After that amazing experience in Boulder, I imagined that no other city experience could come close. In terms of all the wonderful human connections, that may have turned out to be true, but in terms of natural splendor, I was pleasantly surprised by autumn’s glory in another new-to-me city, the town of Galesburg, Illinois (population just under 30,000).
I enjoyed a pleasant overnight train ride from Denver—after unfortunately getting soaked in an unexpected rainstorm right on the way to the train station—and arrived in Galesburg in the late morning of October 28th.
I hadn’t been able to find any Servas or other hosts in this area, so I booked a hotel just north of town for two nights, since the following day I was to take the train to Quincy for a day trip with my bike.
After arriving on the train, I walked across the street and enjoyed a healthy snack of tabouli at Cornucopia Natural Market and Deli, an all-vegetarian, locally owned natural foods store. From the deli, I called the hotel to see if they could receive me early, since it was now noon and my check-in time was scheduled for 3:00. I was happy to hear that they could accommodate that. I headed out on my bike in pleasant mid-50s weather… but within the 30 minutes it took me to get there, I got soaked in another sudden rainstorm.
Admittedly I was not thrilled to be so drenched, especially because when the woman who checked me into the hotel caught sight of my rig, she made me wait another half hour for them to prepare another room for me, so that my bike wouldn’t sully their carpets.
Eventually, however, I got into the room and dried out my clothes (thank goodness for fast-drying synthetics!) and within an hour, the rain had stopped and the sun was breaking through the clouds. This was my one daylight opportunity to experience Galesburg, and I could see on the map that there was a nature park nearby.
I pedaled out toward it, finding myself mostly in rather drab, open-prairie surroundings. But as I neared Lake Storey Park, the scenery changed dramatically. I entered a magical October wooded wonderland!
Here are the photos from that several-mile ride through the park. What a thoroughly satisfying excursion.
Next up: another beautiful bike path in Quincy!
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Boulder had been on my list of cities to visit for close to 20 years.
I finally made it there, and I had one of the most perfect experiences of a city in my life.
The weather was perfect. (Not before nor after my time there! But consistently during it. Warm and sunny.)
The people were amazing. I stayed with two Servas couples (shoutout to Leslie & Sam and Erin & Eric!) and also met up with a Servas “day host” (shoutout to Alan!) all of whom were incredibly warm and welcoming. In fact, Erin and Eric hosted an impromptu dinner party the night I arrived, and invited Leslie and Sam, my previous hosts, whom they had not met. We all had a wonderful time and great conversation, and one of the other dinner guests is now seriously considering joining Servas.
Also, Alan is now in the process of organizing a local Boulder-area Servas hosts meetup! I love to see all this networking, and I love that I got to be a part of it by raving to each host(s) about the others. I hope that Servas hosts/members in other cities can also find ways to get together amongst each other. They are always such interesting people, but often meet only the guests they host, and/or the hosts they stay with as guests in other locations.
By the way, if you are reading this, and enjoy either hosting travelers and/or staying with local hosts when you travel, I highly encourage you to consider joining Servas. You can read more about it at the link, but it is an international peace-and-justice nonprofit founded in Europe in 1949, in the wake of WWII, with the explicit mission of helping people to get to know each other—especially across international borders—with the goal of preventing future wars. The joining process includes an application, letters of reference, and an in-person interview, and yearly dues of $33 (US—I assume it is comparable in other countries). The hosts I have met have been consistently warm, passionate about life, interesting and fun to talk with, and well traveled.
Another thing I loved about Boulder was its bike-friendliness! Of course Portland is also well known for that, but the way the two cities approach it is different. Much of Portland’s bicycle infrastructure consists of bike lanes along streets and roads. In Boulder, almost all of it is on wide, usually paved, car-free paths. One can get almost anywhere in town by bike within about 20 minutes, and with very minimal interaction with auto traffic. Like Denver, there were many scenic creekside underpasses, which always delighted me with the sunlight and splendor of nature’s color on the far side as I rode through.
And in general, the scenery in Boulder took my breath away. I missed the aspens (too late in the season) but yellow trees were everywhere, both in town and on the couple of excursions I took on the edges of town.
