If the mere thought of visiting the hottest place on earth in summer freaks you out, think again. There are some great reasons to visit Death Valley in July or August. For one thing, there is the dearth of crowds. Unlike in winter, there are virtually no people anywhere. The few visitors you do encounter are most likely intrepid Europeans who have come to indulge in the desert at its most extreme. Also, unlike winter, days are significantly … [Read more...]
Exploring Paramaribo, Suriname the Fun Way!
After a nearly 13 hour car + van ride from Georgetown in Guyana which began at 4am and included a 4 hour border crossing (slow ferry a big part of this), I arrived in Paramaribo in the late afternoon. Exhausted after eating only an energy bar I found tucked away in my backpack given to me weeks ago by Jacki Ueng I checked into the Guesthouse Zin & Grand Cafe. For only $23/night it included a private room with AC and use of their pool. I soon … [Read more...]
Making the most out of your Minneapolis layover
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...]
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