Thursday, December 24, 2020

NEW BLOG HOSTING AND DESIGN

PLEASE CLICK HERE 

TO GO TO THE NEW AND IMPROVED

RETIRESTYLE TRAVEL BLOG

______________________________________________

Hello Retirestyle Travel Blog readers.


Please be advised that we have updated our website design & hosting.

The new blog is more appealing and easier to navigate, browse & search.

We hope you will make the move to our new site and subscribe to the e-mail newsletter there.


Our blog is no longer being hosted or updated on Blogger / Blogspot.

We will keep this Blogger site active for historical archive purposes only.


Please click here to experience the new Retirestyle Travel blog.





Sunday, December 6, 2020

Things to do in Winnipeg, Manitoba at The Forks


There are many things to do at The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 

The Forks is Winnipeg’s most popular attraction with over 4 million visitors a year.  The Forks is located where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet and where indigenous people, settlers, and business people have traded for years. 

The Forks is also right next to the CN Rail Station, so passengers on a cross-country train ride can easily explore The Forks when stopping in Winnipeg.

The Forks sort of reminds me of Granville Island in Vancouver and St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.

Two old shipping warehouses have been converted to bustling markets. All of the stores and restaurants are local except for Fro-gurts, Old Spaghetti Factory and Original Pancake House.

The Forks Market

The Forks Market building has many shops and restaurants. 

On the second floor, there is a massive local gift shop with many Manitoba-made products called Forks Trading Company, a successful local candle store called Coal and Canary, and a semi-precious stone and crystal store called Gilbert’s. 

The main floor has an old school arcade called Phantom Amusement Arcade, a large candy store called Sweet City, and a wine and spirits store called Ellement.

The Forks Market Food Hall offers restaurant kiosks with a modern food truck flair such as Bindy’s Carribean Delights, Corto (Italian sandwiches and coffee), Danny’s All-Day Breakfast, Fergie’s Fish and Chips, Fools & Horses Coffee, Fusian Experience (Japanese food & sushi), Harrison’s Coffee Roasters, Nuburger, Passero (Italian), Red Ember (pizza), Simon’s Steaks (South American food), Wienerpeg (gourmet hotdogs), and Zorba’s Greek & Italian. 

If you have a sweet tooth, try Neon Cone for ice cream and Mini Donuts Factory. Tall Grass Prairie Bread Company has organic baked goods and famous cinnamon buns and Jenna Rae Cakes has yummy and attractive cupcakes and cake pops.

The Forks Market also a craft beer and wine counter called The Common. It can be very crowded and hard to find a seat. Luckily, their liquor license allows you to carry and consume your alcohol anywhere in the building.

Our favourite restaurant in The Forks Market is Taste of Sri Lanka that has spicy and flavourful dishes like curry eggplant and deviled chicken.

The Forks Market Tower is six stories high and offers nice views of the rivers, downtown, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Johnston Terminal

Johnston Terminal has a huge antique mall in the basement that has the feeling of a flea market with many different vendors and types of merchandise. 

The main floor has several gift shops and a quaint coffee shop called Espresso Junction with a view of the central Plaza. Old Spaghetti Factory is not a local business, but it still has an awesome old-fashioned décor. Next to Old Spaghetti Factory is a small art gallery called Pulse Gallery with paintings, pictures, jewelry, and scarves by Manitoba artists.

Take the glass elevator up to the second floor of Johnston Terminal to get to a large local toy store called Kite and Kaboodle with many educational and brand name toys and book.  There you will also find a bohemian store Global Connections with products like clothes, music, books, art, and statues, many made by foreign artisans.

Indigenous Culture

Indigenous culture and art is evident at an interesting aboriginal art & craft store called Teekca’s in The Forks Market, the Winnipeg Art Gallery store in Johnston Terminal.

Outside, you will find the Balance of Spirit Within Rock and the Niimaamaa sculpture. 

We like to spend time at Oodena Celebration Circle, which is a natural shallow amphitheatre that honours the 6,000 years of Aboriginal peoples in the area. It features fantastic sculptures, a sundial, a naked-eye sky observatory, and a ceremonial fire pit.

Canadian Museum For Human Rights

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is located adjacent to The Forks. The stated mandate of the museum is to "explore the subject of human rights with a special but not exclusive reference to Canada, to enhance the public's understanding of human rights, to promote respect for others and to encourage reflection and dialogue.”

