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November 2017. I look out from our Minneapolis Mill District apartment. Ahead, I see St. Anthony Falls, the only significant waterfall on the Mississippi. A hydroelectric plant, established in 1882, still generates enough power for thousands of homes. Minneapolis grew up around these falls. Across the river I pick out the Pillsbury “A” Mill. Completed… Continue reading A Sporting House

It can be a challenge getting to a hiking trailhead. Public transport may be spotty or non-existent, and once you’re in the locale, trailheads have a bad habit of hiding in plain sight. Once I’ve found the trailhead, I can usually muddle my way along the trail with the assistance of GPS, map, signage, and… Continue reading Four Kyushu OLLE Hikes

This week I spent a night in Hotel Cycle, in a converted warehouse in the port city of Onomichi, Japan. I used it as a base to cycle part of the Shimanami Kaido trail across the Seto Inland Sea. Had I arrived on a bicycle, I could’ve cycled into the building and up to the front… Continue reading Snapshots: A Night in a Bicycle Hotel

Today I walked through a solemn space filled with sounds of flowing water, wishing for an alternate history that does not lead to this place. Circular route to entrance, water a constant theme. Underground. Concrete pressed with cedar panels. Bench. Falling water. Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims.

Sakurajima dominates the view across the bay from Kagoshima, southern Japan. It’s one of the world’s most active volcanoes, regularly raining ash on the city. Surfaces can feel gritty, accumulations of dust are a hazard to cyclists. Hotel rooms with a view of Sakurajima fetch a premium. Directions are expressed relative to the volcano; e.g.,… Continue reading Snapshots: Circling and Framing a Volcano

We’re off to New Zealand in December. There are no nonstop flights from hometown Minneapolis (MSP) to New Zealand, but I found one-stop itineraries through Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco, and Houston. These are good cities to connect through in the winter: they don’t get shut down by snow. Everything was fine until United changed… Continue reading Using Social Media to Resolve an Issue with United Airlines

Each October we drive up to the North Shore of Lake Superior to hike sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. Walk to breakfast, Bluefin Bay Resort. We had a rhythm to each day: we fortified ourselves with a cooked breakfast, then hit a trail. Some days we did an in and out originating at our… Continue reading Snapshots: Superior Hiking Trail 2017

The first frost of the season nipped Minneapolis this week, signaling less cycling and more hiking. My boots are squeaky clean and ready. Boots are bulky, which is an issue when flying with a small carry-on backpack. It’s amazing how much you can stuff into boots, then further reduce the bulk by tying the laces… Continue reading Travel Gear: Packing Hiking Boots