful time listening to the music in the rain watching the show. The journey home was long but not as long as the journey to the venue. It should have been a 45 minute ride but it took 2.5 hours. If the journey to the venue had been shorter then the girls would have not seen the show, guess things happen for a reason. Travel safe back to Germany and I hope seeing the show was a wonderful cherry on your trip.

November 15, 2023 – A big shout out to my friend Cris, her husband, Stewart, and her mom, who gave me a ride from the train statin to my VRBO!  They were super nice in offering me a ride to the VRBO.  They were paying it back to a day when they were in Chicago and went to a Blackhawks game and were given a ride to their hotel.  Thanks for paying it back to me and I will look to pay it back to another person/family.  I hope that you get settled into New Zealand after all the time in the UK.  I know that it will be a wonderful time for Cris to be back home near her mom.  If you are headed to Texas let me know or if you are in the US I would love to have a glass of wine with you.  Thanks again for the ride and enjoy your time with family.

November 14, 2023 – I was at the falls and enjoying the view with all of the kids.  I went on my way and ran into a couple from my train ride to National Park who were from Boston.  We did not speak on the train but we had a few minutes to talk on the trail.  I stopped to warn them about all the kids at the falls but it turned into much more.  It seems Lou went to Dennison and played lacrosse and Hana went to Smith also playing lacrosse.  They asked about my Towson Lacrosse hat, it is a small lacrosse world.  Hana is an official for women’s lacrosse but may have a hard time this season due to being pregnant.  After 30 minutes of chatting my friends and I departed.  Good luck with the baby and keep enjoying lacrosse.

November 13, 2023 – as luck would have it I sat in the wrong seat on the train heading to the National Park.  The young lady, Courtney, was very nice and she was ok with sitting at the window and sat at the window.  I then yanked her and we spoke for the first hour along the way. She is traveling to the National a park as well and is actually hiking and spending a night on the trail. She may have a change in plans as it may rain tomorrow. Courtney is a Nurse in the cardiac ICU in Vancouver.  She is on a 3 week journey through NZ by herself for the first few days but will travel with friends on the journey on the South Island.  I was out and about in the town of National Park and who did I run into but Courtney.  She was at her hotel and FaceTiming her mom, so I said hello to her mom and went into the hotel.  When I came out Courtney and I spoke for another hours and it was good to chat with her.  Enjoy your journey my new friend.

October 17, 2023 – Well as lacrosse would have it I was at the summit crater and ran into a couple from Philly whose daughter plays lacrosse at USC and I have a high school friend whose daughter coaches at USC.  We started chatting and I made a comment about bad parents and how that is keeping me from officiating. During the comment I said yes all the parents like that think their child is the next Paul Rabil.  When out of left field someone said “Paul Rabil is over rated.”  After the first conversation was over I went to the gentleman who made the comment.  I asked him if he played and he said yes and pointed to his sweat pants.  OH a Canadian lacrosse player he is currently. I will not use his name for good reason but I will go watch him when his indoor box team comes to Dallas and I will cheer for my new friend.  It is interesting the people you see along the way and get an instant connection.  These connections were lacrosse but the connection would have been anything.  I am looking forward to watching the box game in Fort Worth in December with my sign to embarrass my new friend.

October 16, 2023 – I made it to Maui and decided to do some recon work for the sunrise tomorrow.  As I made it to the top of Haleakala, I came upon a man and woman who had beach chairs and were looking in the direction of the sunset.  The strange part was he was in shorts and a short sleeve shirt but the weather was in the 60’s.  I started up a conversation and Eddie and I started talking and we talked for 20 minutes.  He and his wife have a home on Maui but spend most of their time in Edwards, CO.  We talked about all things from skiing, lacrosse, family, where we are in our life right now etc.  I think that I could have spoken with Eddie for much longer but his wife was getting cold and wanted to leave, she did not say anything but we could tell.  Eddie be safe on the mountains and enjoy the great heart you have.

September 29, 2023 – well I went to the ranger talk and Ariel spoke about wild fires and control burns.  After the talk a couple from Dusseldorf Germany and a couple from Hawaii and I started talking with Ariel.  It turns out that Tom and Nancy live on Maui and also lived in America Samoa for 25 years!  Nancy is a marine biologist and ran the Marine Center on the island and now she is retired in Hawaii.  Tom and Nancy were too much fun to talk about as they are into the 40s for Parks visited.  Tom mentioned that Alaska will be hard for them but I know they will be able to get to those parks.  They are in the area and are camping in a tent here and I have to applaud them for bringing all their gear from Hawaii to VA.  Thanks for the conversation and I hope you get to all the parks in your journey.  Be safe and look for my whale(2) on www.happywhale.com

September 28, 2023 – it has been a long time, 1 year, since I was on the road and I am happy to say that I have missed being on the road in nature.  I am in Shenandoah National Park and stopped to get some cell service to check and see if a friends son was going to join me for a bit of hiking.  As it turned out, a Ram Promaster came into the turnoff and then a gentleman, Bob Evans, was at my window.  It turned out that he and his wife Leana are from Tyler, TX and he wanted to know where in Texas I was from.  We started talking and we ended up talking way longer than they wanted.  Bob and Leana spent 27 years of their life in Africa working for non-government organizations (NGO) and that is something that I would love to do before I am too old to do it.  They raised three kids in Africa in 5 countries and one of the kids even got married and stayed in Africa.  Bob gave me some names of some NGO places that I may look to work with if I still want to do the work helping others.  Bob and his wife are living in their van and traveling the US but go home every 6-8 weeks in support of Leana’s mother who is 94!  Their van is tricked out and Bob did the work.  I enjoyed meeting and talking with Bob and Leana but with meeting anyone they had to move on to their next adventure.  Good luck with your journey.

July 17, 2022 – Where to start with all the wonderful people that I met and had fun with at Isle Royale.  The park was wonderful but the people who I interacted with made the park even more memorable.  Start out with Chuck and Carie who were in the shelter next to me.  Chuck is a supervisor for a receiving dock in MI, so we had some stuff in common to chat about.  Carie is a teacher in the Kalamazoo school district.  We enjoyed chatting about hikes, watching moose, drinking wine (boxed single serve wine) and life.  These times were enjoyable and I will remember them fondly.  There was Chelsea and Jason who came over to the island from Grand Portage on an 18 foot sail boat.  The journey is 22 miles and the power boat I took to the island was a 2.5 hour journey, theirs was 8 hours.  As luck would have it there was no wind and the little motor that could get them to the island was broken by the time they had arrived.  Their stay for a couple of days was extended due to trying to find a way home with their boat.  There was a group of boaters who support the island and its fisheries and one of these fine people was able to tow them to Grand Portage.  We also have Sam, who was from CA and moving to MA.  Sam was on a journey/mission to see the US and was in Alaska etc. before coming to Isle Royale.  Sam got one of the two cabins on the Windigo part of the island so he had electricity and a bed, but no running water.  The other cabin was Tess and Tristin who I met on the hike to Huginnin Cove.  It turned out that their cabin was next to Sam and the 4 of us had a good chat on the second night I was on the island.  Sam did come to my shelter on the last morning and saw a moose but Tess and Tristin went hiking on an overnight.  We have Judy from Towson!  She was a day tripper to the island who got lost and then Tess, Tristin and Sam “took her in” so she would have a place to sleep.  I may see Judy again on 8/6 for an Orioles game in Baltimore.  Lastly, I will talk about Rachel who was on the Rock Harbor to Windigo through hike who got bad blisters on her feet.  She was a trooper and make it, no other choice, but she hung out with us campers for a day and 1/2.  I did not talk about all of the people who make the trip interesting but I can’t leave out the Isle Royale boat organization.  These guys and gals have been coming to the island for years, on for over 50, and they help the park with maintenance on some of the islands and raise money for other items.  The group also held their annual meeting at the park pavilion in Windigo Harbor on Saturday and had a fish fry.  The fish was lake trout that they caught the last few days so really fresh, fries, slaw, baked beans and cake.  They even offered soda, water and beer only asking for a donation for all of this fine food and drink.  I have to say on Friday I am told the group made brats and chili but I did not go down, too bad for me as I am sure it would have been a great meal as well.  Thanks to everyone for making my trip that much more enjoyable.

