With permission from CapitolHillCitizen.com

A friend posed a question — why so much focus on Israel when there are so many pressing crises around the world, like the Sudan, largely forgotten?

A worthy question, as dire straits expand from deadly political conflicts and authoritarian, corrupt governments to include climate impacts and crop failures.

Attention should be paid.

While US policies and actions have played undeniable roles in some disasters, like Libya and Somalia, Israel’s long occupation and brutal subjugation of Palestinians stands apart.

Here’s why.

No other country enjoys but a fraction of US patronage that Israel does. Yet it repays America by undermining our government and political processes. Could any other country get away with its lobbyists announcing a hundred million dollars and more to defeat critics in Congress — even offering $20 million to primary one and seeking, with alarming success, to nullify Americans’ 1st Amendment freedoms?

The latter is done with compliant federal and state legislators seeking to twist language and devise laws as draconian as they can get away with.

Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) got that rolling. In 2017 he tried to pass fines up to a million dollars and prison sentences up to twenty years for advocating Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). Attempting to crush Americans exercising their First Amendment, at the behest of a foreign power, is a stark betrayal. Censure? Expulsion? Senator Chuck Schumer made Cardin chair of Foreign Relations when Senator Bob Menendez, his Israeli lobby largess second only to Biden’s, flamed out.

On July 24th Cardin sat behind Bibi during his address to a joint session of Congress, joining bought and paid for know-nothings who rose and genuflected with each lie. Good God, what kind of moral cretins have we elected?

In lockstep are billionaire bullies, Grand Inquisitors incarnate, threatening to wreck educations and careers of students with strong moral beacons many of them American Jews because their views differ from the Israeli government’s narratives. Privileged people with the influence extreme wealth conveys seeking to hamstring young people starting out. Sociopaths or psychopaths, these bullies? A wavy line.

One marvels as Biden Administration spokespersons freely shred their reputations, speaking out of both sides of their mouths. Likely auditioning for the bullies, or those who service them, credibility need not apply.

It is heartening to march in protest, to see American Jews of all ages getting along famously with Palestinians and protestors of all backgrounds. Do political chumps calling them anti-semitic realize how comical they appear?

Much of the world sees America’s claimed ideals in bizarre refraction, twisted to undermine international law and to continue carte blanche support of a violent eight-decade-long land theft underpinned by supremacist, racist beliefs. Now the world sees us as complicit, not just in slow motion ethnic cleansing, but an undeniable genocide in high gear.

A quick but-for test. Could Israel do this but for the US? The whole world knows that answer.

The British medical journal The Lancet recently estimated the real Palestinian death toll, considering those mashed under rubble and indirect deaths from destruction of medical facilities and public infrastructure, might exceed 186,000, or 8 percent of Gaza’s pre-war population of 2.3 million.

How does one count when two million have been displaced, their homes destroyed, with weaponry including US bombs each packing a ton of powerful explosives? Past conflicts, The Lancet‘s study noted, have had indirect deaths ranging from three to fifteen times the number of direct deaths, so the real toll could skyrocket.

UN-backed experts recently estimated over a half-million Palestinians face imminent starvation. Ethnic cleansing is well-underway in the West Bank, from violent settlers backed by IDF and Israeli police, and children again among the targets.

The Fourth Estate is supposed to push back on such mayhem. But one example after another shows much of the mainstream compromised, finding ways to avoid reporting the full horror. Here again, the big money figures in, easily manipulating increasingly skittish journalists as journalism job prospects diminish.

The IDF confirmed there was a “death before capture” Hannibal Directive on October 7. Hear much of that, or of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners, almost all without trial, kept in dire conditions, including torture, before the October 7th attack? Or that Netanyahu earlier addressed the UN while showing a map of greater Israel absent Palestinian Territories? Was Hamas, always cultivated and indirectly supported by Israel to avoid negotiating a two-state solution, baited as Israel sought an excuse to drive out Palestinians?

While the US supplies the vast majority of Israel’s weapons, Israel has itself become a major arms purveyor, its infernal creations demonstrated on unarmed civilians in Gaza.

Israel has also become a major force moving parts of the world into a surveillance state, selling technology to authoritarians around the world seeking to spy on dissidents, political opponents and journalists. One client was Saudi Arabia, using Israeli tech to spy on associates of Saudi critic and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, before dismembering him. It’s not for nothing Israel cozies up to far right governments. They have common aims.

The more extreme those in the US Congress are, the more Israel seeks them out. AIPAC backed scores of Republican Congressmen and candidates who opposed certifying the 2020 Presidential Election. Yet that lobby isn’t required to register as a foreign agent. Why no foreign influence alarms from agencies tasked with government integrity?

As a guest of Israel in 1999, I broke bread with Moshe Katsav, Netanyahu’s outgoing Minister of Tourism. Katsav told me Palestinians are their “N-words,” sneering at the actual word. He later became President of Israel. One top Israeli official after another has expressed supremacist viewpoints, using terms like cancers and cockroaches, denigrating Palestinians, making them “the other,” as relentless as propaganda penned by Goebbels.

Any persons of color in Congress-looking at you Hakeem Jeffries, one of the largest recipients of Israeli lobby largess-taking money while ignoring galloping racism aren’t worth their salt.

If this entire essay were an abbreviated list, it would only scratch the surface. No matter how damped down the full picture is in the mainstream media, no matter how many Palestinian journalists Israel slaughters to stop those bearing witness to atrocities, no matter how many UN employees and their family members are murdered-over 366-the depravities escape Israel’s grasp.

Israel does its damnedest to pull America into the abyss as its protector, one with nothing to lose by staying the hellish course. But the US has everything to lose as it earns pariah status in the eyes of much of the world.

America’s “brand” is in tatters.

In a 1973 meeting Biden described as “one of the most consequential” of his life, Prime Minister Golda Meir told him the “Palestinian nation” did not exist any more than the “Palestinian people.” Moreover, she could not “forgive the Palestinians for forcing (Israelis) to kill their children.”

Did that give Biden pause, Meir’s telegraphing what was to come, what was already served up? A smorgasbord of horrid indignities. Violent land grabs by lunatics waving real estate deeds from God. Restricting calorie counts so children lived but did not flourish to their potential. Periodic lethal “mowing the lawn” to terrorize civilians. Snipers greeting non-violent protests in Gaza with competitions to blow apart knees, crippling even children and medical personnel rushing to attend them.

Does it give Biden pause now, when Israel’s long-held intentions are laid bare? Children no longer just on minimized calories but starved to death by design? Destruction of water supplies and cultivation of conditions of disease, even the polio specter rising?

Does he consider the karma payback for forcing upon his countrymen complicity with child murderers? With child torturers? What torture is greater than forced starvation and infliction of disease?

Perhaps denying antibiotics and anesthesia to orphaned children having shrapnel removed from shattered eyes, having limbs amputated? Shaken brains from repeated shock waves of massive bombs?

All the while arresting, torturing, and murdering the brave surgeons and medical personnel struggling to alleviate children’s suffering. We know not just from doctors but from IDF soldiers that small children are also targets. As noted, the damnable acts would exceed this space.

Golda gave Biden a glance at the systematic dehumanization of Palestinians early on.

One cannot help but wonder if cognitive dissonance between good Catholic Joe and his alter-ego, a self-proclaimed proud Zionist, hastened the disconnects in his mind. Even after Biden helped waltz the country into the disastrous invasion of Iraq, could he have imagined he’d finish his long public career acquiring the moniker Genocide Joe? That would crumble many of even the most carefully constructed self-images. Take note, Kamala Harris.

And what of damage to Americans’ self-images, as the horror seeps through the blood-brain barrier?

Nothing would delight Netanyahu more than Trump’s return, beholden again to Adelson cash.

No other country has enjoyed anywhere near the US patronage that Israel has. Yet it repays America by undermining our government and political processes. Could any other country get away with announcing a hundred million dollars and more to defeat critics in Congress and seeking, with alarming success, to nullify Americans’ 1st Amendment freedoms?”

