May 2021

In north-central Wyoming sits the Bighorn Mountains. From Buffalo, Wyoming, take US Route 16 west, crossing the southern part of the Bighorns. On the western edge, the highway enters Tensleep Canyon, an absolutely jaw-dropping example of what Mother Nature can do with a river and a sandstone deposit.

Fortunately for drivers, there are turnouts, so you can absolutely stop and take it all in, which you’ll probably want to do more than once, as my wife, Barbara, and I did in 2019 and 2020.

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My husband, Bill, and I visited family in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in mid-October 2020.

With an outer wall measuring up to 32 feet high in spots, the Great Enclosure is part of a complex of granite structures called Great Zimbabwe, the ruins of which cover almost 1,800 acres in what is now southeastern Zimbabwe. It was built by the Shona tribe, part of the Bantu civilization, from the 11th to 15th centuries. The entrance to the Great Enclosure can be seen in our March mystery photo.

9 days, 8 nights. Departures June 26, Sept. 25, Oct. 16, Nov. 6, 2021 & Jan.-March 2022. Group limit, 20. Highlights: Drive from San José to Caribbean for cruise to Tortuguero Canals, home to caimans, toucans, turtles/cruise, rainforest walk in Tortuguero Nat’l Park/Sarapiquí pineapple farm/Arenal Volcano Nat’l Park/soak in Tabacón Hot Springs/Monteverde Cloud Forest hanging bridges/cooking class at Ecological Sanctuary.