Category Archives: Adventure Travel

Adventure Travel

Posted on by

Challenging, uncertain conditions, erratic weather, steep ascents, and descents.

Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), one of the most popular long-distance walks in Europe, also described my internal climate. The TMB is a 112- mile hiking trail that circles Mont Blanc in France, Italy, and Switzerland.

“Let’s go,” I told Jody. “This is something for US.”

In April, Jody and I volunteered for 25 sporting and entertainment events at 5 different venues to raise grant funds for Juan and Crystel’s schooling. In May we are scheduled for 18 events.

Kosher stand at Twins stadium

Jody and I often manage the kosher stand at the Twins stadium. It was there, while grilling kosher hot dogs and vegan sriracha brats with the smell of onions permeating every piece of my clothing that bad weather started coming in. Overlooking third base, I had the distinct feeling, I don’t want to do this anymore.

The TMB is a classic long-distance hike. Jody and I did a classic parenting move and overextended ourselves. I wanted to bust out of myself. Explode.

I started researching international challenging hikes. The uphills of the TMB are consistently steep and over a long distance. Most days hikers are hiking through at least one mountain pass, though sometimes two or three. Often hikers are not able to see the pass from the trailhead for that day, and if you look too far ahead, it could feel like an endless amount of hiking.

Perfect.

We were hiking that terrain now.

Taking time at the dog park

I don’t want a day to go by without me being in it. Sitting on my patio, journaling, listening to the birds, feeling the sun’s warmth, pausing to see the trees sway and clouds flowing – that is my heaven. Closing my eyes, hearing it all.

Jody and I have shifted our paradigm to us. Less volunteering. More patio time. International hikes on the horizon. Already, I’m feeling more settled.

Though the TMB resembled my internal climate the Alpe Adria Trail (AAT) is more to my abilities. It is a long-distance trail that runs through three countries: from Austria, through Slovenia to Italy. It is often described as a pleasure hiker’s delight. Jody and I have signed up with a group to hike among mountain peaks, green valleys and along clear Alpine rivers and lakes. The trail connects the three countries from the Alpine glaciers to the Adriatic coast.

It’s not always, how are the children?  It’s also, how am I?

Biking into Retirement

Posted on by

BikeAdventure and the unknown drive me. Quickens the beating of my heart. My senses are awakened and my yearning to feel alive fed.

Most often my experiences turn out different than I have imagined.

First an idea forms from conversations, reading, or research. My spirit takes note. I imagine the possibility. Interest becomes excitement. I rapidly move forward toward commitment.

Jody is along for the ride, a supportive enthusiastic travel partner.

Biking the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), took root in March of 2023. I was chatting with a couple from Delaware in our shared Florida courtyard. The retirees had recently completed the old railroad trail that follows waterways and mountains yielding stunning views of waterfalls, gorges, river valleys, and farmlands.

That same day, I began researching the 150-mile nonmotorized path that starts in Cumberland, Maryland and ends in downtown Pittsburgh. According to the website, traveling the Great Allegheny Passage is a sought-after, “bucket list” adventure that delights local users as well as tourists from all 50 states and over 40 countries annually.

I ordered the TrailGuide, the official guidebook for traveling on the GAP and had it shipped to our home in Minnesota. It would be waiting for me in our stack of mail when we returned from our five-week Florida stay.

With the thumbs-up from Jody, a date to bike the GAP—all 150 miles—was set. Lodging at three Bed and Breakfasts along the route were reserved.

Biking the GAP would fulfill several of our wants.  An adventure, a statement of active retirement, and a proclamation that we were keen for the next phase in our life: traveling and planning excursions without our adult children.  

• •

C&O Canal Towpath

“What happens when you drive through a toll gate, damaging the arm barrier?” I googled from the passenger seat. Jody couldn’t stop laughing. She backed the car up, jumped out of the driver’s seat, dashed to pluck the toll gate ticket from the kiosk, then tossed it on the dashboard. “That’s what you are supposed to do,” she said, still guffawing.

“Now, you’re following directions?” I asked, astonished. I had a notion to video the bent toll arm that wouldn’t close, her grabbing the ticket and fleeing, but I hadn’t caught up to what had just occurred. Her laughter was a little disconcerting.

A loud voice over the intercom telling us to pull over and wait for the police didn’t come. Jody continued onto the Ohio turnpike. I adjusted my seat to an upright position. “There is probably a video of you,” I warned. “By now, the police have a description of our van and our license number.”

Jody couldn’t stop laughing. Hitting a toll booth arm would be expected of me. Not rule-following Jody. According to my Google search, driving through toll booth arms has also happened to others, rule-followers or not.

What goes on in Ohio stays in Ohio? As of today, we haven’t yet received a fine.

