Sara Benson
The Indie Traveler Blog- What Am I Doing on Twitter?
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Nickname Sam. Author (browse my books here). Blogger (The Indie Traveler). Photographer. Entrepreneur. Globetrotting nomad. Road tripper. Eco-conscious traveler. Outdoor activities fiend. Wildlife protector. Environmental activist. Park ranger & volunteer. Wilderness First Responder. Science enthusiast. Hiker. Backpacker. Paddler. Proud California immigrant. Midwest expat. Locavarian. Omnivore. And a darn good cook, too.
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- Apr 24, 12From April 21 through April 29, US national parks are waiving entry fees. That's right: every single national park will be free. So, whether you're dreaming of heading to California's Yosemite or Hawaii's Haleakala, you won't pay a cent. (Of course, some parks are free year-round, like Nevada's epic Great Basin, but that's a story for another blog post.)
Visit this National Park Week site to find out about special events happening at parks across the country. April 28 is National Junior Ranger Day, too. (Kids can earn their badges at almost any national park year-round, or even online at home).
And since the national parks are letting you in for free, why not give back by helping them out with a volunteer project? Even if you missed the public programs on Earth Day (April 21), you can still find an opportunity to help out near you, wherever you live, just by searching the volunteer database.
What's your all-time favorite national park, here in the US or abroad? Inspire us about where we should travel next by leaving a comment below!
Related posts:
Winter's Last Lucky Call in Yosemite Valley
Wild Weather High on Hawaii's Haleakala Volcano
Insta-guide to Rocky Mountain National Park
Photo: Haleakala National Park (Michael Connolly Jr.) - Apr 23, 12Ever dream of vacationing in Hawaii, only to have your surf-driven fantasies come crashing down on dry land once you find out how much a hotel or condominium and a rental car are going to cost? The budget-saving solution: travel more like local Hawaii residents live, shrink your carbon footprint on the islands, and you can save big bucks, too.
Over on Gogobot, a social travel network that's a real resource for independent DIY travelers, I've been doing a series of columns that tell many of my secrets for green, local and budget travel in Hawaii. Years of living, working and traveling all around the islands has taught me that the most unforgettable trips are often the cheapest.
Camping, hiking, hanging out at beaches, and learning about Hawaiian culture and history all cost less than one night squeezed in a tiny beachfront resort hotel room with mai tai cocktails. Plus you'll get better acquainted with a more authentic side of Hawaii, both its traditions and its multicultural, hang-loose contemporary lifestyle.
Check out my guest post with travel tips for Oahu on Gogobot. If you've got your own money-saving, eco-travel ideas to share, leave a comment here or over there. Next up: Maui on April 10. Aloha!
Related posts:
My NPR Interview: Hiking and Ecotourism in Hawaii
Coastal California: The Anti-Hotel Top 10 List
Saving Hawaiian Monk Seals: 4 Ways You Can Help
Photos: Lanikai Beach (Michael Connolly Jr.) & Likeke Falls (Sara J. Benson) - Mar 22, 12Sometimes travel is all about (un)lucky timing. You can plot your trip out months in advance, reserve your favorite hotel or campground, pack all the gear you'll think you need, and then wham! Nature decides it has other ideas for your trip: how about a massive Sierra Nevada snowstorm in spring?
This last weekend in Yosemite National Park, so much snow hit that wet clumps falling off spindly pine trees in the valley actually hurt as they thumped my head. Even with AWD and snow tires, driving up into the mountains to Big Oak Flat from Groveland felt like Mission Impossible. Trekking to the bathroom and shower house from my tent cabin at Curry Village was more like a mini hike, post-holing through a heavy blanket of snow.
But who cares once the storm clouds floated away, piercingly blue skies were revealed, and the powder dusting on Half Dome looked as ethereal as a fairlyand? Even when grey skies fleetingly returned, snowshoeing across the meadow by the Merced River still felt like a movie set, with us as the pioneer explorers heading for unknown parts. Frazil ice in the stream below Yosemite Falls was a bonus.
It even snowed along Hwy. 49 in California's Gold Country, which made me imagine mid-19th-century gold miners shivering in their tents by Sutter's Creek, praying they'd make it through another winter on hardtack biscuits and rancid bacon, until they could pan for gold again next spring. Just like a few of them did, I got lucky, too. Adventuring in Yosemite during a snowstorm turned out not to be bad luck at all.
Have you had a memorable trip that got messed up by weather, only to turn out spectacularly? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below!
Related posts:
Skiing & Snowshoeing in Yosemite National Park
Catching the Firefall in Yosemite Valley
Tahoe Trails Without the Crowds, But with Dogs
Photo credits: Yosemite National Park (Sara J. Benson) - Mar 12, 12Nothing against motel and hotel chains, which are great in a pinch when you want to save money. But coastal California's most inspiring places to stay are one-of-a-kind. Vintage beach houses, wooden cabins with ocean views, canvas-sided yurts perched on sea cliffs, and safari tents are just a few of the more offbeat (and often eco) lodgings along my stretch of Pacific shoreline.Cruising from south to north, my top 10 favorite by-the-beach hideaways that I've found so far are:
- Crystal Cove Beach Cottages, Orange County - Authentically restored 1930s, '40s and '50s seaside bungalows in a state park's historic district. With a beach bar and breezy cafe, you won't need to leave all weekend long. Reservations are tough to get, however.
- El Capitan Canyon, Santa Barbara County - Creekside cabins and "glamping" tents in a canyon uphill from El Capitan Beach, another state park. They're a great deal in winter, when rates (and temperatures) drop. In summer, the canyon is traffic-free.
- Jalama Beach Cabins [PDF], Santa Barbara County - Rustic, but newly built wooden cabins with fun bunk beds for the kids and a futon for any friends who decide to come along at the last minute. It's windy here!
- Treebones Resort, Big Sur - You'll drive a squiggly road uphill from Hwy. 1 to find your canvas-sided yurt waiting with a pedestal sink and cozy quilt-covered bed. It's far from the rest of Big Sur, though, and can be noisy.
- Asilomar State Park, Monterey Peninsula - In the old-timey seaside resort town of Pacific Grove, this state park conference grounds books uniquely historical rooms in California arts-and-crafts buildings designed by Julia Morgan of Hearst Castle fame. They're thin-walled and the beds aren't comfy, but the common rooms have chatty fireplace nooks.
- Costanoa Lodge, Pescadero - A short scenic drive north of Santa Cruz, this rustic lodge is all about its tent cabin villages, where you can warm up by outdoor fireplaces in the comfort stations before retiring to your unheated cabin (mercifully, the beds have electric warming pads to keep you toasty).
- Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel & Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel - On that same stretch of Hwy. 1 between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, these two historic lighthouses have been renovated and turned into Hostelling International (HI) youth hostels, although guests of any age can stay. Pigeon Point has an ocean-view hot tub, so it usually books up first. Point Montara is closer to Half Moon Bay, if you're eager for surf and microbrews.
