airbnb – On The Road with Tall Guy & JET

My Amazing Technicolor Dream Adventure

Puffins have always seemed nearly impossible creatures that look more like children’s toys than real birds. Their colorful beaks and triangular eyes stand out against sturdy black-and-white bodies, and their name perfectly captures their roly-poly look. As if that weren’t enough, their chicks are called “pufflings.”

These pelagic birds are masters of the air, sea, and land,

Flying thousands of miles over the ocean,

Diving to catch fish (click on photos to enlarge),

And burrowing to nest.

Despite the remote locations where puffins are typically found, I was determined to capture their beauty through my lens. The viewing site in Elliston, Newfoundland, is one of North America’s best places to observe puffins, especially from May to September when they breed on a rocky outcrop, allowing for close encounters.

Since the best times to photograph the puffins are early morning or late afternoon, I looked for other interesting ways to occupy my days. The surrounding area offers beautiful hikes and plenty of photo opportunities, so we booked a week at an Airbnb in Bonavista, just five miles from the Elliston site.

Johanna’s spacious BnB featured a private bedroom and bath, as well as a shared kitchen, and was conveniently located near restaurants and the harbor. Her mi-casa-es-tu-casa hospitality instantly made me feel like family. And the location was a perfect base for exploring all that the Bonavista Peninsula had to offer.

You can find her listing here:

Bonavista BnB Blue Room Double & Single – Houses for Rent in Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada – Airbnb

I flew WestJet’s direct morning flight from Orlando to St. John’s, picked up my rental car, and drove the 3 1/2 hours to Bonavista. The route was scenic and colorful — azure lakes nestled between lush green hills with bright yellow, pink, and purple flowers growing wild alongside the road.

A red fox darted into the bushes as I drove by, and a bit further along, a second fox stayed long enough for me to snap a quick proof-of-life photo through the windshield as I zipped past.

a quick proof-of-life shot through the windshield!

The coastline is filled with charming towns featuring brightly painted buildings that line blue harbors, where equally colorful boats bob in the waves.

My first day was overcast, and after visiting the puffins in the morning, I spent the afternoon exploring. The Puffin Craft Shop in Maberly offers a selection of handmade items and photographs. I had a wonderful conversation with the owner, Bernice, while choosing a knit cap – embellished with a puffin, of course. I immediately put it on and wore it for the rest of my trip. (Arrow through gallery set)

Puffin Craft Shop, Maberly
Pte. Puffin Pete
my new knit cap

At one of my stops, I happened upon the Sealers Memorial, a powerful seaside statue and monument honoring those who died in the 1914 Newfoundland sealing disaster. (click on photos to enlarge)

Every town has at least one cemetery with tombstones dating back to the 1800s. Many were overgrown, with ancient stone crosses tilted on their sides, and on the oldest, the writing had eroded from decades of wind and sea. (Arrow through gallery set)

Bonavista

On a whim, I turned down Dungeon Road and came upon a herd of beautiful horses in the community pasture. I couldn’t help but snap a few photos as they grazed on the green hillsides against the blue ocean backdrop.

Later, I drove to Cape Bonavista and the lighthouse. From high up on the hill, I watched two humpback whales slowly meander in the bay below me as a bright orange tour boat followed behind. (click on photos to enlarge)

I returned to the lighthouse for the sunset. While I waited, whales entertained me, tails slapping as huge flocks of birds circled above.

One morning, I stopped to photograph the inuksuks on Sandy Cove Beach. These traditional stone markers, which I first learned about during my visit to Churchill in November 2024, are a significant part of Indigenous culture. I was delighted to find them on a beach in Elliston, pointing the way to the puffin site!

inuksuk on Sandy Cove Beach with puffin site in the distance

I returned to Dungeon Road and visited The Dungeon, a massive, heart-shaped crater with two separate openings to the sea. I enjoyed watching as the waves crashed in, the same waves that had carved out this breathtaking sea cave millions of years ago.

Besides being famous for its puffins, Elliston is also known as the Root Cellar Capitol of the World. So, of course, I had to snap a few obligatory root cellar pics! (Arrow through gallery set)

“That’s all fine and good, but what about the puffins?” you ask. The puffin viewing site is located at the end of a short hike along a rocky, uneven path. Until I was up and over the last hill, I had no idea what to expect. (click on photos to enlarge)

What I was given on my first foggy morning were more puffins than I could have hoped for! The rookery itself is located on an island offshore, at a reach of only the longest lens.

However, there were hundreds of puffins on the mainland, so close that I had to back up to capture them with my 100-400mm!

hundreds of puffins on the mainland! (July 2025)

Although there were several photographers already milling around, there were more than enough puffins for everyone. I was in puffin heaven, enjoying their roly-poly, comical beauty.

puffin heaven! Elliston, July 2025

Wednesday morning dawned sunny and bright. I was back at the site by 6:45 and was greeted once again by hundreds of puffins on the mainland side. I had switched to my fixed 500mm lens this morning and needed to stay back even further to get my subjects in the frame! (click on photos to enlarge)

There were dozens of puffins floating in the bay, looking like miniature rubber duckies.

enjoy the beauty of the bay

I watched them for the longest time, even attempting a few shots of birds in flight – but photographing puffins in flight is like trying to capture a speeding bullet! So, I sat back and enjoyed the beauty surrounding me.

As I watched from my little rock perch, two beautiful black guillemots landed no more than ten feet away.

Finally, the sun was high enough that I could move back to the east side of the mainland to shoot a few more close-ups, as close-up as my lens would allow.

A circus (yes, “circus” and “improbability” are both collective names for a group of puffins) had gathered on the cliffside several yards from me, and I was at a good vantage point with the sun at my back. It was indeed a circus as I tried to video a bit of their antics.

Elliston puffin site, July 2025

Suddenly, one brave puffin hopped up on the rocky ledge and waddled so close I had to put my camera down – I could not get her in my frame!

this puffin came too close for me to capture with my lens! Elliston, July 2025

After two morning sessions with the puffins, I had filled two 32GB memory cards. Although I was, for now, puff-full, I was smitten with these birds and could hardly wait to visit them again.

The Klondike Trail is an easy 3km out-and-back hike that runs from Spillars Cove to Elliston. The Spillars Cove trailhead begins at a famous rock formation called “The Chimney” and offers sweeping views of the cove, coastline, and a shorebird rookery. (click on photos to enlarge)

I chose to hike the trail to Elliston while the morning was still cool, as it promised to be a warm, sunny day. The trail led me inland, away from the rugged coastline, and I enjoyed the fresh, sweet air, as well as the many chirping birds, (click on photos to enlarge)

And a snowshoe hare modeling her summer coat.

Upon my return, I followed a well-worn path of flattened grass down to the edge of the cliffs directly across from the rookery.

There were hundreds of puffins flitting around the island and swimming in the cove.

In 2017, we journeyed to Antarctica for our 35^th wedding anniversary. I “penguined” for much of the time – I put down my camera and simply enjoyed the penguins and the beautiful scenery. This morning, I “puffined.” Unlike the sometimes-frenetic photographer activity at the Elliston site, I had Spillars Cove to myself.

As I quietly watched, the puffins flew back and forth to burrows on the mainland, some even landing on a ledge directly beneath me.

as I quietly puffined, she landed on a ledge directly beneath me

The world’s largest population of humpback whales returns to Newfoundland each year between May and September, and tour boats run daily trips to watch them frolic and feed near shore. I did not want to book a whale tour until I was certain I had all my puffin “money shots.” But after that spectacular first session on Tuesday morning, I booked a Friday tour with Discovery Sea Adventures.

Discovery Sea Adventure Tours, Bonavista

After everyone was dressed in a brightly colored survival suit, we boarded our zodiac and headed out to sea.

Within minutes, Captain Bob spotted a minke whale. These whales are very shy, and it was just a quick glimpse before she disappeared beneath the waves. Next up, a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins, but at the same time, a mother and baby humpback breached in the distance.

Leaving the dolphins behind, we raced to the whales, as there is never a guarantee of how long they might continue this behavior.

Mama jumped a few times, but the calf jumped over and over again. I missed a few breaches as I was distracted by more whales off in the distance, but in the end, everyone got their money shots. (click on photos to enlarge)

Finally, after more than an hour of continuous breaches, we left the whales. We headed to the seabird colony below the lighthouse, a bustling community of puffins, razorbills, and murres, among others.

Captain Bob wanted to find us more dolphins,

But we were diverted by three fin whales, the second-largest whale on the planet. These mighty whales rarely show their tails or breach, but they did show us their distinctive dorsal fins.

Suddenly, Patti, a fellow passenger, cried, “What is that fin?!?” It turned out to be a porbeagle shark playing with a piece of kelp, adding even more excitement to an already fantastic day.

