Source: Superior Hiking Trail Association. Every year, around this time, we head up to the North Shore of Lake Superior for a few days to walk sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. We stopped in Duluth for a night, then continued on to our usual destination, Bluefin Bay, a resort on the shores of Lake…… Continue reading Superior Hiking Trail: Fall 2021
Category: Snapshots
Snapshots: Superior Hiking Trail 2020
In the past few days, we made our annual trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior to hike sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. We had booked a townhouse in Tofte, Minnesota, back in the Before-Times, when Covid-19 was something that was only happening on the other side of the world. Our nephews, 11…… Continue reading Snapshots: Superior Hiking Trail 2020
Bay of Islands, New Zealand
In Paihia, in New Zealand’s Northland, local kids were having a grand time being blasted with pigment. This is a nod to India’s Holi Festival. Just over three weeks ago we flew from New Zealand’s South Island to the north of the North Island. With the subsequent rapid spread of COVID-19, three weeks seems like…… Continue reading Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Abel Tasman National Park
Until now, we’ve avoided Abel Tasman National Park on the north coast of New Zealand’s South Island: it’s just too popular. We prefer to even the tourist load and enjoy a quieter experience by visiting less popular “B-list” places. We would be passing right by Abel Tasman on our way to a remote VRBO (Vacation…… Continue reading Abel Tasman National Park
Queen Charlotte Track 2020
Last week we hiked the Queen Charlotte Track for the third time. Including a rest day we took five days to walk 72 kilometers along a well-engineered and maintained trail. This was a walk in the park, especially as our backpacks were transported ahead of us by boat. We took a boat to the start…… Continue reading Queen Charlotte Track 2020
A Week in Honolulu
The snow was piling up as we waited to ride the light rail to the airport. At Minneapolis/St. Paul MSP, snow-clearing crews were keeping ahead of the snow: across four departure boards, I saw only two cancellations, probably due to inbound cancellations. MSP, runway 30R, getting a good scrape from 20 graders driving in formation.…… Continue reading A Week in Honolulu
Hiking above Palm Springs
In early December we spent a week in Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley in California’s desert southwest. It was still low season, but temperatures were pleasant (60’s and 70’s Fahrenheit). In January, the population of the valley is about 800,000. By June, the population drops to around 200,000 as temperatures soar into the low…… Continue reading Hiking above Palm Springs
Snapshots: Superior Hiking Trail 2019
This week, blue daubs guided us, as they do every year around this time. We stayed on the North Shore of Lake Superior in two lodges (at Lutsen and Tofte) and hiked sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. The plan for each day was simple: take to the trails after a cooked breakfast. Two days…… Continue reading Snapshots: Superior Hiking Trail 2019
Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel
Estimated numbers of hotel rooms in places we stayed: Granada, Antequera, Marbella and Nerja, Spain. May 2019 data from Instituto Nacional de Estadistica. If you’re planning to visit Spain’s Costa del Sol, you’ll probably be staying in a busy place. It can be hard to avoid over-loved places, but I prefer to seek out B-List…… Continue reading Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel
Backpacking with Kids in Andalucía: Snapshots of Nerja
My partner and I are backpacking in Andalucía, southern Spain, with our nephews (10 and 11) and their parents. We flew into Malaga from the States, then immediately started traveling by train, inter-city bus, and foot. We hope to complete the trip without ever taking a taxi. The map at the top of this post…… Continue reading Backpacking with Kids in Andalucía: Snapshots of Nerja