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A quick trip to Tofino (Canada)
Like Pai, in Thailand, I’d heard about Tofino for years before I visited. Every time I told people I was visiting Vancouver island, they’d tell me I’d have to visit Tofino. This summer’s visit to Canada provided an opportunity to see if the entreaties were true. I’d also heard that the winding narrow road over…
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Why you won’t find me bike camping
I like biking, and I like camping so I was curious to see how simply I could travel as a bike camper. The hope, of course, was to reduce two of my biggest travel expenses: transportation and accommodations. I’d biked distances before with nothing but a backpack to hold my change of clothes and such,…
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A community of strangers
There exists a worldwide community willing to host you in their homes for free even though they’ve never met you. I’m talking about a group called Warmshowers, which provides accommodation for cyclists who are traveling through their town. The idea of hosting travelers well predates inns and hotels. The native Americans provided food and shelter…
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Portland’s electric scooters, public transit for the individual
I had the pleasure of riding one of the new electric scooters around Portland today. Truth be told, the first time I saw one of these, I immediately thought how perfectly suited it was to a lazy generation that already doesn’t get enough exercise. That is a generalization I share for electric bikes as well.…
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Around Again, Naturally
Two years ago, I accidentally went around the world. This year I planned the trip as if it was just a normal way to escape winter in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I’d always wanted to visit Scandinavia to experience a culture that valued quality of living; things like public transportation, free education, universal healthcare,…
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Iceland in 72 hours
For those of you who don’t know, Icelandair offers a special deal where you can fly between the US and Europe with a stopover in Reykjavik. What makes this stopover unusual is that you can get off the plane for as many as seven days in Iceland without paying any extra for your fare. I…
