This is the last time we will wind the clock, And we can watch it tick down ’til it stops. The face reports the final time in lock Being one of remembrance’s props. Until that moment, we’ll ignore the tick That reminds us of the limited time. Instead, we will play on our ears, a trick Of covering sound with a happy chime. No matter how much noise that we can make, The reminder will hover in our mind Because time holds all the power to take, Leaving only out memories behind. Let’s make the most out of each passing tock By not paying attention to that clock.
The afternoon is starting to wind down As the sun gets reflected in the pond, Dancing off, its sparkles will never drown Until it sets, breaking its final bond. I find a park bench somewhere in the shade Where I open up the weight of a story, Losing myself in the action that’s played, Consuming its theme in all its glory. Couples holding hands enjoy their own tale, Believing the curtain will never close. I hope that the comedy will prevail Just as the breeze over the still pond blows. You could not ask for a more perfect night, The ones filled with a summer-like delight.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite times of the year was the last day of school. The feeling of freedom that came from that moment was exciting. I did not know what adventures the summer months held while the plans I made to make sure that I got the most out of my time were often ambitious and could never be accomplished. I am sure that many students have felt the same way that I did, and this is the reason that summer still holds a special place in our hearts still today.
Oddly enough, another of my favorite times of the year came at the end of the summer when I would return back to school. The ambitions of summer would never come to fruition, and though the imposing thought of sitting in a school desk loomed ever larger on the horizon, I would welcome those moments with the same kind of excitement that I had at the beginning of the summer. I don’t know why I got excited about both of these opposing moments of a young man’s year, but I did. It might have had something to do with a change of pace and being ready to take on the challenges that that change presented to me.
When I grew older and graduated from college, I joined the working class, and soon realized that this feeling that came from the beginning and end of summer did not hold as much significance. I was no longer given that time off, and the daily grind of my work life just continued on with the difference being that the days were now hotter and I did not want to go outside. In fact, I started to dread this time of the year because of this. It was the fall and spring months that started to get me excited about the world around me, and once again it might have been because the demonstrated a time of change instead of the same old boring routine.
Of course, all of this changed since I have gone back to academia, and have taken a job as a teacher. The joy that I used to feel at the beginning of summer once again returned. There was a similar reason to it, but the main one being that I could unwind from a busy school year so I could be ready for the next one. Of course, there have always been big plans for the summer, but my ambition switched from getting the most out of my time to finding a place where I could relax and just take in the time that was given to me.
Summer became even more exciting when I took my talents and started teaching internationally. When I was working as a teacher in the States, we always took a couple of weeks to travel to the Pacific Northwest to visit family, and every once in a while, we went off of the beaten path that we always took to explore other parts of the United States. Though I still come back to the United States every summer to visit family, I get the opportunity to take a couple of weeks at the beginning or end of the summer to explore a corner of the world that I have never seen before. I would have never thought that when the ambition of my youth was combined with adulthood, I would be able to accomplish those goals that I set out to do at the beginning of the summer. At the same time, it would also be the relaxation I would need to be able to get back in front of the class and have the energy to teach for one more year.
Now that we have reached the month of August and the joys of summer are starting to wind down, do I still feel the same sense of excitement that I did in my younger days for the beginning of school? Yes, of course I do. It is that sense of change that I seem to love so much except it is a little different now than when I was a student. I do enjoy getting back to my home after a long time away, and being able to see all of my friends again. I also like no longer having to live out of suitcase, and having my own space again.
I love all of the travels I have been able to experience this summer, and I appreciate you coming along for the ride. I also enjoy having that time to be able to spend with family and friends as I think of it as one of the most important things we can do as people. That is where the joy of life truly comes. But as they say in the real world, it is time pay the bills. It is time to get back to work. I am just lucky that I enjoy my job and it gives me time to have a lifestyle like the one that I have.
So as I close the door on another summer, I am glad to take this moment of reflection and look at all of the places I have been and the people I have seen. I look forward to my next adventure though it may be a little ways away. I hope that you can join me for it when that time comes along.
I know that I usually do not talk about hotels on my voyages. That is because I usually do not spend a lot of time in the hotel, so I generally do not stay in the fanciest of places, so I do not think that you would be interested in what I have to say about them. This was not the case when I stayed at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon. The hotel might not be as luxurious as some of the more modern hotels out there, but considering it was built in 1904 and is still considered one of the more luxurious hotels in Oregon, it is worth talking about.
