Why you should get off the interstate
DAY 11 – Longer, less-efficient, slower, and much more beautiful: small highways are definitely better than big interstates when you're on an epic road trip like this one! [keep reading]
Hot insulin and tall cacti in Saguaro National Park
DAY 11 – Keeping insulin cool in Saguaro National Park is a challenge but worth the trouble: these cartoonish and gigantic cactus plants are an unbelievable sight. [keep reading]
The art of Ajo and chilly desert observatories
DAY 9 – Roller-coaster blood sugars didn't diminish the excitement of an artists' oasis in the Arizona desert and a vast collection of observatories high above an Indian reservation. [keep reading]
Cactus vs. sky at Organ Pipe
DAY 9 – I had both the lowest and highest blood sugars of the trip so far at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, but it was still an extraordinary camping experience. [keep reading]
A lizard beckons us towards ancient desert petroglyphs
DAY 8 – On a side trip to see some ancient Native American petroglyphs in southern Arizona, I met a lizard and got a great blood sugar reading thanks to a kindly cactus. [keep reading]
The whole world in two hours, courtesy of Southern California
DAY 6 – From a dusty little box canyon to lush green vineyards to a low saline sea to wild, unforgiving desert sand dunes, southern California said goodbye in style. [keep reading]
Sun, moon, and cacti: Joshua Tree National Park
DAY 6 – Camping plans didn't work out but Joshua Tree National Park gave us everything: sunset, full moon, cactus gardens, wildlife... and those insane trees. [keep reading]
L.A. glitz, meet the San Bernardino Mountains
DAY 5 – The Hollywood sign, a motel made of wigwams, an alpine lake picnic and a dusty desert drive, all within in a few hours. Plus some encouraging blood sugar signs. [keep reading]
High winds block access to Channel Islands National Park
DAY 3 – Fierce winds canceled all boats at Channel Islands National Park, but the visitor center was still worth it. And my blood sugars finally improved today. [keep reading]
First impressions of America, from an outsider-insider
DAY 1 – On Day 1 of this epic road trip, my reverse culture shock upon returning to the US asserted itself in some embarrassing ways. People still vape! [keep reading]
Mini-travel: Akashi, Japan and octopus blood sugar
A day of eating octopus balls and guessing insulin doses in Akashi. Blood sugar got low but I evened it out. And saw the oldest stone lighthouse in Japan! [keep reading]
Mini-traveling: Hankai Tramway in Osaka/Sakai
Another day of mini-travel took us to every station on both branches of the Hankai Tramway that runs between Osaka and Sakai. Blood sugars excellent the whole way. [keep reading]
Mini-traveling: Takayasuyama in Yao, Japan
Mini-traveling is when you go to an unknown place near your house at random. I went to a mountain called Takayasuyama near Osaka, Japan, and it was fantastic. [keep reading]
Ray Charles road trip in Florida and Georgia
Masayo and I drove through Greenville, Florida, where Ray Charles grew up, and Albany, Georgia, where he was born. There is a memorial in each town. I got an unfair speeding ticket between them, but loved the towns. [keep reading]
Bodø to Atlanta flight: End of an epic European journey
DAY 131 – The European trip over, Masayo and I flew from Bodø, Norway to Atlanta, Georgia on a series of three flights that took all day. My BG lingered in the 190s most of the day, but that's not bad for a day of no sleep and long flights and no exercise. [keep reading]
Mt. Rønvik and faint northern lights in Bodø, Norway
DAY 130 – On the last full day of a 131-day trip, we sat in the freezing February cold of a long pier in northern Norway and were rewarded, finally, with a tantalizing display of the Northern Lights. They were faint, but they were there. Our trip can end now! [keep reading]