- Steep Ravine Cabins, Marin County - Near landmark Mt Tamalpais State Park, about 20 miles north of San Francisco, these 1940s ocean-view cabins at the bottom of a dramatic canyon are in high demand, so make your reservations many months in advance.
- Point Arena Lighthouse, Mendocino County - Stay in historical lightkeeper's homes at the edge of the ocean, guarded by the tallest lighthouse in California that visitors are actually allowed to climb to the top of. Architecturally speaking, the digs are drab, but the rocky panoramas are mesmerizing.
Got another gem of a California coastal lodging spot to share? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We'd especially love to hear about secret spots near San Diego and on the Redwood Coast!
Related posts:
10 Steps to a Perfect Day in Big Sur
Edible Travels: Farmers Market Finds
SoCal Desert Blooms: Poppies, Cacti & More
Photo credit: Pigeon Point (Sara J. Benson) - Mar 11, 12With California experiencing one of the worst droughts in the last century, everyone in the Sierra Nevada keeps asking, "Where's the snow?" Believe it or not, you can still find it in Yosemite National Park, which is where we traipsed around with our skis and snowshoes this week. Bathing in the Zen silence of giant sequoia groves, spotting the tracks of snowshoe hares in fresh powder, and gazing at granite peaks glistening with icy snow all draw us back every year in late February, around the time of Yosemite Valley's famous but unpredictable firefall.
Bare patches of brown grass, mud filled with twigs and dead leaves, and small melting pockets of snow are mostly what you'll find on the valley floor right now this year. But if you head up to Glacier Point Road to Badger Pass, the snow coverage is still 99%. Strap on a pair of XC skis from the nearby rental shop and start gliding down the rolling park road, with its groomed skiing terrain. Snowshoers break off onto the winter trail to Dewey Point, which stretches toward panoramic views of the Yosemite Valley and its waterfalls below.
It's not only Badger Pass that keeps the snow secrets of Yosemite. The Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, near the park's southern Wawona entrance, is open to hikers (bring YaxTrax for better gription) and snowshoers; we even saw a hardy couple setting off with backpacks for overnight camping in those ancient woods. Up north near Crane Flat and closer to the park's Big Oak Flat entrance station, you can snowshoe and/or hike to the more mellow Merced Grove and Tuolumne Grove of ancient sequoias, the latter with interpretive signs to pique your interest.Looking for a cabin to cozy up inside after your snow trekking? Our number-one choice is always the Evergreen Lodge, just outside the park's Big Oak Flat entrance station off Hwy. 120. If you're on a budget, try the Yosemite Bug hostel off Hwy. 140, under an hour's drive southwest of the valley.
Got a great tip for visiting Yosemite or any other national park in winter? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
Related posts:
Catching the Firefall in Yosemite Valley
Freeze and Stay Cheap (or Even Free!) in Yosemite
10 Steps to a Perfect Day in Big Sur
Photo credits: Yosemite National Park (Michael Connolly Jr.) - Feb 10, 12White-out fog, lashing rain, ice storms, intense high-altitude sunshine followed by hypothermia-inducing drops in temperature -- if all this weather mayhem sounds like your kind of outdoor adventure, check out what advice our sister blog, Top Trails: Hiking on Maui, has for hiking and backpacking in the summit wilderness atop Maui's iconic volcano inside Haleakala National Park.
Related posts:
Hidden Hiking Trails in West Maui
NPR Interview: Hiking and Ecotourism in Hawaii
Our National Parks: So Wild That You Should Sue?
Photo credit: Haleakala National Park (Michael Connolly Jr.) - Jan 23, 12The more time I spend traveling, the more captivated I am just by experiencing everyday life wherever I roam. I used to plan trips around thrill-of-a-lifetime sights like Angkor Wat or Machu Picchu, but these days I get almost as wrapped up in local food culture. If you're craving a more authentic travel experience, just stop by a farmers market on your next road trip.One afternoon in Culver City last fall became a culinary adventure when I stumbled across a farmers market and started gawking at the trumpet, lobster and other Dr. Seuss-like mushroom varieties stacked in overflowing boxes. Another 2011 trip to Humboldt County got sidetracked for an entire Saturday morning by the Arcata Plaza farmers market, where I bought the biggest mason jar of dark golden honey I'd ever seen. Other edible souvenirs I've packed home from recent travels include peaberry coffee from Kauai, olive oil from Napa Valley and wild berry jam from Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Now when I'm stuck at home, with cold winter rains pouring down outside, I can just step into my kitchen, open the pantry and start tasting those memories.
Even in winter, it's easy to work a farmers market into your travels if you're visiting California. Drop by San Francisco's Ferry Plaza and you have an almost 50/50 shot of hitting the farmers market taking place three days a week. The indoor Ferry Building Marketplace, open daily year-round, is a showcase for artisan foods made all around the San Francisco Bay Area. Or cruise down California's coast to San Luis Obispo County, where over 15 locavarian farmers markets happen each week.
Tip: If you're looking for local farmers markets on the go, download the free Locavore (iTunes App Store and Android Market) and California Farmers Market (iTunes only) mobile apps.
Have a favorite local farmers market that travelers shouldn't miss? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
Related posts:
Travel Essentials: Finding Indie Coffee Shops
Eating Sustainable Seafood Made Easy
Stacking Up the Strip's Best Burgers
Photo: San Luis Obispo Farmers Market (Michael Connolly, Jr.) - Oct 04, 11Planning your first trip to Rocky Mountain National Park? Or maybe you just want to make the most of your time in Colorado's most-visited parkland? Here's what you need to know first, but what the official NPS website won't tell you (or will make you frustratingly dig through dozens of pages to find!):
Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO)
Why go? Rocky Mountains scenery doesn't get much more classic than this, from alpine tundra spackled with wildflowers to skyscraping peaks and gem-like lakes. Megafauna including moose, elk and bear all inhabit the park, which sits atop the spine of the Continental Divide. The park encompasses Longs Peak, one of Colorado's vaunted 14ers (summits over 14,000ft high).
Easiest access? The park's most popular eastern entrances are just over a 2-hour drive northwest of Denver, Colorado; Estes Park is the nearest gateway town. Far fewer people approach the park from the west, just over a 2-hour drive from the Winter Park ski resort area; the nearest gateway town is Grand Lake. The two sides of the park are connected by Trail Ridge Rd (peak elevation 12,183ft), which is only open from late May until mid-October, weather permitting.
How to beat the crowds? ROMO gets over 3 million visitors per year, ranking right behind the USA's three most popular national parks (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite). Most people visit ROMO during July and August, so plan your trip for the shoulder months of June or September. Check to be sure that Trail Ridge Road will be open - don't miss those dizzying alpine panoramas!
