The American West

November 2026
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Joe Benning

The American West

The American West is something to behold. For one thing, the scenery is just spectacular. It can really make a difference in how a person views nature, and natural surroundings.

Montana and Wyoming, which is where Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are located, are very sparsely populated. Montana has a population of only about 1,450,000. It ranks 43^rd among US states.

The Yellowstone River curves through open grassland beside a quiet road, framed by blue sky, summer clouds, and distant hills.

Wyoming comes in dead last at 50. Slightly less than 600,000 call Wyoming home. The combined population of both states is right around 2 million people. To put this in perspective, Manhattan’s population is about 1,630,000, which is slightly greater than the entire state of Montana and close to 3 times the population of Wyoming.

The Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River plunges into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, with a historic bridge visible upstream and turquoise canyon water flowing below. Lodgepole pines frame the view from an elevated overlook under a dramatic partly cloudy sky. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.

Upon seeing the physical beauty of the place, it makes you wonder why there are not more people living there. The winters can be brutal though. Then again, the fact that 4th of July baseball games can get called off because of snow might have something to do with it.

A large herd of elk grazes calmly in a lush green meadow at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone, with dramatic grey eroded mountain slopes rising in the background.

This is without doubt cowboy country–both the real ones and the make believe ones. The locals love telling stories about how the make believe cowboys like to strut around Jackson Hole wearing their newly purchased $2,000 cowboy clothes. Being a Rhinestone cowboy can get pretty expensive pretty fast. For instance, in Bozeman, Montana (pop 60,000), discounts of up to 20% can be had on cowboy boots–but only for the ones starting at $800 a pair.

The restaurants have lots of Elk burger, but they also have large selections of Martinis not to mention avocado toast and other stuff you would find in Manhattan. And they (the restaurants) are pretty good too.

Old Faithful geyser sends a towering column of steam and boiling water into the sky as crowds of visitors line the boardwalk viewing area to watch the famous eruption. Conifer forest and rolling hills form the backdrop under a partly cloudy blue sky. Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.

We did get a chance to see Old Faithful erupt. And we also went to a rodeo, complete with horses and bulls trying to throw their riders off. Which they did with some regularity. Apparently staying on a bucking bronco for 8 seconds is a big deal. Finally there was a ride on a raft down the snake river–with about a zero chance of even getting wet, much less getting tossed off the raft.

All in all Yellowstone should not be missed. We’d go back in a heartbeat.

JFB

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Joe Benning

Sailing Along the Douro River

When we finally arrived, we began our trip to Portugal with a Road Scholar led cruise on the Douro River. The cruise was truly magnificent, as was the Road Scholar guide, Lucia Gomez. We got lucky with the weather which was extravagantly good, and the scenery which was stunningly beautiful along the riverbank.

In our travels, we also got a chance to visit Fatima and Tomar , which are in the vicinity of the Douro Valley. Fatima is where the Blessed Virgin appeared to three shepherd children in 1917. It is visited by millions of pilgrims every year and is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations of Catholicism.

Tomar (below) famous as the site of the Convent of Christ with its strong connection to the Knights Templar. In Portuguese Convent refers to a dwelling that can accommodate either men or women–but not both.

Along the way we passed more towns than I can mention, all of which seemed to have a medieval touch, modern bridges and architecture and tourists.

A graceful modern bridge spans the calm waters of the Douro River beneath a vivid blue sky. Reflections ripple across the water, creating a serene and balanced landscape in Portugal’s famous wine region.

And there was construction going on everywhere. I should mention that although we began the first part of our journey in Porto, we actually got on the ship in Vila Nova de Gaia, a town with spectacular views of Porto.

All in all a fine start to the trip to Portugal.

JFB

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Joe Benning

Back to Croatia

On Tuesday we headed to Zadar, Croatia to a vineyard named Kraljevski Vinogradi, which translates to Royal Vineyards. Needless to say we went there for a lunch and wine tasting. We thus fulfilled a cardinal rule of travel: Never miss a wine tasting.

The vineyard is located way up in the hills with a breathtaking view of the acres of grapevines leading down to the Adriatic Sea, which is clearly visible as well. As it happens, a chunk of the equity in the vineyard is owned by the Zadar Benedictine nuns.

Lunch was very nice and so was the wine. We tried several glasses. First came the Rosé Scuro. Next was a white wine made with the Pošip grape that is primarily grown in the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Finally there was a red wine made with a combination of ancestral Zinfandel and Dobričić grapes. Those grapes are primarily grown in the Dalmatian coast of Croatia as well.

Outdoor Restaurant at Kraljevski Vinogradi

After lunch, which consisted of a tuna pâté, cheeses and figs, we wound up buying a bottle of the Punta Skala white. All in all it was very relaxing and a highly recommended way to spend an afternoon.

