Almost half a century ago I was in a new high school and held in my hand a mimeographed sheet inviting all and sundry to apply to be exchange students with the American Field Service. I thought about it all night long, then applied with an essay about how I really wanted to go to Japan and learn Japanese, as I was so taken with Japanese culture. To my surprise, I was selected as the school’s exchange student, and sent to Denmark.Continue Reading Cycling through the Danish Land of Enchantment
The large amount of precipitation California received this winter – enough to end the five year drought in many areas of the state – has been widely reported in the news media. Northern California even had its wettest year on record. Additionally, snow pack – tracked since 1941 at the 6,800 altitude Phillips Station near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada – has been well above average consistently since February through the date of this article. Continue Reading The bad news inside the good news about the end of California’s drought.
Bob is a retired New York City fireman. Injured on the job, he went into retirement decades ago. There is pain, decades worth. But there is also time, far too much of it – the kind you must figure out what to do with rather than watch yourself wither. For Bob and so many in our community, there comes a vivid, life-encapsulating story about dusting yourself off and then pushing up from a powerfully magnetic couch.
Continue Reading Lions Amongst Us: Sports options versus the couch for ‘grizzled’ San Diegans
In my last post, I mentioned a couple of tips and things to think about when getting ready to cycle down the Pacific Coast Highway –Continue Reading The Pacific Coast for the Everyday Explorer: A Cyclist’s Packing Guide (Part II)
I love looking back this time of year – did I keep my New Year’s Resolutions? What new places did I go to? Did I get outside as much as I had promised myself?
And, one of the things that came up the other day while thinking about what the new year will bring, was my first post in 2016.Continue Reading A Quick Guide to the Pacific Coast for the Everyday Explorer (Part I)
Last weekend, I checked out a workshop on solar cooking, thinking I might pick up a thing or two for future camping endeavors.
In my head, I supposed I was picturing a camp stove powered by a solar panelContinue Reading Using Solar to….Cook?
Last month, I accepted the challenge to camp out for a total of 31 nights between May and September. It’s not for any big campaign or some sort of a contest – just a gentle nudge in the rear to remind you that you don’t have to sail away on a month-long sabbatical to reconnect with nature.
I really think that’s the best way to do it – a night here, a weekend there. Getting out when and wherever you can. Reminding myself that it’s just as easy to spend a night at the local park (or even in my own backyard), as it is on my couch. So, I’ll keep this one short and sweet and start by saying: whether or not you consider yourself the ‘outdoorsy type,’ you should totally do this. Wait, you should do this especially if you don’t consider yourself the outdoorsy type.
Why? Because it’s a breath of fresh air, a break to the monotony and a really good time.
And in the nature of a good time, here’s some extras I pack that make for a great camping experience (even if they do add some unnecessary weight to my pack).Continue Reading 5 Gadgets that Make Sleeping Under the Stars a Real Treat