The most impressive aspect of the hotel is that it sits on a tree filled cliff overlooking the Columbia River with many places to settle down and enjoy the views. Hood River is known as the world’s windsurfing capitol, so while sitting out and enjoying the views, you can watch people on the river participating in this activity. It does get hot there during the summertime, but there is a constant breeze blowing down the gorge that makes sitting in the shade pleasant during most times during the day.
The grounds have their own particular charm. On the back side of the hotel there are forested grounds that feature a waterfall; whereas, the front of the hotel has more well-maintained grounds that could be used for weddings. These include things such as a dance floor, a stone structure that would be perfect for pictures, and even a bocci ball pit and a horseshoe lawn.
The rooms are not as modern as you might find in other hotels, but they are still very comfortable with amazing views of the Columbia Gorge. It also offers all of the modern conveniences that you expected from a hotel with a huge closet, a big bathroom, and a refrigerator. You won’t even have to leave the hotel for dinner and breakfast because the hotel has a great restaurant. Many people who do not even stay at the hotel come to the place just to eat the great food and enjoy the views at the restaurant.
It is not often that I talk about a hotel. Most of the time, for me, a hotel is just a place to drop my stuff off while I am exploring the world. Every once in a while there is a hotel that is a destination in itself, and the Columbia Gorge Hotel is such a place. I am glad that I spent a day there hanging out.
Until next time, continue to find those special places for yourself.
It is strange that I spend so much time looking for the big tourist destinations around the world, but as soon as I get back to the United States, I don’t even think about looking for them. What is even more strange is that when I am back in the United States, I am usually in Colorado, and Oregon, two of the states where there are so many natural wonders to visit that people come from all over the world to check them out. Well, I made an effort to go and see one of these wonders while I was in Oregon this summer, Multnomah Falls.
Multnomah Falls is a 600 foot waterfall in the Columbia Gorge about an hour’s drive down I-84 from Portland. It is absolutely amazing, and one of the easiest sights in the world to get to. There is a quick pull out from the highway, and then a fifteen minute walk to view this impressive sight. It is a wonder that I have not stopped before this trip with all of the times I have driven by it.
The parking lot has limited space, and you do need to reserve a space before you go. This is not too difficult even during the more congested times late in the morning and early in the afternoon. The parking spot is supposed to last for only an hour, but I did not see anybody checking to make sure that you did not abuse this, so I do not know how strictly they follow this rule. And even if you take the mile hike all the way to the top of the falls, you should not need more than an hour to explore all that this sight has to offer. It costs only two dollars to park as well, and that is per car, and not person, so it is really worth the price. I also do not feel bad paying that knowing the money goes towards maintaining the path and sight to make it beautiful for everybody that comes to visit.
It is a great stop on a section of highway that is filled with amazing views and quirky little towns. I will warn you that it gets pretty busy during the peak hours, but if you plan to arrive early in the morning or later in the afternoon the crowds aren’t as big, and you have more of the feeling that the place is all yours. I am glad that I have finally made it out to this spot, and I will continue to find other great spots for you to visit.
Until next time, keep exploring, and see what is out there in the world.
I went to go see the Avett Brothers at Hayden Homes Amphitheater in Bend, Oregon last night. It has been a couple of years since I have seen a show, and it was great to see live music again. I was a little spoiled growing up in Denver. I had the opportunity to see many shows up at Red Rocks Amphitheater and it was back at a time when concert tickets were more affordable. Now, I have a hard time justifying spending that much money on a show, but I am glad that I did to see the Avett Brothers. They were a lot of fun; they are great musicians; and I love the way they harmonize.
But after the show, I realized that I had only taken one picture during the whole show, and that was because I got a text from my sister right before the show started, and I wanted to show her where I was at the time. At first, I thought it was a little uncharacteristic of me. Every time I go to a new place, I take tons of photos, and I have to scroll through them to share the best one with you. But this time I only took one.
It was not like I did not see other people taking people who were taking pictures during the show. Hayden Homes Amphitheater is a great location with a pretty setting, especially when the sun starts to set. There were people posing as a group with the stage in the background. There were people trying to take good pictures of the Avett Brothers during their set even though I think they might have been too far away to get a good picture. There was even one guy in front of me that recorded the Avett Brothers singing all of “I and Love and You”. But I took one picture.
