Okanagan, Okay?
Position: 49°29’47.8″N 119°35’38.7″W At the end of our house sit on Vancouver Island we could have headed straight south, or we could have arranged to meet our friend Tom in Penticton in the heart of the Okanagan Valley – Canada’s …
Flights of Fancy
Position: Once Around the Moon It was one of my life’s greatest disappointments when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin decided they couldn’t sleep and instead walked on the moon five hours earlier than planned. That meant humans first walked on …
Parks and Recreation
Position: 44°52’24.6″N 122°38’37.4″W During our time in British Columbia, we were struck by the quality of their regional parks. Their excellent infrastructure, cleanliness and sheer number of freely accessible locations makes a strong case for redistributive taxation that spends money …
Totem Pole Tour
Position: 48°46’43.3″N 123°42’25.6″W The City of Duncan probably wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the enterprising actions of a group of settlers from the community of Alderlea. After the settlers erected an impromptu arch, they held up the inaugural train …
The Last Train to Parksville
Position: 49°19’03.8″N 124°19’05.7″W Hiking and beer go together like rain and galoshes. At least it does when you’re on Vancouver Island. Rarely have we visited a place with more managed trails for walking up an appetite and a thirst. Our …
Vancouver Island
Position: 49°14’39.6″N 124°08’07.9″W Robin Williams once said, “Canada is like a really nice apartment over a meth lab.” That’s how it feels leaving the lower 48 behind and easing into life north of the border. It’s not so much the …
Spare the Rod, Spoil the Boat
Position: 28°27’59.8″N 16°14’38.2″W “I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours..” – Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat Two years ago we had Aleta re-rigged in Gothenburg, Sweden. As a Valiant …
Seattle for Tourists
Position: 47°37’11.7″N 122°21’03.1″W About halfway through our dogsit with Gus (q.v.), we figured out that getting to and from downtown Seattle required only a short, inexpensive ride on the West Seattle water taxi. The taxi is run by King County …
Gus
Position: 47°33’42.1″N 122°23’12.4″W If you’ve not met Gus, you’ve missed a treat. For Gus is a character. Once you’ve been introduced, he remains unforgettable. His ability to forge lasting relationships is due in equal parts to his direct, friendly interactions …