It’s time to once again explore the world from the comfort of the Olympic Peninsula.
Traveler’s Journal, an adventure presentation speaker/photo series that also serves as a fundraiser for Olympic Discovery Trail projects, kicks off Feb. 8 and runs seven more successive Thursdays.
A presentation of the Peninsula Trails Coalition, the series raises funds to buy project supplies and food for volunteers working on Olympic Discovery Trail projects. Shows start at 7 p.m. at the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road.
Admission is a suggested $5 donation for adults. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to wear masks.
In this year’s offerings, attendees can enjoy vicarious journeys at various points on the globe, from international stops in Patagonia, Slovenia, Iceland, Poland and Quebec, to domestic adventures along the Pacific Coast, on Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands and across Maine.
What’s coming up
The 2024 Traveler’s Journal series includes:
• Feb. 8 — “Survival in Slovenia: Evading the Nazis in WWII”
The delivery of a B-24 bomber, a series of missions into Nazi territory and the dramatic rescue of two Allied airmen are all part of this Traveler’s Journal presentation that kicks the 2024 series off.
Photo courtesy of Steve Nordwell Steve Nordwell and daughter Hillary stand near a monument to the crew of B-24 bomber known as “Moo Juice.” Nordwell kicks off the 2024 Traveler’s Journal Series on Feb. 8.
Steve Nordwell, who has climbed in Africa, Ecuador and Europe, in addition to volcanic peaks closer to home and down the West Coast, details the dedication of a monument in a tiny village in Slovenia, part of the former Yugoslavia, in memory of his father Ernie, one of the two men who evaded Nazis after an air attack forced the U.S. servicemen to bailing out of a burning aircraft.
• Feb. 15 — “Jewel of Lake Superior: The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore”
Gail Green and Grant Herman invite attendees to experiencing Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands. For more than 25 years, the couple owned and operated a sea kayaking outfitting business that hosted trip guests from half-day to week-long adventures in these islands.
Photo courtesy of Gail Green and Grant Herman Kayakers paddle under a sea cave arch on Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands. Join Gail Green and Grant Herman for their 2024 Traveler’s Journal Series presentation, “Jewel of Lake Superior: The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore,” on Feb. 15.
“The remarkable geological history extends as far back as your beliefs will stretch,” they write. “A rich cultural history of indigenous people inhabiting the islands dates back thousands of years and is followed by centuries of European exploration and settlements.”
• Feb. 22 — “Patagonia”
Presenter John Popinski and his wife detail their five-week Patagonia expedition, starting with several days in the thriving port-side capital of Buenos Aires — defined by its rich history, vibrant culture and strong European influence and thus nicknamed the Paris of South America. From there they spent four days at Los Glaciares National Park, known as Argentina’s trekking capital.
Photo courtesy of John Popinski / Join John Popinski and see photos from his Patagonia adventure (including this Magellanic penguin) at a 2024 Traveler’s Journal Series presentation on Feb. 22.
Following that was an adventure to Perito Moreno Glacier, a behemoth with an average height of 240 feet and more than 19 miles in length. From there they a took a five-day journey through Tierra del Fuego National Park, exploring the “uttermost end of the earth.” After that it was on to Punta Arenas, Chile, we transferred to Torres Del Paine National Park, a rich biosphere reserve known for its incredibly spectacular beauty. Capping the trip was seeing legendary landmarks in the Chilean capitol of Santiago.
• Feb. 29 — “Iceland by kayak, the first circumnavigation”
Nigel Foster, an internationally-renowned sea kayaker and author, recounts the adventures during a 1,500-mile circumnavigation of Iceland with Geoff Hunter in June 1977 that led to his book, “Iceland by Kayak.” Foster recounts, “The south coast humbled us.
Photo courtesy of Nigel Foster / Nigel Foster, pictured here on Flatey Island, offers details of his 1977 kayak circumnavigation of Iceland at a 2024 Traveler’s Journal Series presentation on Feb. 29.
Geoff was flung end over end trying to penetrate the surf. In our tent, sand forced its way into everything we had, all our food, our clothes, our eyes. Inside my camera, it scratched the film. But there was a wild beauty about the vast black sand stretching to the horizon.”
• March 7 — “700 miles of canoeing, by bike”
Long-term retirees Jeff and Louise Davis met through their mutual interest in cycling, and long before they decided to get married they bought a tandem bicycle together. “Luckily for the bike, marriage eventually happened,” they say. In their 2024 Traveler’s Journal Series presentation, the couple found adventure in a bike trip up the coast of Maine. They booked nine cabins in Maine — seven of them on tidewater, two on lakes — and each one came with a canoe.
