While the Space Needle is the iconic sight for Seattle, Mt. Rainier is the icon for the state of Washington. In fact, despite Washington having many mountains, locals often refer to it as simply, “the mountain.” If you can get the Space Needle and Mt. Rainier in the same picture, then you really have a classic Washington picture. Unfortunately Mt. Rainier is not always as visible as we would like. The areas infamous rainy days often hides it from view.…
The Fundamental Skill of Map Reading
If you have paid much attention to travel news in the last few months, you know this has been a year for road trips. With world travel still closed, and the close quarters of an airplane making people nervous, folks have stayed closer to home. Road trips to the rescue. However, to successfully navigate that road trip one needs a very important element, a map. Map reading is a skill that has been lost in some ways today. Much like…
Trails to Conquer East of Seattle (Updated 2024)
For many people vacation can be a time for indulging in things they normally might avoid. To keep that from being a problem exercise should be a part of one’s vacation plans. The Seattle area is blessed with many great trails to use. Walkers, bikers, and roller bladers have a number of options to choose from east of Lake Washington. Most of these trails were once railroad corridors that have been converted to trails. Whether you are a resident or…
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“The Blessing” Around the World, Part 2
Six weeks ago I shared with you how the song “The Blessing” has become an international phenomenon. Just a few months after its release, virtual choirs around the world were recording the song as a way to bless their countries during our worldwide pandemic. As the pandemic has continued, so has the creation of new videos. Since my post six weeks ago, I have often searched YouTube and discovered even more renditions of the song. Virtual choirs, solo artists, worship…
My First Year as a Travel Blogger
Yes, it was exactly a year ago on July 29th that I posted my first blog post, “Why Travel?” It’s been a journey ever since. I thought I’d take this anniversary to share about my first year of blogging. When I retired from teaching last June, I knew I needed to have something to do to help keep me occupied. Being a middle school English teacher for 21 years, I had worked to teach my students how to write. I…
Bloedel Reserve: Following the Trail
If you are in need of a quiet place in the midst of our chaotic world today, visit a garden. In a previous post I suggested three gardens to visit. Today I am suggesting just one, The Bloedel Reserve which USA Today recently named one of the 10 best botanical gardens in the U.S. The Bloedel Reserve is located at the northern end of Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound. This 150 acre garden and forest area was originally the home…
The Quest for the Perfect Space Needle Photo (Updated 2024)
People easily recognize photos of some cities around the world because of that iconic structure that everyone knows. Think the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Arch in St. Louis. For Seattle that recognizable structure is the Space Needle. It is a architectural wonder like no other. If you visit Seattle, you have to get a photo of it. The Space Needle was built in 1962 for the Seattle World’s Fair. After the fair it became an important part of…
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Gardens to Visit In and Near Seattle
The state of Washington’s nickname is the Evergreen State. Many people think it rains here all the time. That’s not really true. We don’t have a lot of heavy rains, but many gray days with a light rain. Summers, however, can be quite beautiful and warm. In fact this is a perfect climate to grow many wonderful plants, and gardening is a popular activity in the Puget Sound region. Garden enthusiasts can find a number of gardens in the Seattle…
The Characteristics of an Ugly Tourist
In 1958 the novel The Ugly American was published. The book was intended to expose the failing foreign policies of America towards the countries of Southeast Asia. Since then, however, the term has come to refer to Americans who travel or live abroad and are insensitive to the culture of the country they are in. They view everything through the lens of American values and standards. However, Americans are not the only ones who can fall prey to this conditions…
The Blessing: Around the World
It has been eleven months since I started this blog. Initially I had a number of adventures to share with you, but then it stopped. COVID-19 came along and the whole world shut down. How do you write a travel blog when you can’t travel? Where do you get inspiration for that next post? The good news is my blog is not like most travel blogs. If you look at most such blogs they will have titles such as “The…