Tag Archives: Travel Musings

Words for Safe Passage

05 Thursday Jul 2012

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Courtesy of Moon Travel

When I was in 6th grade, my seat in science class faced a big poster with a prayer on it written by Sir Francis Drake in 1577 before his departure to the Americas. The font was fancy and old-looking, like an illuminated manuscript. The first letter of the prayer loomed over the rest in that antique book style, and whenever I zoned out, I would read and re-read that prayer hanging on the wall. For years I had the first stanza memorized; its poetic vehemence struck me, even the 11-year-old me.

Later I would find that my parents also liked this prayer, and hung it on our refrigerator among the dozens of school portraits, magnets, postcards from globetrotting family and friends. At a certain point, the printout disappeared, probably in a cleaning frenzy that, once in awhile, would leave the fridge looking more spartan than it had in years.

Now, as I sally forth into this great, big, daunting world, I am moved–just as I was sitting in that sixth grade science class–by the first words.

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.
What a plea! For whatever power that be to disturb us. I don’t think it matters what beliefs you hold, or whether you hold any at all about the divine. But I think this idea is an important one; we should be moved to act once in awhile, rather than being left alone in our own complacence, or our own ambivalence for happiness to be realized. 
I looked up the prayer recently for my own sake. Here it is in full; I’ve highlighted my favorite parts.

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little,


When we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore. 

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future in strength, courage, hope and love.




Since rediscovering this prayer, I’ve found many others from lots of different religions. Travel has always been a part of life, both ancient and modern, and the historian in me is very interested in how similar they all are throughout time and across culture.



 Anyway, here’s to daring more boldly, venturing on wider seas, and finding stars! 

Independence Day

04 Wednesday Jul 2012

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The 4th of July is a special holiday to me. I’ve written about it before, about our neighborhood block party growing up, the reading of the Declaration, the fireworks that inevitably set fire to Sentinel Peak every year in Tucson (sometimes we learn a bit slowly in AZ). 

I’ve spent the Fourth at home. I’ve spent it abroad. I’ve spent it with family, with friends, with new friends, with strangers. Today, I’ll be spending it en route to Athens, Greece, so I’ll be able to say I’ve celebrated our Independence Day on the ground and in the air. 
This time, too, it means something different. Independence today means independence that I’ve chosen. My big leap, the one that I’ve been preparing for for months, this decision that I made on a warm day in the Tucson spring, it’s actually happening. I’m not just abstractly talking about my flights, or my packing list, or my travel gadgets. I’m concretely talking about my flights (1 down, 2 to go for this leg), my packing list (made it with my Osprey Meridian carry-on), and my travel gadgets (Chico bag that folds into itself! Kindle! Mini flashlight! And all the cool stuff I’ll get to borrow from Boris!). 
My own independence day is today. Time to rip it up like Jimi Hendrix did. 

My Favorite Five: Places to Eat in Sonoma County, CA

03 Tuesday Jul 2012

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Northern California is a great place for foodies. Wine country at your fingertips generally means great food to go along with it, and eat well we did! Here are a few places where we got some sweet eats. Check them out if you’re in the area!
Big Bottom Market,Guerneville, CA
This little market has been written up as an up-and-coming eaterie in Food & Wine, and it’s no surprise why. Head in to find a variety of creative and well-crafted sandwiches, homemade biscuits with honey, a great drink section and more! Plus, they’ll pair your sandwich with a wine they carry. Don’t forget to check out their specials, which feature locals! (I had the Ziggy last week, which featured a wine-marinated pulled pork that was out of this world.) How’s that for community building?