As we turned back towards Bonavista Harbor, we found our dolphins. They raced around the boat – almost too fast to photograph, but a thrill, nonetheless.

At the end of our adventure, Captain Bob instructed us to look up. A friend was flying a drone overhead and snapped a quick photo of our group – a special keepsake from our special day. (arrow through gallery set)

drone shot of our group
Dean & Patti & me seriously focused (photo by Dean)
what a day! (photo courtesy of fellow traveler)

Later that afternoon, I returned to Cape Bonavista to search for a fox family that lives in the grassy meadow below the lighthouse. After 90 minutes of fox-less waiting, I walked up to the rookery. I was delighted to find a large group of puffins on the mainland, happily going about their evening business while cameras clicked away. (Arrow through gallery set)

With the weekend upon me, I decided to explore more of the area. Johanna had given me a list of “must-sees,” and I planned routes that would cover most of them. As I drove along, I realized I was following part of the “Discovery Trail,” a 425km route that circles the Bonavista Peninsula.

I realized I was following part of the “Discovery Trail”

My first stop on Saturday was the charming town of Kings Cove and the Lighthouse Trail.

I chose the longer, 3.5km loop and was rewarded with a beautiful view from the lighthouse,

Another snowshoe hare,

the poor thing was trying to rub ticks off her nose

And a moose!

I had planned to stop at Maudie’s Tea Room in Keels for breakfast, but I was too early for their noon opening. I missed their sign on my way in and stumbled upon another interesting site: Devil’s Footprints.

While geological studies attribute these cloven, hoof-shaped indentations to natural causes, locals claim that the tracks were made by the Devil dancing over Keels. I found the local version a much better story!

My journey then took me to Tickle Cove and the awe-inspiring Sea Arch, a magnificent rock formation.

I scrambled to the top of the hill above the arch and, lying on my stomach, gazed straight down at the sheer drop! (click on photos to enlarge)

Below the Sea Arch was a small rocky beach filled with wishing stones – rocks with continuous lines of quartz running around them. Folklore says if you’re lucky enough to find one with unbroken lines and make a wish while throwing it into the ocean, your wish will come true.

I spent an hour on the beach searching for a few stones that were just the right size to carry home. While I was there, I also threw one into the sea with a wish to return to Newfoundland someday. (click on photos to enlarge)

After a quick lunch in picturesque Trinity, I climbed the Gun Hill Trail for a panoramic view of the town.

And then, because I could not help myself, I returned to the Elliston puffin site. It was crowded this Saturday afternoon, and after snapping a few more photos of these captivating birds, I returned home to Bonavista. (Arrow through gallery set)

Sunday had me out the door before dawn, and I watched the sunrise over the ocean as I drove to Port Union and the Murphy’s Cove Trail.

This 7.7km hike features multiple ocean views and an interesting fossil story.

Murphys Cove trail

In 2008, scientists discovered the fossil of one of the world’s oldest living animals: a 560-million-year-old sea creature called a Haootia quadriformis. This ancient cousin to jellyfish is significant in understanding the origins of life. The fossil is on display in a museum in St. John’s, but it was fascinating to learn about it on this remote trail! (click on photos to enlarge)

However, the most exciting part of my hike was the sudden appearance of a red fox darting across the path in front of me! I had given up on seeing another one on my trip, and this unexpected moment made my day.

Port Union is North America’s first and, to this day, only union-built town. I checked out the historical Factory and Coaker Manor, and scrambled about on the rocks behind the Factory building, searching for (and failing to find) more fossils.

My next stop was the Skerwink Trail in Port Rexton. The Skerwink Trail is continually ranked in the top 35 trails in North America and Europe, and rightly so. As the founder of the trail, John Vivian, said, “This trail offers more scenery per linear foot than any other trail in Newfoundland.”

I followed the 5.3km route up and down steep hills that hugged the rugged coastline, offering breathtaking views of the ocean that on this day was an impossible shade of blue.

the steep up & down trail followed the rugged coastline

After two somewhat strenuous back-to-back hikes, I was ready for lunch! I stopped at the famous “Oh My Cheeses” food truck in Port Rexton and splurged on “The Gull” – grilled brie with Newfoundland partridge berry jam on toasted bread. Yum!!

grilled brie & partridge berry jam from Oh My Cheeses in Port Rexton

On my way back to Bonavista, I swung by the Elliston puffin site one last time. The puffins were not putting on a show like they had earlier in the week. But Newfoundland had one final surprise in store: an iceberg!

I traveled to Newfoundland for the puffins and went home with so much more: whales, dolphins, foxes, a moose, countless stunning landscapes, rewarding hikes, delicious seafood, picturesque towns, spectacular sunrises and sunsets, and an iceberg – the final icing(berg) on the cake!

Bonavista Peninsula landscapes (with “Up She Rises” sung by Jason Ryan during my dinner at Skipper’s Restaurant)

And although I didn’t have the opportunity to get properly “screeched in” on this trip, in my heart, I am an honorary “Newfie.”

To view all my puffin photos arrow through the set or click to open a new tab in Flickr:

To view my whale and other Newfoundland photos arrow through the set or click to open a new tab in Flickr:

🎵Fun is a Manatee-Splendored Thing🎵

Manatees congregate in the springs in Central Florida every winter when the ocean temps drop. And for the past two decades, I have traveled to the area around my January birthday to swim with them.

my annual birthday swim with the manatees, January 2025

This year, we booked an Airbnb in Fort McCoy and invited a friend to join us. “Kerr Camp” ended up being a perfect choice. It was clean, comfy, and cozy, with plenty of room to spread out and a big backyard for Oscar and Maddie.

You can find DeeAnn’s listing here:

Kerr Camp – Houses for Rent in Fort McCoy, Florida, United States – Airbnb

I also invited another SoFL couple to join us at the springs – friends I had not seen since we moved from Okeechobee in 2023. And much to my delight, they agreed! Hooray – the band was getting back together!

We met at the park when it opened at 8 a.m. It was a bright, cold morning with air temps in the 30s, and we knew the constant 72-degree water would feel warm!

As we made our way to the entry point, I could already see several round, gray blobs in the crystal-clear water, a sure sign that manatees were present.

I counted at least 25-30 in the swim area close to the spring. Although plenty of other people were enjoying the chilly morning with us, there were more than enough manatees for everyone!

Most of the manatees in the swim area were curious and friendly, and welcomed all the attention. I even had the joy of receiving a few affectionate nose-bonks,

And John found a “girlfriend” who seemed smitten with him and would not leave him alone!

At one point, I swam to the opposite shoreline and spotted an alligator snapping turtle, the largest freshwater turtle in North America!

alligator snapping turtle

After taking a few shots, we returned to enjoying the manatees.

John getting a shot of the snapping turtle

Armored catfish surrounded the manatees. Many appeared to be cleaners, eating the algae off the manatee’s backs and around their eyes. But now and then, one would give a quick roll or shudder to shake off the pesky fish.

The park has established a roped-off zone to help fragile sea grass grow, and manatees wanting peace and quiet were resting in that “no swim” area.

PVC pipes mark the protected sea grass area

Despite the fun, we eventually got cold enough to call it quits. We agreed to meet that evening for dinner at a local pizza restaurant and then go to bed early—we had another full day of manatees to look forward to tomorrow!

The next morning was just as cold, but the sun shone brightly, making it feel a bit warmer.

mist rising off the spring on this chilly morning!

When we first entered the water, we spotted a mama with a tiny newborn baby, but they did not stick around long enough for more than a quick proof of life shot. We did, however, see at least two more moms nursing their young.

The sunshine was so bright it created diamond patterns on the manatees, making them beautiful to see but difficult to photograph.

the bright sunshine created diamond patterns on the manatees

There were even more in the spring than the day before, and we spent almost five hours enjoying their company.

swimmers free diving down into the spring

Not a big fan of cold water or wetsuits, TG opted for a lunch meet up with some South Florida friends we hadn’t seen since our move.

TG opted to meet up with friends for lunch at Alligator Joe’s in Ocklawaha

That afternoon we walked to Kerr Lake,

Enjoying all the neighborhood sandhill cranes along the way.

After another quiet evening at the Airbnb, it was time to pack up and head home.

What a fun trip we had – made even more so by the good friends who joined us!

thanks for a manatee-splendid early birthday!

As we packed up the car, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with dear friends and with my beloved manatees. It was a birthday trip I will always cherish.

manatees in the spring

To see all the photos from my two days, click here:

Florida manatees — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click to open a new tab in Flickr

To Guntersville and Beyond!

