It is a dark and cold December morning in SE Wisconsin. Ten white Ford Starcraft F450 shuttles are parked in a pole barn, windshields facing the middle like five cows on each side of a trough. A cautious new driver slowly backs out her shuttle, shifts into park, and takes a photo.

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.