To celebrate my brother's 60th, the Holthoff boys jetted off to Scotland for a week of links golf. To say it was the trip of a lifetime would not be an overstatement. We convened in Edinburgh, Scotland's ancient gray capital. It sits on the Firth of
My brother recently shared a link to a 1,208-page history of my grandmother's family, published by historian Gilbert Cope in 1901. I asked my favorite AI assistant, Claude, to help me dig through it, looking for references that tie directly to her. Here's what we
Jason and I returned to the SoCal desert for our annual winter getaway, this time with Seattle friends Roman, Danny, and Brian in tow. Our home base was a tastefully remodeled bungalow in the Historic Tennis Club neighborhood. The owners, an architect and an interior designer, had transformed it into
Josh, Phil, and I returned to Estes Park this summer after a one-year hiatus, and it was as glorious as ever. I arrived via modern-day Conestoga wagon (pictured below) after a serene drive through Washington, Montana, and Wyoming, including stops along the way to reconnect with old friends in Missoula
Jason and I traveled to Mexico City in late February. It was my first time visiting the massive and ancient capital, home to more than 20 million people and with a history stretching back over 700 years. Growing up, I was told a consistent narrative about Mexico in general and
I've long admired this historic Spanish Revival building in our neighborhood. Designed by prominent Seattle architect Abraham Albertson, it was originally built in 1921 to house what is now known as the Cornish College of the Arts. Over the last century, many notable artists-to-be passed through its hallways,
Jason and I made our annual sun pilgrimage in March, returning to Palm Springs for the first time in a few years. Palm Springs may not be the most adventurous choice for a getaway, but it sure is easy – just a two-hour direct flight from SeaTac. This time, we splurged
Once the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railway, Moclips in the early 1900s was home to large mills and opulent beachside hotels. But it's the rare place where economic development has largely gone backward for the last century. Today, there's not much to it other than
My friends Josh and Phil met me in Estes Park for a little golf and hiking getaway. We stayed at my family's cabin, which was built in the early 1900s by my great-great-grandfather, William Smedley. He was a dentist in the Denver area but came up to Estes
So, I deleted my social media accounts. For the usual reasons. Billionaires and algorithms. Blah blah blah. And I figured you might be wondering where the heck I went. Here I am. I created this simple little website as a place to share news, photos, memories, and writing. Probably some