Archive for June 2022
Europe Day Two: Ireland. A Delay, A Missed Flight And I Got To A Stay In Dublin For A Night
Ireland and Dublin were on my bucket list but I wasn’t planning on visiting on this trip. I was on my way to Budapest, Hungry or so I thought when I boarded my United flight in Newark, New Jersey. It was at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday evening. After a 4 1/2 hour delay, in the…
Read MoreI’m Getting To Really Like Beautiful Leaser Lake In Lehigh County
I decided to hike around Leaser Lake in Lehigh County again last Sunday. This was my third visit to this lake at the foot of the Blue Mountain near the Schuylkill and Lehigh County border. It is about the same distance form my home in Luzerne County as is my favorite hiking trail in the…
Read MoreEurope Day Three: Finally A Walk On The Streets Of Budapest, Hungary
It was another long day of travel on my journey to Budapest, Hungary. There were long delays at security and I was advised to be at the Dublin airport 4 hours before my 8 a.m. flight. I did avoid the long security lines but it still made for a long day. I flew into Zurich…
Read MoreEurope Day Four: Budapest Hungary. Exploring Margaret Island And Shoes On The Danube.
I slept eleven hours my first night in Budapest. I was refreshed when I awoke at 7 a.m. and decided to walk to Margaret Island located on the Danube River. I only decided to make this trip ten days in advance of my flight so I did not have time to research the history of…
Read MoreEurope Day Four: Hungary: A Beautiful June Evening In The Castle District In Budapest
As I noted in my previous blogs, the Castle District in Budapest, Hungary is situated on a hill above the Danube River, overlooking the town of Pest to the east, and the Buda hills to the west. In addition to the beautiful views there is so much history associated with this once enclosed fortress. I…
Read MoreEurope Day Five. Exploring The Streets And Neighborhoods Of Budapest
I awoke Saturday, my second morning in Budapest, to find a heavy rain falling. The rain continued for a few hours so I had a good breakfast at the hotel, drank some coffee and edited some photos. Around 9 a.m. the rains ended. The skies were still cloudy and threatening as I left the…
Read MoreEurope Days Five And Six: Hungary . My Last Evening And Morning Hikes Through The Streets Of The Castle District in Budapest.
After my long hike on Saturday morning , exploring the streets of Budapest, I returned to the Budapest Hilton Hotel atop the Castle District overlooking the city . I spent the afternoon editing the many photos I took and reading a little about the history of the city. By late afternoon I was hungry, in…
Read MoreBack In The Woods Of Northeastern Pennsylvania. I Missed Them, Especially The Susquehanna Wetlands
I returned to beautiful Northeastern Pennsylvania on Saturday, after a trip to Hungary and Slovakia, ( it was a last minute trip with the hope of finding the villages of two of my great great grandparents, you can read about it in my blog archives if you want to learn more). On Sunday, despite the…
Read MoreEurope Day Six: Hungary To Slovakia. A Scenic And Informative Three Hour Drive With A Stop In Historic Holloko
After my Sunday morning walk I had breakfast at the Hilton Hotel in Budapest, Hungary, packed and checked out of my hotel at 10 a.m. I was leaving Hungary and my driver , Marek was waiting to transport me to the Slovakian city of Kosice. I would stay here for five days, hoping to find…
Read MoreEurope Day Six: Slovakia. A Sunday Afternoon Walk In The Land Of My Ancestors, In Old Town Kosice
It was a perfect Sunday afternoon in June when I took my first walk in Slovakia, the country where my paternal grandfather’s parents were born. The sun was shining in calm , deep blue skies with a temperature in the mid 70’s. I left my hotel, the Hilton, in the city of Kosice and walked…
Read MoreIt’s Been Awhile, A Couple Of June Hikes In Community Park
A lot has changed since my last visit to the Community Park near my home in Hazle Township Luzerne County. I was away for a couple of weeks. The last time I was here many of the trees still were leafless. When I returned Monday afternoon I found all of the trees covered with lush…
Read MoreEurope Day Seven: Slovakia. A Morning Walk In Old Town Kosice And Beautiful Mestsky Park
The weather was perfect when I awoke early my first morning in Kosice, Slovakia. It was my first full day in the native country of some of my ancestors. The skies were clear, calm, deep blue, with a pleasant temperature in the low 60’s. Perfect walking weather. So, after a cup of coffee I was…
Read MoreA Weasel, A Chipmunk And Some Birds On A Cool And Cloudy June Hike At The Susquehanna Wetlands.
