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Arrive without travelling

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

As much as I like to travel, it is not feasible to go everywhere I want to go. But I can still enjoy things from other countries in the comfort of my own home. Today’s post features food and music from countries that I have never visited.

The Ukrainian “Prague” cake, right before we started to eat it.

The vivid cover photo at the very top of this post is the packaging for a “Prague” chocolate cake. While Prague is of course in Czechia, the cake itself is from Ukraine. And the photo right above this paragraph is the cake you see when you take the lid off the packaging. The cake is now gone, but it definitely tasted like Europe! It’s always fun to try new products like this.

Ukrainian sour cherry jam

Speaking of new Ukrainian products, we’re trying the above cherry jam. We wanted to replace the cherry jam we previously used. This Ukrainian one tastes better, and sour cherries are actually the first ingredient! This is a big win because most jams have sugar as the first ingredient. As a bonus, this jam was also less expensive than the one we previously used.

Smoky salsa from Mexico

While I have visited a number of Latin American countries, I have never made it to Mexico. I love very spicy food, but it is sometimes a challenge to find a spicy salsa that has no garlic. This spicy Mexican salsa is packed with smoky flavour and isn’t runny. The regular price is “above average”, so I bought four jars the last time it went on sale.

I’m looking forward to trying this snack from India

Speaking of spicy food…that’s one of the reasons I like Indian cuisine. This snack from India is a little different, as it is a sweet and sour mix. I wasn’t sure that sour would work in a dry snack, but I tried some khatta meetha recently and was pleasantly surprised. India is a very long way to go, but I am sure that I will find plenty to like if I’m ever able to visit there.

Side 2 of Bob Marley’s classic “Exodus” album. One of my favourite sides of music.

To accompany all this tasty food, I turn to my (vinyl) record collection. When I’m in a more meditative mood, Bob Marley’s “Exodus” album hits the spot. While I have never made it to Jamaica, my luggage has! When I was returning from a business trip to San Antonio many year ago, the airline messed up my luggage and sent it to Kingston, Jamaica, rather than “my” Kingston.

Side 1 of Jorge Ben’s “África Brasil” album. Nice gold vinyl too.

A little more adventurous is Jorge Ben’s “África Brasil” album. This 1976 album is a fusion of various types of music, but still very Brazilian. I have a lot of Brazilian music in my collection, and this is one of the best. Even if you think you don’t know this music, you probably will recognize at least one song. Rod Stewart had a hit in the late 1970s that lifted the melody from “Taj Mahal”. Ben successfully sued Stewart, and the royalties went to Unicef instead.

“The Indestructible Beat of Soweto” – a 1985 compilation from South Africa

Long-time readers know that I really enjoy a lot of South African music. It’s another faraway place that I’ve never visited. The above compilation album (“The Indestructible Beat of Soweto”) features mostly mbaqanga music, which is what formed the basis of Paul Simon’s very successful 1986 “Graceland” album. But this album was released the year before Graceland. It was one of the first albums of contemporary South African music to be widely available outside the country.

The title of today’s post is from “The Inner Light”, by the Beatles. It is a George Harrison composition that uses Indian instrumentation, while the lyrics are based on the Tao Te Ching. Another good line from the song: “The farther one travels, the less one knows.” Maybe that will be the title of a blog post some day!

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Special Considerations for Sports Travel

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Today’s post is about ensuring that sports travel is as successful as it can be. My focus is on competitive sports, although some of these tips can be applied to recreational sports or even just regular leisure travel.

At the top of Klein Matterhorn, just before altitude sickness kicked in!

A. Know the Environment

It’s very easy to determine things like the altitude, average temperature, and humidity of your destination. All of these can play a huge role in dictating the types of conditions you’ll be facing. I can attest that altitude sickness is a real thing, and that overly dry climates can be just as challenging as very humid ones.

Talking about altitude…Hikers enjoying the view from the Sun Gate (Machu Picchu, Peru)

By researching this in advance, you can pack accordingly and minimize the risk of being completely unprepared for the weather or geography.

Phoenix, Arizona, is very dry. If I ever return, I’ll bring lots of lip balm.

B. Respect Jet Lag

A rule of thumb is that it takes one day to fully recover for each time zone. So, if you are travelling to central Europe, expect a full six days to pass before you are truly acclimated to your new location.