In his intriguing book SpyFail, James Bamford, long our foremost investigative journalist on intelligence agencies, and a writer for The Nation, credibly revealed that a foreign power conducted espionage to benefit the 2016 Trump campaign. And that the foreign power was Israel. One would expect a thunderclap across Washington. Instead, crickets. Perhaps it roughed up too many pet media and political narratives. Even Hillary kept mum. That’s a fright.

When the International Criminal Court indictments, which included Hamas leaders as well as Netanyahu and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, came down, the press releases from a number of members of Congress, both parties, decried the “equivalence” of it and condemned the ICC. Politicians from Adam Schiff to Tim Scott used almost identical phrasing and talking points. AIPAC’s puppet strings are everywhere, as visible as those on the satirical puppets of the 2004 film Team America: World Police.

Institutional memory in Washington, both of Congress and of media, apparently undergoes periodic lobotomies.

In 2002, Netanyahu gave testimony to a Congressional committee that if we didn’t invade Iraq, Saddam Hussein would supply nukes to terrorists around the world. Bibi also predicted an invasion would bring a flowering of democracy throughout the region, including in Iran.

Anyone thinking the invasion of Iraq was a grand idea should look up studies by the Watson Institute at Brown University. They can only shock and awe, and dismay. Four or five million dead from direct and indirect impacts, by any measure a rambling holocaust. Not over. We’re saddled with a federal price tag of, according to the Watson Institute, over $8 trillion for post 9/11 wars, which continues to limit our national priorities.

How many in Congress who clamored for Bibi’s wisdom and counsel are aware of a speech he gave in 2008 to Bar Ilan University? As reported by the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv, Bibi said, “We are benefiting from one thing, and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq.” According to the newspaper account, Netanyahu then said that these events “swung American public opinion in our favor.”

His speech continued a theme when Bibi, then the former Prime Minister, was asked right after the 9/11 attack what it meant for US-Israeli relations. As reported in The New York Times, Bibi’s first reply was “It’s very good.” A pal, his concern for his American benefactors always paramount.

Washington has become a company town. Our military/industrial complex—Eisenhower had originally added congressional—is our company. Those profiting, greased by America’s uniquely styled legalized bribery via campaign finance, were certainly capable of engineering the worst foreign policy disaster since Vietnam, without Bibi’s assistance.

But in another but-for, it’s arguable it might not have happened without Bibi and his American cronies in high positions in the George W. Bush Defense Department, particularly Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, and Douglas Feith.

I recently spoke with Dennis Fritz, a retired Air Force command chief master sergeant and author of a remarkable book fresh off the press, Deadly Betrayal, The Truth About Why the United States Invaded Iraq.

Short and to the point, with Pentagon redactions visible as intriguing puzzles, it’s one of those books one wishes would be assigned reading for Congress. Fritz wrote it for two reasons. First, that military men and women who paid a high price, often a terrible price, for participating in the invasion, and their families, could understand how the tragedy came about, devoid of the lies they were told at the time. And two, to sound an alarm that the same interests that pushed that invasion now want the US to go to war with Iran.

Fritz says that Wolfowitz, Perle and Feith were all both neo-cons and Zionists. A double whammy. They were already planning on going to war before 9/11. Fritz’s past work included reviewing and declassifying relevant documents in the Pentagon, ironically in part for a book by Feith, who is described as the architect of the rationale for going to war, including talking points and making the case to convince George Bush. Fritz believes the primary interest of this trio was always first and foremost Israel’s agenda. In Fritz’s view that was prioritized over the best interests of the US. Fritz says these three were part of a long-range plan to take down Iraq, Syria and Iran, ultimately forcing Palestinians to settle solely on Israel’s terms.

Though more Americans died in Vietnam, medical intervention improved considerably by the Forever Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Consequently, of the over 100,000 who were maimed, many who otherwise would have died survived with terrible and lasting wounds that require ongoing care and staggering expense.

Fritz believes all of that sadness, and the horrific collateral damage to those in other countries, might have been avoided but for the zealots driving the war. Those are among the reasons Israel deserves so much more attention now, with urgency. For most, Forever Wars don’t work out that well. In the shorter term, are Americans really on board with genocide? Can an apartheid foreign power really purchase our government so cheaply?

Here’s a recent interview by author: https://www.laprogressive.com/foreign-policy/riyad-mansour.

With permission from Capitol Hill Citizen, CapitolHillCitizen.com

The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions or beliefs of TravelingBoy.com or LA Progressive.

The post Why Israel? appeared first on Traveling Archive.

After years of long winter months with nonstop rain and a sun which refused to shine, I packed up my car in Seattle and followed the sun to the warmth of San Diego. I was not disappointed; the city was blessed with 12 months of sunshine with an average temperature between 55 to 75 degrees. Plus, it is now a model for urban renewal where having a car isn’t even necessary. Never-the-less, I would think of my family living in my ancestral homeland of Washington State often. While exploring San Diego’s infinite treasures, I lamented that I always seemed just too busy to explore the wonders in my own home state. My brother-in-law suggested that I should check out the Palouse, a sweeping pastoral area in the eastern region of the state. It’s a four-season destination, he added, and in the spring and fall the sun is always out. Then he said something that really stuck with me: ‘It is paradise found.’ Next family vacation I was off and running.

First Stop — Spokane

Nestled on the far eastern border of the state, Spokane was originally the home of The Spokans (“children of the sun”), who were drawn to the hunting grounds and abundance of salmon in the Spokane River. This changed with the arrival of the first European settlers who established a trading post and eventually a railroad industry that built the city.

Spokane — now the second largest city in Washington — was put on the national radar when it hosted the world’s first environmentally themed World’s Fair in Expo ’74. The event transformed the city’s urban core, removing the rail yard along the river, converting it into the 100-acre Riverfront Park, the centerpiece of the fair. Its legacy remains today with many of the attractions still in use.

On what was a perfect Sunday afternoon, I strolled through the park, watching families frolicking on the Looff Carrousel and the Skyride which glides over the Spokane Falls. As I branched out into the city, it was easy to see that Spokane boasts the best of both worlds: a setting in spectacular natural beauty, but with a plethora of urban pleasures of a re-invented downtown, restaurants, book stores and vibrant nightlife thanks to the presence of Whitworth and Gonzaga Universities. I was hungry to see more. So I rented a car for an exploration of the Spokane Region, where I discovered a world of ancient cedar forests, pristine rivers, quaint small towns, deserted ghost towns and scores of golf courses.

Where to Stay in Spokane: The Davenport Hotel

The iconic Davenport Hotel is a grand hotel of the gilded age. It helped transform Spokane’s dying city core into a vibrant destination where people have returned to live. The district is even named the Davenport Arts District. With that said, it is well-worth a self-guided tour, but it can be hard on the pocketbook.

The Montvale Hotel

A pleasant alternative to the Davenport is just down the street: The Montvale Hotel. On a much smaller scale than The Davenport, this property has re-imagined itself as a premier boutique hotel with a modern twist, while still maintaining the ambience of the downtown’s bygone era. If you’re in town just for the day, it too rates a tour.

On to the Palouse — The Seven Wonders of Washington State

In October 1805, Lewis and Clark arrived in the Palouse region. They were stunned by the beauty and magnitude of this sweeping landscape of rolling hills and plateaus. As with other tribes on their historic exploration, they made friends with the nomadic Palus tribe, renowned as expert equestrians. The term Appaloosa is a derivation of the Palouse horse. Traditionally, the Palouse region was defined as the fertile hills and prairies north of the Snake River in southeast Washington and north central Idaho.

Today The Palouse Scenic Byway combines 208 miles of sweeping hills and spectacular vistas, expansive wheat fields of amber autumn gold, lentil farmlands, and small towns with distinctive, rich history and unpretentious charm.