The Museum cost $350 million and is the only national museum outside of the Ottawa area. It was designed by Antoine Predock and is an innovative structure of curving lines and bold geometry. Many of the surfaces are irregular, with more than three‐quarters of the walls sloped at unusual angles.  

Visitors climb up 1 kilometer of alabaster-clad ramps symbolizing the struggle for human rights and the climb from darkness to light with exhibits on each level and ending at the Israel Asper Tower of Hope. The tower is a good place to reflect on what you have learned while enjoying lovely views of Winnipeg, The Forks, Esplanade Riel, and the Red River. 

One reason it was conceived was so that Canadians could learn about the Holocaust without going to the Holocaust Museum in Washington or Houston and while learning about other human rights abuses around the world at the same time.

If you go to the CMHR, be sure to bring comfortable shoes and be prepared to cry. 

Other Attractions

There is a great boutique hotel called Inn At The Forks on site with an amazing spa called Riverstone Spa.

In the Summer, people flock to The Forks for concerts at the outdoor CN Stage, festivals, special events, buskers, people watching in the Plaza, and relaxing strolls along the lovely riverwalk.

Parks Canada has a 9-acre park at the Forks National Historic Site along the Red River with local history exhibits, art, and an amphitheatre. Kids love to play in the fun and unique playground there. 

Keep going down the riverwalk past the Esplanade Riel and you will pass Shaw Park, the baseball diamond where the Winnipeg Goldeyes play.  Walk a little further and you are in the Historic Exchange District.  

Families with kids can take a water taxi to several downtown locations from the historic port.

Families can also take their kids to go skateboarding at Canada’s largest urban skate plaza, play for hours in the Parks Canada Playground, see a play at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, or engage in interactive exhibits at the Manitoba Children’s Museum.

In Summer, you can also eat at Mon Ami Louis, a French restaurant in the middle of the Esplanade Riel bridge overlooking the Red River. Mon Ami Louis is the only restaurant located on a bridge in North America and has a so-called “million-dollar” toilet because of the high cost to get plumbing to the restaurant.  As you enjoy menu items like Crepes, Tartes Flambees, and Escargots, you will be treated to a lovely romantic view.

Crossing the Esplanade Riel will bring you to the French Quarter. 

You can also walk or bike across the The Forks Historic Rail Bridge for a great spot to overlook the junction of the Assiniboine River and the mighty Red River.

In the Winter, The Forks has the world’s longest skating surface along the rivers dotted with warming huts designed by artists from around the world. You can rent some skates and skate over the Rail Bridge or hold hands while skating on a lovely ice skating rink under a canopy with music in the Plaza. If you can snag a hockey stick, there are several large sheets of ice for playing pick-up ice hockey.  

In Winter, you can also play Crokicurl, a fun and surprisingly challenging game created in Winnipeg recently that combines curling and the board game Crokinole. 

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:

Kevin's Instagram
Kevin's LinkedIn
Kevin's Facebook
Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for travel videos)

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Published Poem "Christmas at Home"

Christmas at Home *

It’s Christmas time – a magical time
On Santa’s knee the children climb
To tell St. Nick their gift wish list
But Mom eavesdrops to get the gist
While the temperature outside is dropping
Dad is busy doing the Christmas shopping
Mom is in an apron.  Just smell her baking
The kids guess the presents just by shaking
Is it baby dolls, video games, or trains?
Mom hands out some candy canes
 


Grandma pours a glass of spiked egg-nog
Grandpa pokes the fire and adds another log
Grown-ups kiss under the mistletoe
While kids build snowmen in the snow
On the door hangs a pretty green wreath
The Christmas tree has presents underneath,
a special star on top, and shiny decorations
Tired children have great expectations
While they drift to sleep they hear jingle bells
Cozy and content with the thought that all is well

Kevin Strong
2008
* First published by The Taylor Trust in 2009

Kevin would like to turn this into an illustrated children's book, so if you know any artists or illustrators that might be interested, please let us know. 

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:
Kevin's Instagram
Kevin's LinkedIn
Kevin's Facebook
Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for travel videos)

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Famous people who were born or raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Many world-famous people were born or raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 

You may have heard that Paula Abdul and Justin Bieber spent time in Winnipeg as kids, but they did not go to school here or live here for extended periods. 

You also probably heard of several of the amazing people listed below depending on your hobbies and interests.

They should inspire Winnipeggers to reach for the stars because anything is possible. 

