I'm a retired guy with a house near the beach in Washington state, near Astoria, Oregon. Retirement gives me an opportunity to pursue my own travel whims and interests.
Since I spent most of my career teaching fourth graders here, I'm relatively well known in the community.
My dogs loves greeting new people.
Even tho I am a Gay man, my house is welcoming and affirming to all sexual orientations and gender identifications.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

A friend in Seattle is on Couchsurfing and he has enjoyed meeting new people. He and I have similar interests so I thought I'd try hosting as well. I often see bicyclists touring Hwy. 101 and I thought I could offer a stopping off place to reenergize, clean up, and catch up on correspondence.

Interests

Besides traveling, abroad and road trips, I love to walk the beach, hike in the woods, soak in natural springs, cook and eat. I also like spending time with friends. I love to watch the Olympics and was thrilled to sit next to a Cuban decathlete who competed in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA during my recent flight to Cuba from Mexico City.
In my younger, slimmer past, I ran marathons and even a few ultra marathons. I also participated in several "bare buns runs" near Seattle and Spokane. A snapped Achilles and a broken leg quashed my motivation so now enjoy trying to walk10K steps daily.
I love live theater and live performance of most any kind. I've season tickets to a theater in Portland and I attend performances at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.
Frequently, I attend the Summer Gathering of Radical Faeries at Breitenbush Hot Springs in the Oregon Cascades.

• dogs
• wildlife
• theater
• performing arts
• festivals
• cooking
• traveling
• hiking
• olympics
• road trips
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Classical, classic rock, indie rock, Tom Waits, Rufus Wainwright, Oregon Country Fair performances, Bette Midler, etc...
Movies: A Midnight Clear, Cider House Rules (well, anything with Michael Caine), The Best of Youth, The Lives of Others.
Books: Pillars of the Earth, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Racing in the Rain. Mostly historical fiction.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was selected as a member of the All American Youth Honor Band that performed at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share my knowledge of the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge,.
I have different sizes of recorders for people to play.
If in season, I can teach folks how to dig razor clams.
I can introduce people to the "locals."
I can provide a safe, quiet space in my home. My home is small but I have a guest bedroom for 2 people. I also have a futon and a hide-a-bed in the living room that can accommodate more people.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States