activities

Exploring in Your Own Backyard

November 22, 2011 By Jillian

What do you do with out of town guests when they come to visit? The zoo? A park? A historical attraction? We all have the “tourist” locations in our own hometowns, usually it’s a place you never go to except when you have visitors. When we lived in Washington, DC we became so tired of the museums on the mall that we completely stopped going, even with guests. Now that we’ve moved away I read my Smithsonian magazine each month and get excited about the temporary exhibits. Surely they’re not that much more interesting now that I’ve moved away– I’m just not fatigued with my own back yard.

It’s the time of year when friends and family start to visit- where will you go to entertain them? Here are some places and activities I’m looking forward to exploring in my own back yard. What’s on your list?

Florida’s Everglades

I’ve been to Everglades National Park and I’ve done the touristy swamp boats, but I’d love to grab a map, a cooler and an air boat and spend the day exploring the wilderness on my own. The park encompasses only the southern 25 percent of the original marshlands.

Dry Tortugas National Park

This is probably one of the least visited National Parks in the country- it’s 70 miles west of Key West and the only transportation is via boat or sea plane. 46% of Dry Tortugas National Park is Research Natural Area. I’m fascinated that we have a national park on a remote island–sign me up for a camping trip!

Pick-Your-Own Oranges

I’m a big fan of pick-your-own anything. Now that we’re situated in Florida I’m hoping we can find a pick-your-own Orange orchard. Ideally it would look something like this vintage postcard… just with an alligator or two around the lake for you know, authenticity. I can just hear myself now- there’s orange marmalade, orange cake, orange cookies, orange juice, orange zest, orange chicken, orange fish…..

Photo Credit: Everglades- flickr user Blathazira, Dry Tortugas- flickr user dominic sherony, Vintage Orange Post Card- flickr user riptheskill via creative commons licensing.

Playing in the Rain

October 18, 2011 By Danny

What to do with a rainy day on the road? We’re outdoors people and rainy days are often initially at least, lost causes. We can’t walk around and explore a city, and chances are the outdoor act ivies we came to town to do are not in the cards. Sometimes we’re just stuck hanging out. We spent our entire trip trying to avoid rainy season at all costs.

This past weekend we had the pleasure of hosting two out of town guests. All weekend long the weather did nothing but rain, rain and rain. We had some plans to go snorkel in Key Largo as we’d done in the summer, but with the water so choppy all the boat trips were canceled. Our other plan for the outdoors was to do a bit of ocean kayaking and somehow that still happened.

We pulled into Oleta River State Park and before handing over out admission fees I asked if the kayaks were still being rented. It was raining, but no lightning, so we were still a go. We drove ahead, and a few minutes and bathroom breaks later were in kayaks, in the rain, paddling through mangrove trees hoping to spot manatees. IT WAS AWESOME.

Photo Courtesy of BlueMoon Outdoor Center.

We didn’t see any manatees but we did manage to convince our friends that a floating log was an alligator which gave us a pretty good laugh! There were loads of birds including beautiful herons and even an osprey fishing from high above. We were soaked from the brackish water filling the estuary as well as the rain falling on our heads but it didn’t dampen our spirits one bit. When our friends ping-ponged off of a mangrove tree and flipped their canoe they’re first words were: “Ohhhhhhh, I hope the paddle floats! Looks like it does….We’re in business!” By the end of our time we were all quite wet and quite happy. Next up, we changed into dry clothes and took an ‘architectural drive’ down the famous Art Deco streets of South Miami Beach!

Photo Courtesy of Flickr user: Wyntuition.

Some people loathe rainy days and I probably lean more towards loathing than liking but I do appreciate the way a rainy day forces us to be creative and focus more on each other than on an activity. The day could have been a disaster but we were four people who enjoyed one anothers company and that is what made the difference. I’m sure I could go on and on about wild and rainy days around the world, maybe we should turn that a new ishouldlogoff.com column, but right now I think I’d rather hear from some of you. What are you favorite rainy day activities?

