Month: September 2017

Columbia Gorge

Posted on by Annie

The Gorge is burning and it breaks my heart. It was such a beautiful place and now it’s in flames, up and down the Columbia River on the Oregon side, and jumping across to Washington side today. It’s stranded hikers on local trails, closed the Pacific Crest trail as it runs through Cascade Locks in the heart of the Gorge, and shut down I-84 for miles. From one day to the next, it grew from 3000 acres to 10,000 acres. And all because, allegedly, some teenagers threw fireworks off a cliff. If you’ve never been there, here’s my photos from…

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Sunday Serenity: Friends

Posted on by Annie

As a solo traveler, I was committed to the idea that I would be doing everything myself. From hitching up to breaking camp, pumping out tanks to deciding when and where to go, it was all on me. Yes, it’s fun to camp with others and set up social occasions, and I enjoy that. But when the rubber meets the road (literally!), it’s just me and Bella and the Breeze out there, a trio of intrepid adventurers wandering around the USA. I didn’t think much about what might happen to change that. A job offer I couldn’t resist? A place…

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Glassworks

Posted on by Annie

Ah, a glass museum less than two miles from my current campsite! The display covering the history of glass in New England was interesting, yes, but when I got to these sculptural, technical pieces, by the artist Sidney Hutter, I was in heaven. As he puts it, he works “…in form, color, and light.” Yes, indeed he does! His glass creations captivated me. Each one is 16-20 inches high and incredibly detailed, as you can see from the closeup below. Sometimes a vase isn’t a vase, it’s a sculpture that challenges us to see beyond the familiar and appreciate form…

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