I feel disconnected; disbelief. I am floating in a sea that I don’t recognize. There is a mental and physical heaviness, a sluggishness that dominates the day to day. An awkwardness that was never present before. I want to disconnect, not face the reality that my great legs are not so great; my waist carries too much girth; I am easily winded. I order loose clothing and I’ve had to go up a size in jeans.
Whether it’s scars from surgery, body parts that have been removed, loss of hair, weight gain or weight loss, body image is a common theme among cancer patients.
I know what to do. This is one instance where I do know the cure. I simply need to get moving again. Unlike two people currently in my network who are facing active treatment without a sure cure. Or perhaps without any cure.
For this moment, I am grateful for my relative health. I know to be here, now. Be grateful for this day, this moment in time where all is well. I also know what my body needs and I’m capable of providing it, even if I’ve shunned this effort for some time now.
How did this happen? I’m part jock (not necessarily a good one, but still…). I’ve always played sports. Squash. Tennis. Hiking. Skiing. Kayaking. And now I find myself overweight and out of shape. How did this happen to me?
Looking back three years, it was the last round of drugs and steroids that stayed my cancer but destroyed my joints. I hit my low point when I went walking one day and I was in such pain, I was afraid I wouldn’t even be able to crawl (or even roll!) back home. I finally just gave up and laid on the bed with a bag of potato chips.
This was the absolute nadir.
One: I never eat potato chips, and
Two: I always prefer moving to lying around.
A hip replacement meant rehab (yay!) but even with a serious effort in the gym on a daily basis, problems remained. The orthopod offered shots that might or might not work. Drugs to mask the pain. He shrugged. It wasn’t his mobility and quality of life that was at stake.
So I started yoga for rehab, rather than more drugs. The yoga was torture. I was tight, weak and wobbly. I was still in breath-taking pain. But I stuck with it and one year later, I had realized some significant progress. I learned stretches to keep my body more limber and twists that are nothing short of miraculous. Now I travel with yoga mat, balls, strap and blocks.
Many people haven’t heard about yoga balls. They are always on my must pack list. These dense, hard balls allow me to reach those deep muscles that hurt and cramp, and need massage to unknot. Wherever I go, my yoga balls go with me. Often, they sleep with me, to reach a sore spot in my shoulder or on my ribs.
The crux of my getting so out of shape was one simple issue: I had gotten out of the habit of being active.
Prior to this, if you had told me that activity was a habit, I simply would not have understood. Even with cancer, I was always moving, as much as I could be. I pushed myself to work out through chemo, to my enormous benefit. But this time, even I couldn’t overcome the after effects of the drugs and the not so successful surgery. The pain and disability started a downward spiral that fed on itself. I had established a new, not so good habit of inactivity.
The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.
– Mike Murdock
These words are true on so many levels. Our daily habits set the stage for our daily lives. Regardless of locale, we all travel with ourselves, our thoughts and our habits. I’ve been on the road over a month now, and it’s time to really take charge of my routine. Routine will transcend geography, if I can just get it in place.
Vashon Island Ferry Walk
I started a daily walk on Vashon Island. It included a fairly steep hill down to the ferry landing and back, about 3 miles altogether. Every day. Rain or shine. More or less. (I’m not a native Seattle-ite and gray drizzle does faze me.)
I recently volunteered for a golf tournament/fundraiser for Cancer Pathways and I noticed that my trusty khaki skort is getting a bit looser. I’m still over weight and out of shape, but at least its moving in the right direction.
Now, in Magnolia on the north side of Seattle, I walk every morning.
Magnolia has wonderful views of Puget sound. Directly south I can see Vashon Island where my friends are settling into their soon to be renovated house.
The Seattle Space Needle
If I head southeast, I turn the corner to see the Space Needle.
The Cascades
And to the west, lies Bainbridge Island and the Cascades. This picture was taken early one morning as the sun hit the mountains and the fog had yet to lift from the lower elevations. This is my daily route and I love every step.
