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BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON April 1, 2013

A is for Aurora Borealis

AuroraBorealisBeverly&PackFlickr (450 x 420)

Photo courtesy of Beverly & Pack, flickr

Now I’ve done it. I just signed up for the April 2013 A – Z Blogging Challenge. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the challenge, the idea is to post on your blog six days a week during the month of April. We get Sundays off for good behavior and score extra points if we include an overall theme to our blog for the month.

Obviously, WanderBoomer focuses on travel for active, adventurous women 45 years +, their friends and families. Under that umbrella, I’ve decided to make my blogging challenge center on extraordinary travel experiences to add to (or scratch off, if already accomplished) our wanderboomer travel bucket list.

NorthernLightsmmmavocadoflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of mmmavocado, flickr

Today is “A for Aurora Borealis,” otherwise known as the Northern Lights, a wondrous night sky view. Though the spectacle may seem like a man-made laser light show, the natural phenomenon occurs when charged particles emitted from the sun collide with gas particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. Imagine surreal shimmering skies that range in color from pale yellow and fluorescent greens to shades of blue, lilac and red (the rarest color) and you have an inkling of the dazzling vision before you.

Once on a lucky, late-night first-class flight from Cincinnati to Seattle, when the cabin lights dimmed and passengers dozed off around me, the flight attendant beckoned me forward. As she re-seated me in the front row of our cabin, she pointed outside the window, revealing a spectacular night sky pulsing in waves of brilliant green colors. The lights accompanied me most of the flight to Seattle, leaving me with an unforgettable, you-won’t-believe-what-I-saw, travel story to share with friends.

AuroraBorealismmmavocadoflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of mmmavocado, flickr

While there’s no guarantee of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights on a planned vacation to do so, you can increase your chances by following these top 3 tips:

  • Plan your trip between late November through March when there’s the best chance for cold, clear skies.
  • Head to remote regions, away from the city lights to sites like Fairbanks, Alaska or Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Northern Canada or Russia.
  • Reserve a room at one of the best places for viewing the Northern Lights, such as the Aurora Borealis Lodge in Fairbanks, Sweden’s Ice Hotel or a Glass Igloo of Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland. Other options for viewing include a Norwegian Hurtigruten cruise or Iceland’s Blue Lagoon.

Just be sure to dress warm and expect to stay up through the wee hours of the morning – unless you’re lucky enough to catch a flight like mine where you can marvel at nature’s wonder through the looking glass from your airplane seat, with a glass of champagne close at hand.

What about you, Wanderboomers? Have you seen the Northern Lights in person? Share your experience with us here.

 

Filed Under: Activities, Alaska, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Entertainment, Travel Experiences Tagged With: A - Z Blogging Challenge, Alaska, Aurora Borealis, Aurora Borealis Lodge, Blue Lagoon, bucket list, Finland, Hurtigruten cruise, Ice Hotel, Northern Canada, Northern Lights, Norway, Russia

BY Nancy Mueller 10 Comments ON October 11, 2012

Foraging Fun with Jennifer Hahn

Author. Poet. Teacher. Naturalist. Forager. Jennifer Hahn packs an impressive resume after more than 25 years as a wildlife adventurer whose travels span hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Northern California to Canada and kayaking solo from Ketchikan, Alaska to Bellingham, Washington where she now resides. Along the way she’s also led tours throughout the Pacific Northwest, Baja, Mexico and the Galapagos Islands.

In person, Jennifer is petite, vivacious and down to earth – literally. Her passion for sustainable foraging fills her conversations and writings.

After publishing her first book, Spirited Waters: Soloing South Through the Inside Passage, Jennifer began a second book about the foods in the wild that had kept her alive on her kayaking adventure. But as a steward of the environment, she felt morally responsible to include only those foods that wouldn’t be decimated by greater consumption, resulting in her book, Pacific Feast: A Cook’s Guide to West Coast Foraging and Cuisine, and companion laminated guide, Pacific Coast Foraging Guide: 40 Wild Foods from Beach, Field and Forest. Included are her harvesting guidelines like the 1-in-20 rule when it comes to sustainable foraging. If there are more than 20 plants, you can dig one up and leave the rest for reproduction. If not, take none.