Looking intense against our very strong Czech opponents in Prague – or maybe it’s just fighting the jet lag after arriving the day before.

In practical terms, this means one thing: arrive early! For my upcoming trip, I will arrive in France more than a week before the serious competition starts. I will be practicing within two days of arrival, and playing in less competitive events soon afterward. However, I won’t have any truly intense matches until jet lag is but a memory.

Shocked and awed at Forcella Staunies (Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy) – save this type of piste for later in the week!

This leads to my next point…

C. Ease into the Intensity

Don’t go crazy over the first few days. Though it will be tempting to practice all day, in order to get used to the local conditions, it is best to gently increase the intensity. I do this for two reasons.

When you first arrive, limit your exertion to walking. That’s what I did on my first day in France in 2024 – here’s a fun record store in downtown Lyon.

Firstly, it reduces the risk of injury…particularly if you haven’t played for a while. Secondly, intensity uses up your mental and physical resources. You want to have something left in the tank for the final few matches…not just the first ones. Finally, including some leisure time also keeps everything in balance.

An easy, low altitude piste near Zweisimmen, Switzerland – ideal for the first day of skiing

D. In competition, stick with the familiar

The competitive surroundings will be new and interesting…maybe even challenging. The opponents will be different. The accommodations will be unfamiliar. The food will be different. Maybe the language is different too. All of those things use up mental energy and can take a toll on you, even if it seems fun at the time. So why would you want to experiment with a new technique or new equipment on top of that?

A local market in Santiago, Chile

I firmly believe that I play best when I am in a “flow” state – it’s almost unconscious. I don’t have to think about what I’m doing. All the hours of practice have led to that point. And it is much easier to be in a “flow” state if you are using familiar equipment and techniques.

More fun (with good equipment) at the Swiss-Italian border, high above Zermatt and Cervinia

E. Do the Hard Work Before the Trip

My goal is to have a completely unencumbered mind when the competition gets serious. That means it is much better to do the hard work before I go, so that I am not “cramming” upon arrival. It’s like preparing for an exam.

McGreer Hall at Bishop’s University (Lennoxville, Québec) – looks like a good place to study!

I don’t want to disclose too much about my pre-competition preparations here. But, in general, this would encompass things like developing game plans and doing my sports psychology reading. That last one is really important. I read a couple of special sports psychology books each winter so that I’m ready to hit the ground running in the spring. Even though the content is familiar by now, it still needs a bit of time to settle. If it has settled, I can then call on those resources easily if I suddenly need them in the midst of the competition.

Cambridge, England – Yes, this would be a good place to study too!

Bringing it all Together

I know that if I do all of the above things, I am maximizing my chances for success. I’ve done what I can to control what is truly within my control. Yes, luck plays a role. So do other external factors. But while I can’t control everything, I am increasing the odds that unforeseen situations end up in my favour. And in competitive sports, where there are no easy matches, it really is about improving the odds.

Delivering a bowl at the 2022 Canadian Lawn Bowling Championships

A final thought…some old clichés stick around because they’re true. Here is one of my favourites about sports competitions: “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” That is particularly true for competing in unfamiliar places.

[The photo at the very top of this post is from Madonna di Campiglio, Italy. I don’t think it is well known to Canadians, but it is justifiably popular among Italian skiers for an enjoyable week “away from it all.”]

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Travel Flashback: Harrington Harbour, Quebec (1999)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

In the 1990s, Aeroplan (Air Canada’s loyalty program) had some great deals. The cheapest reward level would let you fly from anywhere in Ontario to anywhere in Quebec. Well, I found a nifty itinerary: a five-flight (!) odyssey from Kingston, Ontario, to Harrington Harbour, Quebec.

The airport in Sept–Îles, Quebec

As one of my long-time friends had recently moved to Harrington Harbour, I took the opportunity to visit on the May 23 (Victoria Day) weekend. I flew from (1) Kingston to Toronto, (2) Toronto to Montreal, (3) Montreal to Sept-Iles, (4) Sept-Iles to Chevery (an 11-seat plane with a stop in Natashquan), and (5) Chevery to Harrington Harbour (by helicopter). Whew! I certainly maximized my frequent flyer reward on this trip.