I’ll walk you through the photos:
The cover photo is one of the most dramatic pics from the day I was stopped on my bike in a park, looking at the map on my phone to decide where to go, when a cyclist who introduced himself as Leslie pulled up and said, “Oh, a Brompton!” (This would become quite a theme. Not only does Leslie’s wife own a Brompton, but so does my Servas day host Alan—pic to follow later in this blog! And when Alan and I met up for our bike ride at a coffee shop, another Brompton rider happened to pull up at just that moment. Later, after that ride, as I was heading back to Erin and Eric’s place, a man rolled by me on the bike path next to the creek, pedaling a pedicab with two elderly ladies in front as passengers. When he rolled by my bike, he paused and asked, “Is that a Brompton?” Turns out he has one too. The funniest/most interesting part was, each time I talked about the bike with one of these various folks, they claimed they rarely if ever see Bromptons in Boulder!)
Anyway, when Leslie found me in the park, we got to talking. First, he suggested I someday visit Reston, Virginia, where he grew up, since it was a planned city and he said the bike paths there are many and beautiful, winding through lots of wooded areas. Some of you will know—although of course he did not until I told him—that I also grew up near Reston (that’s where my orthodontist was) and I will be visiting the area within a few weeks! In fact, the niece of my friend Ron, with whom I had lunch in Denver, is my “Portland” friend Michelle, who now lives in Reston! I’m looking forward to seeing her when I’m in the area… and now I know to also factor in some time to ride the bike paths! (Last time I did so was in 2019, when I biked through Reston on the 45-mile Washington & Old Dominion [W&OD] bike path, also with Michelle’s help—read that blog post if you want to hear about more amazing serendipities!)
Leslie then suggested that I explore a particular bike path on the southern edge of Boulder. He started explaining how I could get there, but although I tried to be polite, smiling and nodding, inwardly my eyes were glazing over because I knew I’d never be able to remember his instructions. We kept talking, though, and finally he said, “Why don’t I just lead you there? It’s not far from where I’m going. Follow me!”
That was one of the early indicators of Boulder magic. He biked me for about five or ten minutes—thankfully, because indeed, I would not have figured out that route on my own—and dropped me off at the start of a well-graded gravel path that snaked a few miles through stunning grassland, with lovely turning trees along the creek and the ubiquitous yet breathtaking mountains in the backdrop.
The next few photos are from my initial ride from the bus stop in downtown Boulder to Leslie and Sam’s house on the east edge of town. I could hardly believe my eyes as I pedaled in that afternoon light. (Oh, and it is worth mentioning that the bus from Denver to Boulder—a comfortable coach with plenty of room underneath for my rig, and a driver willing to help me load and unload it—cost only $2.75 each way! The one-way ride was nearly an hour. A similar journey from Portland to Salem, via a similar bus provided by Amtrak, costs me $10 each way.)
The next few photos depict some of the sights I saw in town. The first was the Dushanbe Teahouse. I’ll let the photo and hyperlink fill you in on the amazing details if you’re curious, but it is a beautiful landmark in downtown Boulder, gifted to the city by people in their sister city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. There at the teahouse, I met up with Elizabeth, a local friend of my Portland friend Cheri, and we had a deep and delightful conversation (an in-person magical meeting!) as we enjoyed our meal at an outdoor table next to the creek.
I took the next photo on the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder (“CU”) right in the center of town. What an absolutely gorgeous campus. I could scarcely believe my eyes when I found this peaceful bench on which to rest and gaze upon this bridge and reflection.
Next up is a fun one: the Mork and Mindy house! It is listed on Google Maps as a landmark, so I decided to swing by and see it. I hadn’t remembered the house looking like that on the series, but when I checked the credits on YouTube, sure enough, that was it!
At another point, I visited the local cat café, Purrfect Pause! They have adopted out more than 600 cats since their founding in May 2022, and the café has capacity for up to 20 cats at a time. There were ten when I arrived, and I enjoyed meeting and interacting with all of them. In the interest of limiting the flood of photos in this post, I am keeping it to two, showing four cats, but you can trust that all the others were equally adorable.
When I met up with Alan at the coffee shop on the pedestrian Pearl Street Mall, he took me for a beautiful ride into the Boulder Canyon Trail, on the west edge of town. We stopped short of scaling the peak, but the scenery along the trail was incredible.