I have celebrated my January birthday swimming with the manatees in Crystal River, FL, for decades. This year, due to an international trip that nearly coincided with my usual dates, we moved the trip back to mid-December. But as we got closer to the week, AccuWeather predicted unseasonably warm temperatures, which is not ideal for finding manatees in Florida’s springs, so we moved the dates again.

That left us with two open weeks over Christmas and New Year’s. We visited the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge for one overnight in December 2023 and have always wanted to return. It was established in 1938 as a wintering area for ducks, geese, and other migratory birds and attracts thousands of sandhill cranes and endangered whooping cranes.

sandhill & whooping cranes, Wheeler NWR, December 2023

TG found a last-minute Airbnb in Scottsboro, a small town outside of Guntersville, about an hour’s drive from Wheeler, and booked nine nights over the holidays.

The charming town of Guntersville is appropriately called “Alabama’s Lake City,” as there is water, water everywhere! With over 69,000 acres of shoreline, you don’t have to travel far to view the Tennessee River or Lake Guntersville. The area is home to dozens of parks and natural areas, and we planned to explore as much as possible during our stay.

We arrived on Christmas Eve and spent the afternoon getting settled. Although basic, the Airbnb was just right for us, with a covered carport, comfy king-size bed, and a large backyard for Oscar and Maddie to explore.

We were up early Christmas morning for our traditional breakfast at Waffle House.

our traditional Christmas breakfast at Waffle House

Then we checked out an owl listing on E-bird (no luck) before heading to the Lake Guntersville walking trail. This beautiful pathway hugs the lake for miles, offering multiple views of waterbirds and colorful songbirds.

cedar waxwing on the Lake Guntersville walking trail

A classic Christmas carol has that lovely line, “Let heaven and nature sing,” and it truly felt like that on this beautiful morning! We were greeted by flocks of graceful white pelicans, Canada geese, thousands of American coots, gem-colored mallards, and a stunning goldeneye.

Canada geese flying over Lake Guntersville

As we walked along the path, we encountered several people who saw our cameras and asked if we had spotted any eagles.

This area is popular for eagle-watching, and while we quickly found their large nest, it took us a few more visits to actually see them perched high in a tree.

it took us a few visits, but we were finally able to see both eagles

Thursday morning, we awoke to drizzly rain. We drove to Wheeler NWR, but the overcast skies offered little promise for photos.

We tried another location, the Goldsmith Schiffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Huntsville, but turned back when the trail became too wet and muddy to continue.

Unfortunately, the forecast for next few days looked just as bleak: cloudy with rain. But we have never been ones to sit around due to inclement weather, and we found plenty of things to keep ourselves occupied.

We visited the Unclaimed Baggage store, which has purchasing agreements with airlines and transportation companies for items deemed “orphaned.” I picked up a mint-condition $350 Patagonia jacket for $30! TG was tempted by a sweet $5K Hermès jacket priced at only $300, but unfortunately (or luckily?), the sleeves were a tad short, so we left it for another bargain hunter to find.

We had lunch at Julia’s, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Guntersville, full of beautiful artwork.

And on Saturday, we visited the breathtaking Cathedral Caverns, a state park just a 20-minute drive from our Airbnb. The entrance is massive and is reputed to be the largest commercial cave entrance in the world.

the massive entrance to the Cathedral Caverns

Opened in 1950, the cavern was named for its cathedral-like appearance. While it’s difficult to determine the exact age of the stalactites and stalagmites, radiometric dating techniques indicate that some are at least 190,000 years old.

Once inside, our cheerful guide, Grace, led us on a fascinating journey past some of the most beautiful formations Mother Nature has created. Highlights included a “caveman” perched atop a flowstone wall, a “frozen waterfall,” and an improbable stalagmite that is 27 feet tall and only 3 inches wide.

About 3/4 of a mile into our walk, we were instructed to turn off every bit of light so that we could experience Total Darkness. We were almost 1,000 feet underground, and the pitch-blackness was so thick that you could practically reach out and touch it!

Grace’s laser pointer in Total Darkness!

The tour follows an out-and-back paved pathway. On our way out, Grace indulged my request to search for the tiny Eastern pipistrelle bats that inhabit the cavern.

the out-and-back paved walkway through the caverns

They are some of the smallest bats in North America, weighing less than a quarter of an ounce. They looked like tiny dots on the cavern walls, and I was only able to capture a proof-of-life shot.

proof-of-life shot of a tiny Eastern pipistrelle bat

But sensing my keen interest, Grace gave me some intel. Sauta Cave, located in Scottsboro, is a summer roosting site for gray bats. One of nature’s most spectacular events occurs every evening in June, July, and August, when at dusk 200,000-400,000 bats leave the cave to begin their nightly foraging.

As if we needed another reason to return to this area next summer! 🦇🦇😍

We visited Guntersville Dam, which was designed by the Army Corps of Engineers and completed in 1939.

The dam was built primarily for flood control, but it also serves several additional purposes: navigation on the Tennessee River, hydroelectric power generation, providing water to the city of Guntersville, and recreational activities such as fishing and birdwatching.

The north and south areas of the dam are recognized as E-bird “hotspots,” with nearly 200 species reported on almost 300 checklists.

On Monday, the clouds finally cleared, revealing bright blue skies and warm sunshine.

We decided to go back to the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge to capture some better photos of the sandhill cranes.

sandhill cranes at Wheeler NWR, 12-30-24

It seemed like everyone was taking advantage of the beautiful weather, reminding us why we have such a “love-hate” relationship with this refuge. While the cranes are certainly lovely, the limited viewing areas are often crowded with photographers, all vying for the same shot!

On New Year’s Eve, I visited the Hays Nature Preserve, which features over ten miles of trails along the Flint River and is an important part of the Alabama Birding Trail. For the first hour, I shared the path with flocks of cedar waxwings, robins, other migratory birds, and multiple hawks.

red-shouldered hawk at Hays Nature Preserve

I crossed paths with a young man carrying a long lens. Kevin was looking for owls, so I asked if I could join him. We scoured his “known locations” for over an hour, but luck was not on our side. As we returned to our cars, I casually asked if he had spotted any owls recently. His response, “Oh no, this is my first time here since last summer,” added a touch of irony to my owl-less adventure.

But the next morning, I took O & M out before dawn and heard the unmistakable hoot of a great horned owl in the trees at the back of the property. I quickly grabbed my phone and played the call. Although I was unable to spot the owl, we shared a delightful “conversation” as he hooted in response to my calls. What a wonderful end to our stay in Guntersville and a wonderful start to the new year.

there is a great horned owl somewhere in those trees!

You can view all of our photos from our holiday week in Guntersville here:

TG:

cathedral cave pano 1-DeNoiseAI-low-light-SharpenAI-Standard — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click to open a new tab in Flickr

JET:

Lake Guntersville — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click to open a new tab in Flickr

2024 was our first full year in our new home in Southern Alabama, and what a year it was! We moved to “Casa-Bama” in the summer of 2023 to lower our cost of living and enable us to continue to travel as much as possible.

If you’ve been following our blog, you’re familiar with our adventures over this past year. As we begin 2025—a year that promises change and uncertainties—we hope you find solace, happiness, and love in every moment. And be sure to stay tuned for the exciting travels we have planned for the coming months!

Trip Report: Riding Mountain National Park

The drive from Stewart, B.C., to Excel, Alabama, takes at least eight days and seven nights. This is too far to attempt straight through – too many back-to-back nights in hotels would not suit us or the pups. So, after our first three nights, including a quick drive through Jasper and Banff, we stopped in Ochre River, Manitoba, for four nights.

Ochre River, a quaint town with a population of about 1000, is strategically located just 20 minutes from the north entrance to Riding Mountain National Park, one of two national parks in Manitoba. We chose to stay at Lois’s Airbnb, a charming old farmhouse on the outskirts of town that offered a peaceful retreat and a convenient base for our adventures.

You can find her listing here:

Mountain view – Houses for Rent in Ochre River, Manitoba, Canada – Airbnb

Riding Mountain National Park consistently makes the Top Ten list of things to do in Manitoba, and it’s easy to see why – the sheer beauty of the over 1,100 square miles makes it a perfect destination for nature lovers. Plus, it’s three overnights from Casa-Bama, making it a convenient place to stop for R&R while on road trips. This brief “layover” was a chance to check it out for future visits, either as a stand-alone destination or as a place to catch our breath on longer trips.

Most of Riding Mountain’s visitors are there to hike, bike, or horseback ride on the 250 miles of trails. But since our visit was so short, and at the end of a two-month road trip, we chose to drive along the scenic roads.

The Visitor’s Center, all the shops, and most campsites (hence most people) are in the park’s southern end, in Wasagaming. Once we were north of the hustle and bustle, the park was quieter, with more wildlife activity.

