Friends tell me that they’ve enjoyed following along on my trips the past few years as I’ve criss-crossed the United States by car, day-hiked through Western Massachusetts, and travelled here and there, from my home state of California. So, I thought I’d invite a broader audience to share the journey.

A brief word about the name of the blog — The Enchanted Naturalist: a few years ago, I took a silly little online quiz about “what kind of agnostic or atheist are you?” The quiz results told me that I am an “Enchanted Naturalist” which I found quite charming. Basically, the description of an EN is someone who doesn’t believe in god, thinks this world is all there is, but is totally okay with that. There is no despair over the nihilism inherent in the lack of belief. Instead, there is charm and beauty and meaning found in nature.

This cartoon explains it well: http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=5806

I have no problem with people believing whatever they choose to believe. The only time I am an “angry atheist” is when people try to put their religious beliefs into our shared government.

That being said, this is not a blog about atheism, or religion, or politics. Just my personal musings on traveling around and the world as I see it.

If you want to see more photos than are included here, my instagram account is: PJPeski

Pam Pescosolido

These are my most steadfast travel buddies: Flash and Bambi, the Italian Greyhounds.

Harley and I eating crawdads in Louisiana, May 2014