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What does this have to do with a map? My nephews (5 and 6) have known about maps from an early age. I’ve given them age-appropriate, map-themed books. I’ve mailed them maps on postcards from faraway places, along with postcards showing photographs of those places. In the process of finding a world map for them,… Continue reading Maps, Kids, and Adventures

I rarely use headphones when traveling. On a long-haul, I prefer to read, snooze, or watch a movie in silence with subtitles turned on. I have yet to find comfortable, compact headphones. Back in 1980, when the Sony Walkman was introduced to the USA, the airlines were still handing out pneumatic headsets in Economy. These… Continue reading Travel Gear: Headphones

Nordeast, looking towards Downtown. Last weekend, the annual Art-a-Whirl artists’ studio tour drew crowds to Northeast Minneapolis (“Nordeast”).  Nordeast was a quieter place back in February when I went there on an urban hike. It was a winter’s day, but I took advantage of the shoveled sidewalks and warm, locally owned businesses for coffee and lunch. I… Continue reading Urban Hike: Nordeast Minneapolis

It could be another week before the buds on our apple tree explode; spring blossoms come late in Minneapolis. Back in March, I hiked up Kaimondake, a volcano in southern Japan for a day with Cecilia, a twenty-something from Sweden. She was traveling with the cherry blossoms, through Japan, from south to north. She would end… Continue reading Traveling with Cherry Blossoms

My smartphone and tablet make it easy to access my Internet accounts, maybe too easy: what happens if my devices fall into the wrong hands, or if a username and password are somehow intercepted? On my most recent trip, I used a YubiKey Neo one-time password (OTP) generator. My usernames and passwords are generated and… Continue reading Travel Gear: One-Time Password Generator

I’m on a fast train when I see a single train track peeling off into the distance. I want to go where that track is going. Maybe the end of that single track is a remote place I can use as the start of an “Ekikhara hike,” a hike from a train station. Beyond the… Continue reading End of the Line

Rice Field #1 Today, I explored part of the plain that bisects Sado Island (an island in the Sea of Japan, off northern Honshu, Japan). Walking on level ground gave my knees a rest after walking up a mountain the previous day. Beyond wanting to be in the countryside, I didn’t have a specific plan.… Continue reading Plain Views of Sado Island

The moon and sun are eternal travelers. Even the years wander on. A lifetime adrift in a boat, or in old age leading a tired horse into the years, every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. From the earliest times there have always been some who perished along the road. Still… Continue reading Meeting Bashō