There is no center to the Palouse Scenic Byway; it is a place to simply leisurely drive along the gentle curving highways, sprinkled with antique shops, wineries, easy access venues for hiking and biking, and, above all, photography. If you ever needed to stop the world and simply relax, this is the place for it.

Selected Stops

Artisans at the Dahmen Barn is a restored dairy barn surrounded by a fence consisting of more than 1000 wagon wheels. Here you can watch local artisans at work. It’s also a great place to shop for regional gifts. Then head down the road to the historic St. Boniface Catholic Church (circa 1904). The church houses the original stained glass windows.

From Kamiak Butte’s 3,641 feet crest travelers enjoy awesome panoramic views of the Palouse’s rolling hills, and a patchwork of the fields and farmlands below. Its 298 acres is ideal for hiking, picnicking, camping, and sightseeing. For wildlife viewing, the Kamiak Butte area features over 130 species of birds, 170 species of plants, and close to 30 species of mammals. Make sure you hike to the crest for unsurpassed photography opportunities.

Steptoe Butte presents a spectacular 360 degree view of the Palouse. Drive or hike the three miles to the top of the 3,618 feet butte for bird watching, hang-gliding, paragliding, photography, and picnicking.

The Snake River Trail, nestled at Boyer Park & Marina, is a four mile trail that leads to the banks of historic Almota Creek, which was a resting place for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trail offers a series of interpretive signs explaining the Columbia and Snake River’s system, dams, river geology, and hydroelectric power.

A hidden oasis rests a short drive off the byway:  the Palouse Falls State Park.  The off-the-beaten-path will lead you to stunning views of waterfalls, cascading 198 feet into a round salt-rock canyon. Just outside the park is a small cluster of historical basalt houses and cabins.

Other highlights include the J.C. Barron Flour Mill, built in 1890; the Tekoa Train Trestle that leads to the John Wayne Trail; the Rosalia Visitor Center, housed in a historic Texaco gas station; the four-acre Steptoe Battlefield State Park in Rosalia, the 1858 site where Lt. Col. E.J. Steptoe led 159 U.S. soldiers in a running fight with a large band of Spokan, Palouse and Coeur D’Alene American Indians. Make sure your day ends or evening begins with a visit to one of the many wineries or pubs in Pullman.

Pullman — My Home Base

With a population of 27,030, the charming town of Pullman is similar to the much larger Spokane with spectacular natural beauty surrounding its core, plus offering urban amenities due to Washington State University towering above it. It’s also located right smack in the middle of The Palouse. There’s a refreshing small town feel, and the locals are welcoming and excited that you are exploring their area. Just across the river is the university town of Moscow, Idaho that also makes an attractive home base.

A number of Pullman restaurants have embraced the slow food movement with the emphasis on seasonal and locally grown food. With bread made from local wheat, produce from nearby farms, Cougar Cheese made at WSU, and fish from the Snake and Columbia Rivers, you are quite literally tasting the landscape.

Recommended Pullman Restaurants

Southfork Public House is the brain child of co-owner Jim Harbour, who is also a professor at WSU. Utilizing regional ingredients, it is known for its wine and beer pairings with seasonal local food items. My favorite dish: MAC & CHEESE — penne noodles tossed in WSU-made Cougar Gold cheese sauce, topped with locally smoked bacon & seasonal scallions. The torpedo-like grissini, made with Palouse wheat, is ideal for dunking.

The Black Cypress is a venue that reflects the qualities of the Palouse region that have kept people living here. A hybrid of Greek and local food items, owner Nick Pitsilionis places an emphasis on an appreciation for honest regional food, company and drink. Many of the produce items come from his own farm. A hybrid of Greek and local food items,  many of the produce items are grown on his own farm. My favorite dish: GOLDEN LENTIL SOUP — Washington is the US’ leading producer of lentils — served with seasonal bruschetta that consists of grilled local Panhandle Bakery bread made with Palouse Sheppard’s Wheat.

Where to Stay in Pullman

A Holiday Inn may not seem regional or unique, but there’s something about Pullman’s Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites that takes service and amenities to the next level. And even better, with many self-guided tours beginning and ending in Pullman, the Palouse is right at your doorstep.

Southwest Airlines offers non-stop flights from Seattle to Spokane.

Pullman Chamber of Commerce

The Palouse Scenic Byway

Visit Spokane

The post Four Days in Eastern Washington State appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Display City: Washington D.C.

I visited my aunt in Washington DC. My plan was to visit all the museums DC had to offer but, by the 3rd day, I was exhausted because I traveled by subway and by foot.

Note: If you plan to go here, do enough exercise to prepare for a marathon. Here’s a map of some of the places I visited.

I was planning to list the different exhibits but I realized there are just too many to jot down; so let me just give you my overall impression.

Washington DC, is a smorgasbord of museums. I stayed there for a week but even that was not enough time to go through all that DC has to offer. There are sites to see both inside (the museums) and outside (Lincoln Memorial, the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, the WW II Memorial, the MLK Jr Memorial, etc.). Most of them are free. The ones that you have to pay to get in (like the Spy Museum, the Holocaust, Memorial Museum, the Museum of the Bible, etc.) are privately funded and the entrance is usually about $30.

DIRECTIONS

It’s hard to figure the logic of the roads near the Washington Monument but it helps to imagine a spider web where the Washington Monument is in the center and all the streets are radiating from that (that’s why there are a lot of wedges and curved streets). If you look at Google Maps there isn’t too much detail and I think that’s done on purpose for security reasons. Traveling by foot I noticed buildings and organizations I never even knew existed. Another good visual to start a map in your head is to envision a rectangular shape from the Lincoln Memorial to the World War II Memorial to the Washington Monument and to the US Capitol building. I figured the best way to get around was to simply ask the locals.

AWESOME

There is majesty in the design and size of the buildings. And there is serenity in the open spaces. There is endless variety in the themes of each exhibit. There are priceless paintings, sculptures and furniture that remind you of the hardship of eras long gone by that brought about the birth of a new nation. Different ethnicities — African, Asian, European, South American — cry out to be heard. Fossils, stuffed animals/birds and insects reminded me of Noah’s ark; while airplanes and rocket ships made me wonder what else God has hidden for us to discover.

There was so much to absorb for visitors like me that I found myself rushing and taking endless pictures to be appreciated back home. There were no seats nor benches to pause and breathe in the masterpieces. It was as if the museums were designed to herd the tourists through as quickly as possible.

GOVERNMENT

Aside from the exhibits, I had to remember that this “little town” is the heart of America. Inside the surrounding buildings powerful leaders were making decisions that would resonate around the nation and rest of the world. The Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial branches are in close proximity to each other — hey, what’s that I smell? Corruption? Off with their heads! How I wish our leaders are still in awe of their huge responsibility to mankind.

Whatever your race, skin color, gender, age, religion or political party, when you go to DC, you can be proud of the tapestry of our country — the great political experiment called the United States of America.

TGIF People!

“In known history, nobody has had such capacity for altering the universe than the people of the United States of America. And nobody has gone about it in such an aggressive way.” — Alan Watts

“If they hear and serve Him,
They will end their days in prosperity
And their years in pleasures.” – Job 36:11

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Thanks to Clinton of Arizona

Parting Shots

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre. CA

I found these

The Traveling Boy

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with these.

SUBSCRIBE

The post British Gals appeared first on Traveling Archive.

One reason I joined the National Press Club in 1995 was that on various occasions before Hong Kong’s handover I’d darkened the door of the FCC. I hoped that the NPC’s substantial oblong bar might be cousin to the FCC’s main bar with diverse central casting characters including criminal barristers of the
Rumpole flavour, cargo shippers, pilots, politicians and others seeking what was in the wind as journalists’ tongues loosened, and vice versa.

Though the NPC I joined wasn’t quite as colorful as lingering old-timers described, it still offered intrigues and camaraderie. In The Reliable Source Bar & Grill, a plaque pays tribute to John Prokoff, a bartender before my time whose bone-dry quips included “Let’s get drunk and be somebody” and “Do you want separate glasses?” I did know the late barkeep John Kulawski. Whenever my young kids joined me, they left enriched with coins John fetched from their ears. John, gruff but erudite, turned the bar into a
continuing education.

