Hiking
If you enjoy hiking, you’ll love Tucson. Since the city is surrounded by five mountain ranges and bordered by two halves of a national park, there are seemingly endless opportunities to get out and experience nature. A small group of us went in January, when the weather in Tucson is typically perfect for outdoor activity. Tucson enjoys 350 days of sunshine per year and fortunately the rays were out in full force while we were there. We stayed at the Downtown Clifton Hotel as our base. It has a cool vibe and the staff there are all very attentive. I [...]
In upstate New York, the Finger Lakes region brings together two fabulous experiences for an active traveler like me who likes a tasting reward at the end of a hike – numerous trails that lead to waterfalls (literally hundreds of them!) and a wine region with lots of vineyards for tastings. And get this - many of the wineries also produce their own craft beer, so if you would rather go that route to quench your thirst after a day of hiking, that is an option too in the Finger Lakes. There are several of these long (yet deep) Lakes [...]
South Dakota offers dynamic scenery and iconic national landmarks and it should be high on your adventure list if you haven’t already been. Fly into Rapid City and you’ll be situated a little over an hour drive from Badlands National Park on the east, and about a half hour from the Black Hills area on the west, featuring the Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. My travel buddy Chris and I headed out first towards Badlands National Park. On the entire drive there from Rapid City you’ll see colorful road signs about every mile or so encouraging you to stop at Wall Drug [...]
Some long-distance walking trails can be religious or spiritual in nature such as the Camino de Santiago in Spain or the Kumano Kodo in Japan. They can also be a great way to get fit and lose weight or to simply decompress and re-center as part of an inward and outward journey. For history buffs, and/or lovers of all things Roman, there’s one that stands out from all the rest and it’s called The Hadrian’s Wall Path – an 84 mile coast-to-coast trail in northern England that follows an ancient Roman wall that was built in AD122 by the Roman emperor Hadrian [...]
America’s National Parks are a unique part of our country’s identity and cultural heritage. No matter who you are, where you live, or how you live; the national parks welcome everybody as one and seem to strip away our differences and bond us together as admirers of the majestic outdoors and mother nature. Our national parks can be a force for health, healing, joy, and unity. Our group’s goal was to find a high volume of national parks within a fairly close radius of each other and do some hiking in each one over a week’s time period. We found [...]
For thousands of years, a venerated Shinto Buddhism shrine in the Kii mountain range of Japan has been a place to visit for millions of pilgrims. All levels of society, including retired emperors and aristocrats, have made the walking journey to this shrine. The walk itself was an integral part of the pilgrimage process as they undertook rigorous religious rites of worship and purification. These pilgrims used a network of routes, now called the Kumano Kodo, which stretched across the mountainous Kii Peninsula in Western Honshu. In 2004, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes were registered as UNESCO World Heritage, and a twinning program [...]
Still one of my favorite national parks in the United States, Joshua Tree sits just about a 90 minute drive from Los Angeles, and is truly "other-wordly" feeling when you're there. Joshua Tree National Park is characterized by rugged rock formations and stark desert landscapes. Named for the region’s twisted, bristled Joshua trees, the park straddles the cactus-dotted Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert, which is higher and cooler. Keys View looks out over the Coachella Valley. Hiking trails weave through the boulders of Hidden Valley. The park offers visitors endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. Depending on the number of hours you [...]
Only a little more than an hour's drive from Los Angeles is a valley that features beautiful scenery, ubiquitous citrus groves, world-famous spas, hiking and biking trails, and a charming little historic town full of restaurants, shops and galleries. It's Ojai - and it's the perfect spot for a quick getaway from the Los Angeles area. Start your day by renting a bike for 2 hours (about $25) at The Mob Shop in downtown Ojai. They'll give you an easy-to-follow map of a scenic, 10-mile, paved bike path loop that meanders around the edge of town and goes up a little into [...]
March 28-April 5, 2016 - Jack hosted a group of 22 adventure travelers on a trip of a lifetime to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.
Well, the inaugural HIKE THE HOLY LAND tour just returned from our adventure, and a mix of 22 people from NoHo, LA and other parts of the USA had a rich, unforgettable experience in the Holy Land that tantalized all of our senses, reawakened our spirits and faith, and inspired us in ways that are still moving us deep inside. We walked the land on nature trails and footpaths of history, including the Jesus Trail which runs from Nazareth where he grew up, to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee, where he practiced his ministry. The Battir Trail, which lies between Bethlehem [...]