Photos

Galápagos—Isla San Cristóbal

  • Underwater photo of two sea lions circling each other.
    San Cristóbal is known for its huge colony of sea lions. Our most memorable encounter happened on our first day, while snorkeling in a lagoon known as Tijeretas. We floated a few feet away and shared the joy and love of this playful pair as they twisted and rolled and encircled each other.
  • Photo of 11 sea lions, each on its own step of a staircase ascending from water.
    Even in town, sea lions are everywhere—every step of this stairway up from the harbor has an occupant. At night, hundreds of sea lions crowd the beaches in town, barking and braying, nursing pups, snuggling and battling as they cover every inch of sand in a living blanket of mammals.
  • Photo of two towers of rock separated by a small channel, with blue skies above and blue seas below.
    Kicker Rock, aka León Dormido (sleeping lion), rises 500 feet up and many hundreds of feet down. We snorkeled through the small channel, where shadowy hammerhead sharks patrolled the depths below us, and around the cliff, where fish darted away from a hunting sea lion.
  • photo of two dolphins playing in the waves next to a powerboat.
    Near the end of a “360 Tour” around the island by boat, Rachel spotted a pod of dolphins, calling out “delfines!” to the passengers and crew. The captain quickly spun the boat around, creating a wake that a dozen or so dolphins began to leap out of, surf on, and play in.
  • Photo of a white and black bird with bright blue, webbed feet, standing on white rock next to black rock, with bright blue ocean behind.
    Blue-footed boobies are iconic in Galapagos. They can be found elsewhere in South America, but rarely as up-close as here. This one was on a cliff we hiked to from town, where red- and blue-footed boobies were nesting, fishing, and fighting off other birds when they came too close.
  • Underwater photo of two orange fish looking straight toward us, showing bright white, rounded teeth.
    There are many species of tropical fish, but these parrotfish seem to be having the best time. Or are they laughing at the clumsy giant that needs to float near the surface and breathe through a tube?
  • Close-up photo of a white and yellow barnacle, shaped like a cone with fanned-out legs on a black, pock-marked rock.
    There are so many unusual creatures in Galapagos that it’s possible to overlook the littlest ones, yet they can be equally amazing. Barnacles like this are small animals that come in seemingly infinite varieties. Darwin himself tried to categorize and classify them for seven years!

Galápagos—Isla Isabela

  • photo of a table and chairs on a sandy beach with one leafy tree and one bare-branched tree in the foreground and teal-to-blue ocean and clear blue sky in the background.
    The beach is the focus in the ultra-relaxed, nature-appreciating town of Puerto Villamil on Isla Isabela. We were feet-in-the-sand nearly all the time, with small bamboo-roof bars and restaurants like this one lining the beach near town, and a mile-long stretch of white sand, teal water, waves gentle enough for beginning surfers, and gorgeous sunsets.
  • photo of three dark gray marine iguanas on a black rock with small waves in the background and two more iguanas on rocks in the foreground.
    You’ll see more marine iguanas than people on this beach, though they blend in nicely with the rocks. They often hang out in tight groups, even lying on top of each other, but not playfully like sea lions. “Resting iguana face” would not be a compliment.
  • Photo of an underwater tunnel through brown rocks, with fish swimming through it and a sandy bottom.
    One of our favorite outings on Isabela was to Los Tuneles, a marine landscape where multiple tunnels have been carved out of the sharp volcanic rocks. It’s shallow and protected, so it’s filled with marine life and interesting rock formations, perfect for snorkeling. It can get crowded with people, unfortunately, but still well worth the boat ride there.
  • Photo of a brown, sunlit sea turtle swimming through green water.
    Swimming sea turtles like this sun-dappled Hawkbill are among the most peaceful sights you can experience, as they glide effortlessly, slowly, and without malice or fear. We saw dozens of various shapes, sizes, and species at Los Tuneles.
  • photo of six gray sharks with white-tipped tails and fins on the ocean floor.
    Two of the more exotic sights at Los Tuneles: a spiny lobster battling a moray eel and a nest of sleeping white-tipped sharks. We saw white-tips swimming as well — they can be 4-5 feet long but did not seem especially interested in us!
  • Two photos: a black and white penguin standing on craggy gray rocks; and the shadowy black back of a penguin with its wings flapping underwater.
    The famed Galapagos penguins, which have adapted to the non-polar climate, are harder to find near land at this time of year when the water is warmest. But we did see one on the rocks while kayaking at Las Tintoreras and one fleeting underwater glimpse at Bartolome Island (technically part of the Santa Cruz portion of our trip but these are the only two sightings we had!).
  • photo of dark red craggy rocks on the left, a curving border, and on the right, black craggy rocks.
    Isabela was formed by six volcanoes. This one, called Sierra Negra, is closest to town and last erupted in 2018. This photo shows the black rocks from the 2005 eruption bordering the red rocks of an earlier one. Sierra Negra has one of the largest calderas in the world, at 6×10 miles wide, as well as a vast expanse of moonscape-like rocks and multiple conical fissures and vents that also spew lava.

