To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul ~ Andri Cauldwell
The simplicity of black and white is the complexity of the extraordinary ~ Vikrmn
The beauty of the world in black and white is a whisper to the heart and a call to the soul ~ Anonymous
With black and white, what you get is a timeless capture that doesn’t lean on colors but the pure essence of the subject ~ Anonymous
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It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes her so important ~ Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Truths and roses have thorns about them ~ Henry David Thoreau
The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change: Yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is ~ Paulo Coelho
If the rose puzzled its mind over the question of how it grew, it would not have been the miracle that it is ~ J. B. Yeats
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail ~Â Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Waterfalls are exciting because they have power, they have rainbows, they have songs, and they have boldness and craziness! ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan
The art of stone in a Japanese garden is that of placement. Its ideal does not deviate from that of nature. ~ Isamu Noguchi
In order to comprehend the beauty of a Japanese garden, it is necessary to understand – or at least to learn to understand ~ the beauty of stone. ~ Lafcadio Hearn
No one will understand a Japanese garden until you’ve walked through one, and you hear the crunch underfoot, and you smell it, and you experience it over time. Now there’s no photograph or any movie that can give you that experience ~ J. Carter Brown
The beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden, located on the Snake River, has a traditional Japanese garden gate, a viewing platform, a “Dragon Path” across a pond and a deck plus many water features. It was developed to celebrate thirty years association with their sister city in Japan, Tokai-Mura. It’s a marvelous place to spend time with nature prior to walking further to explore the Green Belt and the falls of Idaho Falls.
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” ~ John Muir
Yellowstone is spectacular, especially the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and seeing the bison and geysers were incredible. I only covered part of the Park and will definitely return to explore the northern area.
If you plan a trip to Yellowstone, definitely get a tour book and also use the National Park information online and decide which areas you want to explore. Â I chose to stay in West Yellowstone (and use the west entrance) as it is next to the Park, has many hotels and restaurants plus the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, West Yellowstone, MT ~ May 2023 ~Â Photos
By going in May, I avoided the summer crowds however, some parts of the Park were still closed and at the higher altitudes, there was snow on the ground. Also, even in May, there were traffic backups, sometimes caused by drivers stopping to see the bison while other times, a mystery.
Favorite Restaurants ~ West Yellowstone
Would I go back to Yellowstone? Most definitely … it is a treasure and should be on everyone’s travel list!
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This not for profit wildlife park is marvelously informative about bears and wolves. There are exhibits to browse prior to walking through the wolf and bear habitats. I was lucky to be there when the animals are fed: staff hide the food and the animals hunt about for their meal (as do the birds!). Staff are helpful and knowledgeable.
At one of the buildings in the wolf habitat area, there is a statue of a wolf. Several times, I saw a wolf come to the glass enclosure and stare at the statue. I found that fascinating and wondered what he was thinking or sensing. Another enclosure is open with the wolves at more of a distance.
The Center is a marvelous place, as within Yellowstone, I saw bison, but did not see wolves or bears. I purposely stayed in West Yellowstone to use the west entrance to the Park because a town is convenient to that entrance plus I’d read about the Discovery Center. You can easily spend several hours at the Center and it is definitely worthwhile to explore.
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I’ve always wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park and finally got there. It is spectacular and I understand why people make more than one visit and/or stay for longer than a few days. I planned to travel prior to Memorial Weekend and waited until the snow season was over (though there was snow on the ground in the higher elevations).
My route from western Washington started with the I-90, stopping in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I had time to visit a favorite book store (“The Well Read Moose”) before heading to Butte, Montana to break up the drive. Leaving Butte, I went over Homestake Pass (6,329 feet, the Continental Divide) and then local Montana highways to West Yellowstone.
Yellowstone National Park has 5 entrances. I chose the West Entrance as the town is very close to the park. My favorite part was the Canyon area. And I mentally made a note to return to see more of the northern part of the park. Should you travel to this area, definitely check online or guide books for valuable information.
West Yellowstone has a fabulous Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. And while I saw magnificent bison in the park, I am glad I visited the Discovery Center to see the wolves and bears.
Leaving the park, I traveled via the South Exit, noting that the restaurant at Grant Village was closed but would open Memorial Weekend. The South Exit took me to the gorgeous Grand Teton National Park. It was an easy drive to Jackson, then over the Teton Pass (connecting Wyoming and Idaho, 8,432 feet; very steep, 10% grade but very beautiful) towards Idaho Falls.
I stopped in Idaho Falls to break up my trip as I headed to Boise. The falls and the Japanese garden are quite stunning and there is a nice green belt to walk along.
It was terrific revisiting Boise as I love the Rose Garden, Green Belt and the downtown area.
My last stop was Hood River, on the Columbia. Beautiful, windy area.
Below are some favorite photos. I will have additional posts with information about the areas, including favorite restaurants, and more photos.
Would I go back to Yellowstone? Most definitely … it is a treasure and should be on everyone’s travel list!
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The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page ~ St. Augustine
Nestled in the Cascades is the beautiful “German Bavarian” town of Leavenworth. German Bavarian is in quotes because the town is modeled on a Bavarian village as part of a civic initiative begun in the 1960s.
About a 2.5 hour drive from western Washington, Leavenworth has become a year round destination with festivals and numerous events, including the annual Oktoberfest celebration and the December Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
The hotels all have many maps of the town to make it easy as you browse the many fascinating shops or decide where to eat.
When traveling this time of year, you have to be aware of any fires in the area. There was one in the Skykomish area, about 50 miles North West of Leavenworth. While there was some haze and slight smell of smoke, it did not affect travel.
On previous visits, I’ve enjoyed dining at several German restaurants (Mozart very good) but this time I decided to try something different and am very glad I did.
Favorite Restaurant:
Visconti’s Italian Restaurant ~ Terrific customer service; very good wine list and menu, including marvelous appetizers and cheese boards. The lasagna was marvelous. Highly recommend. As an aside, I asked if they made their own (delicious) bread and was told it’s from New Jersey! They said it’s frozen for them. I laughed and said, of course, the water! (Which is why NY pizza is the best!)
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Journeys with Eileen Diane 