This walking routine was partly propelled by a wonderful and unexpected gift: a fabulous set of walking sticks from Diana Oliver at Urban Poling. The company is based in Canada, and they are on a mission to get people moving, one step at a time. This is their vision:
“We envision a healthy future founded on prevention. We envision achieving physical and mental well-being by being active. We envision a future of feeling good, from the inside out. Now we ask you, why wait, the future begins today.”
Today indeed!
The founders, Mandy Shintani and Diana Oliver bring talent and enthusiasm to their comittment to health. Mandy has a Masters in Physical Therapy. Diane’s background is in business, sales and fitness. Together they make the perfect team. And very seriously, the perfect product.
Urban poles use 90% of your muscles, burn more calories, increase core strength and help with balance. The company warns that you should start slowly, using the sticks for just a third of your first foray. Listen to them! This is more of a workout than you may think!
I am using their Activator poles to start and I LOVE them. This is an easy way to add some tempo and pace to your walk, along with more of an all over body work out. On a psychological level, they also provide a purpose for my foray. I like the intentionality of walking with these poles. I know that I am going walking for me. It’s a gift to body and mind, just as meditation is a gift to my well being.
Walking is such a natural and marvelous exercise. You can do it anywhere and everywhere. Think seriously about adding a pair of Urban Poles to your life! A simple tool that brings with it meaningful motivation. Check them out. And thanks to Urban Poling for offering a 10% discount to my readers by using the code PWCRT.
And most of all, thank you Urban Poling for a totally serendipitous gift that is helping and motivating me to reclaim my life, one step at a time.
This infographic is compliments of LiveandDare.com
Another critical part of my routine which has slipped a bit lately is meditation. A fit mind is a fit soul.
I learned to meditate from one of the Maharishi’s students. (The Maharishi, you may recall, brought Transcendental Meditation-TM- to the west and taught the Beatles and Beach Boys the method). There is often some confusion around TM. It has no religious overtones. It is simply a technique that utilizes a mantra to keep your mind focused and not drifting. It stills “monkey mind” so you can benefit from the meditation.
The medical benefits of mediation are well documented. Harvard, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and countless others have studied the remarkable advantages of integrating a meditation habit into your life. For me, it has been life changing.
Between a healthy diet and a still mind, I face the day with greater patience and clarity. I am more grounded and less reactive. I am much more present.
I normally mediate first thing in the morning; and then mid afternoon. I’ve re-instituted the morning meditation fairly successfully. Now to schedule the afternoon session.
I am reminded of the old Zen saying:
“If you don’t have time to meditate for 15 minutes …Then you need to meditate for an hour!”
This speaks to our busy minds and our perception that busy-ness some how equates to accomplishment. Except it doesn’t. My best ideas and insights have come from being still, from meditating, rather than mindlessly doing.
Adding another 20 minute session sounds as if it should be easy, and I know the benefits are very real. So I will make it happen.
But I also need more hours in a day. When I’m traveling, in addition to exploring, filming and writing, I also need to plan ahead.
In Seattle, I’m looking at trips to Port Townsend, the Space Needle, possible a food festival, a sea based aviation festival, the Art Museum, paddling through the locks, Dragon Boat racing, several seafood restaurants, the farmers markets…the list goes on.
I also have several likely trips coming up (Vancouver; POSH; Pasadena for the NASA #GrandFinale; Sedona; Austin; Ireland; Houston to Florida via New Orleans; and finally, Cuba) and each needs reservations, research and planning so I can write, film and share.
Plus I am trying to figure out where to spend Christmas. (Suggestions and invitations welcomed!)
Overall, amidst the changing landscape and relative chaos, it’s the adventure of a lifetime. My lifetime. And I’m enormously grateful to have the interlude to simply travel and explore.
But my quality of life is diminished with my current state of unfit.
Fitness speaks to the state of my mind and body, and both are essential. If there is one thing I’ve learned in the last several years, it is how critical quality of life is. This is a lesson every cancer patient learns.
***
I don’t often write about the difficult aspect of dealing with cancer and all its after effects. I tend to gloss over them and just make things happen. People tend to think I have it all figured out. I don’t. Especially when it comes to cancer.
