Join me by pulling up a chair and pouring yourself a cup of coffee. As always, though, I’m sticking to water since I don’t care for coffee or tea. Let’s take a break and try to talk about more than just fitness-related topics. Sound like a plan? I’ll kick us off…

 

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..

Fitness took a minor detour in July while I recovered from surgery to remove an invasive melanoma from my upper abdomen. While intense workouts were temporarily off the table, I was still able to keep moving as long as I didn’t strain my sutures. Mid-month, the start of our four-week road trip shifted my routine even further with plenty of long hours in the car. But we made up for the driving time with short hikes as we explored five incredible national parks: Cuyahoga Valley, Indiana Dunes, North Cascades, Olympic, and Mount Rainier. Overall, it was a fantastic month—and a little change of pace does a body good!

 

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..

Amidst all the driving and hiking, my husband and I celebrated a huge milestone! August 1st marked our 45th wedding anniversary. While this cross-country adventure wasn’t originally planned as an anniversary trip, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 45 years together than being on the open road, exploring new national parks, and taking in these incredible mountain views side by side.

 

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..

We’ve spent the last couple of weeks dealing with burning eyes from all the wildfire smoke out west. Smoke was especially thick when we were in Spokane, Washington last week, and tragically, over 600 homes were destroyed there just a couple of days after we left. Later in the week, while driving from Oregon to Idaho, we double-checked our route with a fire supervisor. He assured us the pass was clear at the time, though they were monitoring it closely. We could occasionally see smoldering fires along the road as we drove through, and we later learned they closed the pass shortly after we made it across!

Right now, there’s a soft smoky haze—though thankfully no smoky odor—hanging over the Wasatch (to the east) and Wellsville (to the west) Mountains. I’m currently sitting on our friends’ beautiful patio, taking in the views toward the canyon and enjoying the cool, crisp early morning desert air; thankful that I don’t smell smoke.

 

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..

While in Oregon, we had a jam-packed, fun time with our friends who plan to visit us this coming May. They set the bar so high for entertaining that we’re already drafting a list of must-see spots in Virginia to make sure we don’t disappoint.

 

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..

Visiting five national parks in July—Cuyahoga Valley, Indiana Dunes, North Cascades, Olympic, and Mount Rainier—was absolutely incredible! I can’t wait to get back home and add the little green trees for each of those parks to the wooden national parks map hanging in my gym. And once I do that, I’ll update my blog sidebar!

 

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..
Before leaving Logan, a stop at the Utah State University Aggie Creamery was a must for a cup of Aggie Blue Mint ice cream—our absolute favorite staple from back when we lived in Logan in the early ’80s!

 
Questions:

  • • Do you track your travel goals on a visual map, or are you more of a list keeper? ~ I only have a visual map for the U.S. national parks we visit.
  • • Has wildfire smoke affected you this summer? ~ Wind actually blew Canadian wildfire smoke down to us in Virginia about a week before we left for our trip, and as I mentioned above, we’ve encountered it several times along our route out west.
  • • If we were having coffee, what would you tell me?

 

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Today I’m joining Deborah at Confessions Of A Mother Runner and Coco at Running With Perseverance for their monthly Ultimate Coffee Date linkup which goes live the first Friday of every month.  Be sure to stop by their blogs for a cup of coffee and to say hello; and while you’re there, be sure to check out some of the other bloggers who are participating in the linkup.