This is how I arrived in Harrington Harbour! This helicopter travels to and from the mainland village of Chevery, Quebec

Harrington Harbour is a small fishing village (current population 205) on the remote North Shore of the St. Lawrence River. While it lies in Quebec, it is very close to the Labrador border…and it really felt like a Newfoundland outport. English is the spoken language, and the accent is similar to what you hear in rural Newfoundland.

View from the eastern edge of Harrington Harbour

While my itinerary was challenging, I did not have too much choice. Harrington Harbour is on an island near the mainland village of Chevery. But, even today, neither one is reachable by road. The only real choices are travelling by air or, between April and January, by boat. As you can see from the photos, there was still some snow on the ground even though summer was less than a month away.

The aptly-named Windbreaker Bridge in downtown Harrington Harbour. Notice the horizontal drawstrings.

As there are no roads to Harrington Harbour, there really isn’t a need for big cars and trucks. And there really aren’t streets either. Instead, there is a network of boardwalks upon which smaller vehicles (like ATVs) can navigate the rocky terrain. When the ships can’t access the town in the winter, neighbouring communities are accessible by snowmobile.

Looking east from Harrington Harbour

By 1999, I still hadn’t visited any of Canada’s northern territories. But when I look at the Harrington Harbour pictures now, I see a little bit of Nunavut in the rocky, treeless landscape. When you look at a map, this begins to make sense. Harrington Harbour is almost as far north as James Bay.

The wharf and fish plant in downtown Harrington Harbour

As a rare visitor from Ontario, I was welcomed into the community for a couple of special events. The first was a volleyball game. As with my high school exchange to Hinton, Alberta, this was a sport that everybody in Canada seemed to play.

The wind has calmed down a bit!

I also took part in the Victoria Day festivities. As you can see, a serious bonfire was built and it burned for quite a long time.

United Church in Harrington Harbour, Quebec.

While those activities were boisterous, it wasn’t hard to escape into complete silence. There aren’t any other communities on the island, so you can walk in pretty much any direction and be completely alone in the very northern landscape.

Victoria Day bonfire in Harrington Harbour

It is not easy for remote communities like Harrington Harbour to retain population. Having road access would likely create more opportunities and make it easier to keep people around. But, for now, there is still a 375 km gap east of Kegaska that is not accessible by road. I am not aware of a completion date for the extension of Route 138.

Stay tuned for more Canadian flashbacks…and, before too long, my spring trip to France!

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Travel Plans for 2025

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

A couple of posts ago, I said that I was in the process of confirming my plans for my spring trip. Today’s post reveals those details, as well as the other major trip I have planned for later this summer.

Downtown Rouen, France (but not the South) – July 2018

As has been the case for most of my recent major trips, lawn bowling competitions are “anchoring” each trip. But, especially for the first trip, there should be time for other activities as well. So, here we go…

Awkward intersection in Vitré, France (but not the South) – July 2018

My first trip is to southern France. I will be spending non-competition time in Lyon and Annecy, but also hope to explore some of the “off-the-beaten-path” Ardèche region. I wasn’t too far from this part of France in 2020, but once again it was for skiing purposes.

Bayeux’s Cathedral at 11:00 p.m. (not the South of France) -July 2018

I’m quite excited about this trip. I spent a little bit of time in Lyon last year, but somehow managed to miss out on the oldest (and perhaps most riveting) part of the city. I’ll make up for that this time around. But I also hope to revisit a great restaurant I visited in the Part-Dieu neighbourhood. And Annecy is apparently known as the “Venice of the Alps”!

The Arc de Triomphe, overlooking l’avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris (not the South of France) – July 2018

Later this summer, I will be travelling to Calgary, Alberta, for a major Canadian competition. I’ve been in the Calgary area a couple of times for skiing, but this will be my first proper visit in the summer. The closest I’ve come is a summer 2013 visit to the Edmonton area.

The mighty Seine, from the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France (not the South) – July 2018

In addition to these trips, I will once again be crisscrossing Ontario in the summer months. And depending on how the season goes, maybe another (Canadian) trip will materialize. But even if that doesn’t happen, France and Alberta tick all the boxes for me this year. I put a lot of thought into selecting them, and I look forward to sharing them with you when the time comes!

Low tide at Saint-Servan, France (not the South) – July 2018

For fun, the photos for today’s post are all from my summer 2018 trip to (not southern) France. Except for the cover photo at the very top – that’s from Alberta!