• •

GAP trail

Cumberland, Maryland was our starting point for biking the GAP. Jody and I were eager to start. We had already altered our plans at Jody’s suggestion. The weather in Cumberland ranged from lows of 40 to highs in the low 60’s. Instead of biking the entire 150-mile length, pedaling from one B&B to another and carrying our gear, we would plan day trips on the trail and drive to our lodging. This would allow us to start later and bike during the warmest part of the day.

After asking directions for the trail at a bike shop, we headed out for a 30-mile afternoon ride. Jody and I pedaled single file on the narrow dirt path with me leading the way. The afternoon sun warmed our backs when it poked through the tree canopy. Deer, snakes, squirrels, and chipmunks were spotted and dodged. Occasionally we skirted a pothole filled with water and rumbled over bumps. I was happy to be using an e-bike. It made the impossible possible and the not so fun … fun.

The next morning, at The Inn on Decatur, our hostess served a delicious and abundant breakfast of pancakes, pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, Canadian ham, hashbrowns, and fresh fruit. She encouraged us to pack the leftovers.

“Was it a narrow path?” she asked. “You went the wrong direction,” she explained. “The GAP is flat and wide with a crushed gravel surface. You were on the C&O Canal Towpath.”

I looked at our map. It started to make sense to me: the locks and lockhouses we passed, the river on our right. I had even taken a photo of mile marker 170, our turnaround spot. This was clearly marked on the C&O Canal diagram.

This, I would do. Go in the wrong direction.

C&O Canal Towpath and the Great Allegheny Passage intersect at Cumberland, Maryland with the towpath running 185 miles to Washington, DC following the Potomac River while the Great Allegheny Passage is a 150-mile trail in the other direction to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The towpath was originally built for the canal mules to walk beside the canal as they towed the canal boats through the waterway. Jody and I can now say that we’ve biked a portion of the trail. Thank goodness we were biking out and back. We could have been in Washington, DC before self-correcting.

• •

At Meyersdale, we entered the GAP trail and headed north two miles towards the Salisbury Viaduct. The GAP trail was what I had expected. It is similar to the crushed limestone Luce Line State trail in Minnesota. Amazing that yesterday I accepted the forest dirt trail as the GAP.

The Salisbury Viaduct, 101 feet above the Casselman River, is the longest trestle on the GAP. Forests dressed in their fall colors, farmland, and wide views surrounded us. We turned around at a small family cemetery and headed south towards Frostburg and the Eastern Continental Divide (Highest Point on the GAP), Big Savage Tunnel (longest tunnel, ¼ mile) and the Mason & Dixon Line.

The hard packed trail surface follows the old Pennsylvania and Lake Erie Railway. A small mountain creek, Flaugherty Run, flows alongside the trail for six miles before disappearing at the Eastern Continental Divide, where it runs into the Casselman River. The GAP crosses the creek 10 times on short wood-decked former railroad bridges.

Just past the divide is the Big Savage Tunnel. Before going through the tunnel, Jody and I turned on our headlamps. As soon as we entered the tunnel a cold damp gripped us. A wide sweeping view of rolling mountains and valleys greeted our exit. We stopped to soak in the warmth of the October sun and enjoy the scenery that was dotted by wind turbines lining the ridges. 

The GAP trail crosses from Pennsylvania into Maryland at the Mason-Dixon Line. This famous area snuck up on Jody and me. We noted the markers and stones from our bikes and continued onward. 

Frostberg, our turnaround point, is a small college town. To reach it we biked a steep paved trail into town. The Toasted Goat Winery seemed a fitting place to stop for lunch before our 16-mile return to Meyersdale and our car ride to our next B&B, Hanna House of Breakfast near Confluence, PA.

• •

The falls at Ohiopyle State Park

In the fast-flowing whitewater of the Youghiogheny River, a kayaker had not emerged from the turbulent falls. Jody and I believed we were witnessing a death. Two kayakers had successfully made it over the 18-foot drop at Ohiopyle Falls in Ohiopyle State Park. This one was in trouble. He was a cigar bobbing up and down in the powerful water unable to escape the whirlpool. The three kayakers had slipped into the river upstream ignoring the signs saying, “No water access.” Jody was filming the kayaker and didn’t shut her video off until his head surfaced.  

The name Ohiopyle is thought to have derived from a combination of Native American Indian words which mean “white frothy water.” We had walked to an observation deck to view the falls and the rapids leading up to them.

Ohiopyle State Park, was our planned rest break. That morning we had parked our car at the main visitor parking area near downtown Ohiopyle and biked ten miles to Confluence before returning.

The town of Confluence is at the convergence of three waterways: the Youghiogheny and Casselman Rivers and Laurel Hill Creek. “Where mountains touch rivers,” is the town’s motto. This was definitely evident on the bike trail. On one side of us was a mountain and on the other a river. Confluence is surrounded by some of the highest ridges in Pennsylvania. The Middle Yough, Laurel Hill Creek, and White’s Creek are considered some of the best trout waters in the region. From our bikes we could see fishermen casting their lines.