It wasn’t until after the show, and I thought about the guy recording a whole song that I contemplated why I didn’t take so many pictures. If I had taken pictures, would it have changed the way I enjoyed to show. Would I have been so busy trying to get a great picture, or record the music just right, that I would not have enjoyed the concert during their performance? Am I better off just storing this moment as a memory instead of collecting the memory on my phone?
I think that me just enjoying the show was the better option. By not worrying about taking pictures, I was able to really immerse myself in the experience, and get the most out of the concert. Yes, that guy who recorded that whole song is probably at home right now watching it again and is proud that at any time he could bring up that memory, but I don’t think he was able to really feel the impact of the song in the moment because he was too busy making sure he recorded the song just right. I will always be able to go back to that song any time I hear it again, and I will relive the feeling of the moment when that happens. I think that feeling is more important than the recording, and it is probably the reason that I did not even consider taking more pictures at the show.
Phones are great and have the changed the way we live, but they might not always be the thing we should go to when living an experience. I am glad that I put my phone down and enjoyed the Avett Brothers, and I hope that the next time you find yourself in a similar experience, you do the same thing.
The first thing that Americans think of when you tell them that you are going to visit Georgia is Atlanta. I don’t blame them for thinking this way. Before I spent a lot of my time traveling around the world, it would be the first place that I would think about as well. But there is an older Georgia out there with a greater history, and is worth traveling more than the one that people automatically think of.
This part of the world has been inhabited since before prehistoric times. It has some of the oldest recorded culture of anywhere in the world, and the thing they are most famous for is their wine. They have been producing this drink for over 8,000 years, and they have not changed the process of how they do this either. Instead of letting the wine sit in oak barrels for a couple of years, Georgians make their wine in big clay vessels that they bury into the ground to let the grapes they have crushed to ferment there. It creates a completely unique wine that you cannot find anywhere else in the world.
But is not just the wine that should bring you to this small country on the Black Sea. They have also not shied away from the craft beer revolution that the world is experiencing right now. There are many tasty beers that can be found all over the country that compliment the amazing food that you can find there as well. There is no other food in the world that I have found that is like Georgian food. They have unique salads inspired from the Greek islands, rich meat dishes with amazing sauces that would rival anything created in France, a bread and cheese dish that is cooked with an egg that might be one of the most amazing things I’ve ever had, and khinkali, a type of meat dumpling that has a very specific way of eating it. If you don’t come out here for the wine or beer, the food is another great draw to this charming country.
There are also all of the puppies. Georgia is a dog-loving country. They take very good care of their dogs, and it does not matter where you roam in the country, you will find them hanging out, and enjoying the country as much as the tourists and citizens. The government does a great job of taking care of the dogs as well. They bring them in and tag them and then return them to their neighborhood so they can live a happy and content life with the people they share the neighborhood with.
It is hard to travel around the country, and not notice the Soviet influence when this place used to belong to the Soviet Union. There are some buildings that were designed for practical purposes and not for an aesthetic design. They are interesting to see, but are also easily avoidable as they reside in the more modern parts of the bigger cities. These cities still have enough of the old character and charm that you can avoid the modern parts altogether if you wish.
But it is the statues, and the strange monuments along the way that really highlight the Soviet occupation and how much of an influence that is on Georgia. There are leftover monuments to that era all over the place, and it is interesting to see how they were used to bring Georgia into harmony with the Soviet world view. Though these are still around the current feeling towards Russia and its move to take back those lands that it lost during the fall of their communistic ideals is completely different.
There is no love for Russia among the common people in Georgia. They are not happy with the way Putin has tried to annex Ukraine with the on-going war. They do not appreciate the way how Russia has planted people sympathetic to its goals into the Georgian government. They hate the way that Russia has control of over twenty percent of the country. They fear that they will be next after Putin has completed his campaign over Ukraine. It is interesting to see the anti-Russian graffiti all over Tbilisi, or the signs walking into establishments clearly explaining their viewpoints and your expected compliance to those viewpoints.
Despite this sentiment expressed often within the country, it does not end up being the focus of the people who live there all the time. Most of the Georgian I was lucky enough to meet and interact with were friendly, proud of their nation, and willing to tell me more about it. For the most part, the younger generation was fluent in English, and communication was never a serious problem with them. It was a little different story with the older generation who grew up under the rule of the Soviet Union, but this has to be expected. Even with this language barrier, we were still able to communicate well enough to understand one another.
