travel – Page 23 – PalmTreeMusings

Hiking the Appalachian Trail

March 30, 2014May 19, 2023Posted in hiking, North AmericaTagged Amicalola Falls State Park, Appalachian Trail, best things to do in, Chris Hikes the AT, hiking, Springer Mountain, travel, travel blog1 Comment

Deah and Chris AT Georgia Springer Mountain Appalachian Trail

Chris (my partner) is set to hike the Appalachian Trail for the next few months. For the past month he’s been reading all about the trail and what to pack and what food to buy. He’s a pretty experienced camper and hiker already, so he pretty much knows what to do. Last week he purchased all his food for the first month and got it all measured out and packed away. And finally this weekend we drove down to Georgia to get him started.

one week food preparation for appalachian trail hiker — Food for a week

woman at AT Approach Sign West Ridge Staircase — Food for a week

We stayed at Amicalola Falls State Park lodge, one of the two main places that people start the trail. The AT actually starts at Springer Mountain, GA, but there is an 8 mile approach trail that leads from Amicalola Falls to the trailhead. While we were at Amicalola, of course, we visited the waterfall, a bit of a tradition with us (no arrests this time!).

amicalola falls georgia appalachian trail — Amicalola Falls

hiker at the appalachian trail approach sign springer mountain — Amicalola Falls

On Saturday morning we drove to Springer Mountain and parked. From the parking lot, it is .9 miles to the southern terminus, so I hiked that part with him. He signed in at the registry, put on his pack, and off he went. I drove back to Virginia, stopping at Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina, to deliver his first resupply package, and I also drove through Hot Springs NC, where I will connect with him in two weeks, along with a Trail Days festival there.

hiker signing registry appalachian trail springer mountain southern terminus appalachian trail georgia — At the southern terminus

hikers at southern terminus appalachian trail springer mountain georgia — At the southern terminus

A little trail history: the trail officially began in 1935, after the US government purchased bits and pieces of land to make one long continuous trail/park. About 2,000 people try to hike the entire length each year. About 17% succeed. The trail is 2,1083 miles long.

hiker starting appalachian trail springer mountain georgia — Off he goes!

Good luck to all the hikers this year! You can do it!

Christmas in the Galapagos

December 31, 2013March 20, 2022Posted in South AmericaTagged best things to do in, budget travel Galapagos, diving, Ecuador, Galápagos Islands, sea lions, travel, travel blog1 Comment

lady sitting next to sea lion on bench in galapagos

Another one crossed off our bucket list! From DC, we flew to Quito, then to the islands. We met another couple, Ben and Jo, right off as we were checking into our guest house. We wound up spending most of the next week doing day tours with them. As we had not booked anything in advance besides our a few nights at our guesthouse, we found it fairly easy to roam around town and see what options were open, and then book on the spot. On our first day on the island, we snorkeled off of San Cristobal island, and swam with baby sea lions (so cute!).

underwater sea lion galapagos scuba diving

The next day, we took a ferry over to Isabela Island and visited the underwater lava caves and saw white tipped sharks, equatorial penguins, and flamingos. It was super hot that day, even though it was December, and I wound up getting a sunburn. Ouch!

equatorial penguins galapagos islands — Equatorial Penguins

couple on boat ferry Galapagos Islands — Equatorial Penguins

flamingo drinking water at Galapagos Islands — Flamingo

We visited two turtle breeding hatcheries, part of the national park, and saw ancient land turtles as well.

We went diving at Gordon’s Rocks and saw a huge sunfish, several manta rays, hammerhead sharks, and giant sea turtles.

barracuda school underwater scuba diving galapagos

And everywhere we went, we saw blue footed boobies, tons of playful sea lions, iguanas sunning themselves, and frigate birds freewheeling in the breeze.

sea lions sunning on steps galapagos islands — Sea Lions sunning on the Steps

Blue Footed Booby on rocks Galapagos Islands — Sea Lions sunning on the Steps

iguana face galapagos islands — Iguanas laze in the hot sun

pelicans flying at fish market Galapagos — Iguanas laze in the hot sun

It was a great vacation and words don’t do it justice, so I’ll just add some photos- they speak for themselves. The best part? Making two new travel friends. We can’t wait to get together with Ben and Jo again soon.

