“… blogging about life, travel, books, food and the outdoors”
Waterfalls tumble through majestic slot canyon
Cold water should only be for drinking. Certainly not standing or walking in. At least that’s what I thought before traipsing through a spectacular slot canyon to Kanarra Falls in southern Utah earlier this month. Walls in various shades of red loomed above us as we...
Museum captures 300 years’ of cowboy history in Baja
The smell of new leather wafts through the entrance, an appropriate greeting for a museum all about cowboys. Museo del Vaquero de las Californias (MuVaCa for short and the Cowboy Museum of the Californias in English) opened in the tiny Baja town of El Triunfo the...
Lassen park’s visitor center worthy of a stop
There’s a good reason the word “volcanic” is part of Lassen Volcanic National Park’s name. This park in Northern California is home to all four types of volcanoes that can be found throughout the world. Lassen Peak is a plug dome, Brokeoff is a composite, Prospect...
Appreciating the power of massage 25 years after graduation
When I was in massage school no one talked about the power of helping others. Maybe we were supposed to know that comes with being a massage therapist. More likely it’s something you learn long after graduation; at least that is how it worked for me. Twenty-five years...
Relishing the fact the days are going to be longer
The days are going to start getting longer this week. The end of darkness—that’s my definition of the winter solstice. I used to think the early darkness seemed to last forever. Not so anymore. I shifted my mentality a few years back to no longer think all of winter...
Book Review: ‘Being Mortal’ proves medicine needs compassion
No one can avoid death. So, why then, is it so hard to talk about it? A large part has to do with how the medical community approaches the end of a person’s life. “We’ve been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival....
Nonprofit outgrows facility as community’s medical needs grow
Since its inception in 2016 the Padrino Children’s Foundation has outgrown its space three times. That is why the nonprofit is on a quest to raise $750,000 for a two-story, 5,000-square-foot building in Todos Santos. As the town’s population grows, so does its needs....
Changing terrain throughout Upper Bidwell Park
The problem with going down first is that the end of the hike will be uphill. Even knowing this ahead of time didn’t stop me from being a bit whiny as I trudged up the hill. Good thing no one was around me—I was that slow on this particular day. Some days are like...
Ex-Canadian paramedic secures ambulance for Todos Santos
As a retired deputy chief and paramedic, Paul Charbonneau was beside himself when he saw a picture of a Todos Santos ambulance broken down along the side of the road. Thus began his quest to bring an ambulance from his home country of Canada to Baja California Sur....
Book signing, free beer tasting in Todos Santos
Life is about pairings. What could be better than books and beer? I will be signing copies of my latest book Sleeping with Strangers: An Airbnb Host’s Life in Lake Tahoe and Mexico on Dec. 9 from 4-6pm at El Tecolote Bookstore in Todos Santos. Each sells for $20 or...
Todos Santos residents rally to stop dunes development
Updated Dec. 19, 2022 Rules are for other people seems to be the mantra when it comes to building on the dunes in the greater Todos Santos area. Another lot has a 5-foot green wire fence around the perimeter, with construction possibly starting this month. In a show...
On Twitter
California could repeal travel ban, replace with pro-LGBTQ outreach in red states https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-travel-ban-bill-repeal-lgbtq-17867089.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral via @sfchronicle
