Retirement is traumatic so this might seem a bit frivolous…but why do so many retirement-related ads and articles show old people living out of a van? Granted, today’s oldsters probably invented van-life. While “KampKars” and “land yachts” have been with us since the start of motorized travel, Boomers made cross-country treks in a small, self-contained...
“The ski resort claimed they had six feet of snow,” a disappointed friend said. “I assumed they meant deep.” Welcome to the 21st century, where old passions (skiing, reef-diving, cuddly koala bears) go to die. Maybe the object of your desire will outlive you, which is lucky. (Sort of.) The point is, thanks to climate...
There are a great many reasons to stop skiing. The cost of a lift ticket. The risk to life and limb. Your lack of updated skiwear and your refusal to spend $949 on a jacket. But there are other, better reasons to stay on your sticks. Fresh air. Adrenaline. The satisfaction of slaying the...
One of the appalling truths about retirement is that you, the retiree, have limited resources to guide and console you as you make this (usually) traumatic transition. One day you are a font of wisdom and authority and the next no one wants to talk to you. One day you have a steady paycheck; the...
This website is not known for its consistency. We have a bad habit of appearing with some truly excellent aggregation of other’s reporting, muddled with our own observations and complaints—and then disappearing for months or even years. Do you care why? Of course not. So no excuses. Let’s just say we’re back for as long...
Young urban planners love bikes. They will shut down vehicle lanes, reroute busy streets, generally commit any abuse to car traffic that promotes the flow of bicycles–regardless of the size of the current cycling population. In other words, they are planning for a time when cities might be even denser but also more...
Writers sometimes excuse their laziest writing by labelling it service journalism. Other times, they will excuse their lazy research by calling it curatorial reportage (i.e., consolidating information from other published accounts). The following combines both of these lame gambits in a single flaming post. Despite its obvious limits, you might still find it useful. ...
When a business executive looks at his or her product lines, it’s common to come across an offering that appears to be on its last legs. Maybe sales have stopped growing, or there’s a looming patent cliff or unstoppable competition. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t make sense to keep investing in it. Instead, the decision...
Retirement planning is easy. You just need to know what food and lodging will cost over the coming decades, your age at death, your partner’s age at death, the return on the money you save, the reliability of Social Security and how sick you’ll be along the way. Books have been written about how...
Here’s a stunning statistical head-to-head: the population of the United States is 327 million; the number of visitors to America’s National Parks in 2018 was 318 million. In other words, statistically speaking, every able-bodied American…and some on crutches…took in a national park last year. Blame the hordes of...
Bicycling.com—an entertaining and informative web site—has an article about Al Newman, a hard-driving, semi-retired, 73-year-old entrepreneur who just rode his bike around Antarctica and thereby completed his quest to cycle on all seven continents. Reaction one: Whoa. Atta boy. Reaction two: I wish the article had been a little less evasive about how long he...
Do you like maps and bike trails and visions of grandeur? Of course you do, and this is your website: the Great American Rail Trail is taking shape. For anyone with the time and ambition to ride across this continent, a smooth, safe and continuous bike trail would be an unalloyed godsend. No more risk...
Shoulder Season 2: (Supposed) Best Hikes in the U.S.
Mar 4, 2020
Shoulder Season 1: It’s soon time to hike
Feb 25, 2020
Klaus Obermeyer is a 100-year-old beast
Feb 22, 2020
The Soft Bigotry of Age Brackets
Feb 19, 2020
Ski North Korea! Also, Again: Climate Change
Feb 17, 2020
When obsessions collide: Pensions, skiing and climate change
Feb 15, 2020
Vail Speaks! Vail Speaks! (And More About Crowds)
Feb 14, 2020
Ski Passes Suck But Also Don’t
Feb 12, 2020
A mid-season reminder that (some) seniors ski free (or cheap) in (some) places
Feb 9, 2020
Every ski hill is Disney-fied
Feb 6, 2020