Georgia is definitely ready to be a worldwide tourist destination. The people are friendly. The infrastructure is in place. The food and wine are amazing. Their is a deep and rich history that is fun to explore. Most of the tourists that I encountered either came from Eastern Europe, or India, so there are a lot of people that do not seem to know about this little jewel on the Black Sea. It was a fun place to explore and I want to come back and explore more of it.
It is a quirky place that is unique in its place on the tourist circuit, but at the same time, it is an easy choice. From certain places in the world, it is not an easy trip to get to, but it is worth the voyage to make it there. The beauty and charm of this small country is one of the best travel experiences I have ever had, and part of the reason for that might be because I have made it out here before the rest of the world finds out about it. But with more people going out there, and more posts like this, it will only be a short matter of time before it is discovered. I would recommend making the voyage out there before that changes because it could be your little treasured experience as well.
Until next time, keep on going out and seeking those adventures.
Sometimes when I am traveling, I spend so much time seeing what a town has to offer that I miss one of the bigger, more exciting features just outside of the city. Tbilisi has just one of these structures, the Chronicles of Georgia. Out on Keeni Hill just north of the city stands this massive structure of Stonehenge like pillars. It is hard to miss when you start traveling out that way, and it just begs to be visited.
The structure looks like it comes from a time before, but in reality, it is a relatively newer monument. Construction of the Chronicles started in 1985, and it was never completed, but enough of it was put up that it still is fascinating to come and look at. After climbing up the stairs to the structure, you are instantly immersed into the culture of Georgia as the pillars depict different aspects of it as well as some the country’s more famous participants.
A closer look reveals that there are actually two different stories being told. The base of each pillar has up to four different reliefs depicting important stories from the Bible; whereas, the upper portion of the pillars has stories from the history of Georgia. The Bible stories were pretty easy for me to figure out because I am familiar with them, but the Georgian stories came with no context, and there was no information up there that helped to bring their stories to life. I have searched all over the place to see if I could find something that would give me more insight into the kings and queens I was looking at, but I still can’t find anything.
Despite this shortcoming, it is still an impressive spot to visit, especially if you are moving on to other parts of the country, such as the wine region or the mountains. It is a quick stop that you could easily spend thirty minutes to an hour at, and feel like you have really enjoyed it. Though you might not know the stories, the detail of the carving is still fun to explore, and talk about. The views up there are also spectacular, and there is an old church that is worth the time to explore as well.
From a distance, it may look like it is off the beaten path, but in reality, it is only a little detour from a regularly scheduled tour. It is so fascinating that it should eventually become a part of that regularly scheduled tour, so you might want to make it a part of yours if you come to Georgia.
When I turned old enough to travel on my own, it became Prague.
I have heard talk of Ljubljana, but that still has not happened yet.
I am probably not the first to say this, but I think the next big hot spot might be Tbilisi, Georgia.
You might be asking yourself, what makes a hot spot for a travel destination? It is a combination of things, and I do believe that Tbilisi has brought all of these elements together, at the right time, to be that destination spot.
First, it needs to have an interesting history and culture that would make people want to go there. Tbilisi has this. It sits on the edge of the Caucasus Mountain range, and most recently has had close ties with Russia, and the Soviet Union. They have since broken off to forge their own identity by looking back into its history to a time when they ruled a large part of the region just off the Black Sea. They are taking all elements of this history to make an enticing place to visit in this historic city.
Next, the place needs to have a good infrastructure to make it easy to travel around in while also offering inviting places to go and visit. Tbilisi has built this infrastructure to a point where they are now ready to welcome guests. They have great roads, and if you download the Bolt app on your phone, getting around town is inexpensive and relatively fast. Avoid taking a taxi because they are not always honest, especially at the airport. There is also busses, and a subway system that supplements the app and is a great way to great way to get the bigger locations around town. Despite these conveniences, there are also numerous parks that make walking around town a delight as well. It surprised me how much green there was in the city, and finding a nice spot to sit and enjoy the day was easy to do when I found the perfect place in one of these parks.
Tbilisi also has its own distinct character and history which makes it a great place to visit. There are many historic churches that have their own distinct style and feel, and date back to much further than some of the more visited ones in Europe. There are also walking mall stretches that offer Georgian architecture with their beautiful patios that just invite people to sit on them. There is a old wall that is fun to find pieces of a clock that looks old and falling apart but is actually relatively new and houses a marionette theatre that is a must see if you make it out here.