JFB

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Joe Benning

Off to Spain

So here we are in Cádiz, Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz in autonomous Andalusia. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of Western Europe, but it is quite small. It has only about 115,000 resident citizens.

It is often described as a typical Andalusian city brimming with historical landmarks. The older part of the city, the “Old City” takes up the bulk of the city’s area. It has narrow winding streets and alleys that connect large plazas. By way of contrast, the newer parts of Cádiz have wide avenues and modern buildings.

We went on a walking tour of the city and pretty much covered everything, from the narrow winding streets of Old Town, to the more modern bustling streets of the newer city. We saw some large plazas, cathedrals and high points that overlooked the city including farmland in the distance.

All in all Cádiz is a charming little city and worth a visit.

JFB

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Joe Benning

Docking in Lisbon, Portugal

After leaving Portimão, we sailed to Lisbon (AKA Lisbao) and we docked there for 2 days. Upon arriving we headed out for Sintra, reputed to be a charming medieval town. I can report it was everything it was cracked up to be.

Sintra is a small town with population about 385,000 people. It is densely populated and it is a major tourist attraction, but it certainly isn’t a tourist trap. It is picturesque, with several palaces, castles, parks and gardens. It is famous for its Romanticist architecture and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. As it should be.

Sintra is not just a beautiful city. It is also very wealthy; in fact it is one of the wealthiest cities in Portugal in addition to being one of the wealthiest cities on th entire Iberian peninsula. Not surprisingly, it continues to rate as one of the most desirable places to live in Portugal. It also has the largest ex pat community on what the locals consider to be the Portuguese Riviera.

The Sintra National Palace; now a Museum

All in all, Sintra has an excellent reputation. It is well deserved.

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Joe Benning

Portimão Portugal

We said our farewells to North Africa and headed out to Portimão Portugal. That is about 336 kilometers (208 miles) away as the crow flies. The first significant place we visited was Fort São Vicente in Sagres, or Fortaleza do Cabo de São Vicente.

Fort São Vicente was built in the 16^th century to protect a small coastal strip and an existing monastery. The fort was destroyed in 1587 by none other than Sir Francis Drake (described as either a privateer or a pirate depending on your point of view.)

Anyway the site was rebuilt in 1608. A lighthouse was added in the mid 19^th century and restoration work was ongoing in the mid 2000s.

The surrounding area is a big fishing area, but the cliffs are treacherous. Nevertheless fishermen come (and are clearly visible) fishing on the rocks.

After exploring the grounds of the fort we headed out to Lagos. When we got there we visited the town square that housed the Church of St Maria Graca (Our Lady of Grace). The church, which dominated the area, which was completed in the early 15^th century and gothic in style, was begun in 1380.

After looking around the town square we explored the neighborhood which was highly commercialized. Then we headed out to the port where we started the day, but without buying anything. All things considered, it was a good introduction to Portugal.

JFB

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Joe Benning

Arrecife in the Canaries

Not so fast on Morocco—I forgot that we stopped off at Arrecife first before heading over to Casablanca. The first destination on Arrecife was Lanzarote at the Timanfaya National Park. And was it ever crowded. Both locals and foreign tourists converged on the place.

It’s easy to see why the park gets so crowded—there is a lot to see. And the crowd didn’t tail off as the day progressed. It got bigger.

The landscape in the park is moon like. It was formed by volcanic eruptions, some of them as recent as the late 18^th and mid 19^th centuries. So, as a result the landscape looks a little like the surface of the moon. After looking at the landscape, we had coffee and snacks at a café in the park.

Cars Line Up in National Park of Timanfaya

Then we headed off to El Golfo where we went up to a lookout point toward the top of a large hill. El Golfo is a small fishing village on the Western coast of Lazarote. It is best known for its dramatic volcanic landscape near Charco de los Clicos, which is an equally dramatic green lagoon. Not surprisingly it is also a popular spot with tourists and photographers.

Boats at the bottom of a Hill in El Golfo

After El Golfo we went to a wine tasting as well as a … salt tasting. The reason for the salt tasting? There are historic slat flats near El Golfo that used to supply a large amount of salt to the market. And so we tasted salt. Or had the opportunity to. In the end, we declined the offer although many of fellow tourists tried it out.

Anyway, it was a pretty interesting tour to go on. After leaving Arrecife we headed out to Morocco where we went to Casablanca and Tangiers.

So, when we hit Casablanca: “Here’s looking at you, kid”.

JFB

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Joe Benning

Visiting Tenerife in the Canaries

When we docked in Tenerife the plan was to go to see Mount Teide in the national park. But when we first got there the fog was so thick that it was virtually impossible to see anything.

However the fog eventually burned off and we were treated to some spectacular scenery in Teide National Park.

Not surprisingly, the park is centered around Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain. Standing at 3, 718 meters tall it is the third highest volcano in the world, measured from its base on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.

