Climbing for a Cause
I arrived in Kilimanjaro under less than auspicious circumstances. 18 hours before we were to depart for the mountain, my bag hadn’t arrived and I was still administering ear drops for an infection (that led to a ruptured ear drum and hearing loss) contracted 10 days earlier. They say Kili is as psychological a challenge as it is a physical one. I didn’t feel ready. But I was as ready as I was going to be. En route to the trailhead... Read More
Escaping City Boundaries
City or country?! Lying back in the sun, eyes closed with the breeze from the lake cooling me and listening to the band of crickets and cicadas, it’s hard to believe that I’m in the centre of Canada’s capital city. Living in Ottawa, we are spoilt for choice of where to escape the noises and heat of the city. Parks, lakes, rivers and beaches spread all over, waiting to be enjoyed and discovered. I love exploring these places, which makes... Read More
Patagonia: Going to the End of the World and Back
While I can’t say that I have been to Ushuaia, the southern-most town in South America that is famous for its last point lighthouse and serves a jumping off point for excursions to Antarctica, I have been pretty close. Two weeks ago, I went with a friend to El Calafate and El Chalten, two towns in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. In addition to the fall colors, the restaurants, boutiques, tourism companies and Chocolate stores gave Calafate... Read More
Feeling So Inclined
The camera's not angled...that's how steep it really is! “Let’s hike the Manitou Incline,” I said to Nick one beautiful Saturday morning. It was an idea that had been inspired by a friend’s passing reference to “the trail you can see from everywhere” on Rocky Mountain in Manitou Springs, Colorado. We looked at photos on the internet, and what should’ve been an immediate turn-off- a mile-long climb... Read More
Grand Canyon
Why do we travel? Is it to fulfill a longing, to see and experience new cultures, or is it simply to move, as the name of this blog suggests? During our latest vacation, we hiked down to the floor of the Grand Canyon and then up again. It was a test of physical endurance and it was a feast for the eyes. As one of the signs warn, going down is optional, coming back up is mandatory. The Canyon is 227 miles long, one mile deep and up to 18 miles... Read More
A World of Options
Image courtesy of capetowndailyphoto.com I recently wrote about the joys of walking, about how much more we can do when we use our own two legs and feet to propel ourselves around on our travels. Originally, I’d made mention of the fact that one doesn’t have to be completely able-bodied to be able to enjoy the benefits of being out and about “on foot.” Being on crutches or in a wheelchair doesn’t have to limit GoGirls... Read More
Silver Week – Part II
Iide Plains …Continued from… Day 4: We are up by 5:30, out of the tent by 6, and still are some of the latest sleepers in tent city. Breakfast is warm muesli with extra raisins. Tea gets me where I need to be. We pack up and out and are rewarded with another beautiful day, climbing up and down peaks; I think we stood on top of five total mountains that day. At 1pm, we reach a junction where we have three choices: stop for... Read More
Cathedral Gorge State Park, NV
July 31st In our travels of the west, we are seeing amazing works of art made possible by Mother Nature. From rock formations that are millions of years old to spectacular sunsets, it’s hard to not be filled with a spiritual feeling when witnessing these masterpieces. This feeling was most powerful for me at Cathedral Gorge State Park in Nevada. The only reason I picked this park was because it broke up the drive to Zion National Park. ... Read More
Silver Week – Part I
Day 1: Ellie & I depart Shimokita at approximately 7pm on Friday night, after work. We spend most of the evening winding our way down to the Tohoku Expressway which starts in Hachinohe. The road is new and relatively empty, and we are quickly out of Aomori and into Iwate prefecture. We drive until around midnight and pull into a rest stop, where we discover a relatively clean bathroom and an entire room full of vending machines,... Read More
In the heart of the Forest
Being fabulous in the Forest “I wonder why they call it the Black Forest?” I say aloud as we wound our way through the streets. It’s a Sunday- the day when everything is closed in Germany- and the three of us have decided to celebrate a day off by going for a walk in the infamous Black Forest. A quick Chrome-assisted Google search (instant translation for the win!) has given us dozens of walking trails to choose from, and we’ve selected one... Read More
