After walking through a tunnel and across the Diamond Head crater floor, we reached the far side where we hiked up to a gun emplacement and were rewarded with a superb view. On our walk back to our VRBO, we stopped for a traditional Hawaiian mixed plate lunch, which, of course, included macaroni salad.
Category: Urban Hikes
Rainy Day in Osaka
Rain set in for much of the day, but we never had to put on rain jackets. We took a 15-minute bullet train to Osaka, where we walked a few miles through the city’s vast indoor spaces, both above and below ground. A side trip to the Cup Noodles Museum added variety.
Trespassing on a Rail Bridge
Walked across the Mississippi from Nicollet Island on this 1893 Burlington Northern Santa Fe bridge, watching for freight trains, Northstar commuter trains, and cops. We then reversed course back across the bridge to avoid getting stuck in a narrow gap in a fence.
Lawlessness
Caught glimpses of the Mississippi below through cracks and gaps as I wheeled my bicycle across the bridge. The railroad company had installed a steel grid walkway for their workers over rotting and missing boards. A sign that once stated “No Trespassing” exuded lawlessness.
An Atlas Obscura Walk in Chicago
Guide books often funnel people to over-loved places. Atlas Obscura, “the definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders,” is a good resource to locate uncrowded, off-beat places to spice up a walk. The information is crowd-sourced, so it needs to be treated with caution. For example, a “machine gun nest” near our home is simply… Continue reading An Atlas Obscura Walk in Chicago
Finding Traces of Henry David Thoreau’s 1861 Visit to Minneapolis
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, built 1854-1857, with later additions. In May 1861, Henry David Thoreau visited Minneapolis. He was terminally ill, and would die within a year. I found myself wondering if there are any traces of places or institutions Thoreau would have seen or visited. There is very little contemporaneous documentation about his visit to Minneapolis:… Continue reading Finding Traces of Henry David Thoreau’s 1861 Visit to Minneapolis
Dubai by Rail and Foot
I checked in to my Dubai hotel at 2:00 a.m. this morning, fresh off an eight-hour flight from Guangzhou. In the lobby, people were still enjoying the night. Two thirtysomething expatriate women emerged from the pub in summer frocks, looking like they were on their way to an English garden party. This is a city… Continue reading Dubai by Rail and Foot
A Shanghai Urban Hike
I deliberately chose a creaky 1920’s era hotel for my base in Shanghai, which made it all the more shocking to emerge into 21st century Shanghai. “Do you need the company of a woman?” asked a conservative-looking thirty-something woman, pacing the street outside. Today, I walked a twelve mile, somewhat random loop from… Continue reading A Shanghai Urban Hike
Shanghai Urban Hike
Posted A Shanghai Urban Hike.
Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood: Architectural Sculptures and Actual Buildings
Each week, I enjoy a walk or a cycle ride with a friend. This week we started at a street lined with twenty-four architectural sculptures on plinths. We had passed the end of this street many times, but had no idea these sculptures existed. Then we went on a hunt for some of the buildings depicted… Continue reading Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood: Architectural Sculptures and Actual Buildings