“This is awesome!” seven year old Chase exclaimed excitedly. What got him so excited? Disneyland? Action figures? Trucks? No, he was building a dam in a shallow creek to catch the elusive fingerling trout slipping by. We were deep in the Granite Chief Wilderness on a multi-day backpacking trip and his face reflected pure joy …
“How much longer? Are we almost there?” The familiar refrain from our godchildren came, not in a car, but in the Sierra wilderness, as they shouldered heavy backpacks and bent toward the granite formations as we neared the summit, having gained 1,000 feet of elevation in about 2 miles when we went backpacking to Loch …
On the Hike From Hell(hole) (https://ingasadventures.com/2009/07/13/the-worst-backpacking-trip-ever/) Steve and I resolved to get a canoe, harkening back to the good memories we had of paddling on the Yukon River last summer and eschewing further backpacking trips. Now she was on top of the car, the maiden voyage of the little red canoe beginning with a road trip …
This trip to Hellhole Reservoir in the Granite Chief Wilderness won’t qualify for the worst trip in the annals of backpacking because no one was seriously or mortally injured, but in our combined history, this was the worst trip ever for my husband and me. A combination of minor mishaps, lost trails, illness and topography …
There are about 400 wineries in picturesque Napa Valley, with neat rows of vines punctuated by lovely wineries, some built in the chateau style, others in mission style, some gleaming and modern, all with a back story of the owner’s passion for the grape. Sparkling tasting rooms provide a glimpse into the zeal of the …
Published in International Travel News, April 2009, http://www.intltravelnews.com/ “This is a river that could keep us busy for years,” uttered my husband, Steve, who has a fascination with rivers. Our first trip to Vietnam this summer began our exploration of the Mekong River that will span many trips to come as we unlock the secrets …
If you’ve been engaged, mystified, puzzled, curious, stumped, or otherwise hooked on the time traveling, sometimes mystical survival tale on the television series LOST, you’ll be as fascinated as we were to go on a tour of LOST filming sites on the island of O’ahu in Hawai’i. My husband, Steve, and I were watching an …
Although I seek all manner of exotic and authentic travel experiences, I must admit I have a soft spot for Waikiki, a blaze of humanity crammed onto a thin strip of sand cradling one of the best beaches in the world, dominated by the stolid mass of Diamond Head anchoring the far eastern point of …
Published in International Travel News, November 2008, http://www.intltravelnews.com/ “Are you going to go zip-lining?” everyone we knew asked when told that we were headed to Costa Rica for our next set of adventures. It sounded like fun until so many people asked that I started envisioning the canopy of the jungle crisscrossed with zip-lines zinging …