With Jennifer in the lead, we’re off for a day of our own foraging adventure to discover the diversity of tasty edibles found in our own backyards.

Hiking with Jennifer through the six acres surrounding the home she shares with husband, sculptor Chris Moench, is a walk on the wild side. She cautions us to watch out for stinging nettles before describing their diverse uses in cooking, fiber production and medicine.  Nearby we discover wood sorrel, a shamrock-shaped plant with a lemony flavor that grows in moist, shady places.

Further along Jennifer points out huckleberries, purslane, a plant high in omega 3 with a crisp, lemony bite that’s perfect in stews, and the licorice “many-footed” fern root, good for soothing sore throats. A self-described spiritual eater first, she demonstrates how to harvest mindfully and says “Thank you” to the plant for giving its life after breaking off a piece for closer inspection.

Our picnic lunch at nearby Lake Padden begins with Jennifer’s recitation of Rumi’s poem that starts, “Lord, the air smells good today . . . ” Newly inspired and satiated, we continue our day of foraging fun with an afternoon hike, gathering native trailing blackberries, salal berries and strips of madrona bark we find on the ground along the way.

But our day of sustainable food discoveries is not quite finished yet. Still to come is dinner at Ciao Thyme, a popular Bellingham kitchen restaurant, where restaurant owners Jessica and Mataio Gillis will show us how to create cooking magic with the fruits of our labors.   I can hardly wait . . .

What about you, Wanderboomers? What’s your favorite recipe using locally sourced foraged food?

Filed Under: Activities, Alaska, Baby Boomers and Travel, Bellingham, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Food & Dining, Pacific Northwest Tagged With: adventure, adventurer, Alaska, Baja Mexico, Bellingham, Canada, edibles, foraging, fun, Galapagos Islands, huckleberries, Jennifer Hahn, Ketchikan, licorice fern, many-footed, Pacific Northwest, Spirited Waters: Soloing South Through the Inside Passage, sustainable foraging, the Inside Passage, Washington, wildlife, wood sorrel

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON April 2, 2012

5 Fun Ways Seattleites Beat the Rainy Blues

If you have never lived in the Pacific Northwest, you might wonder how Seattleites cope with so much regional rain. We who do live here ask ourselves the same thing, of course, especially by the time January and February roll around. But true Seattleites find a variety of ways to ward off the seasonal blues. Here’s our survival guide:

1) Go climb a wall.

If the seemingly endless gray skies make you feel like climbing the walls, why not do just that? Visit the REI flagship store where you can Climb the Pinnacle for a mere $7.00 (members) or $20.00 (non-members). Just be sure to make a reservation first and prepare to sign a waver of liability.

Or head to Vertical World at one of several locations where you can sign up for a range of classes or packages from “Intro. to Climbing” to “Lead Climbing.” How better to test your strength and resolve before tackling mountain climbing in the Northwest? Of course, if you’d rather simply stop by and climb the walls, you can do that, too.

2) Hop on a ferry.

When you’re ready for a short skip out of town, Washington State Ferries are ready to be of service. With so many routes available, your only challenge lies in choosing where to go. For a quick getaway, you can board a ferry to several nearby destinations: bucolic Vashon Island, the artistic community of Bainbridge Island, the town of Bremerton on the Kitsap Peninsula for a visit to one of the world’s largest U.S. Navy repair yards, or Whidbey Island, for saltwater beaches and hiking trails. For longer visits, the San Juan Islands (Lopez, Shaw, Orcas and San Juan), Alaska and British Columbia beckon.

3) Make a museum date.

One day you feel like viewing the paintings of renown artists, another day exploring your fascination with dinosaurs. One day your mood runs more to rock n’ roll, another day to aviation, natural history or sci-fi. Whatever your inclination or budget, Seattle has a museum for you.

4) Embrace the rain.

That’s right. If you can’t beat the gloomy weather, you might as well get out and enjoy it! Just don a waterproof hat, jacket and pants and you’re all set. You’re not going to let a little drizzle dampen your spirits, are you?

