It's a natural phenomenon that happens every year in Alaska (and elsewhere that have salmon but we're talking Alaska right now). Young salmon make the trip down the river to get to the ocean. When they're about two years old, mature salmon leap themselves up the creeks of salmon country to spawn and die. Then it begins all over again. It's a perilous time for a salmon egg. The sea gulls know and they come up to where the eggs are and try to get some of them. Only a fraction of the eggs that are laid ever make it to become baby salmon and make the trip down the river to the sea. It's a cycle of life for these fish. The spawning part takes place from about mid-July to mid-September, so we're right at the end of the season.  So, Linda and I are on a fabulous trip to Alaska that began with an overland trek to the interior of Alaska. You may have seen some of our posts. If not, you should look at them. You'll catch some glimpses of life past and present in ...

Linda and I cruised Alaska in 2015. This time. with Princess Cruise Lines, we put together a tour that starts with five nights in the interior. Day 4 and it is an amazing experience. Come along with us and feel the magic of our 49th state! That's Denali in the photo at the top. At more than 20,000 feet above sea level, it's the highest peak in North America. Denali had been the traditional name for generations but in the Alaska Gold Rush days in 1896, a prospector is said to have named it Mount McKinley, to show his support for William McKinley, then a candidate for president. McKinley won and the name stuck, at least until 1975, when a state board tasked with naming places decided the old name, Denali, was better, and made it official. The Federal government kept on calling it Mount McKinley right on up until 2015, when the name was changed to match what Alaskans had been calling it all along. We're told some folks in Ohio weren't too happy about that name chang...

For me, one of the joys of traveling is learning about the cuisine and, of course, the wine produced in different parts of the world. I know it is for Linda and Dave, too. A couple of years ago, they were planning an outstanding trip to Chile, Argentina, and Patagonia. One of the great wines being produced in Chile today is from the Carménère grape that was well known in France and thought to have been wiped out by disease in the late 1800s. Turns out it was discovered to be thriving in Chile under an assumed name. In anticipation of Linda and Dave's trip, we had to open a bottle. It is a rich, full-bodied and flavorful wine. I love Cabernet Sauvignon so I was delighted the first time I tasted Carménère. My philosophy is that almost any occasion is an opportunity to open a bottle of wine and enjoy it, which we did as a prelude to Linda and Dave's trip, which I didn't get to go on. (Just sayin'.) ;-D Anyway, I wanted to share this occasion with you since we've ...

So, I'm curious about something. Do you keep your travel pictures on your phone? If so, how long? This is a selfie of Dave and I at a brief stop at a North Shore beach on Oahu in March. We were on a private tour conducted by now dear friends to give us some local insights. Often travel photos are put in an archive somewhere on the computer (with appropriate cloud backup, of course). They're accessible but several steps are required to get to them. I retrieved this particular shot quickly because it was on my phone, as are probably all of the shots from our Hawaii trip. Oh, they're backed up on Google photos, too, but I've left them on my phone just because I've had so much fun sharing various ones with friends and family in the euphoria after our trip. I emailed it to myself because that seemed quicker than attaching the phone to the computer and downloading. So, back to the original question: Do you keep your travel pictures on your phone? If so, how long? I...

This is an excerpt from a live-streaming series we used to do on Facebook. This particular episode is about a delicious dessert Linda discovered in Patagonia called Dulce de Leche. I always thought this episode got less attention than it deserved so here it is on the blog for you to enjoy. It's clear to me that Linda had a delightful time finding out about the wonders of Dulce de Leche. I hope you'll try some of that amazing concoction. Enjoy!