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Travel Flashback: Road Trip to Timmins (2000)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

For today’s post, I’ve decided to go way back…25 years, to be precise. I was just starting my 2nd work career, and funds were relatively scarce for summer vacation purposes. We accepted an invitation to visit one of my law school friends in Timmins, Ontario, and hit the road in my (then) trusty Dodge Neon.

The non-existent community of Khartum, Ontario

Wikipedia describes the Timmins economy as “based on natural resource extraction.” In other words – lumber and mining play a huge role. More than 40,000 people live there, and it is the largest city in northeastern Ontario. As it is about a nine-hour drive due north from Kingston, we stopped overnight in North Bay before making the final push.

Eganville , Ontario – where french fries matter!

On the way, we stopped in small Ontario places like Khartum (which consists of a sign but no actual community), Eganville (home of legendary french fries), and Matheson (an important highway junction). And we also visited Rapides-des-Joachims, a tiny Quebec hamlet on an island accessible only from Ontario.

This local dog accompanied us throughout our visit to Rapides-des-Joachims, Quebec

While my friend’s house was in the city of Timmins, we didn’t spend too much time there. He also had a cottage just outside the city, and that turned out to be the base for most of our visit. Staying on a remote lake is a good way to experience this part of Ontario. Our only real “sightseeing” stop in Timmins itself was at the Hollinger Mine, where we went on an underground tour. The photo at the very top of this post is a restored typical miner’s house (a “Hollinger House”) from the glory days of mining in Timmins.

Ding Ho Restaurant in Matheson, Ontario. It’s still there, and still highly rated!

As a child, I had usually spent a week or so each summer at a friend’s cottage on Eagle Lake. It was about 45 minutes north of Kingston, close to the village of Sharbot Lake, Ontario. It was a special place, with neighbouring cottagers from all over Ontario and the northern U.S. I guess I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with cottage life, but whatever cottaging skills I had were already quite rusty by 2000. By now, they are probably non-existent! But I could still handle a canoe when we visited Norway in 2010.

About to enter the Hoillinger Mine in Timmins

Staying at the cottage was a great way to “get away from it all.” But all good things must end. Our circuitous route home took us through Ville-Marie (northwestern Quebec) and then through and around Ontario’s Algonquin Park. The pictures from that journey seem to be from a completely different era. And I suppose they are.

Near Kenogami Lake, Ontario

I’m particularly struck by a picture of a disused church (formerly known as St. Leonard’s Anglican Church) in the ghost town of Rockingham, Ontario. It had been abandoned since 1941, but the local community restored it in 1999-2000. The setting, at the edge of a thick forest, is very evocative. It’s well worth a visit if you find yourself in the area.

The former St. Leonard’s Church in Rockingham, Ontario

Coming soon: my 2025 travel destinations revealed!

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My interview with Bob Dylan

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

On New Year’s Day, I went to the Screening Room (our local independent cinema) and watched “A Complete Unknown”. It’s a new biopic about Bob Dylan, touching only on the period between 1961 and 1965. It made me think about a Dylan experience I had 35 years ago, in the spring of 1990.

At that time, I was the Music Director of CFRC-FM (Queen’s University Radio). My role involved liaising with the record companies. They would provide us with new releases, and we would provide them with feedback on how our programmers liked the new stuff. College radio success was often a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

Sometimes, we would get special opportunities. A band might stop by the station for an interview or even a quick performance. And we would occasionally get free passes to concerts. Most of my interviews involved Canadian bands such as the Northern Pikes or the Grapes of Wrath. I have to admit, it was cool to go the show and be acknowledged by the band from the stage.

As bands became better known, they tended to become very selective with their interviews and appearances. International stars usually didn’t need to do promotion with university stations, although some might make an occasional appearance out of nostalgia (a lot of musicians had been college radio DJs themselves). But even the more prominent acts would still reserve a few tickets for local media, including our station.

One day, I received a call from the Canadian rep for Columbia Records. Bob Dylan was playing at the Kingston Memorial Centre the next night…would I be interested in a pair of tickets? Of course, I said yes. I played some Dylan on my show from time to time. But then the rep continued: would I be interested in interviewing Bob?

Deep breath.

I said I would be happy to do that. The rep told me to get to the arena in the late afternoon, pick up the tickets at the box office, and let the box office staff know that I was there to interview Mr. Dylan.

