Pat & Ray Whyde – The Chicken Scratches

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (March 2024)

by Pat & Ray WhydeMarch 31, 2024June 30, 20240

Along with friends we had travelled with to Sweden and Norway, we decided to spend 2 weeks in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in 2024. None of us had ever been there, but some of us knew friends who had. We flew in from Kansas City (MCI), Baltimore (BWI) and Salt Lake City (SLC), meeting at the Queretaro (QRO) airport, where we were met by a van that took us to San Miguel, a drive of about 50 miles. Along with arranging for the transportation between the airport and San Miguel, our friend, Etarae, had led the effort to find …

Europe 2023: Warsaw, Krakow, and Bratislava

by Pat & Ray WhydeSeptember 30, 2023November 14, 20231

This post is a continuation of the previous post: Europe 2023: Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. From Vilnius, Lithuania, we boarded a train toward Warsaw, knowing we would have to switch trains before crossing the border between Lithuania and Poland. The Lithuanian train was clean and comfortable; the Polish train, not so much. Whenever the Polish train stopped on the way to Warsaw, the air conditioning shut down – and it was a hot day. The announcements, besides being in Polish, were garbled and full of static. Not sure Polish speakers could understand them. Warsaw (17-22 Sept) It was raining …

Wendover, Utah (8-10 November 2021)

by Pat & Ray WhydeNovember 15, 2021October 5, 2022

For my approaching birthday, Pat suggested we head to the Wendover, UT/West Wendover, NV area. Most of our time was actually spent in Utah, where there are several sites worth a visit including the Bonneville Salt Flats and race course, Danger Cave and Jukebox Cave, Wendover Airbase, Sun Tunnels and the site of the original Transcontinental Railroad. The Bonneville Salt Flats are 120 miles west of Salt Lake City and are approximately 5 miles wide and 12 miles long. The race course is 7 mile long and was first used for racing in 1914. Anyone can drive on the salt …

2021 Wasatch Wildflower Festival (Alta Ski Area)

by Pat & Ray WhydeJuly 24, 2021October 6, 2022

On July 18, 2021, we drove up Little Cottonwood Canyon to attend the Wasatch Wildflower Festival at the Alta Ski Resort. The last time we were up here there was a lot of snow, no flowers and it was cold. This time it looked completely different! We signed in for a guided walk, picking the “moderate walk”, led by David T., a volunteer with the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation. This moderate walk went from the Albion Base Area to the Albion Basin Campground, 2.8 miles, round trip, from the base and 1,100 feet higher. We went further (4.2 miles, round trip, …

Around Salt Lake City (January 2021)

by Pat & Ray WhydeJanuary 12, 2021October 8, 2022

Pat and I moved to Salt Lake City in November, 2020. Although we have done several hikes at the end of 2020, I’m starting the New Year documenting some of the places we have visited in January, 2021. We love this area for hiking and enjoying the outdoors. City Creek Park, Memory Grove Park and the Freedom Trail On January 1, we decided on an urban hike, starting near the Utah State Capitol. This hike was found using AllTrails, a phone app describing trails around the world. The start was only a few miles from our new home. City Creek …

Red Butte Skyline Trail Hike (11/15/2020)

by Pat & Ray WhydeNovember 16, 2020November 2, 2022

Our Utah family decided to take us for a hike in the nearby mountains. This was our first hike since moving to Salt Lake City on November 2, 2020. The day was overcast, but there was no threat of rain or snow. We parked near the Museum of Natural History and hiked the Red Butte Skyline Trail. We weren’t sure how far we would go, considering whether Pat and I had acclimatized to the new altitude (we now live above 4,500 feet – the previous 2 years we lived near sea level). The hike took us 3.45 miles in 2 …

St. Simons Island, Titusville and Kansas City (February – March, 2020)

by Pat & Ray WhydeMay 14, 2020November 2, 2022

Saint Simons Island (February 25-28, 2020) We had not seen Woody and Susan Hunter since meeting them in Budapest in November, 2019. Woody grew up in this part of Georgia and it is always enjoyable to learn more about the area from a local and learning more about him and his family. One of the first things I wanted to know more about, since I had first seen it back in November, was the wreck of the Golden Ray (if you search on “golden ray” and look at the images, you should be amazed). It was raining but we went …

Budapest (10-15 November 2019)

by Pat & Ray WhydeNovember 16, 2019October 8, 2022

Sunday, 10 November We arrived by train from Vienna. We left on the 10:42 AM train and arrived at the Budapest Keleti Station about 13:20. The journey was uneventful. From the station, we walked to our hotel, the Marmara Hotel Budapest, even though it was lightly raining. The route was about 2.4 miles and was through some neighborhoods that we would likely never see. The rain was not a problem, just a small irritation. The hotel is very nice, includes a free breakfast, and the location is convenient (especially, since it was only a few blocks from where our friends, …

Vienna (5-10 November 2019)

by Pat & Ray WhydeNovember 11, 2019September 10, 20221

Birthday trips are great! Pat asked what I wanted for my birthday and I immediately said I wanted to go to Budapest when our friends, the Hunters, would be there for Woody’s annual teaching duty at the Central European University (CEU). If you’re flying to Europe, it is better to be there 2 weeks than 1 week, so we decide to add Vienna to our itinerary. Our original plan was to visit Budapest for one week, then go to Vienna the second week. However, because of family birthdays, we switched so we would be in Vienna first, followed by Budapest. …

Peru: Back in Cusco (21-22 June 2019)

by Pat & Ray WhydeJuly 1, 2019September 10, 2022

On the drive back to Cusco from Ollantaytambo, we had arranged for another tour in the immediate Cusco area. This tour was also provide by Inkayni Peru Tours. The arrangements were made by Amadeo, our guide for the trip to Machu Picchu. We all thought this would allow us to see a few more spots of interest closer to home. Friday, 21 June The tour started at Saqsaywaman. This “fortress” is just outside Cusco and is often used for ceremonies having to do with the Incan culture. The day we were there, bleachers were being set up for some activity. …