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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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Announcing Camino Route Report – Via De La Plata 2016
During the fall months of October and November 2016, Grandpa hit the trail for thirty-three days of walking the Via de la Plata in western Spain. Daily accounts of that journey to find history, peace, and new friends are now available on the blog site. Either follow the links in this post, or select Camino de Santiago here, or from the blog’s main menu. The Vía de la Plata (Silver Way) Starting in Sevilla (Seville), is 1000 kilometers from Sevilla traveling through
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A Look At A Day On The John Muir Trail
Continued from, Preparing to hike the John Muir Trail An Anecdote from the Trail One long day during my trek, I planned to camp by a lake that was almost 12,000 feet in elevation. This particular day was going to be another eighteen miles of hiking. Later that afternoon I met an older gentleman (older than me, at least) coming down the same trail I was headed up. We offered the usual greetings, and he asked where I planned to camp that night. After hearing of my planned destination, he asked if I had hiked this portion of the trail before (that should have been a warning sign!). I replied…
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Hiking the John Muir Trail – Early Days
I was freezing! Pondering this notion over and over in my head as I lay in my sleeping bag, I decided: Indeed, I am freezing! And freezing every night for the next two weeks was not going to be much fun. Did I underestimate the cold? Did I not pack the right gear? It was far too late for these questions.
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An Ambulatory Retreat: Hiking The John Muir Trail
My blog has been quiet these past couple of weeks, as I’ve been busy hiking the John Muir Trail (JMT). I’d like to spend a few posts sharing my latest adventure with you. These vignettes will, hopefully, inspire you to continue preparing for your own travel adventures. During a recent hike with like-minded local chapter members of American Pilgrims on the Camino, I first overheard the term ambulatory retreat used to describe walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. An ambulatory retreat, in my mind, can be any trek out in nature. It is a restorative trek, a healing one. I don’t remember the woman’s name who used the term,…
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A Topless Goddess
(This a composite of our adventures, representing a day in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, winter 2016.) One moment a sea of heads bouncing and bobbing down Playa del Carmen’s eclectic Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue), the miles-long, slightly undulating promenade paralleling the Caribbean Sea; a path full of hawkers spread evenly block after block, all selling various zip-line and snorkeling tours, excursions to Mayan ruins and to Cozumel, taxis to most anywhere in the areas of Cancun and the Riviera Maya. Beautiful people, restaurants, shops, and stores—low-end trinket to high-end Michael Kors and Victoria’s Secret—a busy Starbucks every other block. Nike and Puma, Sephora and Forever 21. Too, ultra modern malls,…
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Quinoa in a Frying Pan
Following another fantastic day at the beach or exploring the Riviera Maya, Mexico, comes that time again to make dinner. We love our little condo, it’s top floor view towards the Caribbean Sea, windows always open to a cooling easterly breeze. But its amenities are, shall we say—less than we’re used to at home. Not really lacking, just different. One night, Kathey was making a fresh cucumber and onion salad to go with a quinoa dish I was going to make with fresh veggies from a market not far from us and using up bits of this and that from the refrigerator.
