Currently the fastest-growing city in the US, downtown Boise also happens to be easily walkable, laid out in a grid with Grove Plaza at its heart and Julia Davis Park at its southern edge. Within the space of a short week, I got to explore some of the best the city has to offer. Street Art Head straight to Freak Alley (between 8th and 9th Streets closest to Bannock Street). Colorful styles of graffiti abound everywhere you look and the … [Read more...]
Rocky Mountaineer, Western Canada – February 2018
One of the world's great train rides is through the awe inspiring Canadian Rockies. Rocky Mountaineer offers a number of journeys both along the coast in British Columbia as well as both east and west rides through the mountains. Starting points are either Vancouver or Calgary. The train follows historical railways both in British Columbia and in Alberta. You do not sleep on the train, rather at the end of each day waiting coaches will … [Read more...]
Road Trip: From Marble Colorado to Fort Worth Texas
We decided to take a road trip after our holiday from Marble, Colorado to Fort Worth, Texas to visit some friends. It was going to be long, tiring and dusty. But we were intrigued by a number of magical and odd sights along the way. First stop: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. GPS tells us it will take 5 hours from Marble climbing over mountains. We ascend slowly up to 10,200 feet and reach the pinnacle of the Rockies on the 10th … [Read more...]
Hiking and Hot Springs in the Rockies
This spring, I was invited to visit rural Marble in Colorado and experience the great American outdoors. Growing up and working in cities all my life, I had never been on a hiking holiday before and Colorado was going to be my introduction to the American outdoors. I flew into Denver, Colorado before driving to Marble, a 4-hour drive away. A friend had a family holiday home there on the outskirts of Marble where they had been visiting since he … [Read more...]
A Family Discovery of the Natural Beauty of Jasper and Its Environs
Packing up the van as we loaded up the children and luggage from our hotel in Edmonton, we embarked on the Jasper area of the Canadian Rockies adventure hoping to find snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, raging waterfalls and animals of the area. My daughter Muna and I were travelling with my eldest grandson Laith, Maria his wife and their two inquisitive sons, Bilal and Tamer. As we left the city anxious to visit Alberta’s natural wonders … [Read more...]
Lets Go Climbing – Where Are We?!
"Do not start climbing over there - that seal is in the way". Were we mountain climbing or clambering over cliffs at some sunny beach in California somewhere? I've done a bit of mountain climbing around the world but have never heard a seal referenced as we are about to start a climb! The reason for this, is we are mountaineering in Antarctica as part of an Oceanwide Expedition Antarctica cruise. Climbing here is surreal - the amount of ice … [Read more...]
A Grand Venue for Country Tunes
Even if you’re not a fan of the style, there’s something about live country music in the actual country that makes it vastly entertaining. I’m not into country music, but last summer, atop a nearly 10,000-foot mountain under a Colorado sky bluer than any I’d ever seen before, with snow-dotted southern Rocky Mountains on the horizon and nothing but fresh air and great tunes all around, I converted in a hurry. At least for that day. The … [Read more...]
Rocky Mountain Blues
“Southern Alberta is a "black hole" when it comes to accessible tourism, it’s what I’d like to see change,” says Garry Brown, owner of the newly formed Rocky Mountain Wheelchair Tours, a division of 4seasons Transportation. “Accessibility laws are provincial. (So) there (is no enforcement) in our national parks. It’s all voluntary.” Alberta Parks is aiming for inclusion, but currently their website lists only disabled access campsites. … [Read more...]
The Grandeur of Montserrat Spain
When I find a place such as Montserrat in Spain that combines an inspirational human element with certainly a natural one, I pause for reflection. I try to absorb as much of this beauty as I can through all my senses. When visiting places like this it helps to be alone (not always possible at places of such grandeur). But fortunately I arrived late in the day mid week and the buses and most of the tourists had already left. The drive on the … [Read more...]
Calling all Thrill Seekers: Soar, Fly and Zip across Colorado this Summer
DENVER (June 3, 2015). Colorado is known for its world-class skiing, riding and high-octane winter pursuits, but during the summer months, Colorado boasts a wide assortment of adventure activities, especially for adrenalin junkies. While many enjoy rafting the state’s first-rate rapids and biking down rugged mountain terrain, Colorado also offers a variety of attractions for those in search of a thrill. From ziplining across the Rockies in … [Read more...]