Skull rock, prickly cholla trees, a watery oasis with palm trees, abandoned mines and changing desert landscapes were part of the attractions for Lee Juillerat at Joshua Tree National Park. There's even a trail that he and his friend Steve Underwood found but didn't fully explore. That unfinished trail, along with many others around the surprisingly large park, are reasons he wants to make a return visit.

Although they live alongside humans in lava boulders and wooded parks, to see the huldufolk you must have a special ability or they must grant you permission to see them. They reside in rock homes with lights and windows, grow crops and raise animals, enjoy fishing and music. While not immortal, their lifespan is longer than ours. Mainly peaceable, they can create mayhem if you disregard or threaten their homes.

Although this is a travel story about Hawaii, it is also a story about the Great Solar Eclipse of 2017. In the early hours of August 21, I left for Madras, OR, where thousands of people had gathered from all over the country and the world to witness this total solar eclipse spectacle. I saw that the town was quiet, yet bursting from its’ seams in preparation for the 10am event. Camping sites and trailer camps were everywhere on both sides of Highway 26; farmers fields and pastures had been turned into temporary cities.

From Victoria - Edible Fir

by Yvette Cardozo

WICKS

by Steve Giordano

  Of course, this is a Christmas story. What else when you are talking about EATING Christmas trees?
    Actually, it’s just the growing tips that you eat. And the fir flavor is, well, way better than you expect if you are more used to smelling the fragrance of pine sap when handling fresh cut boughs. 
    When Laura Waters planted Douglas firs on her four acres of land in 2009, she intended to sell them for Christmas trees. 

As the manufacturer says, Wicks are “…the silliest looking piece of equipment I'm sure you've ever seen.”
A mountain biker came up with the concept. He was always getting stinging sweat in his eyes and then crashing. He tried sweatbands but they wouldn’t fit under his helmet. They’re good for anyone who overheats and whose hands are busy doing something else - runners, climbers, firefighters, sports team players, bikers, to name a few.

”An Antonito hanging committee (vigilantes?) brought a horse thief out to the nearest railroad bridge - the one we are coming up to - but it wasn’t high enough. They tried again, climbing to the roof of a railway car. Finally they decided they must attach the rope to the smokestack.” Although hangings are no longer scheduled, this is definitely the Wild West, with wilderness as far as one can see.

Richmond, BC Hole in the Wall
by Yvette Cardozo and Bill Hirsch

Many Ways to Experience Palm Springs by Anne Siegel

Now is the Time to Do Something Extraordinary!
by Tam Warner Minton

It’s easy to understand the lure,
with 220 restaurants, food stalls and whatnot along a three block (yes, three block) stretch of Alexandra Road in Richmond.
But it’s not the better-known restaurants of Food Street, as Canadians call it, that they want. They’re after the little hole-in-the-wall places. Places only the locals know but adventurous travelers should visit. Places where Asians fill every seat, which, frankly, is
how you can tell that the food is really good.

For those who can still proficiently pedal a bicycle, many tours are offered by Big Wheel Bicycle Tours. One of the most popular is the Earthquake Canyon Express Downhill Bike Adventure, a 20-mile ride on paved road that descends along the San Andreas fault. Unlike its name, however, don’t expect to see live volcanos or cracking ground during your expedition. And even the “all downhill” part is somewhat of a misnomer, too. If you jump on your bike while facing a strong wind, be prepared to pedal
all the way.

I was tested physically (I’ve had two back surgeries and have a few other physical issues), emotionally, and mentally. There were times, especially at the beginning, when I thought there was no way I would be able to do it. The experience empowered me and made me understand my abilities and my strength in an entirely different light. The trip was challenging, the environment both exhilarating and disturbing, and certainly the living standard was not what I was used to.

For a link to the book, click here. 

Real Skifi Fall is a drop through the last season before winter. The video is full of creative skiing flavoured with yoga balls, kayaks, houseboats and trampolines. 

Real Skifi is a creative skiing crew from Finland, that has been publishing videos since 2011. Skiers Juho Kilkki, Ilkka Hannula and Verneri Hannula are famous for tricks that are on the borderline of skiing. The show is directed by Janne Korpela and filmed by Janne Korpela and Anton Geier.

Steve Giordano and Lynn Rosen just co-authored their Falcon Press, "Camping Washington," the third edition of their guide to more than 400 public campgrounds in the Pacific Northwest state. Along with vital information on location, road conditions, facilities, fees, etc, the guide provides tips on camping etiquette, camping with kids (and teenagers), bike camping and enjoying and/or avoiding wildlife.  "Camping Washington" is available in bookstores and on line. Falcon Press publishes a series of guides to public campgrounds for every state in the U.S.

Who we are: For brief bios on the writers who form this Pacific Northwest collective, please click here.