Last week we made a short visit to Los Angeles where we cycled, hiked, explored, and saw a show. We got around entirely by public transport. For such a car-centric city, Los Angeles has a fairly decent system of buses and trains. Many points of interest can be reached by public transport. Detail from LA Metro…… Continue reading Snapshots: 3 Days in LA Using Mass Transit
Author: Tom Wilson
Which Bicycle Should I Choose?
[wp_quiz id=”3314″] Finally the rain came today. Normally I would use my own bicycle to run errands, but it doesn’t have mudguards. I would end up with a muddy stripe down my backpack. On a day like today, I prefer to run errands using shared, NiceRide bicycles. They have mudguards, and I can always switch to…… Continue reading Which Bicycle Should I Choose?
Insistence on Truth
March 2018. I was on an inter-city train racing through the countryside of southern Spain. Across the aisle was a mother and her teenage son: she was engrossed in an e-book while he was engrossed in study exercises. I needed to be engrossed in something. I wanted to close my eyes and listen to music.…… Continue reading Insistence on Truth
Snapshots: Superior Hiking Trail 2018
Last week. as we generally do at this time of the year, we day-hiked sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. We stayed in two lodges so we could enjoy different sections of the trail without having to spend much time in the car. Blue blazes, painted on trees, usually helped to keep us on the…… Continue reading Snapshots: Superior Hiking Trail 2018
Snapshots: Tettegouche State Park
Every year, around this time, we drive from Minneapolis to the North Shore of Lake Superior. It was Sunday, so most people were driving in the opposite direction towards work and school. On the drive north, we paused for a few hours to enjoy the trails of Tettegouche State Park. We then drove on to…… Continue reading Snapshots: Tettegouche State Park
Travel Gear: Medications
The first time my partner and I arrived in Japan, we were stopped at Customs. Something prompted a search of our bags. Maybe the official spotted that my partner looked rather miserable with a cold. The official found an American over-the-counter cold medication containing pseudoephedrine. It’s illegal to bring this substance into Japan, but, after…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Medications
Snapshots: 1,000 Miles by Train to Tokyo
September 2018. I had spent the previous week exploring the three national parks in eastern Hokkaido. It was now time to figure out how to chunk a journey to Tokyo over the next 10 days. I had flown to eastern Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island. The journey back to Tokyo would be slower. Armed with…… Continue reading Snapshots: 1,000 Miles by Train to Tokyo
Mono no aware: the Pathos of Things
Mono no aware, Japanese.Roughly pronounced: moh-noh noh ah-wah-ray. Roughly translated: A wistful awareness of the impermanence or transience of things. [Source] Kumamoto, April 2014. Cherry blossoms exemplify the Japanese mono no aware sensibility. The intense beauty lasts just a few days before disappearing. The short time blossoms are in season is a time for celebration. Kyushu, southern…… Continue reading Mono no aware: the Pathos of Things
Should I Press This Button?
In my experience, Japanese hotels are always clean, comfortable, and safe. Usually they are great value. Sometimes they come with a twist. I’ve stayed in a bicycle hotel, an art hotel, but, until this trip, I had never stayed in a hotel modeled on a nursing home. I stayed at this nursing home-themed hotel in…… Continue reading Should I Press This Button?
Snapshots: Eastern Hokkaido National Parks
This past week I’ve briefly visited the three most easterly national parks on the island of Hokkaido, Japan: Kushiro-Shitsugen, Akan Mashu, and Shiretoko. Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park Kushiro-Shitsugen is Japan’s largest wetland, famous for its Japanese red-head cranes. A JR (Japan Rail) line runs along the edge of the wetlands, with several stops. I decided to…… Continue reading Snapshots: Eastern Hokkaido National Parks