On my blog, I have a tag called “free.” It lists all of the places I’ve visited and blogged about that have no entrance fee. Sometimes it’s not worth paying an employee to collect day-use fees, and other times the…

Is It Really Free?

The Frank I Knew: A Tribute to Frank Lee Ruggles
I had plans for this week’s post, but they all shattered to nothing Monday night when I learned that my friend, fellow photographer, and adventurer Frank Lee Ruggles had passed away (1966-2021). Frank was a man of mystery, a constant…

Views Like These
I got to go up to the Blue Ridge Parkway with some relatives this past weekend. It was a great time, not just because the views were amazing, but because it was with people I love. Between every view was…

Kayaking Honeoye Creek: Genesee River to I-390
Last week, we decided unexpectedly to take a kayak trip. We thought about doing another paddle on Black Creek (or maybe downstream from the Churchville Dam), but I’d had my eye on Honeoye Creek for some time. It seemed like…

Stewarding Power
If you hang out in the circles where people “think green,” you’ll probably hear the phrase, “environmental stewardship.” It refers to careful use of natural resources and the protection of the natural environment. The idea is that we have been…

Walk Across Death Valley & Lowest Point in North America!
Thousands of tourists and visitors to Death Valley stop at the Badwater Basin Trailhead. They pose with the sign that says it’s the lowest point in North America at -282ft. But that sign is not actually the lowest point. For…

A Voice Behind You
I recently read the verse Isaiah 30:21: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”” It was a lightbulb moment for me. …

Hiking & Camping Hacks/Tips!
Over the last 25+ years of traveling by station wagon and van and hiking all over the US, we’ve concocted (and discovered, and learned by experience) more than a few hiking hacks and camping tips! Enjoy the knowledge we’ve collected……

You’re Not Alone!
One of the tactics of the spirit of the age that I see so often these days is a tendency toward isolation. I see it pop up in many places under many different names: Some believe that if only everyone…

Clarence Pathways – Paved Rails-to-Trails
A few weeks ago, I got to ride a “new” (to me) bike path in western New York State! (I almost hate to call it in the Finger Lakes, since it’s so far west, but it could still be classified…