It was a cool, cloudy and very windy June day when I woke up Saturday morning. The 58 degree temperature seemed much colder with the strong northwesterly wind. The weather didn’t discourage me from driving the 20 miles to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township in Luzerne County. I wasn’t expecting to see a lot…
Read MoreEurope Day Seven. Slovakia: An Afternoon Walk In Kosice.
After my morning walk in Kosice, Slovakia, I had a late and hearty breakfast at the hotel and rested a bit while I caught up with editing the many photographs I was taking. Around 2 p.m. I decided to venture out again. I had hoped to walk to the Hornad River which flows through the…
Read MoreEurope Day Eight: Slovakia: A Hike In The Hills Outside Of Kosice.
On Tuesday morning, my second full day in in Slovakia, I decided to hike in the woodlands near Kosice. I didn’t rent a car, as originally planned, on this trip (I got my first International Divers license for the trip). I had arranged, on Wednesday, for a driver to take me to look for…
Read MoreMountain Laurel And Song Birds: A Hike To The Tank Hollow Overlook In Carbon County
It is late June, and that means the mountain laurel are blooming here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Mountain laurel is our State Flower. It’s white, and pinkish flowers can be seen throughout the mountains of Pennsylvania. in mid to late June. However, the intensity of the bloom varies from year to year. Last year was not…
Read MoreMy Last Spring Hike , And A Couple Of Summer Hikes, In Community Park In Hazle Township
I continued my daily routine of taking an afternoon walk in the Community Park near my home in Hazle Township, Luzerne County this past week. Last Friday was my last Spring walk in the park. It was hard to believe the Summer Solstice arrived on Tuesday. Winters here in Northeastern Pennsylvania seem to last forever,…
Read MoreEurope Day Nine: Slovakia Another Walk Through Old Town Kosice.
It was my third day in Slovakia when I awoke on Wednesday morning. I was excited . I was looking forward to my drive to Smolnik , the village I believed my maternal grandfather’s father was born. I arranged for a driver to take me there and tour the surrounding countryside. I hoped to find…
Read MoreEurope Day Nine: Slovakia : No Relatives In Smolnik But A Wonderful Drive Through The Mountains And Countryside
After my early morning walk through the streets of Kosice , I was looking forward to my drive to the village of Smolnik. I learned Smolnik was a small village situated in the mountains of eastern Slovakia about 35 miles west of Kosice. It has a population of a little under a 1000 residents. I…
Read MoreA Kingfisher, An Eagle and Wood Duck, Oh My! Another Hike In The Susquehanna Wetlands
It is hard to believe, for me anyway , that Summer arrived last week. Spring passed so quickly. But , it was a perfect summer morning when I awoke Saturday. There was hazy sunshine, a light breeze and pleasant temperatures in the low 60’s. Of course, I decided to take the half hour drive to…
Read MoreEurope Day Nine: Slovakia: In Evening In Kosice: The Singing Fountain Is Enchanting.
I have posted a few photos of the famous Singing Fountain in Kosice, Slovakia in my earlier blog posts. I loved the fountain from the first time I saw it’s dancing waters and heard classical music my first day in Kosice.. It is one of the most popular attractions in Old Town Kosice. It certainly…
Read MoreNo Bear, But Some Birds And A Snake On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails.
On Saturday evening I received a text from a friend that there was a large male black bear on the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. So, of course on Sunday morning I was driving to the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails to look for the bear. I decided to start…
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