July 10, 2022 – I was at Voyagers National Park at the Kettle Falls Hotel and it was raining outside.  Since they have a bar, I decided on going to the bar to update the blog.  While in the bar there were a couple of groups of people enjoying music and adult beverages.  Speaking to one group it turns out that the son of Patty is going on a park tour in 2023 with his school.  We spoke about the parks that he was going to and it was fun chatting.  That is not the reason for the update to people, but it was Amber.  She was with the last group leaving the bar and her son was playing pool.  He played other kids for two games and lost when he scratched on the eight ball.  Amber then said she would play a game with him.  She then also asked me if I was the National Park guy and I guess that I am the guy with being on the Flat Smokey Tour.  She is on the lake with two of her neighbors and their families.  Amber’s husband was a law enforcement officer and he was killed last year so their trip was cancelled as she didn’t know if she could do it.  Well this year they went on the trip!  Amber left her position as a judge to take care of her three children 2 girls and 1 boy.  Amber’s husband was a collector of whiskey and so she has some social media accounts called “whiskeywidow” and will soon have a blog up and running.  Amber and her group left too soon for more detailed conversation.  I have followed her on Twitter and I look forward to the blog starting.  Amber until we meet again, stay safe and enjoy everyday.

June 30, 2022 – Today I was hiking Taggart Lake and Bradley Lake.  I had been to Taggart and was looking at the sign for Bradley Lake when a nice young woman mentioned she was going that way and we started to hike together.  Julia is from the Upper West Side in NYC and works for a non-profit theater group.  She will retire in October and I am sure spend more time out here in Jackson.  She comes to Jackson a few times a year to ski and hike and visit her sister.  Julia has gotten many friends who live here full time and she comes now to see them as well.  Julia’s sister moved to Bozman, MT so it is friends she sees and does hiking.  She spent her COVID time here in Jackson with a friend in their guest house making the time a bit more bearable.  Julia has to move on as she was running out of time so back down she went and I went to get closer to Bradley Lake.  As luck would have it when I got to the “Y” in the trail merging Taggart and Bradley Lake trails together I ran into a couple of young people who are working in Jackson for the Summer while attending a small school in Tennessee.  She is from the Atlanta area and he was from Charlotte area but they go to school together.  He is studying economics and wants to get into the venture capital area after a year or two getting some life’s experiences and heading to Kellogg B-School like his father.  She will be heading to Paris for a semester and study there and also get to do some life experiences in Europe.  School is only 4 days a week so that means 3 days for fun and travel in Europe, should be fun.  She wants to be a designer of eco-friendly clothing.  I hope they fulfill their dreams and have a wonderful life as they helped me get down the trail much faster than I would have normally done just by talking with them.  Thanks and good luck.

June 22, 2022 – The hike today was to Mills Lake and when I exited the bus stop at Glacier Gorge there was a few people getting off.  I set my poles up and went on my hike.  A lady on the bus went ahead of me and she was ahead of me until just after the Alberta Falls viewing area.  She then asked where I was heading, Mills Lake, and so we she.  She asked if we could hike together and I said sure but she would most likely want to go faster as I am not the fastest hiker.  She was good with it and off we went for another 2 miles.  Patty as it turns out just retired and moved to Colorado about 1.5 hours from Rocky Mountain and she was even thinking of moving to the Estes Park area.  She loves hiking and even took her grandchildren hiking this summer already.  The grandchildren are from Oklahoma City and Patty is from the Lawton / Ft. Sills area of OK.  Patty has lived in Colorado for two years, moved during COVID, and she is getting her “sea legs” in her town.  I enjoyed the hike up talking to her and not thinking of the lack of air I was breathing.  When we got to the top we had a snack with two women from Estes Park and we chatted about the winters in Estes Park, hiking clubs in the area etc.  It turned out one of the two women was from Hurst, TX not far from where I live but now she and her husband spend summers in Estes Park and then winters at a lake house outside of Ft. Worth.  The second lady was a bit older and during our discussion it turned out she was 83 years old!  I have to say I want to be hiking in Rocky Mountain when I am 83.  Well down we went Patty and I chatting.  We said goodbye at a stream crossing near the bus stop as I was taking photos and Patty needed to head home, 1.5 hours away.  Patty, hope you find your spot in Colorado and enjoy your time here.  It was a pleasure to hike with you and stay safe.

June 21, 2022 – Today was a day filled with interesting people.  It felt like I was back in Baltimore at Pimlico hitting the trifecta.First off I was riding the shuttle bus from the park and ride and that is where I met Manny and Myrna.  They are from South Florida and are traveling for 8 months around the country.  It started out me talking about their hike Bierstadt and then handing Manny a sticker.  He then said wait a second and handed me a sticker and I have to say it was funny we both had stickers.  They are an Instagram and YouTube couple living in a 40 ft fifth wheel camper.  You can get to them on Instagram @retiredandrollin to check out their jam.  We had a great conversation but hiking was in order so we said our goodbyes.  Secondly was a woman on the Emerald Lake Trail just past Dream lake who was by herself.  She stated that she let her family go on without her.  We chatted a bit then when on the Bear Lake Trail I ran into her and her family.  Turned out she was the one with lunch so it was a good thing the family came back to get her.  It turned out that she is went to the University of Delaware, and so did the son with her.  I was not liking her as much and then I noticed her daughter with a James Madison hat and the sealed the deal in me not liking her.  We enjoyed some friendly banter and I wished her and her family well.   Third group was when I was waiting for the bus from the park and ride to the campground.  Well the bus was not running so fast and a young lady was wearing a shirt that said Navy Waterpolo.  I asked if she went to the Academy and she graduated in 2021!  She is now in flight school in Corpus Christi, TX.  We stated to talk about life as a MidShipman and people that I knew who went there but it turns out she did not know people who graduated before she was born.  Go figure.  Her friend was wearing an Ohio State hat so I had to validate she was not a poser by saying OH, and she gave the correct response.  It turns out that her friend was also in flight school in Corpus but went though Ohio State ROTC program to get there.  We kept talking and got on the bus down to the campground.  National Parks came up and I offered these two young ladies stickers and we chatted about parks for the ride and then hike to the Loop A intersection.  I thanked them for their service and also kept telling them stories.  Thankfully they were laughing so that was good and I was not the creepy old guy, maybe they thought so but I did bid them a farewell.  Thanks again for your service and all you are doing to keep out country safe.  Fly well.

June 11, 2022 – While hiking the Manzanita Creek Trail a couple walked by when I was snacking wearing Wisconsin Badgers hats.  I said hello and they did as well but that was it.  On my way down the hill, I wanted to get video of various sounds so I was stopping often to get the sounds of birds, water rushing etc.  Well the two Badgers came upon me and we started to talk.  Then we started to hike together for a bit until I had to stop again for some water sounds.  Antonio an electrical engineer and Ju Wan (hope I did not butcher her name too bad) from Oakland.  Ju Wan works for a non-profit to work with schools to provide better nutrition to students who are food insecure.  The idea of helping schools provide better food for students is a wonderful thing but I still remember pizza Friday at BAHS.  Thanks for walking with the slow old guy today and keep helping kids get better nutrition.  Stay safe.

June 10, 2022 – Today, I was heading to my hike and a young lady with multiple cameras around her neck was coming off a trail to the lake.  I asked her about the shot she had gotten and noticed one of the two cameras was a 35mm camera.  So I started talking to her about my Dad’s slides, and thousands of negatives that I needed to go though.  She even told me that people will purchase old negatives, slides and super 8 movies just to see what is on them.  Maybe I will get the devices to convert the super 8 movies to MP4 and then convert the slides and negatives to photos.  She was very supportive and as we talked she mentioned she is ending a four month journey going to National Parks.  She hit the parks in the lower 48 but two on her journey being Isle Royale as she was there too early in the year and Dry Tortuga as the boat times did not work for her journey.  Ashley also mentioned her being a professional photographer and that inspired me to give her a sticker to look at my photos.  I hope she likes a few of them.  Ashley was heading out of Lassen today as she need to be home in San Diego tomorrow, her parents miss her.  Ashley thanks for taking the time to talk to this old guy and I look forward to seeing your photos and you giving me some feedback on mine.  I am glad you are enjoying your journey and make sure you review the Alaska stuff and contact me if you have questions.  Keep the journey going and be safe.