Here are just a few of the most famous and important people with a connection to Winnipeg that make us proud:

  • cancer fund-raising marathoner and Canadian hero Terry Fox,
  • Metis political leader and hero Louis Riel,
  • politician and father of Canadian Medicare Tommy Douglas,
  • business mogul and driving force behind the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Izzy Asper,
  • the bear that was the inspiration for Disney’s beloved Winnie the Pooh,
  • the man who named and designed Bugs Bunny, Charles Thorson,
  • actors Adam Beach, Len Cariou, Mimi Kuzyk, Anna Paquin and Nia Vardalos,
  • real life spy and James Bond inspiration Sir William Stephenson,
  • 2019 Nobel Prize winning physicist P. J. E. (James) Peebles,
  • musicians Neil Young, Tom Jackson, William Prince, Fresh IE, Faouzia, and Chantal Kreviazuk,
  • Irvine Robbins, founder of Baskin-Robbins,
  • Paul Faraci, creator of the Pizza Pop,
  • founders of the Harlequin Romance publishing empire, Richard and Mary Bonnycastle,
  • Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman of the Guess Who,
  • Brad Roberts of the Crash Test Dummies,
  • newscasters Ashleigh Banfield and Dawna Friesen,
  • children’s entertainers Fred Penner and Al Simmons,
  • writers David Bergen, Miriam Toews, Gabrielle Roy, Margaret Laurence, and Carol Shields,
  • award-winning filmmakers Richard Condie, Danishka Esterhazy, and Guy Maddin,
  • animator & Genie award winner Cordell Barker,
  • “Let’s Make a Deal” game show host Monty Hall,
  • TV producer (Till Debt Do U$ Part & Baroness Von Sketch) Jamie Brown,
  • escape artist Dean Gunnarson,
  • magicians Doug Henning and Darcy Oake,
  • comedian David Steinberg,
  • Olympians Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes,
  • wrestlers Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, and Rowdy Roddy Piper
  • Canadian Football League superstar Andrew Harris, and
  • current professional NHL hockey players Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp, Ryan Reaves, Travis Zajac, Mark Stone, Max Domi, and Alexander Steen.
    * This list is subjective and is not meant to be complete. There are thousands of other outstanding Winnipeggers that have made their mark on the world and are not on this list. There are many other important and famous people that were born or raised elsewhere in Manitoba that were intentionally left off this list. 
    
    ** Please comment below with any other people you feel should have been on the list. 

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:

Kevin's Instagram
Kevin's LinkedIn
Kevin's Facebook
Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for travel videos)

Thursday, November 19, 2020

5 best breakfast restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada (Vegas Hacks)


Top 5 Breakfast Restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada

Usually, we eat fast, light, and cheap for breakfast when we travel. Often, we resort to coffee shops and fast food restaurants if our hotel does not have breakfast included.  Thus, we don't really have our own favourite places to eat breakfast when we are in Las Vegas. 

We remember having good experiences with good food, large portions and low prices at a few places, but when I looked online it appears that they have permanently closed.

After doing a lot of research and hearing from Vegas fanatics online, it seems that many people prefer to have a large brunch (late breakfast) in Las Vegas. After that, I imagine they skip lunch or just have a little snack in the early afternoon and then have a large dinner. 

We are members of many Facebook groups for Las Vegas travel tips and we noticed that this question gets asked a lot, so we thought we'd do a post about the best places for breakfast in Las Vegas. Members of those groups seem to know way more than we do about breakfast and brunch specials and the best places to have breakfast in Las Vegas. Some are pretty passionate about it.


Here are the top 5 breakfast spots on the Las Vegas Strip that people seem to recommend the most (in alphabetical order):

  1. Ellis Island (just off the Strip behind Bally's) - great value
  2. Hash House A Go Go (at LINQ near Flamingo) - great food
  3. Mon Ami Gabi (at Paris) - good food and eat outside on a patio
  4. Ocean One (at Miracle Mile Shops in Planet Hollywood) - great value
  5. Peppermill (just north of Wynn) - great food and ambiance

Honourable mentions included Eggslut (in Bellagio or Cosmopolitan), HEXX (in Paris), & Pantry (in Mirage).

Another very popular breakfast restaurant is called Blueberry Hill Family Restaurant, which has 5 locations that are not on the Strip. 

Many restaurants offer unlimited Mimosas or Bloody Marys with brunch for under $15 if you want to start your drinking early. 

