My husband and I enjoyed our two-week vacation from snow and cold when we traveled to Costa Rica. We hiked on dirt sans snow, walked on beautiful beaches, and encountered a host of colorful birds, and three species of monkeys. But we couldn’t escape from invasive technology— on the ground or in the air!
The highly intelligent and speedy Karelian Bear Dogs save the lives of hundreds of bears in the United States each year and serve as ambassadors for reducing bear-human conflict worldwide. They track on leash and shepherd an untold number of grizzly and black bears from human-occupied areas back into the wild.
My husband and I almost missed out on driving about half of the lonely and sometimes treacherous Dalton Highway on our recent Alaskan vacation. But with a bit of good fortune, we drove about 210 miles north along the two-lane, primarily dirt road originally built to service the Alaskan Pipeline. Experiencing the vast and beautiful frontier of our country’s 49th state was a special treat.
The Galapagos Islands are truly a special and almost magical place, and in many respects, a step back in time where wildlife and beautiful beaches dot the landscape. That’s what my husband Dave and I discovered when we visited a few of the islands in May.
Tens of thousands of street dogs roam Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. These often sickly-looking canines scavenge for food and often hang out around tourist attractions. Many carry rabies. The city government formerly set out poisoned meat at night to control the street dog population. Fortunately, one nonprofit animal rescue organization’s “catch and release” spay/neuter/vaccinate/treat program has replaced the poison method and saved thousands of canines.
Dave and I recently hiked forty-plus miles along the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu in Peru. In fog, rain and snow, we trekked to the 15,213-foot Salkantay Pass before descending into a river valley. Days later, we crested another pass and caught our first glimpse of Machu Picchu on an opposite mountainside. Our trek gave us an understanding of why the Spaniards centuries ago never discovered Machu Picchu.
Dave and I took a once-in-a lifetime journey to Nepal and trekked high in the Himalayas for two weeks this November. The beauty of the mountains and warmth of the Nepali people captured our hearts. Read on to learn about what we experienced.
Southern New Mexico offers diverse and alluring landscapes to explore with your furry friends. That’s where we enjoyed the lack of crowds and sense of peace during our late March spring vacation with our two Labradors.
Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s highest peak, on the Big Island, is an excellent location to view the stars. But Dave and I decided to summit the peak during the day. That meant hiking for hours in solitude on moonscape, far removed from lush tropical forests and sandy beaches.
Our fifty-mile trek in Italy’s Dolomite Mountains this September left me with images of beautiful countryside and impressive looking mountains. But I took away much more: a greater understanding and respect for our country’s Tenth Mountain Division soldiers. My husband Dave and I started our trek with twelve other hikers, plus two Italian guides, in […]