garthmonroe

I visited Grand Canyon National Park three times in the past decade. The first trip was in March 2013, there was light snow at the rim; I visited the typical visitor viewpoints in the park. The second trip was in October 2016; I hiked down South Kaibab trail and up Bright Angel trail, 16-miles, 5000-feet…

In late May, I visited Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee; my second visit to the park. Before mid-day, the park became quite crowded; it was difficult to find parking in places, and the hiking trails were congested. I often enjoy visiting the national parks after Labor Day, when many people return to work…

There are many places to which I would like to travel; here is a brief list, in no particular order.

I was introduced to world travel by my friend Cathy, from graduate school, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Prior to this, I really didn’t have the financial means to travel. Cathy introduced me to hostels, which remains my preferred lodging choice. Besides being affordable, I appreciate the sense of community with similar-minded people. What…