HAPPY WANDERER: Best Waterslides in America

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: June 11, 2010

As we prepare to celebrate summer, let’s pay homage to the sultan of splash, Herbert Sellner. This Minnesota inventor came up with the water slide in 1923, the most exciting way ever to enter the H2o.

     My affair with the water goes back to my childhood, growing up in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”. We would splash down from rope swings and rings, even bridges and cliffs. I remember as a child, the most popular kid had an above-ground pool with a slide. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: Don’t underestimate South Dakota

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: May 28, 2010

In grade school my daughter chose South Dakota for her “states report.” It had never been picked, according to her teacher, and I’m not surprised. Most Californians haven’t seen South Dakota, home of the Corn Palace, Wall Drug and the world-famous Mashed Potato Wrestling Contest.

Yes, the state of my birth takes a back seat to no one when it comes to attractions. Consider Wall Drug, arguably the most famous drugstore in America thanks to its iconic billboards that can be seen from South Dakota to South Korea. Really! I even saw this sign in Amsterdam: “WALL DRUG — 5,387 MILES.” Not a bad ad campaign for a Depression-era drugstore that first attracted customers by giving away ice water. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: Ocracoke Island off North Carolina a hidden gem

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: MAY 14, 2010

As we head toward Memorial Day and the advent of summer, it’s not too early to plan an island vacation. And while most Californians think San Diego or Hawaii, one of America’s best beach destinations is worth a trip east.

Ocracoke Island is a vacationer’s paradise – rich in history and mystery and natural wonders. Even a scoundrel like Blackbeard knew a good thing when he saw it.

Accessible only by ferry, Ocracoke is the southernmost tip of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In the 2008 movie Nights in Rodanthe, Richard Gere rides the Ocracoke ferry – wind whipping his peppered mane as he surveys the sand dunes and sun-splashed sea. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: North Carolina’s Stormy Shores bring History Alive

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It was a dark and stormy night. No, really. The rain fell in punishing waves and the wind whipped the trees like a dungeon master. There were voices, too…shrill, torturous sounds coming from the sea that was thrashing about,  just yards from my bedroom window.

My mind was racing. 400 years of history were flashing before me as I lay in my bed on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Wind and weather forged this chain of four islands – spits of land surrounded by sea and constantly shifting sands.

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Happy Wanderer: Easter in Savannah – A Trip Back in Time

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One of America’s most beautiful cities has General Sherman to thank for its survival. When Savannah, Georgia fell to the North in the Civil War, Sherman spared it from the fiery fate he’d metered on so many other Confederate towns. The gilded southern seaport survived – and still thrives – to this day.

Savannah was part of the last New World Colony (under King George the Second) and this history is evident today. In fact, 22 of the 24 original town squares still grace this southern bell, providing a gathering place every two or three blocks for the townsfolk and visitors.

It was Easter weekend when my daughter and I pulled into Savannah and up to the Planters Inn. This 200-year-old boutique hotel on historic Reynolds Square would be our home for the next two days, and a launching pad for as many tours as we could take in dress heels.

Yes, I said heels, and I don’t recommend it for everyone. But we wanted to immerse ourselves in the style and grace of a bygone era. Besides, it took a whole day of shopping to find shoes for our pastel dresses and we weren’t about to leave them in the closet. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: Hawaii’s Big Island Tickles the Senses

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: April 9, 2010

If it were up to the senses, Hawaii would win as the number one travel destination. From the moment you land, your nose is treated to an arresting bouquet of Plumeria, Orchids and sea salt.

Your eyes are bathed in soft light and swaying palms – with golden-sand beaches and electric green valleys. Your ears hear the slightest whisper of breeze and the lapping of the tide – and the faint sound of ukulele and drums. From there it builds – the taste, the touch, the total immersion in nature’s masterpiece. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: Pond Skimming; Wet and Wild

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: March 19, 2010

Some folks are born with a silver spoon. I was born with two boards. My folks had me skiing when I was old enough to walk. That’s not unusual in Minnesota, where everything you’ve heard about winter is true. It’s cold, it’s long and it’s spectacular.

But something happens to Minnesotans in spring. We get a little giddy. Call it cabin fever, but we celebrate the first thaw like we’ve won the state lottery. We go a little bonkers.

So you can understand why the most vivid memories of my youth involve bikinis and Viking horns and snow skiing on water. It’s what you do when the weather turns warm and the powder turns to mush.

Pond skimming has become more than just a wacky way to ring in spring. It’s bringing in big business to resorts that might otherwise be looking at some lonely last days before a long summer break.

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Happy Wanderer: Around the World in 16 Days

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: FEBRUARY 19, 2010

These days, sending a student off to college almost always includes a semester abroad. Add up the cost, and you know the strain this can put on the family budget.  But at St. Mary’s College, last month, my students and I traveled the world in 16 days – for less than $300 each.

Before you go crazy doing the math, I’ll mention the “world” part was figurative. We didn’t really circumnavigate the globe; we rented a motor coach and stayed close to home. We toured world class cities, quaint coastal towns, French-inspired vineyards and Irish coasts – all within an hour’s drive of Moraga.

Below is one of the many outstanding student presentations shot on this trip.

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Happy Wanderer: Playing my flute in the pubs of Ireland

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CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: JANUARY 23,2010

The greatest gift I ever received came from my family, tucked inside a Mother’s Day card. It was airfare to Ireland, where I would join in the celebration of my dear friend’s 50th birthday. Jillian had invited three girlfriends, all of whom she felt would ring in her milestone robustly. I, for my part, was bringing my flute – something I could play in the pubs that would endear us to the locals.

The flute had been more than a musical instrument to me, growing up.  It had been a generational link. Both my mother and grandmother were flutists – so it must have been in my blood to be able to pick it up, without practice, and play along to most tunes. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: Traveling with titanium

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: JANUARY 8, 2010

I have a new best friend.  It’s not something I asked for, or sought out, or even necessarily wanted in my comfortable mid-life years. I have plenty of friends. But suddenly, I’ve got a new lifelong companion, and no matter how mismatched we may be, we’re locked in this relationship.

This new friend of mine is a titanium hip, presented to me by a surgeon who said life would be better “bionic”. My limp, more pronounced as the last bit of cartilage in my socket disappeared, would be better, in time, with the aid of my new metal partner. Continue reading →