Howard Station Café, Occidental, CA
Good advice from Miss Piggy on the wall of Howard Station Cafe! 
Howard Station had been recommended to my mom, and I’m glad it was. We ate there one day for breakfast, and then went all the way back to Occidental for round 2 the very next morning! The laid-back atmosphere and friendly service couple well with the diet-friendly menu: looking for vegan? No problem! Gluten an issue? Fuggedaboutit! Known for their eggs benedict, they’ll serve it up not just traditionally (which they’ll still do), but the cooks at Howard’s get creative. When we were there, they served an Irish eggs benedict, with corned beef, which got great reviews at our table. The waffles are, in a word, perfect: light, fluffy, with a big dollop of homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit. They can be gluten-free, too, and you’d never know the difference!
Best gluten-free waffles!
Campo Fina,Healdsburg, CA
We discovered this new venture on a quest to eat at its big sister restaurant, Scopa. Campo Fina, just around the corner, serves family style Italian antipasti and small dishes, as well as some darn good desserts. Play bocce in the back while you wait for your food, or just enjoy some of the locally grown wines! Keep in mind that it is on the pricier side—the small dishes are delectable, but they don’t go very far, so be prepared to order a lot of them to feed a hungry party. It would be a perfect date place!
Wildflour Bakery, Freestone,CA
Along the highway, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, is a beautiful garden next to a bakery whose name plays with words and whimsy alike. Wildflour Bakery serves up hot bread of many flavors, and the garden that flanks it is full of flower and vegetables. Don’t forget to look for the cool elephant mural when you pay!

Wildflour gardens

Wildflour gardens

In the Wildflour gardens

Elephant mural in the bakery
There’s no place like Home.
A home-cooked meal is often the best way to cure homesickness, to learn a family recipe from a grandparent, or to have a relaxing meal on your own terms. We ate some great meals in the surrounding restaurants, but I come from a family of talented cooks, so I get spoiled at family meals, too. Fresh, local rockfish grilled by my dad (who taught me almost everything I know about cooking), my grandpa’s famous cream cheese scrambled eggs and more all were passed around the table to choruses of “Mmm”s. That is one thing that I will miss the most during my upcoming travels: sharing a meal with my family. Time to make some new friends and share the table with old ones, though!

My Favorite Five: Things to do in Sonoma County, CA

02 Monday Jul 2012

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My family vacation is over, and my individual adventure begins. I was lucky enough to spend 8 days in Jenner, CA with my parents and some extended family, although I missed my little brother a ton and wish he had been able to join us. Here are my 5 recommendations of things to do if you’re in Sonoma County! 
Go wine tasting in Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg, CA:
The last time my family went wine-tasting, I was about 14 and not allowed to drink. Although I tasted a few wines there, it obviously didn’t compare to the full experience of driving from winery to winery, sipping from glasses and dumping out the untasted wine to prepare for the next taste.
Vineyards at Wilson Wineries

Wine barrels at Ferrari-Cardano
Explore Petaluma, CA:
On the day we drove in to Sonoma County, we happened upon a farmers’ market in Petaluma’s Walnut Square. There, we found a delightful and delicious assortment of vegetables, fruit, cheeses, hummus, bread and more.
Chocolate!
On one of my last days in the area, we went to Petaluma and got to walk around the main part of the town; there are so many great boutiques, antique stores, book shops, food (including a killer chocolate shop! Viva Cocolat!) and we even got to the movie theatre. Petaluma seems to have the comforts of a bigger place with the feel of a small town.
Walk through the Armstrong Redwoods outside of Guerneville, CA:
Be inspired by the strength and antiquity of these incredible trees. There are hikes and walks ranging from .5 miles of easy trail to strenuous 9 mile treks for the fittest of hikers. Admire the stillness and light filtering through the gargantuan flora.
Hang out with the seals in Jenner, CA:
View of the Russian River in Jenner, CA
Okay, so maybe “hang out” isn’t the right term, but “admire from afar” may suit. Drive down to Goat Rock Beach and walk to the jetty to inspect the seals (from the appropriate distance, mind you!) or rent a kayak and paddle to the nearby shore for the same privilege. The Nature Channel up close and personal, seriously! I, for one, never knew what weird croaking noises seals made until I heard them in person.
Survey the surf along the Sonoma Coast Trail in Sonoma County, CA:
Whether the fog is rolling in like a scene from a Hitchcock or it’s blue skies as far as the eye can see, it’s worth walking any of the paths that connect the beaches along the coast. We drove to Grill Way and walked about a mile south, all the while gawking at the beautiful view of the coastline. Even in the fog, it was impressive. Trails are well marked, and can vary in length; if you want, you can even connect it with your seal hangout by walking the path that goes all the way to Goat Rock Beach!