The club occupies the top two floors of the 14-storey National Press Building in the epicentre of the US capital. When built in 1927 it was Washington’s largest private office building. The club once owned the whole place but lost it after a mismanagement scandal many years ago amid a major renovation. From the club windows one can glimpse the White House over the top of the US Treasury Department. Across the street is the Willard Hotel, to which President Ulysses S Grant, fleeing presidential pressures, strolled for drinks or a meal in the lobby, where he was bedeviled by favor-seekers. Hence, “lobbyist.”

Plenty of lobbyists, with their cousins in public/media relations, haunt the NPC nowadays, a large swathe of the membership. Their higher dues, and the tables they buy out when bosses or clients or officials they’d like to influence address the club as ballroom luncheon speakers, help pay the freight. Speaker line-ups seem to trend more per establishment than when I joined and participated.

Burgers and Bangers

Bangers and mash is not on the bar’s menu. I’ll suggest it when I run into the club’s incoming executive director, Didier Saugy. Previously, we did have the Alferd Packer Burger, named for a cannibal who was the lone survivor of six prospectors trapped by Colorado’s brutal 1873-74 winter. I don’t mean to make too much of this, but Alferd is no longer on the menu, having been replaced by the more homogenised Angus. The loss of Alferd in one’s gullet seems a bellwether for trends impacting the NPC and journalism generally.

Lately, I’ve viewed journalism through the prism of the activist Julian Assange – a media Rorschach test. Many Washingtonians, including journalists, are surprised to hear that Assange has languished for four years in solitary in Belmarsh Prison in London, following seven years of confining asylum in Ecuador’s embassy there. Nils Melzer, former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, says the treatment of Assange, who is on the autism spectrum, amounts to straightforward torture.

While he was in the Ecuadorean embassy, US intelligence minions spied on Assange, his family, friends and lawyers, and visiting journalists. Mike Pompeo, Koch Industries’ man in Washington who went from Congress representing my home state of Kansas to becoming CIA Director and then Trump’s Secretary of State (and until recently a presidential aspirant), plotted to kidnap or assassinate Assange after Wikileaks revealed the CIA’s goals of controlling people’s smart TVs, browsers, phones and cars. Orwell, anyone?

The Biden Administration’s Department of Justice has continued the Trump Administration’s quest to extradite and prosecute Assange under the 1917 Espionage Act, which was designed to target German operatives during World War I, with a side job of quashing dissent. This is the first time it’s been trained on a journalist or publisher, let alone an Australian who wasn’t even in the US. This prosecution is perilous to domestic and foreign journalists everywhere. Hypocrisy blows Biden’s credibility on press freedom off the moral high ground, which authoritarians eagerly note. For more detail, search “Belmarsh Tribunals”.

Venerable Dan Ellsberg, who during the Vietnam War stunned the world by leaking the Pentagon Papers, told me that prosecuting Assange is the US government’s plan for introducing a UK-style Official Secrets Act, under which journalists could be prosecuted for simply receiving classified information. James Goodale, who ably defended The New York Times in that case, told me the same. It would quash journalists’ attempts to reveal the truth.

Envy and Resentment?

It seems to me that many journalists nowadays can’t identify with this concern. Most will never break a story of that sort, never depend on whistle-blowers that the government seeks to crush. Envy? Resentment? Perhaps. Meanwhile, there’s no end of over-classification by officials to muddy transparency and avoid accountability.

So are there constant drumbeats on mainstream editorial pages and elsewhere? No. On Assange, the NPC – a frequent commenter on foreign oppression of the press – keeps its head insistently sanded. Having pushed the club on this matter for years, I’ve usually encountered a cone of silence. I’ve heard comments from those who should know better such as “What if Assange is a Russian spy?”, or falsehoods repeated with certainty like an unredacted document dump.

Often, the fanciful assertion that Assange isn’t a journalist is trundled out, never mind his stunning record of journalism awards. Brilliantly, Wikileaks enabled his revelations via technical innovations including an electronic dropbox to obtain information anonymously, which is then vetted. My definition of a journalist is simple: anyone who truthfully informs the public of matters impacting their lives. Wikileaks never had to retract anything as untrue.

Caustic attitudes pay testimony to successful propaganda vilifying Assange. It ramped up in 2010 when I saw Assange step into the cross-hairs of fame at a news conference in the club. He presented the shocking Collateral Murder Tape. A helicopter snuff film of a dozen or so Iraqi civilians, including two Reuters employees and a Good Samaritan ad hoc ambulance driver, whose kids were in tow, with a chilling soundtrack by gleeful pilots. It crystallised government lies on war crimes and the conduct of the Forever Wars. Nobody responsible for the attack or the cover-up has been prosecuted.

Political propaganda poured with perpetuity when Wikileaks published (true) emails revealing that Hillary Clinton spoke out of both sides of her mouth regarding Wall Street benefactors, and that the Democratic National Committee undermined democracy, rigging the 2016 primaries against Bernie Sanders.

Some information gatekeepers have judged public enlightenment non-newsworthy if not in service of a higher purpose: say, the election of Hillary. And while avoiding criticism of favoured administrations or political parties, many in journalism otherwise cheer them like high school football teams. Some seem to be self-appointed auxiliary spokespeople for government, aka stenographers. Assange is emblematic of what the mainstream downplays or ignores to avoid roughing up pet political and media narratives.

Assange is bad for business. The Forever Wars confirmed Washington as a company town for the military-industrial complex that President Dwight Eisenhower warned of back in 1960. That influence cannot be overstated, including the weapons advertising largesse that many publications enjoy. It’s the same when it comes to media ownership. For example Jeff Bezos, of Amazon notoriety and owner of The Washington Post, is in hot pursuit of government contracts to manage clouds for intelligence and military agencies.

As the NPC emerges from a long, costly pandemic coma, public trust in media scrapes the shoals. Journalism sinks amid collapsed business models and layoffs. Understandably insecure journalists eye laterals, perhaps PR in arenas that they report on. Many now interpreting the world for us were children or teens during the invasion of Iraq. Most weren’t born until after the Vietnam War. Institutional memory is shot. We’re all cannibals now.

As I write this in May, steadfast NPC obtuseness on Assange remains. Perhaps by publication date that might change. It would be a pleasant, if astonishing surprise.

(This essay first appeared in the July issue of The Correspondent, the quarterly put out by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club)

(Note, bangers and mash is a HKFCC staple sustaining many scribes, Didier is the former manager of the HKFCC and new exec. dir. at the NPC, hence the reference).

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Despite his dream of building a capital city along the banks of the Potomac River and unlike the real estate cliché “George Washington slept here,” America’s first president never once laid his head down on a pillow within the District of Columbia, aka Washington, DC. The closest he ever got was a good night’s sleep at his homestead in nearby Mount Vernon, VA.

Some 228 years later, our nation’s capital welcomes more than 22 million visitors a year. A world-class city embedded with a vibrant history, spectacular monuments, outstanding museums, plentiful parks, lush gardens and exceptional chef-driven cuisine, Washington, DC is well worth a visit. But, don’t just take my word for it, join me as I take the lens cap off and document this monumental city originally planned by Pierre L’Enfant.

For starters, there’s the Smithsonian Institution, a collection of 19 massive, artifacts-filled museums and galleries and the National Zoo, many standing shoulder-to-shoulder on either side of the two-mile long National Mall, “America’s front yard.” Art, history — natural and chronicled — science, and red-white-and-blue ingenuity to rocket into space, are all on display inside these titanic buildings. And, the best part? Entry is absolutely free for we, the people.

