Ok, lemme float this by you: you're taking a day at the beach and you want to find the restaurant that will give you great service and totally fantastic food. Why wouldn't you choose the place with all this hanging outside on the wall? The food was actually really, really good. Newport, Oregon; February, 2015.

Yaquina Head and lighthouse on a day so windy it made our eyes water. Yaquina Head near Newport, Oregon; February, 2015.

A bunch of guys get down with some bocce ball on the Ile de Cité, with a female referee. Paris, France; September, 2013.

Up close and personal with some former presidents. Mount Rushmore National Monument, near Keystone, South Dakota; August, 2014.

It's known as the City of Roses 'cause we've got a lot of roses out here, but it could just as well be known as the City of Bridges. This one is the Hawthorne Bridge. Portland, Oregon; February, 2015.

Since the early 90s, we've made an annual trek to attend a meditation retreat and always pass through this wonderful city and have a walkabout. If you keep your eyes open while doing the walking, you can discover gems all over the place. alike this little alleyway. (Click the photo to see the silhouette of the wired human in the middle window) Victoria, BC, Canada; April, 2014.

We recently had the opportunity to sit front row and bask in the glow and rhythm of Austin resident and New Orleans-style boogie keyboard/vocalist Marcia Ball. She didn't disappoint. Aladdin theater, Portland, Oregon; February, 2015.

One of the best vacations we've ever experienced was to rent a canal boat and float solo down the Canal du Nivernais. Along the canal are many bridges such as this one, in which a single person can crank the draw to allow the boat to pass. Of course, you have to dock on the canal side, let the person off, wait for them to raise the bridge, pass through, dock canal side, and then wait for them to lower the bridge and reboard the boat. Burgundy region of France along the Canal du Nivernais; September, 2009.

We know it looks like a little French cafe, but it's actually a table outside a restaurant here in the States. Alexandria, Virginia; March, 2014.

A little chapel in the Sellwood district where friends of ours are were married many years ago. Portland, Oregon; February, 2015.

One can find these General Stores all over the park, and at least half of the stuff inside is different than one may see in another General Store, usually specific to the area where in the park the store is. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming; August, 2014.

It's amazing what one finds when one just takes a turn down a country road just to see what's down there. We found this old covered bridge and a few other gems not 2 miles off the main highway. (Click the photo for more detail) Otis, Oregon, February, 2015.

A rainy day does not keep the local denizens away from people watching and a meal along the sidewalk near Les Halles. Paris, France; September, 2013.

Mt. Moran towers over Jackson Lake on a sunny, warm, wonderful day. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming; August, 2014.

The Saltwater Seafood Company, which offers live crab and has a mural on its facade. Newport, Oregon' February, 2015

While walking around town on a warm evening after dinner, we happened upon this art gallery filled with art depicting various Native American scenes and statues. While she was just about to close, the very kind and gracious curator of the gallery did allow us to enter and spend about 20 minutes view the various pieces. (Click the photo to get a better view of the art) Ketchum, Idaho; August, 2014.

When the tide is in, you can't walk out to these rocks, but you can boat in from Siletz Bay in the background. Lincoln City, Oregon; February, 2015.

An unusually empty Place Dauphine on Ile de Citi. Normally, this place is filled with walkers and sidewalk diners. It wasn't rainy despite the clouds. Paris, France; September, 2013.

Mt. Ranier stands over the city, while the home of the former NFL world champion Seahawks rests in the lower right. Seatlle, Washington; April, 2009.

Slip, sliding, flipping and frolicking right off the beach. Pensacola, Florida; August, 2013.

Many people know the nuts grown by these trees as hazelnuts. But we here call them by their real name: filberts. (Click the photo to really get into the orchard) Somewhere in Yamhill County, Oregon; February, 2015.

It was a very windy, so windy it made your eyes water. But it was crystal clear on the Oregon coast. Yaquina Head, Oregon; February, 2015.