Thoughts on Wine Tasting

02 Monday Jul 2012

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My freshman year of college I took a fascinating intro linguistics class; one of the articles we read had to do with terminology in the wine world. Granted, it has been about seven years since I read this article, but this is what I remember about it: When a wine is described as having “nutty,” “citrusy,” “tropical,” “hints of cedar,” etc., according to this linguist, it’s all kind of crap. The language used to describe wine by sommeliers or wine experts or foodies or whoever is pretty personal to how they would describe it, but it’s very difficult to capture a common taste and define it.  I truly understood this on my trip to Sonoma County.
After lunch one day, we had headed back to Lytton Springs Road, and made it to Ridge. Their outdoor tasting flight featured a chardonnay, a zinfandel, a blend of 5 wines, and a syrah. Generally speaking, I know how wine tastings are supposed to look. You put your nose in the glass, breathe deeply, try to smell things like dainty rose petals and unicorn blood coupled with a rogue hint of chestnut. Swish it around a bit, make a comment about the “legs” of the wine. Take a swig, swish some more (this time inside your mouth), and again search for that elusive taste of aging hyena or what have you. Well, this time I actually could identify a taste to a smell and it wasn’t totally baloney.

“Fuschia. If fuschia had a smell, that would be it,” I said of the Zinfandel of their Funsten Ranch property. The only way I could describe it was fuschia. And then it hit me—the smell reminded me of those scented crayons, you know, the ones from when you were a kid and maybe took a nibble once, just to see if the snozberries actually tasted like snozberries. Waxy almost, but in a good way. But I’m certain that my father sitting next to me would never in a million years have picked that out as a taste. After I mentioned it, though, he agreed that he could see how the fruity crayons might play a part in my taste. Or maybe he was just humoring me, but I”ll take what I can get.
For the record, I do not make it a habit to eat wax. Or crayons.

A few days later…

The first winery we made it to after a TASTY lunch from Big Bottom Market in Guerneville was Ferrari-Cardano. Modeled like an Italian villa with beautiful gardens, it certainly fit the visual bill for a winery.
My dad and I shared a 4-wine tasting. Being the consummate documenter that I am (not), I forgot to write down the names of the wines we tasted. Definitely one was a Zinfandel. Maybe one was a Sauvignan Blanc. I know for sure we tasted a Gewurstraminer, because I requested it. And a sweet dessert wine called Baci, which was infused with chocolate.
The point of this is less to detail what we drank and when, but I do want to share that I actually tasted—and NAMED—flavors for all of them before reading the description on the tasting menu! Success! One had a hint of strawberries, another had an oaky flavor, and another was crisp. For a regular wine aficionado, maybe this is a small feat. But to me, it was pretty exciting!
We stopped at 2 more vineyards after that, both family owned and operated. The only memorable wine from those two, for me, was a really nice Zinfandel at Wilson Winery. And I usually don’t really like Zin!
Have you ever gone wine tasting? Share your experiences in the comments!

As Aretha once sang…

28 Thursday Jun 2012

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Where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean in Jenner, California, there is a long strip of sandy beach. The coast is punctuated with rocks jutting up out of the surf. At sunset, the light is a certain indescribable golden hue that only beaches seem to have. Something else makes the beach special. Not just the photogenic driftwood or the accumulated clouds at dusk.

