Jenny's Travel Blog:

But by far our most adventurous activity took place on Monday, when Paul and I went for a 20 mile bike ride in the Cascade Mountains. We rode the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail from the Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel to the Cedar Falls Trailhead. We took two cars: leaving one at our stopping point at the Cedar Falls Trailhead parking lot, then driving together to the parking area at the Hyak Trailhead.

Based on a recommendation from family, Jenny Rule travels to Shenandoah National Park and climbs up Old Rag Mountain: a sojourn with overlooks, rock scrambles and sweeping vistas.

The call came mid-June 2025…“We need help moving!” Down in Lewisville, Texas, my aunt and uncle were packing up their 4-bedroom home, and it was proving to be a huge task. Could I help with the move?  “Aunt Soo” and “Unky Bunky” are two of my favorite people on the planet, so without hesitation I answered “Yes!”

I picked up my sister-in-law, Cindy, and my nephew, Murray, at the Phoenix airport on March 23, and we moved into a double queen suite at the Arizona Grand Hotel and Spa. For the second year in a row I had successfully wheedled an invitation to join in the fun while Murray and his select baseball team played in a tournament in the Phoenix metro area. My role is driver and supporter, and occasionally scrambled egg-maker. In return, I get the pleasure of seeing family, watching

I'd left home March 15th and it was now April 2nd. I was car camping my way across America, seeing national and state parks and visiting friends and family along the way. Things were mostly going as planned - but then again, when it came to my time in California, I hadn't planned too much. I had ideas of things I wanted to do, places and people that I wanted to see, but I was intentionally not following a strict itinerary. My sister Susan lived in California for 20 years, and

After celebrating my son Luke's graduation the weekend of May 5-7, I returned home to Whitewater and began packing for my EAST COAST SWING! SECOND CAR CAMPING TRIP - May 9 - 26, 2023 May 9: Packed up, gassed up, got an oil change, then hit the road. Kept feeling like I forgot something. I DID! My dressy clothes for Grace's graduation! (Not on my usual camping checklists.) I was only 15 minutes out of town. Drove back, threw the fancy clothes in the rooftop car carrier, hugg

One of the reasons I wanted to take a year off was so I could be front and center for family celebrations - especially the graduations of the next generation of Brightbill/Rules. As I planned my summer, these dates became central pillars to work around: May 6, 2023 - My son Luke earned his bachelor's degree from University of Wisconsin-Stout May 12, 2023 - My niece Grace earned her master's degree from Duke University June 11, 2023 - My niece Charlotte earned her bachelor's d

FIRST CAR CAMPING SWING - March 15 - May 1, 2023: The overview of who I saw, what I did, where I went after packing my Packer blanket and heading out! (Click on hyperlinks for detailed blogs about each location.) March 15: Drove from Whitewater, WI to St. Louis, MO to see Gateway Arch NP, campground at Sam A. Baker SP near Patterson, MO March 16: Drove to Fontainebleau SP near New Orleans, LA - electric campsite March 17: Visited New Orleans, LA - if I visit again it will

Austin is just…UNIQUE. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a city like it. And I dig it. There is great food everywhere, tons of cool neighborhoods, and the mural art is out of this world. Even the graffiti I saw was positive. I arrived in Austin on a Saturday afternoon, March 18, 2023 and invaded the home of my niece Maddie. Maddie is pursuing her PhD at the University of Texas in Austin and lives in an apartment in the Hyde Park neighborhood near campus. She and her chill cat