Bookending the Mall is the Capitol Building at the eastern end, where the legislative branches of government apply their checks and balances atop old Jenkins’ Hill, and the awe-inspiring Lincoln Memorial, where Honest Abe sits in deep contemplation at the western edge along the banks of the Potomac. And, smack dab in the middle of it all stands the Washington Monument, a 555-foot marble obelisk — the tallest structure in the District — honoring the “Father of His Country” that’s encircled by 56 American flags, one for each state along with the five territories and the District of Columbia.

Our historical walk around the Mall also includes a bevy of memorials: Jefferson, Vietnam and Korean War Veterans, Martin Luther King, Jr., FDR and World War II. Join the lengthy queue to get inside the National Archives to view John Hancock’s John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. Book way in advance for access to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the newest venue on the Mall. Spend an entire day exploring the myriad of exhibitions at the National Galleries of Art and Portrait. Reach for the sky and the stars beyond at the National Air and Space Museum. And, stop long enough to smell the plant life inside the US Botanic Garden.

The United States is a cultural melting pot and its capital reflects the nation’s sea-to-shining-sea international roots. Heavily influenced by Egyptian, Greek, Roman, medieval European and 19th-century French architecture, wherever you look, especially up, you’ll see an abundance of tall columns, massive domes and the occasional flying buttress. From the White House to the U.S. Capitol, from the Washington Monument to the Library of Congress, from Union Station to the National Cathedral, a simple stroll around architecturally impressive DC alone is well worth the airfare. Right?

The District’s a showcase of American performance arts and is home to such iconic venues as the National Theatre and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In the early 20^th century, jazz music had a dizzying effect here as DC natives, like Duke Ellington, played the night away on stages up and down famed U Street. Years later, homegrown go-go, a blend of funk, R&B and hip-hop set the beat around clubs and out on the street.

And, let’s not forget that John Philip Souza came marching down Pennsylvania Avenue at the dawn of the 1900s leading the Marine Corps Band, the oldest musical group in the US. Today, Souza’s iconic march music is one of the highlights at the annual A Capitol Fourth, the national Independence Day celebration that unfolds at twilight on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill.

The White House, Congress and the Supreme Court, the three pillars of the US government, all punch their clocks here, while the Pentagon, the State Department, the World Bank and embassies from almost every corner of the globe float around their orbit. Power, those that carry it and those eager to wrestle it away, is why DC emits such a 24/7/365 buzz. Can you feel it?

Washingtonians, all 700,000+ of them, know full well the difference between the city itself and the District of Columbia, aka “inside the beltway.”

Beyond the high profile attractions, the politics, the leaks, the lobbying and the “fake news,” the city, all 68 square miles of it, is made up of small, distinctive neighborhoods where normal folk live and breathe. Here, restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs are hopping; Ubers are hailed and bicycles and electric scooters are shared via smartphone apps, and one of the cleanest metro systems in the world moves the populace quickly; and, where friends share a laugh, like my DC-based fam, on colorful row-house front porches or on terraces atop apartment complexes with fab views of their fair city spread out below.

While we’re here, let’s grab some cutlery and tuck in to one of the country’s hottest food scenes. The District is a can’t-miss epicurean destination touted by the likes of Bon Appétit, the Michelin Guide and Zagat, and where celebrity chefs like José Andrés, Tim Ma and Marjorie Meek-Bradley conjure up their culinary wizardry.

From food magazine-worthy dishes created and plated at coveted tables around Penn Quarter, to local favorite half-smokes served at a 24-hour diner up in Adams Morgan, to one-stop grazing at foodie mecca Union Market, just about every kitchen on the planet is represented within DC.

Regardless of your crave, one thing’s for certain: it’s all delectable no matter where you dine. Uh, I’ll have the Maryland crab cake sandwich topped with crispy bacon, please.

With loads of attractions and activities for every visitor, budget-minded and value-added, Washington, DC is teeming with a good-time vibe. Affording unmatched free access to museums, monuments and memorials and one-of-a-kind events, like the National Cherry Blossom Festival, not to mention five pro sports teams — Redskins, Nationals, Wizards, Capitals and DC United — the District is in a class all by itself.

Washington, DC, America’s monumental city that our first commander-in-chief envisioned, is all grown up now. I’m just happy that you let me show you around.

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U.S. Highway 101 runs north-south through the states of California, Oregon and Washington. Known at some points as El Camino Real (The Royal Road) due to its Spanish trading past, it merges at some points with State Route 1, called the Pacific Coast Highway. It is one of the most scenic routes in the United States and a favorite of road trippers, who come from near and far to cruise along the western edge of America.

One of the most dramatic stretches of Highway 101 is at its northern terminus, in northwest Washington, where the road makes a loop around the Olympic Peninsula. Here visitors can buy lavender grown the traditional French way and visit coastal villages where fishermen still sell their daily catches dockside. Its natural wonders are punctuated by many historic sites and coastal towns offering good food and lodging.

The Olympic Loop offers a host of choices to explore the northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest. Much of its landscape is as it was when Capt. James Cook explored the region in 1778, with coastal roads weaving past jagged cliffs and serene, island-flecked bays. Over one 15-mile stretch, the route travels through a section of wild Pacific coast protected by Olympic National Park; another million acres of parkland lies within the circuit of the loop. Thanksgiving week is a good time to visit, with holiday temperatures ranging from the mid-50s to lower 60s.

Visitors often travel the loop in the counter-clockwise direction, beginning north of Seattle at the Edmonds ferry. Departing on Wednesday before noon, travelers should be able to avoid Thanksgiving lineups at the terminal. The 20-minute voyage west across Puget Sound disembarks at State Route 104, which merges into Highway 101 approximately 25 miles northwest.

Before reaching the Olympic Loop, the road passes by Point No Point, a headland located at the point where Admiralty Inlet meets Puget Sound. In 1855, a peace treaty ending the Indian wars in the Washington Territory was signed at Point No Point. Over a thousand Native Americans between the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound signed the treaty in the presence of Isaac Stevens, the first governor of the Washington Territory. A bronze plaque commemorates the event. Adjacent to the Point No Point lighthouse are 1.5 miles of publicly accessible beach that offer dramatic views of Mount Rainier, Mount Baker and Whidbey Island.

About four miles west on the Olympic Loop, past Sequim Bay, is the inland town of Sequim, known for its dry climate and lavender farms. Averaging just 15 inches of rain a year, Sequim has become a hot retirement spot in the region. Diamond Point on Discovery Bay, near Sequim, has views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Protection Island. To the west, New Dungeness Spit, a 6-mile flat spit barely visible from a distance, is one of the largest natural spits in the world. Capt. George Vancouver named it New Dungeness because it reminded him of Dungeness Point on England’s southeast coast, where a light has guided mariners since around 1600.

From Sequim, some visitors take a side trip up to Hurricane Ridge, in the Olympic National Park. It’s just a short drive and, at an elevation of almost 5,200 feet, it is a popular place for autumn sightseeing. This year, motorists are required to carry chains on portions of Hurricane Ridge Road beginning the week before Thanksgiving; call the park for more information (360-565-3005).

The route continues west to Lake Crescent, a good overnight stop for Wednesday. One of the deepest lakes in Washington, this picturesque glacier-carved lake offers boating and fishing along with diverse hiking trails.

Waterfalls in the area include Marymere Falls, a one-mile walk from Storm King Ranger Station at Barnes Point, and Sol Duc Falls, one of the most photographed spots on the peninsula, which is a mile walk from the end of Sol Duc Hot Springs Road. Nearby is Lake Crescent Lodge, listed as one of the best places to kiss in the Northwest. The Lodge’s seasonal dining is exquisite, with Dungeness crab cakes, French onion soup, baked wild salmon and elk rib rack among the offerings.

Continuing south on the morning of Thanksgiving Day, the route takes you from Lake Crescent to Lake Quinault, a 2.5-hour drive that includes that dramatic stretch along the Pacific Ocean. About halfway, in Forks, the Sol Duc River and the Bogachiel River merge into the Quillayute River, before they head to the sea. The nearby coastal land was aptly named Kalaloch (pronounced “clay-lock”), or “land of plenty,” by the Quinault Indians. It is a remote and peaceful place where visitors can enjoy beachcombing, fishing, hiking and exploring.

