Ronnie & Kelley’s Travel Journal

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Vancouver, BC

Friday Aug 28 We woke up to a beautiful, clear day in Leavenworth. Had a nice breakfast at the hotel, then walked around town a bit more and picked up a few things before hitting the road. Leavenworth, WAWe kicked off the road trip to Vancouver, BC with a stop

Leavenworth, WA

Leavenworth, WA

We kicked off the road trip to Vancouver, BC with a stop in Leavenworth, and it was such a gem. We stayed at the Blue Elk Inn and loved it. Such a cute little town, with the Wenatchee River running right along the edge of downtown. We wandered the streets

Tetons with Carie & Scott

Tetons with Carie & Scott

Our friends Scott and Carie came to visit again for a week in August. Tuesday Aug 4 They arrived Tuesday afternoon, so we walked down the Greenbelt to a local Mexican place called Pig Latin, then grabbed some ice cream at The Stil. Wednesday Aug 5 Wednesday started with tennis,

Boise Trails Challenge 2026

Boise Trails Challenge 2026

The Boise Trails Challenge is a month long event where mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners try to complete every trail on the Ridge to Rivers trail system before time runs out. It's been going since 2017 and is held in memory of Jason Delgadillo, one of its

Blaire & Jason's Wedding

Blaire & Jason's Wedding

In early June, we headed to the Seattle area to join Blaire, Jason, and the rest of Kelley's family for their wedding. Tilly, our dog, was much better after a recent health scare, so we decided to leave her at home. The drive was long (10 hours), but

Wailea, Maui

The day started off very wet and rainy. We checked out of our condo in Kihei and took an Uber to the airport to pick up our rental car, then collected Carie and Scott arriving from California. Scott & Carie Arrive Friday, Feb 6 We went straight to Paia for

Kihei, Maui

The second leg of this trip began with our last morning at the Sheraton Maui, wrapping up a week with Kelley's family celebrating Bill's 80th birthday. Great trip, great location. We had to wait until 3pm for our Airbnb to be ready, so we relaxed in

Kannapali, Maui

Kannapali, Maui

We're starting this month-long trip via a generous gift from Bill & Fran by meeting up with Kelley's family to celebrate Bill’s 80th birthday. Boise to Maui Fri, Jan 16 We started Friday with a 5am alarm for our 7am flight to Sacramento, then

Christmas in Seattle 2025

Christmas in Seattle 2025

For Christmas this year, we joined Jason, Blaire, Bill, Fran, and Maddie in Seattle. We made a short trip to Bellingham first to visit with Maddie, then drove down and checked into our Airbnb, a cool three story modern building. During the visit, we visited Gig Harbor, walked around Ballard

Chloe & Jarod Winter Visit

Chloe & Jarod Winter Visit

Chloe and Jarod came to visit over Thanksgiving / Christmas, and we had relaxing, enjoyable time together. They were even here for my birthday, which made it extra special since Chloe and I hadn't celebrated together in years. We explored vintage shops around town and just enjoyed hanging out

Maddie Thanksgiving 2025

Maddie Thanksgiving 2025

Maddie came to visit for Thanksgiving this year. We kept things low key, but it was a great time filled with good food and games.

Alabama 2025

Sat, Nov 15 – After a rake-up event with our friends from church, I (Ronnie) flew to Huntsville, AL, where my mom and dad picked me up. It was a late arrival, so we were pretty tired when we got to Red Bay, but we talked for a while anyway.

Europe '25 Summary

Europe '25 Summary

"We Went Dutch" * Seven EU countries in thirty-four days. * Five airplanes, 41 trains. * We walked over 225 miles! Two weeks with Scott & Carie, then three more on our own. 1. Copenhagen We spent four nights in Copenhagen and it was enough. Clean, Interesting, Pretty, Lots of

Rome Overnight

We arrived back in Rome after a three-hour train ride from Sorrento. Taking the exact reverse route from Friday, it was once again a stark contrast: the first leg on a super old, noisy train, and the second on a quiet, smooth high-speed one with leather seats and

Amalfi Coast

For this leg, as a travel base, we're staying near Sorrento. This region, set on the cliffs of the Sorrentine Peninsula overlooking the Bay of Naples, features beautiful coastal scenery, lush lemon groves, and a history reaching back to Greek and Roman times. Sorrento is famous for its

Rome

Rome, the capital of Italy and heart of the Lazio region, is often called the Eternal City and is famous for its seven hills and rich mix of ancient history and modern life. Founded by Romulus around 753 BC, Rome has been a center for empire, religion, and art for

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is a string of five ancient, brightly colored fishing villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) perched along the rugged cliffs of the Ligurian coast, famous for its dramatic views, winding walking paths, and UNESCO protection. The towns are connected with walking paths, a train line and ferries.

Florence

Florence, is known as the “Cradle of the Renaissance” and holds about half of Italy’s most important works of art, making it a hotspot for culture and history. The city was founded by Julius Caesar in 59 BC as Florentia (even though there was an earlier Etruscan settlement in

Venice

Venice has around 150 canals weaving through the city, turning its 100-plus islands into a connected maze. The Grand Canal is the largest and most famous, stretching about 26 miles in a giant S shape, and many smaller canals called rìos branch off to reach the quieter corners. The

Lake Como

Lake Como is pretty big... about 29 miles long and more than 1,350 feet deep. The lake sits in northern Italy, just below the Alps, with lots of small towns hugging its shoreline. Bellagio is right at the middle where the two arms of the lake meet, so it’

Grindlewald, Switzerland

Grindlewald, Switzerland

Grindelwald is a Swiss village at 3,392 feet above sea level. Dating back to 1146, it became a major tourist destination in the Alps in the 1800s. The village is nestled beneath the Bernese Alps, with mountains such as the Wetterhorn and Eiger forming a dramatic backdrop. Arrived in

Vevey, Switzerland

Vevey, Switzerland

Vevey is an ancient town in Switzerland, nestled right by Lake Geneva and surrounded by steep mountains rising up from the water. People have lived in Vevey since ancient Roman times, when it was known as Viviscus, and even earlier, with traces of Celtic settlements. Nestlé, one of the world’

Bruges, Belgium

Bruges, Belgium

Monday, Sep 1. Took a short train ride from Ghent for a day trip to Bruges. Bruges has a rich history as a medieval trading center and was the capital of the County of Flanders starting in the 11th century. The city became a major commercial and cultural hub in

Ghent, Belgium

Ghent was once the biggest city in Europe north of Paris back in the Middle Ages, with about 65,000 people living inside its walls. The city is famous for its three historic towers; St. Bavo’s Cathedral, St. Nicholas’ Church, and the Belfry. Ghent also played a major role

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is built on 11 million wooden pilings and sits below sea level. There are about 100 miles of canals and more than 1,280 bridges, actually more than Venice. The city has over 1 million bikes, a lot more than its population, and thousands of bikes get pulled out