Katmai National Park, Alaska

The float plane I took to Katmai National Park was a first for me! I just came back from a two week solo trip to Alaska and visited 4 National Parks, took 13 airplane flights, got umpteen mosquito bites, was scared by bears and awed by the magnificent beauty of the Alaska wilderness.

The beach at Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park is littered with moose antlers, driftwood and rocks. My kind of place.

The campground I stayed in on Katmai was surrounded by an electric fence. You can see it in the picture above. Every time I opened the gate I pictured myself getting fried by electricity. But it is a deterrent to bears coming into the campground. It can't stop them, just deter them.

My faithful orange tent that has been on so many camping trips with me. All the campers were required to keep all food in a secure bear proof building, propane in a metal shed and gear in another building. All we could have at our campsite was a tent. Kind of hard to eat, as you can only eat in the enclosed eating areas. I did lose a few pounds on this trip.

Purple flowers grew all throughout the campground and made me happy every time I walked by.

A lot of people fish up in Alaska, and I think that some of the guys who come up there and work are there just to fish. At one point I saw four rangers in the water at one time! 

Brown bears, formerly known as Grizzly Bears, are everywhere in Katmai. They are on the beach, on the trails, in the waterfalls, in the ponds, in the marsh, and running through the trails to the lodge and campground. 

This little bear was an offspring of Blondie, the big bear above and below. Everyone loved her and her cubs. They look so cute and cuddly, but believe me you do not want to mess with them.

My favorite picture of Blondie and cubs, taken from the viewing platform at Brooks Falls.

Every day on Katmai, I walked on the beach outside my campground. So many different colors in the sky, and so many amazing rocks and driftwood upon the shore. Quite of few of the rocks are pumice, from the volcanic activity in the surrounding area. It rained every day, sometimes not until I was in my tent at night. I love cloudy skies, so it made me happy. Except when I had to set up or take down my tent in the rain. That made me unhappy.

The round fireplace at the Brooks Lodge was a place of comfort for me. I ate most of my lunches at the lodge and could go there any time I wanted to sit around the fire and meet people. Great place to get out of the rain and cold, and to get away from my tent. 

Up at Brooks Falls there is a lot of bear activity. Bears fight for the best fishing spots and the smaller bears back away when the boss comes around. These two were at each other, growling, opening their mouths, heads down, heads up, until finally in one split second they were at each other. It was actually very frightening to be there watching this explode.

On a more peaceful note, this was what I enjoyed the most about Katmai. Peaceful walks along the beach until a bear turned up, and then I had to quickly exit.

Brown bears stand in the cold water patiently waiting to catch a fish. A brutal, gory sight when they did catch one. It was amazing that I went there day after day, just to see this drama play itself out. Sort of a guy thing, but there I was with the best of them.

Salmon spend most of their lives in the ocean, but when it is time to reproduce, they head into the freshwater streams and up the rivers to reach their spawning ground. At Brooks Falls, where this female bear is fishing, the salmon have to jump up the falls before they can continue upstream. This is where the bears congregate. This female was smaller than the big males, and chose to stand on the ridge away from the boys, in order to fish. She stood there for quite some time, occasionally swatting at the fish. Finally she caught one!

She ripped that salmon open right there in the river. 

This bear was standing up to look around when I caught sight of the deep red slashes on his chest, the result of a recent fight. 

A mother Merganser, a fish eating duck, is followed by her numerous offspring. At one point a few of the babies hopped on her back, but she quickly shooed them off.

I shivered when I saw the brown bear tracks on the beach. So scary for me. 

Just look at these claws! Able to rip you in pieces in a heartbeat.

This was another one of my favorite bears. He was very successful at fishing and seemed to always have a fish in his mouth.

Whenever a bear caught a fish, seagulls flocked to the site to get some of the bloody bits.  One afternoon a bald eagle flew in to get some scraps, but the seagulls screeched and together they chased it off. Poor little eagle.

That would be me, on the bear viewing platform, smiling as the very handsome young ranger took my picture. I should have been taking his picture! All in all I am glad I went to Alaska, even though it scared the crap out of me. Some things need to be done, and for me that was one of them. This trip brought me to 58 National Parks that I have camped in and visited!  There used to be 59, which only left me American Samoa National Park to see next year. But in February our president signed in another National Park, Gateway Arch National Park in Missouri. Another road trip is being planned......later this year? Anyway, a special thanks to our God and Father, who has kept me safe, brought me home alive, and as always, is my constant companion. 

Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Torrey Pines Beaches in southern California

Coming out of the winter months, I always enjoy going to the beaches. But then again I always love going to the beach; rain, sun, wind, night or day. Oceanside Beach and Harbor are home to me. My kids learned how to surf here, and lots of happy hours have been spent here.

