This little slice of heaven is St. Mary’s Lake in Glacier NP, one of the many places we visited on this trip.

At least 100 times this year I have said to myself, “Self. You need to blog.” And about 75 percent of those times I actually had a blog-worthy idea. Do you know how many times I actually sat down to write? Maybe five.

A handful of drafts and one gorgeous Friday evening later, here you have it. The break of my writer’s strike. The conclusion of my writers block. I’m blogging again.

Lately I’ve been engrossed in all things travel. I am planning my first really big adventure since the infamous Gypsy Trip in 2010. This as- yet unnamed trip will take me and my long-time, fellow former newspapering friend Lacey westward. We are exploring both Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. And even though we will only have about six days to hit both parks, we’re making the most of it.

This spring and summer we are both working on our fitness so we can hike in the wilderness. So, unlike the Gypsy Trip when I got a primer on just about every national park west of the Mississippi, I will actually be experiencing the trip. But more on all that later.

Right now I have a crying hound dog begging to go on a long walk.