Galápagos—Isla Santa Cruz

  • photo of a large gray land tortoise looking warily at us from under his rounded shell
    We first saw giant tortoises at the Darwin Center in Puerto Ayora, but our best sightings were in the highlands at El Chato Ranch, a tortoise sanctuary, where this one gave us a wary eye and we saw another 550-pound male try to mount a smaller and less-than-enthusiastic female (who escaped).
  • photo of teal ocean with two islands in the distance and a wave breaking over rocks in the foreground, about to rush over three red crabs.
    The water here is Caribbean teal and warm for swimming. The beaches have the finest, softest sand, sharp volcanic rock, and legions of red Sally Lightfoot crabs. The power of the sun is like a weight, but breezes are near-constant at the shore, and the highlands often attract clouds and rain.
  • photo of two gray sea lions
    Sea lions are everywhere, from the ferry dock near the airport to the crystal blue waters. They play, they fish, and they sleep on piers, anchored boats, and park benches. We even saw one that appeared to be aqua-dancing to the music of a pier-side Carnaval fiesta.
  • photo of people standing at an open-air fish market on a harbor while women scrape and bag fish and a sea lion sits up at the edge of the table.
    Did I say sea lions are everywhere? Look closely by the table of this harbor fish market in Puerto Ayora, where the daily catch of small-boat fisherman attracts local people (and hopeful animals) as well as tourists.
  • photo of dark gray swimming iguana slithering past rocks in clear water with a sandy bottom
    Marine iguanas are also everywhere, from beaches to coastal hiking paths to restaurant decks. They swim like snakes, tucking their limbs next to their bodies, sleep flat on their bellies with legs splayed, and walk on clawed feet, swaggering side-to-side and dragging their tails through the sand.
  • Three photos showing (left) two blue-footed white and gray birds, (center) one white and gray bird sitting gently on two eggs, and (right) a black bird with a fully inflated red pouch.
    A short boat ride away from Santa Cruz is North Seymour Island, home to the famous blue-footed boobies (left and center) and frigate birds that inflate their red throat pouches to attract mates (right), as well as big yellow land iguanas. Notice the boobie on its nest is sitting on two eggs (center).
  • photo of a rock spike poking up out of green-blue water next to brown rocky hills and a yellow crescent beach, with red rocks in the foreground and brown hills in the background.
    This iconic view of Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island, a two-hour boat ride from Santa Cruz, shows the volcanic rock that built the islands. Galapagos were never attached to any mainland, but sprung up from undersea volcanoes and fissures.
  • photo of a large school of gray-blue fish with yellow tails swimming left to right.
    As unforgettable as seeing sea turtles swim under your kayak was snorkeling with huge schools of tropical fish like these blue surgeonfish at North Seymour and Bartolomé, where we also encountered a spotted eagle ray, a sea turtle, and, for one fleeting second, a small Galapagos penguin.