As I mentioned earlier, I have two friends that are on my mind just now. Both have metastatic disease, and if I’m honest, chances are neither will make it long term. I am but one blood test away from a similar fate. I need to be healthy; to live now, and to be fit for anything that may come.
Setting up a habit for health isn’t a slam dunk. Getting on a healthy diet; finding the tools for stress management; staying socially connected with supportive people and getting fit means keeping four demanding and fairly complex balls in the air at all times. Plus what works today may not work tomorrow. Keeping it all together with a changing schedule while traveling isn’t always easy. There is not an instant fix.
If I could leave you with one thought, it’s just start somewhere. Just do one little thing. Park further from the store and walk. Walk the dog, chase the cat. Then do it again. Start a new habit of movement and celebration, just for you! And give yourself a great big gold star!
* I’ve had several people ask if they could donate to CancerRoadTrip. Rather than donate, shop!
I have affiliate marketing relationships with a number of vendors. If you buy a product or service through any of the affiliate links on this site, I will get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps support the blog, writing and travel of CancerRoadTrip. This never impacts my reviews of products–If I like something, I’ll say why. If I don’t I’ll detail that as well.
Plus sometimes I can offer special pricing on some items. The code for Urban Poling–PWCRT– will save you 10%. I throughly recommend these poles. If you buy some, let me know what you think.
I appreciate your following. Thank you for your support.
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
NASA was a mainstay of my youth. The Gemini Program. Apollo. #TheRightStuff. Walking on the moon.
And now, Space: The Final Frontier. (Music please.) And NASA is exploring it for our benefit.
I applied to be a part of the NASA social media outreach program which allows bloggers to attend some of their (amazing) events to help get word out about their missions, findings and plans. But never in a million years did I think I’d get invited to NASA’s #GrandFinale! #GrandFinale celebrates the end of Cassini’s 20 year expedition to Saturn which has generated information that fundamentally challenges our knowledge base about the universe around us.
In case you’re not up to speed on NASA’s Cassini and the exploration of Saturn, here’s a short overview:
Why does this matter? From NASA, here’s a nine point summary for how this impacts our perception of our world, here, now today and as we move forward:
#1 Potentially habitable ocean worlds exist even in the Saturn system — 10 times farther from the sun than Earth.
Saturn and her moons include elements that can support life including water and a heat source other than the sun. This is a stunning revelation that changes the way we think about life on other planets. Previously, it was thought that Enceladus (Saturn’s 6th largest moon) was too small to retain the heat needed to create liquid water. But with the discovery of intense geologic activity and the presence a global liquid water ocean, Enceladus is now one of the most promising places in our solar system to search for present-day life beyond Earth.
#2 Weather, climate and geology of other worlds lends insight into our understanding of the Earth.
Would you believe that Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, shares sand dunes, volcano mounds, flash floods and other earthy similarities with our own planet? How are these features formed? What about weather patterns? How are they similar or dissimilar from Earth? What can we learn from each?
#3 Cassini gives us a portal back into time, where we can watch the physical processes that formed our solar system.
The formation and destruction of the materials in Saturn’s rings lends insight into the physical formation of our universe. The study of complex carbon chemistry on Titan provides a look at Earth in its early development. In learning about other worlds, are we perhaps privy to a portal in time, to a time from our past, and perhaps to our future?
#4 The length of Cassini’s mission provided a long term look at weather patterns and other planetary trends and changes.
A twenty year mission, with thirteen of those years spent in close proximity to Saturn, provided unimaginable information into another planet and its eco-system. We learned that the changing colors in the northern hemisphere coincided with a seasonal shifting of the rings to the south (see photos to the left). Dunes around the equatorial region resemble those in Namibia and the Sahara. Seasonal variations bring methane rainstorms, just as the American Southwest experiences its monsoon season. All this and so much more over thirteen years gave scientists an unimaginable collection of data to investigate, explore and understand.
#5 Each of Saturn’s 53 moons is unique.