After taking a breath and reviewing the video of the kayaker, Jody and I continued our bike ride north over the curving 620-foot Ohiopyle low bridge and the 663-ft Ohiopyle high bridge. From our bikes we took in Ohiopyle Falls, Ferncliff Peninsula, and the Youghiogheny River. Our turnaround point was 10 miles further near Sheepskin Trail.

• •

Jody and I considered our biking options from the front porch of our final lodging destination, Bright Morning B&B, West Newton, PA. West Newton is a trail town along the GAP. The Youghiogheny River flowed flat and calm in front of the inn.

Downtown Pittsburgh, PA, the end of the GAP, was 30 miles north. Jody and I had biked 105 miles of the 150-mile GAP trail. We both came to the decision that the end of the GAP for us would be here.

Driving the scenic backroads of Maryland and Pennsylvania to reach our B&B’s provided Jody and I with a fuller experience than only biking on a flat railway bed. Curvy mountainous roads. Narrow valleys. Hardwood forests. Rivers. Small farms. Amish. Valleys and hillsides were a beautiful shade of green to vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows.

The next morning, we would start the trek home.

Our next adventure? Our next unknown?

In January, Jody and I will be attending National RV Training Academy in Athens, Texas for a one-week class in RV Fundamentals. Learning objectives include, Understanding electrical systems, AC/DC systems, Propane and Water Systems, Air Conditioners & Refrigerators and Water Heaters & Furnaces.

We don’t own an RV … yet.

Right now, we need to clean the dust off our bikes and get them ready for the next ride.

When Your Kids’ Bucket List Becomes Yours

Posted on by

Nihongo wa hanasemasen (I don’t speak Japanese).

Japan was not on my bucket list. It wasn’t a longing. If someone would have said to me, “Are you ever going to travel to Japan?” I probably would have responded with, “Why would I do that?”

Now that plane tickets have been purchased and dates marked off our calendar, Juan and Crystel argue about who brought up the idea of traveling to Japan first.

Regardless of who did, Crystel gets the credit for selling the idea. She used a PowerPoint presentation to further promote her position. Crystel titled her demo, “What to Do on Our Japan Trip,” as if we had already bought the goods. She meticulously moved through each of her 29 slides, and many had links for further description. Such as, the pros and cons of staying in a Capsule hotel, hostel, or Ryokan. She could be a tour guide, I thought, as she described how she separated Japan into four destinations: city side, country side, Juan’s animé side, and beach side.

Japan is an island country that is seventy percent mountainous. Mountains and valleys split the land. It was her photos of Japan’s stunning coastal scenery and untouched countryside landscapes that began to sway me. She was easily making Japan an attractive destination. A hankering began to flicker.

It wasn’t long before Crystel and I were on the couch, side by side, researching the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’. She would plan our day to day activities, and I would secure the lodgings. You might think that I would be scared about letting a teen plan our pursuits. I admit to some trepidation. My unease fell away after I saw her ensuing PowerPoint presentation: an itinerary for Tokyo, Mount Fuji, and Gero. She had our schedule mapped from place to place. Each locale more beautiful than the last. She even planned an alternate choice for Jody and me while she and Juan visited Akihabara, the center of gaming, manga and animé culture in Tokyo.

Our three-week trip to Japan will close with seven days in the tiny fishing village of Asobi on the Tango peninsula. The peninsula is located on the Japan sea coast, allowing us to take day trips to Kyoto and the surrounding area. Crystel will enjoy planning trips to beaches, hot springs, and Kyoto. I’ve already downloaded the paperwork for an international driver’s license as Tango is most easily explored by car.

Crystel said she wanted to visit Japan because of the culture, Juan because of animé, and Jody because she didn’t want to be left at home. That’s not the all of it, she enjoys adventure as I do, and I stack them up when I plan our exploits. Now we have a daughter who is eager to explore as well.

Traveling together, enjoying new experiences together, that’s the best kind of bucket list.

I travel to experience difference.

Posted on by

Montana

I travel to experience difference.

I want my heart to pound with exhilaration. To swell and beat against my body. I want to instinctively hold my breath. I want to feel fear.

On the Big Mountain in Whitefish, Montana, I held my breath and pushed off the 6,817 ft. summit. My skis foreign under me. It had been years since I had downhill skied. I worked to tilt my skis onto their edge, providing the resistance I needed to slow down. Juan Jose’ and Crystel’s ski lessons from when they were four rose in my memory, “Pizza, Mama. Pizza.” I pizzaed and french fried down the mountain.

My first step off the summit, had the same feeling as jumping off a cliff the height of a 3-story house into Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.

