Upcoming Events
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Safe Travel at High Altitude by Dr. Andrew Luks
Thursday, Feb. 12th
7:00 pm at Seattle REI
Free!
Highly recommended if you plan to travel to Peru, Nepal, India or anywhere else way up high.
Nepal Seminar by Chris MackaySaturday, Feb. 21st 1:00 pm Savvy Traveler Edmonds Free! Crooked Trails' Chris Mackay takes you on journey to explore many of Nepal's beautiful landscapes, as well as different ethnic communities and more in this fascinating presentation.
UW World Language Day
Friday, Feb. 28th
8:00 am - 1:30 pm
UW Campus
$16 for WA students & teachers
A great event exploring the importance of learning about world language and culture in today's world.
Venice is Sinking
A Masked Carnival Ball
NEW DATE!
Saturday, April 18th
8:00 pm at Fremont Abbey
$50 pre-sale, $65 door
www.carnivalseattle.com
This is the event you and your friends will be talking about for months to come!
Check out full event descriptions at www.crookedtrails.org
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Get your Crooked Trails t-shirt!
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"I love my country, but I think we should start seeing other people"
Available in various colors and sizes. Email angela@crookedtrails.org for size/color availability.
T-shirts cost $20 plus $5 for shipping & handling.
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 Hello everyone, and welcome to our new subscribers,
Where were you when the inauguration was happening? I was in a hotel in Billings, Montana watching people in cowboy hats smile at the CNN screen. I was smiling as well thinking of people in saris, lungis, silk robes and other forms of dress around the world nodding their heads in approval. We finally got it right. There is a new message to the world that is literally lifting people's spirits- "We come in respect and will listen".
For years we at Crooked Trails have been supporting a message of cultural respect and service and now we have a president who openly advocates this as well. It's a great time to step out into the world, be an ambassador and make a positive impact.
Come help us build a school in Nepal this April or live and work in a Quechua village high in the Peruvian Andes; we are now offering service-only program for two weeks to both these destinations for under $1400. We have lots of options for you. Here is to a new era, one in which service and respect for all people is held in high esteem.
I am reminded of a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
Travel Boldly,
Christine Mackay |
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Featured Article
A Call to Service
by Crooked Trails co-founder Christine Mackay
President Obama issued a call to service last month and Crooked Trails, like many others, is responding. We have always included service projects as a part of our community-based tour programs, but now we are creating several local, national and international programs for 2009 that focus on just service. Tough times call for us to reach out and help one another, especially those who have much less. Read on and see if there is a place for you to reach out, help others and answer Obama's call to service.
Local: Lindsey Goldberg, our fantastic intern, is working on a service opportunity with the Cascade View Elementary school in Tukwila. The school has a population of 425 students, of which 90% live in poverty, and 60% are English language learners. These kids are all recent immigrants and/or refugees (Cascade View partners with International Rescue Committee) and there are 29 different languages spoken. The needs of the school cannot be met with staff alone. Crooked Trails will be working with local volunteer organizations to help in the following areas: tutoring, teacher aides, school beautification projects, a native plant garden and a clothing drive, among other things. Lindsey is spearheading this project; if you are interested in getting involved please email her at lindsey@crookedtrails.org
National: we will be working on the Lame Deer Reservation in Montana this summer to help with a building project for the Cheyenne Children's Services. The poverty on the reservation rivals anything in the world's developing countries. With an 80% unemployment rate, needs are great but resources are scarce. We will look to offer a 2 week program in the summer; more details to come.
International: We have developed two shorter programs that are strictly service oriented. One will go to Nepal April 4-17 to help rebuild a school that is so dilapidated it cannot be used. We will live in the village and experience true Nepali culture and hospitality while working. We will also be offering a short Peru program in June to live and work with the Quechua people in the Andean village of Vicos.
Both international programs are under two weeks and cost $1399. All fees are tax deductible. Please visit the website for more information (coming very soon) or contact us directly: info@crookedtrails.org or 206-383-9828
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Featured Trip
Another Mexico:
The Zapotec Festival, Sangre Preciosa
July 3 - 11, 2009
By Christine Mackay, Co-founder of Crooked Trails
For over a decade Traditions Mexico has offered unparalleled opportunities to immerse oneself in the heart of Oaxaca, Mexico. Eric Mindling, the founder of Traditions Mexico, has spent most of his adult life working and living with the Zapotecs in and around Oaxaca. His amazing connections and commitment to responsible travel has made a partnership with Crooked Trails a natural progression of our mutual respect for each other's work.
