Heading north out of the Bay Area (and the traffic, oh-the-traffic), I made a beeline to the Redwoods via Highway 101. I followed the Avenue of the Giants, a minor detour that meanders directly through Redwood forests but parallels 101, for about 30 miles before jumping back on the highway. …

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Not really. But I did have a lovely stay in San Francisco.

After my Alamo visit, I jumped over to the Mission District and (unofficially) couchsurfed with my friend Mary Anne (not to be confused with Mary-Anne in Alamo!). What a host! She cooked, she gave me the Mission District tour …

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After leaving Mt. Shasta shrouded in complete fog and clouds, I scooted down to the Bay Area, staying with lovely couchsurfing hosts in Alamo.

Steve and Mary-Anne are total food and wine lovers as well as big-time travelers. Mary-Anne had worked with a couple of different import companies for twenty years …

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Mount Shasta. For years I have wanted to visit this area in Northern California. I’ve actually driven through the region but the mountain’s never been “out” as we say in the Pacific Northwest. So, it’s been on my list of places to see for a long time.

I knew that I’d …

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After leaving Eugene (the town), Stephanie, REI and the Yummm Bowl, I headed straight south for Medford.

Fall is in full swing in southern Oregon and the leaves are bright orange on many of the trees along the highway. This particularly stretch of I-5 is mountain range after mountain range. I …

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I couldn’t have asked for a more synergystic evening than the one at REI in Eugene where I spoke on Wednesday evening.

The event coordinator invited another speaker, an REI employee, to round out the evening and talk about her most recent and future travel experiences. Jude is a bicycle mechanic …

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