Immersed in the World
Tulips signify the return of Spring and every year I can’t wait until the first flowers emerge from the cold ground. A few years ago I learned Western Washington was a major grower of tulips. I had to see the fields.
They don’t disappoint. Acre upon acre of vibrantly colored flowers has a tendency to turn visitors giddy. I couldn’t help notice everyone in the fields [...]
Three years ago, twin brothers, Davy and Daryl Vogel, took off with their parents from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska on a quest to travel all the way to the southern tip of South America. By bicycle. They were ten years old when they left their life behind in Boise, Idaho and started their adventure.
On March 21st, after [...]
While driving down a two-lane highway across a broad expanse of a brown Wyoming, a weathered non-DOT sign popped up on a post alongside the road. It read, “Sacajawea’s Grave” and an arrow pointed to the right. We had just entered Wind River Indian Reservation, I couldn’t bypass that old sign.
I hit the brakes and pulled into a gas station to [...]
I had the pleasure of learning of Diana McCaulay when she came to Seattle last Spring to present her film, Jamaica for Sale, through the World Affairs Council at the University of Washington.
Jamaica for Sale is a documentary about tourism and unsustainable development. The film examines environmental, social and economic damage inflicted by large-scale hotel development. Jamaica for [...]
Taking a paid, guided horseback ride in the northern mountains of Nicaragua is nothing like a guided horseback ride in the United States. For one, I can’t imagine an American operation thinking it a good idea for an inexperienced six year old to ride and control his own horse for six hours.
But the confidence of Jamie, our Nica guide, assured me. Or [...]
“White wo-man!”
“White wo-man!”
I cringed. It could only be me the voice from behind was calling. The last time a man jogged to catch up with me on my walk from the white house to our dinghy in Clare Valley, not the presence of my toddler riding on my shoulders nor my declaration of [...]
My idea of the perfect travel experience is to immerse in local culture. But when I enthusiastically proposed to my family a stay at Miraflor, a nature reserve that’s also a farmers’ cooperative in the northern mountains of Nicaragua, they all stared back at me with blank and unconvinced faces.
“A farrmm?” Simon said.
“How about the beach? I really [...]
The morning after the indulgent dinner, we soaked one more time in the hot springs baths and met up again with Bill and Masami for breakfast.
After days of sampling countless exotic Japanese offerings, Brian and I didn’t pass up the offer of an American style breakfast.
They started us off with an onion topped salad.
And moved on to assorted breads, scrambled eggs, bacon [...]
When Brian and I were in Tokyo, we snuck away with our business partner, Bill, and his partner Masami, to an onsen.
An onsen is a Japanese inn and hot spring. The volcanic archipelago of islands that make up Japan are covered in naturally occurring hot springs and onsens are popular among the Japanese. They vary from simple to luxurious in accommodation.
We visited Sekiyou, an [...]
We spotted the Ford Ranger from the ferry.
Its turquoise color matched the sea.
The truck’s owner hurried toward us. “Good morning, you must be Brian and Nicole, and you are the children, and you, the brother!” Herb said. His wife, Ilene, hugged us.
“Wow, the truck is outfitted just like ours,” Brian said.
“Is that right?” asked Herb. “Shall [...]
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