I’ve been riding with a Cycliq Fly 12CE bike camera for a few years now. When I first got it, Facebook served up a suggestion that I join a Facebook group about Cycliq and its cameras. I did, because it’s always good to know what’s up with your gear. Especially when it’s a niche item…
EV Versus Gas SUV: The Numbers Don’t Lie
EV Versus Gas SUV: By the Numbers 2016 Subaru Forester: Holds 534 kilowatt hours of energy. About 464 miles of range. That’s .868 miles per kWh. 2014 Toyota RAV4 EV: Holds 40 kWh of energy. About 144 miles of range. That’s 3.6 miles per kWh of energy. I am going to lay out some information…
VIDEO: The Pivin Loop and Papago Park
The Pivin Loop at Papago Park has become unbelievably fun over the past few years. It didn’t even exist until a few years ago when the City of Phoenix decided to — without public input — plow the existing singletrack trails. There was plenty of howling and gnashing of teeth (including myself). Some people wanted…
Privilege, Voluntourism and Philanthropy – How Not to Help People
This week, someone hit me up for money so he could travel to a Third World area and Help The People. Wait – more accurately, a PR person hit me up on his behalf. I couldn’t tell if the PR firm is employed by the wanna-be philanthropic world changer, or by the new-to-me Kickstarter clone…
Best of Travel 2015
Despite 2015 being my first year as a parent, this has been a good year for travel. We got the Little Person on her first international trip, in addition to numerous runs around the country; she may have even outflown me with a total of 18 legs to her credit. In spite of my expectations,…
![By WPPilot (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i2.wp.com/www.wanderingjustin.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20L_John_Wayne_Airport_9_24_2014_photo_D_Ramey_Logan.jpg?resize=420%2C280&ssl=1)
TSA: “Your Pants, Sir, Are a Problem”
I’ve heard some really silly stuff from TSA employees lately, but this one about my The North Face pants really takes the top prize for being ridiculous: “These might not be the best pants to wear to the airport since they’ve got all those zippers and a lot going on.” My pants had just set…
Lightning Over Scottsdale
I don’t usually do photo-only posts. But I snapped a nice shot from the nighttime storm that rolled into Phoenix. I’m not sure if this is actually a monsoon storm or not … but hey, call it what you will. It’s something besides hot, dry and sunny. This shot of lightning over Scottsdale is probably…
Mead – The Coolest Thing in Prescott
For the last five years, I’ve predicted that mead will be the next big thing. I’ve expected it to lure craft beer and wine drinkers alike. But damn, it hasn’t happened. Few people know what I’m even talking about – if you’re one of them, mead is a super-tasty beverage made from fermented honey. It…
A Look at Beliefs About the French
I don’t highlight passages in books. I just don’t. First off, it makes a mess on my Kindle screen. And usually, I don’t know — the spirit just doesn’t move me. But a passage in They Eat Horses, Don’t They? by Piu Marie Eatwell had me scrambling for a highlighter. Unfortunately, a pen was the…
A Traveler’s Tribute to His Cat
Coming home is one of the best parts of travel. Yes, I love a good adventure. I love the sights, smells and sounds of an unfamiliar city. I love seeing a forest filled with creatures I’ve never encountered before. But my favorite foods, my own bed and – most of all – my most-excellent cat…
Five Ways to Make Your Vacation Photos Interesting
I’m going to show you a valuable skill today: How to make your vacation photos interesting. Now, many people these days use Facebook to show their vacation photos. This post assumes that’s your vehicle of choice. Still, even if you do something else, a lot of what I say here will apply. Alright, let’s get…
Last Day of Monti’s La Casa Vieja
People call Phoenix and its satellite cities an area without a past, shucked of history, a collection of pass-through transients. The closing of Montis La Casa Vieja on Monday splinters another link to the past — and the deed will be complete when most of it gets bulldozed to make room for a high-rise development in…
What’s Belize Like?
If you’ve ever wondered “What’s Belize Like?”, the latest entry in my “What’s it Like” series has the answer. Belize in a Word: Narrow OK, what do I mean by “narrow?” Well, it means that Belize has a narrow range of appeal. If you’re going there for food or beaches, prepare to be disappointed. I found…
Thoughts on Culture and Live Theater in Phoenix
People love to say that Phoenix doesn’t have any culture. It’s a notion that people parrot constantly. And it puts me in the mood to brandish a cricket bat in a threatening manner. What they really mean is one of of the following: I’m too lazy to go out and find any culture in Phoenix The…
Humanity Versus Hostility – Thoughts from a Jam-Packed Asian City
It’s a head-on collision in the making. Two fast-moving motorbikes, a mountainous road slick with rain. The riders see each other at the last second. They slam on the brakes, fishtail, come to a stop inches from each other. They smile, shrug, get back on their bikes and putter off. If this happened back in…
Be Good to Your Dog – Keep it Leashed
If you want to be good to your dog, keep it leashed in public. Fido AND cyclists like me will thank you for it because we’ll all be a lot safer.
Desperate Sal DiCiccio Ramps up the Spam
Phoenix City Council member Sal DiCiccio is unleashing a haboob of email spam in hopes of edging a challenger for his seat. Don’t let it work.
Gear for the First-Time Traveler: 5 Essentials
Earlier this week, I found out my 17-year-old niece is taking her first international trip. I assembled a care package of handy travel items – what made my list of must-haves for the newbie traveler?
Turku, Finland – Scenes from a Summer Day
Check out some views of Turku, a city in Southern Finland. If your travel plans take you to Finland, drop into Turku for a few days and enjoy it.
Asia’s Novelty Act – Me!
I’m curious about South Korea … and it seems South Korea is just as curious about me. From news television crews to young women asking me to pose for photos, I cause a stir everywhere I go. Here are some encounters that will give you an idea of what it was like.