The next couple of photos are from local parks where I walked or biked; I loved the early-day sun on the uphill one, and the late-day light on the other.
In closing, I wanted to share two photos from a sunset excursion Leslie generously insisted on taking me to—by car, thankfully, because, oof, what an elevation!—a spectacular viewpoint called Lost Gulch Lookout. It was the perfect way to close out my incredibly perfect experience of a new city.
If you ever get a chance to go to Boulder, do it!
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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!
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Hello! I’m writing to you from Boulder, Colorado. My first time here, and it has been absolutely incredible! I’ll make a post about Boulder soon, but meanwhile, I’ve been having such an amazing time that I realized I hadn’t yet posted about my breathtaking train ride from Truckee to Denver, nor a few scenic shots from my two days so far in Denver. (I’ll have one more day there tomorrow, before I depart on the train for Illinois.)
So, here is a brief photo essay of that train trip. We went through Nevada, Utah, and the Colorado Rockies. I had some great conversations, as usual, in the lounge and dining car, while watching the natural wonders go by.
In Denver, I spent two nights with wonderful Servas hosts Kellie and John, who live in a cohousing community called Hearthstone. I got to meet a number of their neighbors—human, feline, and canine—and even got to attend one of their regular community meals in the common house.
I had a bit of drama when I dropped my phone and shattered the screen on my way to their place (oof! $150 and some stress as I feared the phone’s “guts” might have been affected too) but was able to get a speedy repair just a block away from the beautiful Sloan Lake Park, so while I waited that hour, I pedaled around the park and rested on some scenic benches. Here are some of the photos I took on my second lap, after retrieving the repaired phone.
Although I seem to have missed the seasonal window for aspens (so glad I got that chance in Lake Tahoe!) Denver did not disappoint with many glorious yellow trees. Here is one of the best.
While in Denver I got a chance to meet up with my friend Ron for lunch at longstanding vegetarian spot City O’ City, and afterward, on my way to Union Station to catch my bus to Boulder, I got to experience the beautiful bike paths along the river, with gorgeous color and light bursting forth from underpass after underpass. I’ve been so blessed with beautiful weather here in Colorado.
Stay tuned for Boulder pics!
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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!
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Today was No Kings Day, throughout the United States. I was disappointed not to be able to take part in the events, because I boarded the train just before the Truckee event started. However, my Servas hosts Roz and Russ went straight from dropping me off at the station to the event with their signs, and later reported that the event went wonderfully. I’m including a picture of their signs (and Roz’s ingenous way of attaching them to a Swiffer mop for easy carryability and swivelability—check it out for your future protest sign opportunities!)
I’m seeing in my Facebook feed that many other cities—including Portland, of course!—had wonderful, well attended marches and rallies as well. Many of you turned out for them, and I loved seeing the pics of your faces and signs. It heartens me to see this defiance of authoritarianism and support of immigrants’ rights, as well as the joy and creativity that so many people across the nation are bringing to the resistance. Let’s keep up the pressure, as well as the love, joy, creativity, and community building. Goodness knows we all need it.
I’m on the train now, about to stop in Elko, Nevada at about 8:30 pm. My next destination, at 6:30 Mountain Time tomorrow, will be Denver. I’m looking forward to it!
But first! OMG. These past 48 hours were my first time in Truckee, California and Lake Tahoe, and the natural beauty was truly mind-boggling.
Roz and Russ were wonderful hosts. They picked me up at the train station, drove me to their stunning lakeside (Donner Lake) home; took me to a local museum where I learned more about the history of the area, including the tragic story of the Donner Party; took me up to the peak of the nearby mountain where we could look down on Donner Lake; and shared a wonderful dinner with me.
The next day, we marveled at the morning mist on the lake as the sun rose in the sky. This was the view from their back deck.
Then, we set out for Lake Tahoe. The lake itself was breathtaking, and we stopped at several places around it, including a picnic lunch at Sugar Pine Point State Park, where we walked down to the water’s edge and I got to see how staggeringly clear it is.
On the way back, we happened upon a brilliant stand of golden aspens. I had been really looking forward to seeing aspens in Colorado (and I hope the season will line up so that I will be able to) but this was a wonderful preview.
