6 Nov, 2019
The ferry from Colman’s dock, Seattle, to Winslow, Bainbridge Island, takes 30 minutes and costs $8.50 (about R130) for a return trip- there is a cheaper monthly for the locals. The first thing I notice about Bainbridge Island is its thick coat of young forests. The island is carpeted with tall and healthy groves of… Read more »
6 Nov, 2019
I like the feel of Seattle as I stroll down the waterfront, taking in the shops, restaurants and vendors competing for the tourist dollar. The lovely weather adds to the TGIF feeling. Just when I think that I have perfected my window-shopping skills, I succumb to a book of beautiful photos of Seattle- of course,… Read more »
Read more6 Nov, 2019
Seattle is a beautiful, picturesque city which is fast becoming my favourite US city. It has a shapely coastline that has a skyscraper profile with the Space Needle being a distinctive feature. Viewed from Bainbridge Island, the mountains and forests drape like a verdant scarf around the city’s neck; at night this becomes a spectacled… Read more »
6 Nov, 2019
The fifth stepping stone has been the gift of introspection on board the MV Kennicott ferry. Departing from Bellingham, I was on the US Alaskan ferry for 5 days, taking the Inside Passage to Alaska. Cut off from the distraction of the internet and social media, I was largely alone with my observations of this… Read more »
Read more6 Nov, 2019
A 6-hour ride with Emily and Sebastian of Open Sky took to my fourth stepping stone which was the Wilderness Therapy Symposium in Park City, Utah. Here Danny (from Costa Rica), Rob from Colorado and I co-facilitated had the privilege of prepping for and facilitating a beautiful 5-hour workshop with 22 participants, all leaders in… Read more »
Read more6 Nov, 2019
In my previous musing, I indicated that there are five stepping stones that have marked my purposeful wandering to Alaska- reconnecting with friends in Phoenix, undertaking a vision quest in Colorado, exposure to wilderness therapy in action, facilitating a wilderness encounter group in Utah, and taking the Inside Passage ferry to Alaska from Bellingham. These… Read more »
Read more30 Sep, 2019
In my previous musing, I spoke about friendship as a first stepping stone in my journey. Stepping stone two was an 11-day vision quest training that I signed up for in Durango, Colorado. I was keen to gain both a personal immersion in this Native American rite of passage process and also to gain a… Read more »
Read more30 Sep, 2019
So I’m taking the Inside Passage to Alaska- a ferry trip that connects the northwestern Pacific coast of the USA to Alaska. The ferry heads out from Bellingham near Seattle and skirts around Vancouver and British Columbia before connecting 5 days later with the Alaskan coastline. Humpback whales, orcas, glaciers, rugged coastline, small islands and… Read more »
30 Sep, 2019
My friend, Russel, sees my FaceBook posting about getting ready to meander to Alaska and offers me a lovely word to accompany my journey- Coddiwomple! To travel purposefully to an as-yet-unknown destination. I send him a reply: “Follow up thought, Russ, while I know where the physical journey is headed, I can’t say the same… Read more »
30 Sep, 2019
From a young age, I’ve enjoyed the thrill of exploring new places and spaces. Seeds of the adventurer had an early stirring for me. I recall the excitement as a young boy of watching my uncle board the Union Castle passenger liner in Cape Town harbour to begin his career on the seas. For me,… Read more »
