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A Blast in the Past
Thought I would share an article I wrote about a race in Vietnam in 2002. I wrote this just days after returning home. It is raw and unedited. I hope you enjoy it. Raid Gauloises – Viet Nam – 2002 Nelson Snyder – Portland, OR Joann Grether — Modesto, CA Brien Crothers — Cobb Mt., CA Charlie Kharsa — Davis, CA Neal Radford — Atlanta, GA Dana Haynes — Modesto, CA Steve Branch — Modesto, CA TEAM KARMA It’s about two in the morning and I’m lying on the floor of the medical tent at Assistance Point #2 (AP#2) midway through the race. Though my feet aren’t near as bad…
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Camino Del Norte – Route Report
Read it now! It’s finally done. Since returning home from Spain, I have been working on a route report for others to enjoy. For your reading pleasure, the Camino del Norte report is now available here. Each day lists start and endpoints, the distance walked (in kilometers), the approximate time it took to walk that distance, notes about the route, a log of that day’s adventures, people I met and fun we had, and some indication of costs, weather, and trail conditions. Follow this link, or click on the Camino de Santiago link on the menu bar above, then select Camino del Norte. Now available in Kindle format on Amazon!…
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Coming Soon: Camino Route Report – Camino del Norte 2019
Grandpa’s Latest Camino de Santiago During the month of October 2019, Grandpa completed his third Camino de Santiago in Spain. He trekked for thirty-one days on the Camino del Norte, along the north coast, from Irun at the French border to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Daily accounts of that journey to find inspiration and meet new friends will be available on the blog site in the coming weeks. Follow along as the trail days are posted or select Camino de Santiago here, or from the blog’s main menu. Camino del Norte (Coastal Way) The length of the Camino del Norte, also known as the Camino de la Costa (Coastal Way), is over…
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Planning Season
Eckhart Tolle tells us—when thinking of the future—that we plan in the now, in the present moment. He has been an inspiration in my life, and I do my best to embody this concept of planning, here and now. My 2018 planning season is mostly complete. Much of these past winter months I have stolen moments to plan for future travels. I know, right? If you’ve read my blogs before you’d get the sense that I never go anywhere—NOT! And as is my usual wont, I’ve planned a lot. Much of it in succession. The first flurry: A hands-on work project in Mexico with Grandma’s Rotary club, which happens…
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The Via De La Plata – Revisited
Introduction: I was recently asked to present my 2016 Via de la Plata trek in Spain, and I thought I would share my speech and slides in this post. I was one of seven presenters speaking on routes other than the most commonly walked, Camino Francés. My friend Laurie Ferris over at thecaminoprovides.com was one of the organizers of the event and had this to say about the event when she posted the slideshows on her website: “Our NorCal chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino had its annual Welcome Home celebration event on November 11th, 2017 in Oakland. This year we had presentations on Camino routes “beyond the Francés.”…
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Out And About In Seattle
Big cities don’t thrill me, but Seattle, Washington, has many fun and out-of-the-ordinary things to do, beautiful scenery, friendly people, good food . . . I could go on. During a recent trip, we spent a few days in Seattle, sightseeing and catching up with an old friend. Though it was typical weather for the US Northwest—with gray skies, occasional mist, and one day of actual rain—we made the most of our time there. And once again, we arrived back at our hotel one evening wondering why we thought we could pack so much into a day—at our ages.
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I Need A New…
So now my first few short training runs are in the bag; six months to go. Being well into “middle age” (and retired from professional life for a few years now) does not make me old. The body may age, but I refuse to get old. That’s a conscious decision we can all make. Last year, my logbook indicated that I ran, walked, and hiked a total of 2,700 miles in calendar 2016. At the start of that year, our local running club, the Lake County Milers, posted a mileage challenge―speaking to my competitor’s spirit―and I had some big things planned for the year. For example, I trained for and…
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‘Twas An Honor—The Chaperoning Experience
One partly cloudy day last week, I enjoyed chaperoning a field trip for my granddaughter’s fourth-grade class. When she called to ask if I would join her and the students, I immediately said yes—as fear began to rise up in my gut. The trip with her class was to Bouverie Preserve near Glen Ellen, California. Spring is the most beautiful season in California with all of the green and dense patches of wildflowers that bloom before our summer heat turns everything golden brown. I had never been a chaperone before,
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Just Off The Beaten Path: Santa Rosalía, BCS, Mexico
The American at the border crossing in Tijuana said of Santa Rosalía, “That’s a dirty little town.” Since that was our stated destination, the man’s assertion seemed quite rude. But we handled his affront well enough. And, yes, one might think so, if you are—as most do—driving straight through Santa Rosalía en route to somewhere else, somewhere better known to the average tourist who spends his or her time elsewhere in southern Baja. Treasures Abound in Southern Baja
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The Far Away and Beyond
A gentleman. Maybe even a scholar. Well into his sixties, I’d guess. Gray haired. A thin man, with an air of class. High cheekbones, straight posture; clothing crisp and perfect. Most would call him sophisticated. He was a member of the wait staff at the nicest hotel in a national park that we were visiting. He had been there for many years, and the regular visitors knew him by name. The man sought to please, was very efficient in his movements, and knew his job. No energy wasted. He even seemed choreographed. Poised, that’s what I would call it. Not pompous or contrite. He appeared as if he would be…
