Coastal Redwoods

Start here.

The Redwoods will change your spirit for the better, promise.

This part of country is magical. Just ask the Ewoks.

Na Pali

The Na Pali Coast is probably one of the most photographed places on the island of Kauai. There's a pretty good reason for that when you take a look at this picture. The best way to see the rugged landscape is by helicopter- however, this trip is not for the weak stomach - I'll just leave it at that.

The winter is a great time to visit Kauai. It is the rainy season - which means - expect muddy trails and, well of course - rain. However, it's also whale season. We saw many whales while hiking the Kalalau Trail - we also saw many unprepared cruise ship tourists trying to the hike the moderate to difficult terrain wearing flip flops and carrying plastic shopping bags.

Big Cat Week!

It's Big Cat Week on Nat Geo Wild. Two of the scientists featured project lions to be extinct by 2020. That is not a pleasant figure for The King of the Jungle.

Eccentric Day

Bell's Eccentric Cafe is one of my favorite places on earth. Lucky for me, I still have many old and new friends in Kalamazoo - a few that work for Bell's.

Today is Eccentric Day - a tradition that holds a special place in my heart. Wish I could be there on this sunny, wintry day to celebrate with many friends - new and old.

Make time in your life to stop here. It's worth it.

Bio Bay

My family and I booked a trip to Vieques, Puerto Rico for Christmas and New Years. Aside from the long standing US Military bomb testing that went on here for decades - Vieques is also known for it's natural wonders - most famously being the Bioluminscent Mosquito Bay. This photograph shows the phenomenon from the boat spray on a night tour.

Tiny, single celled dinoflagellates are responsible for the luminscence. There are more dinoflagellates per gallon in Mosquito Bay than anywhere else on the planet. There's 24 days until my trip - and I'm pretty sure that once I return, I will have much more to say about this small island that sits between the mainland of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Kites in Kabul

My coworker, Zakk, shared this great link with me today. This was one of the featured photographs. I'm currently listening to The Kite Runner on CD in my car. I might be running behind the curve on this one, but with the state of affairs continuing to be what they are in Afghanistan, it's been important to gain the knowledge of what life may have been like in Kabul before the installation of The Taliban. This picture speaks of freedom and innocence to me - two things lost very quickly in the novel, and to many children that reside here in real life. This post isn't mean to be political or depressing - just a reminder of what's happening in the world at this very moment.

Atolls

This is a great photograph of Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Bora Bora is one of the most sought after destinations in the world - making it one of most expensive places to vacation. Judging from this picture, I'd pony up the cash and sit on a plane for 20 hours to enjoy the view here.

What makes this such a unique destination - is that Bora Bora is an atoll - def: is an island (or islands) of coral that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. The Pacific Ocean possesses the most atolls on earth. The Maldives, Seychelles and Solomon Islands, all have atolls in their island groups - just to name a few. Google Image atoll - it should impress and possibly encourage additional funds transferred to savings.

VRBO/Home Away

I was talking with someone yesterday who had never heard of renting a house through VRBO or Home Away. I was certainly taken aback, as I use these sites for all of our photo shoot planning and for personal vacations as well. I am not posting this to make anyone feel like they aren't internet savvy enough to be aware of these sites - just to alert everyone that they are great tools to find private home rentals all over the world.

This picture was taken by yours truly. This is the house that we rented via VRBO for our latest photo shoot with work. This is the Westward Look House located in Tucson, AZ. The view was great, the house looked like where Roger Sterling would vacation and there was a koi pond in the back. Pretty awesome.

Abasin

I have the snowboarding bug today. It seems that most resorts Out West are opening up this weekend. Jealous? Yes! This is Abasin - the last place that my Ride snowboard was last season. Abasin is so great - they have some of the steepest and highest elevation skiing/riding in the US.

Camping used to be allowed - but no longer. I was not aware when I wrote my first post:-( But, they do still have bloody marys!

For those of you who are living close enough to get on the mountain this weekend - just remember there's a nice girl from the midwest whose wishing she could do the same:-)

Kay - O

This is an aerial view of Cayo Costa, Florida. Cayo (pronounced Kay-o by the locals) Costa is a barrier island that sits between North Captiva and Gasparilla Islands on the south west side of Florida. The beaches here rival those of it's neighbors - the more accessible Sanibel, Captiva and Boca Grande. What separates Cayo from it's posh neighbors is exactly what made me fall in love with it - there is hardly anyone there. Why you ask? The entire island is a State Park - and is only accessible by ferry, plane, private boat or kayak. You will find no cars on Cayo Costa either. Bike, foot, kayak or cross island atv shuttle are the only modes of transport here.

