Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Nature (page 15 of 19)

Autumn Weekend at Lake Tahoe

October 31, 2016 / / 22 Comments

One of the exciting things about our life as house and pet sitters, other than living in comfortable houses for free, being in the company of the most amazing dogs and experiencing different neighborhoods, is the opportunity we have to explore different areas of the United States. Wherever you live in this country, there are always a lot of places to go for a hike or impressive sites to discover within driving distance.

Lake Tahoe seen from the town of South Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe seen from the town of South Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe, located on the border of California and Nevada is the third deepest lake in North America. It has a remarkable water clarity and is surrounded by boulders, sand and snow-capped mountains. To say it is picturesque is stating the obvious. Continue reading

Wordless Wednesday – Shine

October 26, 2016 / / 10 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays.  Also, I can’t manage “completely wordless”, but I’ll try my best at “almost wordless”. 🙂

I have archived thousands of photos over the years and can’t easily pick what to post, so I use the weekly prompt of the Daily Post to inspire my Wordless Wednesdays. This week’s Daily Post photography theme is “shine“.

This week’s theme is a toughie. I didn’t immediately recall a photo I could use, other than sunshine images.  And if there is one topic that sailors have heaps of photos of, it is sunsets. Yet, shine conjures up more than just sunshine. When I stumbled upon this photo, I knew it was the right candidate. 🙂

Motu Aito, Raiatea, French Polynesia

Motu Aito, Raiatea, French Polynesia

Continue reading

Wordless Wednesday – Local

October 18, 2016 / / 17 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays.  Also, I can’t manage “completely wordless”, but I’ll try my best at “almost wordless”. 🙂

I have archived thousands of photos over the years and can’t easily pick what to post, so I use the weekly prompt of the Daily Post to inspire my Wordless Wednesdays. This week’s Daily Post photography theme is “local“.

Since Mark and I don’t own or rent a house, our location changes with every trip we make or house sit we take. Therefore what’s local to us depends on which place we call home for the time being. For over a decade we have been roaming about, by truck camper, by sailboat and by car. “Local” has been areas in Belgium, Mexico, Central America, Texas, Maryland, the Bahamas, the Caribbean islands, Panama, the Galapagos, most archipelagos of French Polynesia, New England, and now Northern California. Home is, literally, where we are. This website and my older It’s Irie website have an incredible amount of photos of our ever changing backyard. Here are a few of them:

The post office in the Belgian town, Lokeren, where I last lived
Typical square in Flamish cities, this one is in Bruges
Our favorite bakery in my home town
Fresh bread is very important to us, Belgians!
Wetlands near my parents’ house, my favorite place to walk when I am there

Continue reading

Wordless Wednesday – H2O

October 12, 2016 / / 14 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays.  Also, I can’t manage completely “wordless”, but I try my best at “almost wordless”. 🙂

Since I have archived thousands of photos over the years and can’t easily pick what to post, I use the weekly prompt of the Daily Post to inspire my Wordless Wednesdays. This week’s Daily Post photography theme is “H2O“.

Water = life. To most first world citizens, water is a wide-spread commodity, a convenience that does not require a lot of thought. When Mark and I were traveling the world on our sailboat, salt water was everywhere and fresh water was precious. Continue reading

Two More Driving Tours in Acadia NP, Maine

October 3, 2016 / / 8 Comments

Birch Harbor on Schoodic Peninsula

The last couple of weeks have been very busy with plenty of distractions, so I feel like I have to move on to new adventures soon and finish up my string of Acadia posts. On day 1 of our five-day vacation in the national park, Mark and I went on a reconnaissance of the Park Loop Road to get our bearings. Day 2 had us biking the carriage roads of the park, and day 5 offered some great views on a very challenging hike, called the Precipice Trail.

Day 3, a Sunday, was expected to be rainy. Rather than sit in the tent all day and be uncomfortable, we decided to explore a different part of Acadia NP by car. Continue reading

Cape Cod Adventure – Towns, Beaches, and Lighthouses

September 30, 2016 / / 14 Comments

I am interrupting my Acadia broadcasts with an unexpected development: Mark and I recently stumbled upon a six-day house and pet sitting assignment in Truro, Cape Cod. We couldn’t resist applying and within 24 hours, we secured “the job”. The timing was perfect: we didn’t have much planned at our home base the last week of September and, usually, this is one of the best times of the year to visit the Cape. We also, coincidentally, happened to be asked to babysit our twin nieces, right over the bridge onto Cape Cod on Friday, so we had a decent start on Saturday, September 24th, to explore the sights between there and Truro. It was a bit chilly, but the sun was out. And of that, we took full advantage! Continue reading

Hiking the Precipice Trail in Acadia NP, Maine

September 28, 2016 / / 19 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I briefly featured parts of this hike for the Daily Post theme “edge”. Mark and I chose to hike the very strenuous Precipice Trail on the last morning of our five-day vacation in Acadia National Park for two reasons: it promised to be a sunny day, so the views would be amazing (they were!) and we could rest up afterwards in the car on the long drive home (we did!). The trail was one of the toughest hikes we have ever done, but all the sweat and effort led to a fun climb and a reward of incredible views.

The Precipice Trail climbs along and up the steep cliffs all the way to the top
Start of the Precipice Trail
The trail only consists of rocks
Still a long way to go
Long legs help to scale the rocks
A bit up the mountain, the views open up
Scrambling up the boulder field
Up, under and over the rocks

Continue reading

Biking the Carriage Roads in Acadia NP, Maine

September 26, 2016 / / 17 Comments

 

Mark, not on a castle, but on a carriage road bridge

Mark, not on a castle, but on a carriage road bridge

There is a lot to see and do in Acadia National Park. Without the “distraction” of work and internet, I was amazed at how much one can pack into a five-day vacation! After a little reconnaissance of the park on our first day, we decided to rent bikes on the second one. For $25 per bike per day, we each picked a suitable model of the ones presented in the store and soon thereafter, we were proud bike owners for the day. Our starting point was the town center of Bar Harbor and our goal was to ride the park’s carriage roads. I expected a very relaxing day, coasting along flat roads. I was wrong.

Biking the carriage roads
Biking under the Park Loop Road
Taking photos is a good excuse to hop off my bike…
Riding along Jordan Pond
Bridge over the Park Loop Road

Continue reading

The Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park, ME

September 23, 2016 / / 13 Comments

Most National Parks in the US have a car route that allows visitors to efficiently visit the main highlights and enjoy views from overlooks. In Acadia National Park this route is called the Park Loop Road, and following it is a perfect way to get acquainted with the lay of the land, pick some favorites and take advantage of the easy photo ops. The scenic loop is 27 miles long, so ideal for a first (full) day in the park, especially if you’d like to do some of the shorter hikes along the way and stop at every pull-out!

Continue reading

WW – Gorham Mountain Trail in Acadia NP, Maine

September 21, 2016 / / 16 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays. I hope you enjoy them. Also, I can’t manage completely “wordless”, but I try my best at “almost wordless”. 🙂

Start of the trail

Start of the trail

There is no photo challenge at the Daily Post this week, so I’m diving head first into the Acadia experience with a photo gallery of the Gorham Mountain Trail. If there is only one hike you can do in Acadia National Park, I highly recommend this one. The views are spectacular and get better with each step you take towards the top. It is a short, but moderate hike that involves climbing over rocks and boulders and that combines the right dose of exercise and beauty. Continue reading

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