The Place: Sullivan Lake, Washington
From the time I went on church retreats as a girl and had to rise early, find a solitary spot on the banks of a lake, and think spiritual thoughts as the fog slowly vanished over the water, I have associated…Continue reading→
The Story: Southern Patagonia
Author’s note: To get the most out of this story, I recommend you first read the previous blog about the place. Thanks! Six scientists in a small outboard boat approached the island of Santa Inés in Chile’s Southern Patagonia. They motored…Continue reading→
The Place: Southern Patagonia, Chile
Chile is an elongated country, over 2,500 miles long and an average of 110 miles wide. Along its length, northern desert gives way to a lush valley, then lakes and temperate rain forests before the landmass begins to break apart south…Continue reading→
The Story: Steamboat Rock and Northrup Canyon
Author’s note: To get the most out of this story, I recommend you first read the previous blog about the place. Thanks! The sun had not yet risen. Lauren moved in ghostly half-light, searching for any signs of life in the…Continue reading→
The Place: Steamboat Rock and Northrup Canyon, Washington
Now that winter seems to be fading into an early spring, it’s time to get out the hiking boots and plan a few outings. Some of the best cool-weather hikes are along the Columbia River plateau, particularly so because by June the…Continue reading→
The Story: Mona Island
Author’s note: To get the most out of this story, I recommend you first read the previous blog about the place. Thanks! 1698: With a final violent push, the surf scraped a dinghy over razorlike coral reef and jammed it onto…Continue reading→
The Place: Mona Island, Puerto Rico
Something new: Up until now, I’ve written about places in three different regions – Chile, the Inland Northwest, and Puerto Rico. I’m now adding a new stop, using sites in multiple regions as settings for mini-stories inspired by them. One week,…Continue reading→
Long and Lovely Lake Chelan
Even before I arrived in Spokane in 2013, there were two places I vowed to visit. One of them – the Route of the Hiawatha in Idaho, a spectacular 15-mile-long bike trail through old train tunnels and trestles – remains on…Continue reading→
Spiritual Grandeur: The Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
In my last blog, I voted the Great Northern Clock Tower as Spokane’s most iconic structure. Among the runners-up was the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, without doubt one of the city’s great landmarks. The church doesn’t merely sit…Continue reading→
The Great Northern Clock Tower
When it comes to iconic structures, Manhattan has the Empire State Building. San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge. Rome, the Coliseum. Boston, Fenway Park. Well, that last one may be debatable, but it got me thinking. If I had to choose…Continue reading→