5) Follow the Sun.

When all else fails,  Seattleites start planning their escape to the Sun Belt – Arizona, California and Florida are popular destinations. But sooner or later visions of tropical paradise, swinging hammocks and island living spring to mind. And when they do, Hawaii lands at the top of the list. Honolulu and Waikiki, Kaua’i, Maui and “the Big Island,” are perennial favorites with Seattle locals.

What about you, Wanderboomers? How do you beat the winter blues? What’s your favorite place for sun n’ fun?

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Seattle Tagged With: Alaska, aviation history, Bremerton, British Columbia, Climb the Pinnacle, dinosaurs, Honolulu, Kaua'i, Lopez Island, Maui, mountain climbing, Museums, natural history, Orcas Island, rain, REI, rock n' roll, San Juan Islands, sci-fi, Seattle, sun n' fun, the Big island, the blues, U.S. Navy, Vashon Island, Vertical World, Waikiki, Washington State Ferries, waterproof, Whidbey Island

BY Nancy Mueller 2 Comments ON February 11, 2012

Photorama: Alaska’s Tenakee Springs

Harbor in Tenakee SpringsIf you read my last post, you know how I feel about Tenakee Springs – a community where time is on perpetual holiday, tucked away in the heartland of Southeast Alaska.

Since I’m not quite ready to let go of my Tenakee Springs daydream, I’m sharing a few more photos of our visit . . .Directional Sign in Tenakee Springs

No chance of getting lost here . . .
Tenakee SpringsSuch a peaceful setting . . .

Bus SignYou’ll be waiting a long time before a bus comes through here . . .

Better watch your step coming out of the town pub, especially if . . .Outhouse in Tenakee Springs . . . you need to pay a visit to the outhouse at the end of the dock.A true work of art . . .
What else are you going to do with all those shell casings?

This is what happens when a cabin door comes between a bear on the outside
and a hanging deer on the inside.Buoys in Tenakee Springs

What are your favorite spots in Southeast Alaska, Wanderboomers?



Filed Under: Alaska, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alaska, bear, bears, bus, cabin, deer, shell casings, sign, signs, Southeast Alaska, Tenakee Springs

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON February 9, 2012

Alaska’s Tenakee Springs

The Island Spirit

The Island Spirit

For cruise travelers looking for waterways off the beaten path, it’s hard to beat Alaska’s Inside Passage. Bays, coves and inlets draw small ships to their shores where time is measured by incoming tides and seasonal shifts.

Waterfront in Tenakee SpringsAmong the small, remote communities found here, Tenakee Springs stands out. Within this peaceful enclave, colorful homes perch on pilings in a single line along the waterfront. Each share a heart-stopping view of the surrounding snow-capped mountains and wildlife. Behind the buildings runs the only road through town, an unpaved path for walking and biking.

At the dock we’re greeted by friendly canines who accompany us on our stroll through town. We linger at the Tenakee Hot Springs Lodge, before moving on to the beautifully restored St. Francis Chapel, followed by Snyder’s Mercantile for coffee, pastries and a few mementos of our visit.

I can easily imagine holing up here for a couple of weeks, hiking the nearby trails, kayaking in calm waters, whale-watching, only to cap off the days with good, long soaks in the hot springs.

After catching up on my sleep, I’d browse the stacks at the Dermott O’Toole Memorial Library, borrow a few books, and most certainly start writing my travel memoir. Ahh . . .

Have you cruised Alaska’s Inside Passage, Wanderboomers? If not, what are you waiting for?? If so, what’s your favorite spot?

Filed Under: Activities, Alaska, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations Tagged With: Alaska, bays, coves, cruise, Cruising, Dermott O'Toole Memorial Library, hiking, hot springs, inlets, Inside Passage, kayaking, small-ship cruises, small-ship cruising, Snyder's Mercantile, St. Francis Chapel, Tenakee Hot Springs Lodge, Tenakee Springs, the Island Spirit, whale-watching, whales, wildlife

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Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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