Eric has designed a fantastic program for Crooked Trails, offering a "through the back door" view on traditional life in Oaxaca. We are going to participate in the Zapotec festival called Sangre Preciosa which takes place in one of Oaxaca's most lovely and friendly villages, Teotitlan del Valle. During this 8 day program, participants will not only get to see an amazing festival, but experience all that goes into making such a festival take place. Come to Oaxaca "through the backdoor" with Eric, meet his friends who are making festivals in Oaxaca happen, and see why there is so much more to understand and love about our southern neighbor. Read more...
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NEW DATE!
The Venetian Masked Carnival Ball
UPDATE! We've moved the Venetian Carnival event date to April 18th, so now you have more time to pick out your perfect party ensemble.
The event is now scheduled for April 18th at the Fremont Abbey. If you weren't able to make last year's amazing extravaganza, be prepared for a party unlike any other you have ever experienced. From masked attire to trapeze artists swinging from the ceilings, from fabulous wine, beer and vodka to popular Seattle DJ's and world music bands, this is going to be THE party of 2009. And to top it all off, your night of drinking, friends and dancing all benefits Crooked Trails and allows us to continue our work in 2009 and beyond. How often can you justify a Red Bull & Vodka and a night out as benefitting a cause you believe in?
So find your favorite mask, grab a bunch of friends, and mark your calendars for the party of the year. Tickets will be on sale online and at the door, so head to the event website for tickets as it is sure to sell out!
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An Update From the Board of Directors
Crooked Trails' newest movers and shakers
Hi there, I'm Claudia
Capitini the new board Vice President at Crooked Trails! I am so
excited to be part of the CT Board. We are growing and changing in many
exciting new ways. These last few months have been busy with recruiting
and expansion.
I am thrilled to introduce one of our new board members,
accounting expert Juan Saro. He  brings a lot of new energy and
expertise that will help Crooked Trails stay on track during these
challenging economic times.
We are also expanding the board to include
a number of other dynamic folks who are known for the active,
sustainability-minded activities and engagement in the Seattle
community. Stay tuned for updates and profiles of our new members in
the coming months.
This next quarter will bring new leadership from the
board and many great projects that will help Crooked Trails continue as
an innovator among travel organizations. We are still seeking a
Treasurer/Financial Strategist for the board and would love to chat with anyone who has experience in non-profit or small business strategy, financial governance, and responsible travel. Help us by getting the word out to folks who may be interested! |
Catching up with an Escape Artist
A chat with Dan Moore from EverGreen Escapes
 Local green travel gurus Jake Haupert and Dan Moore offer fantastic
year-round getaways here in the Pacific Northwest through their company
EverGreen Escapes. (Click here
to read a recent profile on the Wanderlust & Lipstick site) We were
lucky enough to catch up with Dan somewhere between the mountains and
the ocean this week and chat a bit about what they do.
So, what's your story - how did you come to Evergreen Escapes?
I met Jake when he was trying to get training to be the naturalist for
his new company. I was an educator at Discovery Park running a
volunteer naturalist training program. In talking with me he realized
I could more quickly fill the hole needed in his company to train and
manage the guides and design and conduct programs - his wife Jessica
already was tapped for skills in marketing, graphic design and website
construction. Read more...
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Chinchero, Peru comes to the World Wide Web
Around this time last year, Agnus Irwin teacher Jennifer Brittingham and a group of her students were packing their bags for an unforgettable study tour to Peru with Crooked Trails.
The group spent time with our partners at the Minka Chinchero Weavers' Co-op, and upon returning, have been working on the creation of a website for them. We're proud to announce the debut of www.minkachinchero.interconnection.org!
Big thanks to Jennifer Brittingham and the students of the Agnes Irwin School for their contribution to this site and Danni Scully for the time dedicated to this project.
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Kenya Update: Partner Village Clinic Opens!
We are very proud to share the news that the clinic in our partner village of Merrueshi has officially opened. The clinic will provide basic healthcare services to the surrounding Maasai community. We applaud the work of our guide and partner Kakuta Ole Mai Mai and the Maasai Association for seeing this dream to fruition and blazing onward with new goals for 2009, which include:
* buying a refrigerator for childrens' immunizations
* expanding the maternity ward
* implementing an awareness program for HIV/AIDS
Want to help?
Click here to contribute to the purchase of the refrigerator to house the immunizations.
Click here to learn about our Summer 2009 Kenya program, which will bring us to Merrueshi to live and work with the Maasai.
Learn more at www.maasai-association.org
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Many thanks to the volunteers who have helped out this month...
Alana Scalise Robin Anderson Leslie Welshimer
Ryan Oman Norrie Walker Cassie Lown
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Quote of the Month
Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to
have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and
verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul
generated by love.
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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