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Adventure – it’s all in the eye of the beholder!

By RM | December 9, 2010 | Comments 0 Comment

What IS adventure anyway? For some it is making the first ascent of a remote peak, or the first descent of a challenging new river. For others it is being a silent observer to the annual Serengeti migration, or cycling from one picturesque medieval village to the next in France’s Loire Valley. Like beauty, adventure tends to be in the eye of the beholder.

However, until I took my first ever cruise over Thanksgiving, I thought I knew the limits of what adventure meant to me personally. Adventure was traveling thru Africa by 4WD, motorcycling around India, or taking local buses with my daughter as we explored Guatemala and Belize. Adventure (for me!) was NOT taking a 4 day cruise! Or so I thought…

When my girlfriend suggested a short cruise over Thanksgiving, she really had to talk me into it, “it’s so relaxing…”. OK, in reality, she really didn’t have to say too much to convince me to take a few days off work and try to kick back!

So on the Sunday before Thanksgiving I flew from San Jose to Miami with my girlfriend Regina, my 16 year old daughter and her friend. Once there, we checked into the Indian Creek Hotel, a small, art deco inspired (but still affordable!) boutique hotel just a block from the beach in Miami Beach.

The next morning we had strong Cuban coffee at breakfast, explored the boardwalk and beach, and caught a cab to board the Carnival Imagination in the Port of Miami. If, like me, you have never been on a cruise ship. just let me say this: they are huge, they are glitzy. But you know what? They are fun, and I really got to relax for a few days. In fact, as we sailed out of Miami headed for Key West and Cozumel, I could feel my stress diminishing at about the same rate as the land was shrinking in our wake. Of course, the fact that my cell phone and laptop were turned off helped me chill out and relax!

I had always shied away from cruises because, being an active person, I assumed I would get bored being cooped up on a ship, and also because it seemed like you had relatively little time ashore to be adventurous and to explore. Of course I now realize that a lot of the attraction is just the experience of being aboard a fun, floating hotel, and waking up in different destinations each day.

Our first stop was Key West, the southernmost spot in the USA. It seemed like a very cool place to hang out (as Jimmy Buffet will attest…). White houses with louvered windows, wrap around porches and luscious tropical gardens lined the streets into town. Even downtown, vehicles appeared to max out at about 5 mph. Key West is definitely a pretty laid back place!

Giant Barracuda - photo credit http://pescaprofesional.net

Regina took a 3 hour bike tour of Key West, crossing the island from one side to the other, and really enjoyed it. Meanwhile, the girls and I took a Catamaran trip to snorkel the reef, the highlight of which was spotting a 4 foot long giant barracuda cruising serenely past us as we snorkeled back towards the boat.

Our next stop was Cozumel, where we boarded a fast ferry to the mainland, and took a bus to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. Perched on a clifftop above the ocean, the ruins at Tulum are not as extensive as at Tikal or Chichen Itza, but the setting is spectacular. In addition, after a guided tour of the ruins, we were able to go for a quick dip in the warm Caribbean water.

Back on board the cruise ship, we relaxed, ate, slept and were entertained by stand up comics, singers and dancers en route back to Miami. For a first cruising experience, Carnival’s 4 day Western Caribbean cruise was the perfect blend of relaxation, fun and even some exploration.

Was it truly adventurous? Let’s just say that the relaxation quotient outweighed the adventure quotient, but the fun factor was high! Would I take another cruise? Absolutely!

Lake Tahoe – Fall camping trip

By RM | October 17, 2010 | Comments 1 comment

Just over 3 hours from the San Francisco Bay Area, Lake Tahoe is set in the High Sierras at over 6,000 feet, surrounding by snow covered peaks. In the winter it is California’s primary ski area, and in the summer it draws hikers, mountain bikers and lovers of mountain scenery.

