OBLIGATORY TRAVELER

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Tag: hiking

  • Kayaking, Bushwhacking, and Music-Saook Bay-Alaska

    Kayaking, Bushwhacking, and Music-Saook Bay-Alaska

    The paddles are in hand just after breakfast. The morning mist still dances in the sky as we adjust to the quiet serenity of Saook Bay. I can hardly believe my eyes. Saook Bay is more Alaska, than I imagined Alaska could be. The colors on the horizon are stunning. Yellows fade to greens, that…

  • Bushwhacking in The Bay of Pillars-Alaska

    Bushwhacking in The Bay of Pillars-Alaska

    “Kissing a banana slug is good luck,” our Uncruise Alaska, Adventure Guide, proclaims. My love of creatures is far reaching. With a blubbery body and fun antennae, the banana slug looks adorable wiggling around in my palm. Always on board for procuring an extra bit of luck, I lightly touch my lips to the slug’s…

  • Glacier Bay National Park-Alaska-Uncruise

    Glacier Bay National Park-Alaska-Uncruise

    The morning begins like most…with coffee. Unlike most of my mornings however, I’m sipping my caffeine in front of the grey, moody, Alaskan landscape, of Glacier Bay National Park, instead of  my grey, moody, office cubicle. When we planned our trip to Alaska, seeing a glacier was at the top of my wish list. So…

  • Idaho Inlet-Alaska-Uncruise

    Idaho Inlet-Alaska-Uncruise

    The morning begins with safety briefings on our Alaska Uncruise. One briefing is for water safety, another for land safety. It’s the first of many “bear talks” we will receive. Our Adventure Guides do their best to make safety fun and entertaining. After a hearty brunch (including the best bacon ever), we set out on…

  • The First 48-Juneau-Alaska

    The First 48-Juneau-Alaska

    Day 1 To reduce anxiety caused by possible flight delays, we arrive in Juneau, Alaska, 48 hours before our cruise sets sail. Exiting the airport, we are struck by the gorgeous mountains. The hotel we are staying at provides airport pickup. The driver loads our bags into the back of the van, and we are…

  • The Florida Botanical Gardens

    The Florida Botanical Gardens

    It’s often a travel dilemma. What to do when you have a night flight home? Not being a full time traveler, I don’t bring work with me on trips, so a full day keeping busy in an airport lounge isn’t the best option. I didn’t want to choose an activity that either takes all day…

  • Rainbow Springs State Park and Swampy’s-Florida

    Rainbow Springs State Park and Swampy’s-Florida

    The Practice of Patience When I was a kid and got impatient, my mom would sing the Have Patience song. It was some high level Manchurian Candidate mind work, because to this day, if I’m waiting in line, and I get impatient, that song pops into my head. We walk up to the entrance window at…

  • Visiting Cape Point-Cape of Good Hope-South Africa

    Visiting Cape Point-Cape of Good Hope-South Africa

    We’re not budget travelers per se, but we do travel with a budget.  Though we aren’t the biggest fans of large group, bus tours, the City Sightseeing, Cape Point and Penguin Day Tour, allowed us to see Cape Point within our budget. It seemed like a good idea to do the budget version of this…

  • Visiting Victoria Falls-Zambia Side

    Visiting Victoria Falls-Zambia Side

    The relationship between the mind and body is interesting. As I stared up at the stairs on the Zambia side of Victoria Falls, looming before me, by mind said, they are just steps. Easy peasy. You just walk up them. No big deal. I started my upward climb, but around step ten, the pressure in the…