Riding Mountain National Park Visitor’s Center

On our first morning, we drove into Dauphin, about 20 minutes away, to stock up on the few groceries we would need for our stay. That afternoon, we checked out Riding Mountain. A considerable amount of rain had fallen in the past few weeks, and the unpaved roads were muddy. We drove the Lake Audy Road to the bison enclosure, splashing through puddles and potholes the 15 miles each way. We did not see much on the drive, and by the time we were back on 10 – the main road that runs through the center of the park – our poor car was covered in mud!

Opting for paved roads for the rest of our stay, we headed to Wasagaming and saw several deer.

white-tailed deer near Wasagaming townsite

We stopped at the Visitors Center, and as we started our journey back north, we were graced by the sight of a beautiful cinnamon morph black bear. After experiencing the chaos of Yellowstone bear jams, it was refreshing to witness such a calm encounter. She was happily grazing along the side of the road, unfazed by the few cars that had stopped to watch her. No one blocked traffic, and no one got out of their vehicle. It was a serene moment, a stark contrast to the frenetic energy of Yellowstone.

Thrilled with such a magnificent sighting on our first visit to the park, we headed home, our hearts racing with excitement, to plan the remainder of our stay.

We were at the park by 6:50 the following day, and within two hours, we saw four black bears—one a cinnamon morph—and several deer.

Multiple cars drove by as we watched alongside the road, but no one stopped. We once again marveled at how “chill” Riding Mountain wildlife sightings were compared to the frenzy of Yellowstone.

However, the recent rains had made the mosquitoes relentless. The moment we lowered the windows, they swarmed the car. Merely an annoyance to me, TG was instantly covered in painful bites, making photography almost insufferable. Pack your insect repellent if you plan a trip to Riding Mountain in July!

We went back for a late afternoon drive through the park. During this visit, we spied three more bears, all in the park’s northern half. In our limited experience, we had already concluded that there were two types of bear sightings: if the bear was on the move, running across the road, there was no point in stopping. That bear wanted nothing to do with us.

But if she were going about the business of grazing, paying us no attention, we could stop for photos and sooner or later get the “full face” shot we hoped for.

We stopped at a quiet spot for a picnic supper and watched a pine marten run across the road. Our bear count was up to eight for our three visits, and although we did not see another on this trip, we were thrilled with the sightings we had and the photos we took.

If I’ve piqued your interest in Riding Mountain and you would like to plan a trip, here is an excellent article by Road Trip Manitoba. It covers everything from the park’s history to places to stay to the best hiking trails.

The COMPLETE Guide for Visiting Riding Mountain National Park (roadtripmanitoba.com)

To view our joint photo set from Riding Mountain, click below:

Happy planning and stay tuned for more from On the Road with Tall Guy & JET!

Yes We Canada! Part II: To Stewart and Beyond!

The last stop on our “Westward Ho II” road trip was Stewart, B.C., about a four-and-a-half-hour drive north of Prince Rupert. This tiny community is located just across the border from Hyder, Alaska and offered several opportunities: a chance to visit our northernmost state, a chance to drive the Salmon Glacier Road, and a chance to check out the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site.

We were a little early in the season for bears at Fish Creek, so this would be a short recon mission—only three full days. But since we were already within a few hours’ drive, it would allow us to decide if we wanted to plan an extended visit in the future.

a little early for the bears at Fish Creek

Despite the overcast sky and on/off rain, the drive from Prince Rupert to Stewart was one of the prettiest we had ever seen. For the first part of the journey, the road follows the Skeena River— the scale of which is massive! The towering snow-capped mountains form a dramatic backdrop to the lush green hills and broad, fast-running river.

Heading towards Stewart on Highway 37A, we passed Bear Glacier—a destination for many travelers. Ice once filled the pass, but in the 1940s, the glacier began to retreat, and Strohn Lake was formed in the exposed basin. In the last two decades, the glacier’s annual retreat rate has nearly doubled compared to the previous half-century, making it an important area to study and protect.

Stewart is a quaint little town with a few shops, restaurants, and hotels and a population of around 500.

We chose to stay at “The Cabin,” an Airbnb with quirky African-inspired décor and a funky layout that took a bit of getting used to. However, once you’re settled, it is more than adequate. The stand-alone building, with kitchenette, sitting area, comfy king bed, and very hot shower, provided a cozy and comfortable stay.

You can find Martin’s listing here:

The Cabin – Huts for Rent in Stewart, British Columbia, Canada – Airbnb

On Tuesday, we were out the door by 6 am. We stopped at the Alaskan border (such as it is) for a few photos before continuing to Fish Creek.

no border crossing to enter Alaska – just a sign

The Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site offers the unique opportunity to witness grizzlies and black bears in action. From July to September, these majestic creatures can be seen fishing for the coho, chum, and pink salmon that spawn in the creek.

The salmon run also attracts bald eagles, wolves, and other wildlife. On our visit, we were greeted by a mama merganser duck and her adorable fluffy babies,

And a family of beavers busy building a lodge.

It was a clear day, so we continued from Fish Creek to the Salmon Glacier. This is the world’s largest road-accessible glacier, and the road winds through rugged and spectacular scenery as it passes along its eastern edge.

Numerous mining companies operate in the surrounding mountains, making the Stewart/Hyder area a significant gold district in this part of North America.

About halfway up the mountain, we came to a sign warning of avalanches. There was a lot of information to decipher, and as I stood there assessing the risks—and our tolerance—a young couple from Vancouver also stopped. The young man said, “We’re going up! You gotta risk it to get the biscuit!”

So, we threw caution to the wind and carefully followed behind them.

“Stay to the left … just not too far to the left”

We could not drive to the summit as snow still blocked the road.

June 25, 2024 – one mile from the summit the road was still blocked with snow

But we did get within a mile of the top, and the view was incredible!

The Salmon Glacier is the fifth largest in Canada and a remnant of the last great age of glaciers.

listen to the sound of waterfalls and chirping birds as you marvel at the glacier

The road crosses the Canada-U.S. boundary, so upon returning to Stewart, we stopped at Checkpoint Charlie-I-mean-Canada Border Services. The story goes that Stewart once had a Russian mayor who was not the easiest to get along with, hence the “Eastern Sektor” signage (installed by the residents of Hyder).

But with passports in hand, it was an easy process, and we spent most of the time chatting with the agent about the beauty of the surrounding mountains.

We were up early again on Wednesday and drove 37A to the Meziadin Junction to look for bears. It was a beautiful drive, and the reflection of the Bear Glacier in Strohn Lake was too irresistible to pass without stopping to take a few photos.

We then continued to Fish Creek. There were no beavers this morning, so we dallied around Hyder, Alaska. Hyder has the look and vibe of what Key West must have been like in the early days: a small community full of aging hippies and non-conformists.

“a town of about 100 happy people and a few s—heads”

Many of the people we spoke with had lived there for decades but every winter escape the cold and snow for warmer temperatures.

We also had the pleasure of meeting a young couple from Switzerland, Sara and Gian, who were on an adventure of a lifetime. They had quit their jobs, sold all their belongings, and were on their way to Alaska to drive south on the Pan-American Highway to Ushuaia, Argentina—about 30,000 miles! We wished them safe travels, and they gave us a sticker for our car, a memento that will always remind us of their adventurous spirit.

“May all your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you.” – Edward Abbey

On Thursday, we slept in, caught up on photos, and then drove to Hyder for Fish & Chips 2 Go. Jim catches all the fish, and Dianna cooks it that day—you can’t ask for anything fresher and tastier!

It was delicious, and we enjoyed conversing with Jim while sitting at the picnic table and soaking in the view.

Alaska Premier Seafood and Fish & Chips 2 Go

After lunch we went to Fish Creek and chatted with Flint, a forest service employee, who shared a wealth of information about bears and other wildlife.

Audubon’s warbler pair at Fish Creek Wildlife Observation site

On our way back to Stewart, we stopped in at Hyder Hides, another quirky little shop. While Jerry and Katie mainly sell taxidermy, they also offer a variety of souvenirs. They shared that bears often visit their backyard and Jerry took us to see the skunk grass growing at the back of their property. As we made our way through the tall grass, I gave TG a look that said, “this may not end well.”

Although we did not spot any bears on that sunny afternoon, the possibility was real as Jerry snapped our photo in front of an authentic bear trap!

We traveled to Stewart with three goals:

(1) Visit Alaska, including bring Oscar and Maddie to their 29^th state

Welcome to your 29th state, Oscar and Maddie!

(2) Drive the Salmon Glacier Road

(3) Check out the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation site for a possible future visit

when the salmon are running the creek is full of bears!

We accomplished all that and more! We saw gorgeous scenery around every curve of the road,

Watched a family of busy beavers building a lodge, photographed beautiful birds, and saw bears.

