Peter’s Picture Show: Tirolesas en las Barrancas del Cobre

Here’s Paul and I flying high on the ziplines at the Adventure Park from the rim of the Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon) in northern Mexico’s Chihuahua state. Comprising seven adjacent canyons, this area is estimated to be many times larger and at least twice as deep than the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

It’s a majestic and scenic area rich in greenery which resembles oxidized copper, hence its name. The indigenous Tarahumara inhabit the cliffs and valleys and continue to practice a traditional nomadic lifestyle. They are still a visible feature of the entire region. Refreshingly little visited by tourists, Mexico’s Copper Canyon is a traveler’s delight with endless opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and exploring picturesque pueblos mágicos.

And if the Adventure Park’s seven ziplines, two rocky suspension bridges, and a 2-mile long gondola ride back to the rim aren’t enough to get your adrenaline rushing, in a couple of weeks the park will inaugurate the longest zipline in the world: a thrilling 8,350 foot (1.5 mile) drop from the canyon rim. We’ll surely be back for that.

Canada, 1990′s

I went on a series of trips to Canada in the 1990’s:

  • Alberta to visit aunts, uncles and cousins, see the family farms and the homestead where my Dad was born, and tour the magnificent Rocky Mountains through Banff and Jasper National Parks.  The summer solstice was upon us so the days were endlessly long in this northern latitude.
  • Québec City to sample the flavorful French culture and cuisine.  We dined on escargots and reindeer, enjoyed the open-air parks and places, and listened endlessly to Celine Dion songs played everywhere.
  • Montreal during the annual Juste pour rire festival with the streets teeming with New Vaudevillians performing vocal and visual comedic arts.  The Quartier Latin was abuzz with whimsical mischief, revelry, and above all laughter.
  • Nova Scotia to view the quaint southern coast towns such as Lunenburg, historic Halifax, and the Evangeline Trail through the French speaking villages along the northwestern Acadian Shore.  The remnants of a hurricane passed through the area bringing buckets of windswept rain.  It was quite an atmospheric trip!

Bermuda, 1996

Bermuda Birthday

A total birthday surprise! Paul said he was taking me somewhere for my special day, all he told me to bring was my passport and a backpack. So I showed up at Boston Logan airport and was soon headed to prim & proper Bermuda. A few wonderful days whizzing past bays and beaches on our rented scooters, stopping at pubs eating peas & rice and fish stew, and sampling plenty of rum cocktails.  My most fanciful birthday ever!

New England, mid-1980′s

Teenage years visiting Boston

My mother moved to the Boston area after my first year of high school and I happily spent my summers and holidays in New England.  Mom was great about taking full advantage of the region’s culture and history, it was wonderful introduction to living elsewhere.

Walden Pond
Walden Pond, my teenage spiritual center.

Despite sharing a larger national identity, there are distinct differences between the Midwest and New England.  I discovered new friends, new ways of talking and interacting, found new things to learn and new landscapes to explore.

Cape Cod National Seashore, 1980's
Cape Cod National Seashore, 1980’s