Wanderlust - A Strong Longing for Travel
One little word to kick-start creativity - #4
Wanderlust - noun
: strong longing for or impulse toward wandering
“Wanderlust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wanderlust.
Every morning, a new word of the day arrives in my inbox, and lately, I’ve read them with more than a little trepidation. I didn’t want to write about the top dictionary look-ups; they seemed too bleak, and I thought “wanderlust” was clichéd. However, today, it was the only word that inspired me to start a new draft, so here we are.
Today’s images are my attempt to reclaim the word “wanderlust” from mass-market hiking-life t-shirts and add a contrast to the ugly side of our country in the headlines. Instead, let’s celebrate some of the beautiful places I’ve visited in the United States.
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Fun Facts:
Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the US and the highest at 7,000 feet above sea level.
The third largest art market in the country behind New York and Los Angeles.
San Miguel Mission (1610) is the oldest church in America.
It’s been far too long since our last trip and I’m ready to plan a return visit ASAP. The sunlight, rich colors, history, and delicious food make it unforgettable.
Author’s note - the gallery feature in Substack crops each image but you can click any photo to scroll and view them all full-size.
Western Oregon
Oregon Fun Facts:
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the country (1,949 feet) and Hells Canyon is the deepest river-carved canyon in North America. The maximum depth is 7,934 feet compared to the Grand Canyon’s 6,000 feet.
The Corn Dog was invented in Rockaway Beach and 99% of the country’s Hazelnuts are grown in Oregon.
Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state.
Oregon has so many beautiful sights to see it was hard to narrow my choices to four photos. If you’re in the mood for a day at the beach, a picnic at a secluded waterfall, or a relaxing afternoon sipping wine Oregon is the place to be.
Olympic National Park, Washington
ONP Fun Facts:
A UNESCO World Heritage site.
The longest undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States.
It is home to three rainforests, which collectively form the largest temperate rainforest in the world: Hoh, Queets, and Quinault.
Olympic National Park is one of our favorite escape-from-it-all destinations. We pack our car with comfortable clothes, snacks, and a big cooler, and then hit the trails. We explore mountain vistas, watch waves crash on the sea stacks, and wander through the moss-covered rainforests.
San Juan Islands
Island Fun Facts:
There are no traffic lights on the Islands.
San Juan County has more miles of shoreline (375) than any other County in the United States.
The islands receive half the annual rainfall of Seattle, WA, or Portland, OR.
Lime Kiln Point State Park on San Juan Island is the only whale-watching park in the world.
The San Juan Islands are a collection of 172 islands and 4 of them (Orcas, San Juan, Lopez, and Shaw) are easy to get to by the Washington State Ferries, the largest ferry system in the United States. The rest can be reached by a mix of sea-planes, charters, private boats, or if you are feeling adventurous, by kayak from Bellingham or Anacortes. I’ve visited 11 islands and would love to explore more...
Every Monday, I’ll pick a word from the Merriam-Webster recap and dive into it. If you’re up for it, join me on this word-of-the-week adventure! Learn a new word or two, share your thoughts, and let’s see where our creativity takes us. If my weekly word doesn’t quite hit the spot, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with the previous words of the day or the top dictionary look-ups at the end of each post. So, pick your adventure, and let’s explore the world of words together.
The words of the week - January 24 & 31: dictionary lookups
Pomp and Circumstance
Commute/Pardon
Fascism
Martin Luther King Day
Earthquake
Holocaust
Liberation
Hubris
Rescind
Conspiracy Theorist