Goat’s Rock Beach is home to a seal harbor sanctuary. From March to July, mama seals come to the beach to have their pups and hang out. Curious juveniles swim up to kayaks (including ours today) to pop their heads out and watch before slipping back under the surf. On the river side of the shore, you can see dozens of seals laying out, peacefully soaking up the sun. 
Sorry this photo doesn’t really capture the seals. But they’re there. And they’re awesome.
I could sit for hours and watch the little gray, slippery heads venture out of the waters; it’s like having your very own Nature Channel. Just the other day I was enjoying watching the seals brave the curve in the current to make it to the other side of the beach. 
I considered framing this post as a rant, or as a “3 ways how not to ruin nature” deal. I wanted to rail against decisions I thought other people shouldn’t have made. But I decided against it; I’ll let the negative energy slide. The one thing I want to remind you, dear readers, without sounding too preachy or rude or whatever, is to be respectful of signage in nature preserves. Please, please, please.

 If there are a million signs asking to stay a certain distance away from the wildlife, follow those instructions. They are there for a reason, namely being the safety of the animals, and to ensure that they have a home to return next time they are there. 

Harbor seals do not move easily on land. When they are startled on land, they may abandon their pups to go back into the water until the area is safe again. If an entire group of seals is often disturbed by people, they may not go back to that location. Use common sense. Don’t disturb natural habitats, ESPECIALLY the ones that are all special and preserve-y and stuff. 
Okay, I’m done now with that part. But while I’m on the topic of seals, does anyone else remember that movie, Andre? About the seal that the little girl raises and she turned up later in Napoleon Dynamite? I loved that movie. The soundtrack was epic…

https://i0.wp.com/www.stargatecinema.com/images/magictoolbox_cache/22449-04_t_400.jpg
Photo courtesy of Stargate Cinema
Kayaking was great, though! I forgot what a good arm workout it is. We got to see the water and the beach and our house from another perspective, and then we ate a really big lunch. 
P.S. The weather here is perfect.
P.P.S. Here are wise words from our dear friend, Aretha. 

California Dreamin’: Day 1 in Sonoma County

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

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My arrival in Oakland was met with a cool breeze and sweater weather. SWEATER WEATHER. (Remember, dear readers, my native home of Tucson, where the usual “cold” winter consists of maybe needing a scarf and close-toed shoes. Maybe. On the day I left, it was about 115 in Phoenix.) We drove from Oakland into Berkeley, the fabled land of crunchy granola hippie-dom and intellect.
Lunch was at La Note, a French restaurant famous for its authentic Provencal cooking. All the laudatory magazine articles and certificates hanging on one wall were deserved: the service was attentive and personal, despite the long waits at times (it was PACKED); the menu was creative without straying too far from its original French canon; the meal was tasty as heck. Hot chocolate was served—as it should be—in large mugs more like bowls than cups. The reason? To dip in bread, of course!
Chocolat
Slowly but surely we passed through miles of California coast. Farmer stands on the side of the freeway, cows, even a llama seated in some field watched us as we zoomed by. California’s landscape is breathtaking sometimes in its simple beauty: the tawny grass against the blue of the coastal skies alone rendered me speechless.
I love the starkness of the lone tree. This photo isn’t edited yet, this is the natural clear blue of the sky!
At Petaluma, we veered off to go grocery shopping. Earlier in the day, my parents had pined for a farmers’ market or organic, local produce from somewhere other than Whole Foods. Well, kids, ask and ye shall receive. Turns out, Saturdays from 2-5:30, Petaluma has a farmers’ market in the town square! Produce is not the only thing sold there—hats, granola, handwoven baskets, Master Gardener advice, crystals, and the kids can even get a ride on a pony! Plus, the live music was a great touch. Our trunk filled with groceries, we went on our way.
Farmers’ market veg!


