My partner Rick got his entrepreneurial genes from his dad. Prior to becoming an expert on European travel, he was a pre-pubescent magazine seller, a teenage rare coin trader, and a college student piano teacher. His sister Jan Steves is entrepreneurial, too, but she’s got something more. She has the adventure gene, courtesy of herContinue reading “A Real Amazing Race: Jan Steves and the Iditarod part 1”
Tag Archives: Alaska
Iditarod: The Official Start
As Rick Steves’ sister, Jan Steves (with her team of sixteen canine companions) mushes her way through the snow-blanketed Alaskan wilderness of her second Iditarod Trail Race, I’m wrapping up my three-part series on my behind-the-scenes perspective on what it was like last year at her debut in the “Last Great Race on Earth.” TheContinue reading “Iditarod: The Official Start”
Iditarod: Ceremonial Start
As Rick Steves’ sister, Jan Steves, continues on her second Iditarod adventure, I’m continuing my three-part series on what it was like last year at her debut in the “Last Great Race on Earth.” The original article was posted on Jan’s blog on March 4, 2012. Snow dances its way onto the ground and ticklesContinue reading “Iditarod: Ceremonial Start”
Iditarod: A Little Help from Jan’s Friends
Rick Steves’ sister, Jan Steves, starts her second Iditarod competition this weekend in Anchorage, Alaska. While Rick and I couldn’t be there this year, I’m sharing my behind-the-scenes experiences with my three-part series from last year when I was a guest blogger on Jan’s website. Follow along to see what it’s really like to getContinue reading “Iditarod: A Little Help from Jan’s Friends”
Losing My Outdoorsy Virginity
As you might guess, I’m a big fan of the conveniences of modern life like electricity, running water, heat, and fly swatters, and I think whoever invented window screens is a genius. While I really enjoy running, I’d rather run on a treadmill than run outdoors so I don’t get sunburnt or rained on. AndContinue reading “Losing My Outdoorsy Virginity”
Sex and Catholic Guilt in a Tide Pool
A half hour ride away from our ship, our skiff beached itself on the coastline of a tiny island. Today we were going tide pooling, and one by one, we abandoned our vessel to begin our hunt for coastal aquatic life. The tide was out, and usually hidden treasures glistened under the early morning sun.Continue reading “Sex and Catholic Guilt in a Tide Pool”
Does A Bear $#&% in the Woods?
Does A Bear $#&% in the Woods? I can’t tell you that answer for sure, but I do know they catch salmon in a river. We had been kayaking for about ten minutes when our expedition leader, Laurie, got word on her walkie-talkie that a brown bear had been spotted at the mouth of aContinue reading “Does A Bear $#&% in the Woods?”
There’s More to Nature Than Meets the Eye
Alaska is big. I mean it’s huge. It’s twice the size of Texas. On this seven-day cruise through Alaska’s Inside Passage, we would explore a mere fraction of this massive state, but what we would see was enough to fill my camera with almost 1400 photos and my mind with countless unforgettable memories. While IContinue reading “There’s More to Nature Than Meets the Eye”
Whale!
“Gooooooood morning Safari Endeavour! We’re sorry to wake you so early, but we wanted to inform you that whales are breaching on the port and starboard side of the ship.” This is the announcement that stirred us from our deep slumber at 6:30 a.m. on the first morning aboard our humble ship. Rick and IContinue reading “Whale!”
To Cruise Or To Un-cruise?
Follow me as I share my latest adventures with Rick in this blog series on cruising in Alaska . The Saturday nights of my childhood kept my eyes glued to the TV, watching The Love Boat. It littered my head with grandiose images of cruise ships as floating cities of decadence where every need andContinue reading “To Cruise Or To Un-cruise?”