Traveling with Purpose

08/29/2026

I learned something new today. Did you know that the Pony Express only lasted a year and a half? I thought it was much longer. And do you know what caused it to end? I didn't realize that either. Did you also know that there's a Pony Express National Historic Trail? It runs from California to Missouri.

On April 3, 1860, a pair of riders took off from their respective starting points of St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, with the goal of delivering a backpack of mail to the other city within 10 days. The route stretched across the Midwestern plains and Western deserts and mountains,....

08/28/2026

Day 5 - 30 Days of Beauty - OK, so I'm a little behind on my 30 Days of Beauty Challenge. I've been busy enjoying the spectacular beauty of Canada. I'll share more about the gorgeous details of my trip soon, but I'd love to give a big shout-out to the entire country. Some of the nicest, friendliest, and funniest people I've met have been Canadians. Their endless patience with recent developments over the last few years is worth commending too. I grew up just across Lake Erie from our northern neighbors, and my husband's ancestors came from Europe through Canada to settle in the U.S.

In all my life, I would have never guessed that the leader of our country could be so disrespectful to what has always been our closest ally and friend. My apologies to all Canadians. He doesn't speak for most Americans. We're on your side. The attempt to change the name of Lake Ontario without input from the people who live there is an insult to the First Nations and all those who live in BOTH countries.



Photo by Igor Kyryliuk & Tetiana Kravchenko on Unsplash

08/24/2026

Day 4 - 30 Days of Beauty - Today let's celebrate the amazing beauty of farmland. In addition to the wonderful symmetry and geometry of it all, the stories behind these fields tells so much about the hard working farmers who dedicate their lives to putting food on our tables and feeding the livestock in our country and around the world. The second image is an adorable "happy barn" that I saw in Alberta Canada. I'd say this is owned by a person with a positive attitude. How's your attitude today? Mine is excellent!!

08/21/2026

I was in awe of these gorgeous stormy summer skies over southern Utah! Some that I saw gave me Maxfield Parrish vibes. And Terry Hann captured a full rainbow too!

08/21/2026

If you've never been to the American Southwest it's quite difficult to describe. Wide open spaces as far as the eye can see. This is between Page, Arizona and Kanab, Utah. To some it might look desolate, but to the trained eye, it's gorgeous. So much history and beauty! Have you ever been on a highway like this? How did it make you feel?

08/09/2026

I thought I'd give a shout out to this sweet bakery that I discovered recently. Baked and Boujie in Sun City just moved to a new location in the shopping center at 99th Avenue and Greenway. They're between Walgreens and Paulie's Little Bite of Italy.
They offer half pound cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream, bagels, fancy coffee and more! The owners said they're planning to add a few tables and chairs in front when the weather cools down so folks can enjoy their treats alfresco too.
I bought a couple of the cookies and we've been slicing off bits over the last few days. They're wonderful! Give them a try the next time you're in the neighborhood.

https://www.bakedandboujeeaz.com/

08/08/2026

When I was visiting my hometown last week I saw this historical marker and wondered how the land was acquired to "award" to the fire sufferers in Connecticut [ie. Was it bought or traded from the Indigenous people or stolen?] I haven't found that answer yet, but I came across this account of the group that "purchased" and surveyed the land called the Western Reserve, in what would become northern Ohio. It's very interesting!

https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/the-cuyahoga/chapter/chapter-6-western-reserve/

07/31/2026

Arizona friends, be careful out there.

At least 5 people have died, and 61 have been infected with West Nile virus in Arizona this year, according to CDC data. That is more cases than any other state in the country.