Posts Tagged With ‘ Adventure Travel ’

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Writer Since Covid hit our shores, travel insurance has become more important than ever. While it is true flight delays have lessened, flights are still a huge variable when you travel. Travel delays, as well as trip interruptions and cancellations, are not just frustrating and inevitable, they can be life altering. Which means that choosing to have travel insurance could not only protect your budget should you have to rebook at the last possible minute due to flight cancellations, but can also be lifesaving, should you have a health emergency outside... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Mobility issues are a problem for many Boomers. I am no exception, so I have investigated ways of ensuring that I don’t take a fall that puts me out of commission.  If you, like me, find you need to be in nature and feel the cooling breeze caressing your skin while you walk, take heart. Don’t let a mobility issue stop you from doing what you need to feel happy and content. I had to acknowledge that I can’t do what I used to do in the same way. I would like to share some of the things that will help you keep Moving, and in shape for a... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Hanalei Bay today. Linda Ballou photo When I lived on the North Shore in 1978, there was not one home on the shore of horseshoe-shaped Hanalei Bay. The notorious Taylor Camp treehouse colony, populated by hippies living off the land, was in full swing. The now famous Tahiti Nui featured in the film The Descendants was a hole in the wall. I could hike the Kalalau Trail, tracing the rugged Nāpali Coast up to the roaring Hanakapi’ai Falls, and take a dip in the pool below, without seeing another soul. I never made it to the site of the sacred... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Po‘ipū Cost Walk. Linda Ballou photo.  Po‘ipū is the favored spot by visitors to the Island because it guarantees full blown sunny beach days. In 1978 Po‘ipū Beach was a deep azure plunge where I floated in ecstasy. But in 1992 Hurricane Iniki carved out a new coastline. Today the crescent shaped white sand beach is still a favorite of sun worshippers, but the water is shallow with a bottom littered with coral rocks. It is popular with snorkelers and small children but is no longer the best swimming beach on the South Shore. Numerous... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate As a young woman, I had dropped out of society and landed on the North Shore of Kaua‘i. It was a head-spinning transformative time in my life. There, I was introduced to people experimenting with alternate lifestyles and those leading highly creative lives. After a year of Island life, I was brimming with good health and ready to face the future. Now, 45 years on, I yearned to return to the nurturing clime to know how both the Island and I have changed. Arboretum, in Kapa’a back county. Linda Ballou photo. Kaua’i is lush with foliage,... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Linda’s shot of a couple of happy, young locals, or Ticos, as the Costa Rican natives call themselves. Costa Rica, the poster child of eco-tourism, has so many fun, outdoor adventures options it’s hard to choose. Twenty-five percent of the country is preserved habitat to ensure the continuation of the unique flora and fauna found in species-rich forests.  Multiple changes in altitude and temperature create many micro-climates that are responsible for Costa Rica’s diversity. Extending and gracious people, Ticos, as locals call themselves,... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Readers, I am working on a new book, which is very close to publication, to be called Lost Angel Unleashed: Stories From the Heart, as well as my Lost Angel Adventure Series. Today I’d like to share some of my very favorite places to visit in one of my favorite cities, Santa Barbara. I hope you will enjoy my list and will consider visiting this charming city soon. Please check out the links for more information… State Street Promenade — A Taste of Europe Santa Barbara’s State Street The heart of Downtown Santa Barbara’s entertainment... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Travel Is Opening Up, All Around the World I’ve just returned from the Adventure Travel Show, and am delighted to report that the travel industry is roaring back with a vengeance.  Airlines are ramping up flights, training and hiring pilots, and upgrading infrastructure to keep up with the demand. Twenty-five new ships for leisure travelers will set sail this year. But, with this frenzy to meet the pent-up demand for travel experiences comes higher prices and over-burdened service workers. How do we best navigate the age of disruption?... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Linda Ballou’s book, ‘Embrace of the Wild,’ flanked by two books by Isabella Bird. Isabella Bird was a Victorian-age explorer whose time has come again! The best-loved travel writer of her day wrote effusively about her travels in Estes Park in A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains. Three books about her were published in 2021, including my historical novel Embrace of the Wild. In April I was honored to be selected as the “Isabella Bird Expert” for the upcoming BBC documentary “Trailblazers,” a series spotlighting heroic... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Fishing in Evergreen on Bear Creek. Just 34 miles up sweeping I 70 from Denver lies Evergreen, a popular stop for folks wanting to breathe deeply of crisp, pine-scented air.  Forward-thinking Denver elders forged out huge open spaces for hikers and bikers in this area. A myriad of trail networks lace the hills surrounding the rustic mountain town. I hiked in Dedisse Park on an undulating trail through a forest overlooking the Evergreen Lake. Expect to meet mountain bikers and other hikers on the trails. Evergreen is a hub of outdoor fun and... Continue Reading