Kent E. St. John lived a life that many of us would envy, it was always lived to the very fullest and he saw more of the world than anyone I know. On Thanksgiving, at home, he passed away, with his loving wife Lisa by his side. He was a very important part of GoNOMAD and he will never be forgotten for his many contributions in energy, his stories, fine photography and mostly for the love that he had to share travel stories. You can read his many travel stories on GoNOMAD, they represent his amazing life and wide travels around the world.

While this blog will never be updated again, it’s a tribute to a fine writer who fought bravely against cancer and whose words will remain a testament to a compassionate, generous spirit, who was loved by many.

Max Hartshorne, November 2012

                          

It has been a very tough few weeks, cancer treatments can take an amazingly long time to get past, if ever. Still you plug away knowing you must. I even spent a few nights at the Sloan Hospital, it seems all tests were passed and I’m feeling good and back to the Mac finally. My new dreaded and hated enemy is AOL and even my 15 year old email address is done so if you want my new one drop a message and I’ll send it through my G Mail address and it will get mailed out soon.

I had a wonderful country style message on my phone on my return, ” welcome home and by the way seems like you got a new member of the house hold. A big black bear keeps coming around your house from the meadow in the back. Well anyway welcome home and lets get together soon”. I fired up the drone and hit the video, modern day bear hunting!

                          

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Finally feeling better, the words begining flow and able to put together the article pieces written. Double pneumonia isn’t easy to write having it. I can feel the built up damn of backed up words breaking and starting to run.

                          

Long Beach isn’t just an Urban Waterfront Playground it is also a haven of unique museums. My favorite being molaa… (Museum of Latin American Art). It houses works dating from 1945 till today and is the only museum in the US that covers Latin art. The permanent collection great but it is the traveling works that rock me, usually pieces done by artists unknown here in the states but megastars in their home country.

                          

Perhaps it takes double pneumonia to really make you understand but I was totally into watching the RNC convention this past week, a bit hokey but hey I thought it would be. This coming week I have the DNC convention to occupy my idle mind.

It’s kind of like watching a low version of Super Bowl pre game shows, but I am now into it, completely! I saw way to many cheese head hats but hey double pneumonia is tough so any distraction helps getting through. It is the first time I’ve had any kind of pneumonia at all and I pray my last!

What is hard is reading any travel news at all, so badly miss the road, from a dirt path up to a super highway. Real pain is not being able to do what you love. Still I am encouraged when one of the Docs at Sloan display the amazement at how much quicker I am at healing then most cases they see. I get reports like that and my heart pumps with life.

For example I read Lonely Planets list of friendliest peoples and countries to now travel in. I was happy to see Samoa there as well as Ireland. Ireland has been a long time favorite and Samoa was my first visit, huge sized people gentle as lambs with huge smiles to match their size.

So DNC this week and swear the road soon, mental health requires it and soon. It need not be overly friendly or even far, not even an hour drive would hurt. I’m often asked how I am able to go through my diseases and problems.

Easy, I’m not ready to give up and have so much to do and yes even hokey things such as political conventions help. This week it is time to fill up the out box and get an in box building. Kent E St John without any Pac to call my own

                          

I happened to catch the new slogan to attract visitors to the Catskill Mountains in the Daily Freeman this morning, “ The Catskills, Always in Season”. I later read an email from a PR Firm that handles travel. I immediately though how there are so many different words and phrases that make up a mini-language a sub –talk understood by those in a profession or team. For example hosting meaning no payment for accommodations or services during a visit to a location. I can easily see where a newcomer could get very confused until the buzzwords are learned.

It made me think of a book I bought a long way back called, “Talk the Talk, The Slang of 65 American Subcultures”. The lingo of Birders, Circus People, Nudists and such are given in dictionary like layout. I happened to be finishing an article on Long Beach and thought why not see if there was a section that might fit for my trip in the book. I found several and decided to try this afternoon, sharpen up the piece. Sharpen up the piece, fresh from the writer’s section! The next time I end up at a skinhead bash or chasing a robin through the woods I’ll pull out Talk the Talk and do just that. Pull up my braces and get ready for the boot party…

                          

I have a new batch of photos hanging up at Family Traditions where I just finished a month long show. I love the place and couldn’t be happier! Also putting together cards and once again sorting through thousands of pictures to use. A good start has begun and hope to have some ready for this weekend to put in Family Traditions. It might be time to get a web page up for pictures and cards to sell. Would love to do it under the GoNOMAD site if possible. All in all keeping busy and even my long term book project is moving again. One very important thing left to put together for this summer, a last road trip, a must.

                          

You would think after 16 years of flying internationally a week every month approximately, I would never want to fly again! Lately I love it more and more especially when I’m doing the piloting. Well as close as possible anyway. My new addiction started with the little matchbox size helicopters for indoors to the amazing Drone Parrot 2. These machines can fly up to 165ft up and away. They dip and dive and respond to your moves. The best part is you really feel like you’re in it as the HD camera onboard plays as you fly. You’re looking down and seeing what the pilot would see. Far below its me on the ground, the house looks ant size and the view wonderful. It is the closest you can get to feeling a bit like Superman.

                          

Once again I bow to National Geo Traveler, a great hotel I stayed at in Merida Mexico had a picture in the new issue though not much info. I much prefer the smaller colonial cities in Mexico such as Merida to Cancun. I stayed in the Hacienda in Merida years ago and stayed with my sister-in-law while she went house shopping for a week. It had just opened up again and perfectly done. The rooms filled with antiques yet modern touches. The two courtyards having wonderful fountains. It was a short walk to the center of town yet you could tell that when originally built in 1840 it was in the country. Dinners and lunches served poolside a delight, great memories even now some 5 years later.

Merida itself dates around 1542 with touches of colonial found everywhere. It has plazas and covered walks throughout. One can believe that a celebration occurs daily and the zocolo perfect for sitting around all times of the day or night. Merida is actually the capital of the Yucatan though touristy Cancun is thought to be by many tourists. Nearby working haciendas can be found in nearby Campeche as well as Chichen Itza, as perfect as it gets.

http://www.hotelhaciendamerida.com/index_eng.html

                          

It seemed within reach, a birthday and anniversary trip, just ocean and good food and a filled book list and reader. Then boom the world lets you know who is in charge ad it isn’t you. Well I stopped at Sloan for some shots that I am taking of the experimental type. The docs were enthused as was I, painful though. Turns out they happened to also drain pneumonia and me set in. Next thing I know is a hospital stay is as far as I’m going. Planned trip quickly washed up. I was asked if I could continue the experiment tough request but hey worthy cause. I spent the next few days in the emergency room in Sloan, the time passed so slowly I almost forgot whom I was and what I was doing. Finally an email from Max reminding me that I was far off the screen. Home now with experimental shots continuing. Time to fit that little trip also in and getting Be Our Guest running again like it should be. Time to give myself a break also. That’s one thing I know for sure and no experiment needed…