Best day hikes? If you've got limited time, short leg-stretcher hikes you won't regret taking include the Coyote Valley Trail alongside the Colorado River; the Tundra Communities Trailhead, near the Alpine Visitor Center; and the chain-of-lakes hike, connecting poetically named Dream, Nymph and Emerald Lakes. Tip: Trailhead parking for these lakes is extremely tight, so save yourself the trouble and instead hop on the free, ecofriendly park shuttle, which runs from late spring through early fall.
Best wildlife-watching spots? On the park's west side along the Colorado River, look out for moose. Marmots and pikas are common in the alpine tundra off Trail Ridge Rd, where you may also spot herds of elk in high-altitude meadows during summer (the elk move to lower elevations from autumn through spring). Bighorn sheep graze around Sheep Lakes (duh) on the park's east side.
Park highlights honestly worth making time for? Even if you have to wait in line for a parking space, stopping at the seasonal Alpine Visitor Center is memorable, if not just to take photos then at least to catch your breath and acclimate to the 11,800ft elevation. If you're driving back and forth across the park and the Old Falls River Rd is open, take the 11-mile backcountry ride over Falls Pass, navigating hairpin curves with no guardrails. The dirt road is so narrow that one-way traffic sometimes backs up for 20 minutes while gawkers take roadside photos.
Which campgrounds may have last-minute availability? NPS campgrounds on the park's east side fill up fast, and reservations are essential for most in summer. If you show up early in the day, you may find first-come, first-served sites still available at Glacier Basin Campground or tent-only Longs Peak Campground. Otherwise, head over to the park's west side and pitch your tent by the Colorado River at Timber Creek Campground, which is open year-round and doesn't take reservations. Otherwise, take a look at USFS campgrounds and free dispersed camping in nearby national forest areas.
Affordable alternative base camp outside the park? Estes Park is an overcrowded gateway town with traffic headaches and non-stop crowds in summer (and a very disappointing brewpub). You could day trip to the park from Denver or Boulder, but it'd be a really loooong day to drive over Trail Ridge Rd and back again. Although Grand Lake is the closest gateway town to the park's west entrance, save big bucks in summer by renting a ski condo in Granby instead. Bonus: staying on the park's west side puts you near Hot Sulphur Springs Resort for a long, very hot soak after a hard day's hiking in the mountains.
Any hazards? For safety tips on everything from lightning to black bears, click here.
Have more tips for visiting Rocky Mountains National Park? Let us know by posting a comment below. Thanks!
Photos: Rocky Mountains National Park (Michael Connolly, Jr.) - Sep 08, 11Last month I road tripped up to Lake Tahoe. I sat in the traffic jams on I-80 and idled bumper-to-bumper through South Lake Tahoe. I elbowed the crowds guzzling schooners of microbrewed beer on those irresistible lake-view decks at sunset. Then the next morning, all of those howling masses just disappeared.
Turns out that choosing to hike while everyone else is baking in the sun at the beach -- or alternatively, just setting off on foot somewhere other than the vaunted Rubicon Trail between Emerald Bay and DL Bliss State Parks -- will give you that Sierra Nevada meditation you crave.
Framed by wildflowers and jagged peaks, the Tahoe Meadows Trails border the Mt Rose Hwy, about 8 miles from Lake Tahoe's eastern shore and Incline Village, Nevada. Starting just a mile down the highway from Mt Rose Summit, these gentle boardwalk and dirt paths wind around a subalpine meadow and over a burbling stream. Even better: free parking, and leashed dogs allowed.
You won't pass many other folks besides shoreline fishers and a few picnicking families on the short nature loop around Spooner Lake, just north of the Hwy 89/50 intersection, south of Incline Village. To access this quiet trail, the $10 entry fee to Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park is a bargain, because it includes same-day admission to Sand Harbor beach up the road for a cool post-hike dip. (No swimming at Spooner Lake, sorry -- too many leeches!)
Finally, if you're ready to flee from the plague of happy-hour crowds by the lake, Stateline Lookout is the hike you want to take. Full disclosure: there's actually no fire lookout here anymore. But the stone-walled observation platform at the top, which lets you survey the sparkling waves and watch the sun sink into the Desolation Wilderness over by the lake's western shore, is prize enough. The hike follows paved Forest Service Rd 1601, starting just east of the old-school casinos in Crystal Bay, a short drive west of Incline Village.
Have another favorite uncrowded trail in Tahoe? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
Related posts:
Catching the Firefall in Yosemite Valley
10 Steps to a Perfect Day in Big Sur
Welcome to Top Trails: Hiking on Maui!
Photos: Lake Tahoe (Jonathan Hayes) - Jun 15, 11Have you been dreaming of finally taking that Hawaii vacation, but are afraid it's too expensive? Or maybe you're worried about your carbon footprint and the eco-impact of yet another tourist at Hawaii's crowded beach resorts? Here's the ticket to planning a more sustainable and affordable Hawaii vacation: go camping.The very first time I visited the Hawaiian Islands, I was a broke 20-year-old backpacker who could barely afford the round-trip plane ticket from California. With my travel buddy, I camped my way around Maui, spending my days hiking in cloud forests, atop volcanoes and along deserted beaches on ancient Hawaiian footpaths. We ate guava straight from the tree, and though we had ambitions to do our own spearfishing, we settled for plate lunches and poi from island markets.Not only was this one of the best trips I ever took, it was also one of the cheapest and most eco-conscious. That's what keeps drawing me back to the islands time and again, to live, work, volunteer and most of all, hike.If you want to learn more about hiking, backpacking and camping all across the Hawaiian Islands, join me when I take my eco-travel slideshow talk on the road in the San Francisco Bay Area at REI stores in June and July. All events are free, open to the public (advance sign-ups online recommended; just click the links below) and start at 7:00 p.m. Hope to see everyone there!June 15: REI San FranciscoJune 16: REI Mountain ViewJune 28: REI BerkeleyJune 29: REI Corte MaderaJuly 25: REI SaratogaJuly 26: REI MarinaPhoto: Haleakala National Park (Michael Connolly, Jr.)
- Jun 07, 11Who builds the best burger in Las Vegas? That's a burning question, especially on the Strip, where competition among gourmet burger restaurants is fierce. Even some steakhouses and hotel room-service menus have jumped on the trend, offering prime sirloin patties paired with $5000 bottles of Bordeaux wine or rare French champagne.
Until recently, our faves for hand-crafted burgers, milkshakes and fries in Las Vegas were BLT Burger (what beats a burger fried in butter?), at the Mirage casino, and LBS: A Burger Joint (house-made everything!) at Red Rock casino way out in suburban Summerlin. But our carnivore's bleeding-red heart now belongs to Holstein's, at the brand-new Cosmopolitan casino on the Strip.
