Retired Girl in a Beautiful World
Just a retired girl traveling the world in search of beauty in all forms…
These are strange times. I’m interrupting my series of stories from my beloved Maui to write about our current reality. I’ll try not to use words like “unprecedented,” “pandemic,” or “COVID-19,” but it’s almost impossible while writing about the today’s state of affairs. As you read this, most states have some form of “stay-at-home” order, …
Continue reading “Dreams of travel in the time of the pandemic…”
“I survived The Road to Hana” took on a new meaning as we dined on fresh caught seafood at our favorite food truck about four miles outside of Hana. We relaxed under the canopy with our delicious selections while the one-eyed store cat nuzzled our ankles hoping for a tasty morsel. (Friends who have seen …
Continue reading “Fortunately, Unfortunately… a tale of Road to Hana Survival…”
Greetings from a beautiful humpback whale off of the shores of Maui! Our whale watch excursion was amazing as we journeyed into the protected waters of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary on a 15-passenger raft, where hundreds of migrating Alaskan humpback whales are making their home and propagating their species in these …
I flew to the state that was “First in Flight” for a long weekend. The primary purpose for the visit was cheering on my “Ninja Nephew” at the #nnlworlds2020 held in Greensboro. But, we found some time to take in some of the local flavor starting with Dame’s Chicken and Waffles. Dame’s did not disappoint. …
I visited a real-life “Swan Lake” today in Heber Springs, Arkansas. The town is the winter home of more than 100 trumpeter swans. From mid-November through February several local lakes are their homes. The story goes that several years ago, three trumpeter swans somehow got off course and ended up in Arkansas. Normally they hadn’t …
A few blog posts ago, you learned that the entire reason for the stay in the Monterey Peninsula was about a quest to see the purple sand beach. The beach was not the only great “purple” destination. After I had determined I was headed to the purple sand beach, I had a few details to …
This is my “I’m going on a whale watch” face! The sea was rough and the morning was cold and windy as the boat set sail for a three-hour tour, but I was layered and comfortable. I had been advised that it was a cold trip the day prior when I went to the dock …
I made it to the purple sand beach, but it wasn’t easy! It was about 38 miles on Scenic Hwy 1 from my lovely Air BnB on the lavender farm in Carmel Valley. You know when they name highways “scenic” they’re narrow, curvy, hilly, etc. This was no exception. The highway wound along the coast …
It all started here. As my final year as principal of Kirbyville Elementary was winding down, people began to show their appreciation of my 17 years of service with gifts. One of the most precious gifts I received was a collection of four professionally published books written by my kindergarten through third grade students about …
I am a tree. I am strong. I am grounded. I am flexible with branches waving. I extend from all directions accepting what I need from the universe. I am a shelter. I am a protector. I am beauty. I am dormant and resting. A shadowy figure on a backdrop of grays. Learning to appreciate …
Our final national park destination of the trip was Rocky Mountain National Park. We spent a day and a half there. We arrived in the afternoon and scaled the narrow, winding and sometimes shoulder-less Trail Ridge Road which ascended to the Alpine Visitor Center and the highest point in the park. On the trek, we …
The Grand Tetons National Park is small when compared to the other parks we visited, but it was tall on beauty. The mountain range towered over the grasslands, meadows, river, and forested areas below. The mountains guarded the horses grazing in the fields and provided a gorgeous backdrop to the colorful wildflowers. This view was …
Yellowstone may not have won the beauty pageant of national parks I visited, but it certainly won the “oh, wow!” award! It is a thermal wonderland that covers three states. The most famous geyser, Old Faithful, is a must see event. She erupts every hour to hour and half or so give or take ten …
Montana is a beautiful state of mountains and rivers. Big Sky Country did not disappoint. We visited the Missoula/Lolo area. The Bitterroot River ran right behind the house of the friends we stayed with and made a beautiful scene for morning yoga. We took several day trips. We visited the small town of Anaconda, which …
If the national parks I visited were a beauty pageant, Glacier would get the crown. Glacier National Park was breathtaking with alpine mountains, grassy meadows, glassy lakes, singing streams, cascading waterfalls and beaches covered with colorful rocks. The air was refreshing. If it was possible to capture a photo of it the way it looks …
There’s no rush to get to Mount Rushmore, not because it isn’t worth the visit, it is. It’s pretty amazing to come face to face with four presidents carved in stone. It is hard to imagine how sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, could have envisioned such a masterpiece as he first faced the mountain. The memorial rises …
The air was fresh and the sun beat down on an early September day at the Badlands National Park. They were named for the rugged conditions, extreme temperatures and lack of water. They were called “les mauvais terres pour traverse” by French trappers in the 1900’s literally meaning “bad lands to travel through.” Despite the …
Trickling tumbling, rolling, splashing. Each drop of water falls on the wings of gravity through the path of least resistance flowing into a collective stream to parts unknown. #waterfall
My dad and I had been planning a road trip out west for several months after I chose retirement at the end of the previous school year. I had never visited any of the national parks this direction, nor several of the states we would traverse. He had, but was looking forward to seeing them …
The dark fingers of night with her sparkling jewels loses her grip on time in a fiery sunrise battle that results in a victory for the clouds of gray. Tiny spots of blue peek through with the promise, they will have their time too.
In a previous post, I mentioned that no matter how many times I saw a dolphin in the wild during our trip, I felt an adrenaline rush as I pointed and hollered, “Dolphin!” It was the new “squirrel” as this word and gesture involuntarily interrupted conversations unrelated to dolphins. I can blame this new behavior …
If you’re looking for the compromise between a deserted beach and retail tourist attractions on the Florida Gulf Coast, try Madeira Beach. We stayed at Madeira Bay Resort, which just across the road, with a sunrise view of Madeira Bay. The condo was clean and seemed recently remodeled. The less than five minute walk to …
This post is somewhat of a continuation of the “Heart Prints and Wings” post, but the venue and the focus has changed. I’ve moved on to the part of the song that goes: “…keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold.” While I would prefer to change the word “old” to another …
I met a kindred spirit at Anamaya. She was a lovely lady with a quick smile and a patient voice, who quickly became an inspiration to all in our group. We sat together at dinner one night and through conversation discovered that we were both retired principals. E had been retired for several years and …
Monarch Travels Application Video Today would have been our 35th wedding anniversary. I celebrated by applying for a scholarship for educators to research Monarch butterflies at their winter roosting site in the forested highlands of Mexico. I figured that submitting the application today would somehow be lucky. In the application materials, I included a link …
Retired Girl in a Beautiful World