Northland adventures

Hobbits aren’t the only ones who get to enjoy New Zealand’s amazing landscapes. In October, we took up lodging in Ahipara, about 4 hours northwest of Auckland, in the remote Northland. Ahipara is a surfing destination, a bit boring, but it’s a great base for exploring far more interesting and beautiful places up thataway.

Asleep in Seattle

Just got back from a lovely trip to Seattle. It was my fourth visit to the gray city, but probably the first time I really had a memorable stay. The difference between this and previous visits is that I was sleep-deprived and burnt out from work — two conditions that make a very unhappy and…