Flashback: Colombia

July 28, 2011 By Jillian

I’m going to tell you a secret. I was scared to travel to Colombia. In fact, when we arrived at the airport in Bogota I was sure things were going to end badly. No matter how many people recounted their love for Colombia, I had a hard time getting over my stereotypes.

That was until we met our couchsurfing hosts. They immediately welcomed us into their home with such warmth and hospitality, I was completely blown away. They turned out to be only the tip of the iceberg, everyone we met in Colombia was overwhelmingly friendly, hospitable and genuinely kind. People went out of their way to speak with us on buses and even on the commuter train in Bogota, a place where in the US you don’t speak to anyone! We received countless offers to come for coffee, of assistance and even offers to stay in people’s homes. These were genuine offers, offers that I wish we could have accepted.

When we arrived in Bogota I felt like I had been pushed into the decision to come to Colombia. Buyers remorse I guess, but I seriously questioned whether we had gone too far in our attempt to get off the beaten path. As our taxi weaved through the streets, I was sure we were about to be kidnapped, I had read every horror story on the web, I knew how these cons worked. We weren’t kidnapped, we weren’t robbed by a gun toting drug cartel, in fact we weren’t even hassled by street vendors. It wasn’t the drug cartel run country I was expecting.

Colombia, was for me, not only an amazing travel experience, but also the country that single handedly taught me what off the beaten track could be. It doesn’t have to be an uncomfortable living on the edge experience. I went paragliding for the first time (and learned a new Spanish word -acro- in the process), swam in the coldest waterfall I’ve ever experienced, biked 40 miles in the hot tropical sun and saw what is still today the most breathtaking museum in the world (Museo de Oro). Locals sang Happy Birthday to me in San Gil, I drank chicha and I learned that cheese and hot chocolate really aren’t a bad combination.

Colombia shattered my stereotypes. That’s not to say its a secure paradise. It is not for sure, but for all my fear, it was nothing like the wild west I was expecting. Although we’ve had friends who have been robbed in Colombia, I stand resolute in saying that it’s no more dangerous than anywhere else in South America. Colombians constantly offered safety advice on travel routes and I was duly impressed by their determination to push past their recent experience.

To be truly humbled in your life is an experience you’ll never forget. For me, the Colombian people did more than break down my stereotypes; they fundamentally changed the way I think about places, people and things. Colombia so fundamentally changed my way of thinking that the next time an opportunity arose at going to a “dangerous” country, I weighed the risks quite differently than I had before. Some of those “dangerous” countries we went to, others we skipped, but I took the time to really assess the information not just go with my prejudice. Those were some of our favorite countries of the trip, and as we flashback to them I hope I can do them justice.

Nature Deficit Disorder

June 14, 2011 By Jillian

Is it possible that not spending enough time outside shortens your lifespan? According to author and journalist, Richard Louv, yes. In 2005, he coined the term for his book, Last Child in the Woods in which he argued that modern children spend so much time indoors that the lack of nature results in a wide variety of behavior problems and is partially responsible for their decreasing lifespan.

Even if you aren’t a person that enjoys the outdoors, ponder the question for a moment. Can being inside all the time shorten your lifespan? I know as we traveled around the world a few days in a vibrant and chaotic major city always made us yearn for someplace more peaceful and quiet. Was it our brains reacting to nature or just a personal preference?

There’s plenty of research out there to suggest that children benefit developmentally from outdoor learning experiences and it’s not a far stretch to connect being outdoors with lower risk for childhood obesity and possibly ADD- the squirrels just don’t run away that fast. Another author, Edward Wilson coined the term, biophilia hypothesis, or the instinctive bond humans have with nature. He states that we are the product of biological evolution, that our preferences are the product of evolution- we have plants in our home because they help us survive (we can eat them).

