What’s a globe-trotting, ancestral-town-seeking, genealogist to do when under COVID-19 lockdown? Find places of family significance closer to home to explore, of course. I’ve been walking in my neighborhood (permissible under lockdown guidelines) but all the closed coffee shops and stores mock me, making me think of the DBC (Days Before COVID). A couple of […Read more]
I was always intrigued by the Salmon La Sac exit off Interstate 90. Partly because it’s such a quirky name. But partly because, every time we drove by it on a family road trip, my mom used to say with nostalgia, “Oh, we used to go camping there.” Why did this comment never intrigue me […Read more]
It’s no secret that I love to travel. I love exploring new places, absorbing the culture through its foods and music, hanging out in sidewalk cafes and watching the people go by. But I also love that I live in a place that makes me feel like I’m on vacation every day. This weekend, I […Read more]
I love how family stories just pop up sometimes. Like last night. I’d called my aunt to talk about a death in the family. Suddenly we veered off into reminiscing about how she’d first come to Seattle. She and my mom were both doing clerical work at an industrial laundry company. As two young women […Read more]
I’m surprised I survived. Thirty years ago, a friend invited me on a hike. The distance (nine miles) concerned me—that was three times the distance of my favorite, completely flat, three-mile walk around Green Lake. But my friend assured me it was a “moderate” hike. Moderate didn’t sound too bad. Maybe a hill or two. […Read more]
Seattle has an unhealthy relationship with rain. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not an import who makes disparaging comments about Seattle’s climate. In fact, I’m a native Seattleite who loves the rain. At least, I love the rain from October through June. But from July through September, gray clouds, keep your hands off my weather! It’s […Read more]
One thing I like about travel is that it takes you out of your own space—home, culture, daily routine—so you can look at your life through the lens of a new environment. This always gives me a fresh, more objective view of my life. Some of my best life decisions have been made while traveling—like […Read more]
A year ago, my idea of a hike was a brisk walk around Green Lake. In fact, I was convinced I hated hiking. Even though I knew that Mt. Si was one of the most popular hiking destinations in the area, my eyes would slide past it as I drove I-90 to go skiing or […Read more]
I’ve sometimes wondered what it would be like to ride a luge, lying on your back, careening downhill at the mercy of the icy track beneath you with little control of your direction or speed. Of course, I’ve never wondered enough to actually try it. I’ve been very happy just watching the Olympics and wondering […Read more]
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]