The landscape of the park, which resembles a moonscape is kind of eerie looking. Actually our tour guide told us that NASA used the park as an astronaut training site for, among other things, learning to drive the rover on the surface of the moon. In addition, scientists from a Spanish university are doing some geological experiments in the park. Not too surprising since the Canaries were formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.

The terrain of the park is rugged, spectacular and full of visitors. In fact, it is the most visited national park in Spain with over 4 million visitors in 2022. It was named as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in June of 2007.

All in all definitely worth a look next time you are in the Canaries.

Volcanic Mountain and Crater in Teide National Park

JFB

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Joe Benning

Europe at Last !

On March 22 we docked in Europe by way of Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands are part of Spain even though they are only a few hundred miles from the coast of West Africa. And it shows. The towns are clean and elegant and they definitely have a European vibe.

We went on a tour that brought us to the towns of Arucas and Teror. One of the first things we saw upon arriving in Arucas was the Church of St Jean the Baptiste (San Juan Bautista). Begun in 1909 it opened for worship in 1917 and was finally completed in 1977.

Church of St John the Baptiste in Arucas, Gran Canaria

After that, we bumped into a town square in the Old Section with its beautiful traditional European architecture.

Arucas, Gran Canaria — March 22,2025. Town Square in Arucas

The next town we visited was Teror.

Among other things, the town looks like it was almost designed for tourism. Not for tourists dragging a crew of 8 year-olds around mind you, but for tourists who really want to see some old world elegance.

As if they wished to emphasize the point, a few of the shops had flower petals strewn about on the street in front of them.

A bit of the modern world invaded though as the photo below shows a young man wearing headphones while he sits on a bench in town.

A man wearing headphones sits on a bench in the Canary Islands

That said, it was good to be back in Europe and Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands certainly fit the bill.

JFB

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Joe Benning

More on Brazil

We have already spent quite a bit of time in Brazil—and we are due to spend some more. We expect to arrive in Rio tomorrow, and then go on several tours over the next few days. The big event will be Carnival. We will be in attendance in the Sambadrome. It promises to be quite a spectacle. Stay tuned.

But before we get to Carnival…we visited São Paulo and Santos, as well as 2 Brazilian islands: Ilhabela and Paraty. São Paulo is one of the largest cities in South America and it is a cultural hub. But São Paulo is a mixed bag.

Museo Paulista of the University of São Paulo

It has some very posh areas, like where we had lunch at Fogo de Chao. But it also has very poor areas; what appears to be a large homeless population, and (according to our guide) a significant problem with crack cocaine.

Santos, a port city, appears to be more balanced, but it too has its rough spots. Santos has become a vacation area for locals and it encourages tourism. While there we visited a Museum dedicated to the football (soccer) great, Pele, who originally hailed from Santos; we visited the Coffee exchange and took a small train ride around the city.

We also went to 2 notable islands: Ilhabela and Paraty. Ilhabela whose name means beautiful island in Portugese, is located 4 miles off the coast of São Paulo. While it used to be a place where sugar cane was grown on plantations by slaves, today it is known for its sandy beaches and tourism.

We anchored by Paraty Brazil, but didn’t venture out because, among other things, the Brazilian authorities changed our anchor position at the last minute. The change would have put us 4 nautical miles (and about an hour) away from the dock. So we declined going ashore. However we did get some photos of the sunrise over the island, shown below.

JFB

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Safari

A slide show with a backing track. We kept a proper social distance from the lions.

SAFARI

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Joe Benning

Stockholm, Sweden

We are back from traveling through the nordic countries for a couple of weeks, with Stockholm being the first stop. Stockholm is an extraordinarily beautiful (and clean) city. As are the other nordic cities we visited, as it turns out.

It is a vibrant city, and with a population of just under 1 million people, it is the cultural, media, political and economic center of Sweden. Stockholm represents about 10% of the population of all of Sweden (about 10 million) but accounts for 1/3rd of Swedish GDP. At 10 million people, Sweden is the 90th most populous country in the world.

Sweden today is decidedly not the Sweden of the 1970s it was back when Bernie Sanders was a member of the socialist Liberty Union Party of Vermont. In the Freedom Index produced by CATO and the Fraser Institute, Sweden is tied with the U.S. at #17. To put this in context, New Zealand ranks #1, Switzerland #2, Hong Kong #3 Australia #4 and Canada #5. Toward the bottom is Russia, #119, and Venezuela at #160, just edges out Syria for last place at #161.

The country’s population is largely homogenous, as are the rest of the Nordic countries, which may account for much of the nation’s sense of solidarity. But that might be changing as Sweden has recently had a good deal of trouble assimilating significant immigration from the middle east.

During the winter months, Sweden only gets about 6 hours of sunlight a day. During the summer the Swedes are out in force to celebrate the warm and relatively sunny weather—they only get about 70 sunny days in a year. We were very lucky—we had terrific weather for most of the time we were there.

Here (below) are some photos from our visit there.

JFB