In early October, my girlfriend and I took a quick weekend break, leaving after work on a Friday evening, and driving 3 hours up Highway 50 to Lake Tahoe to camp for 2 nights at Fallen Leaf Campground, nestled in a pine forest between Lake Tahoe and the smaller Fallen Leaf Lake. Arriving at about 10pm, and having carefully read all of the campground reviews on Yelp, many with a strong theme of “how to keep your food from being eaten by bears”, Regina suggested that I put up the tent while she selflessly watched for bears – albeit from the comfort of a locked vehicle!

Perhaps the bears had all moved to lower ground in anticipation of the first snow, as the only animals we saw were tiny ground squirrels struggling with over-sized pine cones. Although we were wakened each night by coyote’s calling across the campground to check in with one another, they stayed hidden during daylight hours, and were as elusive as the bears!

The campsite was pretty empty so late in the season, and of the campers there, most had RVs or trailers – not many were tenting it like us. The sites were clean and reasonably well spaced, the hot showers (a dollar in quarters got you 3 minutes) were good, and although the temperature dropped at night to the low 40s, we stayed snug and warm in our tent.

After breakfast on Saturday, we walked from our campsite to the trail, and after 3 minutes reached a small pebble beach at Fallen Leaf Lake. Kids splashed in the shallows looking for freshwater crayfish, and the mountains were reflected perfectly in the clear blue waters of the lake – idyllic!

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, and the Tahoe Queen

After returning to the campground, we drove up around the west shore of Lake Tahoe to Emerald Bay. While most places we went to on this trip were pretty devoid of people, here was an exception. People from all over were here to soak up the incredible lake views and stunning scenery – we took photos for a couple from Washington State, and Regina chatted with some folks from Louisiana.

After admiring Emerald Bay from above, we decided it would be an interesting contrast to view it from the water, so we went to nearby Baldwin Beach and launched my inflatable kayak. Unfortunately my trusty Sevylor inflatable sprang a leak, and we ended up paddling back to Baldwin Beach in our ‘deflatable’ kayak – so Emerald Bay from the water will have to wait for another trip!

After another cozy night camping, on Sunday morning we drove to the far end of Fallen Leaf Lake to rent a kayak, only to find the boat rental store had closed for the season at the end of September – a real shame as it was a beautiful sunny, warm day. So instead of kayaking, we drove to the end of the road beyond Fallen Leaf Lake, and discovered pristine Lily Lake – a perfect example of nature at its most serene and tranquil!

Rather than drive home on the main drag, Highway 50, we opted for the scenic route: Highway 89 and 88 to Markleeville, on the eastern slope of the Sierra, then back over Ebbet’s Pass, returning to the Bay Area on Highway 4. It took a few hours longer, but we got to see alders with some fall color, stopped at another couple of small lakes in the middle of nowhere, and enjoyed some beautiful mountain views.

View from Highway 4, approaching Ebbet's Pass

It was a pretty full weekend, but spending time in the mountains, relaxing by beautiful alpine lakes, definitely recharged our batteries and sent us back to the city with clean air in our lungs, and smiles on our faces.

Maple Syrup Taffy? Tire sur la Neige…

By RM | April 17, 2010 | Comments 0 Comment

Never heard of maple syrup taffy? Neither had I until I discovered it being made on the walls of Québec City.

But what better way to experience an 80 degree spring day in Canada, than to pour steaming maple syrup onto snow, roll it around a popsicle stick, and create an instant “tire sur la neige” treat to fortify you as you explore this ancient, walled city!

Springtime in Paris? – Make that Québec…

By RM | April 13, 2010 | Comments 0 Comment

I’ve been lucky enough to visit Canada a total of 6 or more times, and finally over Easter I made it to Québec, to sample some Québécois food, culture and language! And it truly is like visiting a slice of Europe in North America!

