With the spotlight on Ryan Cochran Siegle at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, people from America to Asia are talking about how this World Cup–and now Olympic–champion hails from a tiny little ski area in Vermont. Ryan Cochran Siegle couldn’t be prouder to identify as a Vermonter, one that grew up at Cochran’s Ski Area, his family-owned ski hill that boasts two lifts and less than a mile of trails.

Many of you know that the folks at Discovery Map, whose headquarters are tucked into the charming town of Waitsfield, Vermont, also love our Green Mountain state and the many authentic experiences one can have here.

Map Geek is back! It has been a while since Map Geek posted a blog. Let’s just say that the pandemic put parts of this map aficionado’s life on hold but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any traveling or travel planning going on with this map-centric whizz. Perhaps this has been the case for you as well.

At first, most of the traveling since March 2020 involved road tripping; but it didn’t take long for this passionate traveler to wander farther, which meant taking to the skies. Of course flying since spring of 2020 has become even more stressful–between all of the mask wearing, social distancing, excessive hand washing, airline seat wiping and such–but it’s hard to keep a die-hard traveler away and many of us have just sallied forth braving each inconvenience as we went. Long lines at the TSA, airport restaurants, and restrooms have become as commonplace as flight delays and cancellations. Still, we keep on traveling.

Before lining up lodging for you and your pet, the Map Geek suggests you read Traveling with Pets Part One: Hitting the Road. There’s no point in booking a stay somewhere if traveling there is going to be a bust. Sometimes, however, you must travel. What if you have to relocate halfway across the country? So if you have a pet, read on because you never know when you might have to pull up roots and find a cozy place to sleep along the way.

As the days grow longer and the number of COVID cases decline, many of us have our sights on spring and summer travel. Some people have already started to pack up the car and take off for outdoor adventures whether they’re headed for the snow or the sand. Indeed, there’s rumbling afoot and people are once again seriously considering travel. We all know what it takes to be safe and by following the key precautionary measures recommended by the CDC and more people vaccinated against this coronavirus, prospects of changing up the scenery grow more promising every day.

With travel comes the question: do we bring our pet or have him or her stay home (or at a kennel or with a trusted friend). That’s the first thing you should ask yourself when considering travel with your cat or dog or in some cases, cats and dogs. (They are best in pairs, aren’t they?)

Part Four: Honoring Asian Americans

As part of our ongoing series that celebrates the diversity across America and beyond within our Discovery Map destinations, it seems appropriate to salute Asian people at this time. The Chinese New Year is Friday, February 12 this year and we are smack dab in the period of the new moon, which this year begins January 21 and ends February 20. Also called the Lunar New Year, this period marks the first moon of the lunisolar calendars, which are regulated by the cycles of the moon and sun.

Part Three: Honoring Hispanic People

In the Map Geek’s last blog, Diversity in Discovery Map Destinations: Honoring Native Americans, the post ended with highlighting the rich Native American culture that’s still very much alive today in New Mexico. So this seems like a good place to start for this story.

Part Two: Honoring Native Americans

As you savor spoonfuls of turkey soup and the last nibbles of pumpkin pie, The Map Geek would like to bring to your attention some of the highlights of Native American culture located within our Discovery Map destinations.

With all that has been happening in the world these past months, we could do as the ancients did and look to the night skies for answers. Many cultures, in fact, continue traditions, founded in millennia, of turning to the heavens for guidance.

“Early studies of the sky provided stability and structure to social and political organizations,” Dr. Edwin C. Krupp, a preeminent “archaeoastronomer,” was quoted as saying in a Nautilus magazine article. “A perfect example of this is the emperor in ancient China, who was regarded as the primary intermediary between Earth and the divine force in heaven. The emperor is sacred, and that stabilized and protected the way that the Chinese culture allowed itself to be governed, he continued.” The Map Geek has recently become hooked on the Netflix series “The Crown,” which infers a similar connection between the sovereign and the divine. If you were to look at pretty much every culture throughout the ages, you’ll find some measure of desire to link themselves with heaven.

Have you figured out what you’re doing this year for Halloween? The Map Geek predicts that all is aligned to create a spooky good time. First of all, October 31st lands on a Saturday, which always means a celebration of sorts. Plus, there will be a full moon and a blue moon; the latter means that it’s the second full moon in a calendar month. Both rank as rare occurrences. (How many full moons do you recall on Halloween, let alone a blue one, which typically appears extra large and casts a ghoulish blue glow?) It’s also the night when we “fall back” the clocks. To top that off, 2020 has been so bizarre that who isn’t looking to have fun? We’ve already had the heck scared out of us!