• Home
  • About
    • Who We are
    • Affiliates
    • Disclosures & Guidelines
    • FAQs
    • Privacy Notice
  • Funding Your Travels
    • Banking on the Road
    • Credit Cards in Our Wallet
    • Spending
  • Contact
    • Media
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Partnership Opportunities

i should log off

log off and live!

  • Travel & Planning
    • Travel Reflections
      • Good, Bad & Ugly
      • Re-Entry
    • Travel Resources
      • Travel Tips
      • Travel Bloggers
    • Reviews
      • Gear
      • Operators
      • Travel Clothing
    • Travel Gear
      • Cameras
      • Danny’s Clothes
      • Electronics
      • Health & Hygiene
      • Jillian’s Clothes
      • General Gear
  • Destinations
    • Travel Guides
    • Africa
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Lesotho
      • Kenya
      • Malawi
      • Morocco
      • Mozambique
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
      • Sudan
      • Swaziland
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
      • Zimbabwe
    • Asia & Oceania
      • Armenia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Georgia
      • India
      • Kazakhstan
      • Laos
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uzbekistan
      • Vietnam
    • Caribbean
      • Antigua
      • Cuba
      • Jamaica
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
    • Europe
      • Armenia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Czech Republic
      • France
      • Georgia
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Mexico
      • USA
    • Middle East
      • Egypt
      • Israel
      • Jordan
      • Oman
      • Turkey
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Bolivia
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
  • Weekend Adventures
    • Cycle
      • Pastimes
        • Beer & Wine
        • Books
        • Cooking
        • History & Culture
    • Dive & Snorkel
    • Hike
    • Trek
    • Whitewater
  • Photos
    • Photo of the Day
  • Family Travel
You are here: Home / Archives for Headline

Dreaming of Prague

August 30, 2016 By Jillian

Souvenirs are like tiny memory capsules for me.  When I hold the object in my hand I am instantly taken back to the moment of purchase.  My favorite souvenirs are earrings – small, easy to carry, and as unique as the market in which they were purchased.

Earlier this month we moved into a new house and as I unpacked my earrings one by one to put them in my jewelry box I took a trip down memory lane.  Wooden beads from Bolivia, earrings made of cowrie shells from Africa, and finally a set of hammered copper earrings from Prague.20160901_103759

I laughed holding the Prague earrings in my hand.  Unlike most of the other earrings in my collection which had come from back woods type of markets or handi-craft stalls, these were purchased on perhaps the most touristy place in Prague – the Charles Bridge.  Somewhere over the Vltava River on the way to see a smaller bridge covered in locks I decided I needed these, and the matching necklace.  My husband of course, obliged willingly. 🙂

If you’ve never been on the Charles Bridge it is famous for the numerous statues of saints that line the bridge. Connecting the two sides of Prague, the Castle looks over the bridge, giving the whole area a medieval feeling. It’s also covered in buskers, artisans, painters, and any kind of performer you could ask for – it’s almost like a carnival during peak season as hordes of tourist move from one side of Prague to the other.  Many hotels in Prague offer city tours that include the bridge, so you also have a lot of tour guides stopping along the way giving a historical perspective on the bridge, the statues and the city.

Holding the earring in my hand I was taken back to a very sunny day along the Vltava when we climbed to Prague Castle, picnicked in the park, watched street performers do magic, visited the clock tower, and did the traditional “tourist” Prague experience.  It was an unusual day for the two of us, who generally like to stay off the beaten path. The rest of the time in Prague we did get off the beaten path, exploring neighborhoods, visiting outlying areas to see soviet era architecture and taking the Prague metro everywhere.

After several moves and three kids only one of the earrings remains in my jewelry box, but the memory of Prague lives on every time I hold it.

Filed Under: Czech Republic, Destinations, Europe, Headline Tagged With: jewelry, memories, prague, souvenirs

Hiking Mt. Shasta

July 28, 2016 By Danny

After climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in 2010, I felt a strong sense of accomplishment but also that mountaineering was not for me.  More than anything else I hated the altitude but at lease with Kilimanjaro I didn’t have to do anything technical with ropes or ice axes.  Fast forward 6 years and somehow I found myself doing exactly what I never expected to even try on the slopes of California’s Mt. Shasta.  Two years ago I managed to join a group of intrepid colleagues on a hiking trip where I climbed Yosemite’s Half Dome.  The trek was fun, and with a start-to-summit time of about 4 hours, and a round-trip time of about 7 hours’ total, this was relatively simple and straight forward.  IMGP2439

Last year this same group did a 26-mile loop over four mountain passes around Colorado’s Maroon Bells.  This was simply the most difficult day of hiking I’d ever completed.  At the celebration dinner, following our 16-hour hike which had begun at 10pm the previous evening, Mt. Shasta’s (4321m) 14,179 foot snow-capped peak was announced as our next target.  Sure, I told everyone I’d see them next year…but I also said that there was no-way Donald Trump would be the republican nominee for president….  What do I know?