Photo courtesy of Jeff and Louise Davis / Jeff and Louise Davis — pictured here with “Little Red,” their two-wheeled transportation for their canoeing adventure — offer their thoughts of their 700-mile “canoeing, by bike” trip up the coast of Maine on March 7 at a 2024 Traveler’s Journal Series event.
To make the trek work, they also had to be no more than 40 miles from the one before it or the one after, and groceries had to be less than five miles away so we weren’t spending all our time biking for food. “Come along with us for all three summers to see what canoeing by bike is like: how we found the places to stay, how we managed food supply, how we figured out where to paddle, how we navigated in unfamiliar waters, and more,” the couple says.
• March 14 — “An adventure into the Great Nearby: Cycling the Pacific Coast”
Bill Thorness, author of “Cycling the Pacific Coast: The Complete Guide from Canada to Mexico,” and “Biking Puget Sound: 60 Rides From Olympia to the San Juans,” will talk of his experience biking along the Pacific Coast from Vancouver, B.C., to the Mexico border, a trek of more than 2,000 miles with side trips and city tours.
Photo courtesy of Bill Thorness / Author Bill Thorness takes attendees of the March 14 Traveler’s Journal series presentation along the Pacific Coast, including scenes such as this vineyard in the Santa Ynez region just north of Santa Barbara.
“Washington might be too familiar for hometown friends, although it holds perhaps the most route variety,” Thorness writes. “But have you sensed the Oregon coast at fifteen pedaled miles per hour? You will smell and even taste the briny breeze, hear the sea crash and the gulls cry off the sea stacks, and squint at the sunset across glittering waves.”
• March 21 — “Quebec and the Maritimes by tandem”
Jen and Tony Burgess, natives of Northern England, enjoy hiking and cycling and have completed a couple of long-distance hikes in England, including the popular 200-mile coast-to-coast from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. They started riding an old used tandem in 2009. In this Traveler’s Journal Series presentation, they take attendees on what they call their most memorable tour from Quebec City to Halifax.
Photo courtesy of Tony and Jen Burgess / Tony and Jen Burgess offer their thoughts on a memorable trip from Quebec City to Halifax in “Quebec and the Maritimes by tandem,” a 2024 Traveler’s Journal Series event on March 21. Pictured here is the “old way of cycling” during a Canada Day Parade in Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia.
The first couple of weeks were spent cycling along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, and 1,000 miles later crossed from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island, noted for its gently rolling hills and excellent series of disused rail lines that have been converted to trails. Includes was a stop in Cavendish, famous as the setting for “Anne of Green Gables.” By their journey’s end, they logged 1,620 miles with plenty of stories in tow.
• March 28 — “A glimpse of Poland and Slovakia”
Sequim residents since 2009, Arvo and Christiane Johnson met while traveling independently in Chile and have been “inseparable” since then. They love to explore and travel; they have been to over 60 countries and continue their sense of adventure while introducing their two daughters to a life of exploring and adventure.
Photo courtesy of Arvo and Christiane Johnson / Arvo and Christiane Johnson help attendees of the final 2024 Traveler’s Journal Series explore several spots in Poland (including old town Gdansk, pictured) and Slovakia in their March 28 presentation.
Arvo, who has organized the Traveler’s Journal series for several years, writes that he’d been wanting to do this presentation for a few years but the Covid-19 pandemic ate up two years of opportunities and he’d been fortunate to have a full slate of presenter in 2022 and 2023. In this final installment of the 2034 series, the Johnsons detail their 2018 trip to parts of Poland and Slovakia. Included in their presentation are details of visits to Slowinski National Park, the storied Poland city Gdansk, the 13th century Malbork Castle, the Wieliczka Salt Mines, former Poland capitol Krakow, and a cave network in Slovakia in which just 400 of the 2,400-plus caves have been explored.
About the series
Traveler’s Journal, a presentation of the Peninsula Trails Coalition, raises funds to buy project supplies and food for volunteers working on Olympic Discovery Trail projects. Shows start at 7 p.m. at the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road.
Admission is a suggested donation is $5 for adults. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to wear mask.
For more information, email Arvo Johnson at amjcgj@gmail.com.
2024 Traveler’s Journal Series schedule
Feb. 8 — “Survival in Slovenia: Evading the Nazis in WWII” with Steve Nordwell
Feb. 15 — “Jewel of Lake Superior: The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore” with Gail Green and Grant Herman
Feb. 22 — “Patagonia” with John Popinski
Feb. 29 — “Iceland by Kayak, the first circumnavigation” with Nigel Foster
March 7 — “700 miles of canoeing, by bike” with Jeff and Louise Davis
March 14 — “An Adventure into the Great Nearby: Cycling the Pacific Coast” with Bill Thorness
March 21 — “Quebec and the Maritimes by tandem” with Jen and Tony Burgess
March 28 — “A glimpse of Poland and Slovakia” with Arvo and Christiane Johnson
