Yesterday, I shared some observations on the lovely town of Ketchum near Sun Valley, Idaho. Before I flew back to Washington, I had one adventure remaining. My new friends, Jenny Dupre and Brandon Kuvara, decided to take me on a snowmobile expedition to Redfish lake in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. It was my first snowmobile experience and it will be hard to forget. As a lifelong hiker and backpacker, I am used to encountering nature on foot. The snowmobile allowed us to cover a huge amount of territory in a long excursion. Continue reading “The Splendor of the Sawtooth”
Category: Travel Blog
Today I am returning from Sun Valley, Idaho and, as promised, I wanted to share a travel blog on this amazing place. This is the first of two blogs and will focus on the town of Ketchum. With only 3,873 residents, the town is the quintessential Western town with friendly people and an outdoor culture. There are an array of great restaurants, shops, and bars for skiers retiring from a day on the slopes. Located in Wood River Valley, the town contains the popular ski slopes at Bald Mountain. When I arrived, the final competition of the U.S. Alpine Ski Championship was still being held. Continue reading “Ketchum, Idaho and the Beauty of Bald Mountain”
I have spent the last few days in one of my favorite spots: Colorado Springs. This trip I was able to return to Pike’s Peak, visit the Royal Gorge, and hike around the Garden of the Gods. This is an incredible place and an inexhaustible source for great hikes and incredible sights. While I was here for a speech, it is a great location for those who want some outdoor recreation and exploration.
My trip to Utah to speak to the Federal Bar Association allowed me this week to return to Utah, one of my favorite places on Earth. While I only had a day for hiking, I drove to Zion National Park for some wonderful hikes. I wanted to share some of the pictures and encourage everyone to take a trip to Utah to see the almost indescribable beauty of this state. Continue reading “The Majestic Beauty of Zion”
This week, I was in my old stomping grounds of New Orleans. I still hold a huge amount of affection for the city where I lived and taught as a member of the Tulane Law School. No matter how short a trip is, I always make it over to the World War II museum. As many on this blog know, I am a military history buff and the museum is nothing short of a pilgrimage. I consider it not just a must-see destination in New Orleans, but the finest military museum in the world. Every time I visit, there is a new exhibit or an entirely new building. Continue reading “Historical Pilgrimage: The World War II Museum in 2022”
In our final travel blog entry from the Gulf Shores, I wanted to discuss our hotel: The Lodge at Gulf Shores. There are a great variety of hotels and rental properties the area. However, the Lodge is one of the most interesting properties that you can choose. The $140 million, 350-room Hilton Hotel was built with money from the BP settlement after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, which devastated the area. It was the first hotel to receive a “Cat 5” designation, built to withstand a direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 160 mph and the accompanying storm surge. It is a unique design with restored dunes and other ecological elements right on the beach in the park area. Continue reading “The Gulf Shores: The Lodge and The Living With Hurricanes”
In our third travel blog on the Gulf Shores, I wanted to share a few of our experiences with the local food and music. Once again, since we had only a couple days, this is a limited selection but it might be of a little assistance for anyone coming down to the Panhandle. We actually found a couple of terrific spots that you might want to try. Continue reading “Gulf Shores: Eating and Entertainment in the Panhandle”
One of the things at the top of my list in visiting the Gulf Shore was a visit to Fort Morgan. As a military history nut, this is a visit that was an utter thrill. The fort drips with history. It was the most prominent focal point of the Battle of Mobile Bay. It was the scene for the great battle of the ironclads as well as Admiral David Farragut’s famed command of “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” Though perhaps incorrectly chronicled, the battle was every bit as exciting and worthy as legend. Continue reading “Gulf Shores: Fort Morgan and the Commanding View of American History”
The Gulf Shore area is of course famous for its beaches, but it has a remarkable array of things to do from hiking to historical sites to fishing to music. We only had a couple days to scratch the surface but it was overwhelming. Continue reading “The Gulf Shores: Fishing, Hiking, and Just Relaxing”
