Posts Tagged ‘events’

October 11th, 2009

October Events

We have several special events planned this month, including evening presentations, Saturday morning group events, our 33rd annual anniversary sale, and the start of the Wide World Book Club for armchair travelers.  While our evening events usually occur on Tuesdays, this month we have a special event planned on Wednesday, October 28:  Travels with Art Wolfe, world renowned photographer and host of the PBS series.  We hope to see you this month - here’s what’s planned:

Tuesday, Oct. 6th, 7 pm  - A Geyser of One’s Own:  Five Ways to Enjoy Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks While Simultaneously Avoiding 3 Million Other People with author Brian Kevin
Each year, hordes of otherwise intrepid travelers take a pass on Yellowstone for fear of encountering traffic jams, glitzy neon tourist-traps, and fanny-pack armies.  This is a big mistake.  Brian Kevin, author of Fodor’s Compass American Guides: Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks, dishes on off-season secrets, overlooked trails, and other ways to explore greater Yellowstone without a few million of your best friends. 

Tuesday, Oct. 13th, 7 pm  - An Evening in Africa with Wes Krause
Join Mountain Madness co-founder Wes Krause on Kilimanjaro and in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.  An expert in high altitude climbing in Alaska and the Himalayas, Wes was co-leader with Scott Fischer for the 1987 American Everest North Face Expedition. Wes later moved to East Africa where he worked for several years as the Director of the NOLS in Kenya.  During this time, he and Fischer made the second successful climb of the Breach Icicle on Kilimanjaro, pioneered the Shira Plateau route up Kilimanjaro, and developed new walking safaris. Join Wes as he reminisces about past adventures and describes new ones waiting for you!

Tuesday, Oct. 20th, 7 pm - Chasing Waves:  A Surfer’s Tale of Obsessive Wandering with author Amy Waeschle
With a verve for travel and an addiction to the ocean, Northwest native Amy Waeschle explores her lust for surfing in her new book.  Hunting down waves in remote corners of the world, from Morocco to Fiji to Canada, Waeschle has found unique and fascinating cultures that have changed her views and fostered her surfing mission.  Chasing Waves is her collection of interrelated stories based on these adventures and a chronicle of her evolution from nervous newbie to self-confident and skillful surfer.  Anyone who has ever longed for a daring diversion from their day job will connect with these tales of wanderlust, vagabonding, and riding the surf.  

Tuesday, Oct. 27th, 7 pm - Go The Second Mile: Volunteer Vacations with author Leigh Buchan
Join Leigh Buchan for an inspirational evening, experiencing the people and the culture of communities around the world while working alongside them. See what we do after hiking into a remote historically Tibetan village of Yunnan Province, China, high in the Himalayas.  Visit with us to a Rwandan village of genocide survivors of widows and orphans as they seek to develop a trade to support themselves. Find great camaraderie among the Batwa students of Burundi, Africa, as we support their learning experience with English or computer skills or agriculture-whatever they need. Work with us and laugh with us along side the world’s poor as we partner with them to bring meaningful change to their lives and to ours.

Wednesday, Oct. 28th, 7 pm - Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe
Explore some of the world’s most intriguing places with renowned photographer Art Wolfe during this very special event.  From majestic glaciers and expansive deserts to elusive wildlife, teeming rain forest, and tribal gatherings, Art will present an intimate yet stunning selection of his favorite images, captured on location while traveling for his program Art Wolfe’s Travels to the Edge, as see on PBS.

Ongoing Monthly Events

Saturday, October 3, 9 am - Solo Travelers
Join us for an informal gathering of travelers as they meet and learn from each other’s travel experiences and share wisdom learned on the road.  This group meets each month on the 1st Saturday.

Thursday, October 15th, 7-8:30 pm - Armchair Traveler’s Book Club:  The Kindness of Strangers
Join us for our monthly travelers book club for a lively discussion of this month’s selection, The Kindness of Strangers, a collection of original stories by acclaimed travel writers, including Pico Iyer, Tim Cahill, Simon Winchester, Dave Eggers, and Alice Waters.  These 26 tales explore the “unexpected human connections that often transfigure and transform the experience of travel, and celebrates the gift of kindness around the world”.  Readers attending this inaugural meeting will have a hand in deciding the books for upcoming meetings.  The club meets each month on the 3rd Thursday; the book club selection for the month will be 20% off.

Saturday, October 17, 9 am - Gutsy Women
This informal gathering is for women to meet and learn from each other’s travel experiences and share wisdom learned on the road. Bring your coffee and your questions!  This group meets each month on the 3rd Saturday.

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May 1st, 2009

Local News & Events

Eagle Creek, a long trusted name in travel accessories, is having a 25% off sale of the Centerline luggage line. Now through August 31st simply purchase an item and immediately get a 25% discount. We have lots of Hovercrafts in stock; an example of savings is the carry-on size Hovercraft 22″, regularly $225.00, on sale for $169.00. The Load Warrior and Flight Companion models, also eligible for this sale, are easily ordered. As always, our buyers bonus plan applies to in-store purchases and Eagle Creek backs their packs with a lifetime guarantee.

Garden time is here! The annual Tilth Edible Plant Sale takes place May 2-3.

Middle Eastern Adventures, a Hosteling International event, is on Monday, May 4th at the Good Shepard Center. Travelers with experiences in Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria will tell their tales; come with tales and questions of your own.

