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I came through Stehekin on my Pacific Crest thru-hike. It is the last town before the northern terminus of the 2,500+ mile trail so it is usually pretty emotional for the thru-hikers that have come all the way from Mexico.

When I was there we camped at the park campground and took the shuttle bus up the valley to get to and from the trail. The boat trip on Lady of the Lake is worth the price for the stunning views and the great pizza in Chelan. We met an hippie guy there that let us crash in his backyard after a night of celebrating with a friend who got off the trail.

There is an awesome dude ranch up-valley from the town that has a great dinner (ask around) and they have the most beautiful Icelandic horses cavorting in the greenness.

North Cascades is also really superb because of their highly-evolved attitude about dogs. It is the only US National Park that allows thru-hikers to backpack the trail with their dogs under voice control. (Everywhere else we were forced to walk extra miles around, hitchhike, or risk fines; and even jail in Yosemite!) Cheers to this park’s more civilized attitude and the friendly welcome we received from the shuttle bus driver who cheerfully yelled to me…”YES! Dogs are allowed on the bus!!!” If you look carefully you can probably still see our names colorfully signed on the ceiling of the bus along with all the other jubilant hikers. All the way from Mexico to Canada we walked… and FINALLY we found a place where our intrepid four-pawed hiking partner was respected!

I would go back to Stehekin in a second. It is a magical and wonderfully hidden gem of a place!

I found the Las Vegas fitness nut’s mountain! You find them everywhere: from Boulder to Burlington. It is a mountain that all the hardcore mountain jocks like to trail run while the rest of us trudge up to the summit. I met tons of runners, many hikers, and not a few dogs out for a nice walk. Be warned: this is not an easy hike, even though it is pretty popular. There is over 2000 ft of elevation gain and no real trail (just a bunch of use trails). But the view from the top is worth it!

Date of trip: 10/8/06
Hiked with: Husband and dog
Location: Nevada, Las Vegas, Red Rock National Recreation Area, Sandstone Quarry parking lot
Route: Turtlehead Peak trail
Weather: Sunny in the high 70’s/low 80’s
Altitudes/Elevations: Trailhead 4335/ ft. Highest 6323
Sightings: Chipmunks
Gear: day-hiking, but bring lots of extra water
Overall rating: Tough, but worth doing!

Me and a certain celebrity both got married in Taos. The Alley Cantina is the joint for the party the night before.

The Baby Buddha margarita and a bowl of green chile. Live bluegrass music and an ecletic mix of ski bums, millionaires, old hippies, young hipsters, artists of every variety, rockhounds and some crazy guy called the Guv’nr.

A night in the living room of Taos…That’s heaven.

The sauna room is so awesome!

And this place is super-dog friendly. Say hi to the innkeepers for us! :)

The plan is to be married and buried in Taos, even though we can’t move there yet!

I drove into Taos and immediately knew that it was the place I was meant to find in the world. I stayed at the Taos Inn with my husband (while we were still dsting) and had the most extraordinary conversations in the Adobe Bar that night. Later we decided to get married in Taos and rented out the San Geronimo Lodge. The innkeeper was an angel in helping me, a very overwhelmed girl, plan a wedding shortly after my mother died.

We must have met half of Taos while we planned the wedding, and stayed in almost all the lodging. It was a great experience. From our photographer to our florist I felt I made friends rather than just doing business. The lemon wedding cake from Doc Martin’s pastry chef was out of this world.

if you go try a microbrew at Eske’s and the avocado pie at Orlando’s. They are both a treat. And as much as the San Geronimo will remain the center of our wedding memories, I have to say to any traveller’s with dogs—-you must stay at the Laughing Horse Inn. Now, it isn’t for everyone, but if you aren’t too uptight and you appreciate the authentic bohemian vibe of Taos you will really love this place.

Oh and the hot springs. Ask around. They are glorious.

Someday I’ll be back in Taos. I can’t go a year without the green chile—-but until then I’ll be dreaming!

I hiked the Calico Tanks trail with my husband and a couple with a five-year-old boy. The weather was great, the dog loved scambling on the rocks and there was water in the tijana at the top. There is a great view from the ridge of the Vegas Valley and though the hike is short it is very scenic and a decent workout climbing up the canyon.

Date of trip: 9/10/06
Hiked with: friends, children, dog
Location: Nevada, Las Vegas, Red Rock National Recreation Area, Sandstone Quarry parking area
Route: Calico Tanks Trail
Weather: Sunny in the 80’s.
Trip duration: 2.5 miles/ 2 hours
Altitudes/elevations: Trailhead 4335 ft. Highest 4775 ft.
Sightings: Wild burros
Gear: day-hiking
Overall rating: Worth doing!

Some of the most gorgeous scenery on the 2,600 mile Pacific Crest Trail. This is a must see area and the PCT route is amazing!

I started my walk north to Mexico here! I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail 2002 with my husband and my dog. Mile #1. Terminus of National Scenic Trail. Good luck thru-hikers!