By 5ish we got into Jenner, population 107 and elevation 19. At the mouth of the Russian River, Jenner is stunning, if not a wee bit isolated. Many of the homes around us seem to be vacation rentals, but I could see why. With no cellular service (seriously, even with 4G I was SOL) and the nearest grocery store 15 miles away, Jenner is the perfect haven for someone wanting to escape it all.

View from the deck of the house.

 Other than the cell phone thing, our rental is virtually perfect. The deck overlooks the Russian River pouring out into the Pacific, and the closest beach, Goat’s Rock, is home to a seal pup refuge. Plus, this is what it looks like. Not a bad start to a week, I’d say. 

Goat’s Rock Beach

Where I Am and A Nice Video!

22 Friday Jun 2012

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Sorry I’ve been so delinquent in posting! This past week has been full of preparing for my trip. A new laptop came in (Dell Inspiron 14z, I know it’s not the smallest on the market, but it came at the right price and is still pretty light!), I’ve been scrambling to pack and prepare for my trip to California, which happens before my big trip, etc. etc. And, of course, trying to spend good time with friends before I take off for a long while.

So! I’m currently in Thousand Oaks, California to meet Boris’ dad, stepmom and grandma. I’d never been to Thousand Oaks, which, depending on traffic, is about an hour from LA. The landscape here is really beautiful; their deck in the backyard looks out onto a valley with pseudo-plains and mountains. The fields are the color of straw, and in the sunset light yesterday, I couldn’t help but think of that song, “Fields of Gold,” by Sting.

I’ll try to get some photos up soon!

Tomorrow morning I’ll be flying into Oakland to meet up with my family. We’re going to be hanging out in Sonoma County, where we’ll be lounging, canoeing, birding, hiking, beaching and wine tasting. It’s gonna be pretty sweet.

In the meantime, check out this video by a dude named Matt. Matt has gone around the world dancing. This is right up my alley, and my friend Regina knew that and sent it to me. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching it!

Trip Update! The list dwindles…

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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Peddling my many wares at my yard sale

It’s been a number of weeks since my last trip update, so for those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter or Facebook, where I’ve posted flight purchases and such with many exclamation points, here’s the up-to-date scoop on my travel plans:

Remember last time I posted about our itinerary, I had to figure out what I’d be doing from July 14-Aug. 5? 

Well, I at least know what I’ll be doing from July 25-August 5. GOING TO SCOTLAND! I’ll be traveling to the Scottish Highlands, including the Isle of Skye, hopefully the Isle of Harris, Oban, Ullapool, etc. with Kat Carney, adventurer and photographer extraordinaire. (Check out her beautiful work here.) We’re hoping to hit up some beautiful hiking in the highlands, get onto the water and do some kayaking, perhaps, and we happen to overlap with the Scotland FRINGE FESTIVAL (!!!), which I’ve always wanted to check out! Very exciting.

Also, Boris and I have tickets booked from Athens to Istanbul on August 6. From there, we’ll explore a bit of Turkey until he has to leave for his program, at which point I will somehow get back to Italy by September 1 to start my WWOOFing gig! Whew. Lots of plane tickets purchased in the past couple weeks, all exciting. Still working on booking accommodation and planning for these places, but slowly and steadily it is getting done.

One thing I’m pretty excited about for Scotland–other than trying the Scotch, searching for Nessie and trying to catch some fairies in the fairy pools–is to try Couchsurfing! I know many other folks who have had a great time using it, and I’m looking forward to meeting new people and getting local advice from our hosts.

Now this is what my major to-do list looks like: 
 

Make a list of countries you want to see and the entry/visa requirements (This is yellow because it’s almost done)

Call regional consulate or visa office re: travel within Schengen (I think I figured it out with all my internetz)
Go to Verizon store to ask about phone options
Make doc appointments! (Made AND attended!)
Buy plane ticket (Flying Lufthansa to Athens on July 4!)