June 4, 2022 – I was stopped looking at the first part of Mirror Lake and a couple moved on just before me.  Since I am the slow walker, I came upon this couple near a sign that read “Mirror Lake.”  They asked if the dirt and water in front of us was actually the lake and I speculated that it was due to the sign.  We started to chat and it turned out that Shella is from Houston who lived in Dallas for a short stint.  Shella’s friend Jose is a teacher who is heading back to Spain for most of the summer to spend time with family.  We had a nice little chat and talking with a second Texan today made me smile.  Be safe you two.  The first encounter with a Texan today was the Park Ranger at the entrance station who not only was a Texan but was from Mesquite a town which I had worked in the past.  It was a good day to be a Texan today

May 25, 2022 – at Potato Harbor I ran into three gentlemen coming from the harbor and we struck up a conversation.  The three gentlemen were camping for multiple days here in Scorpion Campground and have traveled together many times.  They are all retired with the last being retired less than 6 weeks, he had an OU hat on his head.  Another one of the guys had a great hat that said “I drink well with others” and I love that hat.  They are visiting parks and camping something that they have been doing for many years.  Travel safe my friends.

May 24, 2022 – on the boat ride out to the island I met two women who have been traveling together for 5 weeks.  They met on an adventure in Los Vegas earlier in the year. One of the two is a retired pharmacist who is full of spunk and loves an adventure.  Susan was using her son’s van and Rashelle was along for the trip.  Rochelle just sold her restaurant and is looking for what is next in her life.  These two were fun for me to chat with on the boat and at camp.  I sure hope our paths cross again either together or individually.  May you have plenty of journeys that put smiles on your faces. Stay safe and Susan I look forward to GrandmaGoPro getting up and running.  I am so sorry I did not get to say goodbye but I thought you were on the 4pm boat:(. I did love the note however.

May 21, 2022 – Today, I hiked to Lost Palm Oasis and had on a Towson t-shirt like always.  A young lady, Katie, was like Towson in MD?  I said yes and she told me her parents went to school there and ran on the track team at Towson.  Katie said that she and Brady live in Philly and are here in CA for a wedding and some vacation at National Parks.  They are going to Santa Cruz Island tomorrow and leaving when I arrive on Tuesday.  I look forward to catching up with them and hear about their adventures in the Channel Islands when I arrive.  Good luck on the “wedding” both attending and your own.  May life be filled with many journeys together and fulfill all your dreams.

In addition to Katie and Brady, I met Chris on the trail to the Lost Palms.  He was much faster than me and passed me on the way to the Palms like I was standing still.  On the way back for me I took a rest and when Chris came by we chatted for a bit.  The big draw was he has been to 57 National Parks already!  When I finish this year I will have done 58 so we chatted about the parks and what we liked and did not like.  He was even a guide for tour busses in Yellowstone for a summer, and maybe I could do that when I am done on my journey.  Chris stated that the ones he has not done are the 4 in Alaska that you have to fly into, America Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.   I hope that I have talked him into going to the 4 in Alaska as I had a great time there and maybe if he sees this post he will most definitely make the journey.  Good luck Chris on completing the parks and may our paths cross again.  P.S.  Sorry about that speeding ticket.

May 19, 2022 – Well as luck would have it I had to take Dundee in for some service.  The dealership was in Gilbert, AZ and when I pulled in today there was a gentlemen waiting to get an extra key made for his car.  We chatted a bit and he liked the Dundee.  When we were both taken care of by our service advisors, he got some coffee and I admired the shop.  The shop was air conditioned and you could view from the lounge area.  Larry and I continued to talk and for the next 1.5 hours we chatted about everything.  Larry is in his 80’s and is taking care of his wife while his two boys run his company.  Larry lived on a boat in Mexico, is a Vietnam veteran, thanks for your service, and business man.  We talked about various recipes for making dishes, hope he likes my meatballs with red sauce.  Larry is taking care of his 77 year old wife who has “memory issues” and refuses to put her into a home.  I think that Larry and I could have talked for hours longer but his car was done and he needed to go take care of his wife.  Larry thanks for the time chatting and getting to know you just a little bit.  I wish we could have had a whiskey and I learn more about your life.  Take care of yourself and your wife.  Thanks for enriching my life just a bit today.

May 19, 2022 – I hit the jackpot today after my time at the MB dealership in Gilbert I made it to Joshua Tree.  I had the pleasure to meet a couple from Switzerland named Gerald and Salome.  They are in the US in their Fiat RV which they shipped to the US and recovered in Baltimore.  They are on a few month tour of the US out west enjoying the great country.  Salome and Gerald are on their second tour of the US and their first was in 2015 when they also went to Canada and spent 7 months on that journey.  They know how to live and travel.  I enjoyed speaking with them and Salome’s English was good and I think she enjoyed using her English skills.  Gerald understood English but did not like to speak but he did very well when he spoke.  There was a couple that walked by from Colone Germany and German was the language of choice for that conversation.  My German is not as good as Gerald’s English but I understood most of the conversation in German.  Salome has the route of their’s all planned out and marked on a map of the US.  She even has little dots of various colors to show which book and page number of the corresponding book of that particular place.  She is very organized!  My Swiss friends introduced me to a new liquor called Suze.  It is created by a root of a plant and is orange in color.  I enjoyed my glass of Suze with some ice.  I wish my new friends well on their journey within the US and a safe trip home.  It was a wonderful way to spend the evening hours in Joshua Tree.  They have a blog and the address is http://geraldsalome.blogspot.com if you have time take a look at their journey.  Until we see each other again.

May 17, 2022 – Today was the first park of the third year for me trying to visit all the national parks and as luck would have it I can across a couple who have been to all of the National Parks in the United States!  This couple Joe and Bev have been going to parks since the 1970’s and I have to say they did not look their ages of over 70.  The couple was originally from Pennsylvania but now have retired to Hawaii.  They still travel to parks when back on the mainland.  We traded stories of the various parks that they like and some of the ones that I have been too.  It is funny Bev mentioned that when they say they have been to all the parks they are always asked “which one do you like the best?” and that made me chuckle.  I am also asked that all the time.  This couple was pleasant to chat with and I have to say I think we could have talked parks for many hours.  The stories they had about hiking to the backwoods cabins in Glacier and going to parks when they were not crowded made me jealous.  The story about Congree in SC about seeing an Owl in the day time while hiking the boardwalk, is something that I did not see when I was there but maybe I can swing down there for a day on this trip to see if I can see one of the famous owls.  Joe and Bev have a great rest of your trip and until our paths cross again, keep hiking strong.

September 13, 2021 – I was hiking Cub Lake and was on the finishing side of the hike when I came across 3 women we got off the trail to let me pass.  I noticed one of the women wearing a Smokey Bear hat so I had to stop and chat.  I showed the 3 ladies Flat Smokey which we had to have photos taken with me, Flat Smokey, the lady and her hat.  During the photo session, it was determined that the hat was purchased by a husband of the lady for her many days of hiking.  A second lady, who took the photo, was from Erie, PA and lives near the university which 4 of my family members have attended.  It turns out that the three ladies were a part of a larger group of six who were on their twenty-sixth year of hiking together!  I am glad that I have friends like that which I can say I have been with them doing cool stuff for twenty-six years.  Keep going ladies and make it fifty two before you start to slow down!

September 10, 2021 – When I was finished my hike at Great Sand Dunes I was hanging in my van cleaning up from the hike and writing in the blog when a van parked next to me.  The van was and old Chevy with a fiberglass top on it but it had the tale tell sign of a max air fan and solar panels so it was a giveaway it was a camper van.  The guy who came out, Steven, was a nice young guy and we started talking.  Steven is building out his van on his own and actually is at a van fair here in the area listening to others talk about their van build outs, safety, and companies trying to see you the latest and greatest stuff.  He and I had a great talk for over 1 hour about vans, Alaska and life.  Steven, I wish you luck along your journey and with the job in Montana.  Stay safe in the woods and enjoy your buildout.

September 6, 2021 – I got to go to a Ranger talk today!  The Ranger giving the talk about the Utes was Ranger Julie.  Julie made people along the way due to her being a Baltimore person and even when she went to the University of Maryland I still put her in the people along the way.  Julie was a college professor for a few years working at Anne Arundel Community College.  She also spent three stints with Americorp when she graduated to help people.  Disaster relief was her first year assignment then she went into education with Americorp.  Julie is now a full time resident in Colorado and working at Black Canyon of Gunnison this year.  The past two seasons she was a ranger at Yellowstone.  Julie, I wish you luck on your journey of life and keep up the great attitude.