First, we were seduced by Holstein's free truffle-oil popcorn appetizer. Then, it was the liquored-up milkshakes, like the 'Black Cow' with chocolate-covered pop rocks and a shot of cherry vodka. But we didn't fall hard in love until we bit into the 'Rising Sun' burger made with teriyaki-glazed Kobe beef and topped with nori (seaweed) furikake, crispy yams and a perfectly tempura-fried avocado slice. One caveat: the duck-fat fries aren't all that tasty. Well, nobody's perfect.
If our love affair with Holstein's ever ends, you'll find us at Bachi Burger, an Asian fusion eatery south of the Strip, or running madly around town trying to track down the Slider Truck (self-explanatory) and Sloppi Jo's Roving Eatery (New Mexican-style green chile cheeseburgers, yum). Either that, or we'll be standing in line at the 'Takhomasak' take-out window inside the South Point casino's Steak 'n Shake 1950s-style diner, an Illinois chain that we've loved since our corn-fed childhood.
Have another favorite burger joint in Las Vegas? Let us know by leaving a comment below! Find out more about the city's cuisine scene in our iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch digital travel guide, Viva Las Vegas, Baby!.
Photo: Holstein's, Las Vegas (Michael Connolly, Jr.) - Jan 25, 11Once upon a time, you had to drive Route 66 out into the Mojave Desert and find a ranch run by retired burlesque dancer Dixie Evans just to see this collection of historical memorabilia. Now you just have to take yourself to downtown Las Vegas and the Emergency Arts Collective, one long block east of the Fremont Street Experience.
The Burlesque Hall of Fame is full of black-and-white vintage photos from the mid-20th century heyday of burlesque club dancing, both in Vegas and around the world. If you're lucky, a retired dancer might even give you a tour. Definitely check Facebook or call ahead before making a trip here, because the exhibit may move in the near future and its hours are subject to change. Until then, viva Las Vegas, baby!
Related posts:
Viva Las Vegas, Baby! iPhone & iPad Travel App
7 Things to Do in Vegas Besides Gamble
Top 5 Free Seats on the Las Vegas Strip
CityCenter Now Open in Las Vegas - Oct 27, 10I'm the kind of traveler who cringes at checklists. I don't feel the need, as a maniacal girl I met once did, to visit all 393 units of the National Park System. (Nor do I have the means, so American Samoa and the Virgin Islands' national parks will have to wait until after I win the lottery.)
But somehow over the past two decades, I've ended up visiting all 50 U.S. states. Alaska truly was my 'Last Frontier,' which I finally knocked off last month. Illinois, where I was born, was my first, followed by a trail of Western states zipped through during one summer vacation in a grand loop to Yellowstone National Park and back. Weekend trips to the lakeshores of Indiana and Michigan, the farmlands of Wisconsin and Iowa, and St. Louis for baseball, barbecue and rides high inside the rickety Gateway Arch made up my childhood travels.
It wasn't until after I graduated from college that I really got motoring. As I traipsed back and forth across the country, some moments stand out. Like gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles as I drove the Seven-Mile Bridge out to the Florida Keys. My car being searched for hours at a tiny border-crossing outpost in Maine. Sweating out a night in a stuffy hotel room in Janis Joplin's hometown in Texas. Cruising the Blue Ridge Parkway until the sun sank behind the Appalachian hills. I've driven around each of the Hawaiian Islands, too, getting stuck in Kauai's traffic jams and Lanai's 4WD jeep tracks and rattling around Maui's Haleakala volcano.
So, what's next? Like I said, I'm not a checklist traveler. But I need a new travel goal, to inspire my wanderlust. Any ideas?
Have you joined the 50 States Club yet? What are your favorite road-tripping states? Most miserable stops? Tell us by leaving a comment below.
Photo: Four Corners Region (Michael Connolly, Jr.) - Oct 16, 10I recently suffered by reading what may be the most cowardly travel book written by a contemporary American woman. With the nauseating aftertaste of that insipid story in my mouth, I've decided to take time to blog about more satisfying travel books, focused on the outdoors.
Published in 2006, Shadow of the Bear: Travels in Vanishing Wilderness by Brian Payton is a thoughtful travelogue. As he travels to Asia, South America, Europe and arctic Canada, Payton introduces bear ecology and rare endangered bear populations to everyday readers. While some chapter narratives tend to wander, ending up more like travel journal entries, overall the book will keep wildlife watchers with wanderlust hooked from start to finish.
Want to know why polar bears end up in "jail" in Churchill, Manitoba? How moon bears are rescued from cruel bile farms in China? What's being done to save the spectacled bear in Peru? This author found out first-hand. It's an inspiring read, both as a traveler (have you faced down any human-killing sloth bears in India lately?) and as an animal lover (I was so moved by the book that I donated to Animals Asia, a small nonprofit group that works to rescue and rehabilitate moon and sun bears in China and Vietnam).
What are your favorite travel books about nature, wildlife and adventures outdoors? Tell me what to read next by leaving a comment below. If you'd like a free copy of this book, leave your email address.
Image courtesy of Bloomsbury USA. - Oct 05, 10We briefly boomerang back through Anchorage (consciously avoiding the Beck-Palin rally), then head off down the Kenai Peninsula. The road south of Anchorage snakes beside Cook Inlet and around poetically named Turnagain Arm, where a roadside BBQ shack smokes the best brisket I've gnawed on outside of Texas. Sunlight flashes on the waves and the permanent snow fields and glaciers that coat nearby peaks like dirty cake frosting.
On Hwy 9, the Sunday traffic dies out before Moose Pass, where the liquor store reminds passersby that it's 27 miles until the next chance to buy booze (apparently in either direction, because the sign faces both ways). Both the road and the railroad peter out at the water's edge in Seward, a fishing port named for the man who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia (assumedly, with love) in 1867. Quickly nicknamed Seward's Folly and Seward's Icebox by political wags, the territory cost the USA just over $7 million, or about 2.3 cents per acre. Today, with our human population booming and wilderness shrinking at a precipitous rate, that seems like a bargain.
It's wildness that we're here to see, after all. In the luxuriously long daylight hours of Alaska's late summer, we take a sunset walk to the base of Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. The mosquitoes are out for blood, but the breezes pick up as we clamber up the rocky trail to the base of the blue ice. Never before have I been so near a glacier, almost close enough to touch -- that is, if I didn't know the cracking ice might swallow me up if I stepped beyond the roped-off lookout. Two hikers with bear bells tinkling come loping down the trail from the Harding Ice Field atop the glacier, where nunataks -- solitary mountains peeking above the glacial ice like islands -- are lonely landmarks.