There are only a few private residences here that were grandfathered in once the island was made a state park. However, there are cabins for rent, campsites for tenting and 9 miles of the best beach you can find in the continental US. Cayo is also fantastic for a day trip (which is the only way that I've experienced it). You can take the passenger ferry out of Pineland, FL. Try something different and once you've been to a place like this - you'll be able to agrue with people who say that Florida is the worst.

Pabst Mansion

Both of my mother's parents grew up in Milwaukee. However, my first trip to MKE was just this past year. One of the stops on our tour was the Pabst Mansion. This was one of many large edifaces that lined Grand Ave (presently called Wisconsin Ave) in 1890 when it was built.

The history of the mansion is pretty interesting. After most of the Pabst's passed away - the mansion was sold to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. They painted over all the custom interiors to a stark white. Most of the wood floors were carpeted. The room off to the far right side of the mansion which you can see here was used as the "beer tent" at the 1893 World's Fair - the Catholic Church turned it into their area of worship.

In 1978 - the Archdiocese put the mansion up for sale again - this time to a developer who had plans to rip it down and build a parking structure - probably to accomodate nearby Marquette University. A group of historians and preservationists lead by John Conlin saved this tragedy from happening. Since 1978 - a massive restoration has been underway to restore the original artwork and interiors. It's pretty impressive - definitely worth the $9 admission.

Fitz Roy

I'm obsessed with Patagonia. The region and the company. Not only would I love to see these peaks for myself one day, along with the fjords, Tierra del Fuego, and the lake regions that make up this part of the Southern Hemisphere, but I'd love to also order pretty much everything off the Patagonia site - except for their pants - dork city.

Caldera Islands

The top picture shows the landscape of a tiny little island named Ponza. Ponza sits in the Tyrrhenian Sea, just southeast of the city of Anzio, Italy. Ponza shares the name of the island and the main village -which is where the ferries drop you off. Looking at the map above, you can see that Ponza is what's left from a volcanic erruption.

These caldera islands are some of the most impressive scenery on earth, and some of the most sought after destinations. One of the most popular caldera island destinations is Santorini, Greece. I would imagine you've heard of Santorini and maybe this is the first time of hearing about Ponza. I had never heard of Ponza when I got on the hydrofoil at dawn from Anzio. I was immediately amazed by what I had never heard of.

In Ponza, steep cliffs drop off into crystal clear Mediterrean water. The smell of olive and euclaptys trees intermingle with the salty sea air. Bright painted buildings rise from the shore and blanket the hillsides. Grottos, ruins and beaches - along with fine Italian fare are what you can expect in Ponza. Need I say more?

Ponza isn't off the beaten path - lots of people have heard of it - but probably not as many have been there. So - the moral of this post is that hopefully you've now seen or heard of a new place that you can put on your radar.

Olmstead

Take a second and just try to guess where this picture was taken. Wait for it....
It's part of the Conservatory Grounds on Belle Isle in Detroit. Were you right?
Belle Isle was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead - who arguably pioneered landscape architecture in the United States.

His works include The White House grounds, The US Capitol, Central Park in New York, Prospect Park in Brooklyn, The Emerald Necklace in Boston, The Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, UC Berkley, Stanford University and the University of Chicago to name just a few.

I was impressed to also learn that Olmstead designed Presque Isle Park just outside of Marquette, MI. He was not only an amazing landscape artist, but a conversationist who cherished open spaces and the preservation of beauty througout the US. There is an Olmstead Point in Yosemite National Park, paying hommage to Olmstead's efforts preserving the Sierra Nevada region.

The one work of Olmstead's that isn't recognizable to what is once was is from the Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Jackson Park, Chicago, IL. The Palace of Fine Arts building is the last ediface that remains from the fair. The Museum of Science and Industry now calls this building home. There is a Jim Hensen exhibit that is currently running from now until January - and I believe this will get me out of the downtown/Lincoln Park area of Chicago to Jackson Park to finally stand there and try to remember what Olmstead's vision was.

Olmstead's home in Brookline, MA is registered as a National Historic site. It's currently closed for a renovation project and is slated to re-open sometime in 2011. Maybe an eastcoast trip for next summer? Hmm....