August 11, 2021 – When I pulled into my spot on the 10th there was a mom and two children across the road from me.  I was friendly and say hello and we talked when I would walk by on the 10th.  The 11th they went hiking, and swimming and the kids seemed to be having a great time here in the campground.  The kids Fox, 7 and Clover, 5, and camping is a great experience for them.  Mom and I talked and I helped entertain the kids enjoying the imagination of the children with their games.  The night was getting late and the kids had to go to bed so off I went to Dundee.  I wish Heather and the kids well when the left on the 12th and hope they keep having fun in the National Parks.

August 10, 2021 – The van was parked in its spot and I was enjoying some outside time reading when the camper next to me also in a van asked about my screens.  We talked about them for a bit and then she said that I should come over later to talk.  I had dinner and went over to speak with her, a pilot for Alaska Airlines, her boyfriend, Jason, and two children, Coulter and Decklan.  They are from Portland and they use the van for camping in the summer and in the winter they go skiing and stay in the van.  We had a great conversation and as the wine was continuing to flow it was getting late and I had to say good night to them.  I enjoyed talking with them and learning of their adventures with Memphis, their van’s name.  I hope they enjoyed listening to my adventures with Dundee.  Until we cross paths again stay safe.

August 9, 2021 – I was coming down from Panorama Point and ran into some volunteers of the National Park service. They suggested that I take a trail Moraine that was only 0.5 miles each way so why not.  Well as luck would have it on the way out of the trail I came across a young couple who were heading down.  I gave them some tips and told them how awesome that the views were at the end of the hike.  They are from Alabama and are a nice young couple.  He built out a regular van with his buddies and went on a road trip a few years ago.  His wife also went in the van with him and a few others and that is why I know she is a keeper for him.  If you can live in a van with someone for an extended period of time and not hate them when you are done it is saying something about the relationship.  Well she said yes and they got married so I told him she was a keeper.  I hope that they continue to have wonderful adventures together.

July 30, 2021 – the Samaritan Food Truck has cold drinks, burgers and milk shakes.  I needed a cold drink so as luck would have it they helped me out with a cold drink.  The cashier was from Houston and we started chatting and she is here for the summer due to a boyfriend living here but goes to school in Texas, and is a 3rd generation going to the particular school in Texas.  The young lady goes to Stephen F. Austin.  I didn’t want to sound rude to I talked to the other two workers at the food truck.  One is from Nashville but went to school in San Diego and is now starting the search for a full time job when the summer in Alaska is over.  Maybe the Smaraition group is hiring?  The third girl is from Buffalo but she is not in school but loves to bake.  Before coming to Alaska she was working in a bakery and enjoyed the work but not sure of the hours were to her liking.  A baker as to be up early to make the donuts.  I wished these three girls luck in their future endeavors and you never know where and we we will meet again.  Keep going what is right. 

July 27, 2021 – I went to the village of Talkeetna to explore this village.  Well I was surprised that when arrived at Mountain View pizza that one of the cooks said “Towson, I just sold my house there near the country club two months ago.”  We chatted a bit and it turns out he was originally from the Pittsburgh area (Wexford) besides being from Towson.  Joe is his name and we started chatting about all kinds of things and it turns out he is also a Steeler fan.  The fact that Joe just left Towson and is from Pittsburgh and a Steeler fan all are reasons why he is making it people along the way.  Additionally, the bartender was from the Dallas area!  I stayed for more than a slice and one beer at Mountain View pizza.  If you go please try the Easy Street Lager as it is brewed just for this fine establishment and is a good lager.  The bartender will give you samples to try of the various draft beers but don’t punish him by asking for more than one taste of a single beer.  Good luck Joe in Alaska, Towson will miss you.

July 18, 2021 – Yesterday a couple went on the Savage River shuttle bus with us and we chatted for a bit.  After the hike of the Savage River trail and the Savage Alpine trail walking back to the campground, the couple was outside their rental Dodge Promaster van.  The Van had a cool awing so I stopped to ask about the awing.  We talked for a bit more and then made a date for the following evening, the 18th, for wine by the campfire.  Marty and Carrie are from Naples, FL now but just moved there from outside of Chicago.  Marty was in the car business and Carrie was a project manager for a few different companies but now they are retired!  Carrie came down with Marty and they were loaded with snacks, chairs and wine.  I provided wine and wine glasses, glad I had 4 glasses.  Our date was at 1800 and we ended up talking about life experiences and their trip, my trip and everything in-between until it was time to go to bed at 2230.  Marty and Carrie were headed out in the AM and I bid them a fond farewell.  I look forward to going to south FL and saying hello to them once again.

July 13, 2021 – Today was Towson day at Denali!  It started with me wearing a Towson long sleeve T-shirt and when I got on the bus someone said Towson.  I sat down as there were 6 people behind me so I did not engage the person who said Towson.  When Dale, the driver, stopped at Polychrome today, I was looking at the beauty of the vast expanse of Denali National Park when I young man told me he was a rising senior at Towson!  He lives on campus and was on campus last year.  At the second stop, a driver came up to me and told me his brother went to Towson and he went to the “other MD” school.  Then when I was at the bottom of Gorge Creek a lady, who was on my bus, said that she knew Towson since her husband got his doctorate at Hopkins.  They lived in Mt. Washington and it brought back memories of the Tavern with all of those great people who worked at the Tavern with me.  I miss the Tavern people, we need a reunion or how about a Tavern Olympics again this time we watch olympics?    So today, three people along the way knew Towson and it makes my heart warm that Towson is known in Alaska

July 11, 2021 – when we got the Teklanika there was a guy who come over to say hello.  We chatted for a bit and he left.  A few minutes later, I saw him with a group of people and I went to say hello.  As it turned out this guy’s nickname is “Summer Camp” and he organized a trip for 12 families from Anchorage to stay 1 week at the campground.  These families either work together, or went to college together or are just friends.  “Summer Camp” got his name from his excitement all the time like the day you are heading to summer camp as a kid.  These families were great to talk to and be with in the campground.  It did not hurt that one of the men was named Jason and after talking to me his wife said that we were too peas in a pod.  Not sure about that but he was a good guy so I will take it.  Best of luck “Summer Camp” and all your friends and family in Denali.  I hope that I can call you a friend as well.

July 8, 2021 – I have to say that either we or Justin and Natalie were stalking us as we ran into them two more times today when at Katmai.  They are headed to Lake Clark which is a bit north of King Salman and I look forward to hearing about their journey.

July 7, 2021 – As luck would have it, we arrived at the Brooks Lodge and low and behold Justin and Natalie were just getting into the lodge as their flight was delayed for more than 1.5 hours.  We chatted for a bit and went our separate ways.  On our way back to the ferry guess who we ran into yep, Justin and Natalie.  They were on their way back to Brooks Falls since they are staying at the lodge.  I hope they had some good bear viewing during the late evening hours.

July 6, 2021 – When arriving at King Salmon today we called the Antler’s inn and they asked us to wait outside the airport but that others were going to be in the van with us.  Well we walked outside and there was another couple waiting and we found out that they were waiting on the an as well.  It turned out that the van took us about 1/2 of a mile to the Antler’s Inn, guess we could have walked.  The best part is that we were in the van with another couple Justin and Natalie who just so happened to be on a National Park tour!  It seems that out rooms were not ready but that the Sockeye Saloon was open for business so in we went.  The four of us started out as strangers and when we ended the night we were friends.  Justin and Natalie are from Salt Lake City and have a 15 foot trailer on order to complete their tour but right now they are staying in hotels and some camping.  Tomorrow they depart to the Brooks Lodge and will be there for a day, maybe we will see them tomorrow.  I enjoyed speaking with them for a few hours while we were drinking and eating at the saloon.  Keep your dreams alive.

July 3 2021 – As I was waiting on the boat ride in Glacier Bay I saw a guy wearing an Air Force lacrosse sweatshirt so I had to say hello.  It turns out he and his wife are from the eastern shore of Maryland and his son played lacrosse. Additionally he is a lacrosse coach at a high school and works with a friend of mine, Joe Gamble. It is almost a small world but I did not know Dave and Kathy before.

