As frequent campers, we are always in search of the right tools. With all of our extensive BBQing, dutch oven cooking, and campfires, tongs are an often used, and handy tool. Thus, we were thrilled to see our friends at Life Remotely had come up with the ultimate expedition tongs. Apparently bored after completing their drive down the PanAm Highway and finishing their wonderful camp cookbook, Forks in the Road, they decided to create the perfect tong duo.
As I stepped out of the camper, I saw Jim already had a warming fire roaring. Porter, luxuriating in the warmth of his new coat, lay curled up on his camp pad asleep. Aspen inched closer to my chair, ever the lap Lab, wanting to be as close as possible.
Two young kids, longing for adventure, meet up in an abandoned house, the lone members of the “Spirit of Adventure” club. They grow up, marry, and dream of traveling to Paradise Falls in South America. But, reality intervenes, and each time their savings jar is filling, a problem occurs, a broken down car, a hospital visit, you know, adult stuff.
Australia, that enchanting land down under, where everyone has a great accent, looks like Hugh Jackman, and life is a beach. Or is it? I only recently realized in the 190-plus blogs I have posted on Next Big Adventure, only one has been about Australia, and that was simply a foto-Friday of Whitehaven Beach. Why, after spending over six weeks driving the East Coast of the country, did I feel compelled to write nothing???~
We are not shy about proclaiming our great love for off-season camping. Nearly empty campgrounds and open beaches bring a smile to our face and joy to our heart. Add in a full moon, mid-50’s temps and no rain (in Oregon in January!) and we were in. For the first time in nearly two years we were joined by Jim’s sister Wendy, her husband and Jim’s best friend, Ken, and their two furbabies, Jenny and Lexi. Ken had recently returned from his second deployment in two years and also included a few of people in his unit, who joined in with their families.
Now, in mid-winter, I am feeling housebound and contained, wanting to be out hiking in the wilderness, sitting around a campfire, and sleeping that deep sleep that comes after a day in nature. Here, an inspiring memory of hiking Mt. Cook, New Zealand, surely one of the most beautiful places in the world. I can’t wait for that next “first steps” on the trail feeling.
BALANCE – We all search for it in our lives. The ancient Indian principles of Ayurveda focuses on finding it. In Eat,Pray,Love, Liz Gilbert travels to three continents in search for it. Most of the time, I feel relatively balanced, but the last couple of months I’ve been struggling.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this tee-shirt says it all. Live Simply. Eat. Sleep. Camp. I would add Love but hey, who am I to argue with greatness!
Africa, a continent of magic. Often referred to as the “Birthplace of Humanity”, it is a land that has drawn me back again and again. Of the many fascinating regions of this vast continent, one of the most compelling is Etosha National Park, set in North-central Namibia. Etosha means “place of dry water”, an excellent description. The semi-arid savannah, full of thorn scrub, is very flat and very dry. All of which equals extraordinary wildlife viewing. The park covers over 22750 KM, and is home to hundreds of species of animals.
Autumn sunsets on the Oregon coast. They don’t get much better than this!