Yes, we did see bears, although they were half-hidden on the side of the road or crossing too fast for photos. However, we managed to shoot a short video of one brief encounter.

bear running across the road (slow-motion at half real time)

We loved our time in Stewart and look forward to planning for bear season at Fish Creek next year. So, stay tuned for more On the Road with Tall Guy & JET!

To see all the photos from our time in Stewart and Beyond, click below:

TG:

bear glacier pano 1-DeNoiseAI-low-light — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click on any photo to open a new tab in Flickr

JET:

Highway 16 & 37 — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click on any photo to open a new tab in Flickr

Yes We Canada! Part I: Prince Rupert

When TG and I planned our “Westward Ho II” road trip, we had two goals: desert snakes, lizards, & toads – and bears. We successfully achieved the first during our month in New Mexico.

western diamondback rattlesnake, New Mexico, May 2024

And the bear encounters during our eleven days in Yellowstone were extraordinary!

grizzly mama and cub, Yellowstone National Park, June 2024

While in New Mexico, TG cashed in frequent flyer miles and flew up to Prince Rupert, British Columbia for a grizzly bear day tour in the Khutzeymateen. You can read about his solo adventure here:

https://ontheroadwithtallguyandjet.blog/2024/05/19/murals-and-eagles-and-bears-oh-my/

We also mapped out a drive into Canada for later in our trip to experience the beauty of B. C. together.

We left our cozy apartment in Mica, Washington early Monday morning with two planned stops along the way. We crossed the border into Canada without issue and spent the first night in Kelowna, B.C.

We were up early the following day and on our way to Prince George for night #2. The slogan on B.C.’s license plates is “Beautiful British Columbia,” and it is indeed a place that inspires awe. The majestic mountains, the lush greenery, and the crystal-clear lakes all contribute to its breathtaking beauty.

I found myself snapping photos at almost every curve in the road, and TG stopped to shoot a few panos, too.

There are yellow wildlife corridor signs all along the drive.

As we made our way up and over the mountains, we spied a moose, multiple deer, and bald eagles.

One of the biggest industries in B.C. is forestry. We passed pulp mills, sawmills, plywood mills, and dozens of huge trucks carrying heavy loads of timber. However, British Columbia is a world leader in sustainable forest management, as 94% of B.C. is designated Crown land. This allows the province to manage forest resources sustainably despite the almost overwhelming number of logging trucks you see on the roads.

The first five nights of our B.C. leg were in Prince Rupert, and TG picked out a perfect home for our stay. Coastal Bliss was a charming cottage in a quiet neighborhood in Port Edward, a 15-minute drive to Prince Rupert, with plenty of room to spread out and a private area for Oscar and Maddie.

You can find Lindsay’s listing here:

Coastal Bliss – Houses for Rent in Port Edward, British Columbia, Canada – Airbnb

We booked a tour with Prince Rupert Adventure Tours on our first full day. This was the same company TG went out with on his solo trip, so we knew what to expect.

As we parked the car, I noticed a mural across the street and snapped a quick photo. “I hope we see orcas!” I exclaimed.

We were underway before our 7:00 am departure and, soon into the voyage, spotted a pod of orcas! It was exciting for both of us as it was our first time seeing these animals in the wild. We were off to a great start!

Not long after that, we spied the spouts of two humpback whales, but they never gave us anything more than a quick glimpse of their humped backs.

By now we were in the Steamer Passage, nearing the mouth of the Khutzeymateen Inlet. Everyone quieted down and began scanning the shoreline for bears. The anticipation was palpable.

everyone scanned the shoreline looking for bears

We traveled almost to the end of the inlet before we saw our first bear, a sweet female named “Summer.” But by the end of our trip through the inlet, we had spotted six different bears in eight sightings, including a male named “Big Papa” and another female they call “Marshmallow.”

the Khutzeymateen Inlet

Most of the bears were at the far reach of our lenses, but Marshmallow gave us some nice close-ups.

We spied two more humpbacks and some Dall’s porpoises on our return to Prince Rupert.

And then, the pièce de résistance: 20 bald eagles flew towards the boat, diving and dipping for the chunks of pork fat the crew threw overboard. It was a 10-minute bald eagle frenzy!

a bald eagle frenzy!

We were back at the dock by 3:00 pm, tired and happy from our day in the “Khutz.”

We hung around the house all day on Friday, processing photos, doing laundry, and unwinding. We had a 5:30 reservation at a Japanese seafood restaurant in Prince Rupert: Fukasaku. I don’t usually delve too much into food in my blogs, but this dining experience was too exceptional not to share.

The mastermind behind Fukasaku is Dai Fukasaku, a Japanese native who initially came to Prince Rupert as a sushi chef for another establishment. In 2013, he decided to open his own place. What sets Fukasaku apart is their commitment to serving only sustainable seafood, sourced from Northwest B.C. by local fishermen.

We started with an appetizer of Hot N’ Crazy sushi—cucumber, avocado, carrot, walnuts, and a spicy sauce. Then, we had the signature miso-glazed black cod—broiled black cod marinated in a miso marinade for seven days. It was served in traditional Japanese style with a bowl of rice, miso soup, green trio, and edamame.

The spruce-tip crème brulee we had for dessert was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal. We enjoyed our delicious food while taking in the beautiful view of the harbor from our window-side table.

When we stopped into the office at Prince Rupert Adventure Tours after our fun day on Thursday, we had casually mentioned that we might like to go out again on Saturday, depending on how our photos turned out. The office manager said that because we were such loyal customers, she would give us a 20% discount if we booked another tour. The savings were too good to turn down—it almost paid for our dinner at Fukasaku!

So, on Saturday we were on the boat again for the 7:00 am departure. On our way to the Khutzeymateen, we saw humpback whales and harbor seals, but the captain wanted to get to the Inlet as quickly as possible, so we didn’t stop.

a quick glimpse of harbor seals as we sped by

Today’s low tide was a bit later than Thursday’s, which meant we might have more – or better – bear activity. And we were not disappointed. We had five separate sightings of four different bears, one of them digging for clams right along the shoreline. It was a thrilling sight, as the magnificent animal went about her morning activities, oblivious to our presence.

But on our way back, we were treated to something that surpassed even the bear sightings. Whales were spotted off the starboard side, in the middle of the channel. The captain said it appeared they might be group hunting.

We were in for a truly rare and awe-inspiring sight as a group of 4-5 humpbacks proceeded to feed in front of us. They engaged in a behavior called “bubble-net feeding.” This is something that even seasoned wildlife enthusiasts rarely get to witness. A group of whales will circle a school of small fish such as salmon or krill and, using a team effort, corral the fish into a “net” of bubbles. The size of the net can range from three to 30 meters, depending on the number of whales participating. At some point in the bubble-blowing process, one whale will sound the feeding call, and all the whales will simultaneously swim up to the surface, mouths wide open, to feed on the trapped fish.

8-image gif of humpback whales bubble-net feeding

It was raining steadily at this point, but we didn’t care. In a dozen years of photographing humpback whales in Ecuador, we had never observed this behavior. It was a thrilling sight, something that will forever stand out in our travel memories.

But the day wasn’t over. Twenty or more bald eagles once again bombarded us as we neared Prince Rupert harbor, giving us more photo opportunities than we knew what to do with.

We met two brothers on this trip – fellow world travelers Mitch and Jeremy. They taught us a new term: “chimping,” which means you’re grinning at the photos in your camera so much you look like a chimpanzee. By the time we returned to our seats after the eagles, everyone was chimping!

On our last day we visited the Sunken Gardens in Prince Rupert. This garden, located downtown next to the harbor, is a stunning tapestry of lush, vibrant flowers, shrubs, and trees.

As its name suggests, it’s nestled in a cavity behind the courthouse, a secret oasis that might go unnoticed if you’re not aware of its existence.

You can view our photos from the Sunken Gardens here:

sunken garden-07131 — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click on any photo to open a new tab in Flickr

After a halibut burger at Smiles Seafood Cafe, we got ready for another moving day. Beginning on Monday, we had reserved four nights at an Airbnb in Stewart, about a 4 1/2-hour drive north.

Our five days in Prince Rupert were beyond expectations! We came for the grizzly bears and were rewarded with so much more – beautiful landscapes, orcas, bald eagles, and humpback whales bubble-net feeding! We are already dreaming of a return trip next year.

Click below to see the photos from our five nights in Prince Rupert.

TG’s grizzlies and bald eagles:

bald eagle-05822-SharpenAI-Standard-DeNoiseAI-standard — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click on any photo to open a new tab in Flickr

TG’s landscapes and Prince Rupert murals (including photos from his embedded trip in May, 2024):

inside passage pano 23-SharpenAI-Standard-DeNoiseAI-standard — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click on any photo to open a new tab in Flickr

JET:

Coming next … Yes We Canada! Part II: To Stewart and Beyond

You can observe a lot just by watching (Yogi Berra)

When TG and I first started road tripping, we quickly learned that while a 10 to 12-hour drive might get you from Point A to B, you miss a lot on the journey. Now, we limit our driving days to eight hours or less to allow for sightseeing along our route.

