Adventure
Poland Day Fifteen A Train Ride To Gdansk And Poland's Baltic Coast.
Poland Day Fifteen A Train Ride To Gdansk And Poland’s Baltic Coast.
It was another early start on Saturday morning. No time for breakfast. We met our young guides Kasha and Karol in the lobby of our hotel around 6:00 am We then proceeded to the nearby train station. Our train left Warsaw at 6:15 am. It was a three hour ride to the city but the…
Read MoreBald Eagle At The PPl Wetlands. Always A Magical Momment.
It is always exciting to see our national symbol, the bald eagle here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Almost extinct in our Nation a few decades ago, they were reintroduced into Pennylvania and are now thriving along our rivers, lakes and streams of our Commonwealth. I usually see these majestic birds from afar, perched high atop a…
Read MoreTotal Eclipse Of The Sun: The Journey Begins. Utah And Idaho Are Beautiful States.
As a child, my first interest in the sky and stars was when my dad took me outside on a cool, clear July night and showed me the Milky Way. I fell in love with the stars and spent many clear nights observing the stars, moon and planets. . So when I heard there would…
Read MoreMy First Total Solar Eclipse And AWEsome It Was
I guess the way to begin this post is to say the total solar eclipse I experienced was not what I expected. I had visions of the moon bringing total midnight darkness to the middle of day. Not how it happened. I t happened very differently but still so awesome. More on this later but…
Read MoreIdaho Day Four: Idaho Falls To Salt Lake City, On The Road Again
After experiencing the total solar eclipse on Monday , I slept well in my budget hotel in Idaho Falls, falling asleep thinking of plans to view the next total eclipse which will be closer to my home in Northeastern Pennsylvania in 2024. I awoke early , packed, but before heading to Salt Lake City, I…
Read MoreValley Forge: A Much Too Short A Visit To Such A Historic Place
I was in the Philadelphia suburbs this past weekend, attending some Christmas shows with family and had a few free hours on Sunday morning. Looking for someplace to hike, I decided to visit a park which played a crucial role in our Nation’s history. It was in second or third grade that I first learned…
Read MoreIt’s Still Fall; But More Like Winter At the PPL Wetlands.
The sun, here in the Northern Hemisphere, is still four days away from it’s farthest position south on the horizon. Which, of course, means the beginning of Winter. Here in Northeastern Pennsylvania 11:28 a.m Thursday December 21 to be exact. The past few years our weather has been unusually mild in December. This year, however,…
Read MoreIt's Still Fall; But More Like Winter At the PPL Wetlands.
Fly Eagles Fly! Football, Family And Philly
In addition to my love of the outdoors, travel, reading and a lot of other things I am also an avid Philadelphia Eagles football fan. Have been since I started watching them with my dad when I was about six years old. Well the Eagles made it to the playoffs this year , and…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Two: Up Early In San Juan But No Sunrise For Me.
Despite the night long celebrations on San Sabastian Street I slept well my first night in San Juan. I was up before my alarm went off, hoping to see a sunrise. I thought I could see it near Castillo San Cristobol, the large fort to the east of my hotel. Sunrise was around 7 a.m.…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Two: San Juan: Castillo San Cristobal
After a light breakfast at my hotel, I began my second day in San Juan by heading to the massive fort that prevented me from observing the sunrise earlier in the morning. Construction of Castillo San Cristobal was started by the Spanish in 1634 and took over 150 years to complete. It was the largest…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Two: So Much To See In Enchanting Old San Juan
After my tour of the historic Castillo San Cristobal, I again wandered off to explore the streets of old San Juan. I first made my way through the now familiar Plaza Colon and it’s towering statue of Christopher Columbus. I decided to walk up one of the most famous streets in old town San Juan,…
Read MoreCedar Waxwings And A Sign Of Spring At The PPl Wetlands
It was nice to return to Northeastern Pennsylvania after my visit to Puerto Rico. I have always said you don’t have to travel far to find the beauty of nature. I did see many wonderful things in Puerto Rico. There was beautiful scenery and I saw many exotic birds on my trip. But there is…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Three: A Rainy Drive Through The Mountains To The Sunshine In The South
I awoke a little earlier my final day in San Juan, Puerto Rico . I always try and watch the sunrise and sunset on my travels. I knew I would have to walk to the other side of the massive walls of Castillo San Cristobal to see it. I was soon walking along the old city…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Three: Copamarina Resort And The Guanica World Biosphere Reserve.