There are also many examples of modern art as well. If you go across the Aragvi River to the newer part of town, there are many examples of graffiti and murals, some of which are not very good; whereas, others are really amazing. It is a place that still has some work to do, but it is being gentrified right now, and is also the place where all of the great restaurants are. And let’s talk about Georgian food. It is amazingly good, and might be one of the best kept secrets out there. It is very meat heavy, but they do have some of the best salads I have ever eaten, and they do enough creative stuff with vegetables to keep you interested for a long time. Their most famous dish is khinkali, a dumpling filled with a meatball and great sauce. There is a specific way that you eat them, but just ask a waitress and they will tell you how. The best part about their food and drink is that it is very affordable right now. This is the reason a lot of the previous mentioned places became the hot place for a bit. Younger tourists could afford all of the cool things that the place offered while also enjoying the nightlife that can be found because of these prices. It won’t always be this way as more people find out about Tbilisi, so now is the time to go.
Add in a couple of iconic landmarks and you have the perfect recipe for the next hot spot in Europe. I have been told about Georgia by a couple of my friends on numerous occasions, and we had tried to make it there a couple of times, but something always came up that delayed our trip. I am glad though that I made it out here before the word about it got out. I hope that you take the opportunity to check it out as well before it becomes overrun with tourists. I highly recommend putting it on your list as soon as you possibly can.
The scenery might distract you, and it is easy to do because everywhere you look in the small mountain town of Kazbegi, Georgia is stunning. It sits next to the Terek River in the Caucasus Mountains about seven kilometers from the border of Russia, and it is easily one of the biggest draws for tourists in this country. Many of them will splurge a little extra money to spend a night or two at the Rooms Hotel, a converged day spa that has a great view over the valley. From there, if you look closely to the left of the tallest peak, on a smaller mountain in front of it, there sits on top of the peak a monastery, the Gergeti Trinity Church.
During the summer months, this monastery is one of the biggest attractions in the region. It is filled with visitors all the time, and offers many amazing views just like the hotel across the valley. There are two ways to get there. The way that most people take is the road on the side of the mountain that takes people to a parking lot just a short walk to the monastery. It is the easier choice, but the road is not always maintained and after a good rainstorm, it can be covered in run off. It is also on a series of switchbacks that take you up the mountain, and some Georgian drivers take the corners rather fast, but if you take your time, and slowly navigate through the debris, it is not that hard to get to.
The other way is to hike up the hill. The trailhead for the path is on the opposite side of the mountain from the parking lot, on the side facing the town. The road up to the trailhead is also difficult. It is really rugged and covered with many potholes, but the traffic on it is a lot less, and people generally take it slower. When heading to the mountain, you will cross a bridge over a river, and you would take your first left after it that will wind its way through a small part of town, and deposit you at a small cafe. Signs indicate that parking here is 5 Lori, but there was no one there, and no place to put the payment, so we got away without playing. The parking lot is also kind of small, so I would recommend getting there early to find a place. The path follows a stream on the left-hand side and goes by the ruins of an old tower on the right-hand side. It has many offshoots, but all of them tend to lead to the same place, Gergeti Trinity Church.
The path offers more amazing views then just driving up, and it is the one that I would recommend taking. It is not a hike for everybody though. There are many difficult and rocky parts to the path, so good hiking shoes are required, and I would also bring hiking poles to help you through some of the more treacherous moments. It does not require ropes, and most skilled hikers should not have a difficult time with it, but just know that it is not always a stroll. There are two basic paths on it, and I would aim for the upper path as the lower path just follows the stream. It looks easy to begin with, but once you get to the end, the path veers sharply up. It took me only an hour to complete the trek, and this was after a day of heavy rain, so there was a little more runoff than usual.
Either way, this is a must see if you are in Kazbegi. There will be tourists up there no matter when you head up, but if you take the trail earlier in the morning, you can have it to yourself and feel like the Caucasus Mountains are all your own. There is also the added pleasure of seeing horses grazing in the pasture, and having some of the most amazing views that the world has to offer. The monastery is really cool as well, holding some great iconic paintings that have recently been done and some that are frescos from centuries past that are worth seeing.
The best part is that you get the rest of the day to enjoy the views. Each day in Kazbegi offers something new with nature as the clouds come and go in this isolated valley. It creates some very dramatic moments that are worth sitting on a deck and watch unfold.
Until next time, get out there and continue to explore the world.
John Collings 