Mar 142014
 
In Search of an Elusive Ancestral Town

Dripping blood, missing rental car, taxi careening through traffic—as I told the rental car agency guy (when we finally found him), “We’ve had a hard time leaving Warsaw this morning.” Once we were on the road though, things proceeded smoothly. Roads were clearly marked and matched my maps from Google. We drove straight to my […Read more]

Jul 172013
 
All Road Signs Lead to Athens

…even if all the roads don’t. I seem to be destined to get lost in Thiva (Thebes). The first time I ever drove in Greece, Thiva was my downfall. I’d done fine getting myself out of Athens and onto the national road (highway). At Thiva, I needed to head west toward Delphi (aka Δελφοί as […Read more]

Looking for a Charmer

 Pacific NW  Comments Off on Looking for a Charmer
Feb 092012
 
Looking for a Charmer

It had all the makings of a charming mountain town. There was its well-preserved historic district and its past as a rough and tumble pioneer mining area. There was its location in the Idaho mountains, with a bike trail through the forest and a nearby ski resort for winter sports. The town even showed its […Read more]

Explorer vs. Road Warrior

 Travel Attitude  Comments Off on Explorer vs. Road Warrior
Sep 122010
 
Explorer vs. Road Warrior

The Explorer in me is always at war with my inner Road Warrior. The Road Warrior comes from my childhood and my dad’s approach to a road trip. It’s not that we didn’t stop along the way and do fun things—we always did. I have great memories of national parks and horseback riding and river […Read more]

Sep 042010
 
Wind Monsters on Whiskey Dick Mountain

Whooping sounds and high fives were Tyler and Adam’s response when I told them I’d seen the sign on I-90 for Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility. You gotta love people who love their jobs this much. As recent graduates of Central Washington University’s Recreation & Tourism Department, I got the impression the signs were […Read more]

Visiting an Old Friend

 Pacific NW  Comments Off on Visiting an Old Friend
Jul 152010
 
Visiting an Old Friend

Exploring a new place and a new culture; that’s what travel is usually about for me. Seeing how other people live, gaining new insights into history, tasting strange foods, exploring unfamiliar places. But visiting a familiar place is special in another way; like seeing an old friend you haven’t spent time with for awhile. Finding […Read more]

Mar 132010
 
On the Road to Olympia

In Greece, guard rails must be for sissies. There were certainly none on this winding mountain road across the Peloponnese. And I wasn’t too confident about the brakes on my rented, somewhat battered, Nissan Sunny since the car teetered on the edge of a skid on every wet curve in the road. It was the […Read more]