Wander & Wonder

Slow travel invites you to engage your senses and notice what you notice.

In a four video series, I take you on a visit to Fort Worth, TX where I used bike share for the first time as a transit option. I adventured along the Trinity River ... and noticed a distinct smell.

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.

I’ve been wanting to write and publish a book for most of my life, and the accomplishment deserves multiple celebrations. Slow travel asks the traveler to pay attention to the moment and, often, experience the journey as the destination. With this in mind, I made a pre-publication visit to Oregon to see family and friends.

I’m not bothered about the many places in America I haven’t seen. But making the investment to travel to Europe meant time I spent not seeing sights felt wasted. A death doula’s wisdom turned that around for me.

Nourishment comes in many forms. A croissant. Bread. Joys and delights. A blooming cactus. A heart-shaped puddle. A thoughtful partner. Attention to the moment.

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.

We encountered a couple who had stopped to photograph some tiny mushrooms. “It’s amazing what you can see when you slow down,” the woman said. Her comment reminded me to be deliberate and curious as we explored the area.

Whitney Washington is an adventure film maker, bike tourer, kind-hearted soul, and expert at conceiving big adventures. Her creative work is about seizing the moment of being alive, of discovering her capabilities, and inspiring others to lean into their fear and find their own story in the world.

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.

Whether you’re leading a road project engagement process or wondering why people are often in your way out on the road, there are a few things to keep in mind to ease tensions. And comics!

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.

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.

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.

Wander & Wonder explores climate-friendly travel and equitable access to outdoor recreation. Transportation is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and the tourism industry. Additionally, outdoor recreation is not easily accessible to many people, yet time spent outdoors is important for personal health and well-being.

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.