Snowbirds leave northern winters for warmer climes. In Alaska if they never winter over, they are chechakos. When they winter over, they become sourdoughs. As they get older many sourdoughs decide to go south for the winter and become snowbirds. … Continue reading Snowbirds
In Maui we went whale watching. But because of the fire in 2023 that destroyed the historic whaling town on Lahaina we docked at an industrial port, Kahului Harbor, on the other side of the island. We took a bus, … Continue reading Fire Refugees
The last time we drove Saddle Road across the Big Island of Hawaii it was 1979, unpaved and car rental companies didn’t allow you to take their cars on this road. We read the fine print after we drove it. … Continue reading Black Sand, Green Turtles
We got up early to be on the first tender because our friend, Karen, who lives on the Kona Coast of the Island of Hawaii offered to take us on an excursion and we had limited time in port. We … Continue reading Fountain of Fire
When we got in from our whale watch we saw two bags sitting in the entry to the ship. THEY WERE OUR BAGS! But only two? Security approached us as we were looking at the bags and asked, somewhat accusingly … Continue reading Luggage Saga, or is it Soggy Luggage?
I rolled over I bed and saw a red glow where the curtains parted. I grabbed my phone and my pants and went out onto our balcony. The sun was rising behind me. As we turned into Honolulu Harbor the … Continue reading Aloha Hawaii.
The explorations café is loaded with games. Suzi, our friends John and Pam, and I play Mexican Train Dominos. There were 6 sets. (Our set is who knows where but not here, we may find it in Hawaii). We picked … Continue reading Counting Dominos, Too Much Fun!
It’s not Déjà vu, it’s a little different from that. We’re sailing on our third R class Holland America Ship, Zaandam. All R classes have nearly identical floor plans but different decors, and with each going into dry dock at … Continue reading A Different but Familiar Universe.
And they’ll all want lifts to Brown’s Hotel ‘Cause some of them’s been travelin’ for quite a spell. All the way from Phil-a-del-fi-a (sic)NB On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe The San Diego Santa Fe railway station is … Continue reading San Diego Sidebars
My homeport is Sitka but Holland America considers three Pacific cities to be it’s homeports, Seattle (company HQ), Vancouver and San Diego Koningsdam, Niew Amsterdam and Zaandam are currently homeporting in San Diego, but with Zaandam being gone for 93 … Continue reading Homeport San Diego
Ninety Three days, forty two ports counting San Diego. We will miss two ports because we are taking an 8 day overland trip riding two classic Australian trains, the India Pacific and Overland trains. See a list of posts below … Continue reading 2026 MS Zaandam Grand Australia and New Zealand Voyage.
I’m always nervous before traveling. I don’t relax until the plane rotates on takeoff and I watch Sitka glide by, catch a glimpse of my house, and fly into the mystic, the clouds that sometimes make Southeast Alaska Communities feel … Continue reading Into the Mystic
Our little red sutcase seems to have enjoyed its travels last cruise because it has convinced the rest of our baggage to go walkabout with it. FedEx, Contracted by Luggage Forward, picked up our bags on December 16th. According to … Continue reading Prayers to St. Anthony
This is our family Christmas letter. Merry Christmas everyone! Continue reading 2025 McClear Family Christmas Letter.
At Festivals I withdraw from daily life and immerse myself in something different and stimulating. Throughout the year Sitka gives me several chances to take such a staycation immersing myself in chamber music or jazz. But in November a long … Continue reading Turning STEM into STEAM. Sitka Whalefest 2025
It’s been a while since I logged onto the blog. I have been posting on Facebook but have been busy enough that I haven’t done much writing. The last week we have had a succession of storms battering our coast. … Continue reading Boardwalk Patterns
Around a century ago Suzi’s grandfather bought some farmland along the St. Croix River off the main channel on Paige’s Slew. The St Croix is the boundary river between Minnesota and Wisconsin. It originally was an outlet for Glacial Lake … Continue reading The St. Croix River
The Seward neighborhood in Minneapolis is an urban jungle. No, not in that way. This used to be a neighborhood of well-kept lawns in front of Sear’s Craftsman bungalows. But the neighborhood has gone wild, in a cultivated kind of … Continue reading People’s Republic of Seward
“For those who love this dish there is nothing quite like real, home grown, spaghetti.” Thus ends the April 1, 1957, segment of Panorama on BBC TV. I, as a broadcaster, I am very familiar with this classic BBC broadcast … Continue reading Making Noodles
In 1970, on Suzi’s 24th birthday, five friends sat around Sandie Anderson’s kitchen in Minneapolis and signed incorporation papers for what would become Northern Community Radio. All of us, Dave Molvik, Dale Constantine, Sandie, Suzi and I had been “utility … Continue reading Our Middle Child, KAXE
We weren’t there at the beginning, but darn close. The Winnipet Folk Festival was in 1974 to celebrate Winnipeg’s centennial. We first attended in 1976. This is the fiftieth because of two years lost to COVID. We’ve been to 41 … Continue reading 50th Winnipeg Folk Festival!
OK by Alaska standards Sitka isn’t a small town, but it can feel like it. As one friend wrote in a song, no one uses turn signals because everyone already knows where you are going. Skagway, Alaska is really a … Continue reading Small Town 4th
We took our first long cruise 10 years ago. We had been on cruises before our kids were born back in the 70s. In the 90s, after Pop died, Suzi and I took Mom on a couple of cruises. But … Continue reading The Beautiful and Elegant… A Coda
On July 2, 1776, Richard Henry Lee moved a resolution, before the second Continental Congress, declaring independence for the 13 American colonies. John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail: The Second Day of July, 1776 will be the most memorable … Continue reading July 2, 2025, Almost Independence Day, 249 Years Later.