I’m sure anyone reading this has had the experience of eating an exquisite meal at a restaurant, only to go back a second time to find the fare is so-so. Geographic places are like that too, and returning to them always leaves me disappointed. There’s nothing like the first time, and there’s much to be said for novelty and spontaneity. Conversely, if you are only traveling a short distance, a sure thing is ok. Some locales, like the North Shore of Lake Superior, never disappoint. Such destinations may not offer surprise, but they guarantee relaxation and pleasure.

I’m sharing some arty photographs I took of geothermal features at Yellowstone National Park the second time around. For my youngest son, it was a virgin experience and that was my purpose in vacationing there that summer. I think, next year, I will take my sons to Glacier National Park. I love that place and it has been a very long time since I visited that part of Montana. I will be older then, but that won’t disappoint me because I won’t be going there to feel young. I’ll just be visiting because I want to experience the incredible beauty and rugged freedom of the American West. The traveling conditions might be cushy in comparison to what Lewis and Clark experienced, but goddamn, there’s nothing like mountains when you’ve lived your whole life on the dreary, boring plains of the Midwest. Or, fuck it, maybe I’ll heed my own advice and take them to Alaska. Plenty of time to dream and decide. All for now, folks. Thanks for checking out my humble, innocuous corner of the internet.