She stands resolutely in front of her home in the “mucky wee port” of Port Glasgow, Scotland. My Aunt Madge, helmet and gas mask at the ready, standing against the Nazi threat. The threat was real. Bombs rained down on the nearby shipyards, and on British, American, and Free French bases. My mother and aunt… Continue reading Independent Scots
Author: Tom Wilson
Sheep’s Head Way
I like to hike in peace. Consequently, today, we find ourselves hiking the Sheep’s Head Way along “a peaceful, unspoilt peninsula” in a remote southwest corner of Ireland If I Google “Sheep’s Head Way” I get 14,500 results. If I Google “Giant’s Causeway” I get 3.8 million results. We’ll give The Giant’s Causeway, the Blarney Stone,… Continue reading Sheep’s Head Way
Travel Gear: Rain Jacket
The rain was torrential. “You look funny” commented some miserable-looking middle-aged woman as she stumbled towards us on the Wainwright Coast-to-Coast hike across England. I gurgled something to show I was glad I had added to her happiness on that grey day. I suspected this was her first and last long distance walk. We certainly looked… Continue reading Travel Gear: Rain Jacket
Our State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair is a big deal. It runs for 10 days through Labor Day with a total attendance around 1.8 million. This morning, I was one of those attendees. I’m not one for crowds, or food on a stick, or animal competitions. But I do like to drop in on the Fair every… Continue reading Our State Fair
Travel Gear: Trekking Pole
I often hike with one trekking pole. Some hikers prefer two poles: I don’t have enough hands to carry two while operating my GPS, or grabbing tree limbs. It’s largely about balance, but I suspect my knees are grateful when I lean on the pole while climbing. Unfortunately, a trekking pole makes air travel… Continue reading Travel Gear: Trekking Pole
Nagasaki/Saint Paul
Nagasaki aesthetics, Como Park, St. Paul, MN. Minneapolis and St. Paul are twins; Nagasaki and St. Paul are sisters. In March 2014, I got to meet St. Paul’s sister. I decided not to stay at the Hotel Saint Paul Nagasaki, its name designed to attract my compatriots. I had not come all this way to… Continue reading Nagasaki/Saint Paul
Glass Houses and Buried Museums
The Farnsworth House A Glass House in Illinois Completed in 1951, the Farnsworth House, near Plano, Illinois, is widely regarded as one of the major architectural achievements of the twentieth century. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe took his belief that “less is more” almost to the limit by designing a steel-framed, glass-walled box. The box floats… Continue reading Glass Houses and Buried Museums
A Cold Beer in Passchendaele
World War 1 erupted 100 years ago. About 50 years ago, I decided WW1 was a travesty. I remember my father’s sadness and my mother’s rage when I announced my (paternal) grandfather died at Passchendaele for nothing. Teenagers are not known for tact, and I am not proud of that outburst. Man of the House… Continue reading A Cold Beer in Passchendaele
Ignoring Barriers
If I’m on foot or bicycle, chances are I’ll go round barriers like this one. In recent weeks, barriers across trails all over the Twin Cities have become a fact of life. Flooding and fallen trees have made walking and cycling more interesting. That got me thinking about a hike back in April on Sado… Continue reading Ignoring Barriers
We’re in This Together
When he saw I was bringing my backpack, the six-year-old decided to bring his. When he saw we were bringing backpacks, the five-year-old decided to bring his. Three backpacks, each containing one bottle of water. Fifteen miles, three happy guys, in this together.