Get copy of glasses/contacts prescriptions
Buy travel insurance

Notify bank
Get a credit card(Did a lot of research, my credit card is a Chase Sapphire Platinum. I NEVER HAVE TO GO ON HOLD WHEN I CALL THEM. It’s kind of crazy)
Get wwoofing position

Research volunteer options

Go through clothing & books to purge non-essentials
Yard sale for stuff!

So much progress! And, of course, every week I’m working on my Go! Girl Guides interviews, corresponding with interesting and adventurous women from around the globe, exploring said globe!


Countdown to official departure, T minus 21 days!
 

Friendliness in Travel

07 Thursday Jun 2012

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One of the things that really struck us when we were in New Orleans last week was just how friendly everyone was. Walking down the street entailed at least a handful of strangers not only saying, “Hello,” with a smile, but also often asking, “How’s it going?”

I generally find Tucsonans to be pretty friendly. Maybe I’m biased. From my travels, I know that we’re certainly a lot more outwardly friendly and chatty compared to the East coast. Riding on a subway in New York? Fugghetaboudit. Avoid eye contact at pretty much all costs. (Please note: I love New York, I love New Yorkers, I’ve had lots of strangers there be very kind to me, but generally not the city’s forte on the streets.) Here, it’s safe to say you can get a lot of smiles back or “hi”s if you want. 
But NOLA? Holy smokes, it was like we were part of the family. Here are some examples that all happened in one day; after all, it’s important to supply concrete details to support this thesis (right, rhetoric students?!):
  • On our ferry day, we were waiting for the boat to arrive. A number of people were milling about, chatting with whomever they had come: teenage girls, an elderly pair of women, a 30-something couple. We’re standing there, being silly and talking with each other when the woman from the 30-something couple comes up to us and says, “How far can you bend your thumb back?” At first I couldn’t actually understand her, and wasn’t sure if she was crazy, but Boris had and starts looking at his thumb. I finally realized what had happened and we had a lengthy conversation about thumbs and double-jointedness, which turned to their asking us what we were up to, and giving us the low down on Algiers. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had invited us to tag along with them on their day, too.
  • On that same day, just as we had crossed the river we were meandering along Rue Louis Armstrong, the path that runs along the river and gives details about Jazz greats. A middle-aged couple walking a couple dogs goes by. I don’t even know how they started talking to us (and by us, I mean Boris, who, despite the beard & muscles is one of the most approachable people on the planet). The husband told us to walk along Delamonde, that it was a nice street to see, and that there was a church with a park next to it. They asked where we were from, where we were going, whether we liked it in New Orleans. They revealed to us that they were transplants, and had moved there five years ago and there was no end in sight! Off we went, then, to check out their recommendation of the church/park combo.
  • Walking along Delamonde, I was further ahead admiring the homes and Boris was behind taking photos. There was a man sitting on a front porch across the street. From across the street, he greets Boris, asks how things are going. Boris replies with a question about directions to the church, and the man runs across the street to answer him. Runs! Apparently his radio was on and he couldn’t hear the question. They had an entire exchange during which the man said he was visiting his father for his 90th birthday, he was from Ohio, asked where we were from, etc. etc. When we were walking back to the ferry about an hour later, we passed by and met his entire family sitting on the porch. We also got a chance to wish his father–who looked great!–a happy birthday. 
I’m going to venture to say that those actions are not isolated; in fact, they are the norm. Maybe it was just that I had never experienced Southern hospitality. Is that what it was? I can’t say, I suppose, as I haven’t traveled much yet in the south, which I’m hoping to change. I can say that Texas is friendly, but definitely not that out-of-the-way friendly. We ultimately concluded that it was the city itself that had this wonderful part of it, welcoming everyone and wanting to make sure everyone saw the best of it. 
Which got me thinking….what are other really friendly places I’ve visited? Minnesota came to mind. Portland is pretty open. I’ve heard that Orvietani have a reputation for being cold, but most of my life spent in Orvieto was filled with warm and welcoming people. 
What do you think? What were some of the friendliest places you’ve visited?