Traveling Huntleys

Inspiring travel stories, tips, and guides from a couple exploring the world one destination at a time.

Bald Eagle

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota: Pontoon Boating, Ellsworth Rock Gardens & Kettle Falls

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Last Updated: June 22, 2026

Voyageurs National Park sits in the far north of Minnesota, right at the Canadian border — a sprawling water wilderness named for the French-Canadian fur traders who paddled these lakes and portages in birchbark canoes centuries before there was a park here at all. Unlike almost every other unit in the National Park system, Voyageurs is primarily a water park. There are no grand scenic drives, no paved trails to the overlooks. To see it properly, you need a boat. We were happy to oblige.

Dr. Michael Huntley physician travel blogger at the helm of a rented pontoon boat on Lake Kabetogama, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
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Yakima, Kennewick & Walla Walla, Washington: Wine Country & Yakima River Canyon

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Last Updated: June 22, 2026

Leaving the lush evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest behind, we traded rain for sunshine as we drove south from Kent, Washington through the Cascades toward Yakima. The landscape transformation is dramatic — within an hour, towering firs give way to rolling golden hills and wide open skies, signaling the beginning of Washington’s celebrated wine country. From there we traced a path east through Kennewick and on to Walla Walla, one of the most acclaimed wine regions in the American West.

Yakima River Canyon scenic byway, Washington — sweeping views of basalt cliffs and the Yakima River, photographed by Michael Huntley travel blogger
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Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia: Cabot Trail, Bald Eagles & Donelda’s Puffin Tours

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Last Updated: May 2026

Cape Breton Island turned out to be one of the most stunning and surprising stops of the entire summer. We arrived by ferry from PEI, drove the Celtic-flavoured southwestern shore, explored Alexander Graham Bell’s summer retreat in Baddeck, watched bald eagles pluck fish from the sea, hiked to a hidden 50-foot waterfall, and spent days on the Cabot Trail — a coastal road that belongs in the conversation with Big Sur for sheer scenic drama.

Bald Eagle catching fish Cape Breton Nova Scotia
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