From Phoebe which was most likely captured by Saturn’s gravitational pull from outer space, to the canyons of Dione, each orbiting moon is a world unto itself. While much exploration is still needed, the richness and diversity of Saturn’s moons is endlessly intriguing. Will any be capable of supporting life? Life as we might understand it?
#6 The complexity of Saturn’s rings is made more apparent, answering some questions and generating many more.
Saturn’s Rings from Cassini Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
There are many ways that rings may form around a planet. Moons, moonlets, meteorites, ice particles lifted by electrostatic charges…Cassini has opened the door to any array of information previously unknown. In doing this, still more questions are raised.
#7 Luck and chance challenges NASA scientists to rethink their view of the solar system.
Many of the discoveries were serendipitous. The chance to observe the planet over a period of more than a decade allowed scientists to discover consistencies and inconsistencies in the planet’s behavior. These raised new questions and opened the doors to new avenues of inquiry that no one had foreseen.
#8 A staggering achievement of technical complexity and human interaction.
Cassini mission to Saturn Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Cassini mission is an international collaboration involving three space agencies, with 19 countries contributing hardware to the flight system. A project spanning nearly 20 years, Cassini stretched human creativity to discover new ways to use the flight’s existing engineering systems to explore Saturn and her moons. For example, radar was used to measure the depth of Titan’s seas. Instruments that were intended to sample Titan’s atmosphere did double duty as they were re-tasked to sample the plume of Enceladus. Creativity joined engineering to produce information on a new world.
#9 Beauty and Wonder
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” -Socrates
Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
Saturn and her rings have long captured our earth bound imaginations. Curiosity and wonder, combined with technology and cooperation, have led to amazing new information about the worlds around us. May it lead us to wisdom as well.
The views and findings from Cassini are staggering. Visit the NASA site for much more information, and stay tuned for more articles, tweets, instagram and Facebook postings as September 14-15, 2017, date for the Cassini #GrandFinale, approaches.
All pictures Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
My forays into farmer’s markets continues and Seattle has numerous venues, with vendors offering everything from berries to fish. I won’t be able to visit them all, but I do want to share a few highlights. Even if you’re not a market person, the sheer variety of some of the foods, especially at the Ballard Market, are worth checking out. Throw in some food stands and a bit of music, and you have the makings of a very pleasant morning.
Farmer’s markets have become increasingly popular across the country. Part of this is the “grow local” movement, part a quest for ever more exotic, fresh foods, and part a slowly building awareness of the nutrition (or lack thereof) in our mass distributed food sources.
The nutritional content of our food supply has diminished over the years, with foods being bred to be more palatable, pest resistant, and for their travel-ability. In many of our food markets, particularly the larger ones (Whole Foods and Trader Joes included) the number of types of fruits has diminished enormously over the years. Jo Robinson, author of Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health points out that in 1910, more than 15,000 apple varieties were raised in the U.S. Today, only 500, or 3% remain. That may sound like an ample number, but in reality, 9 out of 10 apples we eat comes from just a dozen varieties. These are low nutrient cousins of the wild species that used to dominate apple production. Wild apples have 475 times more phytonutrients than our currently mass produced varieties. While the adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” may have had some validity in the past, today’s apple crops do not live up to their history.
This is why it may pay to be smart about knowing the source of your food, and just what you are eating. And that is where farmer’s markets come in.
As a self confessed, long time foodie, I am always delighted when I try something new or outstanding. And the local farmer’s markets did not disappoint.
Raspberries at Ballard Market
Did you know that organic raspberries can be Autumn Bliss, Caroline, Cascade Delight, Cascade Gold, Malahat, Munger, Nantahala, or Tulameen? And blueberries can be Aurora, Blue Crop, Duke, Elliot, Liberty, or Reka. Blackberry varietals may include Chester, Obsidian, and Marionberry. And then there is the Tayberry, a new fruit to me. It’s an intensely flavored, raspberry-like berry.
Berries are a solid anticancer food, and when berry season rolls around, sign me up. Growing up, there was a pick your own strawberry farm in town. People would go early in the morning and pick their own berries. So sweet, so perfect. Perhaps it’s this decades old link that keeps me coming to farmer’s markets, because nothing compares to a perfectly ripe fresh berry.
