Christopher travels

I have been to the end of the world and returned to tell the tale. Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, does certainly feel like it is at the end of the world, where there is nothing left west of the islands. It is remote, quiet and takes an effort to get there, indeed, Haida Gwaii is a purposeful destination, not somewhere you pass through on the way to somewhere else. It is the end. And in the geologic sense, the Haida Gwaii archipelago is on the very edge of the North American continental shelf, as the abyss of the Pacific basin is only a few kilometers offshore. The last ice age passed by much of the islands, and this means that some species evolved with unique characteristics. The first Haida peoples arrived ... read more

I never thought I would enjoy myself so much as I did in a city devoted to sin, avarice and gluttony. Kris and I drove to Reno in the afternoon after my last class at Sacramento State University. We stopped for lunch less than an hour later in Roseville. By 3pm we were heading up into the Sierra Mountains through the Donner Pass. By train this route takes hours at it winds up utilizing many switchbacks, whereas Interstate 80 just muscles its way directly up and over the mountains. The Donner Party came through in the winter of 1846-1847 and got delayed by a variety of mishaps. Ironic that they ended up dining on each other so close in distance to the Sunday buffet at a Reno Casino, though they missed the party by 150 years. ... read more

I have never heard a train go by and not wished I were on it. And so I found myself on the Via Rail "Canadian" that heads east from Vancouver. Nineteen hours after ambling through British Columbia we arrived in Jasper, Alberta. I slept in the chair overnight, and slept quite well. Trains are infinitely more comfortable than any bus or car, and remind me of more halcyon days of travel. Whoever waves from a bus, or waves at the travelers in a bus? We wave at trains and their passengers and they wave back. The train was long, possibly as many as twenty carriages, with two dining cars and three dome cars for a panoramic view. The scenery was fantastic as we followed the Fraser River, and then the Thompson River upstream. The highlight was ... read more

Lake Tahoe is an Native Indian word, from the Washoe tribe, that translates to The Lake in the Sky. At 6225 feet, 1897 meters the lake has some serious altitude for such a massive lake - Lake Tahoe is the world's second largest alpine lake. It was formed about 2 million years ago when a basin formed due to normal faulting (tension and separation), and was filled by three ice age glaciers. The lake and surrounding area are simply stunning and fills with millions of tourists each year. On our Independence Day trip to Yosemite National Park we returned to Sacramento via the South Lake Tahoe route and we were stuck in traffic returning from the lake to the city. In the middle of nowhere there was grid lock and plenty more tension. We avoided grid ... read more

My stay in New York was 12 days, a little too long for one blog entry, I did so much. After that much time, you really get to know a city and how to get around. I was jumping on the subway and switching between the express and the local trains and then filling in the gaps with the buses like a local. Day 6 is a Wednesday, the day after my first of three Broadway Shows I'd attend, it's another clear day, but the air has always been muggy and warm, but not too uncomfortable - it just takes two showers to bookend the day to feel clean and ready to go. It was a fine and clear day so I headed off to the Staten Island Ferry to photograph the Statue of Liberty. I ... read more