We left New Mexico on Wednesday to arrive in Gardiner, MT, by Friday. The second stop on our “Westward Ho II” road trip was Yellowstone National Park. When we visited the park in the fall of 2022, we had many wonderful animal encounters, but we longed to see more bears, especially cubs.

We spent Wednesday night in Gallup, N.M., and were on the road early Thursday morning, with a planned stop at Arches National Park before continuing to Provo, Utah. But first, we detoured by Ship Rock, a dramatic 7,177-foot-high rock formation on Navajo Nation land that figures prominently in Navajo mythology. We briefly chatted with Ray, a Navajo guide who was waiting for clients, took a few photos, and were on our way.

We drove north and west towards Arches, passing by another interesting rock formation called “Church Rock.”

And the beautiful Wilson Arch.

Regrettably, just after Wilson Arch, our plans took an unexpected turn. We found ourselves caught in a horrific traffic jam, with cars backed up for almost 15 miles. By the time we got through, it was too late to stop at Arches. Disappointed, we continued to Provo for the night, a reminder of the importance of building in extra time!

traffic backed up on 191 between Wilson Arch and Moab

We made it safely to Gardiner the following day with no further incidents. Our suite at the Super 8 was perfect: it had two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a comfortable living area, and a fully equipped kitchen. We could not have asked for better accommodations for the four nights we spent outside the north entrance to Yellowstone.

view from our room at the Super 8, Gardiner (yes, that’s an elk by the building)

We were out the door early Saturday morning for our first photo safari into the park. There were herds of bison, pronghorns, and elk. We spied a moose cow with a small calf and later, two bulls. A coyote hunted in a field, and a red fox sashayed alongside the road with her mouth full of breakfast.

And much to our surprise and delight, a mama grizzly with two cubs! This sighting was lucky as they came down the hill at a pull-out, with only two other cars already at the spot. We spent a good ½ hour with them before enough people had arrived to make it an official “bear jam.”

grizzly mama and two cubs

One interesting side note about this sighting: Because we were staying at the Super 8, we could not leave O & M alone in our hotel room—they had to accompany us into the park. Typically, when people or cars are nearby, Oscar is a jerk (there’s a reason we call him “Oscar the Grouch”). But he and Maddie were quiet as church mice during the grizzly sighting. No one even realized we had two dogs in the car. The pups knew … them thar was BEARS!!

On Sunday, we got another early start. We arrived in Lamar Valley by 7 a.m., and just a few miles into our drive, we spotted a mama grizzly and her year-old cub across the river. They gave us a more typical bear sighting than we had experienced the day before – they were at least 200 yards away.

grizzly mama and year-old cub across the river

We moved on to the Trout Lake trailhead, where we had the close encounter yesterday. There were no bears this morning, so we slowly made our way back west. About a mile down the road, we saw our mama and the cubs coming down the mountain.

A bison herd grazing in the field scattered as soon as the bears arrived. We had no agenda today, so we waited and watched to see if anything happened. The bears stayed far off, almost out of reach of our lenses.

the bison scattered as soon as the bears arrived

At one point, mama lay down, and the two cubs began nursing. Although we were too far away to see much, witnessing this intimate moment was still a thrill. Afterward, both cubs were in a milk coma, and they all napped. By this time, we had been in that spot for over two hours.

Suddenly, mama started coming towards us, the cubs following behind. She wanted to cross the road to the river, but people and cars blocked her. She moved further down the hill, out of our sight, and finally crossed to the other side.

We continued west, stopping for a badger

And then a coyote before coming upon a huge group, watching a mama grizzly and three cubs high on the side of a hill. They were nothing more than little dots, even with our binoculars, so we didn’t linger.

Not much further, we spied a lone cinnamon morph black bear grazing in a field of dandelions. This sighting turned into another bear jam, so after taking a few shots, we moved on.

It was another awe-inspiring day in the park, filled with the wonders of nature. As we drove home, I casually told TG that although I was thrilled with all our grizzly sightings, I still hoped to see a black bear with cubs.

On Monday, we planned to make a day of it and packed a picnic lunch. The weather was cloudy and drizzly, but we managed to spy the mama and year-old grizzly we had seen the day before in Lamar Valley. We decided to drive the Dunraven Pass, a scenic road that leads over Mt. Washburn, reaching an elevation of 8,800 feet.

the drive over Dunraven Pass – lots of snow up on the mountain!

No sooner had we started the drive than we spied a black bear grazing along the side of the road.

A few miles further, we found ourselves in a classic Yellowstone bear jam. Two tiny black bear cubs were perched at the top of a tall tree, their mother keeping a watchful eye from below. Two rangers were on duty, managing the traffic and ensuring everyone’s safety. Ranger Fred shared, “Her nickname is Good Mama, but I call her Bad Mama as she’s been known to charge.”

The cubs were challenging to photograph. They were mostly hidden by branches and were nothing more than black blobs to the naked eye. Eventually, they woke up and started to climb down. Mama moved to the bottom of the tree, growing increasingly agitated. The crowd was kept back, 75 yards or more from the tree, as cars continued to pass by in both directions.

two tiny black bear cubs high up in a tree

As the situation escalated, Mama bear signaled the cubs to climb higher, and the rangers swiftly instructed us to return to our cars. “We’re turning this into a drive-by,” Fred said, “for the good of the bears and for your safety.” It was time for us to go.

Near Fishing Bridge, there is a pull-out called LeHardy Rapids. We stopped there for lunch and to photograph the beautiful harlequin ducks surfing on the Yellowstone River.

harlequin ducks (one male and two females)

We drove back to Lamar Valley, but with the on-and-off rain, it was a tough day for everyone. A lone coyote, an animal we often see around the park, had created a huge traffic jam while he sat on the ridge eyeing the crowd and wondering what all the fuss was about.

Tuesday was moving day. We stayed near Yellowstone for a few nights to get sunrise access to the park. But too many nights in a hotel room, plus riding around in the car all day, was not good for O & M – or for us. We had booked an Airbnb outside Livingston for the remainder of our time in Yellowstone.

Shepherd’s Nook was a true escape from the world, miles from any sign of civilization. Our home away from home was a cozy haven, equipped with all the essentials, including reliable Wi-Fi and a washer and dryer. The only light that broke the night darkness was the faint glow from Livingston, and the stars were breathtaking!

You can find the listing here:

The Shepherd’s Nook – Apartments for Rent in Livingston, Montana, United States – Airbnb

We had been going nonstop for a solid week and needed time to recharge, so we gave ourselves a day off on Wednesday. We spent the day leisurely, enjoying the view from our apartment. Oscar was enamored with the Richardson’s ground squirrels that played outside our ground-level windows – it was like TV for dogs!

On Thursday, we returned to Yellowstone. Our goal was to spot bears, and we ended the day with five separate sightings of black bears and cubs.

But the true magic was something extraordinary. A majestic black wolf sauntered through a field and crossed the road in front of us. TG swiftly drove ahead and turned into the first available pull-out. The wolf emerged over the ridge and posed in the most perfect, postcard-worthy light we could have hoped for.

After hearing of multiple wolf sightings viewed only through a scope or powerful binoculars, seeing one this close was a dream come true. The sheer majesty of the creature, with its sleek, black fur and piercing, yellow eyes, left us in awe.

12-image gif of the wolf crossing the road

Not long after that, a second wolf emerged from the river and crossed the road behind us—two close wolf sightings in as many hours!

a second close wolf sighting in as many hours!

Our Airbnb host, Judson, provided many suggestions for local wildlife safaris and scenic drives. We opted to stay close to home on Friday and Saturday to explore the nearby areas.

That evening, as if to affirm our decision, a herd of mule deer walked through the yard and down to the creek, a pronghorn appeared over the ridge, and a coyote stealthily hunted for dinner on the hillside across from our window.

We spent the two days simply unwinding and immersing ourselves in the tranquility of the area, much of which we could enjoy without leaving the property.

mule deer beside Adair Creek (below our window)

To experience the beauty of Shepherd’s Nook, click here:

shepherd pano 2-SharpenAI-Standard — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click on any photo to open a new tab in Flickr

Sunday was our last visit to Yellowstone. We began the day with two back-to-back bear sightings, so we were off to a great start!

Our drive took us towards Tower Falls, a place where we had previously spotted bears. However, luck wasn’t on our side this morning. Undeterred, we ventured to Lamar Valley, where a delightful surprise awaited us – the mama badger, leisurely sunbathing outside her den!