Built in 1926, Lake Quinault Lodge is a rustic, historic retreat and the perfect place to spend Thanksgiving. The Lodge’s $27 Thanksgiving buffet features roasted acorn squash bisque, poached salmon, cider and honey-brined turkey with cranberry pesto. Save room for the white chocolate bourbon pecan pie, the Lodge’s signature holiday dessert. If you need a pick-me-up after the feast, just put on some walking shoes and head out the door. Over 250 miles of hiking trails are located in the Quinault Valley, and 15 miles of them are within walking distance of the lodge.

Heading east on Friday, your destination is Alderbrook Resort and Spa, a luxury property located just off the loop on the scenic shores of Hood Canal. The resort will already have its halls decked for the Christmas holidays with more than seven miles of lights adorning the property and a 50-foot holiday tree set up on the waterfront lawn. The resort’s “Under the Mistletoe” package commences the day after Thanksgiving. Upon arrival, guests will be greeted with a bottle of wine and a $50 dining credit for The Restaurant at Alderbrook. A Saturday morning walk along the shores of the Hood Canal, a glacier-carved fjord home to eagles and ospreys, salmon and seals, is the perfect conclusion to this Thanksgiving holiday and a nice nod to the Christmas holiday season.

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JOHN BLANCHETTE (February 26, 1946 – March 4, 2014)

In late autumn the rolling hills of the Palouse in Eastern Washington and North Idaho turn to gold as wheat ripens over thousands of acres and giant green combines crawl over the fields like giant locusts harvesting grain.

Rain is scarce in this region and wheat, barley, legumes, especially chickpeas and lentils, respond well to the dry farming.

When irrigated the rich earth will grow most anything and fruit orchards are plentiful, providing pears, plums, cherries, peaches, apples, etc. World-class vineyards take advantage of the terroir and 22 varieties of vegetables, from carrots to tomatoes are commercially farmed along with grass, vegetable and flower seeds.  Berries of all types are a major crop including wild huckleberries, which cannot be cultivated and are also coveted by deer, elk, moose and bears, who freely roam the land with an avian brotherhood that includes wild turkeys, hawks, eagles, ducks and geese.  With so much abundance of flora and fauna, hunting and fishing are popular pastimes along with water sports and white water rafting in this land of 76 lakes and numerous wild rivers.

Spokane is the major city in the region with a population of 210,000 and half a million in the surrounding area, the largest urban hub between Seattle and Minneapolis.

There are over 20 wineries in Spokane, most with tasting rooms, and I indulged at Barrister. The owners are lawyers, accounting for the label. Headquartered in a historic brick building you enter off a back alley, like you might a prohibition-era speakeasy.

There are a number of excellent universities in the Inland Northwest including Gonzaga, Washington State, University of Idaho, Eastern Washington University, Lewis and Clark, North Idaho College, Whitworth, etc.  It is a rural but enlightened community that emphasizes agricultural science and puts its products into the hands of some great chefs, restaurants and specialty food producers whose creations I fully enjoyed as I traveled the Inland Northwest along the corridor of Eastern Washington and the North Idaho panhandle.

Shaped like a little house on the prairie with the panhandle forming its chimney, Idahoans are particular about area names.  It is North Idaho and not northern and Moscow is in Russia (as I was told several times), Mosco(h) is the way they pronounce it in North Idaho.  No matter how you say it, the countryside is rich and abundant and the cities and towns have retained their architectural heritage. Fifty percent of Spokane’s downtown buildings are protected as historic sites.

Over several days I explored the bounty and inviting landscape of the area on a culinary tour of the vineyards, farm stands and restaurants, first driving north from Spokane towards Sandpoint, Idaho, about 80 miles, I then circled south through the lake lands and farms toward Coeur d’Alene (a term applied to the Indian traders by the French for their sharp business skills, literally “heart of an awl”) and then south 70 miles to Moscow, home to the University of Idaho and the Co-Op, the largest grocery store in town and full of all local organically produced products. Traveling west seven miles to Pullman, the city is home to Washington State University and one of my favorite stops, Ferdinand’s Creamery for Cougar Gold cheddar cheese (which comes in a 30 ounce can for $18) and the ice cream parlor, all run by students.

Heading north again 50 miles I finished the loop in Spokane, where I stayed at the historic and some believe haunted, Davenport Hotel and at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino near the airport.

Other hotels included the Coeur d’Alene Resort with spectacular views of the lake, mountains and harbor off the bedroom porch and the University Inn in Moscow, across from the campus.

One of my best dining experiences was in Spokane at Italia Trattoria in the restored Browne’s Addition section of the city. Chef Anna Vogel trained with Tom Douglas in Seattle and her gnocchi is the best I’ve ever had.

In the town of Colbert, Washington I visited Green Bluff Growers and Walters Fruit Ranch, where children can take a wild train ride through the orchards, play with the farm animals or pick their own pumpkin from the patch while adults shop in the farm store, pick their own fruit in the orchards or eat the best apple pie in the Northwest.  Down the road in Post Falls, Idaho is DOMA Coffee Roasting Company, a must stop for a weary traveler.

In Coeur d’Alene I dined al fresco at Settlers Creek farmstead on wood grilled meats, fish and vegetables from local farmers, accompanied by local beer and wine.

In Moscow, Nectar in old town near the University has a talented young chef in Nikki Woodland.

David Blaine, the chef not the magician, although he is magical in the kitchen, prepared our lunch at Latah Bistro in Spokane serving breads made with local wheat.  The farmer who grew the crop also dined with us.

I met a number of farmers on the tour, all tall, knowledgeable and eloquent in the descriptions of their life and work.  Men who love and care for the earth they tend, sow and plow and the crops and animals they harvest for food.

Back in Spokane I had my final meal at Masselows, the elegant restaurant at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino, prepared by chef Robert Rogers.

Wineries visited included Arbor Crest, which offers a panoramic view of Spokane from the vineyard tasting room at Eagle’s Nest estate, former home of inventor Royal Riblet. Trazzi farm, located north of Spokane, specializes in Italian style wines, Bistro Rouge Cafe in Sandpoint has an extensive pizza and salad menu using locally sourced ingredients and the attached Pend d’Oreille Winery makes an extraordinary rosé, blending huckleberry wine and Riesling. Coeur d’ Alene Cellars is located in an industrial park within the city and winemaker Warren Schutz is a master of Rhone varietals.

No-Li Brewhouse in Spokane makes a nice India Pale All and next door is Dry Fly Distilling for Vodka, Gin and Whisky made from local wheat and other grains, if you want a chaser with your beer.

With brochures, wine guides and further information you can successfully conduct your own culinary tour of the Inland Northwest border areas of Eastern Washington State and North Idaho and to discover the fresh, locally sourced meats and produce prepared by farmers and chefs who understand the importance of doing it right when cultivating an evolving food and beverage landscape.

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In this not-so-brave new world, adult men, regardless of economic factors, are increasingly living with their mothers until well into their 40s. Their ideal evening is sitting at home watching YouTube while they nibble away on Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Milano cookies. Frustrated single women are left wondering what happened to the real adventurous men. Ladies, if you’re looking for the standup fellas, here are cities to start the man hunt.

Best in Show: Kissimmee, Florida

Go ahead, Yankee Girl. Scoff away with your jokes about “Florida Man” as you scrape the ice off your windshield and date that scarf-wearing Mama’s boy. Eventually you’ll tire of paying for his freezer-burned avocado toast habit. When you’re ready for pure sunshine and a prime man, save your kisses for Kissimmee.

“Look,” Brandon Fisher says, pointing at a nesting egret. “Do you see her blue eggs?”

He gives the mama-bird her distance as he articulately explains his fondness for Florida’s avian residents. It’s all in a day’s work for Fisher, my affable Gatorland guide who was feeding several of the 14-foot resident reptiles by hand just moments earlier.

