Part three of the Egyptian travel adventures of Eric Soll and his wife Kathy. You can read part one here and part two here. The process of obtaining a cruise in Egypt was very different than the numerous ones we have taken elsewhere. When we asked if we could view the vessel — no problem….
Part two of three parts of the Egyptian travel adventures of Eric Soll and his wife Kathy. You can read part one here. Some thoughts about hotel tours, taxi drivers, camel and carriage drivers, tour guides, gift shop employees and other individuals in countries such as Egypt. They do not engage in what many westerners…
Part one of three parts. Recently this publication featured an informative article regarding experiences on an organized tour to Egypt. Some of the readers commented that they too were either taking or planning to tour Egypt in the future. Some years ago, my wife and I explored Egypt for almost a month. We toured most…
At this time of year, I routinely head north to the Skagit flats on through January and into early February. Many eagles who have dined in the upper river on returning salmon rest between feasts in trees down on the flats. One tree that I encountered decades ago had 22 eagles resting on it! But…
Egypt had beckoned me for years — the Pyramids of Giza, pharaohs’ tombs in the Valley of the Kings, incredible history going back 6,000 years — and of course, I envisioned myself riding a camel in the desert. Egypt’s antiquities proved as amazing as anticipated, but the camel ride… not so much. I finally experienced…
Edmonds-based Rick Steves’ Europe has a Season’s Givings holiday offer that gives you the opportunity to support nonprofit organizations when you book a Rick Steves tour. Book a seat on any 2023 tour between now and Dec. 31, 2022, and save $100 when you enter the promo code: GIVE23 (new bookings only). Then pick one…
Rick Steves announced that his Europe 2022 Live in Edmonds shows that were canceled Nov. 5 due to a storm-related power outage have been rescheduled for Sunday, Nov. 13. This free celebration of European travel will be at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, with shows scheduled at 4 p.m and 7 p.m. There are still…
After exiting the “snake pit” of ER medicine, I moved on by getting a master of public health at the University of Washington, and entered into the midlife formation of my own professional practice of occupational medicine. Much more sedate, now no nights, weekends or holidays working, and I likely have lived much longer due…
Starting this week on KCTS 9, Edmonds-based European travel expert Rick Steves will premiere Rick Steves Art of Europe — a six-hour sweep through the entire span of European art history. One hour will air each week on Mondays at 10 p.m. and Tuesdays at 7 p.m. The series begins Monday, Oct. 3 and Tuesday, Oct. 4…
Labor Day often heralds the final moments of summer before fall activities begin. For people who plan to travel on the popular three-day weekend, now is the time to make travel plans and expect congestion on most routes. The Washington State Department of Transportation encourages travelers to consult the holiday traffic volume charts to determine…
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Spurred by a recent Seattle Times article, I decided it was time to do more than drive through the very popular Deception Pass State Park with a varied topography far beyond just the view from the bridges. (It should be noted that before we moved here, Edmonds was “the town you drove through to get…
California’s Yosemite National Park wowed me as a 14-year-old on a camping trip with my family back in 1962. I was used to imposing Northwest mountains, but Yosemite’s sheer granite cliffs and dramatically plunging waterfalls made a vivid impression. They were every bit as stunning this June when I visited the park 60 years later….
Publisher’s note: After a pandemic hiatus, Nathaniel Brown of Edmonds is on another train trip adventure, and will share reports about his travels. “I like trains. I like their rhythm, and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of: for this moment I know where I…
The following is republished with permission from the Feb. 24 Rick Steves Europe travel blog: Today is a profoundly sad day. Russia’s aggressive action is heartbreaking for the death, suffering, and economic turmoil it will cause in Ukraine and, indirectly at least, beyond. Here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope that a diplomatic solution can…
Washington State Ferries will host two virtual community meetings this week and next. According to a ferry system announcement, the meeting will include a brief staff presentation on service and ongoing efforts to mitigate challenges, as well as progress on key projects. Meeting participants will be able to ask questions and provide comments. People can…
Members of the public are invited to join the Rotarians on Tuesday, Aug. 10 when Rick Steves will speak to the weekly 7:30 a.m. meeting of the Rotary Club of Edmonds, Daybreakers. The event will take place in the Rotary Room of the Edmonds Waterfront Center, of which Steves is a key financial supporter. His…
When Edmonds resident Kevin O’Keeffe supplied a photo of the new mural at the Edmonds train station, he also offered this backstory: For over five years when I was living in Seattle, I was an Amtrak docent in the National Park Trails and Rails program, with frequent one-day runs on the Coast Starlight to and…
A new two-hour public television special features travel expert, author and Edmonds resident Rick Steves as he shares his favorite European destinations to visit when travel is possible again. From offbeat and romantic to picturesque and restorative, these locations offer inspiration to travel lovers who have spent the past year dreaming of their next vacation…
Last year, Alaska Airlines introduced a direct flight to Monterey, Calif. We have often visited that locale, particularly when our son attended Santa Clara University and then started to work nearby for Apple. (Now, he’s been working for Apple for a dozen years, far away in Cork City, Ireland, but that’s another story). Our prior…
European travel guru Rick Steves will speak on the “State of Travel and Tourism” during the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce’s virtual lunch meeting Thursday, May 20. Steves will talk about how the travel sector is recovering and what you can expect from the tourism industry in the coming year. The deadline to register for this…
Propeller Airports CEO Brett Smith believes things are about to take off again at Everett’s Paine Field. During a virtual presentation to the Lynnwood Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, Smith said that despite reduced passenger counts, flight routes and other challenges associated with COVID-19, he is optimistic about the airport’s future. Propeller Airports built and manages…
Despite a lean year of grounded flights and scuttled travel dreams, travel company Rick Steves’ Europe renewed its Climate Smart Commitment Monday, paying a “self-imposed carbon tax” of $500,000. The company will distribute the funds to 10 nonprofit organizations, carefully selected for their work in fighting climate change on the ground in the developing world…
Recreational vehicles are selling in near record numbers as Americans seek a safe way to travel during the Covid-19 pandemic — and long-time Edmonds resident and RV travel enthusiast Chuck Woodbury is offering a guide for RVers just getting started. While cruise ships sit in port, airliners stay grounded and tours to foreign destinations are…
Part 2 of two parts. You can read Part 1 here. As readers of the Part 1 report could see, we could view much of the local beauty and changing weather from our windows and grounds. The cattle would come by on their rounds of the meadow. Magpies and other birds were aloft, and almost…
Part 1 of 2 parts My wife Mary Ellen and I just returned from a one-month visit to Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula. With subspecialty certification in travel medicine, I won’t claim this as essential travel, but it certainly wasn’t a tourist trip. We have a son’s family in Ireland that we don’t see often even in…