Early the next morning, we fill up on eggs benedict topped with snow crab from a diner inside a train car by the harbor. With zoom lenses around our necks, we board a boat to sail through the Kenai Peninsula's wind-whipped fjords, past rock outcroppings where Steller sea lions bask in the sun, every king of the mountain barking and pushing off lower-rung juveniles. Porpoises swim in the boat's wake. Although no whales are spotted, sea otters splash near shore and a bald eagle alights on an evergreen treetop in the distance.
Hours later, the boat's engines hum as the captain negotiates through a frosty bay filled with icebergs at the foot of mile-wide Aialik Glacier. The tidewater
glacier audibly groans, snaps and cracks as it calves ever more icebergs. It's hard to know where to look to catch the next falling blue ice, which you hear only after the dramatic drop of another icy chunk into the sea. Everyone on board is silent with awe, like John Muir was when he first paddled into Glacier Bay. Here, too, the giant glacier moves of its own will, utterly ignorant of ant-like humans floating beneath its seductively dangerous face. It's impossible to look away.
Related links:
Travels in Alaska: A is for Anchorage
Travels in Alaska: The Road North to Denali
10 Steps to a Perfect Day in Big Sur
Photos: Alaska (Michael Connolly, Jr.) - Sep 26, 10We leave Anchorage in a light rain, driving on blacktop with our little rental Nissan wedged between SUVs and big rigs worthy of Ice Road Truckers. The suburbs don't linger, but stoplights do slow us down in Wasilla, where the banner outside a coffeeshop proclaims "Palin Fever!". We hit the liquor store inside the Fred Meyer early in the morning to pick up a bottle of whiskey for our relatives. You don't show up empty-handed in rural Alaska, where the nearest Costco may be over 100 miles away.
Getting off the highway, we snake around back roads and climb slowly toward Hatcher Pass. At Independence Mine State Historic Park, we're almost the only visitors walking along the wind-whipped trails through a ghostly settlement once gripped by gold fever. The road turns to crunchy gravel before summiting the pass, then sails down into the valley. Hunters in their pick-ups and RVs chew the fat by the roadside. A moose rockets across the road going 30mph, maybe sensing that hunting dogs might soon be hot on its hooves. That quick flash of wildlife is all we'll see of Alaska's megafauna for days.
Grizzlies? Forget about seeing 'em, though signposts in Chugatch State Park warn us off certain barricaded hiking trails along the Eagle River, where bears are chowing down on late salmon runs. Same thing goes for moose in Denali National Park: signs along the main park road tell us to stay out of certain areas of the wilderness, because the beasts are rutting now. (Apparently, they value their privacy.) Almost a week in Alaska, and our wildlife count is still laughably low: 4 fat squirrels, 2 bald eagles, 1 shy snowshoe hare, 1 moose on the run, and zero caribou, bears or Dall sheep.
But in no way is Denali disappointing, even if we can only drive the first 15 miles of the park's winding road into the wilderness. We tumble along the Savage Canyon Trail through a valley cloaked in a rustic palette of autumn colors. Summer has lasted longer than expected, with blue skies and strong sunshine that made putting on the Capilene base layer this morning pointless. None of the dozen straggling hikers on the trail talks very much. We all beam with beatific, even idiotic smiles.
It's mind-boggling how many millions of acres in Alaska are even more remote, remaining almost perfectly in their natural state, than this small river canyon. One human life is not enough to even get to know the Last Frontier. Even John Muir only explored a tiny corner of it, in an obsessive quest to finally prove that glaciers carved the Sierra Nevada. To see those blue-ice glaciers calve into the sea is where we're headed next.
But not before we stop by the park's sled dog kennels to give the canines a scritch (most prefer to just bark at us from atop their little log-cabin doghouses). Then we detour for a late-afternoon hike alongside the railroad tracks down to Horseshoe Lake to see the beaver dam. Oh yes, and grab microbrews at the hilltop Salmon Bake bar. Luckily, we still catch the alpenglow over Denali, the mighty mountain itself, before heading back to bed in Talkeetna, where the howling of a pack of Iditarod dogs rings out as regularly as church bells all night long.
Related links:
Travels in Alaska: A is for Anchorage
American Wilderness: Too Noisy for You?
National Parks in 2010: Looking Forward
Photos: Alaska (Michael Connolly, Jr.) - Sep 18, 10After navigating the tight corkscrews of Anchorage's airport parking garage, we ease into traffic drifting toward downtown. The first thing we notice are the ancient Subarus turned into all-weather taxis. This is Alaska, and you need a road warrior's car to make it through the winter.
But we're here at the tail end of summer. Good-bye, cruise ship tourists, RV-driving retirees and Asian package tour groups. Hello, shaking yellow aspen trees, arctic winds and riled-up moose in rutting season. Anchorage is draped in a cloud blanket of fog and mist, bracing and salty as any other fishing town up or down the West Coast.
Reminders of winter are scattered about. A sign on the stairway leading down to the train tracks warns pedestrians not to wear high heels because, "You could be injured or, God forbid, die." Alaskans tell it like it us, without mercy. Nobody is sitting on the brewpub deck overlooking Cook Inlet. A rainbow arcs over the tidal flats at sunset, while skater teens trade money for drugs in Resolution Park below the monument to Captain Cook, who anchored here in the late 18th century.
First Nations were already on the scene for centuries before Europe stumbled across Alaska's chilly coastline. Inside the Anchorage Museum, Native Alaskans and the Smithsonian (the USA's benevolently imperialist cultural curator) put birdskin parkas, spirit masks and weapons on display. TV screens roll endless loops of oral history and sneak peeks of the landscapes in Alaska's wildest places, where most outsiders can't, won't or don't go.
In Alaska's biggest shopping mall, there's a post office so folks can mail back essential supplies to the bush. The cheerful postal clerk says he can't wait for his upcoming trip to Maui. Like most Alaskans, he makes an escape to Alaska's doppelganger, Hawaii, every winter. America's 49th and 50th states are bound together as tightly as siblings, though one proudly calls itself the Last Frontier -- a motto meant to drive folks away, especially "city sissies," as my uncle-in-law calls 'em -- while the other's nickname is the Aloha State, meaning they'll welcome just about anyone.
Anchorage (or, "Los Anchorage," as that same uncle disparagingly calls it, probably for its urban grit reminiscent of LA, my husband theorizes) is a frontier city. Don't believe that? Drive around Lake Hood seaplane base, the world's largest floatplane lake, and watch the planes with pontoons (or in winter, skis) come in for a landing or take off to soar back to the wild places their pilots call home. We stare wide-eyed at the crazy, but brave feats chronicled in the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, then scarf down a reindeer hot dog as we watch the short take-offs and landings on the lake. All the while day-dreaming of Denali, our next stop on the road north.
What are your fave spots in Alaska? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Photos: Anchorage (Michael Connolly, Jr.) - Aug 27, 10Summer is drawing to a close, but that doesn't mean there isn't time for one last weekend (or week-long) getaway. You won't need a guidebook to do it. Digital travel apps are less expensive, often more up-to-date and ideal for spur-of-the-moment road trips when you just want the facts, ma'am, and not a lot of heavy reading.
