If you stand to one side of the Avignon papal palace at just the right time, the setting sun turns the building’s stones to a beautiful golden color. As you can see, we were a bit late, so only the top part of the building has the right color.
Bridge Needs Some Repair Work
This picture of a partially-destroyed bridge in Avignon was taken from a tour boat that runs down the Rhone River next to the city.
The Prince of Wales Hotel
The Prince of Wales Hotel is an old wooden structure located in the Canadian portion of Glacier National Park. We got a room on the drafty fifth floor, which is badly in need of an overhaul. On the plus side, it has a magnificent view. The hotel is near the bottom in the following picture.
Trail Overlook in Glacier National Park
Here is a fine view of a lake and surrounding peaks on the east side of Glacier National Park.
A Completely Bleached Tree
This tree was next to the trail on the way up to a scenic overlook in the northeast corner of Glacier National Park.
Just Before the Storm Hit
We had just returned to the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park from a hike when a storm rapidly built up and dumped on us - along with a wee bit of lightning.
Sadly, No Polar Bears
This is the end of the Grinnell Glacier hike in Glacier National Park. The views are great - and a lot of other people seem to agree, based on the large number of people lounging on the rocks. There are icebergs in the water, but no polar bears.
Chill Dude
Here we have a bighorn buck lolling around on a hillside in Glacier National Park, keeping the tourists happy.
St. Mary Falls
St. Mary Falls is, of course, at the head of St. Mary’s Lake in Glacier National Park. A fair amount of cloud cover darkened the texture of the photo a bit.
St. Mary Lake Panoramic
Here’s another shot of St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park. The trail that skirts its shoreline is both easy and absolutely beautiful.
St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park
We just returned from a hiking trip in Glacier National Park. Here is Melissa showcasing St. Mary Lake and the surrounding peaks.
Monthly Half Marathon Trail Run #75
This is my 75th consecutive monthly half marathon trail run, this time at Staunton State Park. That’s more than six years of never missing a month! It all depends on weather conditions and not getting sick.
The Plexiglass Box
Here we are in a plexiglass box that sticks out the side of the Aiguille du Midi tram station. The fall is a couple of thousand feet down, so it can be quite concerning to stand in the box. That’s Mont Blanc in the background.
View of Mont Blanc
Here is a fine view of Mont Blanc, highest point in western Europe, from the Aiguille du Midi. The clouds moved in again a few minutes later.
Paragliders Everywhere
…and I mean everywhere. At one point, I counted 18 paragliders in the air over Chamonix. I took the photo from one of the bench trails running along the Chamonix valley.
Even the Marmots Ski in Chamonix
Great tire cover! Never actually seen a marmot doing this, but then I lead a sheltered existence. Perhaps in Vail or Aspen?
A Shoe Exchange? Perhaps a Drying Opportunity?
We spotted this shoe lineup in a trailhead parking lot outside Chamonix. Your guess is as good as mine.
Modern Condos in Zermatt
These historical structures are sprinkled all over the Zermatt area. I like the flower box.
The Swiss Car Train
One of the ways to access Zermatt is to drive your car onto a train, which goes through a mountain for about 15 minutes. Then you offload on the other side and proceed on your way. A picture of the train is noted below.
Cheese on the Trail!
Yes, that’s right. You can buy cheese while hiking in Switzerland. This refrigerator was located alongside a hiking trail. Who knew?
