Don’t Skip: Pucon, Chile
Intro to Pucon Many of the destinations in the Don’t Skip series are off the beaten track. That’s not the case with Pucon, which is hardly unknown. As a matter of fact, it’s long-established as a hub of outdoor activities in this part of Chile. Depending on the season, you can skydive, kayak, ski, swim, […]
Don’t Skip: Ollantaytambo, Peru
Intro to Ollantaytambo The town of Ollantaytambo lies at the intersection of three valleys, at the western end of the Sacred Valley region in Peru. Traditionally, it was a place to rest and restock on the way through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. Remains of temples show religious significance as well. During the 1400s […]
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
White Sands National Monument The world’s largest field of gypsum sand dunes fills 275 square miles of the Tularosa Basin at the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico (elevation 4235 ft). A large portion of the area makes up White Sands National Monument. Herbert Hoover designated the are as National monument in 1933. Long before […]
Don’t Skip: St. Kitts
Intro to St. Kitts The little island of St. Christopher Columbus first spotted St. Kitts from afar in 1493, but it wasn’t colonized until the British arrived in 1623. It later became the first island to be permanently colonized by both the English and the French, who shared the island for many years. The Amerindians […]
Don’t Skip: Jeju Island, South Korea
Intro to Jeju Island Jeju is marketed as the “honeymoon island,” popular with couples who take the opportunity to visit Love Land and the Museum of Sex after their walks on the beach. Get past the tourist promotion though, and volcanic, subtropical, Jeju will surely reward you with its unique history, culture and charm. Jeju is best known […]
Yangshuo Dream
Enticed by the views in Guilin, but wanting to get far away from the city, we set our sights on Yangshuo. Since we hadn’t yet gotten onto the Li River, we signed up for bamboo raft transport from Yangdi, near Guilin, to Xingping, 45 minutes or so from Yangshuo. This stretch of the river is said […]
Great Wall Less Traveled
What can be said about The Great Wall that hasn’t been covered a thousand times before? It’s one of those sights that everyone has at least heard of and thinks about with some sense of wonder. At different times, to different people, it has been protection from enemies, a means of trade, transportation and communication, […]
Seoraksan National Park
The mountains had been calling, and it was time for a hike. Designated a Biosphere Protection site by Unesco, the area of Seoraksan National Park is only about 20 minutes away from Sokcho by bus. It is filled with trails leading through forests, past waterfalls, jagged peaks, massive boulders, temples, a fortress, and all kinds […]
Northwest Passage Scenic Byway
National Trails System Some of our cross-country drives have taken us along various stretches of the National Trails System, the network of scenic, historic, and recreation trails created by the National Trails System Act of 1968. Route 12 from Lewiston, Idaho (near the Washington border) stretching into Montana is known as the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. It follows bits […]
Reflections
Leaving San Francisco for the last time this year marked another step closer to finishing this tour. Since it’s college football season, there are plenty of events left, but that doesn’t mean there’s no time to squeeze in a little more down time. On the way up to Pullman, WA, home of the Washington State […]