Relaxed Nature Tours

See below the scheduled upcoming tours.

SD WY ND MT

October 7-14, 2027

Bradford/Ezerins

This is a multistate, multinational park, relaxed nature tour that will focus on scenery, a little Presidential history, and includes the Badlands and Theodore Rosevelt National Park in ND, Devils Tower National Monument just over the border in WY, Spearfish Canyon and Badlands National Park in SD., and as we travel from ND to SD we will pass through Montana for our fourth state. This may sound like a lot of driving, but it is not. We will fly into Bismark, ND, and out of Rapid City, SD. This way we do not have to backtrack. Our longest drive will be from Theodore National Park near Medora, ND south to Spearfish, SD (3.25 hours) However we will break up the drive with several scenery stops and of course some bird stops.

Theodore Rosevelt National Park is a large and remote national park that holds the same beauty and ruggedness of many of the more highly visited parks. Here we should experience “the road less traveled.” We will spend two nights in the small, frontier town of Medora allowing us access to the north and south units of the park. After a stop at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center in the south unit, we will drive the scenic loop looking for prairie dogs, mule deer, large numbers of bison, geologic wonders, and outstanding scenery. There are short, uncrowded hikes in the south unit that we will take like the half mile Wind Canyon Trail, three quarters of a mile Coal Vein Trail, and one quarter of a mile Boicourt Overlook Trail, as well as the short Buck Hill Trail that leads to the highest point in the south unit with a sweeping panoramic view of the park. We will also visit the more remote and rugged north unit with its remarkable badlands and wonderful geology. Here we will drive the out and back, fourteen-mile scenic drive with stops at River Bend Overlook and at the road’s end the Oxbow Overlook allowing us to appreciate the beauty of the North Dakota Badlands. The hikes in the north unit are a bit more challenging, and we might try the out and back one and a half mile Caprock Coulee Nature Trail. That way if we find we are tired, we just turn around and retrace our steps.Within the park is Theodore Rosevelt’s Maltese Cross Cabin dating back to 1883 when he first came west to North Dakota. Though the logs are the original ponderosa pine logs, other parts of the cabin have been restored with material from the period. It is at this cabin that Rosevelt felt he acquired skills needed to become the 26th President of the United States and where he recovered from the deaths of his mother and wife who died on the same day.

While in Medora we plan to visit the Theodore Rosevelt Presidential Library that opened on July fourth, 2026, and if there are any gift shops we will have to have a look around. After exploring this area, we will make the three and a quarter hour drive to Spearfish, SD. From our hotel in Spearfish we will be within easy striking distance of Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. In short, the tower is the remnant of a volcano that was harder than the surrounding sedimentary rock that has eroded away over time leaving the 867-foot-tall igneous structure protruding from the desert floor. This massive rock formation is a remarkable sight that we plan to view from a distance at first then take the 1.3-mile hike around the base of the monolith.

While in Spearfish we plan to drive the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway enjoying the scenery, waterfalls and hoping for an American Dipper in the river. We should be able to see Bridal Veil Falls and maybe after a meal at Latchstring Restaurant make the short hike to Spearfish Falls. We might even spend a little time shopping in downtown Spearfish or visit Deadwood to visit the stomping and burial grounds of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. And if we make it to Deadwood, we might visit the old mining town of Galena for a throw back to the gold mining days in the Black Hills.

After our fill of the Spearfish area, we will end up in Rapid City, the gateway to Badlands National Park and Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. We might drive the loop through Badlands National Park or enjoy Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial. We will just see what the group prefers. Like on other relaxed nature tours, we start a little bit later in the morning enjoy scenery, nature, geology, and learn a little history as we travel though North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Of course, if there are birds in the area we will stop and look to see what we can find. At this time of year hopefully temperatures will be cool and maybe even the fall colors will be showing. The cottonwoods can be stunning.

The cost of this tour is yet to be determined.

WASHINGTON STATE AND OREGON LODGES TOUR

September 10-19, 2026

Leader: David Bradford/Andrea Ezerins

Four Clients Only (This Tour Is Now Full)

The Lodges Tour is back because of a future tour participant’s request and will follow a similar itinerary to the very successful 2021 Lodges Tour. We will arrive in Seattle for a night and then make a pleasant and scenic drive to Lake Crescent Lodge on the Olympic Peninsula. As we work our way to the lodge, we will make some stops for scenery and birds. Spending three nights at Lake Crescent Lodge will allow us to visit Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, stroll through a temperate rainforest with massive Douglas Firs, Western Hemlocks and Western Red Cedars, marvel at Lake Crescent, look for migrating Salmon, and look for birds as well. We might hike the Moments in Time Trail or take the pleasant hike to Marymere Falls.

After Lake Crescent Lodge and the Olympic Peninsula, we will travel to Paradise Inn at about 5,400 feet on of Mt. Rainier, a lodge of epic proportion with Mt. Rainier as the backdrop. Paradise Inn was built in 1916 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a must-see lodge, as is Mt. Rainier. We will hike, bird, sightsee, read a book, and sit in the lodge and relax during our stay. I particularly like the Nisqually Vista Trail hike we did on our last tour.

Eventually we will have to leave this wonderful location, and travel to the state of Oregon where we will spend the next two nights at Timberline Lodge at 6,000 feet in elevation on the slopes of Mt. Hood. This is a magnificent historic lodge built by the WPA by hand and with all natural products; it is an engineering marvel. From the lodge we will explore a small portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, hike, sightsee, and act like tourists in the small town of Hood River or maybe the smaller town of Mt. Hood Village.

On our way to Portland, we plan to travel through the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge. A trip through the gorge is unparalleled in beauty with its many waterfalls and high bluffs. The tour concludes in Portland

If you have read the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed or Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose this area will have special meaning to you.

The dining rooms at the lodges are very nice and we plan to eat at least one dinner in each lodge dining room. There will also be time to just sit around the lodge and enjoy the sounds and sights.

These are old lodges that are designed for efficiency, not creature comforts. There is no TV, microwave or fridge in the lodges and the rooms tend to be smaller than hotel rooms. However, I know from last year, you will like the accommodations and love the scenery.

We will fly into Seattle and fly out of Portland to save the long drive back to Seattle. Most meals are included in the cost of the tour.

This is not a birding tour, though we will for sure be looking at birds, but we will also “stop and smell the roses”, or look at pinecones, or lakes, or fungus, or whatever else we want to enjoy.

Cost of the tour per person for double occupancy is $4,000. For single occupancy add $900. Included in the cost of the tour are most meals with several of the meals taken at the lodge restaurant. (The price is an estimate, however, it is probably close to the cost. The rooms at the lodges are very expensive, but sometimes specials are run for month of September so I won’t know the real cost of the tour until 2026) The cost of the tour in 2021 was $3.750.

Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.