We both retired by the end of 2012 and decided to visit areas of the U.S. and Canada that we had not seen before. Most of the time we head out for 3-7 weeks; usually initially in our 2001 Saturn. This blog is to help us remember the great places we have visited and people we have met as well as to inform family and friends of our whereabouts.
In 2013 we took the following trips:
Trip 1-January–2 weeks in Florida to visit Orlando, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Amelia Island.
Trip 2-February and March-4 weeks in Hawaii, visiting the four major islands.
Trip 3-March and April–several weeks in New Mexico visiting family followed by traveling cross-country to VA for VA Garden week.
Trip 4-May and June–6-7 weeks driving to Las Vegas, the Sierra Nevada Mtns, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia N.P, Salt Lake City, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Devils Tower and home.
Trip 5-June- a quick trip to Boston to visit family.
Trip 6-July and August-a 6-7 week trip to Calgary, Banff, Mt. Ranier and Mt. St. Helens, Olympic N.P., North Cascades N.P., Victoria, Vancouver, Whistler, Revelstoke, Jasper, Yoho,Whitefish lake, Theodore Roosevelt N.P.
Trip 7-August and September- our daughters wedding in MD and returning home through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Trip 8-October and November-3-4 weeks in the Ozarks, Arkansas, Missouri.
Trip 9-December and January 2014-Christmas in Santa Fe and New Years in Flagstaff and points in between.
In 2014 we took the following trips:
Trip 1–a week in Ely MN, most of it dog-sledding in late Feb.
Trip 2–6 weeks in the Deep South including LA, MS, AL, GA and FL in March and April.
Trip 3–a trip to Boston to visit family
Trip 4–May and June houseboating on Lake Powell followed my Monument Valley, Arches and Canyonlands N.P, Black Canyon of the Gunnison N.P, San Juan Mtns of CO
Trip 5–time spent in MN and the Midwest
Trip 6–visiting Ontario, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, the Adirondack Mtns of NY, our daughters wedding in CT and home through Philly and Ohio, 7 weeks in September and October.
Trip 7–Southern California including Joshua Tree and Mojave Desert N.P, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, and then to Flagstaff for Thanskgiving for three weeks in November.
In 2015, Our trips were:
Trip 1- 8 weeks traveling around FL in February and March, most of it on the panhandle, penninsula and Gulf Coast.
Trip 2 and 4: Boston Massachusetts
Trip 3-Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior and the North Shore
Trip 5-Southern Minnesota
Trip 6-Voyageurs National Park and northwestern Minnesota
Trip 7-Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway and northern Georgia
In 2016 we bought a new car, a 2016 Subaru Legacy to replace our Saturn. Our trips were:
Trip 1-Chicago IL
Trip 2-Southwestern Minnesota
Trip 3-Boston
Trip 4-Southwestern United States, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada
Trip 5-Lake Superior
Trip 6-Winona MN
Trip 7-Western Massachusetts, driving there and back through the Midwest and Northeast
Trip 8-Rocky Mountains via Nebraska and South Dakota
Trip 9-Boston and Rhode Island
In 2017:
Trip 1-Mississippi. River headwaters
Trip 2-60 days on the road culminating in a month of touring Texas
Trip 3-The Lakes of West Central Minnesota
Trip 4-Chicago via Amtrak
Trip 5-Grandview Resort in central MN
Trip 6-Northern MN
Trip 7-North Shore of Lake Superior
Trip 8-New England
In 2018
Trip 1-MN’s Lake Itasca State Park and eastern Wisconsin
Trip 2-Boston
Trip 3-Touring Kentucky and Tennessee
Trip 4-Southwest United States
Trip 5-Grandview Resort again
Trip 6-North Shore of Lake Superior
Trip 7-Itasca State Park
Trip 8-Orlando
Trip 9-Gunflint Trail in northern MN
In 2019
Trip 1-Orlando
Trip 2-Arizona
Trip 3-Miami Beach
Trip 4-New England
Trip 5-Alaska for a month
Trip 6-Voyaguers National Park for a month
In 2020
Trip 1-Mille Lacs Lake , MN
Trip 2-Boston
PANDEMIC Hits-No travel
In 2021
PANDEMIC Continues but travel begins agains
Trip 1-Itasca State Park, MN
Trip 2-Driving to and from Flagstaff AZ
Trip 3-Driving to and from Boston
Trip 4-Along Mississippi River in WI
Trip 5-North Shore of Lake Superior
Trip 6-Driving to and from Flagstaff
2022
Trip 1-Itasca State Park, MN
Trip 2-Driving out East; seeking 300th National Park unit
Chris Klejbuk and Ed Heimel travel adventure 
wow! now you are using voice recorder!!
Very, very nice blog. Good information (in case we want to retrace your steps), written in a nice and conversational style. Well-done, bloggers.
Sorry you missed the prune spitting contest but it wasn’t cancelled. The adult division had a spitter spit one 22 feet and the kids division was 14 feet Please consider entering the Czech Meal photo in the photography contest. Look for Photography Contest Guidelines & Entry Form here -> http://www.montgomerymn.org/registration-forms/ and emailed photos are accepted this year!
I guess I should have asked around. I will check out the photo op. Thanks for correcting me. Ed
Hello! I cannot find an email link on your site, but I’d like to ask your permission to use a single image (“Sunset at Little Painted Desert”) in a performance with the Fairbanks Symphony. They are playing Ferde Grofe’s “Grand Canyon Suite” and I am assembling images to be projected in sync with the music. Although they have not provided me with a budget (most of the images are coming from the park service) we would, of course credit all the photographers included. Please let me know if this would be possible, as I’d love to use your beautiful image.
That would be perfectly fine. Recognize that Little painted Desert is closer to Winslow Arizona then the Grand Canyon. If you need more information, our email is CKEH @TC Q dot net. Ed Heimel
I am looking to go dog sledding in Alaska. I also live in Jacksonville, FL and would like some advice on choosing a tour.
Thank you
I do not know enough to recommend a particular tour group in Alaska. Based on our experience in Minnesota I would make the following thoughts: A. For the best experience, you want a tour where you get to drive the sled, not just sit in the basket. B. You want assistance in obtaining appropriate winter clothing. You are unlikely to have options in Florida for the best clothing. The tour people should be able to suggest the proper basics that you can obtain in FL or on-line, base layer, hat, gloves-although you are unlikely to truly find warm gloves/mittens in a Florida store, etc. The tour people should be able to line up the heavy outer clothing, jacket and pants, at the location of the tour. C. What are the options for changing the tour date? If you arrive late due to airline issues; if weather forces a postponement, if too few or too many people sign up, etc.
Enjoy!
Ed Heimel
You two are amazing! My daughter and I just found your blog while we were looking at photos of Olympic National Park. I can’t wait to read your stories when I have a bit more time. You are certainly living life to the fullest!
Thank you for your positive comments. We so enjoyed Olympic and its rich diversity. Hopefully you will be able to spend enough time to fully discover it.