Mike and Beth's Adventures

T his summer’s exploration was meant to focus on the Puget Sound and Canada’s Gulf Islands. As every traveler eventually learns, flexibility is part of the adventure—especially when plans change without your permission. Ours certainly did. A wheel bearing on our boat trailer failed while we were rolling north on I‑5 near Salem, Oregon, abruptly transforming us into involuntary explorers of the Willamette Valley. If you’re going to get stranded somewhere, though, this is not a bad place to do it. More than 160 years ago settlers flocked here for its famously fertile land, and they chose well. The valley remains an agricultural powerhouse today. The Willamette Valley is known globally as the grass seed capital of the world , producing most of North America’s cool‑season forage and turf grass thanks to its wet winters and dry summers. But grass seed is only the beginning. The region supports more than 170 commercial crops , making it one of the most diverse agricultural areas in the count...

June 10, 2025 Beth in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia Nestled at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, has long stood at the crossroads of American history. Originally inhabited by Iroquois peoples, the area was first settled by Europeans in the early 18th century. In 1747, Robert Harper, a Quaker millwright, acquired the land and established a ferry service, giving the town its name. Its strategic location and abundant water power made Harpers Ferry a natural hub for industry and transportation. In 1799, under the direction of President George Washington, the U.S. government established a federal armory and arsenal there, which would later supply the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  The arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in the 1830s further cemented its importance as a transportation and manufacturing center. The bridge which utilized these old piers was washed away in a 1936 flood But Harpers Fe...

 Historic Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge across the Connecticut River Vermont and New Hampshire are GREEN in the summer time.  This is special to a California boy who is use to the "golden hills of California" once spring has morphed to summer.  It is also the land of covered bridges.  Sure we have a few rare examples back home, but in this lush and gorgeous section of the country they are everywhere!  You have to be cautious however.  Vertical clearance must be checked prior to entering a covered bridge.  Not all were designed to accommodate taller vehicles.  The Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge caused us to stop and select an alternate route when we spotted its height limit. Some bridges have pedestrian walkways, but most are too narrow to allow vehicles and pedestrians to mingle and cross. Sugar River Trail There are even covered bridges on the bike trails.  Between Claremont and Newport New Hampshire you can ride or walk the Sugar River Rai...