TravelMorgan Stone GretherIdaho, Sun Valley, Stanley Idaho, trees, mountains, deer, Hemingway, snow, Galena Pass, Sawtooth Mountains, travel

Drive Through Central Idaho, May 2016

TravelMorgan Stone GretherIdaho, Sun Valley, Stanley Idaho, trees, mountains, deer, Hemingway, snow, Galena Pass, Sawtooth Mountains, travel
Drive Through Central Idaho, May 2016

While visiting a sick friend in Boise in May 2016, I had a free morning and decided to take a drive up into the mountains of central Idaho to visit the places of my childhood. It was a quick blast of nostalgia that was met with a rainstorm and then blizzard at the high altitudes.

The trip: I went east out of town to Mountain Home and Fairfield, then north into Sun Valley to brunch at the justifiably famous Lodge. After eating I took a quick hike up Trail Creek, past the Hemingway Memorial, one of my favorite spots in town. Next up was a rainy drive to Galena Pass (where the rain became a blizzard) to watch the Sawtooth Mountain peaks peek (sorry for the pun) in and out of rain clouds. Next came a short hike at Stanley Lake and then a drive along Canyon Creek and the Payette River back towards Boise.

Nice person in Portland, Oregon, and beyond.

TravelMorgan Stone GretherPinal Mountains, Miami Arizona, arizona, cats, art, mural, graffiti, travel

The Painted Cats of Miami, Arizona

Miami (pronounced "My Amma"), Arizona, sits nestled at the edge of the Pinal Mountains and beneath a massive copper mine. It's a quiet, dusty town, so small you could blink and miss it. But those are some of the best towns around, and I found if you pull off the main road, Route 60 (see my previous blog post on this drive), there is a charming strip of antique stores along with a couple bars and a couple restaurants. Quiet, dusty, small, but with some flair. You will find, if you take the time to stop, that the town is covered in public art. Of particular delight to me were the countless cat paintings found on street corners, shop fronts, nooks and crannies.  

TravelMorgan Stone GretherPinal Mountains, Miami Arizona, arizona, cats, art, mural, graffiti, travel
The Painted Cats of Miami, Arizona
TravelMorgan Stone GretherCrystal Mountain, resort, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, Mount Rainier, pacific northwest, Washington, Alpine Inn, mountains, trees, travel

Rainier Day 1: Sunset Drive to Crystal Mountain

We ended a packed day of fun in the Mount Rainier National Forest by driving through incredible scenery to our hotel, the Alpine Inn at Crystal Mountain. The room was pretty small, but I had my own bathroom, and hey, we closed the bar that night. One thing that is for certain: the location is spectacular. Plus, we were a short walk to a host of ski runs. I'd love to return in the wintertime. 

TravelMorgan Stone GretherCrystal Mountain, resort, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, Mount Rainier, pacific northwest, Washington, Alpine Inn, mountains, trees, travel
Rainier Day 1: Sunset Drive to Crystal Mountain
TravelMorgan Stone GretherATV – ÓbyggðaferðirATV – Óbyggðaferðir, Iceland, ATV, snow, mountains, travel

Icelandair Stopover Buddy Adventure with ATV – Óbyggðaferðir (Post 1 of 2)

As part of my trip to Iceland for Canopy by Hilton in November 2016, the Stopover Buddy service from Icelandair took us out of Reykjavík for an incredible adventure riding ATVs around Three Horn Mountain near Lambalækur, Iceland. Unnar Gardarsson of ATV – Óbyggðaferðir was our leader at the site, and I must admit he took us on one of the best trips I can remember as we slid through snow banks, forded icy rivers, admired waterfalls and volcanos, and then ate a wonderful lunch in an eighth-century monk's cave on a cliffside. On the first part of our adventure...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherATV – ÓbyggðaferðirATV – Óbyggðaferðir, Iceland, ATV, snow, mountains, travel
Icelandair Stopover Buddy Adventure with ATV – Óbyggðaferðir (Post 1 of 2)
TravelMorgan Stone GretherATV – ÓbyggðaferðirÞrihyrningr, Iceland, ATV, ATV – Óbyggðaferðir, travel

Icelandair Stopover Buddy Adventure with ATV – Óbyggðaferðir (Post 2 of 2)

The weather was gorgeously sunny, but biting, biting cold. Once we got all bundled up in our snowsuits, we hopped on our ATVs and rode off through horse pastures to wild, rugged country around Þrihyrningr, Three-Horn Mountain. The stark, desolate beauty of the volcanic landscape reminded me of my childhood in Idaho. But it was also otherworldly. I felt civilization was a million miles away and we were on a new planet. And I remembered, not too surprisingly, that Ridley Scott filmed his gorgeous mess Prometheus in Iceland... 

TravelMorgan Stone GretherATV – ÓbyggðaferðirÞrihyrningr, Iceland, ATV, ATV – Óbyggðaferðir, travel
Icelandair Stopover Buddy Adventure with ATV – Óbyggðaferðir (Post 2 of 2)