December 7, 2013
by David Ryan
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A Bike Wandering Adventure in Yangshuo

Most of the posts in this blog have been about some variation of walking. But when you have to cover a long distance, a bike ride can make your wandering adventure even better.

For example, when I went to Beijing with my sister Nancy in 1988, getting around by bike was the preferred way to explore the city. We rode everywhere. When I returned with my wife Claudia in 1996, getting around by bike in Beijing was only for those with a death wish. It was a major disappointment and I am sure it is worse today for bike riders.

When Claudia and I reached the famous backpacker hang-out of Yangshuo, in the south of China, we found a completely different situation. To begin with Yangshuo is in the middle of the most scenic part of China with its karst topography of limestone peaks and spires. If you have seen a Chinese landscape painting, you have probably seen Yangshuo. There are not enough words to describe its beauty. 

The limestone peaks and spires seemed to go on forever

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November 19, 2013
by David Ryan
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Wandering Around the Backcountry of Breaking Bad

If you’re a Breaking Bad fan, the name To’Hajiilee should mean something to you. To’Hajiilee is a satellite section of the Navajo Nation located about thirty miles west of Albuquerque and is where Walter White of Breaking Bad fame started cooking meth in an old RV. It’s where the tumultuous accumulation of his poor decision-making came home to hit him with the death of his brother-in-law Hank and the stealing of his ill-gotten fortune. In fact, the title of one the shows of the final Breaking Bad season is To’Hajiilee.

If you have seen Breaking Bad you know that To’Hajiilee is a land of multi-color sandstone bluffs, canyons, arroyos, and high desert landscape. Although most Indian land is off limits to wandering, there are several sections of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) tucked within the Indian land that are open to wandering. I visit this area quite often to look for archaeological sites.

This picture from a previous visit is typical of the Breaking Bad backcountry.

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November 7, 2013
by David Ryan
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A Spontaneous Stair Wandering in Portland, Oregon

Public stairways are featured in The Gentle Art of Wandering because they are perfect for wandering and exploring in the urban environment. A little over a week ago I had another chance for a stair wandering adventure when I visited my daughter’s family in Portland, Oregon. It started when my daughter mentioned to me that she noticed some stairs along U.S. 30 in the Linnton neighborhood of Portland. Before she had a chance to change her mind, we were on our way to check them out.

We spotted several stairways along U.S. 30 and parked the car when we saw a set of stairs at 107th Avenue. Before venturing up the stairs we took a couple of minutes to read a set of signs at the base of the stairs that told the story of Linnton.

These are the stairs at 107th Avenue and U.S. 30 (St. Helens Road). The descriptive signs are to the right of the stairs. There is also a bus stop to the right if you want to make your adventure entirely on foot.

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