If you've got an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, check out these travel apps hand-picked by Road Trips for Girlfriends. I was psyched to have my travel app, Viva Las Vegas, Baby!, featured in their round-up of top travel apps. Also check out the huge variety of apps written by my colleagues, from legendary watering holes in Chicago to discovering the flip side of Kansas City.
Speaking of road trips, I'm off to Alaska soon. Stay tuned!
Have a favorite digital travel app you can't live without? Tell us your recommendations by leaving a comment below. - Aug 27, 10User reviews are inescapable these days, whether you're buying a book on Amazon, an app on iTunes or stocking movies in your Netflix queue. Everything, it seems, can be judged and summed up on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. And that's part of what is ruining independent travel these days, at least for me. Here are some reasons why you should consider planning (or just spontaneously taking) your next vacation without consulting TripAdvisor, Yelp or other online ranking sites for hotels, restaurants, etc.
>> MAINSTREAMING. Ever notice how user reviews tend to even out at an average of 3 stars? Sure, there are some that rise above and some that fall below. But overall, what sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp give you is a lot of random data (lotsa noise, little signal) about mostly average places. Places that do a good job of sort of pleasing everyone (ahem, hotel chains) rise to the top, while eclectic and idiosyncratic places get lost in the shuffle. Do you want every trip you take to be as predictably bland as a Motel 6 or Holiday Inn?
>> PROVINCIALISM. I always remind myself that the ranking of any hotel or restaurant online reflects the average American opinion about a place. Would I take the advice of the random assortment on people living on my own block at home about where I should stay or eat on vacation? No. When I travel, I'd like it to be as different from home as possible. Else, where's the surprising joy (and challenge) of being on the road?
Provincialism also gets to the heart of why reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp are too often unreliable. I've noticed that small-town opinions about global food (let's say, Indian restaurants in Fresno, CA) can be notoriously inaccurate and over-hyped, while big-city travelers (e.g., LA denizens road-tripping up the California coast) believe no sushi bar can compare to back home. Either way, online users rate places based on their own experiences. Who's to say I'll agree?
>> CORRUPTIBILITY. I'm not only talking about the Yelp controversy and allegations about search results being doctored for advertisers. I'm talking about the sheer ease and frequency with which fake reviews are posted by businesses on TripAdvisor and Yelp, easily manipulating their star ratings to be more positive. TripAdvisor is noticeably full of reviews written by online users who have only made 1 contribution to the site, and often those reviews are gushing, 5-star self-promotional marketing ploys. You're not always getting honest traveler's experiences on these sites, obviously.
>> TIME WASTING. TripAdvisor and Yelp can be a colossal waste of time, especially when you're on the road. Many travelers let these online tools become a crutch, for example, if you won't try out a new restaurant without checking Yelp or hesitate to book a hotel without consulting dozens of TripAdvisor reviews. Sure, sometimes you'll end up somewhere not good that these sites could've pointed you away from. But by not sifting through hundreds of online reviews before or during your vacation, you'll experience more of the place you're visiting, first-hand and in the moment.
>> GIVING AWAY OUR POWER. Remember the days when travel agents planned our trips, and had all the power? Most people would understandably rather book their own travel these days. But if you blindly follow whatever TripAdvisor and Yelp recommend, then you're just following the digital crowds, making them your travel agent. The more people use these online rating sites, the more power they have to make or break a business, especially since small, local places often feel the brunt of having no reviews or unfairly poor ratings.
SO WHAT? Am I saying I'll never use TripAdvisor or Yelp again? No. My point is we should use these ratings sites more judiciously. It's time to untether ourselves from our electronic concierges. Spend less time browsing online and more time enjoying travel. Read reviews with a dose of skepticism, and don't be afraid to try a place that hasn't been recommended online. Use online rankings sites to be a voice in support of independent travel by reviewing local businesses, instead of just supporting the Starbucks status quo. Most of all, let yourself rediscover the serendipity of being on the road, with just a map (and not an iPhone) in hand.
What do you think about online ratings sites? Are they always a useful tool when you travel, or not? Let us know by leaving a comment below. - Jun 18, 10On purpose, I didn't title this blog post "10 Steps to the Perfect Day in Big Sur." I'm suspicious of travel writers (or Yelp! reviewers, for that matter) who claim to know what the best of anything is, whether it's fish tacos or Asian art museums. So consider this just one idea among many of how to spend a soul-nourishing summer's day in Big Sur, that remote chunk of California coast that lies south of Monterey and north of well, my house.
- Start off with a big ol' breakfast at First Awakenings, a little cafe with a big outdoor patio and a fire pit. It's around the corner from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but tucked away from the dazed crowds wandering Cannery Row, wondering what John Steinbeck ever saw in the place.
- Roll down to Carmel-by-the-Sea and stop into Bruno's Market. Head directly to the deli at the back and order a tri-tip sandwich and picnic salads to go. Why? You'll thank me later. Big Sur has notoriously overpriced, often underwhelming food. Besides, eating at the beach is more fun.
- Swing by Point Lobos State Reserve (admission $10; open from 8 a.m. until 30 minutes after sunset daily). Stretch your legs on the coastal trails, or at least say hello to the barking sea lions (they're the ones with ears) and spotted harbor seals (no ears).
- Where everyone else stops to take a photo of Big Sur's iconic Bixby Bridge, you can head inland to explore the original coast highway, now called the Old Coast Road, 11 ocean-view miles of satisfying 4WD and mountain-biking terrain.
- Or just keep driving south with everyone else, past Point Sur's historic lighthouse (guided tours occasionally available), down to Andrew Molera State Park (near where the Old Coast Road also dumps you back out onto Hwy 1). Give $10 to California State Parks (they need the money!) and park in the lot, near gentle trails that lead to a windy, rocky beach and a grassy campground.
- Save your parking receipt, because it'll also get you in free to Big Sur's other state parks on the same day. Drive south to Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Park (open 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset daily). Hop out of the car and hug some redwood trees, then reward yourself with some ice cream from the store at the rustic Big Sur Lodge.
- About a half-mile south of the Big Sur ranger station, look for a small turn-off on your right, labeled as 'Narrow Road.' And that's an understatement: be prepared to wind downhill for over 2 twisting miles to reach Pfeiffer Beach (admission $5; open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily). It's famous for two things: a cinematic sea arch battered by pounding surf; and sand that's tinged with purple by manganese garnet that washes down from the hillsides.
- If you didn't bring along a picnic lunch, then your next pit stop is Nepenthe, a restaurant hanging in the treetops by the sea. Otherwise, you can double back here later to sip wine and nibble appys as you huddle around the outdoor terrace fire pit and watch the sun get swallowed up by the sea.
