At the end of August, we drove to Seattle for my son’s wedding on September 1. After that we headed down through Washington, Oregon, California, then across Nevada, Arizona, and into Texas for my 40th high school reunion first weekend in October.

Looking back at the photos, the trip seems a blur in some ways. So many new sights and photo opportunities. This was also the first trip that we took the dogs with us. A lot of new experiences.

The dogs loved to travel and were wonderful travelers. Even on the curviest roads in the mountains they maintain their composure and did not get carsick. Yay! They attracted a lot of attention wherever we went. The beach was a new experience for them, and they loved running and chasing each other.

We were fortunate and got to see a mama blackbear and her two cubs while pulling into the parking lot at Redwood National Forest. They were hard to see behind the bushes and I wasn’t able to get very good photos because I had my wide-angle lens on at the time.

I’ve actually been thinking about getting a second camera body so I can keep a telephoto lens on one, and a wide angle on the other, so I don’t have to switch out quickly and miss anything. I have not yet found a lens that would be sharp enough and light enough to be an all purpose lens. I really don’t like switching lenses on the fly, especially if it’s windy or sandy.

One of our favorite parks on this trip was one that neither Rachel nor I had ever heard of: Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. It is a beautiful, less known, and therefore a less crowded park.

We were both a little disappointed with our visit to Yosemite National Park, because it was very crowded even late in the season. Rachel did take a very hard hike uphill to Glacier Point and saw a bobcat on the route while she was hiking.

One of our favorite photos actually came early in the trip, taken by Rachel, when we stopped for lunch in North Dakota.

Janet’s son Robert & Steph’s wedding in Monroe, WA, at The Fields At Willie Greens was beautiful. I’m so happy to welcome Steph into our family!

Rachel and I used the iPhone apps PicFrame, (or PicStitch) and PhotoCard to create postcards that are printed, laminated, and mailed to family not on Facebook or Instagram. I love that we can create our own personalized stamps and signatures with the PhotoCard app, and pay for credits with PayPal.

Here’s one that we sent to my Mom. I enlarged the text to make it easier for her to read. I make stamps using selfie photos that we take during the trip.

We also send a postcard to our house. They sure help to remember where we’ve been.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that Rachel keeps a handwritten travel journal. She’s very good about writing every night, usually while I’m selecting some images to share on FB & Instagram.

After my High School reunion and visiting family in Texas, we drove to West Memphis Arkansas to attend the Trend-Viva Rally and met people from the Viva-Trend Yahoo and Facebook groups. We stayed at the Tom Sawyer Campground right on the Mississippi River. This was the first rally held by Viva-Trend owners, and we had a nice turnout and met wonderful people and pets.

It’s time I wind down and hope this posts from my iPhone app. I know the website needs some work from my laptop. Until then… safe travels!