So you have a long layover at Minneapolis-St. Paul airport? You can do what most people do - take the train over to nearby Mall of America and join the packed masses jamming through the second largest mall in North America. Or you can get off a couple of stops sooner on that same train and find yourself all alone in nature, hiking among the beautiful marshes of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. I'll take option 2 anytime. Get … [Read more...]
Fjords of Iceland
Of my 13 trips to Iceland so far, my most memorable one was my first time there, in 2002, when I happened to meet my future wife. At a distant second was our trip in the summer of 2011, when we took a week-long road trip through the West Fjords region, the far northwestern peninsula that juts out into the cold North Atlantic Ocean like a dragon's head on a Viking longboat. It's not necessarily an inaccessible nor difficult drive to get … [Read more...]
A Dream of Mine, To Take a Gorilla Safari in Uganda
My bucket list of countries high on my list to still visit is dwindling in number - this shorlist focuses on either memorable experiences or unique natural outdoor natural attractions. Long on my list has been a visit to parts of eastern Africa to see the gorillas in the wild. My interest was rekindled after talking to a good friend of mine who is on a mission to see every country in the world. He recently returned from parts of eastern Africa … [Read more...]
Dhanushkodi – A Tale of Oceans and Ape Men
The Legend Indian Hindu mythology has it that Lord Rama built a bridge some 50 kilometres long connecting India with Lanka (now Sri Lanka) off the coast of Tamil Nadu in South India to rescue his wife Sita from the evil clutches of the demon king Ravana. And he pulled off this engineering marvel with the help of his million-strong Vanara (Ape men) army along with magical ‘floating rocks’ and named it Rama Setu. (Rama’s Bridge) Valmiki further … [Read more...]
John Muir Slept Here
The best place to walk in the footsteps of John Muir is Yosemite National Park, where the famed naturalist and conservationist hiked and climbed granite domes, lovingly surveyed plants and animals, studied with rapt eyes “cloud mountains” in the sky, and developed his passion for wild spaces. Another place that evokes feelings for one of the visionary creators of our national park system is his old home in Martinez, California, about an hour … [Read more...]
Adventure on the River: West Virginia Whitewater
It was July 4th at the New River Gorge in West Virginia. It was dark, and I was on the roof of a truck clinging to the roof rack as we wound through the twisting back roads en route to the edge of the gorge. This had not been the plan. We had ended up loading the truck down with a couple of kegs and as many raft guides as we could fit after the trailer that was supposed to deliver us to the party developed a flat tire. We had unhitched it and … [Read more...]
Misadventures of a Gringo in Colombia
Upon leaving the unexpectedly small Cartagena airport, I was welcomed by a huge billboard featuring a Colombian Elvis impersonator. The other passengers who had also just arrived were poppin’ into little yellow micro-machine cabs and spinning off into their own assorted narratives. I stood and watched their numbers dwindle. Soon I was one of only a few prey left for the desperate transportation peddlers. A husky, determined Colombian man … [Read more...]
25 Reasons to Visit Petoskey Michigan
For people who are lucky enough to live on a coast, maybe Northern Michigan doesn't have the same appeal as it does for those of us who live in the Midwest. There may not be any direct flights, unless you're coming from Detroit, but it is worth the connecting flight. What makes Petoskey, Michigan so special? I'll give you 25 reasons to visit Petoskey Michigan. Petoskey has been known as, "the land of million dollar sunsets," … [Read more...]
How to Survive a Trip to the Top of Yosemite’s Half Dome
The plastic water bottle skidded off the granite and disappeared. It wasn’t the sound the bottle made that disturbed me. It was the silence that followed its rapid disappearance. Along with twenty to twenty-five other people I was perched on the east face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, the world-famous granite slab that John Muir called “the most beautiful and most sublime of all the wonderful Yosemite rocks.” We were climbing the … [Read more...]
The Best Dog-Friendly Attractions in New York
Believe it or not, New York makes an excellent place to visit with your pet; you just have to know where to look to find the most welcoming places! From their world famous park to some excellent eateries which will welcome your furry friend just as much as you, here are some of the best dog friendly attractions in the Big Apple… Central Park Famous for a whole host of reasons, Central Park is the go to place for dog owners and those other … [Read more...]
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