LAST CENTURY'S MATALA, THE GREEK CAVE TRAVELERS' HOME ON CRETE
by Steve Giordano

GEAR REVIEW: BUTTON LAMP and SANDLITE MAT
by Lynn Rosen

OAHU - PART 2: THE PAST SHAPING THE FUTURE
by Vicki Hoefling Andersen

The author and his family, as pictured on the t-shirt above, spent some of 1968 on the Mediterranean island of Crete. Discovered by a Life Magazine reporter writing on Young American Nomads Abroad, they were featured in the article along with others who were living in the Matala caves. 50 years ago, it was a unique time. This is the story of one family's youthful adventure.

Do you see monsters in the closet? Fall down the stairs? Grab the poison instead of the cereal? Untangle electrical wires? Find bugs hiding in the closet? Well, you definitely need the BUTTON LAMP! Are you tired of bringing the beach and the dirt home with you? Then the SANDLITE sand-free mat must be on your "must" list, too. Lynn Rosen takes us on a tour of some new, inexpensive and break-through gear.

With such a tumultuous history, Oahu is a hot spot for hauntings. The H-3 Freeway’s intrusion upon ancient sacred grounds seems the culprit behind numerous afflictions including apparitions in the tunnel, sickened workers, a levitating bulldozer, and girders falling off for no reason. A house in Haleiwa refused to be painted, and one in Aiea sickened or killed all its construction workers.

SKI INJURY 
by Yvette Cardozo

THE ULTIMATE CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP WITH THE KIDS
by Christopher Elliott

I don’t remember exactly how it happened. It was at the bottom of the last run. I was tired. The snow had devolved into slick slush and it was snowing and foggy. I caught an edge and before I knew it, I was on my back, one ski released, the other leg awkwardly bent. A few more turns on the trail and I would have been within sight of the lodge.

The heart of D.C. is the outdoor National Mall, which stretches about 2-1/2 miles between Capitol Hill at the East end and the Lincoln Memorial at its West. Part of the allure is the architecture, from the classic elegance of the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials and White House to the raw power of the Martin Luther King, Vietnam Veterans and Korean War Veterans memorials.

This fall, we took the ultimate California road trip. We started in Palm Springs and then followed the coastline all the way up to Santa Cruz. Along the way, we re-discovered what makes California such an irresistible place -- a near-perfect climate, attractions that you won't find anywhere else, and a vibe that you really have to experience to believe.

A FINE FINNISH ADVENTURE
by Brad Hathaway

KOOTENAY LAKE, BC, CANADA: Winter Adventuring
by Larry Turner

Mesa Verde National Park and Chimney Rock National Monument: Take Day Trips of a Lifetime from Durango, Colorado
by Susan Cohn

Two sculptures in Helsinki are probably the most famous, or at least the most photographed. Ville Vallgren's "Daughter of the Baltic" wore a wreath the day we passed by. The most photographed, I'm told, however, is the statue of three naked smiths (representing the importance of hard work and cooperation among Finnish laborers) by Felix Nylund. It stands in the center of the shopping district.

I unabashedly love Nelson, British Columbia! It is a small city of unforgettable charm and deep history, with habitation traced all the way back to the time of the great pyramids of Egypt. Nelson events this month and next include the Winter Carnival, Kootenay Coldsmoke Powderfest, Nelson Figure Skating Carnival, Balfour’s Lucky Larry Fun Derby and Heritage Week.

Southwest Colorado holds a wealth of archaeological sites with well-preserved evidence of native cultures. The charming town of Durango, less than 60 miles from Mesa Verde National Park (to the west) and Chimney Rock National Monument (to the east), is an inviting base of operations from which to explore these treasures.

Who we are: For brief bios on the writers who form this Pacific Northwest collective, please click here.