If you want to get suggestions for the best buffet restaurants in Las Vegas, all of which serve breakfast too, please click here

Where did you have a great breakfast or brunch on a previous trip to Las Vegas? 


Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:

Kevin's Instagram
Kevin's LinkedIn
Kevin's Facebook
Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for related travel videos)

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Short Story About Hiking Up Table Mountain "The Climb"

The Climb

By:  Kevin Strong

I’m gonna do it. 

I know it’s crazy, but I’m gonna climb that mountain.

It’s not a real “mountain” with glaciers and a tree line.  I won’t need climbing gear or a Sherpa to reach the top, but it’s still a mountain.  Even compared to the mountains that surround it, it seems more of a big hill, but it’s big enough for me.  I come from the Canadian Prairies, where a garbage heap with grass growing on top is a mountain to us.  I’ve flown south across the border on a business trip and I want a little adventure.

Yes, this is a mountain perfect for someone like me; someone who is middle-aged and out of shape.

Am I really middle-aged? Already?

I always thought middle-age started in your late-thirties and I’m closing in on 40.

I’m always trying to prove something to myself, but constantly overestimating my abilities and limitations.

Even finding the path entrance is difficult as I troll around in my rental car.  I pull over to ask some skateboarding teenagers for directions and they tell me that I can probably find the trail up a nondescript residential street. Since they live here, I wonder why they don’t know for sure because this mountain is staring every resident in the face every day. They are kind of laughing as they tell me and I’m not sure if it’s because they think I’m stupid to climb the mountain at this time of day or at my age or in my physical condition.  Maybe it’s because they are giving me the wrong directions on purpose. 

I drive until I see the side of the mountain and I park my temporary white gas-guzzler on the side of the street close to a path into the bushes.  I pause before getting out to consider whether I am really prepared for this or not.  I’m wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and runners meant for fashion (not for running).  I’m alone and I don’t really know what to expect.  No one even knows I am here.

Who cares?  What am I afraid of? 

Just do it.

I stick my cell phone in my pocket just in case.


Table Mountain still looks cool, but it appears far more imposing up close.  It has a round, flat top surrounded by sheer cliffs.  It reminds me of a larger version of the hoodoos in Drumheller or the rocky pillars you see in movies set in New Mexico or Nevada deserts.

The blue sky is dotted with a few clouds.  It’s late Autumn, so it is a bit chilly and the sparse bushes are dry and yellow like tumbleweeds.  Actually, the bushes probably always look like that because this is a high elevation desert that gets almost no precipitation.

It’s around 4:30 PM, so it should get dark soon.  A co-worker told me that the hike takes around 20-30 minutes each way so I convince myself that it should be okay.  Again, I make a mental note that there is no one visible on the path or on the mountain.  A dog in a nearby yard barks at me as if to tell me “stay away, you fool” or “beware”.  I wonder if there are any wild animals up there.  So many things could go wrong.

Who cares?  Am I a big baby or a man? 

Go for it!

The first steps are easy.  I enter a 2-foot wide path made by thousands of feet before mine.  The path is made from crushed dark red rock.  A nearby sign tells me that the rock is from a volcano erupting millions of years ago.

Oh, shit.  Are my expensive runners going to be ruined by the red dust?

I walk on.  There is a slight upward gradient, but easy enough to manage. 

As I walk, I wonder if the cell phone battery is very low.  I can’t remember for sure, but I think I would have enough power to make one last phone call if needed to 911 or even another call to my family to say good-bye as I lay dying.

I’ve done crazy shit like this before.  Like the time I went skiing down a double black diamond ski run at breakneck speed, while extremely fatigued, at the end of my first day ever skiing and could have broken my neck.  Or the time I went hiking alone in the mountains near Kananaskis, Alberta in a deserted area where I could have been attacked by a cougar or eaten by a bear.  I think we’ve all had that dream where we die from some totally avoidable situation and as we die we wonder “how stupid of me” and “what a waste.”  I hope this journey doesn’t end that way.

Oh, well.  I’ve started, so I may as well go on.

As I walk on, the slope gets steeper and the path crisscrosses horizontally across the mountain.   The path gets narrower and at certain junctions I am not sure which way represents the safe beginner’s path.  I see some obvious short cuts to save hundreds of meters of walking side to side, but my legs are starting to get tired and I don’t want to climb a steeper incline, so I stay on the widest path.  Two roads diverged on a hill, and I -  I took the one more traveled by (as usual).

