DINNER WITH GEORGE
by Yvette Cardozo

VACATION COMMANDMENTS
by Vicki Hoefling Andersen

George Washington, when he was 19, spent six weeks in Barbados with his brother Lawrence. The house they occupied has been restored and each winter (January to April) visitors can experience “Dinner With George.”

Photo-illustrated reminders of how to behave on your travels to other countries, and in your own country for that matter...

Taos and Santa Fe are magical names, names that evoke images of cities rich endowed and influenced their human history and geography in northern New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

TRIPPIN’ IN TOHOKU, JAPAN part 1
by Dino Vournas

HOPSCOTCHING HONSHU, JAPAN part 2
by Dino Vournas

VENEZUELA’S CAVE OF STRANGE BIRDS
by Habeeb Salloum, M.S.M.

The region, on Japan’s main island of Honshu, is comprised of 6 sub-regions or prefectures, all under-appreciated and lightly visited by foreign visitors, but they offer great beauty and the promise of extraordinary adventures and experiences.

Jigokudani Monkey Park is home to families of snow monkeys. and inside the 1,400-year-old Zenko-Ji Buddhist Temple, there is a hidden Buddha that has purportedly been seen by only two people since its installation in the 7th Century A.D.

The naturalist, Baron Alexander Von Humboldt discovered the cave in 1799 and found it inhabited by thousands of oilbirds, known as guácharos. Their nests were then harvested by both Indians and missionaries for the fat of the birds to render into lighting oil.

CONCERT HALLS AROUND THE WORLD

by Brad Hathaway

U.S. NORDIC SKI CENTERS OFFER FREE ACCESS
DURING NATIONAL HEALTH CRISIS

Here's a $570 billion question: When is it safe to travel again?

When the experts say so, that's when. But figuring out who those experts are during the coronavirus crisis may be as difficult as finding a vaccine.

When is it safe to book a trip again?Here are three things that must happen for travelers to return:

International travel gives you the opportunity to hear great music in great halls on every continent and in every hemisphere. Take the Auditorio de Tenerife on the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife. Who would have expected the sight of one of the most dramatic and inspiring concert halls to greet visitors on a cruise ship pulling into this port some 200 miles off the Atlantic coast of Morocco?

WOODSTOCK, VT. (March 23, 2020) – Due to a concern about the spread of the COVID-19 virus there have been numerous official statements and closings across the nation's ski area. While downhill resorts are closed, along with the programs and services normally offered at Nordic Centers, at least 17 cross-country ski centers nationwide are providing free access to their groomed trails.

Note from the editor: As our High On Adventure journalists and photographers travel the globe to bring you stories and experiences from around the world, we want to alert our readers and travelers in regards to the recent outbreak of COVID-19, the coronavirus, especially as it pertains to a number of countries under stronger cautions such as Japan which is featured in this month's issue.

At press time Japan is struggling with the coronavirus, Covid-19, as are many countries of the world. Their government took the unprecedented action of closing schools until late March.  Authorities have asked all organizers to cancel or postpone large business, sports, and cultural events. Tokyo’s Nakamerguro district cherry blossom festival has already been cancelled as has Okinawa’s Azalea Festival. United Airlines has drastically cut back on flights to Japan and others will inevitably follow suit. Tensions are most evident with the planners of the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as they contemplate the possibility of a catastrophic cancellation or postponement. With the exception of the two World Wars, the Games have never been postponed or cancelled. Obviously, close monitoring of the situation is prudent before any travel or vacation plans are finalized. 

This close monitoring, of course, pertains to anyone planning to travel.
Readers are urged to check for ongoing circumstances, conditions and cancellations. The Center for Disease Control website updates information as it becomes available and dates all revisions. The State Department travel advisories website updates circumstances of concern in all parts of the world and affords more detailed information about specific destinations. Please check the links below for further developments. And even if you're not traveling, be safe, disinfect and wash your hands.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

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