Needless to say, I didn’t sleep too well that night. Not only is Bob Dylan one of the most famous musicians ever, but he also had a reputation for doing very, very few interviews. And even when he did them, he had a reputation for being…a challenging interview. Nothing would be worse than being unprepared for an interview with Bob Dylan.

I worked very hard to come up with questions that were informed, but not obsessive. Unique, but not silly. The parameters were challenging indeed. I felt like I was preparing to defend my doctoral dissertation on contemporary popular music…in front of the guy who revolutionized it.

On the day of the concert, I arrived at the Kingston Memorial Centre with the 97th draft of my profound but cool interview questions. I confidently strode to the box office, and picked up my free tickets. And then I asked the clerk…would Mr. Dylan be available for our interview now? She asked me to wait a minute, and disappeared from view. This may well have been the longest minute of my life. It was all becoming very real. Bob Dylan was in the building, and I was about to interview him. I was 21 years old.

The clerk eventually returned. She said that the label rep had indeed mentioned the interview to the venue management. Alas, in a very apologetic tone, she said Mr. Dylan was unfortunately no longer able to do any interviews that evening.

At the time, I was naturally very disappointed. But, in retrospect, maybe it was better that Bob wasn’t available. No matter how good my 97th draft of questions may have seemed then, I think I would do a much better job now. I probably wasn’t ready to defend my dissertation in 1990.

I suspect that Bob Dylan remembers little about his May 30, 1990, visit to Kingston. After all, he calls his 60+ years of performing the “Never Ending Tour.” He’s done thousands of concerts all over the world. But we’re all human. Maybe, just maybe, he felt bad about not doing the interview. And if he did, it’s not too late. He can have his people call my people. I might be able to carve out some time for him.

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Travel Endpoints!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

You either like travel planning, or you don’t. Very few people are neutral about this. Fortunately, I really enjoy structuring a trip. It may sound strange, but one of the best parts for me is figuring out my “endpoints”. For an overseas trip, this means the airports for my arrival and eventual departure.

I’m about to start that process now. I have an overseas trip planned for a couple of weeks in the spring, and I already know how I will be spending most of my time. But there is still some unaccounted time at the beginning and end of the trip. This makes the endpoints really important.

When I was in Europe earlier this year, my endpoints were Lyon (new to me) and Zürich  (not at all new to me). I was happy to explore Lyon, and I decided to end my trip in Winterthur (very close to the Zürich airport) as an alternative to Zürich.

Selecting those key endpoints for my spring trip is a complex challenge. As always, I am striving to keep my travel costs at a minimum. But it is a mistake to focus only on airfares. Taking direct flights, rather than dodgy itineraries with multiple connections, reduces the risk of lost luggage and/or missed flights. Ground transportation can also be very expensive, depending on the country.

I also have to consider the timing of my trip. For example, I love visiting Zweisimmen (Switzerland), but it is best in the summer or winter. At other times of the year, the weather can be dreary and many things are closed. So, I need to consider whether my proposed early- and late-trip locations are open or shut at that time of year.

But it is also possible for a location to be “too perfect” at a certain time of year. I need to check whether there is something special happening that could makes prices and crowds oppressive. I’m not planning on visiting the French Riviera in February, but it might not be a great idea in any event…that’s when the Fête du Citron (Lemon Festival) is held in Menton.

Despite all these caveats, the flip side is this: whatever I decide, I should have the opportunity to experience something truly different. Hopefully, I will get to some places I’ve never been before. And it’s really fun to dig up special experiences, even if I’ve been to one of my endpoints before. I had been to Chicago in the summer of 2013, so initially I wasn’t thrilled to be marooned there in the winter of 2014. But I managed to have a great winter stay there, despite the frigid temperatures.

I expect that the endpoints of my upcoming trip will be finalized by the time of my next blog post. I’m really looking forward to the thrill of the chase, especially as my home town is damp, cold, and dark right now.

The pictures from today’s blog are all from a December 2 walk at Lemoine’s Point in Kingston. And, other than the cover photo at the very top, they are all in chronological order!

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The urban side of Arizona

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(Glendale, Arizona, U.S.A.)

