The Art of Exploration archive is where you'll find my past writings and thoughts. You are currently viewing a list of articles that were tagged in vacations.

Monument Valley

Published May 1st, 2018 in Arizona

Boulder to Santa Fe

Published October 28th, 2012 in Colorado

I’m not quite sure where to start with all this, but I guess Boulder is as good a place as any. Or maybe it would be better for me to summarize how we got to Boulder.

Carn Galver to Porthmoina Cove

Published November 22nd, 2011 in Cornwall

A mild, sunny day in West Cornwall should never be wasted indoors. Especially in November. So, to best enjoy today’s cobalt blue skies, we decided to hike from Carn Galver to Porthmoina Cove.

Tide Watching in St. Ives

Published November 21st, 2011 in Cornwall

Each year for the past five years, we’ve journeyed to the ends of Britain in search of a bit of peace and quiet. Sometimes in late fall, sometimes in early spring we make our odyssey.

Jackson Lake Lodge

Published May 30th, 2011 in Wyoming

We drove into Grand Teton National Park along Highway 26, a ribbon of pavement that bisects the Teton National Forest from east to west. This quiet road winds its way through the pass between Mount Leidy and Mount Randolph.

Crossing Wyoming

Published May 29th, 2011 in Wyoming

I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal. I thought crossing Wyoming would be a cinch. Just a bit of straight-line driving. What I didn’t count on were the blinding skies, the car-jerking winds and the absolute, sheer, awesome hugeness of the place.

Lotsa Redrock

Published October 6th, 2010 in Utah

This is one of those vistas that made me think of the scene from Lawrence of Arabia in which TE Lawrence and Sherif Ali stood at the edge of Nefud Desert, which of course they had to cross in order to attack Aqaba by the land.

The Hike to Delicate Arch

Published October 6th, 2010 in Utah

Have you ever had that dream where you’re hiking to the Moon? Maybe not. But anyway, it was a bit like that, like hiking to the Moon. Or Mars perhaps, because it certainly was a long way. And red.

Fiery Furnace

Published October 5th, 2010 in Utah

In what amounts to another illustration of the fact that I should never be allowed to name a national landmark or monument, I thought “Fiery Furnace” looked more like “Box of Melted Crayons”. All red crayons of course, but still.

Parade of Elephants

Published October 5th, 2010 in Utah

The thing that struck me about Arches National Park was that it so plainly illustrates the vast number of ways there are to erode a rock. There were wind-warn rocks, water-sculpted rocks, and crumbling-from-beneath rocks.

Devil’s Garden

Published October 5th, 2010 in Utah

By the time we reached Devil’s Garden we were pretty much exhausted. We wondered if we had the energy for another hike. We inspected the map to determine what was out there.

Balanced Rock

Published October 5th, 2010 in Utah

There’s a path around Balanced Rock that is all fine and dandy when you’re on the one side, which I shall here refer to as the Sunny, Balanced Side. Simply put, Sunny, Balanced Side is the side toward which the rock isn’t leaning.

Many Parks Curve

Published October 10th, 2009 in Colorado

During the winter, Many Parks Curve is the end of the line for anyone driving eastward through Rocky Mountain National Park along Trailridge Road.

Carn Galver Summit

Published March 19th, 2009 in Cornwall

Today, we took a short hike to the top of Carn Galver. The two engine houses of Carn Galver Mine. The engine house on the left pumped water from the mine, while the engine house on the right hauled and crushed the tin ore.

Low Tides and Seagull Skies

Published March 15th, 2009 in Cornwall

The tide was going out rather quickly. Inside the St. Ives harbor, little boats that had bobbed only a few moments earlier had been transformed into statues as the water drained from beneath their keels leaving them stranded on wet sand.

The Princess

Published June 28th, 2008 in Alaska

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this cruise, but I harbor considerable guilt regarding the environmental impact of these huge ships.

White Pass

Published June 26th, 2008 in Alaska

Today we rode the White Pass and Yukon Route railway from Skagway, Alaska to the summit of White Pass.

Mendenhall Glacier

Published June 26th, 2008 in Alaska

After Tracy Arm Fjoryd, our next stop on our cruise was Juneau. While in Juneau, where took a helicopter tour to Mendenhall Glacier.

Tracy Arm Fjord

Published June 25th, 2008 in Alaska

Old Court Hotel

Published May 11th, 2008 in Wales

Notes From A Tropical Island

Published March 13th, 2008 in Hawaii

Landing in Paradise

Published March 10th, 2008 in Hawaii

Weekend in Cornwall

Published March 8th, 2006 in Cornwall

We booked a short holiday at a cottage on Porthmear Farm in Pendeen, Cornwall. On the day of our departure, it took us ages to get organized and out the door. We couldn’t decide what to bring and in the end didn’t decide at all.

London Mini Break

Published October 15th, 2005 in London

The late afternoon sunlight illuminates the buildings along Harrington Gardens. An exhibit for Art on the Underground.

Tedeschi Winery

Published June 25th, 2005 in

Harrington Hall

Published June 6th, 2003 in London

After a busy week of work, we decided to take a short break in London—a long weekend during which time we could relax and recharge.