This Orlando suburb is a prime spot to root around in rugged Florida in the morning before soaking up a spa appointment at Disney Springs in the afternoon. Kissimmee is packed with adventurous brawn: swamp tour guides, stuntmen at the theme parks and dinner shows, military servicemen, motorcycle enthusiasts, fishermen and cattle ranchers. Add bodybuilding to that beefy stew; several major annual competitions are based in the area.

If airboat swamp rides are more your speed, head to Wild Florida. Captain Jeff Farmer, who is also a fireman, will amuse you with his charming humor as he takes you up close to the alligators. He helms the vessel from behind for an exciting hour.

Are you still reading, or did you begin booking your tickets at fireman?

“If you decide to jump in during the ride, please stand up,” Farmer advises guests. “We’ll be traveling through about six inches of water most of the time.”

Wild Florida owner Sam Haught, a conservationist, is delighted with his new free-range animal safari. He enjoys hand-feeding the giraffes from his elevated deck.

“We finally acquired 85 acres in 2018 and were off to the races developing the drive-through park,” Haught said. “It’s seriously been the funnest part of my career building it!”

A great location for beef of the edible and viewable variety is Shula’s Steak House at Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort. Sip on their signature blueberry martini as you drink in the view of the sharp-dressed men attending the many corporate conventions held nearby. Pescatarians will be delighted with Shula’s scallops, which are served over saffron corn crema.

Celebrity Southern gentlemen tee off every January at The Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions pro-am golf competition. Country crooners Toby Keith and Lee Brice “sure clean up nice” for the accompanying charity auction and foodie bash at Mystic Dunes.

Reserve Champion: Miami, Florida

Yes, Florida again. After you ditch Pumpkin Spice Boy, head south for Mr. Miami Nice.

Miami is neighbors with the splendid Caribbean, drawing multicultural men in droves. Check out the guys who work on the beaches, either for the city, Florida Fish and Wildlife, Biscayne National Park, or upscale spas. If you’re hankering to go country and find rustic male company, the county of Miami-Dade has some orange orchards and horse ranches. There are many fantastic opportunities to meet some men with character.

You’ll need some sunscreen and shades to hang with these guys. Due to the year-round flawless weather, locals like to spend their free time cycling and fishing, as well as surfing, running, and camping.

A plethora of refined men can be spotted at Novotel Miami Brickell. This fashionable hotel in the financial district is close to great nightspots and the property offers many social activities by their rooftop pool such as live music on Sunday afternoons at their Sunset Sessions, Full Moon and Sunset Yoga, invigorating workshops, and Movie Under the Stars. The yoga in particular is a fantastic way to be amongst some buff, enlightened people.

Located in the hotel lobby area, UVA bar is the place to enjoy a marvelous selection of Chilean and Argentinean wines, signature Latin American spirits, and light tapas. The bar features a happy hour each evening, drawing chic executives and investment bankers. Nearby, charming Chef Benjamin Meyer runs Lima, named after one of the world’s foremost culinary destinations. Guests experience the delightful simplicity of his flavorful contemporary cuisine with creative yet well-balanced small plates with the culinary influences of The Americas, old Europe and Asia. Try the Watercress & Arugula Salad made with oranges, pepitas, cucumber, and queso fresco, along with its citrus vinaigrette.

Another place to seek out for delectable cuisine and men? The internationally-acclaimed Nikkei restaurant Osaka, which recently made its North American in the Brickell district.

Helmed by handsome Chefs Rogger Quispe and Juan Urrutia, Osaka is a multi-sensory experience that melds millenary Japanese techniques with the finest Peruvian flavors and ingredients. The Osaka brand was conceptualized in 2001 by ebullient entrepreneurs Diego Herrera and Diego de la Puente, two surfers whose world travels resulted in the creation of a restaurant influenced by their Peruvian roots along with their appreciation of the ocean and Asian culture. Osaka’s mixology program is structured on the same path making their liquor bar a world class scenario with house made drinks and a trendy, vibrant atmosphere.

Osaka’s design is Japanese-inspired, infusing modern architecture, Feng Shui and signature Peruvian accents of past and present materials and textures. Much like its sister restaurants, the Miami location features a big ceviche and Nikkei bar at the heart of the restaurant, which is the main difference from traditional sushi restaurants. The dimly-lit dining room lends an air of romance. Try the Nigiri sushi utilizing Peruvian ingredients full of umami flavors, renowned Wasabi Ceviche, Nikkei Omakase platters, or the Izakaya sharing plates.

Anchorage, Alaska

“Slow and steady,” Dan McDonough of Lifetime Adventures tells guests as he adjusts paddles behind them.

A relaxed Lumbersexual, McDonough takes tourists kayaking to see some startling sights on Eklutna Lake, and some of them may opine that he is one himself. His pal Jack Bonney, an Anchorage tourism executive, believes the easygoing casual attitude in Alaska attracts brawny men and their admirers to the area.

“Generally speaking, Alaskans tend to be friendly, genuine and pretty laid back,” Bonney said. “We like to be outside and are pretty active no matter the season. There’s not a lot of putting on airs; you don’t run into a lot of people trying to be someone they are not. I could see how that might appeal to someone used to a little more runaround and pretense.”

Big industries in Alaska reek of testosterone: oil, mining, rugged tourism and fishing. Add aviation to the mix as well; there are six times as many pilots (per capita) in Alaska than in any other state. If you like pilots, head to F Street Station in downtown Anchorage. The bar is peppered with stickers from military aviation from around the globe. For hockey guys, try Blue Line. It’s the restaurant inside O’Malley Sports Center, one of the local hockey rinks. If you’re not picky, any trail in Chugach State Park is crawling with brawny men. Eklutna Lake is just one of the entry points to this half million-acre park at the edge of Anchorage. Other popular trailheads include Glen Alps, Bird Ridge and the Eagle River Nature Center. If that’s not enough, you’re guaranteed to spot hairy mountain men aplenty at the annual Mr. Fur Face and Moustache competitions that are part of the yearly Fur Rondy. World-champion beard growers? Sign us up.

Long Beach/Ilwaco, Washington

Fishing, including commercial crabbing and oyster farming are the primary macho industries in this region of the Pacific Northwest which attracts plenty of dudes. “Fishing and crabbing off the North Jetty and fishing out of the Port of Ilwaco are the best places to meet men,” explained Carol Zahorsky, who works in tourism in the area. Need a pickup line? Simply ask for a little help baiting the hook or trap.

Lumbersexuals have been spotted eating at Lost Roo and grabbing a pint at North Jetty Brewing. Other watering holes include the pub at the Shelburne Inn, The Depot and 42nd Street Café. Many of the professional fishermen can be found staying at Salt at the Port of Ilwaco or Adrift Hotel in Long Beach. The former is the closest hotel to breathtaking Cape Disappointment State Park, but don’t let the name deter you, it’s actually quite a romantic spot.

Crystal Mountain/Enumclaw, Washington

Enumclaw and Crystal Mountain are both at the foot of majestic Mount Rainier National Park, drawing men in droves. There are the guys who work in the woods, either for logging companies, the Forest Service, the National Park, or at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort running the lifts. Enumclaw also has plenty of dairies and horse farms, so one can always find a nice cowboy.

Due to the area attractions, men of the region like to spend their free time hunting and fishing, as well as skiing, mountain biking, and camping. You might need to trade in your heels for hiking boots to hang with this crowd. A plethora of Lumba-studs can be spotted at Alta Crystal Resort. This down-to-earth mountain lodge is close to all the action and the property offers many social activities like wine tasting, movie nights, and bonfires with s’mores, all a great opportunity to meet that special someone.

Other bars to seek out? The Yella Beak Saloon, Seeders, Fill’s Growlers, and The Mint are your best bets in Enumclaw, or try the Elk Head Brewery in Buckley. And a last resort? “The True Value tool shop in Enumclaw almost always has brawny men working there too,” offers longtime resident Julie Johnson.

Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

The Land of 10,000 Lakes offers plenty of nature to hike around or explore by snowshoe. Most locals head up to the lake for the weekend, but when they return to the urban sprawl, Renaissance Men of the Twin Cities enjoy the local arts and culture scene, as well. The result is a multitude of articulate, strapping plaid gentlemen. Local outdoorsman Jeff Swanson recommends his favorite watering hole for meeting his ilk.

“Brit’s Pub is exceptional with their rooftop lawn, where they do lawn bowling, or show movies on the side of the building next door,” Swanson said. “Downtown bars have a lot of turnover. There are still sports bars in the suburbs where middle aged men and women play softball outside then come in to drink, dart and dance.”

Sandpoint/Schweitzer Mountain, Idaho

“I think you find those types of hardcore men here thanks to the physical make up of our land,” said Dig Chrismer, a lucky woman who works at the Schweitzer Mountain ski resort. “With the mountains and lakes around us, we attract rugged people who chose those landscapes as their playground. That inevitably attracts some badass lumbersexuals who are loggers, Forest Service employees and ski bums.”

“There’s always a great variety of people in the bar and it’s not uncommon to see ski folks hanging with the artist folks and the forest service guys hanging with teachers,” Chrismer said. “That’s what makes Sandpoint so attractive in my opinion.”

Just being a mountain man is attractive, but being able to share more than just logging stories is awesome. Keep it diverse, lumbersexuals.

The post This One’s for the Ladies: The Best Cities to Meet Manned-Up Men appeared first on Traveling Archive.

While everyone seemed to be relocating north to Seattle, I bolted from my home town for the bright lights of Los Angeles. But I would return to my ancestral home often. While visiting, I would frequently kick myself for never exploring the amazing attractions outside of Greater Seattle. Sure, I knew Western Washington’s Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, the islands of Puget Sound, the rain forests and the rugged Washington coast, but I never really gave the rich agricultural eastern part of Washington State a chance, which is known more for sun than rain. This spring I decided to do something about it.

In October 1805, Lewis and Clark arrived in the Palouse region. They were stunned by the beauty and magnitude of this sweeping landscape of rolling hills and plateaus. As with other tribes on their historic exploration, they made friends with the nomadic Palus Tribe, renowned as expert equestrians. The term Appaloosa is a derivation of the Palouse horse. Traditionally, The Palouse region was defined as the fertile hills and prairies north of the Snake River in southeast Washington and north central Idaho.

Today The Palouse Scenic Byway combines 208 miles of sweeping hills and spectacular vistas, expansive wheat and lentil farmlands, and small towns with distinctive, rich history and charm.

There is no center to The Palouse Scenic Byway; it is a place to simply leisurely drive along the gentle curving highways, sprinkled with antique shops, wineries, easy access venues for hiking and biking, and, above all, photography. If you ever needed to stop the world and simply relax, this is the place for it.

Pullman – My Home Base

With a population of 27,030, the charming town of Pullman offers spectacular natural beauty surrounding its core, plus offering urban amenities due to Washington State University towering above it. It’s also located right smack in the middle of the Palouse. There’s a refreshing small town feel, and the locals are welcoming and excited that you are exploring their area. A number of Pullman restaurants have embraced the slow food movement with the emphasis on seasonal and locally grown food. With bread made with local wheat, produce from nearby farms, cheese made at the WSU and fish from the Snake and Columbia Rivers, you are quite literally tasting the landscape.

Recommended Pullman Restaurants

South Fork Public House is the brain child of co-owner of Jim Harbour, who is also a professor at WSU. Utilizing regional ingredients, they are known for their wine and beer pairings with seasonal local food items. My favorite dish: MAC & CHEESE – penne noodles tossed in WSU-made Cougar Gold cheese sauce, topped with locally smoked bacon & seasonal scallions. The torpedo-like grissini, made with Palouse wheat, is ideal for dunking.

The Black Cypress is a venue that reflects the qualities of the Palouse region that keep people living here. A hybrid of Greek and local food items, owner Nick Pitsilionis places an emphasis on an appreciation for honest food, company, and drink. Many of the produce items come from his own farm.My favorite dish: TIE: Golden Lentil Soup – Washington is the US’s leading producer of lentils – served with seasonal bruschetta that consists of grilled local Panhandle Bakery bread made with Palouse Sheppard’s Wheat. And in-house smoked back bacon from a hog raised on the WSU campus, along with local apples and Guinness mustard served on the side. Guinness hops are imported from Washington State.

Where to Stay in Pullman

A Holiday Inn may not seem regional or unique, but there’s something about Pullman’s Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites that takes service and amenities to the next level. And even better, the Palouse is right at your doorstep.

The post Paradise in the Palouse appeared first on Traveling Archive.

My wife and I just got back from a week-long vacation in Vancouver, Washington.

When you say Vancouver, most people think of Canada so I thought it might be good to share bullet points about Portland/Vancouver (I use the names interchangeably):

• Although our destination was Washington state, our plane landed in Portland airport because Portland is the Northernmost tip of Oregon and Vancouver is the Southernmost tip of Washington state. They are divided by the Columbia river. Many locals commute over the bridge everyday.
• Portland is more expensive to live in than Vancouver. Both are undergoing major development. Residential homes and apartment buildings have increased in the last 7 years.
• Real estate is cheaper by at least 100K than California with Portland being one of the fastest growing city in America.
• Gas per gallon is twenty cents cheaper than California.
• This is timber country. Green foliage all around even during the heat of summer. Christmas trees are grown here. Trains, barges and trucks are the most common mode of delivering the raw timber.
• They say it rains a lot.
• Polite and friendly people. Did not hear a single car horn. Seems to be less stressful.
• 4 seasons – with winter only lasting a week at the most — then all the snow disappears leaving just the cold.
• Lots of people move here from California. A melting pot of cultures. Our Uber and Lyft drivers were from California, Ethiopia and Texas. A growing Asian population.
• Lots of fresh lakes and rivers filled with Salmon, trout, and other fresh water fishes. Lots of private boats and yachts.
• No sales tax in Portland. I repeat : NO SALES TAX!
• Breweries are  sprouting all over in Portland. It’s the craft beer center of America.
• Tech companies are a major industry. Of course 300 miles north is the headquarters of Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks and Zillow.
• It is a “sprawling” community so you need a car to move around. Not a lot of public transportation.
• Very “progressive” politically
• It has better climate and overall cost of living than California. Wouldn’t mind moving there.
• Go to Mount Ranier where the snow never melts — even during the hottest days of the year. It’s about a 2 hour drive north. Enjoy waterfalls, thousand year old sequoias, clear rivers and an assortment of plants and trees.
• Visit the Japanese garden and the Rose Garden then promenade along 23rd Street for quaint shops.
• The highlight of our trip was nature tripping. God has indeed blessed this country with His glory.

“Portland is where young people go to retire.” 
— (One of the more famous quotes of Portland) Fred Armisen

TGIF people!

Talking Pet

Shared by Tom of Pasadena, CA

Here’s a cute joke. Sharing this for the sake of the new subscribers.

Tom Cruise Forces James Corden to Skydive
Sent by Charlie of New Jersey

A fun video of Tom Cruise, the “stunt actor” and James Corden, the overweight Late Night Talk Show host. It’s pretty long but entertaining.

WATCH VIDEO

Fergie’s Bad Lip Reading of  “Nobody Wants My Bread”
Sent by Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA

This has been around but if you haven’t seen this, you’re bound to crack up. Well done. It’s like she is really singing this.

WATCH VIDEO

Global Super Tanker
Sent by Don of Kelowna. B.C.

California and neighboring coastal states are currently beset with disastrous forest fires. These flying fire trucks are our best line of defense.

Despite all these, I still think someone can come up with a cheaper, more effective solution. If you figure this out, you’ll be a millionaire for sure.

WATCH VIDEO

Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

Parting Shot

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who shared this photo

The post Pet Centipede appeared first on Traveling Archive.