This small mountain pass in the French Alps connects the towns of La Clusaz in Haute-Savoie with La Giettaz in Savoie and is located in the Aravis Mountain Range.  The drive to and from the pass consists of sharp switchbacks with amazing views of the surrounding mountains.  The lovely homes and farms on the rolling hills of grass and yellow wildflowers are picture-perfect.

Whenever I travel, I have a vision of places that I determine to be “Dave-worthy.”   Some places are pretty by most standards, but just don’t meet those criteria.   There are other places, however, where there is no hesitation.   My eyes widen and emotion fills my heart.  I hear Dave’s voice in my head saying, “Wow, this place is awesome!”  I don’t just wander around looking for the right spot for Dave. Every spot is the right spot! I was especially drawn to the quaint travelers chapel of Sainte Anne.  Standing on the steps of the chapel is a breathtaking panorama with a dramatic view of Mont Blanc.

Dave absorbed nature into his soul. The outdoors was his religion.  He wrote poems about bumblebees and wind chimes and would forego tents so he could sleep under the stars.  Nothing pleased him more than the beauty that surrounded him in nature.  Here, near the chapel, Dave is surrounded by the nature he loves.

On the front of the chapel are the words “Sainte Anne Protegez les Voyageurs,” which means Saint Anne Protect the Voyagers.

I’m hoping that includes heavenly voyagers.

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For as long as I can remember, I wanted to tour Neuschwanstein Castle.  When I lived in Germany for a brief time in 1968, I had hoped to find the time to visit.  Unfortunately, Vietnam interrupted those plans and I was prematurely sent back to the states.  I mentioned to Dave it was still one of my travel wishes.  He thought it would be a “cool” idea.  (I think the German beer was also a draw!)

The castle overlooks the Village of Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany and sits between the Alpine foothills in the south and the hilly landscape in the north.  There is a magnificent view of the castle from the Marienbrücke (Marie Bridge).

As King Ludwig once wrote, “the location is one of the most beautiful to be found, holy and unapproachable.”

On a beautiful, sunny day in May, I sprinkled Dave’s ashes from the bridge overlooking the castle. The bridge spans the Pöllat River and overlooks the Pöllat Gorge.

As we walked down the mountain, the clouds rolled in and it began to rain. I was so thankful that, once again, my “weather angels” helped us out.

It may have taken fifty years to get there, but it was definitely worth it. It’s an amazing feeling when you finally get to enjoy an experience that has long been on your wish list.  I just never could have imagined it would be the subject of a remembrance post for my child.

I hope Dave still thinks it’s cool.

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The Bernese Alps is a mountain range in the Swiss Alps, which connects the peaks of Jungfrau and Mönch.  It is accessible only certain times of the year by a railway that slowly makes its climb to the top; sometimes traveling underground.  It is the highest railway in Europe at 11,371 feet.

When we were a short distance from the top, the train stopped for a few minutes to allow us to acclimate to the high elevation.  The amount of time was surely insufficient for when we arrived at Jungfraujoch, we were clearly not ready for the lightheadedness, the shortness of breath, and feeling as if our limbs didn’t belong to us!

We slowly climbed (and I mean SLOWLY) to the vantage platform hoping to see the spectacular views of the Aletsch Glacier with Jungfrau in the distance.  However, as we stepped outside, we were surrounded by grey clouds and cold whistling winds. I made my way to the railing and kneeled down to sprinkle some of Dave’s ashes into the void.   Needless to say, I was disappointed not to be able to document another beautiful place for Dave. I knew it was such a special place—even if I couldn’t see it.

As we were lining up to head down the mountain, I turned around and was shocked with what I saw through the window.  In a brief moment, the grey clouds disappeared, the sun brilliantly lit the area and opened up the most amazing view. It instantly brought tears to my eyes as I was sure I was seeing a pathway to heaven. THIS is where Dave’s ashes are.  Such magnificence! I was given this exquisite moment for Mother’s Day.