Feliz Navidad from Cuenca

  • Photo of blue church domes above a courtyard with white lights in the shape of an angel.
    The iconic, blue New Cathedral domes are always lit at night, but in December the adjacent Spanish colonial courtyard includes this angel and a créche.
  • Photo of leafy green trees against a blue sky with red and green flags and other decorations strung between them.
    Some parks have Christmas fairs for families where the leafy trees are decorated for daytime festivities, but not lit at night.
  • Photo of a small shop selling items on the street.
    The little tiendas (shops) sell anything red and green this time of year—in addition to Santa hats, there’s Spiderman, Little Mermaid, and Mickey Mouse.
  • Photo of a plastic snowman with a black top hat in front of a store opening onto the street.
    In a place where the temperatures almost never leave the 50-80 degree comfort zone, it can be surprising to see a snowman!
  • Photo of a white star in the foreground with a lit cathedral in the background.
    Cuencans do not go overboard with Christmas lights and decorations, but those they have, like these in a courtyard in Old Cuenca, are beautiful at night.
  • Photo of a street-front shop with mannequins in it wearing Santa caps and red pajamas.
    Of course, not all Christmas decorations are sacred, just like in the U.S. Apparently red negligees and PJs are also part of the festivities!
  • Photo of a cutout Santa face with "Oh Oh Oh" written on his beard.
    In Spanish, the “h” is silent, so there’s a different spelling for Santa’s laugh on this display in our language school.
  • Photo of a stack of human-formed dummies in a vacant lot.
    Firecrackers are common at Christmas here, and on New Year’s Eve, these monigotes (effigies) will be burned, exploded, or cracked open like piñatas to destroy the bad things from last year and make room for the good.
  • Photo of a decorated horse in a parade bearing a young child in red, white, and green dress and a festive hat.
    Unfortunately, we did not take this picture. Covid precautions canceled this year’s Pase del Niño parade, or Passing of the Child, which is one of the biggest events of the year in Cuenca. We’ve read that it starts at 10am on Christmas Eve and continues for hours, mixing a traditional celebration of baby Jesus’ journey with modern twists like the Three Wise Men on Harleys!
  • photo of prickly pear cactus with reddish-brown buds and rocky outcropping in the background
    Prickly pear cacti (see the reddish-brown buds?) were everywhere in NM, including this hike in the Sandia Mountains!
  • photo of one-story adobe buildings with brightly colored flags hanging against a blue sky
    The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center has a better representation of native history and culture, but Old Town Albuquerque features a classic Spanish colonial plaza, adobe architecture, and shops for tourists and locals.
  • photo of Al next to a sign for the Rattlesnake Museum and Gift Shop and a steer skull
    And then there’s the off-beat side of Western culture….
  • photo of Rachel's back as she looks across a steep valley toward rocky peaks
    As usual, we went for some great hikes and saw some amazing views, this one in the Sandia Mountains to the east of Albuquerque.
  • photo of Al's mom seated next to a handrail at the edge of a muddy, wide river
    Al’s mom, making her first trip to Albuquerque at age 90, got to see the Rio Grande along the Bosque (a tree-lined walking and biking path).
  • photo of the Monterey Motel sign against a bright blue sky
    Old Route 66, with its retro-style motels and diners, famously passes through Albuquerque on its way across the U.S. West.
  • photo of petroglyphs on dark rocks
    Proof that aliens visited the Petroglyph National Monument? See the spaceship on the right and creatures with antennae on the left? Hmm…
  • photo of tumbleweeds in front of a volcanic peak
    On Albuquerque’s outskirts lie three “volcanoes,” which we learned are the result of fissure eruptions along a 5-mile crack in the Earth’s crust 150,000 years ago. We were chased by aggressive tumbleweeds here, so watch out!
  • photo of brightly colored paletas (iced sweet treats on sticks)
    The local food and craft brewery scene is hopping in Albuquerque, and we sampled everything from blue corn waffles to lengua (tongue) tacos to these paletas, like popsicles made with fresh fruit, berries, caramel, and cream.
  • photo of Al and Rachel smiling against a backdrop of the Sandia hills
    Finally we want to thank ALL of our amazing hosts over the past 5-6 weeks as we traveled New England and the West. You have shown us your worlds and shared your lives, your homes, your food… We are so grateful for your friendship and hope we can host you sometime in Maine or wherever we are!
  • photo of snow-covered red rock cliffs and evergreen trees
    Dinosaur National Monument straddles Utah and Colorado. Across the border in CO, new snow prevented further exploration, but it sure was beautiful!
  • photo of footprints in the snow on a hillside with bright blue sky overhead
    And once we got to Steamboat Springs, the snow began to pile up! This is hiking on Hahn’s Peak—after rounding this bend, we were turned back by winter winds whipping across the summit.
  • photo of Rachel and Al overlooking a vista of a distant lake and craggy mountains.
    But we sure got a great view of Steamboat Lake and Sand Mountain!
  • photo of two yellow-leaved aspen trees with Steamboat Springs ski mountain behind them.
    Despite the snow, it was still fall in Steamboat, which was named for its sulphuric hot springs—French trappers thought they sounded like the chugging of a steam engine.
  • photo of a row of bare aspen trees in a field of dry grass with a mountain in the distance.
    Bare aspens also lined the trails on nearby Emerald Mountain, with the Sleeping Giant resting in the distance.
  • photo looking down from the top of a wooden ski jump platform to the lip of the jump and the landing hill below.
