Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·May 17, 2022Monroe Elementary Receives Federal Recognition. Again.By Guest Writer Frank Barthell How does a 95 year old former school building in Topeka, Kansas become one just 57 National Historical Parks in the entire country? It’s a timely question. On May 17, we observed the anniversary of the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision: Oliver L. Brown, et…Monroe Elementary5 min readMonroe Elementary5 min read
Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·May 15, 2022Solo Travel at SixtyWhen I was a child, I fell in love with a 1940’s book, “Pam’s Paradise Ranch.” It was a girl-loves-horses-adventure-delight, set in Hawaii, a world of paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys). …Travel7 min readTravel7 min read
Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·Apr 20, 2022Acadian HolidayLet the good times roll … and in Cajun country, they’re all good times. I made a very important discovery on a recent trip to southwest Louisiana … these folks are having more fun. They have clear priorities: music, dancing, food, friendship. Sure, we all have to work, but life…Louisiana5 min readLouisiana5 min read
Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·Apr 6, 2022Don’t Feed The Snow MonkeysDon’t Feed The Snow Monkeys There was no snow in early December in the Nagano prefecture. We’d taken trains from Tokyo to Nagano to Yudanaka Station, then a bus to the entrance to the trail that led through the forest to the hot springs where we might — -or might…Japan4 min readJapan4 min read
Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·Mar 2, 2022The Glory of the Lowest-Rated Bars in Lawrence, KansasHi Wabi Sabi Readers! It’s Ella and Elizabeth from @The_Lowest_Star again. We’re two writers traveling across America — reviewing its lowest-rated bars as we go. You can read more about our story here. That’s how we found ourselves at the two lowest-rated bars in Lawrence, Kansas on Valentine’s Day. Our…Lawrence Kansas2 min readLawrence Kansas2 min read
Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·Feb 28, 2022The Secret Value of Terrible BarsHi Wabi-Sabi readers! We’re Ella and Elizabeth. This year, we are doing a series of writing residencies across the USA, which is how we met Wabi Sabi’s magnificent editor Susan Kraus. We wanted to really get to know the towns we visited during our cross country-journey. And how? We realized…Travel Writing2 min readTravel Writing2 min read
Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·Feb 23, 2022Diferentes Experiencias de Los CabosThe posters for the annual festival of Dia de los Muertos boasted that the best mariachi band in all of Mexico would be playing in the village square of Todos Santos at 7 p.m. So we arrive a bit early to the small town on the western coastline of Los…Cabo San Lucas4 min readCabo San Lucas4 min read
Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·Feb 9, 2022Taking a Break in BarcelonaIt was about six weeks before our 40th wedding anniversary when I realized that I did not want to go to Eureka Springs or Lied Lodge in Nebraska City or Kansas City. Yes, I enjoy those places, but this was special. Forty years deserves someplace with a passport. We chose…Travel Writing6 min readTravel Writing6 min read
Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·Jan 26, 2022Driving AlaskaThe wind picked up as the ferry left Homer through Kachemak Bay out into Cook Inlet. But the sun was shining, which we took as a blessing for our day of exploring. We were headed for Seldovia, an Alaskan village accessible only by boat or small plane, with a population…Alaska5 min readAlaska5 min read
Published inWabi-Sabi Journeys·Jan 12, 2022Making Wabi-Sabi Journeys Possible AgainCovid-19 had a significant impact on our lives, turning them upside down and inside out. And travel — one of the great freedoms and benefits of the senior years — has been particularly affected. A recent national survey (October 2021) by Destination Analysts indicated that nearly 45 percent of people…Covid-195 min readCovid-195 min read