Why must I walk so far in the opposite direction from my ultimate destination?  Am I even on the right path?  Get real.  What else would people climb up a mountain to see?

After 10 minutes, my breathing is getting heavy and I begin to sweat.

Already?  I am in worse physical shape than I thought.  Take deep breaths. 

Maybe there is less oxygen in the thinner air at this elevation.  I’m used to being 800 feet above sea level, but I am now more than a mile high.

My feet begin to drag and I trip over a few large rocks on the path.  I am so lazy that I don’t even try to step over those rocks anymore; I just walk around them.  I have to keep my eyes on the path now.  I can’t even enjoy the surroundings anymore.

Soon, I’m really panting like a dog in the sun and I can feel my heart pounding as if it wants to leap out of my chest. 

What if I have a heart attack?  Will I have the strength to call 911 or will the next hiker find my corpse? 

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.  They always tell you to consult a doctor before starting an exercise program and I haven’t been to a doctor in years.

I look back at the miniature model of the rental car.  I am one-third of the way up and it already seems so far below.  I see two people walking near the car and I hope that they are going to climb up after me.  At least then, if I have a heart attack or slip and break my ankle or back, I can call out to them and they’ll find me quickly.  That is all the reinforcement that my will needed.  If they can do it, so can I.

I move forward; one foot after the other. 

Keep on trucking. 

This is way harder than a step machine or inclined treadmill at the gym, but at least I am breathing fresh air and there’s a breeze to cool me down.  Well, the air is fresh except for the smell of malt in the air from the brewery below.

I’m almost halfway up and I see a small bench and a sign telling me that I am leaving the “open recreation area”.  Now, I take a seat so that my shaking legs can rest while my speeding heart slows down.  However, from this point forward it is clear that I am proceeding at my own risk. 

It’s getting a bit colder and darker and I will have to hurry if I want to get to the top and down again safely.  After a few heavenly minutes, I decide to move on. 

I plod up the narrowing path and come to some areas that are slippery and hard to ascend because of the steeper angles combined with loose dust and rocks.  I guess it’s time to get my hands dirty and climb like a gorilla on all fours. 


I climb up some walls through a narrow crevasse and I am surprised at how easily I handle this tough part of my journey.  I never was good at rock climbing on those rock climbing walls, maybe because the harness removes the risk and prevents the adrenaline and survival instinct from kicking in.

I finally reach the top only to find that I am still 700 meters away from the peak, so I walk on.  There are many paths that seem to lead to the summit, so I scan them to find the one that seems to be the least distance and effort.  My second wind has come and I march on at a nice pace.

Near the peak, someone has been nice enough to install concrete steps leading to the summit.  The summit has a flat top and it looks like a giant helicopter pad. 

As I am about to climb the steps, one of the other hikers jogs past me to the top with little effort and no sweat.  I wish that I was in that kind of shape.  Oh, well.  At least I made it.  His goals and expectations are a little higher than mine. I theorize that he may have taken a much easier route to get here up an access road on another side of the mountain, but it’s probably wishful thinking.

I make quick work of the steps too.  At the top, there is nothing.  No signs, benches, drink machines, or garbage cans.  It looks like the inside of a volcano.  All I see is dusty red sand.  There are no plants and there are even a few mini-craters scattered around. 

I wander dangerously close to the edge to peer down.  A strong gust of wind blows hard enough to move my considerable mass, but thankfully it blows be back and not forward.  My sanity returns and I crawl to the edge and lie on my stomach to look down the steep, high cliff.  I realize that a fall would have been fatal (and still would be), so I back up five feet from the edge and survey the small, charming Golden town below. A few lights are on and the people in tiny cars are heading home from work for a nice dinner.

Unfortunately, there is not much of a sunset to view with all the mountains around getting in the way.


Hey, look at me.

I wave my arms wildly in the air in case anyone below is looking at the peak at this exact moment.  I am certain that lots of people are looking because I have looked at the peak many times myself in the past few days and I have seen people at the top.  I wanted to feel what they felt and now I am here.  I feel tired.  I feel proud, but lucky to be uninjured.  I breathe deeply and look at the surrounding mountains.  I finally allow myself to feel a tiny bit of exhilaration, but I quickly wonder how I am going to get back down.

I think about my life and how lucky I am to have a good job and a wonderful, loving family. I can’t wait to get home and see my beautiful wife and two precious, amazing kids. My business traveling is never easy on any of us.

