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Sakurajima, active volcano off Kagoshima, Southern Japan, March 2013 The winter is setting in, and won’t budge for another four or five months: it’s time to think about travel to warmer places like Southern Japan. One theme of my next visit to Japan is “Islands off Islands.” Japan is an archipelago consisting of thousands of… Continue reading Japan’s Islands off Islands

As LEGO Technic creations go, this vehicle is as basic as they come. For me, it represents a point in a process I’ve been following with my two nephews (5 and 6): I’m trying to discover if they have the potential to be interested in LEGO.We designed the car together. I asked the boys what… Continue reading Selling LEGO

Eurostar, Northern France, heading straight for the English Channel at 183 MPH If I could only bring one piece of electronic equipment when traveling, it would be my handheld GPS. When riding the bus in a strange city, I know when to get off. When exploring, I can find my way back to the starting… Continue reading Travel Gear: Handheld GPS

Where your stay is part of defining who you are.You can join the crowd, or you can leave it behind.Eat. Shop. Sleep.Own Chicago. Know the right people.Make a statement with every second.“I never thought I would receive so many compliments every day.”As unique as you are. Who needs this stuff?All 1 pound 2 ounces of… Continue reading Artful Living

What are we thinking? I’m in Japan. A lone crane swoops low over a large, exquisitely landscaped pond. There are two other bystanders; they smile contentedly as the crane reinforces a common bond, evoking fragments of mysticism, national treasure, longevity, good fortune, origami, the number 1,000, childhood memories, and current dreams. I’m seeing a crane… Continue reading Decoding a Crane

In Japan I like to go off the beaten path where guide books are not helpful. Daily research using the Internet becomes essential for me to navigate that often-opaque country. I use a portable wireless router because most Japanese hotel rooms have (free) wired Internet, but no wireless Internet. I’ve set up my router with… Continue reading Travel Gear: Portable Router

Photographs do not explain why I hike. Gorgeous vistas and little mossy vignettes float in and out of my consciousness, but they do not define the experience. I love the freedom I feel as I head out on the trail knowing our entire earthly possessions for the next few days are on our backs. My… Continue reading Superior Trail 2013

12EEEE and 12A. Today, I’m getting my brain in gear for a multi-day hike along part of the Superior Hiking Trail. To help me plan, I have some useful resources from previous trips. September 2011 Superior Trail hike: itinerary and GPS tracks (GPX format). The trail we followed is in dark red in the above map; the Canadian border… Continue reading Gathering Gear