Montréal is a large modern city, and in my short stay there, I felt on many streets that I could easily have been in Chicago or Toronto. But the old town, down by the port, has a very European feel to it. As we ate dinner at a sidewalk restaurant, couples, groups of friends, and families took their evening stroll down by the water, enjoying an unusually warm spring evening. French was the language most in evidence, although we heard snippets of conversations in Spanish, English and, hmm, was that Polish or Czech?

A mere 3 hours from Montréal by train, Québec City has by contrast a uniquely European feel. Encircled by medieval walls, and with 95% of its population speaking French, this is like no other city in North America! It feels and looks much more like an historic town somewhere in the middle of France. Sure, it’s touristy, but the natives are very friendly, and it’s a great place to explore!

The Chateau Frontenac may be a bit of a splurge, but its imposing presence and elegant comfort in the heart of the city makes it a great base to come back to after a day’s exploration. And if your travel budget won’t absorb a stay in one of its historic rooms, then at least soak up the atmosphere of the St-Laurent bar, with a panoramic view of the St. Lawrence River.

Old Quebec City and the Chateau Frontenac

And for a great view of Quebec City? Just take the ferry across the river to Lévis and back…

Heading West on Route 66… (Part 2)

By RM | February 21, 2010 | Comments 1 comment

.. or to be more exact, on I40, which parallels much of the old Route 66.

Leaving Memphis, we continued west, blasting blues on the CD player in homage to Beale St. Having lost a day to snowstorms in Charlotte at the start of our trip, we hoped to make up some time, as we really wanted to detour to Monument Vally (for all those old John Ford Western vistas) and Arches. So we drove straight thru Arkansas and into Oklahoma. The Super 8 Motel in Sallisaw, OK? Yes, well this was the low point in our accommodations! Nobody expects luxury in a budget motel, but a clean bathroom would have been nice, and if someone had actually turned up in the morning to make the coffee and lay out the ‘included breakfast’, that would have been great too.

From Oklahoma, into New Mexico, and the snow started to fall again – and in fact I40 was closed East of Albuquerque, so we had an unscheduled stop in Tucumcari, NM, where the friendly Indian couple running The Gateway Inn showed how a motel should be run (hey, it’s not THAT hard)! Friendly check-in (hearing that we were heading for California produced wistful stories of student life in Chico), recommendations for dinner, and a breakfast that actually materialized!

Once the road was open the next day, we lead-footed it west, through a snow-speckled landscape of contrasts, the most dramatic of which was probably Laguna Pueblo, with its mission church founded in 1699, and a few miles further on a brand new Indian casino, with flanking “McDobe”…

Hearing that more winter storms were headed our way, we gave up our dreams of finding John Wayne still playing the Ringo Kid amongst Monument Valley’s monoliths, and hightailed it back to the Bay Area – Flagstaff to Oakland in a day was a long drive!

Crossing the country in 5 days was a tease! So many places to go back and explore on later trips… but it was a great reminder of just how large and varied the US is, and also how much fun a road trip can be – even in the dead of winter! And as for Monument Valley and Arches? Hmm, another road trip in April is sounding pretty good about now!

Heading West on Route 66… (part 1)

By RM | February 6, 2010 | Comments 0 Comment

.. or to be more exact, on I40, which parallels much of the old Route 66.

Taking a week off work to travel 2,850 miles from Charlotte NC to Oakland CA in the dead of winter may not sound like a lot of fun, but with the right traveling companion, some good music, and the right attitude, it can be a blast! We were snowed in before we even started out from Charlotte, and once again in eastern New Mexico, but that was all part of the adventure!

Leaving Charlotte a day later than planned, we drove 4 hours to Atlanta to stay with friends, enjoying great food and excellent company. From there we drove another 4 hours to Starkville, MS, where the owner of the Hotel Chester made us feel more like house guests than customers. After an afternoon spent visiting relatives, and a very comfortable night at the Chester, we drove north to Memphis.

Beale Street was a little empty on a Tuesday afternoon, but we had a tasty late lunch of ribs, with a side of Blues. It felt like an appetizer, and at some point in the future, we’ll have to return to Beale Street for a more in-depth visit, to truly savor both the food and the music!