Good Reads - Utah

Utah is probably my favorite state (aside from Michigan of course!). Now, I haven't been to all 50 and there's definitely much more that I need to see. But, I was lucky enough to spend a decent amount of time in Southern Utah over the past decade. The landscape is like no other. Red rock canyons dive into oblivian and compete with the bluest sky you can imagine. If you've been here, you know what I'm talking about. Here are two books that take place and in around this area - very different subject matter - but highly recommended. Here's a little something about both.


Under the Banner of Heaven is a true account of the history of the Mormon religion and the evolution of the FDLS church - an extreme sect of people who continue to practice plural marriage - whereas the Mormon Church denounced this practice in the 1800's. In conjunction with the history lesson, is also the true story of a woman murdered by her husband's brother - due to her not wanting to live the FLDS way of life. This is all just scratching the surface. Read if you'd like. Onto the next book.

Between a Rock and Hard Place, by Aron Ralston is again the autobiography of a day hike turned struggle to survive when Ralston is hiking down a canyon and gets his arm stuck. He's there for 5 days before he cuts his arm off - and runs to safety. The cutting his arm off part is pretty hard to stomach - and the Phish and Grateful Dead song lyrics that got him through the ordeal might not be for everyone. Finally, the fact that he didn't tell anyone where we was going because he was too arrogant to believe that he needed to on such an elementary hike made me have less respect for him. The moral of this story is for sure call someone and tell them where you're going when you enter the backcountry - especially the extensive canyon systems of Southern Utah.

The part that really got me with this book, though, was Ralston's methodical decisions that for sure kept him alive. We have this running joke at work that I would drink all my water and die. Ralston was an engineer, and with his analytical mind, he deduced exactly how much water he could drink hourly- along with many other key decisions. It came down to him drinking some excrement as well - I would have never even thought of that. Of course, Hollywood has come calling on this story. James Franco is playing Ralston in the film 127 Hours, which opens on November 5th. Enjoy!

The Great Pyrenees

Some of you may know that I just adopted a Great Pyrenees named Jackson. The breed is known for their ability to guard flocks and herds of livestock. Since I have neither herds or flocks of anything, he guards me and my home - needless to say, I sleep very soundly alone these days. The Pyrenees Mountains serve as a natural border between France and Spain. I'm quite certain that Jackson is from the French side - maybe I'll explain why I believe this to be true another time....

The largest city on the French side is Toulouse - which is actually not in the range, but just outside - as this area is very rugged and there are few roads that go through connecting the Iberian Peninsula with the rest of Europe.

Toulouse is called the Pink City - as most of the buildings are made of light red brick. The picture shown above is the work of graffiti artist Miss Van who got her start on the brick walls and doors of Toulouse. She's actually quite famous - but this is the first I've heard of her.

Her work consists mainly of women expressing emotions. Apparently the feminists of the world have a problem with her art - you be the judge. Either way, I'd love to explore this area more, as I've just ridden through on an overnight train from Barcelona to Interlaken. Next time, next time.

October

I love Fall. It's for sure my favorite season. There's really nowhere that I'd rather be in October than in Michigan for these glorious 60 degree sunny days with chilly nights. So - get out to the trees near you this weekend and enjoy what's locally wonderful. This picture is from Stony Creek Metropark, which is literally out my front door - there are many other parks in the Metro Detroit area - and of course all over this amazing Peninsular state of ours! Enjoy your weekend, friends.

Aurora Borealis

The Northern Lights (or Southern Lights if you are in the S. Hemisphere) should be a priority in everyone's travels. I was lucky enough to catch them when I was backpacking on the Harding Ice Field in Alaska in 2001. I have also seen them from Northern Michigan a few times, but I can assure you, it's an entirely different ball game in AK.

Not only were we able to see the vibrant green streaks of the aurora, this was mid August, which is when the annual Perseid Meteor Shower is at it's peak. Needless to say, this was unreal. The great thing about Alaska is that you don't have to backpack for two weeks in order to take advantage of its wonders - but I would recommend doing so...just bring your deet, bear spray and mosquito net:-)

I love iGoogle. I subscribe to the places to see app and one of the suggestions for today is Iguazu Falls in Brazil/Argentina. Iguazu is composed of 275 individual falls. Lore has is that God sliced the river in half due to his wife running off with her mortal lover thus them falling to their death. Pretty impressive, God. I'd say this is for sure a place to see - hopefully sooner than later.

The beginning

I decided to start a blog about travel. Really, everyone else that I work with currently has a blog and I must admit that I do enjoy reading them, so I figured that I could give it a try.

Compared to many, my travels aren't that significant, but aside from where I have been, I spend many hours researching where I'd like to go next. So, here you will find a bit of both. Enjoy.