I feel gratitude to my parents for helping me become the person I am and make a mental note to visit them when I get home. Sometimes life gets in the way of cherished relationships.

I ponder the symbolism of this climb and the steps along the way.

At what stage of this journey is my life? Am I just starting out, with little idea of what lies in front of me? Am I still climbing and striving and looking for ways to reach the summit of my career, my personal interests, my family and my marriage?  Am I “over the hill”? What parts of my life have plateaued with nowhere to go but down? Once I peak in various aspects of my life, will the descent be slow and easy or hard, fast & painful? Do I always take what appears to be the easiest path? What risks would I take to reach a higher summit? Do I have the energy and ambition?

It is now much colder and windier.  It is starting to get dark, so the treacherous parts of the path will be hard to see.  In my fatigued state, I can easily misstep and go for a tumble. 

I sit for a few minutes more and decide it is time to go.  I wish I could leave a mark behind to prove that I was here.  I don’t want to desecrate such a natural beauty by carving my initials in the rocks, so I go on my cell phone and update my facebook status to tell the world that I am at the top of a mountain.  I casually notice that the battery is almost half full, which removes one of my worries.  Then, I simply get up and walk down the stairs.

The second hiker is now arriving and both of them are at the top.  It’s weird, but I thought they’d acknowledge me or say “hi”.  I am sure that they do this simple climb every day for exercise, which I admire.  I wonder if they feel exhilaration or gratitude for being unhurt as I did.  Probably not.

I am a bit worried about my descent, so I walk close to the edge to try to find a shortcut down.  Down is supposed to be easier than up, right?  What goes up must come down and all that.  I see several paths leading over the edge. 

I explore one of them, the apparent lesser of several evils.  I even climb down a small 10-foot cliff to a narrow ledge.   I peek over the edge and see a sheer wall at least 30 feet high.  I can’t imagine how anyone could climb up or down without proper rock-climbing gear.  I am in a hurry and I foolishly think I can keep going down.

Why not?  Others surely have done it.  I’ve gone this far.  Go down or go up?  Down or up? 

I shimmy down the ledge to try to find an easier way to climb back UP to where I started 10 feet above me.  That tells you a bit about me.  I am glad to see a few rocks to grab and use as footholds.  I hug the rock close to my body and climb slowly and carefully because I worry that I don’t have the skill or strength to climb back up and I know that if I fall I will break something.  In my mind, I constantly replay a movie clip of myself falling and breaking different parts of my body.  It’s not like my whole life flashes in front of my eyes, but I have visions of my wife and kids during some good times back home.  Motivation.  My laziness and rush to get down has put me in real danger.  After a few exacerbating slips, I get to the top.  I feel happy, but also tired from the stress and exertion. 

I walk a bit further and try another shortcut with similar results.  I shake my head and laugh out loud at how stupid I am being.  I am being too risky.  I don’t have a harness to protect me. 

How much time have I already wasted on these deadly dead ends? How much time in my life has been spent exploring dead ends and making and correcting wrong decisions?

I don’t exactly remember how I got up here in the first place.  I follow the edge until I see a familiar crevasse.  This terrain looks harder to descend than climb.  I slip on some loose rocks and fall back on my keester, which is much better than rolling down the slope. The next time I slip and fall, I reach back to break my fall only to grab small cactus plants with both hands.  Ouch!  I take a few minutes to pluck out the needles, but I can’t get them all.

Going down is not as easy as I thought, so I slide most of the way on my ass.  I know it is degrading and nothing to be proud of, but it is safer, especially now that it has rapidly become dark.

I get more confident with my footing as I get closer to the bottom and I actually jog down in places.  I take many of the shortcuts down that I was too lazy to take on the way up.  

The dog barks nearby as if to say “welcome home, you ignorant fool”. 

Funny. I feel just as much exhilaration knowing I am safely at the bottom as I felt at the summit.  There has got to be a guardian angel watching over me.  The mini-mountain must have been in a good mood today.

I get in the car and drive away none the wiser.  I think I’ll have Mexican food with a nice green chili sauce for dinner.

* First published in the Write to Move Anthology by the Winnipeg Trails Association.


Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:
Kevin's Instagram
Kevin's LinkedIn
Kevin's Facebook
Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for related travel videos)

PS - For a shorter read with vivid description of a creek at sunset in late summer, check out this poem: