El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden
Exploring SMA’s impressive El Charco del Ingenio botanical garden and reserve in rainy season—which turns out to be an excellent time to visit.
Hikes+Treks
Planning a Day Hike or Multi-Day Trek?
From Pacific Northwest hikes to trekking the foothills of the Himalaya, get helpful hiking tips and do-it-yourself guides for hiking and trekking destinations across the globe, from Peru, Tanzania, Belize, China, Uganda, Ecuador, the USA, and more!
Father’s Day Volcano Climb
Hiking Volcán del Estribo Grande (the Stirrup Volcano) was one of the first things to go onto our Patzcuaro Bucket List when we arrived here. Given that there’s no shortage … Read more
Lava Church of San Juan Parangaricutiro
Hiking the lava fields and incredible church ruins of Old San Juan Parangaricutiro, the Michoacan town consumed by a stealthy volcano.
Melaque Mirador
For the past week, the weather’s been just about perfect here in Melaque. Still red flag conditions down on the water, but the resort we’re parked at has a nice … Read more
Mekong Zone & Bo Ice Factory Walk
Enjoying a break in the extreme heat and frequent rain with a lazy evening on the river and walking our last unexplored stretch of Mekong in Vientiane.
Return of the Daddy Days
With Riley off to nursery school, I suddenly have extra time to spend with Noe. So, what do the two of us do in Laos’ laid-back capital? Find out!
Hiking Wealth Coffee Nature Trails
Who says there aren’t any hiking trails around Vientiane? Today, we’re exploring a little-known corner of the area, with a unique coffee shop and miles of semi-shaded nature trails.
Vang Vieng: If at First You Don’t Succeed
Last May, we attempted summiting Pha Ngeun, but the mountain had other plans for us. This time, we brought reinforcements.
Hiking & Kayaking the Nam Lik Basin
Making the most of a couple of much needed sun breaks to explore the lush Nam Lik area by foot and paddle.
Vang Vieng: An Ill-Fated Attempt at Climbing Pha Ngeun
We were told that it was a 500-meter, 30-minute climb to a stunning view at the top of a karst peak. Back at the parking lot two hours later, it was clear our sources must have been smoking some very strong wacky-tobacky.
Hiking Phou Phanang
This day hike in a National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area might be as close as it gets to a true Vientiane-area hike.
Trekking Portland’s Alameda Ridge Stairs
We set out to conquer Alameda Ridge of NE Portland and its 400 stairs spread out over 30 blocks.
Hiking Northwest Portland’s Balch Gulch Loop
Exploring Northwest Portland’s Wildwood Trail and Lower Macleay Trail along the Balch Gulch Loop.
Portland’s 4T Trail
Taking advantage of a beautiful May morning to explore Portland by Trail, Tram, Trolley & Train via the 4T Trail.
Mirror Lake & Trillium Lake: Hike Report
Our Mirror Lake & Trillium Lake Hike report — a worthwhile alternative to Columbia River Gorge hiking at the foot of Oregon’s majestic Mt. Hood.
Smith Rock State Park
We took a last-minute weekend trip to Central Oregon to take advantage of the abundant sunshine and warmer temps forecast there […]
Hiking Tom McCall Point & Rowena Plateau
Rowena Plateau and Tom McCall Point hike offers Gorge-ous views year-round an hour’s drive from Portland. Our trail report.
Hiking Coyote Wall and the Labyrinth
We took a drive out east to tackle Coyote Wall and the Labyrinth. Just an hour outside of Portland, the landscape changes dramatically, offering countless […]
Interrorem Cabin (Pt.2)
Continuing on our weekend in historic Interrorem Cabin in the Olympic National Forest, we mount an expedition in the nearby wilderness and visit nearby Hood Canal.
Hiking Beacon Rock
Beacon Rock is an 848-foot volcanic plug that you can hike to the top of with relative ease, thanks to a series of 51 switchbacks, handrails and bridges originally constructed by Henry […]
Mt. Howard and the Wallowa Tramway
Riding the Wallowa Lake Tramway, a quick and easy ride to the top of Eastern Oregon’s majestic Wallowas.
Usambara Mountains
The people and scenic beauty of the Usambara Mountains in Northern Tanzania — a preview of our 4-day, 40+ mile trek through this unique and remote corner of the world.
Ndlovini Mountain
We take a hike…up into the Southern Drakensberg to see what we can see…which isn’t much at first, but are rewarded for our efforts in the end.
Garden Route: Hiking Nature’s Valley
After a night reconnecting with our inner “Wild Spirit,” we spend the day hiking to Nature’s Valley and the Indian Ocean, then back again.
Garden Route: Wilderness and the Secret Cave
Upon check-in, Hippie-Surfer Dude said, “There’s a cave up those tracks, brah…you should totally check it out.” So we did, and what we found astonished and terrified us.
Cape Town: Hiking Table Mountain (Pt.2)
After our devastating discovery at the Cable Car ticket office, we eventually make it off the top of Table Mountain and to Camps Bay just in time for our final sunset-over-the-ocean of the trip.
Cape Town: Hiking Table Mountain (Pt.1)
When visiting cities, we generally like to make our way on foot to the highest point and have a drink. Darn you, Cape Town. Darn you.
Cockscomb
Hiking through the jungle, tubing lazily down the river and overnighting in an old logger’s camp in the world’s first Jaguar Preserve!
Tiger Cave!
We spend Belize Labor Day (May 1) hiking through the jungle to Toledo’s own Tiger Cave to commune, yet again, with the Mayan Underworld of Xibalba.
Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge, Day 3
The last post in a series of three ends on a high note, as we descend deep into Tiger Leaping Gorge and literally climb back out, dodging and clambering over fallen boulders on our way back to rainbows and civilization.
Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge, Day 2
Our second day hiking on this amazing mountain path in southwestern China offers fair weather, fantastic views and an escape from the crowds.
Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge, Day 1
Tiger Leaping Gorge is often considered quite simply THE BEST trek in China, and for good reason: it’s an amazing place. Day one leads us through lush hillside and small villages.
The Wild Wall – Great Wall of China (Without the Crowds)
Most visitors to the Wall visit the Bādálǐng stretch near Beijing, but we opt to venture a bit further afield, visiting an all but deserted portion higher up in the mountains between Jīnshānlǐng and Sīmǎtái.
Climbing Mount Tai (Taishan), Day 2
Sunrise as viewed from the summit of Taishan is the undisputed main event atop the mountain, even if you never actually see the sun through the “haze.”
Climbing Mount Tai (Taishan), Day 1
We knew two things about Taishan before our climb: The process of climbing the mountain involves ascending over 6,600 individual stair steps, and Taishan is very, very popular with Chinese.
Malealea Lodge & Pony Trekking in Lesotho
A visit to one of my favorite places, Malealea, Lesotho, covering the lodge, pony trekking and private sector partnerships.
Hiking Sipi Falls
Pausing to climb out from under report-writing in Mbale, my research partner and I take a weekend trip to Sipi Falls — a real-life picture post card of the Garden of Eden — and bring back some unexpected souvenirs…
Hiking the Northern Slope of El Yunque National Forest
Day #5 started on the island of Vieques and ended in a friend’s townhouse in Vega Baja. On our way back west on Highway 3 from Fajardo, we stopped to take in the North Slope of El Yunque National Forest.
Hiking the Southern Slope of El Yunque National Forest
We take to the road, driving first to Luquillo Beach for lunch at the famed food kiosks before heading down the eastern coast and to the south side of the tropical rain forest of El Yunque.
Hiking Around the Rim of Lake Quilotoa
Twenty minutes into hiking around the rim of Ecuador’s Lake Quilotoa, we knew we had drastically underestimated the day’s undertaking.
Baños Waterfall Route: An Unforgettable Day Trip
A ridiculously fun day trip exploring the amazing Waterfall Route (Ruta de las Cascadas) of Baños, Ecuador by a unique mode of transport. When in Baños…
Baños: Seeing the Sights, Hiking the Hills
Sprawled out over a small, mile-high valley in the Andes, the supremely picturesque town of Baños, Ecuador lies in the shadow of an active volcano and is the gateway to the jungle.
Inca Trail Trek, Day 4: Machu Picchu
The fourth and final day of our 40+ km Inca Trail trek, starting at 3:30am and ending on a train back to Cuzco, with Machu Picchu exploration in between.
Inca Trail Trek, Day 3
In Peru, continuing our trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This post covers our adventures and misadventures of the third day along the route.
Inca Trail Trek, Day 2
Day Two of our Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu was the most difficult: 10 miles over two 13,000 ft. passes, resulting in 11 of the most grueling and rewarding hours of our lives.
Our Incredible Inca Trail Trek, Day 1
Instead of taking the tourist route to Machu Picchu, we trekked four days over 42 kilometers following the 500-hundred-year-old Inca Trail. Here’s our travel report.
Out of the World’s [2nd] Deepest Canyon
We climb our way out of one of the deepest canyons in the world at high altitude and under blazing sun…needless to say, it wasn’t easy — but totally worth it.
Into the World’s [2nd] Deepest Canyon
Part one of hiking into (and out of) the world’s second deepest gash, Colca Canyon.