November 2017. I look out from our Minneapolis Mill District apartment. Ahead, I see St. Anthony Falls, the only significant waterfall on the Mississippi. A hydroelectric plant, established in 1882, still generates enough power for thousands of homes. Minneapolis grew up around these falls. Across the river I pick out the Pillsbury “A” Mill. Completed… Continue reading A Sporting House
Month: November 2017
Four Kyushu OLLE Hikes
It can be a challenge getting to a hiking trailhead. Public transport may be spotty or non-existent, and once you’re in the locale, trailheads have a bad habit of hiding in plain sight. Once I’ve found the trailhead, I can usually muddle my way along the trail with the assistance of GPS, map, signage, and… Continue reading Four Kyushu OLLE Hikes
Snapshots: A Night in a Bicycle Hotel
This week I spent a night in Hotel Cycle, in a converted warehouse in the port city of Onomichi, Japan. I used it as a base to cycle part of the Shimanami Kaido trail across the Seto Inland Sea. Had I arrived on a bicycle, I could’ve cycled into the building and up to the front… Continue reading Snapshots: A Night in a Bicycle Hotel
Walking in Silence
Today I walked through a solemn space filled with sounds of flowing water, wishing for an alternate history that does not lead to this place. Circular route to entrance, water a constant theme. Underground. Concrete pressed with cedar panels. Bench. Falling water. Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims.
Snapshots: Circling and Framing a Volcano
Sakurajima dominates the view across the bay from Kagoshima, southern Japan. It’s one of the world’s most active volcanoes, regularly raining ash on the city. Surfaces can feel gritty, accumulations of dust are a hazard to cyclists. Hotel rooms with a view of Sakurajima fetch a premium. Directions are expressed relative to the volcano; e.g.,… Continue reading Snapshots: Circling and Framing a Volcano