July 3, 2021 – The day started with a guy wearing an Air Force lacrosse hoodie and baseball hat.  I had to ask him who played at Air Force and as it turns out it was his son.  They are also from the Eastern shore of Maryland but now retired to Delaware.  Dave and Karen were very chatty with us when we started on the journey and continued to be so during the trip.  Dave is retired from the Post Office but was still coaching JV lacrosse with a friend of mine Joe Gambell.  This would have made its a small world but I did not know Karan and Dave before this trip, it was close.  Last evening before dinner, I met a Park Ranger, Rebekah, who it turns out was our guide today on the boat.  Rebekah is married to another Park Range in Law Enforcement making sure people don’t poach our wildlife.  My hat goes out to him as we need to ensure the beauty of the parks are preserved for years and generations to come.  Back to Rebekah as today she was a rock star talking about the park and making sure we had time to see a few brown bears, goats and a baby goat, stellar sea lions, bald eagles, sea otters, humpback and orca whales, tufted puffin, and seal and her cub on a block of glacial ice.  The best part of Rebekah was that she was nice, most rangers are nice but she was above the bar in niceness.  Rebekah has been here in Glacier Bay for 6 years but has worked for the park system in may other parks in the lower 48, as they say in Alaska.  The NPS system has a great one in Rebekah and I hope she has a long career with the park system here in Glacier Bay or any of the other parks.  

July 1, 2021 – I ran into a group of three women today who had been on boat ride yesterday.  They did not make “people” yesterday but seeing them and talking to them twice in two days rates a spot on “people.”  Two of the three have been friends since they were in second grade and the third became a friend in sixth grade, since they all attended the same school in Wisconsin at that time.  Now one of the three is married and she lives still in Wisconsin with her husband and is about 20 minutes from one of the friends.  The third friend lives in Austin, TX so another reason for them to be in the “people” section.  I was in the parking lot today getting ready for the walk up to the glacier and I looked and saw the three coming my way.  I had to thank “Austin” once again for the AirDrop of the whales feeding video since I only got to still shots yesterday.  These three travel together every year and it warms my heart to know that they have remained friends since their early youth.  How many of you can say that you are active friends and travel with people you went to elementary school with these days?  Hats off to them for being good people and great friends

June 29, 2021 – Today, I was on a boat ride in Kenai Fjords to see wildlife but I met an extremely nice and interesting person, Penny.  Penny was on the boat with two of her grandchildren.  She and I starting chatting when the boat got into open water and we talked almost the entire 3.5 hour journey and it was not hard to talk with her.  She is well traveled and she went to many places that I look forward to going when the “Flat Smokey” tour is over.  She does a great thing with her grandchildren for their 14th birthday.  She will take then to anyplace they want to go provided they can get there and she can afford it.  Penny started traveling early in her life and she wanted to be a flight attendant but choose a different profession resulting in her paying for her own flights to cool places.  She is a native Alaskan and lives in Anchorage.  One of her stories was when she was in high school, she was in an exchange program with Seward High School.  The exchange was 1 week and the Seward school had less than 125 students total in the 4 grades of high school.  She is someone that has experienced life and has traveled enjoying life.  I can’t wait to chat with her again about my journey and learn about her journey to South Africa in October.  Travel safe my friend!  Before my boat journey, I went to the visitor center and Flat Smokey made a friend in a park ranger.  She was laughing with/at me during our discussion but was a great sport in taking a photo with “Flat Smokey” in front of the NPS sign.

June 18, 2021 – The campers next to me, John and Karen, are from the same small town in Montana that Lucy and her family are from Polson.  John and Karen are here in Glacier for their anniversary, Happy Anniversary!  They were kind to me to offer their campsite for the night today as they are going to be at the hotel with a regular bed and showers for their anniversary, good thinking John.  They started a business as two veterinarians and were very successful in the business in CA but decided retirement should be in a place that they want to live, MT.  We chatted for a few hours last evening after their hike to Cracker Lake.  They also thought the hike was a bit challenging and were tired like I was the day before when I did Cracker Lake.  I wish them luck in retirement and hope that we can stay in touch in the future as they are very nice people.  Today, I went back on the Iceberg / Ptarmigan trail head to Ptarmigan lake and falls.  On the way down a couple was at the “Y” and I let them pass but we started talking and it seems that we take the entire way down the hill!  Daniel and Jen currently in Northern California but originally from the Philly area.  Jen is an ER doctor and Daniel does restoration of historic places.  I think he would laugh at my carpentry work on Dundee if he were to see it.  I enjoyed talking with them on the trail coming down and it did make the time fly.  They are young and are going to hike Grinnell Lake/Glacier also today and I have to say hats off to you for being able to do that hike as well.  I am thinking that I have to take a nap before I leave the park today.

June 17, 2021 – Today’s excitement at the campground with a moose and her calf, less than a week old, made the day special.  There was a little girl with her mom and grandmother at the campground who missed the first moose and calf a few days ago.  The little girl Lucy only wanted to see a moose and was upset she missed the first one.  When the one come today she was sleeping in her tent and I was hoping that someone would wake up at their site allowing Lucy to wake up and see what she was missing.  Lucy is a little girl of 8 who has a great personality.  Last night she went around to all the campsites to get all the kids to play together.  She even started a girls “club” yesterday.  The moose was eating and the calf was next to her for ever eating and staying close to mamma.  The moose decided to bed down and it gave me hope that Lucy would see the moose and calf.  As luck would have it Lucy’s mom work up and I told her to wake Lucy to see the moose.  Everyone was taking photos of the moose and her calf with the rangers keeping everyone at 25 yards away.  When Lucy was up and saw the moose she was a smile ear to ear!  As the morning progressed, people were not all watching the moose as she lay down on the ground with her calf resting.  It was suspected she was in the campground as bears would not come in and her calf was protected.  Lucy was asked by the rangers to make sure everyone stayed back to the 25 yards.  The rest of Lucy’s crew started to pack up as they were on their way out of the campground today but Lucy kept a vigilant overview on the moose and her calf.  She even had a card about moose in her had that I had her read to me since I did not have my glasses.  Finally, two rangers came up to her and presented her with a junior ranger pin and again the smile on her face was ear to ear!  She was so proud that the rangers as her to help her and better yet rewarded her for her good work.  They left and onto a hotel for shower before coming back to the campground for 3 more nights.  Good luck Lucy and keep doing what your are doing as you are a good kid.

June 16, 2021 – The way back down from Cracker Lake I stopped to take a photo or two and three people passed me.  When the snow started to slow them down I caught up to them and started chatting with the two women and one man.  It turned out that the one girl lives in Fort Worth while the couple live in Chattanooga, TN.  I mentioned the minor league baseball team to them and they were amazed I knew the team’s name and asked why.  I said I worked in the area for a bit and enjoyed many games at the stadium.  We came to the forest area which offered wind protection and they stopped to shed some layers and I went on my way wanting to get some distance in the forest before shedding the layers.  I stopped and took off the layers and they caught up to me and passed me.  We then became a pack of four on the way down the hill.  Talking about many things and enjoying the hike back to the trail head.  At some point in the downward hike the leader of the pack from Fort Worth was swapped for the wife from Chattanooga.  The energizer bunny has nothing on her on the way down.  I was the caboose of the group and she would be up front and ahead of the rest of us and then she would stop look to see if we were still around and then take back off.  She got a rest and we just kept trying to keep pace with her.  At our second water bridge crossing we pass a gentleman and his two daughters with a flash.  The bunny not slowing down and the rest of us keeping up or at least trying to do so.  When we got to Sherburne Lake, I said I was stopping for photos but that I would have a beer or wine at the van after the hike if they wanted to join me.  I took a few photos and the gentleman and his daughters were catching me so I packed up and off I went hiking.  As luck would have it, I caught up with the pack and we ended the trail together.  I extended the offer for a beer and wine once again.  They accepted and we had a very nice conversation in the parking lot sitting at the back/side of the van on the ground.  The two ladies have both been to Alaska for work and they loved their experience and I am looking forward to it as well.  We did talk about the “Take only memories and leave no trace policy” while sitting but we were all having fun.  After the bottle of wine and beers were over I told them they would make the blog and the bunny was laughing and scared since she was the bunny.  All in all it was a great day for me and I enjoyed the time hiking with the pack coming down having the energizer bunny leading the way.  I wish them all well and until next time.  P.S.  The two ladies who were in shorts and t-shirts one with loafers were two campsites from me at the campground.