Couple next to giant turtle statue Galapagos — A really giant turtle!

Adventure in Arizona: Grand Canyon and Sedona

November 30, 2013March 20, 2022Posted in North AmericaTagged 89A, Arizona, best things to do in, flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Montezuma Castle, Phoenix road trip, Sedona, Sedona road trip, Taliesin West, travel, travel blogLeave a comment

It was cool getting to go see the Grand Canyon as an adult, and also revisiting places in Arizona I hadn’t been in ten years. Also great to see one of my best friends, Nicole, and her family. Chris and I flew out for Thanksgiving weekend and arrived in Phoenix on Tuesday night. We caught up with Nicole and Mark, and the next morning we did a little Phoenix exploring- Frank Lloyd Wright’s UNESCO World Heritage Site Taliesin West, established in 1937- and then the Montezuma Castle National Park, nearly 1000 years old. Because Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun is so spread out, if you’re looking to visit, you will most likely want to rent a car to visit Phoenix, and nearby attractions.

couple in front of frank lloyd wright taliesin west arizona — At Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West

Montezuma Castle National Monument Arizona cliff dwellings — At Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West

The next morning, we headed up windy 89A and visited the canyons of Sedona and all the cool rock formations such as coffeepot rock, Cathedral rock, Courthouse Butte, etc, as well as the Chapel of the Holy Cross- is there a prettier chapel in America?- and my favorite bridge, Midgely Bridge, spanning Oak Creek Canyon. We stayed up on Airport Mesa at a little place called Sky Ranch Lodge, an absolute gem. We had a fantastic meal right next door at the Airport Grill- but shhhh! Let’s keep these hidden parts of Sedona a secret.

Woman standing in front of Midgley Bridge — Midgley Bridge

Chapel of the Holy Cross Oak Creek Canyon Sedona Arizona — Midgley Bridge

On Thursday we drove through Flagstaff- I did wonder if my dollar bill that I had tacked up in Collins’ Irish pub way back in 1998 was still there- and then on to the Grand Canyon, where we spent the day hiking around the southern rim and riding the bus around the national park. What a grand vista. It is truly mind boggling to think of time and the elements on that kind of scale.

Grand Canyon, Arizona — The Grandest Canyon

woman in white coat in front of grand canyon — The Grandest Canyon

The next day, we spent the morning around Sedona, and then we took the long way back to Phoenix, passing through Jerome and Prescott and other little towns, winding up back at Nicole’s in time to have Thanksgiving leftovers and chat with them. It was a great long weekend and a lovely look at some of Arizona’s finest features.

Autumn Adventures around NoVa

November 5, 2013May 19, 2023Posted in North AmericaTagged best things to do in, biking, Halloween, northern Virginia, travel, travel blog, Virginia, Washington dcLeave a comment

Deah and Chris, Congress trip, Washington DC

Some of my new friends are complaining that I never post any pictures of life in the US here, so I don’t want to disappoint. Being home is super fun! Here are some adventures I’ve had in the last few months while hanging around Northern Virginia.

I’ve been riding my bike more often- I did a very fun 25 mile ride with some friends in Dover, Delaware in September, and this past weekend I did a 56 mile ride to the end of the Washington/Old Dominion trail here in Virginia. The nice thing about getting out on a bike is being out in the fresh air, enjoying the fall weather, and not having it hurt every fiber of my body, like running does.

bikers taking a break eastern shore bike ride — Dover Delaware Ride

five ladies bikers eating pie eastern shore virginia — Dover Delaware Ride

Man biking on Washington Old Dominion Trail Leesburg WOD Virginia — Riding the WOD out to Purcellville

purcellville bike trail washington old dominion biking leesburg virginia WOD — Riding the WOD out to Purcellville

Speaking of running, I did the Army 10 Miler with my sweetheart and some friends, but due to security measures, couldn’t take my phone with me to get pics. But we kicked ass at 2 hours, 11 seconds.
The fall weather up here does something amazing to the trees. We don’t have beautiful fall leaves down in Texas- they just turn brown and fall off. Here in NoVa, they turn sunny yellow, brilliant orange, fiery red, majestic purple, and some just stay a glossy green. Really. It’s very beautiful, and it makes my daily drive home on Fairfax County Parkway really great.

fall foliage leaf peeping virginia — Beautiful fall foliage in Northern Virginia

Fall trees, northern Virginia NOVA — Beautiful fall foliage in Northern Virginia

Last week, I took a day off work to do some things, and wound up in a corner of DC that I had never been to, and ran smack into (not literally) the Washington National Cathedral. I had heard of it but never really seen a picture of it or been to it. Wow! What a gorgeous cathedral. I can’t wait to go check it out with some friends and tour it. We also were able to visit the US Capitol on a school field trip, and I took Chris along as a chaperon. We met the representative from our district.