Berries–local and wild–are precious; transient; and seasonal. In the days when I still ate sugar, I would fry fresh chocolate ravioli (in coconut oil) stuffed with a marscapone cheese mixture, topped with (homemade) vanilla ice cream and fresh berries. Seriously. OMG. Those were good!
But they would have been even better with the berries I picked up at the market yesterday. The blueberries (forgive me, I’m not sure what variety they are) are stunning. Their deep, rich, slightly sweet flavor is nothing short of breathtaking. If you find yourself in Seattle during the summer, it’s worth a visit to one of the markets just for the berries.
Pike Place Market
The most famous of the Seattle farmer’s markets is naturally Pike Place Market, which has an elaborate labyrinth of shops that extend several levels down. In addition there are the obvious and stunning stalls on the main level, with flowers, fish, vegetables and other wares. But don’t overlook the smaller, local markets. Here many artisanal products appear.
At Ballard Farmer’s Market, I sampled a wide variety of honeys and bought a basket of fresh, mixed mushrooms including some unusual Blue Oysters. Add in a few peaches (to go with the berries), a gluten free pistachio-honey scone, and I am one
Wild mushrooms at the Ballard Market
happy camper. In addition to the market, a seafood festival was also being held that evening. Tickets for salmon, crab, wine and beer, as well as stages for entertainment were part of the market scenery on this particular day. Plus, of course, all the shops and restaurants that line the streets.
And each and every market boasts spectacular fresh cut flowers.
Flowers from the Magnolia Market
In Seattle, certain vendors will be at numerous markets, but each market is unique in it’s ambiance and blend of foods and services. This link provides a comprehensive list of area markets, locations and times.
Parking can be difficult at some of the market locations; pay parking is often reasonable on market day, so don’t overlook that as a possibility. But most of all, plan to hang around a bit, talk to the vendors and think about where your food comes from. Because it does matter.
Vashon Island has the reputation of being rural and sleepy. It is, but there is also great depth and quality in some of the local offerings. Here are three things to do on Vashon Island that amused me!
Vashon Island: The Farmer’s Market
The Vashon Island Farmer’s Market is held on Saturdays. It’s an eclectic, small town mix of local produce, music, beautiful jewelry, a food truck and several spectacular finds. Plus a local brewery. Plus tamales. Plus….
I love markets, so be prepared to visit a few with me. Markets give insight into the history, geography and culture of an area. They provide access to good fresh, locally grown food. And the people are great. They are all pursuing a passion.
Years ago in New York, there used to be a Forbes museum of people’s collections. Collecting is a passion, and I love people’s passions. I’ve encountered the mapaholics (like myself who are fascinated by the intersection of cartography and history); aviation junkies (luckily I could only afford one plane); a man with a passion for antique Thai coconut scrapers in form of rabbits; passions for jewelry; and on.
The Forbes Museum was very quirky. The collections ranged from somewhat frivolous (tin, cast iron, and paper toy boats) to sublime (think one of the world’s largest collections of Faberge Eggs). I believe these collections now rotate through various museums and the Forbes building. I bring this up because people of passion are great fun. You don’t need to share their passion to feel and enjoy their focus and energy. And the people who sell their wares at farmer’s markets are passionate about their crafts.
Truffles at the Vashon Island Farmer’s Market
The Vashon market yielded some great finds and wonderful conversations. The Mighty Truffle Dessert Company is one of the finds.
I’m not a big chocolate lover (it’s a character flaw, I know) but I do enjoy an occasional indulgence and this chocolate company has the delicious answer. They are wonderfully, maniacally obsessed with sourcing their food products and it shows. Not only have they created an organic, gluten free truffle, but it has no processed sugar. The raspberry truffles are especially luscious, but I enjoyed all the flavors. Look for the Mighty Truffle. Mighty good stuff!
