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Showing posts with the label adventure

Once Upon a Time in Thailand

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A few years back my best friend and I took a two week trip to Thailand, and needless to say this country offers entertainment for all types of people. Meghan and I, being people who like to try it all, found ourselves in all sorts of situations, both amazing and life threatening. We did a loop of travel from Bangkok to Phuket and back where her mother was amazing enough to purchase us plane tickets. I have a love of trains, so like a stubborn fool, I took the trading down and a good person would have just gotten on the plane when someone is amazing enough to do something nice fore you. I returned with them on the plane but I still own Meghan's mom for the amazing gesture.   Phuket was a beautiful vacation oasis, and seeing as though this was not to long after the tsunami, the beaches were clear and clean. I was supposed to be doing a triathlon but instead I laid in sand sipping dark rum drinks and enjoying the stress free life. This was a great place to just walk and m...

Jasper Lake - A Night Away

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  One of my favorite things to do in Colorado is overnight backpacking trips. The physical challange, the sense of accomplishment and the quiet relaxation are all food for the soul! On this occasion Charlie and I decided to take the Jasper Lake trail, just out side of Nederland, a place where many spectacular trails begin. The total trip length is a moderate 9 mile round trip with just under 2000 feet total elevation gain. In my opinion trails of this length are perfect for an overnight camping trip as you are able to get up to the top early enough to enjoy the quiet wilderness.   The trail starts at the Hessie Trailhead and takes you though the Indian Peaks Wilderness with epic views of Mt Jasper, Mt Neva and Klondike Mountain in the distance. The ascent is pretty even most of the way up with only a few moderate switchbacks as you wind through meadows and dense woods. We went up this trail in June, this time of year you will need a permit and I have to admit we forgot to...

Isle of Skye - The Tourist Way

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  When Charlie and I travel we rarely do the proper "Tourist Activities", but with a lack of transportation we were inspired to experience the Isle of Skye by the fullest effect of the tourist industry. Don't get me wrong we are tourists everywhere we go but this time we decided to do a small group tour through Happy Tours Scotland called the "Isle of Skye Full-Day Tour from Inverness". John, our tour guide, was amazing! He was hilarious and knew the history of the area inside and out. He had such a confidence in his lecture, that at one point a tour guide from a different company came up to him to ask about the site we were at. Nothing better than to be shown about by a man in a kilt who was so proud of the area in which he was from.   The First place we stopped on our day trip was the Eileen Donna Castle. The Castle sits just off the rocky shore and peering upon her feels like being taken back to the times of Scottish warriors. Although her brick facade ...

A Hike in the Highlands - Glasgow to Ft William

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  The rich colors of Scotland are something I've never seen before. Around every bend is an image from a fairytale or the epic novels of Tolkien. When we first arrived in Glasgow the taxi ride leaving the city felt as if I was going through the rolling farmlands and dispersed wood of Wisconsin. It wasn't until we started heading north that I felt like I was leaving the country. As the road started twisting, the green and purple mountains pierced through the misty sky and I knew I was in a new magical frontier, the place of Lock Ness and Braveheart.   Based on what I had read I was prepared to see hills but the word hill is a gross understatement and an injustice to the landscape of the Highlands. These were mountains, maybe not mountains to rival the altitude of the Rockies but the gains in altitude with the wild colors on the rocky faces was just as impressive. Ben Nevis, the tallest peak in mainland Scotland, stands at 4400 feet and I feel it is similar to climbing some of ...