Booked a round-trip to Japan using miles earned from a United Airlines credit card I opened earlier this year. The sign-up bonus and other perks covered the cost. I’ll be flying with ANA on the transpacific portions, which generally offers better service than United. My outbound flights will take me to Asahikawa, Hokkaido, a gateway to Daisetsuzan National Park. Traveling on the cheap adds to the adventure!
Category: Place
Signs of Fall
It felt brisk this morning as I set off for my walk. Passing the university’s steam plant, I could hear its gentle roar as it warmed much of the Minneapolis campus and generated 20% of its electricity. Changing leaves were another sure sign that fall had arrived.
Day Dream
From the 3rd Avenue Bridge, the Mississippi and the Falls looked rather trippy today. The reflected sunlight was purplish above the Falls and earthy below. Weeks of drought had calmed the water; the whirlpools I’d seen earlier in the summer were gone. I used a slow shutter on my phone and cropped, but no other…… Continue reading Day Dream
Superior Hiking Trail 2024
More journeys ≫
Bridport Bus Station
Waited at Bridport Bus Station for a bus to Axminster where we would catch a train. Rain seemed set in for the day, a first on our trip and a good reason to be in transit. Until recently I thought Axminster was a brand or style of carpet, but now I know it’s also a…… Continue reading Bridport Bus Station
Homeward Stretch
Turnaround point on our final cliff hike. Tomorrow we start our journey home with a hike into town, then a bus, then a train, then a bus to Heathrow where we’ll check into a hotel for the night before our flight home.
Day Tripper
Took a bus to Weymouth, resisting the typical seaside allure. Instead, I walked to Nothe Fort, a large 19th-century fortification built to protect against a French invasion. It served during both World Wars and the Cold War, even housing a nuclear bunker in the 1980s. Weymouth played a significant role 80 years ago on D-Day,…… Continue reading Day Tripper
Clifftop Signal
Walked east along the coast, past this clifftop burning beacon. The beacon aligns with another we saw yesterday. These structures have been used since Roman times to signal danger, but nowadays, they’re lit to celebrate events like the new millennium or the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
Jurassic Coast Hike
We’re staying on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset, where the cliffs are constantly eroding, revealing formations and fossils from different geologic periods. Today, we hiked the cliffs west of where we’re staying. This turned out to be a good workout as we navigated the trail up and down. Another day, we’ll explore the eastern cliffs.
A Toast to Rope
On our walk into town, we admired a playground where all the equipment imaginatively incorporated rope. This area has a rich history of rope-making for shipping, executions, and more, dating back to the 13th century. Rope was sometimes produced exclusively here for the entire kingdom by royal decree. To commemorate this important industry we enjoyed…… Continue reading A Toast to Rope