Thank you, Dave, for that much needed message.

As we rode back down the mountain and absorbed the grandeur of the Swiss mountainside, we reveled in the beauty of lovely little Swiss towns with thundering waterfalls as backdrops.  The snow capped mountains completed the picture-perfect scenes.  I knew Dave would forever be a part of this beauty and I smiled.

We were staying in the town of Interlaken and decided to take a cable car up to Harder Kulm, Interlaken’s hometown mountain.  It was quite a steep climb to the top where we were greeted with beautiful panoramic views of Jungfrau, Mönch, and the town of Interlaken.  At an elevation of  “only” 4,337 ft., we were able to freely move about the area.  Although not as spectacular as Jungfraujoch, this was definitely a scenic charm and another worthy place for Dave.

Between Jungfraujoch and Harder Kulm, I couldn’t ask for more beautiful places for Dave.  He would have loved Switzerland.

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Many years ago, I visited Northern Ireland and hoped one day I would return to visit the Republic.  I had heard so much about the beauty of the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher. 

Of course, my thoughts were always that they would be more wonderful places for Dave.

After spending a few days on our own, we joined a tour to take us along the Wild Atlantic.  Not all, however, was wild.  Some places were simply serene and beautiful and ever-so-green.  Such a place was the Killarney Valley.  The highest mountains in Ireland, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, form the backdrop of the many lovely lakes and sweeping countryside.  We cannot forget the comical scene of a dog resting atop a donkey along the roadside with a picture perfect view of Caragh River and rolling hills behind them.

We traveled on to the lovely, peaceful Dingle Bay (pictured above) and Dingle Peninsula.  This 25 mile bay empties into the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the westernmost places of Ireland.

We visited the little village of Portmagee.  It is the departure point for the adventurous to visit Skellig Michael (Michael’s Rock), which is eight miles off the coast of Ireland.  The seas are very rough and climbing the rock stairs can be quite tricky. (I could definitely see Dave doing this!)  A Gaelic Monastery was founded between the 6th and 8th centuries on a twin-peaked crag.  It is here the monks found the solitude they sought.  (More recently, it was the location of the final scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.) We were quite content to be able to see the island from the picturesque shore.

We were able to see all of these beautiful places with perfect weather.  Our guide said, “We are very lucky, indeed.  I haven’t seen such beautiful weather in a long time.  It is especially perfect to see the Skellig Islands.”  (He didn’t know about my “weather angels.”)

Once we finished the tour, we took a day trip to the Giants Causeway and Carrick-a-rede Bridge.  Dave’s ashes were already in these places so I felt like I was visiting him.  Dave’s ashes are in all of the places that I mentioned in this post, as well as the Cliffs of Moher.  (My weather angels took a day off that day!)

Just before Dave died, we had agreed to do some traveling together.  We each mentioned places we’d like to go. One of the places we both agreed on was Ireland.

Now I feel there’s a little bit of Dave in some of the most beautiful places in Ireland; north AND south.

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Alaska is wildly beautiful place with such extremes.  One afternoon you can be walking alongside a glacier-fed lake and watch harbor seals casually sunning themselves on ice floes and the next day hike through a colorful maze of wildflowers.   You can cautiously watch a black bear stroll down to the water’s edge, yet laugh out loud at the antics of the sea otters. This dichotomy is what makes Alaska so special and I know Dave would love these special places I chose for him.

We explored the moraine along the Pedersen Glacier. The glacier-fed Aialik Bay was lovely against the clear blue sky.   Birds flew overhead while the harbor seals floated by and were not at all intimidated by humans.  Pedersen Lagoon also had ice floes, but much smaller.  The reflection in the water of the mountains and the glacier made for a picture perfect moment.  We kayaked along Pederson Lagoon and hiked through bogs and wildflowers to meet up with a canoe on the remote Addison Lake.  The water was simply roiling with salmon; such an amazing sight.

