Archive

  • Heading for the magic of Scotland’s highlands

    The 97-mile West Highland Way is the most popular of Britain’s 19 national walks. It begins in Milngavie and ends in Fort William, which sits in the shadow of the United Kingdom’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis.  

  • Who is Kelvin?

    We thought we would take a train from Glasgow to Milngavie (pronounced Mullguy…Scottish pronunciations are tricky!) but our guide book stated that it was a flat and easy ten-mile walk along the Kelvin Walkway. We couldn't check into our Bed and Breakfast until 4:00 pm and we had all day…so we thought, “Why not?”It turned…

  • Off to Glasgow

    Having just seen the Scottish weather predictions on the big screen at Heathrow airport, Reg was still smiling (top left). We flew out of the San Francisco airport Wednesday afternoon and arrived in London late Thursday morning to catch our flight to Glasgow. Many thanks to all our friends (you know who you are) and…

  • Hip, hip hooray for Marion!

    If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again.Ian and Marion journeyed from their home in Oxford, England in spring 2013 to tackle the 500-plus mile Camino de Santiago. We met them on our first day out from Pamplona, Spain and we quickly became friends, enjoying laughs and stories over coffee, drinks, and meals.Like…

  • Life’s path redirected by chance meeting

        Much like a well-worn trail, life provides a beautiful journey of highs and lows. We smile easily from the mountaintop where possibilities seem endless. It is when we gaze up from below, unsure where our path will lead, that our optimisim is challenged.We met James and Gitta while hiking the Camino de Santiago in April…

  • Scotland, here we come!

        It was time to dust off the backpacks and head for Yosemite National Park. We start our Scotland trek May 8, so we thought we should begin our warmups. Diligent Sue has been taking long walks around the neighborhood, so Reg huffed and puffed a bit to keep up. After a stroll around the…

  • Running for life

     When passions collide, the results can be inspirational. I know this is true because I've watched my friend Sharman prove it; mile after mile, running half marathons to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.Sharman and I met as co-workers and quickly became friends. When she moved back to Southern California she spent some…

  • Ashland, Oregon: Parting Shots

    We couldn't resist sharing one last look at the Ashland we discovered during our two-week stay.We arrived to several days of rain, but once the sun came out we watched spring blossom as the trees flowered and leafed out.We discovered a vibrant downtown with great restaurants, coffee houses and boutiques.There were several plays to see…

  • Ashland, Oregon: Farther afield

    On our last day of a two-week stay in Ashland, Oregon, we drove to a pair of nearby attractions. Mount Ashland is a ski resort just 22 miles from town. It did not open this year due to a long drought affecting southern Oregon and California. On our way down the mountain, we got a…