I have friends that declare themselves indoor people and I think they’d be happy to be afflicted with nature deficit disorder. Their declaration never bothered me; I just assumed nature was a personal preference. Sure, I feel a personal connection to nature, but that doesn’t mean you have to have one, or so I thought until I heard about these theories.

Is there such thing as nature deficit disorder? Is the biophilia hypothesis true, or even provable? Louv’s term has never been accepted by medical manuals, and yet it makes sense to me. I believe that my connection to nature helps me lead a healthier and more active life. Then again, I am the product of two outdoor nuts whose idea of vacation involved camping in the woods. Is my connection more than just a product of my environment though? Is it a deeper human connection to the Earth? I’m not so sure.

What are your thoughts? You, our readers, are an incredibly diverse bunch of people from all over the world, so let me ask you- do you believe there is such a thing as nature deficit disorder? What about biophilia hypothesis? Do you feel a connection to nature? Do you seek out green space?

Unusual things to do in Shanghai

June 5, 2011 By Guest Blogger

It may be a surprise to learn that in Shanghai, the world’s most populous city, there can be found both a lake and a mountain.

Silver Shovel Lake and Iron Arm Mountain are man-made features of the parkland to the west of the city, and have been designed to transplant nature into the cityscape. They are part of Changfeng Park. Designed in 1958, it boasts a tranquil cherry blossom garden, ornate lily ponds, a fragrant Chinese Rose Garden and examples of significant contemporary sculpture. The Changfeng Ocean Aquarium, a fairly recent addition in 1999 homes over 10,000 species in its sapphire waters. Beluga Whales from the icy oceans of the Arctic and sleek river otters from mainland Asia are just a couple of its vast variety of species. Most notable, however, is its shark tank.

Changfeng is home to the largest collection of sharks in the world, with over 100 animals in total, including huge razor-jawed tiger sharks and aggressive white-tip reef sharks that look as though they’ve mistakenly dipped the very top edge of their dorsal fins in emulsion. If viewing the sharks isn’t a sufficient thrill, it’s possible to participate in the toe-curling Changfeng shark diving program. It must be booked two days in advance, and includes a tour of the aquarium, shark feeding, an exhilarating scuba dive among the giant predators with a qualified instructor, and even the opportunity to find and keep natural shark teeth from the habitat as fearsome mementos. (Editors note: too adventurous or right up your alley?)

The psychedelic tunnel in Shanghai is another experience which can’t easily be replicated. At least, not without the special effects team from an 80’s film and a fistful of hallucinogens. A glass car transports you through an underwater tunnel from Bund in Puxi to the base of the Oriental Pearl Tower in Pudong. The walls of the tunnel are illuminated by strobing lasers, rainbow phosphorescence and shadow projections, all accompanied by an ambient soundtrack and quirky audio commentary. It costs around 50Rmb ($7.50) , but as a one-off is essential.

Jinjiang Amusement Park opens its gates in late July and runs to September, from 8am until 9pm, daily Admission is a humble 70Rmb ($10.50), and travel links to Xuhui in the southwest of Shanghai are exemplary, after all, it is the transportation hub of the city, served by the expressway, railway and over 20 main bus routes. The park has many traditional rides such as bumper cars and a rollercoaster, along with a 108 metre high Ferris wheel with giant colourful lamps illuminating its colossal spokes to resemble a spinning star of glow sticks at night. More modern attractions include the thrilling Space Shot, the Spinning Coaster and Log Flume. For smaller children, rides such as the magical Joyland and the charming ornamental merry-go-round are sure to make them feel spoiled. The stunning parkland includes cafés and restaurants serving refreshing cups of tea or cooling drinks around which to wrap your whitened knuckles at the end of the day.

So, what unusual things would you do in Shanghai?

Author: Thanks to Iain Miller for today’s post. If you’re an adventurous traveler interested in writing for IShouldLogOff, contact us at info [at] ishouldlogoff.com or check our submission guidelines.

Photo Credits: Diving picture from Expat Shanghai, Neon signs from Netflights.