“Coco the Magnificent”“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” Orthan Pamuk It was late afternoon on a Wednesday, and I found myself standing at a dog park in San Pedro, California with Sam and our new favorite dog Coco. Sam had turned into an entrepreneur, holding a pink Easter basket and a […]
Chapter 8″Snow Days” “The mountains are calling and I must go.” John Muir The snowball whirled through the air. I turned my back, and ducked my head. No luck. I felt a brief sting as the snowball hit my arm. A moment later another snowball. Then another. I was outnumbered. It was two against one. Standing six foot-one […]
Chapter 7″Buster” “Those who’ll play with cats must expect to be scratched.” Miguel de Cervantes The amount of gray hair on my head quadrupled, and a few years were likely shaved off my life as my heart took an extra beating last night. I felt like the worried parent waiting up for their teenager to arrive home. Buster […]
National Park Service Junior Ranger ProgramOur national parks are true gems, and the junior ranger program is just one reason why. With right hands raised and serious looks on their faces, my daughter and her cousin proudly repeated the junior ranger oath, promising to respect the environment and the national parks. From afar, it was reminiscent […]
Chapter 6″Camping…Really?!?”“There is no Wi-Fi in the forest, but I promiseyou will find a better connection.”Author unknownA coffee bar serving cappuccinos and lattes of any flavor desired, a heated swimming pool and hot tub, very large “jumping pillows” offering hours of jumping fun for kids or adults, a climbing wall…No, this wasn’t an advertisement for […]
“House Sitting”Is It Right For You?Travel For Free In Exchange For House and Pet CareOn my family’s current road trip, we have done some house sitting. For us, house sitting is a way to take a break from the road and our tent, explore an area for a length of time and “recharge” our batteries. […]
Chapter 5″Tijuana” “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.”G.K. Chesterton “What is that man holding?” said our daughter. “A machine gun,” said my husband. “Why does he have a machine gun?” asked our daughter. “It is a deterrent,” said my husband. “What is a deterrent?” asked our daughter. This was […]
LA METRO SYSTEM The Ins and Outs of Riding the Metro Bus While Visiting Los Angeles Yes, it is true what they say about traffic in Los Angeles. It really is awful. If you don’t have to drive, by all means, don’t. The LA Metro Bus System offers an alternative to driving in the […]