Articles from this Tag
September 9, 2018
Sometimes getting down and dirty is a good thing. Take my birthday, for instance. Instead of advancing a year, I decided I’d rather try taking a few years off, using therapeutic mud. At least that was my goal… well, that and jumping on the opportunity to unleash my inner 5-year-old. The Sulfur Springs on St. […]
August 27, 2018
I’ve been obsessed with the Incas and Peru ruins since my early 20’s. Maybe it’s because the Inca civilization is so enigmatic. Or perhaps admiration at having created such an impressive culture without written language, monetary system, iron, or slaves. I’d pour over photos of Machu Picchu in glossy magazines, imagining myself standing on that […]
July 9, 2018
100 miles southwest of Atlanta, Columbus is the third largest city in Georgia (although claims have been made that this distinction goes back-and-forth with Augusta). The humid, sub-tropical climate makes it a great year-round choice for outdoor activities, especially water-based adventures during much of the year. It’s a thriving city, filled with varying museums and […]
May 14, 2018
“Way up there?” I asked Silver Ballón, our guide, who was pointing up to the 13,000 ft. summit. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to go all the way up. There are amazing views all along the way.” he replied. I immediately thought it was a trick. And it was, but the very best kind. Few […]
May 7, 2018
Chinchero Peru was the first Inca site on our schedule in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Eager to get to my “real” bucket list destination, Machu Picchu, I wasn’t expecting much at the Moray archaeological site. After driving 19 miles from Cusco with AdventureSmith Explorations, I got out of our transport van and strolled […]
May 5, 2018
Pristine waterfalls, myriad geysers, natural swimming holes, bubbling mud pots, fumaroles, rejuvenating thermal hot springs, hiking, horseback riding, orchids, bird-watching, a canopy zip line, white-water rafting, and a quarter-mile waterslide…a visit to Hacienda Guachipelin in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is anything but boring. The Hacienda is located at the foot of Rincón de la Vieja (“Old […]
April 16, 2018
How hard could it be? I’d already tried tandem skydiving and hang gliding. I had my first inkling of trouble when paragliding Lima came as we leaped off the Miraflores cliff in Lima, Peru. But instead of taking flight, we started to descend. This was the first of several white-knuckle episodes in the Miraflores sky. […]
April 11, 2018
About a one hour drive from Cusco, Pisac is the city used as the starting point to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. The better-known Inca ruins at Machu Picchu and Ollantaytambo are spectacular, for sure. But Pisac itself is one of the most colorful and diverse cities in Peru. And with far fewer tourists. […]
February 12, 2018
The first dog started yelping, barking and jumping wildly on his hind legs, instigating the others to join in the commotion. “They’re really excited,” grinned Jerry Scdoris, sled dog trainer and racer. “This cold, clear weather is exactly what they like, and they can’t wait to run!” I was excited, too. I clambered into the […]
February 6, 2018
“Hiking is NOT one of my superpowers,” I said to my three companions. But it was too late to turn back; we were more than halfway there. A week before, I had seen a photo taken at San Diego’s Potato Chip Rock – a sliver of stone hovering 2,800 feet over the ridge near the […]