Vashon Island Farmers Market
Several other stands were real stand outs. The goat milk feta offered at one stand was simply too good for words (think feta, watermelon, and arugula salad). And another vendor-Harbor Home Farm- offered carefully crafted semi-soft goat cheeses such as camembert. Mid Life Crisis Farm (gets my vote for best name) offers a wide selection of grass fed meats and meat products.
But it’s the goat cheese that makes my heart go pitter patter. I am a total sucker for goat cheese. I fell in love with it in France as a child, and have carried the preference with me my entire life. I remember one restaurant in Paris that would bring a massive, round woven flat basket to the table, laden with goat cheeses. This was my desert of choice, even back then.
Given this childhood culinary education, I had no choice but to become aware of and interested in food. I never ate much junk or fast food, but I used to consume a lot of (too much) dairy and red meat. I grew up in an area with local farms, so I didn’t really think much about the source of my food. As I got older, I didn’t pay much attention to ingredients in the few processed foods (such as yogurt, soups and tomato sauces) that I did buy. Now, after a cancer diagnosis and a re-education in healthy eating, I read every label, and buy “real food”, as fresh as possible.
My diet these days is vegetable rich and low glycemic. Little to no dairy, sugar, white flour, white rice or white pasta. In changing my eating habits, the hardest part was eliminating the dairy. I felt great, but life without at least some cheese just wasn’t worth living.
But in goat milk products, I found a happy compromise. The cheeses (and yogurt) are characterized by smaller, easier to digest molecules, and are less inflammatory than cow’s milk products. So you can imagine my surprise and delight to find not one, but two goat milk product stands at the Vashon Market.
Chelo at the Vashon Island Farmer’s Market
I didn’t get to the tamales which sounded great (but a higher glycemic choice, so I passed) but Chelo is another must visit stand. The Chelo cashew creme product line was created by Vashon nutritional nutritional therapist Chelo Gable, as a cheese alternative for offer her dairy sensitive clients. It’s rich, full of flavor. From her website:
“The process of making the cultured cashew crème begins with adding live cultures to whipped cashews, then allowing it to ferment for 2-3 days. During this time the beneficial bacteria consumes the sugars in the cashews and transforms the texture and taste from light and sweet to thick and savory. Any combination of herbs and spices can be added to infuse flavor into the whipped cashews.”
The herb combinations Chelo offers are beyond delicious. I’m heading back for more of the cilantro-garlic this weekend, to put on top of some fresh salmon. And I think I’ll pick up some asparagus from one of the local farm stands too. If you don’t like to shop, Vashon Fresh will deliver to your door.
Vashon-Maury Island was named by Captain George Vancouver of the British Navy in 1792 when he sailed into Puget Sound on the Discovery. He named the island after his friend captain James Vashon, who would later become an Admiral. The first American expedition in 1841 was led by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, to make detailed maps of the area. Wilkes identified Maury Island as distinct from Vashon and named it after one of his surveyor’s Lt. Williams L. Maury.
Vashon-Maury Island
Vashon’s early history is not well documented. It was settled 6-10,000 years ago by native inhabitants. After the European and American discoveries, the 1880’s brought boat building to Dockton on Maury Island. Dockton was a residential neighborhood that supported the Puget Sound Dry Dock Company, which was the largest ship yard and dry-dock on the west coast from 1892 to 1909. As ship building in Dockton declined, a cannery was built, but this also eventually closed as the volume of salmon decreased. Agriculture was a dominant industry as well, with steamers, and later ferries, providing access to mainland markets. In 1918, Maury was officially connected to Vashon, and today Vashon often refers to both islands, which are the largest in the Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet.
Vashon Island beach
Vashon has numerous beaches. At low tide, some offer extended areas to walk. Since I’m trying to get more exercise into my life, and my excuse du jour, lacking a sport, is walking. And my motivation to walk is to take pictures.
There are a number of good beaches for walking and exploring. KVI beach offers great walks. Lisabeula Park is a great place to launch a kayak. Perhaps the most visited beach is the one in Point Robinson Park, where the lighthouse resides and where the whales gather at the point of the island.
