Travel

I first heard about Havasu Canyon from Edward Abbey. His idyllic description of it in Desert Solitaire really caught my eye when I first read it back in the 70’s. It sounded like paradise on Earth, a desert Garden of Eden. It sounded too good to be true. Thirty-five years later, my time had finally come to see Havasu for …

It is no secret that one of the most fulfilling experiences is to travel the world and enjoy your passion at the same time. There are some fortunate people – from businessmen and women to travel writers and bloggers – who savor all the perks of seeing the beauty of earth while earning a decent living along the way. On …

Looking for some beach time this spring? Ample helpings of natural beauty and human history run up and down Oregon’s Tillamook coast. Two of the most interesting examples, and ones that offer terrific hiking experiences, are Netarts Spit and Bayocean Spit. One is accessible at low tide; the other became more accessible after changing tides swallowed up a resort community. …

The town of Moose Factory in northern Ontario has few obvious attractions for the visitor. You can drop in on the Cree Interpretation Centre and look at old artifacts; you can visit the Hudson’s Bay Company Museum, assuming it’s open; or you can experience the local horsefly, otherwise known as a bulldog. In the words of an early northern explorer, …

Cycling in the south of France is a bucket-list experience for many avid cyclists. A leisurely weekend spent pedaling your own “Tour de France” is sure to be one that you’ll remember for years and offers myriad opportunities to slow down, unwind and smell the flowers Before starting your weekend through Southern France’s endless fields and vineyards, it’s important that …

From the moment I pull my pack from the truck, heft it onto my back and walk away from the road, I  am on my own. It is a relief for me to be dropped off at this lake, free of obligation, committed to nothing but finding my way through wide valleys, over a pass and down a river. I …

Everyone who visits the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska wants to know: have you seen evidence of climate change? As if experiencing climate change was like catching a fleeting glimpse of a wolf slipping through the trees. There is no single moment that defines our experience of climate change in Alaska. Single moments are just weather – strange weather, for sure …

I can still remember my parents teaching me how to spot a bald eagle, “look for the white head and tail feathers since their bodies are black and difficult to see.” It’s January on the Skagit River near Rockport, WA and the bright white heads of bald eagles are prominent against the grayness of the riverbanks and naked alders. Even …

Deer don’t usually impress me. When I see a doe lingering just off trail, I stare into the brush, willing a hungry mountain lion to teach a predator-prey lesson. Maybe it’s cynicism born from incomplete ecosystems or the fact that deer seem to frequent suburban cul-de-sacs as regularly as UPS trucks. But perhaps, like many instances of indifference, it is …

The Waitakere Ranges near Auckland in New Zealand are a chain of hills that actually runs through the Auckland Metropolitan area, making it an easy to reach, convenient destination for travellers in search of wild natural beauty, rugged cliffs and secret hidden beaches. There are also larger – not so hidden – beaches that are favorites of surfers. The Waitakere …