June 15, 2021 – Kara spotted a moose on the trail just when we started hiking this AM.  Christian her husband indicated to me to be quiet and that there was a moose just off the trail.  I quickly stopped and started snapping photos of this big fella while he was eating a breakfast of plants.  After the photo session ended I started hiking with eagle eye Kara and Christian.  They are from Orange County CA and were in the area for a family event.  We talked about family for a bit and how they can be so funny and you have to take them like medicine, small doses.  It turns out that they are here for a funeral of his grandfather and it is in Idaho and his family is camping after the service, kinda like mine camping before my grandmother’s service in Myrtle Beach.  They stopped to take some photos and I started to head up the hill.  I did see Kara and Christian at Iceberg lake and also at the falls on the way down.  They are a nice couple and I hope that things go well for them at the funeral.  When I was at the top of the trail at Iceberg lake I ran into 3 young ladies whom I saw yesterday when I had the ram jam.  They did not go to the top after the ram but then again it was not far to the top but that ram was big.  I first saw them when they were sitting on some rocks off the trail having a snack and I had to shoo away a chipmunk who wanted to get into Amanda’s bag of snacks.  We chatted for a minute and off I went off to the top but the ram stopped movement yesterday.  Today, I was at Iceberg lake and was walking across the snow to see the frozen lake and who did I see but these three young ladies once again.  I stopped them and we chatted for a bit.  Interesting thing is they are friends from grade school in Morris County and have not see each other since 2006!  They are spending time together and that is a great thing.  Jackie lives in Greensboro, NC, Tina is in Boston, MA and Amanda is still in NJ but at the shore in Brick.  They seemed to be having a good time despite running into me for a second straight day while hiking.  On the way down the mountain we were leap frogging each other down the hill as they would stop for photos or I could stop and we would pass each other.  I stopped at the falls to change into dry socks and a group of people came and we started chatting and it turned out they were from North Hunterdon, NJ and one even played lacrosse, I probably officiated a game of his.  The ladies passed by me but they stopped for photos of the falls down the trail and I was going to stop at the same place.  I took my photos after they left and on down the trail I went.  Later down the trail I was startled by some bushes moving thinking it was an animal and it was an animal, Tina.  Jackie and Amanda laughed at me for being startled.  I hope that these ladies, TAJ, have a great rest of their trip and they stay in touch with each other as friends are something we all need and old friends are the best friends.  The day ended with Clint who is staying in cabin 175 in the campground and a Ranger stopped by for a beer.  As it turns out he is from North Texas and has been working for the park system since 2009.  He started as a bus driver here in Glacier driving the old “wooden” busses but now has moved up to being a Park Ranger.  His wife also works for the park system but she is in an office in Atlanta working for the South East Region.  The bummer part was our conversation was cut short since it started to rain real hard and it was time to get out of the rain.  Clint’s job is great in that he gets to hike to cool places and check on if people are following the guidelines of the park.  He also gets to chat with people 5 days a week and get paid for it.  On his off days he can hike in the park for himself.  The only bummer is we have zero wi-fi or cell service here in the park so he can’t communicate with his wife except for the old snail mail or drive outside of the park to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation which has good service.

June 13, 2021 – I saw a school bus parked at the motor lodge and I had to go say hello as it was the same bus that I saw at Teddy Roosevelt NP early in the month.  I know it was the same bus when I saw a picture of the queen in the drivers window.  The bus is 6 people traveling to all of the lower 48 state parks from April through September, seems they are working while on the tour.  They have a name for themselves and the bus has the name on the side, The Outdoor Adventure Crew and if you look at Facebook, twitter or instagram under outdooraventurecrew you will find them.  It was good to talk with them about their experience but it does not look like I will see them again since I am headed to Alaska and they are going to Washington then south.  Today was a wealth of people asking about my Towson shirt.  The Many Glacier Hotel has a tour car and there was a guy who was cleaning the car getting ready for a tour and I asked him a question.  It so happens his brother-in-law is football player at Towson, Luke Hamilton.  The park rangers who checked me in one was a lacrosse player at Lynchburg and knew Towson (he was born after I stopped playing at Towson), a second ranger knew Towson and the third one did not know but she got a pass being from Minnesota.  Mad and Kyle however get the mention on “People” because they know of Towson.

June 11, 2021 – Today, I ran into a group of three hiking up the Observation Peak Trail.  They started on the trail just before I did and I noticed they were stopping about the same time I was to get some air/water.  At one point they stopped on a log and sat and enjoyed the view.  I stopped but did not sit as when I sit I get stiff and did not have the WD40 to get going again.  I struck up a conversation and found out one was from Ohio the Cleveland area and the other two were from Ft. Meyers, FL.  Well I started to hike with them and we chatted along the way and I found they did not stop as much as I wanted to but keep going.  It turned out that they were on their first backcountry camping outing and choose Yellowstone.  Their site was along the way on the Cascade Lake trail.  I felt for them as last evening was cold and we had frozen rain and snow, they were in tents!  It turned out that the two ladies were sisters and one was married and they live in Florida.  The sister in Ohio has a few kids as when we talked about how I could go on the trip she said well I have kids so that is out as I have college to pay for in the future.  The couple she said yes if I did not spend so much money we could as well since we don’t have kids.  His response was he could have a boat if he was not married to his wife and her spending habits.  I mentioned that the boat would not help him get the retirement he wanted going to parks etc.  I left them at the top of the Observation Peak Trail and started down but since I walk slow I thought they would pass me but they did not pass me.  I stopped to take a few photos of Cascade lake and I saw them carrying items in their arms.   It was either dogs or firewood and when they caught up to me it was firewood.  I hope they stay ward today/tonight as your first time in the backcountry to be freezing may not mean a second trip.  They are going to Tetons next and staying at Coulter Bay where I stayed.  I let them know of the showers at the laundry for $5.00 and unlimited time.  They are looking forward to the showers at Coulter Bay, and I told them I am looking forward to my next shower hopefully tomorrow.

June 10, 2021 – Today, while hiking I ran into a couple when I stopped to give them the path on the trail the wife asked if that was a gopher on my hat.  No it was not a gopher but it was Doc the Tiger with a lacrosse stick for Kids for Cancer.  Well could you imagine that they were from Minnesota?  They had been in Jackson/Grand Tetons and now here in Yellowstone to do two 1/2 marathons.  They are much better than I am as I could not do a 1/2 marathon these days.  Jim and Renee happened to be their names and we had a very nice chat along the way.  I was glad to have spent the 10-15 minutes with them chatting.  Our separate ways we went and on the South Rim trail I asked a guy who was wearing a Nationals hat if he liked the Nationals as sometimes it is just a hat.  He did but said he can’t go too many games as he lives in the Greensboro area of North Carolina.  I told him that I liked that park and it was on the “Flat Ted” tour.  He was with his wife and 3 kids and we started talking about parks that they were going to and parks that I had been to this year and in the past.  Again it was a great conversation for 10-15 on the trail.  I hope their son enjoys his 80 mile hike with the Boy Scouts in NM when he gets home.  That sounded like fun.  Off our separate ways we went and then I came across a young man with a PBR 16oz in his hand.  He commented on my Towson shirt I was wearing, go figure.  He happened to be from Coppell and was recruited and committed to Towson before recommitting and going to UT San Antonio.  He was upset that he left as Towson played in the National Championship when he would have been there but UTSA was closer to home.  He loved Towson and said he even went to a lacrosse party, who knew they would have a party.  Today, was a good day for hiking and chatting with interesting people.

