By Eilene Lyon We’re rolling westward on Interstate 80 in southern Wyoming, on our way to do breeding bird surveys along a proposed transmission line route. The rising sun is adding fire to the stratus clouds hanging low in the sky. Our Ford Super Duty truck passes plains and low hills draped in sagebrush and... Continue Reading →
Bike and Barge: Holland
By Eilene Lyon The bike and barge trip in the Netherlands was our third such adventure, but I highly recommend the tulip tour for anyone's first exploration. You don't have to be in super-fit condition to do the riding. We were booked on the Elodie, fairly small as barges go: 13 passengers plus our guide... Continue Reading →
The National Road: Both Obsolete and Ahead of Its Time
By Eilene Lyon On a genealogy trip to Belmont and Guernsey counties in Ohio last year, I encountered the National Road when I stopped at the wonderful museum in downtown St. Clairsville. During my travels there and heading west toward home, I enjoyed bits and pieces of this historic corridor that played a role in... Continue Reading →
One Fjord is Never Enough
Day One/Two in Norway By Eilene Lyon After spending nine days in the Netherlands, we boarded a jet in Amsterdam for Bergen, Norway, to spend a week in the northwestern fjords. This was the flexible part of our trip, as we made no plans beyond the first day. View of the Norwegian coast near Bergen... Continue Reading →
Absurdities #8
By Eilene Lyon Auto makers have been coming up with weird names for cars and trucks for…well, forever. But the auto industry has nothing on the RV manufacturers. I live in a tourist town, so there is no shortage of RVs bumbling through the area, especially in the warmer months. (Full disclosure: we own an... Continue Reading →
Half a World Away
By Eilene Lyon While pondering this week’s 52 Ancestors prompt “So Far Away” (which I will post later this week), the phrase “Half a World Away” came to mind. Though we might use it figuratively to mean someplace rather distant, or a mental distraction (like this post), I wondered about the literal sense. What place... Continue Reading →
Milling Water to the Sea
By Eilene Lyon We recently took a trip to the Netherlands and Norway, so expect a few posts on sights, scenes, and travel. But first, I want to share a bit about the Dutch genius for engineering water. It’s no secret that much of the Netherlands is below sea level. Since more and more land... Continue Reading →
Absurdities #6
By Eilene Lyon This one, found on a walk down the mountain above Bergen, Norway, left me scratching my head. Is there supposed to be a hyphen in there somewhere? Is someone hunting invisible witches, or is the witch hunter invisible? Or is the witch an invisible hunter? Now I’m extra confused! And why does... Continue Reading →