A short 6 block walk from Beale Street took us to the Lorraine Motel, now home to the National Civil Rights Museum, and a sombre shrine to Martin Luther King.

The museum is closed on Tuesdays, and of course, that is when we were there. But on a chill winter’s afternoon, with period piece Cadillacs still parked in front of the Motel, and a wreath hanging from the balcony, it was easy to imagine James Earl Ray’s fatal shot ringing out from the window of the boarding house across the street.

MLK was shot from the open window opposite the Lorraine Motel

Tobacco Caye – how to really unwind!

By RM | July 13, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

I’d heard that Ambergris Caye is expensive, and that Caye Caulker is laid back, but if you want to experience the Belize lifestyle at its unrushed best – head south!

Crossing into Belize from Guatemala, we took a local bus south to the small coastal town of Dangriga, arriving on a very sleepy Sunday afternoon, when the stores were closed, and just a few people ventured onto the hot streets. Heavy rain had swollen Stann Creek, and its muddy waters swept out into the ocean, turning the sea a milky coffee brown for several hundred yards offshore. At the Riverside Cafe, we negotiated passage to Tobacco Caye, a small, 5-acre island that sounded like it offered the perfect mix of laid-back R&R, and easy snorkeling access to Belize’s famed barrier reef.

A half hour’s boat ride from Dangriga, we reached Tobacco Caye. There are actually 6 different places to stay on the 5-acre island. We had heard that Paradise Lodge was a good place to stay, but in Dangriga we heard good reports of Tobacco Caye Lodge, and specifically that they served the tastiest meals!

Our bungalow was set just a few yards back from the water, with views out to the reef and beyond. It was clean, comfortable, and had a hammock and a couple of chairs on the front porch – perfect for watching the ocean, or kicking back and reading a good book!

And for dinner the first night? Fresh local lobster served in the tail! That’s when we knew for sure we’d made the right choice! We stayed 3 days, snorkeling right off the beach in the channel out through the reef, eating great food, chatting with other guests and the friendly locals, and hanging on that front porch with a good book! And on our last night, we were treated to some impromptu Garifuna drumming – with rythhyms that harkened right back to Africa!

Learning Spanish – a recipe for success!

By RM | July 9, 2009 | Comments 0 Comment

Most of us already know, at least in theory, that the best way to learn a foreign language is by immersion, but in June 2009 I got to put that theory to the test when my teenage daughter and I enrolled for a week at Escuela Cooperativa Spanish School in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala.

Staying with a local family in the small town of San Pedro, set on the shores of Lake Atitlan, and spending 4 hours a day in one on one Spanish instruction tailored to your level of expertise ( or lack thereof!) proved a wonderful way to dramatically improve our Spanish in a very short amount of time.

Escuela Cooperativa classroom, San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala

While expanding my knowledge of Spanish well beyond its previous limit of ordering tacos, my teacher Luis and I discussed the history, geography, and social politics of Guatemala, all in Spanish. And my daughter was able to discuss everything from fashion to social customs with her teacher, Flory, as they worked together to review and expand her high school Spanish.

View of Lake Atitlan from Escuela Cooperativa

Outside of class, we got to practice our expanded Spanish with our very hospitable new ‘family’ – who were all quick to offer suggestions or corrections as we struggled to practice our new skills at mealtimes. Since we just had class 4 hours a day, we also had plenty of time to explore the small town of San Pedro, visit the nearby village of San Juan, kayak on Lake Atitlan, and even take a trip to the colorful market at Chichicastenango a couple of hours drive away.

While a 2 or 3 week stay at Escuela Cooperativa would have led to even greater improvement in our Spanish, we both felt that just one week made a notable difference, and our subsequent travels in Guatemala were easier as a result. Now I just need to find some good books to read, in relatively simple Spanish, to solidify my learning! Any suggestions?