Mark insisted that all of us sit at a single table, like a family. I explained that with big families, Thanksgiving means grabbing every chair you can find and spreading out between the “dining room table, the table on the patio and the kids table.” Some people would even be relegated to eating dinner on a TV tray propped up in front of the couch. Mark would have no such thing. And with that, the quest for a table for 20 was born.
I practically grew up in a tent, I went camping so much as a child and teenager. I remember weekend after weekend camping at Lake Mead, Lake Powell or Lake Mojave. I’ve camped in the Grand Canyon and in Zion. I’ve camped in Missouri, Idaho, California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. I was excited to add Chile to my list of places I’ve slept under the stars.
If there is one thing Chileans do right, it’s celebrating their history. Fiestas Patrias, known as Dieciocho because it’s celebrated on Sept. 18, is everything that’s good about Chile.
It feels cliché to say “there are no words to describe Machu Picchu.” As a writer, that phrase — “no words” — leaves an even harsher sting.
Between Cusco and Machu Picchu — a 76-mile route that only took the Incas four days to travel on foot — Mom and I took a bus to one stop in the Sacred Valley, where we caught the train and another bus to finally reach the entrance gates. Because it’s not only about the destination, but also the journey, here’s notes from our trail.
Mom and I started our six-day trip to Peru a bit unsteadily. Severe symptoms instantly set in upon arrival in Cusco; the altitudes were dizzying. The tension of mother and daughter traveling together had set in days ago; the attitudes were unraveling. We skipped most of the tourist-ready highlights and instead spent our days talking to the locals. In just days, I fell in love with the tender-heated Peruvian people and their rich culture.
I was hesitant to visit a desert after living in Nevada my entire life, but the Elqui Valley is unmatched with its surprisingly fertile soil. We took a (very) full day tour that winded through several of the valley’s tiny towns to an observatory where the sky sparkled like I’ve never seen before.
