Wander & Wonder
Climate-friendly and slow travel, equitable access to outdoor recreation, and nature’s awesomeness
daily practice
When you go slow enough, you create things
10 tips to slow travel the U.S. by train
Slow travel invites an unhurried exploration of the world. Train travel offers “retreat in motion” where you can connect with personally nourishing and meaningful experiences. Riding Amtrak is beautifully suited to deliberate journeys in America, and whatever your traveling preference, every ride will deliver a memorable experience.
Mike Steen - attending to health and mobility
Mike Steen lives in Portland, Oregon, and experiences cerebral palsy. He loves spending time outdoors and feels fortunate to live close to Forest Park where he walks and pedals his recumbent trike. He shared the health benefits of time outdoors and exercise, and we discussed the opportunities and challenges of using an adaptive bicycle to access recreation.
Kevin Belle and the Great American Rail-Trail
Kevin Belle is Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Project Manager for the Great American Rail-Trail, an east-west route that connects trails and paths in 12 states between Washington, D.C., and Washington state.
Kevin enjoys running, biking, performing in drag shows, and hosting trivia events as Whiskey Ginger.
A bike tour from Portland - slow travel
After Preserving the Historic Road International Conference, I pedaled from Portland toward Corvallis on the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway. The journey was an experiment in climate-friendly and slow travel.
Rose City Chica - a walk in the neighborhood
Shelli Romero and I walked and talked in her neighborhood, stopping to appreciate flowers and plants we encountered. Shelli works in transportation equity and owns a career-coaching business.
Wander and Wonder, a Venn diagram
I made a map of the Wander and Wonder topics – climate-friendly and slow travel and equitable access to outdoor recreation – to help me imagine what travel in the future might look like. This framework is a work in progress.
Beach walks and slow travel
One of the ways you can have a slow travel experience is by planning less, lengthening your stays, being spontaneous, and responding to serendipity. I brought my bike, but I didn’t ride it. Instead, I walked three beaches.
Pedaling Olympic Discovery Trail
The Olympic Discovery Trail has about 30 miles of paved path through the forest around Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. The path was a perfect destination to ease two people who enjoy riding bicycles back into pedaling shape.
Points in Time - car-free from Portland to Dufur
With new transit service from Portland to Hood River, it’s possible, and even enjoyable to travel car-free to the little out-of-the-way town of Dufur, Oregon. Dufur is home to a three-story brick hotel, the Balch Hotel, a great place to spend some time. Geologic, cultural, immigrant, and transportation history abounds in the landscape between Hood River and Dufur along the Columbia River.