Giant Magnet: Global Attractions Playing Locally, formerly known as the Seattle International Children’s Festival (whew!) takes place in Seattle and Tacoma May 12-17. This is the largest performance arts festival for children in North America with acts from Belgium, Japan, Zimbabwe and the USA, among other places. Both kids and those with adventurous spirits are sure to enjoy these events.

2009 Pacific Northwest Shuffleboard Extravaganza, is in Shelton May 19-26. Single, doubles, and team playing are all part of this tournament.

May 20th is opening day of the Wallingford Farmers Market, which runs every Wednesday from 3-7pm through September 30th. Just across the street from our shop, stop by for the freshest fruits and vegetables the season has to offer.

May 22-25 sees the 38th annual Northwest Folklife Festival take over the Seattle Center. Come rain or shine, there’s always plenty of action with music, street performers, good eats and handmade crafts.

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April 19th, 2009

May Events

May 5th Tuesday 7pm
Silk Road Journey From Xi’an to Kashgar with Lisa Song, Red Lantern Journeys

Roughly half of China—the western half— seems to bear about as much resemblance to classic China as Chicago does to Santa Fe. The fascination and mystery that drew the adventurers of old still attracts modern-day travelers to these far-flung regions of China. We’ll journey from Xian to Kashgar to explore the ancient Silk Road; see the relics and remnants of the past; and capture the breath-taking views of the remote deserts and mountains. Join Lisa Song from Red Lantern Journeys to share enchanting stories and sceneries of the legendary Silk Road.

May 12th Tuesday 7pm
Hiking Northern Greece with Walking Softly Tours

Discover the mountains of northern Greece! In the “hidden” region of Zagori you’ll find a landscape filled with lovely mountain villages connected by a network of stone-tiled pathways and bridges. Here also you’ll see high country meadows ablaze with crocus and ringed by towering limestone peaks along with one of the deepest gorges in the world. Thrill to the spectacle of the monasteries of Meteora perched precariously atop towering sandstone pinnacles. You’ll also have an opportunity to climb to the summit of Mount Olympus, legendary home of the Greek gods and the highest point in Greece. Your guides tonight are John and Amy Osaki, founders of Walking Softly Tours.

May 16th Saturday 9am
Solo Travelers

Join us for an informal gathering of travelers as they meet and learn from each other’s travel experiences and share wisdom learned on the road. Whether you’re preparing for your first solo journey or your hundredth, you’ll enjoy sharing your adventures with your fellow sojourners. Bring your coffee and your questions!

May 19th Tuesday 7pm
Dancing Matt Around the World with author Matt Harding

Matt Harding, the YouTube sensation with more than 20,000,000 views, has just published a book of the story behind his dancing/traveling phenomenon. Dancing Matt Around the World, a celebration of his arm- swinging, knee-pumping, infectious dance of joy, is a full-color travelogue with a behind the scenes look at the places and people he has met and its affect on him. Put on your happy feet, come travel the world and leave touched by Matt’s zest for life.

See Matt on YouTube or his website.

May 26th Tuesday 7pm
Our Annual Slides & Tell with Geography Quiz & Prizes!

Yes, tonight we wrap up our 10th season of WWB presentations and that means it’s time for Slides & Tell, where YOU get to be the star of the show. We invite customers to bring in five slides or digital images in a projectable format and the story that goes with them. We’ll also have our annual geography quiz complete with BIG prizes. Just call ahead so we know how many to plan for and where you’ll be taking us. We can answer any questions about using our digital projector. 206-634-3453 or email us at travel@speakeasy.net. Come, be part of the fun!

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April 1st, 2009

Local News & Events

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival occurs the month of April. Aim to stand in a field of colors with a blue sky overhead and Mt. Baker in the distance - ah, spectacular. And if you can do this on a weekday, all the better.

The exquisite Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur is at the Seattle Asian Art Museum through April 26th. These 17th to 19th century Indian miniatures are being shown for the first time in the United States. FYI - when you go ask to use a free magnifier to study the amazing detail of these works.

The Edible Book Festival, an interactive book, food and humor event, invites participants to the Good Shepherd Center on April 4th. Part of the International Edible Book Festival you can bring your own title creation or enjoy the cleverness of others at this fundraiser for the Seattle Center for Book Arts.

Spring is here - the 76th Grand Floral Daffodil Parade winds its way through four cities in Pearce Country on April 4th. The 40 floats are all decorated with fresh cut flowers, a beautiful sight well worth seeing.

Travel guide and author Dave Fox offers a Journaling Safari to turn your travel journal entries into polished essays April 18-19 with an optional group dinner April 22nd. This looks very interesting and he makes sure you do a bit of ‘traveling’ to inspire your writing.

Watch and talk with the masters of Washington Folk Art at the Washington State History Museum With Our Hands exhibit. On the weekend of April 18 and 19 they will host 20 master folk artists with demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Field’s End Writers’ Conference, an affiliate with the Bainbridge Public Library, happens on April 18th. A general writing conference with workshops for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s writers, professional panels and a jumpstart session, any writer is sure to come away inspired and revved-up to keep their keypad very busy.

Golden Garden Bathhouse is the scene for this year’s Community Oyster Roast to benefit Puget Soundkeepers Alliance. Sign up for your preferred seating time for this April 26th event then roll up your sleeves and shuck.

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