We had a very nice trip to Kansas City, July 19-21, 2012, to visit my aunt and uncle, Cecil and Sue Ramsey, and their family.

Cecil’s health is a bit fragile at age 87, and Sue, 85, is doing an amazing job of keeping the family and household afloat. We were able to spend major parts of three days with them. We very much enjoy our visits, and it was good to see them, their children, David, Doug (not shown) and Darby, and Darby’s daughter, Jocelyn.

This was such a dynamic and photogenic place that I decided to make a short video so I could show it to y’all. And here it is. Hope you enjoy it!

Rudy

httpv://youtu.be/sH45MIvOgJ4

This vacation was a bit more manic than we usually attempt, as we had a lot of specific things we wanted to do. Aside from the vacation spots, summarized in photos below, we had nice visits with

• Rudy’s sister, Shawna Ramsey, and Patrick, in Reno, Nevada
• Alice’s sister, Jeanne Haster, and Jim, Katie, and Ben, in Portland, Oregon
• Alice’s nephew, Robert Farrell, and Ginger, in Seattle, Washington
• Alice’s cousin, Vicki Holbrook, and Chuck, in Whitefish, Montana

Here’s a very brief set of photo highlights, intended for family and friends. They may or may not be interested, but I can’t imagine that anyone else will be.

Colorado River, Fisher Towers, and Mount Waas, near Moab, Utah (6/10/2007)
Double Arch, Arches National Park, Utah (6/11/2007)
Rudy with his sister, Shawna, at Lake Tahoe, near Reno, Nevada (6/13/2007)
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon (6/15/2007) Pictures don’t do it justice!
Chinese Garden, Portland, Oregon (6/17/2007)
Gatsby Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia (6/19/2007) Our lodging.
High Tea at the Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia (6/20/2007) With Denver Post Travel section (we’re hoping to get into print)
Alice at Butchart Garden, near Victoria, British Columbia (6/21/2007)
Iron Mine Bay, Pikes Road Trails, East Sooke, British Columbia (6/22/2007)
Lake Agnes from the Teahouse, Banff National Park, Alberta (6/25/2007) After a 2.2-mile uphill trail. We nearly froze at the top. You can see the wind in the photo!
Above Upper Falls, Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park, Alberta (6/26/2007)
Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (6/29/2007)

I also did some coffee-related things, attending the Pacific Northwest Home Roaster’s Gathering and experiencing several very special coffee shops in Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and even Whitefish, Montana. I hereby express my gratitude to Alice for her tolerance.

Especially enjoyable were several hikes we did, and I shot video of my favorite, Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park. I plan to prepare a short video on this hike. Banff is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.