June 7, 2021 – While waiting for the park visitor center to open and purchase my tickets to the cave I was next to a young man from Utah.  He was in line by himself and then later his wife and 4 kids showed up.  The kids were all 5 and under and the parents were playing zone defense the entire time.  As luck would have it we were on the same tour of the cave.  The Dad carried only some girl most of the time and she was not happy about being in the cave.  The oldest girl, Charlotte, was the next Ansel Adams.  She must have taken 100 photos during the tour.  At times she was holding the entire line of people behind her up in order to take her photographs.  Dad was always asking her to keep going, it was funny.  The tour was over and now it was breakfast time since I was in line at 0715 for the tickets and I had no breakfast.  I got back to the van and breakfast was made with the side door open to get some air flowing.  A couple from Wisconsin stopped and we ended up chatting for about 15 minutes about the van and their adventures.  They have a truck and are pulling a trailer with a motorcycle as well.  They rode though Custer State Park yesterday and today wanted a look into the cave but by 1030 only afternoon tours were available.  I think they beat feet and headed to Badlands National Park instead.  I let them know about the blog and that I was posting photos so I hope they look at the blog and see the photos of inside the cave.

June 5, 2021 – While hiking Caprock Coulee Nature Trail and Loop I came across two women walking.  They were not next to each other but I could tell they were hiking together.  The first was nice and she said it was too hot for her and the second just said hello.  If it had ended there no need to put into “People along the way” but when I got to the River Bend Overlook I went out to see what the hoopla was about.  I was chatting with a couple who were RVing full-time when I saw the second lady from the Nature Trail come down the trail.  She said hello and asked if I had walked the enter way there, which I say yes I did.  Again, not much for “People” but the second lady who did not like the heat I stopped and chatted with her.  She is Deb from Traverse City, MI and at first she did not give me “the mit.”  I commented about not getting “the mit” and she produced it right away, so I guess she is from Michigan.  Deb was very interesting as she has done some things that I only dream of doing.  One is the Camino de Santiago and the other is go to each of the continents on Earth!  We chatted about the parks and her travels and it was a nice 30 minutes.  I however had to walk back to Dundee but Deb offered to drive me, I said no as the hike was why I was here in Teddy’s North part of the park.  We hugged and off I went on my way.  Deb is a cool retired school teacher, math I think, and is someone that I could see myself sitting and swapping stories with at a campsite.  I wished Deb and her friend Deb well on their journey to National Parks this summer and it would be cool to meet up with them again if the stars align.

May 28, 2021 – Hiking Hermitage Trail today I came across a young couple breaking at the campground for lunch.  He was wearing an Ithaca lacrosse shirt so I had to ask about it since lacrosse is such a small community.  He did not play but his twin brother plays at Ithaca and he went to Temple.  During our discussion, he mentioned that he and his girlfriend came across a grey wolf yesterday on a trail here in the Tetons and it made them very excited.  She still has 1 semester left of school at Temple then she will be teaching the youth of the US in the elementary grades K-4, good luck.  It is also a small world in that the young man is moving to Baltimore from Philadelphia to live in Canton with a cousin.  Well I left them to their lunch and enjoying the beautiful view and each other and said goodbye and went on my way back to Colter Bay.  I knew that I would see them again as I had over 5 miles to hike back and with the speed at which I hike I would be passed by these two youngsters.  As I predicted, they caught up to me and we hiked a bit and I was thankful due to the more people hiking together the less chance of getting eaten by a bear!  After a we hit Heron Pond I said goodbye as I wanted to the some additional photos of the pond before leaving to Swan Lake.  As luck would have it when I got back to Dundee, they were getting to their vehicle to go off to their next adventure.  I wish both of them luck in their journey of life and am sure they will do well.

May 27, 2021 – While hiking on the Jenny Lake Trail, a man walked by me and he had an NC State hat and sweatshirt on.  I asked when he went and it was late 80’s so he would not know the lacrosse players I knew but he asked why I asked and I let him know about the lacrosse team.  He mentioned he son played lacrosse in high school but was a skier in college at New Hampshire.  This man and his son are driving to Boise so his son could go to work and grad school at Boise.  He also mentioned his daughter just graduated from NC State just last week.  My trail friend was from Saranac Lake area of New York and was in the forest/lumber business.  We walked and talked a for a few miles and even stopped to talk to a Park Volunteer who was passing us.  This young lady was a wealth of knowledge for me on baseball.  She gave me two trivia questions I did not know the answer to nor did my new hiking friend.  First one is who are the 3 DiMagio brothers names who played pro baseball.  Joe, Dom and Vince are their names.  Next came why are the Dodgers called the Dodgers and I was like it is from the Brooklyn days.  She then said why Dodgers in Brooklyn and we once again stumped.  He said it is from the fans being Trolly Dodgers as the stadium was near a big trolly stop and people had to dodge the trolly’s to get to the game.  Well my friend and I hike a bit more but he stopped and went back as he was waiting on his son who was running the Jenny Lake, and Inspiration Point trails.  I never saw his son but know in my heart they are back together and enjoying some fun times as a father and son.  

May 25, 2021 – today was no different than yesterday while hiking.  I saw a couple who gets the golden star award in that each of them had a baby/infant on their back, they had another son who was hiking and walking on his own but the best part was the wife was pregnant!  These two were troopers and I have to take my hat off to them to say that they are rock stars of the hiking world to me.  I also had the chance to meet a couple while walking and they were Frank and Nancy.  They are from New Hampshire currently but Nancy was from Penn Hills, PA not far from where I was born and my family live.  Frank helped Nancy on a scary part of the hike that was hiking the side of a rock and when Nancy made it I could not turn around.  We talked a bit but then we were hiking different speeds to we separated.  As luck would have it we made it to the 1/2 point of the trail and the Private Arch at the same time.  We even went to the top of a rock, well not the very top but higher than I normally go and chatted a bit more.  I found out that they were Sprinter people and Frank had converted their van.  Again, hiking got into the way of talking and off we separated and met up again at the Double O Arch and started to make our way back together.  We separated once again and I was thinking about putting them in the blog but when I was walking back to the campground I was coming up on a Sprinter van from New Hampshire I head, “Look who it is?”  Well heck it was Nancy and Frank and they were relaxing in their van.  Frank did a great job with the wood work and he even has the closet for hanging items that I was going to put in mine but went against it.  We chatted for about 20 minutes and I went onward to the campground.  Once I got to Dundee and I was putting my gear away I head the sound of a Sprinter so I went to look and they had come into the campground to say hello and get the blog site.  We chatted for another 10 or so minutes and everyone needed to rest from a day of hiking that was pretty hard.  I sure did my time chatting with Nancy and Frank today.

May 24, 2021 – I got to the campground and had been in the car all day so I decided a hike around the area would be good.  There was a trail head to Tapestry Arch and Broken Arch so I say why not.a few hundred yards into the hike I had to make a decision of the two arches and I chose Broken.  As I hiked the trail and through the arch I came upon another intersection to go back to the campground or hike to Dunes Arch.  I went to Dunes as I could see all the cars and people coming my way so why not.  Along the way, I saw a man with a t-shirt that say “I made beer disappear….what is your talent?”  I said you must be Houdini and he asked if I could do the same with whiskey or vodka.  He does not know me so I said all of the above and went on my way.  A bit further on the path I saw a gentleman with a Mauwauli Stadium t-shirt and I commented that I like the stadium.  Well as luck would have it I saw them on the return trip for both of us and we chatted about the National Parks and the Flat Ted tour when I visited each ball park in a summer.  Very nice people and I hope they look at the blog as I mentioned it to them.  The big winner today was Rob and Marissa who I saw heading to the Dunes Arch but also on the way back from Tapestry Arch.  They are from Portland and he does relocations and real estate and she is an actress.  She mentioned the series she was in for 5 years but I was bad and had not seen it on TNT.  She did say that COVID lockdown was a real life of her show and that TNT ran it again this year good for residuals I guess.  I may also have to look up the show when I get back home and say I know her.  We had a very nice discussion about parks and where they were headed next.  Capital Reef is their next stop and then they are onward to Bryce Canyon.  I gave them the Navajo trail (Two Bridges and Wall Street) to the bottom of the canyon and then explore and I know they will enjoy their time at the canyon.  They were such a lovely couple to talk to and I did enjoy the few minutes we talked on the trail.  I wish them well on their journey in life.  It is funny Marissa mentioned that I should follow a blog from a couple who did all the parks in 7 months and that is when I told her it is taking me a bit longer but that I had my own blog, they were going to make the blog before she mentioned this as I enjoyed speaking with them.  All in all a great day today meeting people and I hope one day that I will have the pleasure of seeing Rob and Marissa again on the trail or having an adult beverage.