- Wondering where Big Sur's beatnik spirit has gone? Reconnect with it in the real bohemian grove (of redwoods, that is) at the Henry Miller Memorial Library. I never know what to expect when dropping by: outdoor movies, a musician's jam, or once, an impromptu wedding! Even when nothing special is happening, you can just chill, browse the books and have a cup o' community joe.
- Still got your state parks entry receipt? Good, because you'll need it once more for Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (open 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset daily). Get out of the car and walk through the tunnel underneath the highway, then hang a right. Keep looking off toward the ocean. You may literally gasp when you glimpse McWay Falls, coastal California's only waterfall that drops into the ocean (well, either that or onto the beach, depending on the tide).
What are your fave spots in Big Sur? Tell us by leaving a comment below.
Photo: McWay Falls (Michael Connolly, Jr.) - Jun 11, 10What's better for Sunday brunch than a box of classic glazed donuts? How about apple fritters? Or old-fashioned bear claws? The mind boggles with the panoply of choices.
Still can't decide? Well, get yourself to the LA Donut Summit in Griffith Park this Sunday, June 13. It's like a Christmas cookie swap party, except it's ginormous and held outdoors in the sunshine. All you have to do is show up by 1PM at the park's Vermont Avenue picnic area with a box of a dozen donuts from a local shop (for suggestions, click here). Public tasting and judging begins around 1:30PM, with Donut Marshalls (hey, how do I get that job?) supervising the cutting up of donuts so that everyone gets a taste of more than just 12 flavors.
Confused about exactly how all this deliciousness works? Check out the 2010 Donut Summit FAQ or follow 'em on Twitter to get all the late-breaking news.
Photo credit: Michael Connolly, Jr. - Jun 04, 10Recently, I've been outside, hiking all over southern Utah and making the most of that glorious weather window between spring and summer. You know, when it's not too unbearably hot in the desert badlands, yet the mountainous high country is just starting to open after snow melt. Now here's your excuse to get out there and do the same.
All US national parks are free-free this weekend. About 75% of NPS sites usually don't charge admission anyway. But for the 100 or so that do (including top-tier parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon or Zion), you'll be saving yourself $20 to $25 a carload. Who can resist the call of the wild when it's free?
If you miss this fee-free weekend, don't worry. Just plan your national parks trip for August 14 & 15, the next weekend when admission fees will be waived. (Or September 25, National Public Lands Day, by which time the crushing summer crowds will have left.)
Photo credit: Bryce Canyon NP (Michael Connolly, Jr.) - Jun 17, 10On the Coconut Radio blog from Tahiti, I was reading another Lonely Planet author's stories about bad, bad border crossings and getting kidnapped (or not) in Costa Rica. It made me think about the close brushes with death that all travel writers and photographers I know have had, including myself. There's something about searching out the next off-the-beaten path destination, or going to that way-out place that maybe no other travelers ever visit just to update a guidebook, that always seems to lead to trouble.
I've been writing travel guides on and off for 10 years. So far, I've had a few close calls with the afterlife:- Missing the bus when I got off the ferry in Indonesia. Doesn't sound fatal, does it? Well, I dallied too long getting my backpack off the boat, the next onward bus filled up and I couldn't push my way onto it -- you know how it goes in Southeast Asia. So, I sat down and waited an hour for the next bus. Funny thing is, as we trundled our way across the island, I saw the bus I'd tried to catch earlier overturned and smashed up on the side of the road, with dozens of people hurt. One of those dead bodies could have easily have been me. I resolved right there to get more medical training.
- (Almost not) landing at Lukla airport in Nepal. The Gear Junkie recently did a great write-up of why this airport really isn't one of the world's most dangerous, although it certainly feels like it when you find out your pilot has never really logged any serious hours in a STOL (short take-off and landing) aircraft before. Did I mention we were attempting to land in the middle of a snowstorm, too? It took us 3 fly-bys before wheels touched down on tarmac. I resolved to get back to Kathmandu overland, the old-fashioned hippie way, even if I had to walk all the way from Everest Base Camp.
- Somewhere on the China-Vietnam border. It's a gimme that this might be a dicey place to be, but I didn't expect to get woken up in the middle of the night and marched off the bus at gunpoint by Chinese soldiers. It did not help being the only obvious foreigner on the bus. But once I agreed to let my backpack, passport and money go, everything was copacetic. (And this in no way compares as a hair-raising experience with a documentary filmmaker friend who was held at gunpoint by Burmese border guards, and saved her own life by flashing a medal of a Buddhist monk.)
And this doesn't begin to cover the taxi drivers worldwide who have tried to trick me into going to out-of-the-way places, hoping that American girls really were that easy. Or getting groped by drunk businessmen on trains in Japan (I always shoved back, ill-mannered gaijin that I am). Or that Malaysian scooter driver who somehow copped a feel while I was riding a bicycle (I drove him off by pelting him with stones.)Travel is risky, and sometimes the Venn diagram intersection of being a woman and a travel writer makes that risk triple. But I don't regret most of the travel misadventures I've had, because I couldn't have foreseen the majority of them. And at the end of the day, they're the price you sometimes have to pay for the privilege of epic travel experiences, like trekking high into the Himalayas or visiting ancient ruins in Sicily.
There's only one travel accident that I wish I had a do-over for. Patagonia, you and I have a major score to settle. But that's a travel noir story for another day.
Had your own near-miss travel escapade? Tell us all about it by commenting below.
Photo credit: Lukla Airport, Nepal - Missing the bus when I got off the ferry in Indonesia. Doesn't sound fatal, does it? Well, I dallied too long getting my backpack off the boat, the next onward bus filled up and I couldn't push my way onto it -- you know how it goes in Southeast Asia. So, I sat down and waited an hour for the next bus. Funny thing is, as we trundled our way across the island, I saw the bus I'd tried to catch earlier overturned and smashed up on the side of the road, with dozens of people hurt. One of those dead bodies could have easily have been me. I resolved right there to get more medical training.
- May 07, 10About 2 weeks ago, the Washington Post came out with a scathing in-depth look at Amtrak. The article asserted that although ridership is up, "the romance went out of it a long time ago" and that our national rail system is "freighted with problems," most notoriously delays. While the Post's staff writers make some valid points, I have to disagree that our nation's love affair with trains is over, at least not for me and not in California.
Maybe the negativity resulted from the Post's focus on the Eastern seaboard, while on the West Coast trains are less about commuting than a scenic vacation. Sure, the Coast Starlight train can run late (although last month, its on-time record was an impressive 96.7%). In fact, it once took me 16+ hours to get from Oakland to LA, a 12-hour scheduled trip! But the gorgeous coastal scenery, some of it inaccessible by road and only visible when riding the rails, made it worth it.
