Posts In The “Destinations” Category
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, at altitude 12,740 ft (3,883 m) on the mountain Klein Matterhorn, is the highest viewing platform in Europe. Since 1978, a cable car has whisked visitors up to the summit from 9,642 ft (2,939 m ) Trockener Steg. Over half a million people ride to the top annually. Many are there to…
The distinctive pyramid-shaped peak of the Matterhorn has been famous world-wide for more than a century. The 14,692 ft (4,478 m) mountain has inspired millions of photographers and thousands of climbers, with up to 150 attempting the summit on a good summer day. And the image of the Matterhorn has been used for a variety…
The vista from the summit of 7,687-ft (2,342 m) Mannlichen is known as the Royal View, where on a clear day Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger dominate the skyline. The theme extends to the short hike up from Mannlichen station, called the Royal Walk, with waypoints along the way carrying names such as the King’s Gate,…
The Via Ferrata Murren-Gimmelwald is 1.4-mile (2.2 km) route strung along the cliffs between Murren and Gimmelwald. Unlike most via ferratas, this route descends rather than ascends, starting Murren at altitude 5,374 ft (1,638 m) and ending at Gimmelwald at 4,485 ft (1,367 m). But it shares many features of other via ferrata we’ve done…
The revolving restaurant atop 9,744 ft (2,970 m) Schilthorn, pictured above, was the setting for the fortress Piz Gloria in the 1969 James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. It really does look like a fortress atop the craggy summit of Schilthorn. The restaurant was under construction before the filming and subsequently was named…
The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site, established in 2001, comprises 318 sq mi (82,388 ha) of the High Alps, including the most glaciated part of the mountain range and the largest glacier in Eurasia. The dramatic scenery, centered on the mountains Jungfrau (13,642 ft; 4,158 m), Monch (13,480 ft; 4,110 m) and Eiger…
The Bernese Oberland (Bernese Highlands) region topped every list we found of best places to visit in Switzerland for spectacular mountain scenery. Here are some of the highest and well-known peaks in the Bernese Alps, including 14,022-ft (4,274 m) Finsteraarhorn, 13,642 ft (4,158 m) Jungfrau, 13,480-ft (4,110 m) Monch, and 13,015-ft (3,967 m) Eiger. Some…
The Pilatus-Bahn, just outside Lucerne, is the world’s steepest cogwheel railway at 48% maximum and 35% average incline. The line opened in 1889 and ascends 5,279 ft (1,609 m) from Alpnachstad to the summit of Mount Pilatus in only 2.86 miles (4.6 km). Depending on snow conditions, the train generally operates from May to October….
The steamboat Stadt Zurich is the oldest of more than a dozen passenger ships that ply the waters of Lake Zurich. Built in 1909, the steamship makes regular two-hour runs the length of upper Lake Zurich between Zurich and Rapperswill. The vessel is beautifully maintained, particularly the original Escher Wyss & Cie engine, also dating…
The city of Zurich is the largest and wealthiest in Switzerland, and one of the oldest. Evidence of settlement in the area dates back more than 6,000 years, and the city was formally founded as a Romans camp around 15 BC. Over the centuries since, the city grew and prospered into the vibrant metropolis it…
Camping, like snowshoeing, initially held little appeal to us when we moved back to Seattle. We had camped a fair bit when we lived in Toronto in the late 1980s and enjoyed it. But we lost all interest in the activity following a miserable camping trip to Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula on a Labour Day weekend….
Slippery Creek is a tributary of the White River, that flows from the northeast flank of Mt Rainier and eventually through the Muckleshoot Reservation and later joins the Puyallup River to flow into the Puget Sound near Tacoma. Heading south from Seattle, we followed Slippery Creek upstream, first through the Muckleshoot Reservation and past their…
Even though we’d just returned from a two-night camping trip, we decided to head out for another night, this time to the Tinkham Campground in Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. We were eager to test our our new awning, and just couldn’t wait for the following weekend. It was a rainy Sunday night and we expected…
One of the aspects of wilderness camping that we really like is the opportunity to get out into the mountains and enjoy wonderful views. Finding the right campsite can take a bit of time, but we enjoy exploring and so far having been finding one excellent site after another, all with great views. Huckleberry Creek…
Amabilis Mountain, south of Keechelus Ridge, is a popular snowshoeing and cross-country skiing destination that is less-visited for summer hiking due to the number of better trails nearby. The winter recreation season was well over when we visited in mid-June, but snow still covered the road near the summit, resulting in few visitors to the…
Keechelus Ridge rises 5,000 feet (1,525 m) above I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass, separating Keechelus Lake directly west of the freeway from Kachless Lake to the east. National Forest roads crisscross the ridge, many with great views westward to Keechelus Lake, the Yakima River headwaters and the Cascade Mountain Range. And several good wilderness campsites…
The desert resort city of Palm Springs, California is known for its mid-century modern architecture and extensive cultural and recreational opportunities. The city has much public art, and an excellent museum focusing on natural science, contemporary art and performing art. For recreation, Joshua Tree National Park is within an hour’s drive. And the city is…
Eureka Peak, at elevation 5,521 ft (1,683 m), is the fourth highest in Joshua Tree National Park and the highest that is road accessible. From the end of the road, a short walk leads to the summit with sweeping views in all directions. On our third and final day in Joshua Tree National Park, we…