May 20, 2021 – during my hike on the Navajo trail, I was at the bottom and saw this old man walking up the Wall Street side of the trail.  My instincts kicked in and said I should watch out and make sure this guy is going to be OK on the trail, he was slow and steady however.  Right before the steps of Wall Street he stopped and turned around.  I asked if all was OK and he said that he had already done 2.3 miles from his house and he was heading home.  He lives in a little town that is near the park and walks into the canyon often.  My new friend also said he rides his bike when he is not hiking and today it was too windy for the bike so he was hiking.  He is retired and was an OB/GYN in Ventura, California.  Utah is near his children so he moved here.  The best part of this young man was he has an artificial knee, good to know I can hike if I get one, and he loves his knee.  During our conversation he also mentioned that he is 90 years old!  I have a goal to be able to hike in Bryce Canyon at 90 now let’s see if I can make that happen.  He also said that I needed to loose weight in order to make that happen but then I told him about all the weight I lost in the past year, he was happier.  Guess the moral of the story is don’t stop.

May 18, 2021- After a successful hike on the rim trail I was headed to the campground when I said hello to three young ladies, I believe 3 generations of young ladies.  We struck up a conversation while they were waiting for the bus to arrive, and it was not 10-15 minutes but more like 30 minutes for them but it gave us time to chat.  The middle generation worked in Fredrick, MD for a few weeks as an intern and was glad to get out and I would say that I also agreed with her.  All of them now however live in LA not sure it is an upgrade or not but they like it in LA.  The oldest generation mentioned that she worked in and lived in Mobile, AL in the 70’s and then pointed to her skin, she is African American, and said that was tough times.  She recalled how poorly the hospital treated her as they did not want her around at the hospital.  They said she was stealing mops, patient records etc. but she would not quit.  The oldest generation also mentioned she has friends in Alaska and she loves it in Alaska.  A side note she also got her NPS passport today but Bryce as her first stamp, I was proud of her doing this as I am doing it as well.

May 17, 2021 – While hiking the North Kaibab Trail I came across a few people walking from Arizona border with Mexico to the Arizona/Utah border.  One lady wanted her photo taken so I was more than happy to take her photo at Coconino Overlook.  Off I went to the top of the trail I stopped and talking to a couple when the young lady who I played Ansil Adams with made it to the top of the trail.  She proceeded to shed her pack and poles and sit down.  She then broke down and started crying and I checked to make sure she was having tears of joy or she was injured.  They were of joy and a “Trail Angel” offered her a beer.  This part is about the “Trail Angel” as this young lady just retired and did not hike today with her friends but dropped them off at the South Kaibab Trailhead at 0230 in the AM and was getting ready for them to reach the trail head at the North Kaibab trail.  She gave the Ansil Adams hiker a beer and even offered me one but I could not take it as I am driving to Bryce Canyon today, after a shower!  The “Trail Angel” then offered Ansil Adams’ model some homemade snacks.  When asked why she was a “Trail Angel” she mentioned that she did not hike today but dropped her friends off, checked them into their rooms at the lodge, obtained keys to the rooms and had beers and snacks at the trail head for when they got out of the canyon.  I think that would make her a “Trail Angel” in my book.  We also discussed the Camino de Santiago and she had done that journey and provided some pointers along the way.  I never got her name but I have to say that she made my day as I did accept some cookies from her that were very tasty.  Well I decided that I will give her a bottle opener that I have which has a clip to attach to a pack or whatever and let her know she made the People alone the way section of DrivingDundee.  When I searched her out it was raining and she was in her car but I did not know which car was her car so Dundee and I drover around the parking lot.  It had about 30 cars in it.  Well as luck would have it I found her and got out of Dundee and handed her the opener, I think she was thankful.  A guy in a passenger van honked so I got into Dundee and made a lap to her car.  When I told her about her making the People along the way section she was giddy.  I am glad I could put a smile on her face today as she put many on me (Jason/Steve), Steve and Ansil Adams’ model.  Her hiking friends also I am sure are smiling now with a hot shower and cold adult beverage in hand thanks to the “Trail Angel.”  It is a shame that I did not learn my “Trail Angel’s” name but I know she will read this and have a smile on her face, I hope.

May 16, 2021 – When I got to Bright Angel Point, it was a bit crowded.  I saw a young lady looking into binoculars with one eye covered.  It seemed weird but then again I was going to take a few photos of Flat Smokey and #StickerCB30.  After, I took Smokey and #StickerCB30’s photos, I turned around to do a selfie.  It happens that this group of women, 4 of them, were from Michigan.  I did not ask where as I did not want to get no “Mit” as I did the other day on the South Rim.  It turns out that this group of women just left Zion and had hiked Angels Landing yesterday.  They also mentioned that the water in The Narrows had bad algae in it and they were afraid of the algae.  If they hiked Angles Landing then they are OK in my book.  Funny thing is one of the ladies did not want to go all the way up but nobody would go down with her so she soldiered on to the top.  They mentioned to me they were singing 100 bottles of beer on the wall when they were on the.  I went into my whole spiel about on the National Park Tour with Flat Smokey and I always do the selfies.  They asked which one I liked the best and Isle Royal was the one.  They also told people on the way down from Angels Landing that a bar was at the top.  If they did put a bar at the top, more people would make the trek up to the top but I think the deaths on the way down would be much higher.    Lastly, one of the young ladies is actually an intern for the National Park System.  I think that an intern for the NPS would be a cool job if you want to do something within the system.  If one of these ladies reads this please post a comment as they told me they were going to view the blog and hence why they got into People along the way.

May 10, 2021 – I parked Dundee on the side of the road in a parking spot near Bright Angel Trailhead.  I pulled Dundee in as far as I could in to the spot (he takes up plenty of space) allowing for a car to come in behind me.  When luck would have it and I went to get my pack out of the garage from the rear and a car was looking at the spot.  I was like go right ahead and park there I will be out of the way in 1 second.  Well my friend in the car could not parallel park well due to the “curve” of the spot.  I am not one to say anything as I don’t think I could do well in parallel parking Dundee.  I went back to the garage and the driver said to me, “Not such a great job?”  We started to chat and the drivers friend was laughing at the parallel parking job.  These two were from Michigan near Grand Rapids and they did not show me on their hand where they lived, boy was I disappointed!   We chatted a bit and even talked Isle Royale a wonderful park and they recommend going to the West side of the park on my next trip.  They also said that a plane was better to get to the park than the boat but we will see about the plane.  These two were fun to chat with and I gave them the sites address so I hope they look and see them in this section.  It made my day to laugh with them before starting my hike.  Again, they disappoint me by not showing me on their hand where they were from in Michigan.  Anyone who does not know what I am talking about find someone from Michigan and ask them, they will show you.

May 6, 2021 – While in the Guadalupe Mountains I had a conversation with a guy who is ex military, Neal. We sat in the van for an hour or so and talked about the van and life. He is a good guy who is living near Fort Hood, Texas. He is camping in his Honda mini-van and just taking life as it comes to him. We said our goodbye the first night, and chatted the second day about our hike up to the peak! Both of us were a bit sore and ready for some rest. Neal is a guy who does not know a stranger and strikes up a conversation with anybody. Reason for Neal being in the blog is that today the 6th, I was sitting in the van working on updating photos and he stopped by at the Olive Lee site to say hello again. He was going to stay on base here but decided that the state park for $15.00 was a good deal. It was good to see him again and chat. I wish him the best on his journey and in life. Maybe we will see each other again one day.

January 27, 2021 – I was doing my “Urban Hike” in Dallas trying to get into better shape to begin my trip and I turned the bend and saw a Nisson compact cargo van. The van’s roof looked like it had a solar panel on top and upon getting closer it sure did have solar panels on the roof. A guy, Adam, got off his bike and opened the door as I was walking up to the van. I asked about the panels on the roof and he confirmed they were solar. He also mentioned that he started a journey as of the first of the year to travel the US and was heading to Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains and other National Parks. The mention of National Parks was something that made me stop my hike and we had a nice conversation, although it was short. Adam is a healthcare worker who needed to get away. I have to say that healthcare workers today are the cats meow in my book with all of the COVID stuff happening in the country. Adam also mentioned to me, after I told him about drivingdundee and how the name started that he named his van, “Vana White” which is good since it is a white van, and one that a friend of mine suggested for Dundee. Glad I chose Dundee as otherwise……