South of the border, from here in Vancouver, is the USA, our huge neighbour just across the 49th parallel. The United States of America is a vast and varied country, with many fascinating places to visit. Although I do not spend a lot of time there, occasionally there are day trips, and sometimes longer excursions.

The first of these took place during April 2011, too early in the year to hope for good weather all the way, particularly along the western shoreline. Starting in Cannon Beach, the route followed was down the Oregon coast and into northern California. From there a weather-driven dash was made inland to Sonoma, and finally three days were spent in San Francisco. Those five days in California were largely sunny.

A second excursion in July 2011, a quick foray to Seattle for a sports event, also netted a few shots.

A third visit was in September 2011, when, based for 6 days in Fort Collins, I managed a few trips about the immediate area, north-western Colorado, and south-eastern Wyoming.

A fourth sojourn south of the border during late September 2012 began in Fort Collins, Colorado, yet extended to the southwest, with stops at Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, and the national parks around Moab Utah. This started with a visit with my son and family, and culminated with a mini-pbase meetup in Moab.