The Point Robinson Lighthouse, built in 1887 and on the National Historic Register, is officially on Maury Island. The beach that wraps around the point offers excellent walking opportunities and incredible views. It’s also one of five lighthouses in the state of Washington where visitors can stay in the original lighthouse keeper’s buildings. At Point Robinson, there are two keeper’s accommodations for rent.
Point Robinson Lighthouse cottage is for rent on Vashon
Lighthouses are interesting structures. They’re usually located in fairly isolated locales, at the tip of a point or on a blustery cliff. The Point Robinson Lighthouse sits at the tip of Maury Island and provides a pulsing light that guides boats past it’s point.
Point Robinson Lighthouse, Vashon Island
Each lighthouse has a distinctive light pattern so that’s it’s easily identifiable from the sea. The lighthouses were strategically located along Puget Sound so as to provide guidance, but not overlap each other’s range of authority. The Point Robinson Lighthouse is strategic in that it marks a 90 degree turn in navigation for passing ships. These days, the original glass prism is replaced by modern technology. But the need for visual navigation remains, even with technology and gps. After all, have you ever followed Google maps only to find yourself on a strange path, or utterly lost?
For an island in Puget Sound close to high tech Seattle, you would think that communications and information would flow freely. Not on Vashon. It’s a throw back in many ways.
I kept seeing garden tour signs and handouts. Dates were hard to find. Was there a website? Finally the gentleman at the Hinge Gallery pointed me to the arts center for more information and hopefully ticket sales.
The Vashon Center for the Arts is a beautiful building. It sits at a four way stop intersection, south of town and north of the Tahlequah Ferry landing. It’s fairly new and an amazing addition to this island.
The reception desk at Vashon Center for the Arts
The reception desk inside the main entry is made from a tree that had to be taken down to build the building. The woodwork is stunning. As is the small but beautifully presented gallery just off the main entry. The building also has a theatre. And garden tour tickets!
The tour is self guided, over two days and takes you to various private gardens on the island, ranging from wild and wooly, to highly refined. And in the background are a variety of views, of Puget Sound, of Seattle and of the beaches.
My personal favorite was a fairly eclectic, meticulously crafted garden complete with grecian columns, an asian inspired lantern and a glass gardening shed. The attention to detail, in the materials and in the design was evident.
Vashon Island Garden Tour
All the gardens were different; all were fun; and all were interesting. Area artists display their wares as well, making for a fun afternoon exploring the island and its arts.
I get the sense that while Vashon seems simple, there’s more than meets the eye on this island. Secluded among the rolling hills and rocky beaches, there are numerous people with interesting backgrounds and stories to tell. I recently found out that Jo Robinson, author of Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health lives here, but I don’t think I’ll have time to track her down. It’s just one more reason to come back to Vashon.
More Reading About Vashon Island, Seattle and Environs:
I wrote this about my Apple Watch before I took off on #CancerRoadTrip. And having used my watch for some time now, I continue to be pleased with it. I think the absolute best feature has been being able to answer my phone from my watch while driving. I have an older car without wifi, so my phone doesn’t connect to the audio system. This watch makes that connection for me and that has been invaluable.
Preparing for an indefinite time on the road has meant reassessing much of daily life. What has worked for ages, may not work for today.
My day to day watch, a Bedat isn’t exactly suitable for a road trip. It’s not water proof; it’s too expensive; it’s something I would hate to lose. I decided to integrate my other communications via an Apple Watch, and it’s been a very good experience. I continue to be amazed at the things it does for me.
I do see the irony of having to buy things for a minimalist trip! But how do I manage to write, film, communicate, produce and travel without some serious organization? Not to mention setting up #CancerRoadTrips for others! My Apple Watch is part of the organization.
I’ll put all this together in a download on #CancerRoadTrip packing and planning. But in the meantime, here’s a look at the experience (and Apple has not paid or supported me in any way as of this writing!):
#1 Personal Service
When Apple first opened their retail stores, I wasn’t sure it was a good business move. I mean really, who wants brick and mortar anymore?
