Prisoner of Hopes

Category: Hike

  • Tourist Mecca or Sacred Mountain?: Travel Goals Japan

    Today’s destination is Fushimi Inari Taisha, a temple that has over 3 miles of trail up Mount Inari. The mountain temple path is lined with over 10,000 Tori Gates. My son has picked the location because of internet reviews and photos of the Tori gates. It does look impressive and a little intimidating. However, if…

  • Saguaro Shut Down: Rural Road Trips

    Saguaro National Park is wild and wonderful in its desolation. On this trip we are almost the only ones there, which fuels my imagination.

  • Red Rock Hike: Rural Road Trip Arizona

    But the song is as old as time. It is the language of life long love, a familiar duet performed among the red rocks. If you have been married for decades, you likely know the lyrics. Feel free to sing along.

  • Verde to Tonto: Rural Road Trip

    I wouldn’t call us aimless. But we have no plan other than to enjoy this beautiful weekend. The weather is perfect. Blue skies. Cool breeze. And we have a whole day ahead of us to enjoy whatever we can.

  • Pink Jeep Tour: Rural Road Trip

    We pile into the pink jeep with six strangers. Our driver seems a little crazy….in a mostly good way. He navigates the heavy Sedona traffic like he has done the route hundreds of times. So far so good. He tells stories as he drives. He finds them funny and entertaining. I find them hard to…

  • Hopi Ruins: Rural Road Trips

    After standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona for about as long as we care to, we head out of town on Route 66. Within a few minutes, we find a trading post that sells native made products. I leave with a lighter wallet and some beautiful jewelry. The shop keeper recommends that we visit…

  • Canyons in Navajo Country: Rural Road Trip

    Sometimes a place calls to me with no rhyme or reason. Canyon de Chelly has jumped off the map for a number of years. It is off the main highways and requires a multi-hour detour through rugged landscape. Deep in Navajo country, the canyon has remained illusive. You have to mean to go there. It…

  • Birthday Special: Rural Road Trip

    My mother in law (who is likely reading this) just had a birthday. This year she insisted on taking all of her children and spouses out for fried chicken. In her world (and mine) family is everything. On her ninetieth birthday, all she wanted was a trip to a beautiful nearby state park with her…

  • The Canyon Remembered: Rural Road Trip

    We are standing in Palo Duro Canyon. A roadrunner follows us around the parking lot. He assumes an assertive stance on the red dirt hill just off the sidewalk and challenges us to follow along the trail to the river. Of course I tag along. He is cute and I love to hike. It is…

  • Egypt in Cali: Travel Goals California

    When I travel for work, I like to squeeze in as many experiences as possible. Hey, I am here and I am technically retired. I might as well get a little adventure after consulting hours are over. This week I am in San Jose. A simple google search tells me that I am minutes away…