Then this morning, Russ took me out on a bike ride through a nearby neighborhood, which was absolutely beautiful. All the pines and boulders in the area make for a rugged aesthetic that the 1930s and ‘40s housing stock blended into perfectly. (Lots of log cabins and A-frames.)
The weather cooperated wonderfully as well. It gets cold early in the season at that elevation (~6000 ft/1830 m) and they had had a dusting of snow the day before my arrival. But by the time I arrived, the warm sunshine had melted it, and highs were in the 60s F (around 15-20 C) and with the direct sun at that elevation, it felt at times almost too warm!
If you’ve never visited this area, I encourage you to put it on your list. (And take the train to get there! Also stunning!)
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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!
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Want to support my vision financially? I am in a continual process of manifesting $50,000 per year in lieu of a “salary” for the unconventional work I do in the world. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)
Wow. My month here in Roseville is nearly up! My last blog post was three weeks ago. At that time, I was still getting settled.
My time here has been refreshing and restorative, and during this period I have been fortunate to have had a number of magical meetings, both in person with several locals, and by video or phone with other friends and contacts in far-flung locales.
To be honest, though, it’s also been a bit emotionally challenging, because although my material surrounds here are wonderful, and the six kitties are adorable, the outside world continues to roil, and it’s impossible to escape the many and various reverberations of that. Some of this time, I admit I have found myself stuck on the couch all day, bewildered and disheartened by it all.
I am heartened, however, by the frogs and unicorns, naked bicyclists, and suchlike in Portland. I’m not there to join them, but it warms my heart to see the denizens of my chosen city show up to counter this authoritarian regime with love, creativity, and absurdity.
Although I didn’t do a lot of active exploring here, I do have a whole month’s worth of photos built up! Sorry for the volume (and trust me, I culled many others, including some more adorable ones of these kitties!)
I’ll write a bit to explain them.
First, the felines! In order of appearance, please meet Katy, Mac, Luey, Lula, Tessa, and Charlie. (Mac, Lula, and Luey are littermates—you’ll notice the uncanny resemblance.)
Charlie is enjoying the persimmon tree in the magical “garden of Eden” here. Nancy and Kirk are amazing gardeners, and I’ve been enjoying many snacks, and even whole meals, from the fruits and vegetables I’ve found in that garden.
Beyond the household, within a five-mile bike ride, are Folsom Lake and various other oak-savannah natural spaces. The autumn skies have provided a beautiful backdrop to this classic California scenery.
In one case, I even encountered a group of turkeys!
There is a 35-mile mile bike path that stretches from Folsom Lake all the way into Old Town Sacramento (where the Amtrak station is.) I never felt up to the task of riding the whole length while I was here, but one day I did explore a segment of it, and was rewarded with views of the American River and Folsom Dam.
One day, I made a driving excursion all the way north to a quirky old mining town called Nevada City. There I met with a fellow (former) traveling pet sitter, Mariah, with whom I had had a video magical meeting before leaving Portland. Unfortunately, we didn’t think to get a pic together, but she took me on a lovely forest hike, even crossing a suspension bridge.
After that, just a few miles away, I met up with a Servas host named Shirley who lives in the area. I am so glad she suggested meeting up at the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Rail Museum! We got an hour-long guided tour exploring the history and infrastructure of train and other transportation in this gold rush community, and got to see two passenger railcars—one that had taken five years to refurbish beautifully, and another that was in the midst of its own four-year reburbishment. We also got to see—and even sit in—a wood-fired steam engine!
This month has been a lovely “soft landing” beginning to my rail journey around the US. From now on, my stints will be shorter, and I will be mostly staying with hosts, similar to how I traveled during my year of travels a few years ago. In a few days, I will be moving on to Truckee, California, where I will be staying with a Servas host couple, and I hope to be able to visit Lake Tahoe for my first time! (The weather looks sunny and not too chilly—fingers crossed that holds.) After that, I will continue on to Denver and Boulder, then several towns in Illinois.
I hope you are all taking good care of yourselves, and taking whatever actions you feel called to take. I’ll plan to check back in after Truckee.
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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free, no-strings one-hour phone or video call with me!
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Want to support my vision financially? I am in a continual process of manifesting $50,000 per year in lieu of a “salary” for the unconventional work I do in the world. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons, contributors, and godfunders!)