I couldn’t have been more wrong. When it comes to technology, the ability to interface with both the salespeople and people via classroom experience is invaluable. The stores create both a cult and a community where help is available, along with every gadget under the sun.
#2 Knowledgeable and Comprehensive Help
I have found the staff to be incredibly helpful. They generally know their product or can find someone who does. With Apple Watch, the sales help made a significant difference in my final product decision. While at the store, I also was able to get an enormous amount of information on my other Apple products, such as using my iPhone7 as a primary point and shoot camera/video option; video stabilization and video drones.
#3 One on One
I had to wait a while, but when a salesperson became available I had their total attention. I learned about the product, got everything set up and was ready to start learning about my new watch purchase when I left the store.
#4 Touch and Feel Matters
Had I ordered my Apple watch from the website I would have made a different purchase decision. The ability to touch and try the actual product is very meaningful. I was able to see the exact color tone of the different finishes, and the look, feel and usability of the different sizes.
#5 Customization Options
Being able to touch and feel the product also meant I could look at the various bands and see how they coordinated with the watch casing. The easy exchangeability of watch bands was an unexpected bonus. This allows me to have some different looks, without adding any bulk or weight to my luggage.
The ability to customize the technology to your personal needs is well thought out, fairly intuitive and easy to use.
#6 Cost Less Than I Expected
Because I was able to try on the various watches and see both sizes, I ended up opting for a less expensive, lighter weight Apple Watch Nike rather than the Space Grey aluminum case that I would have chosen without handling the product. The weight difference was, for me, the deciding factor.
#7 Keeps My Phone More Secure
Being able to make phone calls, reply to messages (and more!) from my watch means that my iPhone stays securely in my purse. With travel theft always a concern, having a low profile way to pick up this information is an unexpected bonus.
#8 Community
Apple fosters a sense of community. The salespeople I dealt with were eager to share their knowledge and never arrogant. Sitting at the table getting my watch set up, I interface with other customers and tech reps who, once again, are truly helpful. And the classes are perfect for moving along the learning curve at an excelerated rate and getting the most out of your purchase.
#9 Entertainment + Convenience
My original reason for getting an Apple watch was simply that I wanted a useable, water proof, not-too- expensive watch for travel. But I found an added bonus: It’s just plain dumb fun. Playing with the various watch faces, I can watch flowers bloom and change Mini Mouse’s coloring. I can go with a minimal face or one with loads of information. And I’ve even re-introduced Siri into my life. She’s gotten much better over time. The sales rep made an interesting note: Siri is cloud based and thus constantly learning. It’s time to give her another try.
#10 Beautiful packaging that was easy to open and understand
The packaging (as always) is simple, elegant and understandable. The set up help is invaluable and a smart customer retention move on Apple’s part. Techie stuff just isn’t an issue. They’ve made the purchase and use of their products both easy and fun. Not necessarily an easy thing to do with consumer technology.
#11 The Antithesis of the GoPro Experience
I might have taken much of this experience for granted had I not had a very different technology experience with GoPro. Two companies offering technology based consumer products with two vastly different approaches. You can read about my GoPro experience here.
Follow up: After returning the GoPro, and experiencing the Apple watch, I decided to focus on really learning the capabilities of my existing Apple iPhone 7 camera before making any more film oriented decisions. Even though the phone has built in video stabilization, I added an DJI OSMO MOBILE after watching a lot of YouTube videos of very compelling film footage made with this combination.
Here’s some quick video that I put together from one of my favorite hikes. This is my absolute favorite Tahoe beach, accessible only by boat or foot. I used my iPhone and the Osmo to film this.
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Inspiration, joy & discovery through travel. Oh, did I mention with supposedly incurable cancer?
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CancerRoadTrip is about making lemonade out of lemons.
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-Jon Kabat-Zinn
-Jon Kabat-Zinn
palatable, pest resistant, and for their travel-ability. In many of our food markets, particularly the larger ones (Whole Foods and Trader Joes included) the number of types of fruits has diminished enormously over the years. Jo Robinson, author of 
Because I was able to try on the various watches and see both sizes, I ended up opting for a less expensive, lighter weight 