My partner and I still ride Amtrak whenever we can. We live near the northern terminus of the Pacific Surfliner route, which connects us to Santa Barbara, LA, Orange County and San Diego. Not only is it a greener way to travel than driving ourselves, we love not getting stuck on the I-405 for hours as we head down south. Instead, we can kick it with Wi-Fi in business-class seats, or just lazily stare out the window for hours and dream.
Which brings me to Amtrak's National Train Day tomorrow, May 8. Get out there and show your support for this eco-friendly and yes, romantic way to travel. Celebrations at LA's historic Union Station include exhibits on railroad braceros (Mexican laborers) and Amtrak's 'Trails & Rails' national parks initiative (and new online trip planner, Amtraktoparks.com), model trains and more fun stuff for kids. There are festivities happening at Amtrak stations all around California, and across the country, too. Check the website for details, then go have fun!
Are you a fan of railway travel? What's your favorite train trip that you've ever taken, either in the USA or abroad? Tell us by leaving a comment below. - May 03, 10In the wake of Arizona's legislative crackdown on illegal immigration last week, Mexico has issued a travel alert for its citizens, while some US cities, businesses and organizations are calling for an Arizona travel boycott. Meanwhile, the US Travel Association and others in the tourism industry are asking travelers not to boycott Arizona, especially since the state's tourism economy is already suffering high unemployment.
Whether you're politically for or against traveling to Arizona right now, can we agree not to take it out on US federal recreational lands, such as the Grand Canyon, or the Navajo Nation, whose sovereign tribal council has not come out in support of Arizona's recent legislation?
May is an especially great month for visiting the Grand Canyon, before massive summer vacation crowds arrive. The park's South Rim is always open, and this year you've got a more eco-friendly way to tour it. Look for brand-new Bright Angel Bicycle Rentals, open for business at Canyon Visitor Information Plaza, near Mather Point. A half-day bicycle rental costs $25/15 per adult/child.
The Grand Canyon's more remote North Rim will be opening for the 2010 season on May 15. Get there early on opening day, and you may have some of the famous viewpoints all to yourself. (If you'd rather minimize your Arizona travel, you can access the North Rim via southern Utah, passing through Zion National Park.)
How do you feel about the proposed Arizona travel boycotts? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Related links:
Arizona Travel & Adventure
Digging Up History at the Grand Canyon
American Wilderness: Too Noisy for You?
Photo credit: Grand Canyon NP, North Rim (Michael Connolly, Jr.)
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Info
- Freelance Writer, Editor & PhotographerWriting and Editing | San Luis Obispo, California Area, USSummaryI'm a travel journalist, photographer, digital media creator, environmental educator and outdoors junkie. I've written more than 50 travel guides and nonfiction books, including for publishers Lonely Planet, Fodor's, Wilderness Press and W.W. Norton. My writing and photography have appeared in national and international newspapers and magazines, as well as on popular travel websites, including National Geographic, Jetsetter, Lonely Planet and the Los Angeles Times. I've worked seasonally for the National Park Service as a park ranger in California and Utah. I've taught ESL/EFL to children and adults in the U.S. and abroad.Specialties: Editing, writing, photography, digital media, ebooks, social media, blogging, marketing, community management, travel (especially Hawaii, Las Vegas, California, West Coast, U.S. Southwest, national parks, Canada, Peru, Japan), environmental science, academic publications, corporate proposals, magazine and newspaper features, radio and TV interviewsExperience
- 1998 - PresentFreelance Writer, Editor and Photographer / Self-EmployedResearch, develop, write and photograph travel guides and nonfiction books for publishers including Lonely Planet, Wilderness Press, AA (UK), Fodor's (Compass American Guides) and Countryman Press (W.W. Norton & Co.). Create independent travel content and manage social media and online community for Sutro Media's top 100-ranked iTunes travel app (Viva Las Vegas, Baby!). Provide original content for travel websites including National Geographic Traveler, Jetsetter, Matador, Gogobot, MyYosemitePark.com, Triporati and Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel. Write articles and take photographs for domestic and international magazines and newspapers including National Geographic Adventure, the Los Angeles Times, Denver Post, Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, The Telegraph (UK) and The Independent (UK). Interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) and local radio and TV stations.
- 2008 - 2009Volunteer Museum Docent / California State ParksVolunteer interpreter and educator at the Coastal Discovery Center at Hearst San Simeon State Beach on California's central coast.
- 2006 - 2007Wilderness Ranger and Visitor Use Assistant / National Park ServiceWorked seasonally at a wilderness permit issuing station and as a Visitor Use Assistant (VUA) at Kings Canyon National Park in California.
- 2003 - 2007Freelance Copy Editor and Proofreader / The College BoardEdited and proofread content for online database of professional reviews of curriculum material for Advance Placement (AP) coursework.
- 2004 - 2005Acting Commissioning Editor / Lonely PlanetCommissioned travel guidebooks for US and Canada.
- 2004 - 2005Animal Care Volunteer and Public Information Assistant / Oakland Animal ShelterMonitored animal health, shelter conditions, and visitor safety. Answered inquiries and resolved complaints from the public.
- 2002 - 2002Volunteer in Park (VIP) / National Park ServiceArchived and cataloged historical documents and photos for use in interpretive park programs and visitor center museum exhibit redesign.
- 1998 - 1999Technology Proposal Publications Manager / MotorolaDeveloped, wrote, edited and managed multimillion dollar technology proposals to win projects from governmental and corporate clients. Coordinated work schedules for in-house editorial and production staff, university-based specialist authors and scientists working remotely.
- 1998 - 1998Middle and High School Teacher / Teach for AmericaAccepted into a competitive nation-wide teacher training program. Wrote, developed and designed new curriculum for Spanish-speaking ESL students. Improved student performance by 25% during first year.
- 1995 - 1997English as a Foreign Language Instructor / Nova Intercultural InstituteTaught English conversation to students of all ages. Liaised between English teachers and Japanese staff. Promoted to assistant manager responsible for training and supervising teaching staff of 20 people.
Education-
2004 - 2007University of California, BerkeleyContinuing ed. in Spanish language
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1998 - 1999California State University-Dominguez HillsGraduate work in Secondary education
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1991 - 1995University of ChicagoB.A. in English Language & Literature
Activities: Chicago Maroon newspaper, Maroon Key Society, Documentary Film Group, Law School Films. -
1988 - 1991Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy (IMSA)Diploma in All
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Honors:2011 Thomas Lowell Award for Best Travel Guidebook
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Interests:California, Hawaii, Las Vegas, US Southwest, US West Coast, Chicago, Japan, Peru, Patagonia, ecology, wildlife, environmental activism, Native American history, travel, road trips, hiking and backpacking, cycling, canoeing and kayaking, wilderness medicine, state and national parks, photography, jazz and blues music, locavarianism