TG wanted to take some panos of the valley with bison grazing, so we moseyed west.

We encountered a mama bear and two adorable cubs as we made our way from Tower Junction back towards Mammoth. The scene was chaotic, with several cars and people crowding the area. In a moment of pure pandemonium, the bears crossed the road between the vehicles, then reversed course and retreated down the hill.

We stayed back, trying to get the best photos we could. Finally, a ranger arrived and brought order to the chaos.

We were happy to have one last sighting of a mama bear with cubs, but we also knew we were “done” with Yellowstone on this visit. Neither of us was comfortable with the huge crowds that seemed to have arrived overnight.

We spent our last two days near home, enjoying the wildlife around Shepherd’s Nook and preparing for the next stop on our road trip.

As we said goodbye to Montana, we were filled with profound gratitude. Between the Super 8 in Gardiner and the Shepherd’s Nook Airbnb, we spent 11 full days in the Yellowstone area. We dedicated five days to the park, spending an average of five hours per visit. While surrounded by countless bison, pronghorn, and elk, our hearts were set on spotting bears.

bison and red dogs crossing the road in Lamar Valley

And in the end, we were rewarded with 37 grizzly and black bears in 16 unique sightings, with eleven of those being a mama and cubs.

But the most awe-inspiring moment—surpassing even the bear sightings—was the wolf we were fortunate to encounter on June 6, 2024. It was truly extraordinary, as he passed no more than two car lengths in front of us.

It is a moment we will cherish forever.

To see all the photos from our eleven days in the Yellowstone area click below:

TG:

coyote-05075-SharpenAI-Standard-DeNoiseAI-low-light — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click on any photo to open a new tab in Flickr

JET:

Grizzly mama and cubs — hover on photo to arrow through the set or click on any photo to open a new tab in Flickr

Coming next … Palouse-La Trek

Sax-Zim Bog: Three Times A Charm?

“The art of travel lies in the willingness to deviate from your plans and embrace spontaneity.” (author unknown)

It is unplanned moments that have shaped some of our most treasured travel memories: a harrowing plane ride through the jungles of Guatemala when a military coup shut down the airport,

An unexpected and delightful lunch with Don and Virginia, a charming couple in the tiny Canadian village of Waldron, Saskatchewan.

In February 2022, we spent a month in northern Minnesota exploring the Sax-Zim Bog. The Bog is famous for its winter birds, especially great gray owls, and we had a fantastic time.

great gray owl, Sax-Zim Bog, February 2022

We had so much fun that we added a week in the Bog onto our way home from Canada in January 2023. Although that week wasn’t quite as productive as the year before, we enjoyed our stay in a cozy two-bedroom Airbnb conveniently located in the nearby town of Hibbing.

You can find the listing here:

NO FEES Lovely 2 Bedroom Ground Level Downtown – Apartments for Rent in Hibbing, Minnesota, United States – Airbnb

When we mapped out our travel itinerary for 2024, we planned a week in Mobile, AL for Mardi Gras. But at the last minute, TG noticed that the Airbnb in Hibbing was available for February. We jumped at the chance to revisit the Bog, canceled our Mobile reservation, and eight days after swimming with the manatees in Crystal River, we were on our way north to Minnesota.

TG wrote the following at the end of Day 3 in the Bog:

“We cleared everything off JET’s wish list today. Yesterday was the northern hawk owl.

Today it was a twofer – a pine marten and an ermine, a critter we had not seen on previous trips because there was too much snow. The pressure is off with a month to go!”

Going forward, we would simply take what the road gave us.

Speaking of which, many were in terrible condition. There was little snow on the ground and there had been multiple freezes/thaws over the winter months. The roads were full of deep ruts and potholes.

take a bumpy 20-second ride on Kolu Road!

Ditches, usually full of snow this time of year, were empty, revealing just how deep they were.

the ditch on the Arkola Road curve in 2022 and 2024

So, we limited ourselves to the best roads and were rewarded with a close-up photo op of the most magnificent snowy owl we had ever seen on our fifth full day in the Bog.

Wow! A pine marten,

pine marten on Admiral Road

An ermine, daily sightings of the northern hawk and snowy owl

snowy owl taking off from a treetop on Hwy 7

And several common winter birds … we finished our first week thrilled with all that we had been able to see.

We started week two with a new wish list: a snowshoe hare, a great gray owl, and a barred owl. Someone recommended a likely spot for snowshoes, so we headed in that direction after a quick breakfast at Wilbert Café.

We were greeted with a cacophony of barking dogs as soon as we got out of the car. “What the heck?” we asked each other. Although we saw plenty of tracks, the bunnies proved elusive, so finally I told TG “I’m walking up the hill to see what all that barking is about.”

I had barely reached the edge of the property when a woman came running out, motioning me to move to the opposite side of the road. “They’re coming, they’re coming,” she cried. And just then, a pack of 15 Siberian huskies came around the corner, running at full speed in front of an ATV. Mush! Mush!

The woman told us to hang around if we wanted more photos, as they would be back soon, so TG waited at the end of the driveway while she and I searched for bunny tracks in the snow.

The road did not give us a snowshoe hare that day, but we did spend a wonderful morning with Tim and Amy, chatting about their huskies, dog racing in Minnesota, and the lack of snow this year.

The next day, we searched for a snowshoe again, but instead, the road gave us a beautiful little red fox, white-tailed deer peacefully grazing in a golden field,

And the snowy owl in a gnarly old tree against a dramatic sky.

We switched gears on Monday to run an errand in a nearby town and were rewarded with four bald eagles on the drive, one flying directly over our car.

Later that afternoon, we spent a couple of hours photographing the TTBs (tiny twitchy birds) that visit Mary Lou’s.

Mary Lou is a resident of the Bog and has turned her yard into a giant bird feeder.

She welcomes birders to watch – and photograph – all the birds that visit the multiple feeding stations she’s staged around her property, much to the chagrin of the neighbor across the street.

“much to the chagrin of the neighbor across the street”

And then, just before we drove home that evening, we found our snowshoe hare.

The next day, we had a minor car issue, and we weren’t sure we’d make it to the Bog. But the good folks at O’Reilly Auto Parts had us ready to go in no time. We spent a few minutes with the snowy before heading to Admiral Road, where someone had spied a great gray owl on the prior evening.

snowy owl at the very top of the tree (note lack of snow)

We were almost there when the ping came through on the Telegram App: “GGOW at Admiral Road feeders.” We joined a caravan of cars and along with a group of quiet and respectful observers,

a group of very quiet and respectful observers

We were lucky enough to spy him just after sunset.

great gray owl at the top of a small pine tree on Admiral Road

We had to push our cameras to the limit. But considering how rare great gray sightings were this year and how dark it was when we saw this beauty, we were both thrilled with what we captured.

great gray owl around 6pm on Admiral Road

As we checked things off our wish list, we began to think about pointing ourselves towards home a little earlier than we had initially planned. The lack of snow meant birds did not have to visit the feeders to find food, and sightings of typically plentiful winter birds were rare. Temps whiplashed from the 50s one day to below zero a few days later!

Trees were budding … in Northern Minnesota … in February!

And fields usually covered with snow were bare.

This gave us plenty of sightings of rough-legged hawks and northern harriers, but the great grays did not need to hunt along the roads.

It took a lot of early morning and dusk drives to find our barred owl. But finally, on February 29, TG spied one sitting quietly in a tree on the side of the road. We had just enough time to snap a few pics before she disappeared into the woods. Week Two wish list complete!

Sometimes, when you least expect it, a critter will capture your heart, and you can’t shake the desire to get a photo. That happened with the mink. Before this trip, I didn’t even know I wanted a mink – but after seeing a little cinnamon-colored butt disappear into a creek one day, I was obsessed.

We identified a few likely spots and staked out the locations, hoping to catch a glimpse of one long enough to snap a photo.

We spied plenty of muskrats on our stakeouts,

We even got a pair of beautiful trumpeter swans.

And one morning while waiting we struck up a conversation with Travis, an 84-year-old resident of Stone Lake. After chatting for a bit, TG casually asked him about his license plate: FTL 1.

A retired commercial truck driver, Travis told us that in 2014 he was given a ticket for going eleven miles over the limit. The police officer assured him it would not go on his CD license, but it did. Travis was so angry he purchased FTL plates for all his vehicles. “F—k The Law!” he said with enthusiasm.

In the end, after hours of watching and waiting, not only did we get our mink, but she gifted us with almost a full hour of playful running alongside the creek.

As TG has said, “If you allow yourself enough time, the Bog delivers, even in crazy, non-winter weather.” We compiled the following list of all the birds and animals we identified during our three-week stay.

