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Two blocks from our home in the Minneapolis Mill District, on a dead-end side-street, there’s a single-family home that is decidedly different. Some people call it the Hogwarts House; others call it the Arundel House. I love to stand outside the house and spot fantastical architectural elements, including the wizardly dormer in the photo at… Continue reading Beyond the Hogwarts House

December 26, 2017, United Airlines 5637, MSP–SAN. The two women in the AB seats in our row had two dogs on their laps for the entire flight. They stowed two collapsible kennels in an overhead bin. United Airlines charges $125 per pet brought on board, and it has to be stowed under a seat in… Continue reading Freakin’ Cheap: How to Fly with a Pet Without Paying Fees

Today, a jet boat brought us back to a world with Internet and roads. Three days earlier I maneuvered our rental car along a narrow, winding road, avoiding recent rockfalls. At Pipiriki, New Zealand, a jet boat came to take us up the Whanganui River, through a vertiginous gorge, to the Bridge to Nowhere Lodge. Thursday… Continue reading Snapshots: Whanganui National Park

New Zealand’s North Island has three national parks: Egmont, Whanganui, and Tongariro. On this trip we selected Egmont and Whanganui, two of New Zealand’s less-visited parks. We’ve spent two days hiking Egmont’s lovely trails, with two more days to go. Saturday January 6 9:50a Wellington Central Railway Station, Platform 9 (Bus) 12:10p Palmerston North City… Continue reading Snapshots: Egmont National Park

Our descent into Marlborough, BHE, New Zealand, gave us a preview of our upcoming visit to the region. First we flew over the crenellated, sunken valleys of Queen Charlotte Sound, then we came in low over the vineyards of Marlborough wine country. Our first priority was to hike the Queen Charlotte Track, a path people… Continue reading Snapshots: Queen Charlotte Track

Next week we’ll be hiking the Queen Charlotte Track a glorious ridge trail above sea-drowned valleys at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s a comfortable tramp, just 43 miles over four days. Maybe that explains why Rudyard Kipling’s “Boots” was my earworm the other day: We’re foot—slog—slog—slog—sloggin’ over Africa! Foot—foot—foot—foot—sloggin’ over Africa— (Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin’… Continue reading Boots over New Zealand

Christmas was coming to life when I visited Japan in early November. Colonel Sanders, an integral part of Japan’s Christmas traditions, was in his Santa garb. Ticket counters in some train stations were decorated with tinsel and little ornaments. Christmas trees were starting to sprout. Christmas tree being set up at Nagoya’s main train station.… Continue reading A Very Japanese Christmas

From under the duvet, I hear the daily grind. Dwight is edging towards his workday. It’s time for my daily incantation: “OK Google, what time is it?” “OK Google, turn on National Public Radio” “OK Google, turn on bedroom lights” “OK Google, bring coffee” OK, I don’t ask Google to bring coffee. I stick my… Continue reading Monday Morning Coffees