National Cathedral exterior in the fall leaves — National Cathedral

Washington DC National Cathedral — National Cathedral

And, of course, my favorite event of all time occurs around this time each year: Halloween/ my birthday. Accompanying that is decorating the house, carving pumpkins (this year I did some drilling!), dressing up, and going to Oktoberfest (where we volunteered for the city of Reston’s Oktoberfest at the wine tent). And getting a year old, which turns out to not be so bad (so far).

painted pumpkin decoration halloween — tape+paint+pumpkin=fun

drilled hole pumpkin decoration halloween — tape+paint+pumpkin=fun

couple dressed as sheik and german beer girl halloween — Celebrating Halloween

From Colombia to Panama: Hiking the Ciudad Perdida and Sailing the San Blas Islands

August 14, 2013March 20, 2022Posted in Caribbean, South AmericaTagged best things to do in, ciudad del perdida, Colombia, panama, Panama Canal, sailboat Colombia to Panama, San blas islands, South America, travel, travel blog1 Comment

woman with lobster sailboat panama sailing

What a fun two weeks! And yet exhausting! We flew down to Colombia, landed in Barranquilla, and stayed at the Puerta del Sol hotel for one night- very nice! Then a bus ride to Santa Marta, where we prepared for our hike to the Ciudad Perdida. Previously in territory that was dangerously close to the FARC rebel group, this hike takes hikers to the remnants of a hidden city deep in the jungle. The hike itself was 46 kilometers over four days, and involved hiking up – and then back down- three large mountains and crossing six rivers- or the same river six different times, I’m not sure. Between the rain each day, the intestinal discomfort that eventually reached every single one of our group, and the heatstroke that took out one of our group, it was very challenging and at times absolutely exhausting, but I made it and getting to see the ruins of a 7th century city was amazing. And I learned that sleeping in hammocks isn’t so bad.

green fields ciudad perdida Colombia — Chris and Deah, hiking to the Ciudad Perdida

Chris and Deah, hiking to the Ciudad Perdida

man crossing river with rope line ciudad perdida colombia — After a heavy rainstorm, this river was treacherous to cross

hiker ciudad perdida colombia trail wooden bridge over stream — After a heavy rainstorm, this river was treacherous to cross

After the hike and a day of recovery in the quaint town of Santa Marta, we went to Cartagena de Indies to enjoy the beach and the old walled city. I liked the cobbled streets from the old section and seeing how it’s been revitalized and still retained its quaintness. Home to writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a visitor so taken by the charm of the city once remarked to the famous author “You’re just a notary without imagination”.

Caragena Old Town walls at night Colombia — Cartagena Old Town

fortress in colombia cannon — Cartagena Old Town

Ready for some ocean action, we signed on to take a sailboat to Panama. We loaded up with supplies, met our captain and the other couple sailing with us, and set sail. The first two days were ocean crossing, and a bit rough, but we made it through and the last two days were blissful sailing and swimming around the beautiful San Blas islands. Snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, sailing, and lobster to eat- what more can be asked of a vacation? Plus a bottle of Medellin rum, shared four ways.

couple paddle board san blas islands sailboats panama — Paddling around the San Blas Islands

Finally we left our sailboat and made our way in to Panama City, where we went to see the engineering marvel that is the Panama Canal. We enjoyed staying at the Central Park Hotel and Casino and especially their shower and their bed that did not go up and down with the swells. We toured the museum at the Canal, and watched several really large cargo container ships pass through. They are building a second set of locks that will accommodate boats up to three times bigger! That is incredible. All too soon it was time to head home, although to be honest, this time I think was ready to get back to normal life for a while.