After our hike in Cave Creek Regional Park, we went to the nearby town of Cave Creek for lunch. There seem to be two distinct parts of town: the tourist-oriented section (see the photos immediately above and below), and the more “local” section slightly to the east. Seeking an authentic experience, we headed east after exploring the tourist shops.

This seems to be the epicentre of the touristy part of Cave Creek, Arizona.

And what could be more authentic than going to a saloon? And so it was that we found ourselves entering Cave Creek’s Buffalo Chip Saloon.

Front door of the Buffalo Chip Saloon – Cave Creek, Arizona

The food was solid and plentiful. And the saloon seemed to be quite a haven for fans of the Green Bay Packers. But it looked like this place really comes alive in the evenings and on weekends…as I guess one would expect from a saloon. They have live bull-riding two evenings/week in a large enclosure behind the saloon. They also have line-dancing, a mechanical bull, and lots of live country music (at lunch, it was “canned”).

Outdoor seating area behind the Buffalo Chip Saloon

Unique restaurants continued to be hard to find closer to our hotel. Most were chains, and often served bloated portions of uninspired food. But I did find something a little out of the ordinary, about 20 minutes south of our hotel in a nondescript strip mall.

A very impressive prickly pear cactus, in downtown Cave Creek

One of my most memorable trips was my 2014 journey through Bosnia & Herzegovina. I stayed for multiple days in each of Sarajevo, Mostar, and Trebinje. Since then, I don’t think I’ve encountered a single Bosnian restaurant. So I was very surprised to find a place in Phoenix called “Old Town Sarajevo”.

The wildlife in downtown Cave Creek is kind of prehistoric.

Eating at “Old Town Sarajevo” really did feel like being back in Bosnia again. The decor: 100% Bosnian. The food offerings made few concessions: the menu was in Bosnian first, and then English. But it was exactly the kind of food you would find in a local restaurant in Sarajevo.  

Our table at Old Town Sarajevo (Phoenix, Arizona)

My wife and I opted for “Punjena Pljeskavica”, which is a large meat patty topped with cheese and mushrooms…and served inside fried bread. My teammate chose “Ćevapi” (a.k.a. Ćevapčići), which is basically a lot of small beef sausages…once again inside a traditional bread, and served with ajvar (a red pepper and eggplant condiment).

View from our table, at the Old Town Sarajevo restaurant (Phoenix, Arizona)

While this was rather heavy food, the desserts from this part of Europe are impossible to pass up. Bosnia has had a tumultuous history, but the food has had the resulting benefit of influences from (among other places) Austria, Hungary, Greece, and Turkey. I found myself having some Bosnian baklava, with walnuts. But my dining companions went for something more strudelesque. I think we all won.

View outside our hotel in Glendale, Arizona.

As it turned out, this evening was our last chance to be tourists in Arizona. My final two bowling events were quite successful – as a result, I was on the green all day for the final four days of our trip. It just means that I still have some things to explore if I’m able to return again in the future.

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Hiking in the Arizona Desert

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(Cave Creek, Arizona, U.S.A.)

While Sun City is filled with palm trees, we took a short drive north to experience a place filled with cactuses (or cacti – apparently, both plural forms are acceptable). Our destination: Cave Creek Regional Park. Our mission: a hike in the desert.

The U.S. and Arizona flags at the entrance to Cave Creek Regional Park

Armed with sunscreen, water, Gatorade, and maps, we set out on a loop that looked manageable. While the air temperature seemed rather cool, the late-morning desert sun made it relatively warm once we started moving. Somewhat alarmingly, we saw warnings about rattlesnakes.

The “Go John” trailhead at Cave Creek Regional Park

In the end, the only wildlife we saw were some really tiny lizards. And since the hiking trails were shared with horseback riders, the biggest hazards were the occasional piles left behind by those large animals.

Cave Creek Regional Park

The terrain was dry, rocky, and uneven. You wouldn’t want to hike these trails while multitasking, as you would eventually find yourself doing a faceplant. Even so, we saw more than one person texting while walking the trails. Just like texting while walking in a big city, this is just asking for trouble.

Cave Creek Regional Park

As you can see, I took a lot of cactus pictures. This is partly because I just don’t see them very often. They aren’t well-suited for the relatively humid Ontario climate. But it is also because this harsh environment doesn’t let much else survive.

Cave Creek Regional Park

We ended up covering a lot more territory than we thought we would. We decided to supplement our loop route with a spur line to an abandoned clay mine.