One day I drove down to the beach and the tide was way up. It was glorious, with the surf crashing on the rocks at Wisconsin St, and nobody there but me and the ocean, and one homeless guy who came down to the water to wash his feet. Very touching.

Up at the Oceanside Pier, the homes overlooking the water are pretty, but not as pretty as the surf, shore, clouds reflecting in the water, and the sound of the waves.

When my friend Celeste came down from Canada we drove to the Oceanside Pier to watch the sun set. We found one kind soul to take our picture against the setting sun over the ocean.

I love reflections and loved the way the pier was reflected in the windows of the old building the lifeguards use.

Up at the harbor, a working lighthouse goes on at night, giving the whole place a festive atmosphere that takes away any blues I am feeling.

Boats in the harbor, on a quiet day, peaceful, full of contentment.

A bit of a stormy day in Carlsbad, where I go to walk around the village, and also up and down the seawall. Recently, Carlsbad got the new sign and it makes the whole place so beachy! (Is beachy a real word?) That old building in the background is an original, built in 1887 as a family home, which later became known for its chicken dinners. It has changed owners over the years, and now houses a restaurant and a surf shop. They still have the old photographs up on the walls and that is worth seeing if you are ever in town.

View from my timeshare overlooking the ocean in Carlsbad. Those were happy days too!

Encinitas, a bit strange, how would you say, new age?, and full of incense and people who want to chill. In spite of its quirkiness it will always be one of my favorite places. 

At Swamis beach in Encinitas, the view from the top is spectacular!

One day my son Isaac took me to Swamis, and with his son Dylan, we walked down the stairs to the shore. What a fantastic day that was. 

Such unbelievable views. Now that summer is upon us, the tourists and kids will swarm the beaches, with their umbrellas and beach balls.  Still fun, but I do like a lonely stretch of sand to walk upon.

Another favorite place of mine is Torrey Pines State Reserve, nestled in-between La Jolla and Del Mar, in the northwest edge of the city of San Diego. A great place to hike as the trails take you all along the cliffs with spectacular views of the beaches, and then down to the ocean, to jump in the water, or just to walk in the wet sand. Just love it here.

There is a lot of erosion in the sandstone cliffs which make it all the more interesting!

When my sister Judy came to visit, we hiked the trails, ended up at the beach and had a marvelous time. So much beauty, so much freedom and so many people!

That would be, sitting in a little cave on the sand, surrounded by rocks and shells.  Heaven on earth, in my humble opinion.

Weird rock formations are fun to explore and take pictures of. Can you tell what kinds of things are my favorite things?

View of the city of San Diego from the Harbor Island Park. There is much to see down here at the beach. Definitely a must in my opinion!

Big Bear Lake, California

Last week I drove up to Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains in southern California. On my way in, I stopped at Green Valley Lake and have vague memories of visiting that small lake as a child. It was all very pretty!

While at Big Bear Lake, I stayed with my long time friend, Nancy. From her cabin, we walked up to Snow Summit Ski Resort, pictured above, to watch the skiers and sit by the huge fireplace. 

I am amazed by icicles, and frantically took pictures of all the icicles we came across on our wanderings. No, I didn't eat any icicles, but could not resist the chocolate covered pretzels and hot coffee down in the village!

 One morning we woke up to fresh snow covering the ground and shaking down off the trees. Always a miracle in my opinion. I quickly grabbed my camera, stepped outside and took pictures!

Freshly fallen snow on a manzanita bush.

My cold little Subee, covered in snow, waiting for the sun to come out. When I saw the snow on my car was going to take forever to melt, I got Nancy's big snow brush and knocked all the snow off. 

We took a walk into town and wandered through the village and down by Big Bear Lake. It was incredibly cold that day, around 20 degrees, and the lake was surrounded by snow and ice. 

The ducks were all gathered together, pecking in the snow, probably looking for bugs. 

That would be me, all bundled up, as we walked through the Village. 

This beautiful lady is Nancy, and her sweet little kitty, who is actually a very old lady cat! The little dog in pic above is Logan, Nancy's most beloved little pet. Logan is blind, but that didn't stop him from enjoying life and all it has to offer. Nancy has taught me so much; how to enjoy relaxing, how to have fun, how to love others, whether they are human or animals, and how to eat Tater Tots. 

On my way home, I tried not to get myself killed as I kept stopping on the highway to take more pictures. God was very gracious and kept me safe and sound, although I was very tired by the time I got home. Thank you Lord for protecting me and thank you Nancy, for a wonderful visit!