    Atop the 70m ski jump on Howelsen Hill, where future Olympians train. Not for the faint of heart or those with fear of heights!
  • photo of a wide field of native grasses and a lone aspen tree with mountains in the distance.
    The great plains end at the Rockies in Denver, and so did our visit to Colorado.
  • photo of adults and young children on a swingset
    But first, we enjoyed playtime at a family reunion for kids from 2 to 90!
  • photo of pink clouds over high mountains with dark plains in the foreground
    Rocky Mountain sunset in Denver. Next: New Mexico!
  • photo of two bison eating grass by the side of the road
    Who knew there were bison in Salt Lake City? (Actually on Antelope Island, a huge reserve in the Salt Lake.)
  • Photo of marina slips resting on the mud
    Unfortunately, climate change and drought have reduced the Great Salt Lake dramatically, as this former marina attests. It would be tough to launch a boat from here!
  • photo of a hiker reflected with clouds in a small pool of water atop a cliff, overlooking a canyon with mesas
    We saw some incredible vistas in the Moab region—this one is at Dead Horse Point State Park.
  • Photo of a huge, colorful canyon like the Grand Canyon, with the Colorado River curving through it.
    Here’s what Rachel was looking at, where the Colorado River’s Grand Canyon-like carving was on brilliant display.
  • Photo montage of 15 stone arches
    “Why do they call the park Arches?” (Actual quote heard while hiking among some of the 2,000 rock arches in the park.) We saw a fair number of them over 8 hours of hiking!
  • Photo of snow-covered Park City ski trails
    It seemed like every day we had another incredible view for lunchtime, this one overlooking Canyons and Park City ski areas topped by early season snow with late fall foliage all around.
  • Photo of a 6-foot-tall dinosaur bone fossil with a woman next to it for comparison.
    Dinosaur National Monument has preserved a hillside where thousands of dinosaur bones were unearthed, now partially or fully exposed, like this sauropod femur (Rachel is pointing to her thigh bone for size comparison).
  • photo of two people pointing at a cliff with lizard petroglyphs
    Dinosaur park also has preserved petroglyphs made by the Fremont people around a thousand years ago. And other parts of this huge park feature landscapes more than 150 million years old!
  • photo of three people walking up a steep, sheer rock cliff
    In Arches and Dinosaur, we scaled several smooth, steep rock faces like this one — some were a bit scary but sure got the adrenaline pumping!
  • Red leaves and berries frame snow-capped Mount Hood against a bright blue sky.
    Never expected to find so much red foliage in Oregon. Of course, it’s not all across the hillsides as it is in New England, but these red bushes contrasted beautifully with the blue sky and first snow of the season on Mount Hood.
  • Steps painted with "We live in a world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
  • Waves roll into the rock formation known as Spouting Horn and spray up like a geyser.
    The Oregon coast has sandy beaches, jagged rocks, and pounding surf. This is Spouting Horn, where waves shoot up through a hole in the volcanic rocks.
  • Sunlight streams through an old-growth pine tree forest.
    The coast also features hikes through massive old-growth pines that can be six feet in diameter and are far enough apart to let sunlight through.
  • Waterfall gushes into a blue-green pool amidst lush greenery.
    On the McKenzie River, waterfalls are plentiful, thunderous, and idyllic, like this one on the Koosah Falls-Sahalie Falls loop trail.
  • Panoramic photo of jagged snow-capped mountains
    We ended our Oregon stay in Bend, which has an endless number of amazing hikes near the mountains seen here known as Broken Top and the Three Sisters. Jagged mountains and hardscrabble volcanic landscape reached through ponderosa pine forests.
  • Two light brown small dogs curl up, asleep on a car seat.
    All that hiking made us dog-tired—but only Koozie and Pekoe got to sleep on the ride home.
  • Olive (a green rubber duck) poses with two pints of Bend Brewing Company ale.
    And hiking made us thirsty too! Fortunately Oregon has a thriving brewery scene. Even Olive was happy! #wheresoliveduck
  • The lake isn’t always this calm, but when it is, paddling a kayak is smooth and silky. And paddlers get double the view with what’s above reflected below.
  • We were privileged to meet this fluffy furball less than a day after its birth on the farm where we buy duck eggs. Miniature donkeys are able to walk as soon as they’re born — after more than a year of gestation.
  • When the cold north wind blows steady and hard across the lake, we seek refuge in places like this, a calm swimming hole sheltered from the wind.
  • goat pokes his nose through a fence
    This photo just makes us laugh. At nearby Turning Page Farm and Brewery, you can get delicious beer ‘n’ brats and hang out with goats. What a combination! This curious fella, known as #4, was our favorite.
  • dock on lake with low water level
    We haven’t had much rain this summer, unlike the rest of the East Coast. Somehow it has just passed us by, even when it’s raining 15 miles away. The result is the lowest water level in the lake I’ve ever seen. Keep in mind that these ramps were built to extend out over the water and we used to pull a boat into this dock!
  • photo of dock on lake with higher water
    And then we did get rain! A day after the previous photo, it rained for 36 hours. This photo was taken two days after the previous one, once the rain had stopped. The fish and loons are happy I’m sure!
  • photo montage of doing chores and fix-up work
    Retirement isn’t all lounging around! We had plenty of physical labor to get the cabin in shape. It’s very satisfying when the job is done. And Rachel did plenty too! She was just better at taking pictures of our progress.