Cave Creek Regional Park

The spur route featured more cactuses and more views of distant mountains. We found the clay mine, but it was completely fenced off and we couldn’t enter it. That was probably a good thing, as the mine has been abandoned for a long time and likely wasn’t very stable.

Rent your horses here, to explore Cave Creek Regional Park

We also saw the horse enclosure, where people can rent a horse (and a guide) to experience the desert in a different way. This wasn’t an option for me, due to a a severe horse allergy, but the horses seemed sure-footed and happy in this environment.

Cave Creek Regional Park

See if you can spot the additional passenger on the lead horse above!

Looking north from Cave Creek Regional Park

After about 2 hours in the desert, we returned to our car and discovered that we had worked up quite an appetite. I was even craving more liquids, despite sipping water almost continuously throughout our hike. I don’t think it is possible to bring too much water along on a trip into the desert.

Cave Creek Regional Park

Stay tuned for another Arizona post…this time, in a slightly less harsh environment!

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Here we are in Sun City, Arizona

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(Sun City, Arizona, U.S.A.)

Some trips are predictable. For example, I knew it was only a matter of time before I made it to Chile. But other trips can’t be foreseen. I certainly never thought I’d be in Sun City, Arizona, to play in the US Open lawn bowling tournament. And yet, here I am.

Bell Lawn Bowls Club, in Sun City, Arizona

From a bowling perspective, this place is amazing. There are 5 clubs within perhaps a 15 minute drive of each other. The greens are true, quick, and aesthetically appealing. I can see why so many of my bowling friends have raved about it. I can’t wait for play to begin – for now, we have a couple of days of practice. But, for travel blog purposes, I will try to focus on all aspects of the trip…not just the lawn bowling ones.

US Open Opening Ceremonies – Lakeview Lawn Bowling Club, in Sun City, Arizona

Sun City is essentially a suburb to the northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix currently is the 5th largest city in the U.S.A. Who knew? But Phoenix is not a typical city, and Sun City is hardly a typical suburb. For starters, home ownership in Sun City is limited to those 55 and older. So, there are a LOT of recreational activities available. And also a lot of “Snowbirds” (retired Canadians who spend the winters in the southern U.S.A.). After only a day here, I can understand why it is so popular.

The gazebo overlooking Viewpoint Lake in Sun City, Arizona

While Phoenix summers are brutally hot, the winters here are very comfortable. It is now early November, and today’s high temperature was a balmy 27’C. But it isn’t like 27’C in Canada, as there seems to be little or no humidity. I might even find it a little too dry: my nose and throat have felt a little dried out since we arrived. We’ll see how I adapt to this over the next few days.

Viewpoint Lake in Sun City, Arizona

The car reigns supreme in many parts of Canada, especially outside of urban Ontario and Quebec. But this part of the U.S.A. takes it to a new level. At Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport, the train that zips passengers between terminals actually has a station dedicated to car rentals! It is like an entire airport terminal in itself, and just for rental cars.

Viewpoint Lake at Sun City, Arizona

There’s a good reason for all the cars: Phoenix and its suburbs are really spread out. It’s not surprising – practically every building outside of the downtown core seems to be a one-level bungalow. The trend towards urban densification does not seem to have reached Phoenix yet.

Looking towards the Lakeview Lawn Bowling Club – Sun City, Arizona

Regular readers of this blog will know that I make a point of finding independent and unique restaurants wherever I travel. That will be a little more challenging on this trip. Near our hotel in Glendale (another northwestern suburb), pretty much everything is a chain…whether it’s a restaurant or a retail store. But I have put together a short list of places that still hold some promise. We’ll just have to drive to get to them.

Sunset over the Lakeview Lawn Bowling Club – Sun City, Arizona

At least some of the chains are quirky. “Trader Joe’s” is a grocery chain that sells mostly its own products (usually made secretly by other manufacturers). But its prices are quite competitive compared to other stores, and they manage this despite also offering a lot of unique products (many of which are organic). For example, I didn’t know that prickly pear wheat beer was a thing.

Trader Joe’s in Glendale, Arizona

My focus on this trip is obviously on competing in the US Open. But I will do my best to post some more blog entries about this interesting corner of the United States. Stay tuned!

The Odyssey Continues…