In This Issue
Mother Daughter trips
Travel Blogs
Hiking in the Mountains
Have anything to barter?
Important newsflash about airlines
Website of Interest
Help Spread the Word
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Trips with Early Bird Discounts Expiring by May 15
Trekking in Bhutan, October 2 - 28 (April 2)
Island Hopping in Greece, October 3 - 11 (April 3)
Hiking the Northern Cascades, August 8 - 15 (April 8)
Hiking the Porkies, August 15 - 19 (April 15)
Summertime in Door County, August 16 - 22 (April 16)
Sea Kayaking Pictured Rocks, August 20, 2009 - August 23, 2009
Backpacking Isle Royale, August 23, 2009 - August 31, 2009
Rock Climbing and Yoga in Colorado, August 23, 2009 - August 26, 2009
White Mountain High, August 30, 2009 - September 3, 2009
Living the Cowgirl Life, September 6, 2009 - September 13, 2009
Autumn Paddling, September 13, 2009 - September 19, 2009
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San Blas camp in Panama
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Ziplining in Panama
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Relaxing at camp
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Sea kayaking
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Mother-Daughter trips
Right before leaving to guide a trip a couple of weeks ago, I helped my mother move into the Assisted Living section of the place where she lives. It was her choice, but I can't tell you how hard that was, as much for me as for her. It's another closing down of possibilities, a final confirmation of the fact that we won't travel together again.
Some of the best memories we share are trips we have done together. It started with a trip to China in 1987, the year after my dad died. Following that we did a 5-day Boundary Waters canoe trip with Woodswomen, an Interhostel trip to Costa Rica, an independent trip to New Zealand, and finally an Elderhostel trip to South Africa when she was 88. We were excellent travel companions. We shared a desire to walk every chance we had, to meet local people outside the structure of the trip, to sample any food we were offered, to try any experience we were offered, and to not worry about the things that inevitably don't go as planned. Although the trips were a little less active than I might have designed, she was as adventurous as I was in every important way.
On the last trip I guided, Rock Climbing and Yoga in Joshua Tree, there was a delightful mother-daughter pair. The mother was 57, the daughter turned 33 on the first day of the trip, and both were new to climbing. I loved watching them encourage and support each other in trying something totally new and it was clear the trip was richer for each because the other was there. It made me wish that my mom and I had started earlier.
I also of course regularly hear mother-daughter horror stories from women who would sooner travel with a pet rat than their mom or kid, so I know how lucky I am. And I also very much enjoy going on trips where I don't know anyone. But the bonds my mother and I forged on our travels have stood us in good stead as I support her during this phase of her journey.
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Travel Blogs
I have very mixed feelings about the way blogs have partially supplanted "real" journalists who have editors and fact checkers. But travel is a perfect topic for bloggers, and indeed, the number of travel blogs has exploded. Inevitably the quality is wildly uneven. What I like about blogs is that they can be quirky and individualistic, which means that what I find charming you might find highly annoying.
Fortunately several organizations have taken it upon themselves to tell you what blogs they think are the best. If you want to explore, here are some places to start: 1) for a carefully selected list, look at the recent Lonely Planet Awards. For less selective options, look at 2) Can't Miss Travel Blogs and Tweeters or 3) 99 of the best travel blogs.
Frankly, I don't have a lot of time to read blogs, but one of my favorites is Christopher Elliot's. He is an ombudsman/troubleshooter/advice giver. As he says, his focus is not on the destination but on the tools you need to get there. A very different one is My Itchy Travel Feet, Donna Hull's blog on baby boomer travel.
Sure, reading blogs can consume way too much time. But destination-focused blogs can give you new ideas, help you decide if you're interested in the area, and give you a feel for a place before you go. And who doesn't need to waste a little time occasionally?
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Hiking in the Mountains
What would you do if you were out hiking and you saw a thunderstorm coming? What's the best way to prevent or treat blisters? How are trekking poles best used? How can you pinpoint where you are with a map and compass? How do you use a map and compass, anyway?
These are all topics we cover on our trips, but if you want a truly in depth introduction, one with an emphasis on experiential education, join us onIntro to Mountain Hiking" July 26-30. Jan Latham and I will be sharing what we've learned from our years of hiking. And yes, we'll hike too!
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Have anything to barter?
Bartering is making a real comeback these days, as people look for ways to save money and make their dollars stretch further. And hey, we're into it! We are particularly interested in women who have skills in marketing (broadly defined), including but not limited to writing, PR, and graphic design. We also need someone to organize our menus and suggest new ones, so that it will be easy to retrieve them, as well as to calculate the amounts that need to be bought depending on group size. And I definitely could use a professional organizer in the local Baltimore area. I'm also open to hearing other ideas, so if you have one, just email me at marian@goodadventure.com.
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Important newsflash about airlines
Prices on airline tickets have been dropping so dramatically recently that some people are reluctant to lock in a price now because it might go lower later. Now Orbitz and Priceline are guaranteeing to refund the difference if the price later decreases. This article in the New York Times talks about that, airlines, and Yapta. When I first started looking for a ticket to Rome this May, I was delighted to find one for $600. By the time I bought it, it was $512. And it cost even less because I had the voucher from Continental for $169 that I received when Yapta alerted me to a price drop on my ticket to Hawaii last fall. I don't think this will last. At some point there will be fewer airlines, fewer flights, and higher fares - but it sure is fun now!
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Website of Interest
I came across HIK3R (http://www.hik3r.com/) during my Twittering experience (I still don't know what I think about Twitter so I'm not going to write about it yet). It describes itself as "your place for the best and most up-to-date hiking news, reviews, photos, and videos." It seems to be mostly user-generated, by individuals and companies, and contains information on all things related to hiking. Very interesting!
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Help Spread the Word
Anyone who has been on a trip that I've guided knows that I am terrible at promoting Adventures in Good Company to women who see what fun we're having and want to know more. I'm trying to get better, but it just doesn't come naturally. Fortunately there is often someone on the trip who is willing to do that (like you, Diane), and several times someone has suggested that we make up cards that women could give to people they meet. So we did! They're like business cards, but without a specific name attached. Please email me if you would like some and we'll get them in the mail to you. And thanks for helping spread the word.
April is one of the most beautiful months in Baltimore! I hope your spring is equally beautiful and that whenever you start to feel overwhelmed, you get outside and remind yourself that rebirth, at all levels, is an inevitable part of the natural cycle.
-Marian, for all the guides at Adventures in Good Company
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