Journey to the Frozen Continent: A breathtaking look at Antarctica’s landscapes, inhabitants

January 2020 Posted in Travel | Comments Off on Journey to the Frozen Continent: A breathtaking look at Antarctica’s landscapes, inhabitants

[caption id="attachment_9615" align="alignright" width="300"] Steve Ritchie in Antarctica. Photo by Steve Ritchie.[/caption] By Steve Ritchie When I arrived in Ushaia, Argentina last month, I found many Ushaia souvenirs printed with the slogan fin del mundo which can be roughly translated as “end ...

The hiker’s quest: Learning what’s important from the Pacific Crest Trail

November 2019 Posted in People, Travel, Your Health | Comments Off on The hiker’s quest: Learning what’s important from the Pacific Crest Trail

[caption id="attachment_9506" align="alignleft" width="189"] Anna Koch on the marker at the end of her journey along the Pacific Crest Trail. Submitted Photos[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner “In a heartbeat,” is Anna Koch’s instant reply when asked if she would once again hike the Pacific ...

District champs: Kennedy blasts Culver, moves to No. 1 in Class 2A

November 2019 Posted in Community, School, Sports, Travel, Your Health | Comments Off on District champs: Kennedy blasts Culver, moves to No. 1 in Class 2A

On a cool autumn Senior Night the Kennedy High football team checked off the final box in an undefeated Special District 2 season. The defending state champion Trojans dismantled Culver 40-6 on Oct. 25 to improve to 5-0 in league play ...

More than maps: Geography curriculum developed with trip to Greece

September 2019 Posted in Community, Travel | Comments Off on More than maps: Geography curriculum developed with trip to Greece

[caption id="attachment_9408" align="alignleft" width="300"] Savannah Sinn at the Acropolis.[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner Teaching geography can be difficult, but it is especially tricky when the students are five years old.  “We don’t have a specific geography curriculum,” Savannah Sinn, a kindergarten teacher at Bush ...

All in the journey: Silverton teen hikes Pacific Crest Trail

April 2019 Posted in Community, Travel, Your Health | Comments Off on All in the journey: Silverton teen hikes Pacific Crest Trail

[caption id="attachment_9127" align="alignright" width="133"] Silverton hiker Anna Koch, shown at right at the start of the Pacific Crest Trail’s start near the Mexican border. Courtesy Rochelle Koch[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner 19-year-old, Anna Koch is setting out on the journey of a lifetime ...

In the elements: Silverton hiker rescued after two days in Columbia Gorge

February 2019 Posted in Community, Sports, Travel, Your Health | Comments Off on In the elements: Silverton hiker rescued after two days in Columbia Gorge

[caption id="attachment_9028" align="alignright" width="225"] Leslie Drapiza. Submitted Photo[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner “Since this has happened I’ve had these moments where I’m like, ‘Am I really alive?’” avid outdoorswoman Leslie Drapiza of Silverton said during a recent retelling of the harrowing rescue that ...

Traveling with kids: Adventure for the whole family

February 2019 Posted in Community, People, Travel | Comments Off on Traveling with kids: Adventure for the whole family

[caption id="attachment_9031" align="alignleft" width="225"] Guy Rodrigue and Dorothy Brown-Kwaiser took their son Sullivan to Santiago, Spain.Submitted Photos[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner It took Lisa Gerlits a number of years to find the joy in traveling with children. The mother of three – Alexander, ...

Summer adventure: Foxes brothers take baseball Dominican Republic tour

September 2018 Posted in People, School, Sports, Travel | Comments Off on Summer adventure: Foxes brothers take baseball Dominican Republic tour

[caption id="attachment_8696" align="alignleft" width="300"] Silverton High brothers Riley Kramer, left, and brother Kyle, spent a week in the Dominican Republic last month, playing baseball, donating gear and participating in clinics. James Day [/caption] By James Day Riley and Kyle Kramer had a bit ...

Roaming Reeders: Family packs up for two-year Cambodian adventure

July 2018 Posted in Community, People, Travel | Comments Off on Roaming Reeders: Family packs up for two-year Cambodian adventure

[caption id="attachment_8528" align="alignleft" width="300"] Tyrone, Amara and Emily Reeder Melissa Wagoner[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner Emily and Tyrone Reeder love living life outside their comfort zone, which is why this August they are packing up their bags and heading to Cambodia. “We like being ...

Checking in: McClaine House revitalized as bed and breakfast

February 2018 Posted in Community, Travel | Comments Off on Checking in: McClaine House revitalized as bed and breakfast

[caption id="attachment_8204" align="alignleft" width="225"] Karen Choules looks forward to new guests at The McClaine House. Nancy Jennings[/caption] By Nancy Jennings Karen Choules is a “homebody” who loves decorating, painting furniture, cooking and gardening. These qualities suit her well as the new owner/innkeeper ...

Patagone: Adventurer shares her pack through Patagonia

December 2017 Posted in People, Travel | Comments Off on Patagone: Adventurer shares her pack through Patagonia

[caption id="attachment_8040" align="alignright" width="300"] Stevie Anna Plummer assembles her crew for the 1,000-mile journey through Patagonia[/caption] By Brenna Wiegand Though her party consists of herself, her dog and two horses, Stevie Anna Plummer is taking the whole world along on her ...

Cuban adventure: A land old, new, and changing

October 2017 Posted in People, Travel | Comments Off on Cuban adventure: A land old, new, and changing

By Steve Ritchie It was 9 a.m. on a Monday morning in early February. We were God knows where, bouncing around the pot-holed back roads of Cuba in the second rear seat of a 1948 Plymouth sedan packed with nine people ...

A Grin at the End: Parklandia – Driving 1-5 or 1-205 can cause you to swear

October 2016 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Travel | Comments Off on A Grin at the End: Parklandia – Driving 1-5 or 1-205 can cause you to swear

My wife and I were heading for the airport, on our way to pick up one of kids. Oh, did we get I-205ed. To the ultimate max. It took us an hour and a half to get from Clackamas to the airport, ...

Venturing off road: Wild adventures in Costa Rica

March 2016 Posted in Travel | Comments Off on Venturing off road: Wild adventures in Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_6776" align="alignright" width="268"] Costa Rica[/caption] By Steve Ritchie Driving to the remote Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica would not be easy, I suspected, but I tend to be an optimist when it comes to travel. My wife, Susan, and I had ...

A ‘pura vida’ destination: The people and nature make Costa Rica a memorable adventure

February 2016 Posted in Travel | Comments Off on A ‘pura vida’ destination: The people and nature make Costa Rica a memorable adventure

[caption id="attachment_6652" align="alignright" width="300"] Susan Murray and Steve Ritchie in Costa Rica[/caption] By Steve Ritchie Leaving the beach at Junquillal on the Pacific Coast after watching another gorgeous Costa Rican sunset, I was brushing the wet sand off my feet before hopping ...