Christine Lukasik

Clarence Photo

Perhaps my favorite hotel in all the world - the Bono & Edge owned Clarence in Dublin - is possibly about to undergo a massive remodel. See article with my photo (!) published here. The plans do sound lovely but this place is truly wonderful just as it is. The photo they've chosen of mine is of one of the most lovely and soothing public rooms I've ever seen in a hotel - it's hard for me to think about letting go of my memories of the place - though I'm sure it would only get better. Lovely lovely Clarence.

Joshua Tree: Magic

So I’ve just returned from a very short little weekend jaunt out to the California desert, Joshua Tree, to be exact. I headed out there largely because I’ve heard through musicians I admire (Tim Easton for one, but there are a ton) that it’s a really groovy place and it happened to be just a few hours outside LA where I needed to be on business on a Thursday evening. SO convenient. I did a ton of research only trying to find a place to stay and took a chance on Sacred Sands, a B&B in Joshua Tree. I should start by saying that the directions told of a 2 hour drive (140ish miles) but mentioned something about possibly 5 with traffic. I left Manhattan Beach at 2:15PM and arrived at Joshua Tree at 8:15pm. Yikes! Along the way I learned that Chino stinks. Really stinks. Like urine and feces. Not so great when you’re in a convertible stuck in traffic for hours. EEEW.

Eventually, I arrived, was greeted pleasantly (which was gracious given my late arrival) and fell into bed. Arose via alarm and also dawn filtering into my room at 6:30am the next day to begin my desert adventure. Ate a wonderful brekkie of grapefruit topped with kiwi and roasted cardamom (mmmm), followed by a baked clafouti type thing with home made pear and Cinnamon syrup, home made turkey sausage and yam hash. I nearly fainted it was so delightful. In a haze of yummy I headed to “downtown” (a crossroads with about 10 shops) to visit the farmers market and pick up a shade hat and returned way too many hours later bearing fresh strawberries, radishes ($.50 a bunch), dried paypaya, a ROCKIN hat (now seen in my profile photo) and way too much else J Retail damage was _done_. Highlights included celery/beet/ginger/veggie juice at Velocity, and the hat from Coyote Corner.

Then it was out to the desert for a hike. I had several noted in my research but the B&B hosts had a different plan for me to hike in solitude with “Close in” things to enjoy like washes to hike up, giant boulders to scrabble over, and then dramatic vistas to enjoy. Their directions involved fairly complicated map navigation and certainly involved “turn off the dirt road” onto a single car dirt road. Took me several tries to get it right but eventually got on the right one and cruised out with the top down and the local Joshua Tree Music Fest CD blaring. Set off on the hike and other than a father and son right at the beginning I didn’t see another human until I returned several hours later. It was just

Me

And all that sky, all those incredible rocks, and so many cool desert growing things. I can honestly say that hike was a near religious experience for me. I sat for indeterminate periods of time and gazed at beauty. I learned that time, at least in the desert, and perhaps everywhere, moves at a pace relative to that which I am moving. Meaning that minutes felt like HOURS. It was the most relaxed I have been possibly EVER. I was a bit worried that with all that’s been going on for me that I would freak out or really just not be able to wind down but just the opposite – I unwound and everything became so much clearer. I resolved to do more of the things I enjoy (what’s important) and less of what I don’t (what’s not important). Throughout the hike there was a crow giving me hell, circling around and just generally making it known that he knew I was there tramping in his space and at one point I was quite high on a peak looking out over the desert and he flew quite close to me making this WEIRD noise that scared the sh*t out of me. Once I calmed down I realized that it was the noise of his wings flapping. Now folks, I grew up in the woods, spent most of my childhood out there alone climbing, hiking, whittling branches and whatnot – no stranger to nature is Christine but I’m pretty sure I had no idea that wings made noise and I don’t think I’ve ever had a bird fly past my head in quite that way. Incredible.

After a few hours I headed back toward the car carefully navigating as things do get a little confusing out there Jand headed into town to meet up with a gallery owner to look at some work by favorite musician of mine, Tim Easton. Picked up a few pieces of his super-cute folk art with a “lucky” theme, cruised back to the B&B to shower, then back out to another gallery opening where I found this piece – again with the lucky! Clearly the theme of the trip.

Spent Sat night in my private hot tub under the stars (OMG the night sky! OMG!) watching arguably the best night sky in North America. Sunday morning found me teary at the prospect of leaving this newfound peace so soon, and devastated to return to my currently broken life in Seattle.

I’ll leave it at this. I’m trying to hold onto bits of the peace and am using little triggers to get back to it (the roots music is helping) when things get rough. I’m thrilled and feel extremely grateful to have been able to do it, and plan to return again soon and regularly, alone. Seems like I’ve spent way too much time neglecting to check in with myself on some extended solitude and I’m committed to doing it at least twice a year or so. Otherwise I’m not sure I’ll see things clearly. Ideally I’d love to get a second place there – the pull was that strong. Stronger even than the pull I felt from Seattle when I first visited here and stronger than New Zealand. Likely due to the place in time and space that I visited this magical spot.

Let the healing begin!!

Ok, folks, let the healing begin! I have to head to LA for business this week and thought a short weekend diversion to the desert might be just the right little bit of healing I need. Just TAKE a look at the amazing spot I found that by some miracle is available to me to stay the weekend?!!!
Yay, Sacred Sands in Joshua Tree, CA. Just a shame that favorite musician of mine and Joshua Tree resident Tim Eastonwill be touring Alaska while I'm visiting his town!

Vancouver, BC Faves

To add to my Atlanta & New York Faves posts - here's a tiny Vancouver BC version.

Lodging: Opus - the coolest pet friendly hotel. Conveniently located in Vancouver's Yaletown district just near David Lam park (handy for running or pooch walking) and right across the street from Urban Fare – a really excellent gourmet grocery store where you can get all your healthy bits!

Also in Yaletown – just a few doors down from the Opus:
Glowbal Delish restaurant & satay bar
The COOLEST doggie store – Barking Babies (where we got Eddie’s camo jacket)
And Chocoatl the best Hot Chocolate (really real chocolate) shop EVER. Yes, I think it's even better than Angelina and that's really saying something.

Of course no trip to Canada would be complete without trip to amazingly flattering but comfy clothing mecca that is Lululemon. Yes, you can get it in the states now, but one must pay homage..and I hear the amazing looking new sister brand bamboo/natural cotton clothing line, Oqoqo, is available currently only in Canada. Reason enough for a trip!

Tromso, Norway

Photo by Lars Ivar.

Wow- wishing I was able to get to Tromso on my most recent Nordic trip. Is this stunning or what?

Norwegian News Wardrobe

I snapped a photo of this partially because I don't think I've ever seen a person on the news doing weather or anything else in a striped sweater and blue jeans. I loved it but that sweater read so loud onscreen it nearly made my eyeballs explode. I'm pretty sure I snapped this in Bergen, Norway but it could have been any of the 9 countries and 15ish cities from this trip.

Rubber Chicken

The Rubber Chicken Cafe discovered in Oslo - complete with Rubber Chickens hanging from a coat rack out front. Too funny.

Super Hot!

Pepper Bomber suckers spotted at the shop at the top of the funicular in Bergen, Norway.

Travel Accounting

So much yet to see!

create your own visited states map

create your own visited countries map

Shel in Spain

Follow the fabulous Shelley as she travels through Spain!