I continued my drive on Route 333 beyond the small town of Guanica in southwestern Puerto Rico. The road was winding and narrow. Soon, beautiful, but distracting, views of the ocean could be seen far below the road. There was barely enough room for two cars on the narrow road. There was no place to…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Four: A Morning Walk Along My Own Private Ocean And Beach
I awoke early my first full day at the Copamarina resort. Located on the southwestern side of the island, the resort and the surrounding Guanica Dry Forest Reserve was spared the brunt of hurricane Maria. The area is noted for it’s rare dry forest and I was ready to explore. After finding some coffee, I…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Four: A Short Stay On Gilligan’s Island.
I returned to my hotel after my morning walk and enjoyed a nice late breakfast. After eating I was soon on my next adventure. A boat ride to Gilligan’s Island. Yes, Gilligan’s Island. The small island is about a mile from the resort. It was named after the famous 1960’s television show. As soon as…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Four: A Short Stay On Gilligan's Island.
Puerto Rico Day Four: An Unplanned Hike Into The Guanica Dry Forest
After returning from my visit to Gilligan’s Island, I was soon driving on the narrow and winding route 333 toward the town of Guanica. I was headed to the unique dry forest that is located in this area. I made my way to route 334 and followed as it meandered upwards through a small village. …
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Five: Finally Some Birds On the Ballena Trail In The Dry Forest
I awoke early Monday morning at the Copamarina resort and was off to find the sunrise. I had done some research and now knew the trail I hiked on Sunday afternoon was called the Ballena trail. It led from beautiful Ballena Beach up into the dry forest. I decided to watch the sunrise from the…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Seven: Farewell To the Rain Forest And Back To San Juan
I awoke with the first light of dawn from a heavenly sleep at the Rain Forest Inn. The chorus of the frogs was ending. I stepped outside as a warm tropical rain fell on the forest. I crawled into a hammock and listened to the gentle falling rain, the songs of the birds awakening in…
Read MorePuerto Rico Day Eight: Reefs, Beaches, Cemeteries and Reflection On My Last Day In Puerto Rico
It was my last day in Puerto Rico. As usual, I was again up before the sun. I wanted to watch the sunrise and searched Google maps for a good place to do that. I decided to drive to what looked like a reef about three miles from my hotel. Traffic was light and I…
Read MoreMost Of The Snow Geese Were Gone, But Middle Creek Is Still A Great Place To Enjoy Nature.
My brother Mike, his son Mike Jr. and I finally made our annual visit to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on Sunday. Operated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, this area attracts large numbers of migrating snow geese and other water birds each year. The time and extent of the migrations vary every year. We…
Read MoreFlorida Day One. The Everglades: Anhinga And Gumbo Llmbo Trail Hikes
After a one hour drive from the Fort Lauderdale Airport I arrived at the Florida City Best Western Hotel. I was glad to have a room available. I checked in and was soon on my way to visit the Everglades National park under warm but overcast skies. I drove out of this small agricultural town…
Read MoreFlorida Day Two: Some Pool Time, A Walk through Florida City And Back To The Everglades
It was early in the afternoon when I got back to my hotel after hiking after my five mile hike in the Everglades and my hearty breakfast at the Farmstead Restaurant in Florida City. I was tired from my from my hike in the hot Florida sun. I decided to rest, in the hot Florida…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three: Bugs, Birds And More . A Beautiful Morning Hike In The Everglades.
I was up early again on Friday, but not early enough.I thought I had enough time to get to watch the sunrise , but somehow, I was late arriving at the Everglades National park. I wanted to walk into the cypress trees to photograph the rising sun. However, it was already peeking above the horizon…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three: Key Largo: Made Famous By Bogie And Becall
After returning from my morning hike in the Everglades I had a light breakfast at my hotel and was on my way to Key Largo It was only a 30 mile drive and I was soon at my home for the next three days, the Bar Harbor and Coconut Bay Resort. I had visited the…
Read MoreFlorida Day Four: Key Largo: Trees, Birds And Flowers Under The Florida Sun.
I spent some time last Friday evening in Key Largo researching Google maps . I decided my best bet to see the sunrise Saturday morning would be at the John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park. It had a beach on the eastern side of the key. I was up early and at the park 15…
Read MoreFlorida Day Five: Key Largo: My Last Day Of Exploring The Keys
I was up early on Sunday morning in Key Largo. I was again was looking for a place to watch the sunrise on the key. And, once again I didn’t find one. So I drove about 17 miles north to begin my back country hiking adventure. I was told of this hike from the staff…
Read More