On the tenth anniversary of Dave’s passing, I lit a candle of remembrance on the shore of the Kenai River.  I had  sprinkled his ashes in the Kenai nine years ago so it was a full circle.

Dave would have loved each and every place where his ashes now rest. I know it in my heart and soul.

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The remnants of Tropical Storm Matthew had battered the coast of Peggy’s Cove the day before our visit causing power outages up and down the coast.  But the day of our visit, the storm had swept out to sea and it was clear and cold with gusty winds.

As we drove along the winding road toward the lighthouse, the beauty and quaintness of the little fishing village warmed my heart.  It was as if time had stopped there.  There was a serene beauty in the view of the fishing boats quietly docked along the inlet.  As we continued toward the point, the landscape opened up to us revealing the magnificent view of Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse and the angry surf pounding the surrounding rocks.  With the strong winds and the spectacular view, it literally took our breaths away.

This was definitely another place for Dave!

With birds swooping overhead,  I carefully walked down some of the rocks to Margaret Bay and sprinkled Dave’s ashes into the surf.  As I was standing on the rocks, I was shocked to hear the mournful sound of bagpipes nearby.  I felt joyful, yet saddened, that such a wonderful thing could be happening.  The timing was just perfect.

Dave would’ve loved this place!

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I shared a wonderful trip with a very special person who made every effort to take me to the most enchanting places in FL. So naturally, I made it a point to share the best with Dave.

Located at the southernmost point of the US mainland in the Everglades was Cape Sable. This coastal shoreline is known by many as the wildest and most remote beach in all of Florida. The area is completely undeveloped. It is about 18 nautical miles to the nearest town of Flamingo. Since there are no roads, water is the only way you can get there.

What also makes Cape Sable extraordinary is the thousands of unique seashells that the tides have deposited along the shoreline; my favorite being the fighting conch shell pictured above. The beauty of the shells, the remoteness of the island, and the peacefulness one feels just being there are just three of the reasons why this is another special place for Dave.

On another day, we headed out early in the morning to catch the breathtaking sunrise on Biscayne Bay. As we were searching for the perfect spot to fish, we stopped at a lovely place called Old Rhodes Key. The vivid green water quietly lapped against the lush mangrove trees along the shore. A small bird kept dive-bombing my line while a small yellow butterfly kept fluttering by. It was an unforgettable moment in an amazing spot; a place teeming with life and beauty.

Even though Dave’s idea of fishing was to sit back with a beer, cast out his line, and hope a fish might bump into it, he did love the serenity, the view, and the sheer clear-your-mind relaxation that fishing can bring. At the very least, he is smiling at his mother for bringing him to such special places.

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It had been awhile since I traveled and I hadn’t had any plans to do so by Dave’s birthday.  I knew Bob and Jan were planning a trip to Tennessee with their biking friends.  They know how “special places for Dave” are so important to me and didn’t hesitate to take Dave along on the trip.  They were sure they’d experience some beautiful views of the Smoky Mountains.

The first stop was to Clingman’s Dome. This is a brief excerpt from the Clingman’s Dome website:

“At 6,643 feet, Clingman’s Dome is Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s highest point.  It is located along the state-line ridge; half in North Carolina and half in Tennessee.”

The peak is accessible after walking a steep half-mile trail, which, of course, this is what Bob and Jan did. 

“Vistas from the Dome are amazing.  On a clear day, views expand over 100 miles and into seven states.”

What a special place for Dave!

But as they traveled a short distance from the Dome, they came upon such a magnificent view that they had to stop and sprinkle Dave’s ashes there as well.  The first time I saw the picture, it caught my breath and immediately gave me chills.  As a sacred mountain to the Cherokees, it radiates pure spirituality.  It is a honor that Dave’s ashes share such a beautiful place.

A special thank you to Bob and Jan for going out of their way to find two special places.  And much gratitude to their friends who joined them in remembering Dave.

Somewhere, Dave is smiling!  I know I am, but with tears in my eyes.

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