One Saturday, we met up with TG’s grade school friend, Jenny, and her partner, Dick.

It was a fun lunch, and afterward, we decided to do a quick run out to the Bog. Once again, we were rewarded with a great gray owl! He was hiding behind a web of branches, but let’s face it, any great gray owl sighting is GREAT!!

hiding behind a web of branches in Indian Pipe Bog

TG wrote the following about this encounter:

On Saturday 2/24/2024, we received notification of a great gray owl at Indian Pipe Bog off Arkola Road. We made our way there to find many cars parked near the trailhead.

This bumpy, undulating, and mogul-filled trail is a prime example of “unmaintained.” It requires constant attention to where you are stepping.

the bumpy, undulating, mogul-filled trail

The cool, dark forest canopy protects the ice pads that form in the trail pockets from melting, making for treacherous footing.

About a 10-minute walk into the bog, we encountered a sizeable group of people trying to see the owl. I say “trying” because this is hardly the “fish-in-a-barrel” sighting that the snowy owl has been providing of late. This majestic owl was sitting at eye level in a thickly branched tree about 60 meters from the group.

To the naked eye, it was nothing more than a dark blob. My 15-year-old camera struggled to focus automatically, wanting to highlight the myriad of branches rather than Señor Owl.

I walked back to the trailhead, wondering how folks found the owl in the first place. We returned the next day because I wanted to take landscape panos of the bog interior. We went back to where the owl had been 24 hours earlier, but alas, the needle was safely hidden in the haystack.

Despite all that we had seen and photographed thus far, the vibe of the Bog had changed. We saw more bad manners from photographers than ever before. And worst of all, the disrespect for wildlife and private property was shocking.

huge crowd standing in a driveway at the northern hawk owl on Hwy 7

We stayed away from the crowds to avoid contributing to– or being associated with – particularly egregious behavior. But it pained us to witness it in a place where we had so many fond memories.

cars parked on both sides of a two-lane road, on a curve!

Case in point: For two weeks, the snowy owl stayed in an approximately two square mile area, and photographers traveled from near and far, stalking him from dawn to dusk.

As we transited around the Bog, TG & I drove by his roosting spots on Hwy 7 multiple times, marveling at how close folks were crowding the bird and how tolerant he seemed to be of all the attention.

the snowy appeared tolerant of all the attention

On February 26, 2024, the following message appeared on the Telegram:

Feb 26, 2024 message on the SZB Telegram

No one can say for certain how this happened, but one cannot help but wonder if the absolute fervor his presence generated wasn’t partially responsible for his demise.

TG and I had visited Snowy four times before the crowds became too much for us. You can view our photos here:

smowy owl-2646-topaz-denoise-enhance-2.6x — hover on photo and then arrow through the set

It felt like nearly everyone left the Bog after Snowy’s death. It was a quieter, gentler place, and the few remaining visitors were more respectful of each other and the wildlife. We enjoyed some marvelous sightings that week, including sharing our last great gray owl with only six other cars. But by then, we had already decided to head home early.

So, fellow travelers, embrace deviations. Let go of rigid itineraries and make time for spontaneity. Do we regret changing our plans from Mobile, Alabama to Northern Minnesota? Not for a second! In this detour, we photographed almost everything we had hoped to, including four different species of owls.

We met many interesting people along the way — people like Tim & Amy and their pack of Siberian huskies, Travis, and Marshall, who travels all over the USA photographing “paws and claws” for his art shows back in Washington State.

And we learned, perhaps more than ever, to take what the road gives us: on one of our many mink stakeouts, we saw a pile of thick, plush fur lying on the ice. Not wanting to get too close, we knew it was otters and watched as the pile separated into three animals before disappearing into the tall grass.

It wasn’t until we got home and could look at our computer screens that we were able to discern that we had come upon a mama nursing her two babies.

Will there be a fourth visit to the Bog? Only time will tell, as there are many other places we still want to travel. But whether we return or not, we have stories, laughter, and moments to last a lifetime.

a Canada goose, trumpeter swan, and mink in the creek off Stone Lake Road

You can view all of our photos from the Bog here:

TG:

anything for the shot-3331-topaz-denoise — hover on photo to arrow through the set or double-click to open a new tab in Flickr

JET:

Sax-Zim Bog — hover on photo to arrow through the set or double-click to open a new tab in Flickr

2024: Let the Adventure Begin!

In January 2023 we returned home from a 4 ½ month, 23,000-mile road trip, covering 27 states and two Canadian provinces. We had such a great time that before we even pulled into our driveway we were saying “let’s do this again!”

While on the road, we decided to sell our house in Florida and move to an area with a lower cost of living. So, upon our return, we immediately set to work getting the house ready for the market. Much to our surprise, it sold in just 8 days, and we were officially “house-less” by early May.

We booked an Airbnb in Pensacola for three months and began house-hunting in the Panhandle and southern Alabama. By mid-June, we had found something that checked all the boxes: a tiny house sitting on just under an acre of land; a place we could easily button up while on the long road trips we planned to take, but comfy and cozy enough to retire in place once that time came.

We spent the last six months of 2023 making “Casa-Bama” our own, including planting 37 trees, creating a butterfly garden, and building a 10×10 gazebo on our deck.

building the gazebo!

By Christmas, our project list was complete, and we were ready to start planning 2024. My friend Jessie gave me a “junk journal” for Christmas and I decided to fill the pages with all the things we’ll do and places we’ll go this year. Included in upcoming “On the Road” blogs you can expect to see pages of the “junk” we’ll collect along the way.

Over the two decades we lived in Florida, we traveled to Crystal River every year to swim with the manatees. We timed this annual pilgrimage around my birthday as nose-bumping with these gentle giants is (for me) a heart-warming treat. My 65^th birthday is in January, so it’s only appropriate that our first trip of 2024 is a week-long stay in Crystal River, where we’ll be joined by some dear friends from Florida.

bumping noses with a manatee in Crystal River, FL

Since moving to Southern Alabama, we’ve learned that Mobile, not New Orleans, is the birthplace of Mardi Gras. There are krewes dating back to the 1800’s! We’ve booked an Airbnb close to the festivities in hopes of capturing a little of the excitement of the season. As an added bonus, the Airbnb is called “The Owl’s Nest” because there is an active barred owl’s nest on the property!

a barred owl in our backyard in Okeechobee

April puts us back in Pensacola for a short stay: a chance to catch the Blue Angels practice plus an oil change and new tires for the Jetta before embarking on Westward Ho II.

We’ve always wanted to visit Yellowstone in the spring when the park is full of babies, including bear cubs. So, we’re spending a month at Domenick’s condo in Big Sky, Montana, located approximately 50 minutes from the park’s west entrance.

But the timing is perfect for a brief detour through Houston to catch the opening night of the Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds Tour. Which, if you didn’t already know, is sponsored by AARP!

Once we leave Domenick’s we’re toying with a few nights outside of Grand Teton National Park on our way to Lemitar, New Mexico. We’ve been to Pam’s casita twice before but always in the cold, winter months. Summer is the time to see the beautiful snakes, lizards, and toads that inhabit the desert and our buddy, Bob, at the Rattlesnake Museum in Albuquerque has promised to take us out for a day.

“the most dangerous museum in the world”

We’ll return home in enough time to spend most of the summer at Casa-Bama and give us a chance to enjoy the warm, emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

But come October we are on the road again. All reports indicate that 2024 will be a banner year for the aurora borealis. Solar activity has picked up and it appears will peak in the next 12-15 months. Although seeing the northern lights in Canora over Christmas last year was a thrill, we both long to see and photograph more of the beautiful Lady dancing. We’ve booked two months at an Airbnb in Ninga, Manitoba.

During that time, we’ve also embedded two flights up to Churchill. Polar bears in the wild are high on our “Before I Die” bucket lists but traveling with two pups complicates the logistics. So, we’ve booked two consecutive five-night/six-day “Lords of the Arctic” learning vacations at the Churchill Northern Studies Center. A chance to see polar bears right outside our window, tundra buggy rides through the WMA, lectures every evening, dogsledding, and a 45-minute helicopter ride!

Churchill Northern Studies Center Welcome package

Finally, we’re heading back to Hibbing, Minnesota for one more visit to the Sax-Zim Bog and the great gray owls. Quite honestly, we’re getting too old for these wintry weather destinations and want to get them in while we still have the fortitude to do so!

one more chance to see the Great Gray Owls!

Before we left on Westward Ho I back in September 2022, I wrote “Buckle your seatbelts, you’re in for quite the ride.”

we’ve lost count of the number of hotels!

We’ll still fine-tuning some of the details, but as we turn our calendars to 2024, I’ll say it again “Buckle your seatbelts, you’re in for quite the ride!”