As I mentioned yesterday, I came down to the Gulf Shores for a speech and I have decided to stay a couple days to explore this unique area. I am staying at The Lodge at Gulf Shores Park a unique property that I will be discussing later on the travel blog. I wanted to start with some pictures taken at dawn during a long walk down the beach running along the Gulf Shores Park. We had a heavy storm come through last night and the birds were out getting their breakfast. This is also a major sea turtle nesting area so you are given stickers to go over your phone lights (Baby sea turtles can confuse cellphone lights of the moon and head in the wrong direction). The beauty and sense of natural power of this place is overwhelming particularly on an abandoned beach at dawn. Continue reading “The Gulf Shores: The Jewel of Alabama”
This weekend, my family and I visited the Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland. I am embarrassed to say that, despite living in Washington for much of my life, I have never been to this extraordinary art museum. Funded by billionaire Mitchell Rales and curated by Emily Wei Rales, the museum is an amazing blending of art, natural landscape, and architecture. The result is one of the most beautiful and unique spaces in the world. You can stroll through the exquisite buildings which are as impressive as the art that they contain. The galleries are surrounded by trails through gorgeous forests on over 200 acres. I strongly encourage anyone in the area to make a reservation and visit the museum (which is about 30 minutes outside of Washington). Continue reading “A Visit To The Glenstone”
As an academic, I enjoy visiting great universities with the same passion as some have for visiting the great ball parks. Last week, I decided to go to the massive Sanders rally in Ann Arbor and discuss the election with many of his supporters. My son, Aidan, is looking at the University of Michigan for college and tagged along on the trip. The Michigan campus is one of the most beautiful in the country and an excellent addition to our travel blog, including a stellar hotel.
Continue reading “Walking Around The Maize and Blue at the University of Michigan”
I recently visited the University of Virginia for a speech at the Miller Center, which was always an immense pleasure. It is remains one of the most beautiful and historic campuses in the country and I was able to bring my son, Aidan, who is looking at Virginia for college. As has been my custom for decades, I never go to Charlottesville without taking a pilgrimage to Monticello and the home of Thomas Jefferson. There has been many changes since my last visit due to a wonderful gift of David Rubenstein, who continues to leave a lasting mark on our historical record with his generous and well-placed giving. Monticello is an even greater delight with Rubenstein’s support. No other historic home more perfectly reflects the figure who lived within it. In this case, the home is filled with designs and inventions of Jefferson whose creativity seems to explode in every room with novel architectural points and quirky inventions. Located in one of the most beautiful areas of our country, Monticello is as timeless as the legal contributions of Jefferson from the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom to our Declaration of Independence.
Continue reading “The Beauty and Brilliance of Monticello”
Yesterday hiking in Nevada and California took me from the sweet to the bittersweet. The Sagehen trail can only be described as a “sweet” trail. Trails have personalities. Some played with you and make you earn the summit. Some are just sweetheart, girl-next-door trails. That is the Sagehen trail. A lovely 5 miles there-and-back to a lake with added side trails available. I then did the Donner Summit and Mount Judas trails. That one is not sweet but gorgeous. Think of Mary Ann and Ginger. It was a great combination on a spectacular day.
Continue reading “Sweet to Bittersweet: Hiking Sagehen And Donner Summit Trails”
I am in California to speak among the judges and attorneys of the Eastern District in Lake Tahoe on Sunday. As many on this blog know, I am an avid hiker and often take the opportunity of these trips to explore the local trails and forests. Yesterday, I hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail and then the Mt. Rose Trail. These trails take you along the Nevada and California border. The latter is quite difficult as you work your way up the summit of the highest point in the area. At roughly 9000 feet, it is the highest peak of the greater Sierra Nevada range. It is a gorgeous though strenuous hike.
Continue reading “The Beauty of Mount Rose”