Ultra Extreme zip- lining, flying over and through the jungle of Guatemala, jumping out of a plane in Wisconsin, and bungee jumping off the historic suspension bridge in New Zealand, where bungee jumping began are not things I need to do again. Nor is parasailing.

Never say never. I can imagine the kids wanting me to join them and there I’ll go again.

I travel to experience awe. Awe-inspiring landscape, whether it be in Montana, Guatemala, or the ocean is a feeling I want to hold onto forever. I want to breathe in what I’m seeing so deeply that I never lose my sense of wonder. I experience a connection with something greater.

Destin

Hiking along ancient paths in Sedona, the Upper Mayan Trail in Guatemala, and the Badlands provides a profound sense of being with the ancients whether it is the Yavapai of Sedona, the Kachekel Mayans of Guatemala, or the paleo-Indians of the Badlands. I can envision the singular, winding, upwards path of those who came before us, shouldering their belongings, carrying their infants, moving towards shelter.

When I travel, I often learn something new about myself or come to a deeper understanding.

It was in Destin, Florida strolling towards sunrise on the fine soft white sand, that it came to me: I feel most alive walking into the wind. That I create the world I live in. That right now, this moment, came to be because of all the choices that I have made before.

Jody, Cozumel

Family travel, sharing adventures, having others hold their breath in awe and fear are joys. The best thing Jody and I can give our children is the world in their palm and a passion for new experiences. Then, they too, can cultivate new and lasting relationships with the world and those around them.

We are planning a family trip to Japan in 2020. Crystel is organizing our travel plans. She is teaching herself Japanese. Juan Jose’ will also be traveling to Germany with his German class.

Travel is fulfilling. Rejuvenating. A time to take stock. Stretch boundaries. And, if you plan it right, to hold your breath.

Unknown Adventure

Posted on by

Juan Jose’, Ani, Rosa

“She needs a blood transfusion, and then if possible surgery. The hospital is so busy because of the volcano victims.”

As of June 6, 2018, At least 192 people are missing and 75 are dead as a result of the explosion of the Volcan de Fuego in Guatemala according to the BBC news.

“Her blood levels are very low. She has to be in the hospital. She did not know. It was a surprise.”

Jody, Juan Jose’, Crystel and I are traveling towards the Volcano of Fire. Before our trip is over, we will learn that entire villages on the slopes of Fuego volcano were buried in volcanic ash, mud and rocks. Hundreds of Guatemalans

San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala. photo credit, Juan Jose’

are dead. Some have lost entire families.

Eight years ago, Volcano Pacaya erupted. Juan Jose’ and Crystel were 7. When we

landed in Guatemala on that trip, their first visit to Guatemala, volcanic ash was being shoveled from the airline strip.

Crystel’s words were, “We are in my country now.”

This will be our fifth visit to Guatemala.

Alex Vicente Lopez, Guide Extraordinaire

Before every trip, as I do with all of our vacations, I researched extensively. This year, I had planned a sailing adventure, leaving from Rio Dulce, Guatemala, sailing into Lake Izabal, and then on to the Caribbean after our visit with Rosa, Juan Jose’s birth mom.

All trip planning stopped, and we cancelled the sailing trip when we received a message that Rosa had advanced cancer.

This unpredictable country is Juan Jose’s and Crystel’s birthplace. Devastation, poverty, and constant struggle is a reality in Guatemala. News of volcanic eruptions and the hardships of birth moms who have given their children up in adoption slice Jody and I to the core. We provide what help we can. Our message to Juan Jose’ and Crystel is to be proud of where they come from.

Kayak Guatemala, Los Elementos Our Happy Place

Crystel was born in Amatitlan, in the shadow of Volcano Pacaya. Juan Jose’ is from the mountains of Rabinal. His grandfather and great grandfather died in the Civil War.

Through the help of our village of friends in Guatemala: Lee and Elaine Beal of Los Elementos Adventure Center, Lesly Villatoro, of El Amor De Patricia, and the organization De Familia a Familia, we received assistance for Rosa. Lesly accompanied

Rosa to the doctor. Rosa learned that she didn’t have cancer but a large fibroid that needed to be removed. We would be able to visit with her on our last day in Guatemala with De Familia a Familia providing interpretation services.

As in our four previous trips, we would stay at Los Elementos and have Alex Vicente Lopez as our guide for our 5-day stay at Lake Atitlan. And we’d have many unknown

Crystel in native dress. A gift from Juanita, Alex’s wife.

adventures, because plans can suddenly change.

We would be vacationing in Crystel’s and Juan Jose’s ever-changing birth country – traveling towards 37 volcanoes, 3 of them active, and 1 erupting.

Amongst the poverty, devastation, and volcanoes we would find beauty. Guatemalans are strong, proud, and loving.

Their country beautiful.