As this was a technical climb we hired guides to help us through the process.  To do that we had a short amount of time on some snow the day preceding the hike to learn some basic mountaineering skills such as how to actually use the ice axe. We learned to walk on the ice, fall and ultimately stop ourselves from sliding all the way down the mountain.  Naturally, we felt the need to practice this by running off the hill (while holding an axe) and diving downhill as though we were superman.  This was fun until one of our team cracked his ankle in a few places.  He was taken to the ER and received screws in his ankle and lots of painkillers.  As a reminder, this was our practice session.  Our group the prior year had started off around 35 people, for what was the hardest day of hiking in my life, we were now down to only 16.
One of the reasons for the low numbers were the odds the various guide services had given to our venture. 

Most guided groups climb Mt. Shasta over two days.  Indeed, while we were practicing, many of these groups were setting off on their trek.  They camped overnight half-way up the mountain, continuing to the summit with us the following morning.  We instead chose to skip the alpine camping and start our walk at midnight.  There were three guide companies in Mt. Shasta that were contacted by our group, two of those companies told us we were idiots for what we were trying to do, we went with the third. (Now you see why I like these people – like minded to the fullest!)

At 11pm on Saturday night, when most people in California were doing Saturday night California things, we were instead waking up from our naps, doing our best to clear our bowels, and gradually making our way to the  Avalanche Gulch trail head for our midnight departure. (Note: All the amazing and yet, WTF am I thinking hiking adventures in my life have seem to start at night.)  I had some general feelings of dread regarding my own fitness level, the altitude, the ice axe, the ice itself and naturally those screws that had been inserted into my friend’s ankle.  Also in the back of my head was concern for the weather report, which featured late morning thunderstorm, but when I saw the clear, starry sky at the trail head I managed to but those fears to rest.

 

We started walking. 

 

The guides kept the pace and I have to say, we had some excellent guides.  They made the walk up this [to me] practically vertical slope about as easy as walking up the stairs at work.  Sure it was long and arduous but many of us felt we were so well paced that, although exerting ourselves, we never felt terribly short of breath or in need of a rest.  Still, several did begin to fall behind but overall our group was on target and moving uphill at a very good pace.

 

With several hikers having difficulty as we passed the overnight camping areas, we had to shuffle groups around a little bit.  Part of the reason for this was that above this point, Helen Lake which is nothing but a flat-ish area of snow on the mountain, guides needed to be roped to their group and a single guide could have no more than 4 hikers attached to them.  Continuing on we were one group of 4 and three groups of 3, I was in a group of 3.

As we continued from this point, the story starts to change substantially.

All of the things I was worried about—the ice, using the axe, my fitness, etc.—were not issues at all and I was actually starting to enjoy myself as the sun came up and I recognized what a special place I was in.  The problem was that as the sun came up most of the other hikers on the mountain started to come down.  Those late morning thunderstorms had shown up several hours early and the mountain appeared to be surrounded by dark clouds and piercing lightning shows.  Via radio we were in touch with another group from our guiding company, who had camped on the mountain like *normal* climbers and were several thousand feet above us.  Their reports were not positive and they turned back as well.  For some reason we kept on hiking.

 

IMGP2448

 

One member of my trio was beginning to struggle and was very vocal about this in a stunningly constructive way, perhaps because he is a former Marine.  He shared that he was feeling the affects of altitude sickness, the items he was doing to help deal with his, and that he wanted to continue but that it was a situation we needed to keep in communication about.  This was important as none of us were unable to travel alone and if he needed to go down, we all did, so we slowed our speed an slightly increased the frequency of our breaks.  The support of the team in this regard was rather spectacular.

Later, using the Marine as something of a model, I expressed my same concerns with regard to the weather.  By this point we had become 4 hikers, rather than 3, as another trio had a member need to descend and one of their hikers was able to join us.  I told the group honestly that I was getting quite scared by the increasing display of lightning, the blizzard forming around us, the presence of the wind, etc.  Mostly though, it was the lightning combined with “my children need to have a daddy”.  Our guide, a former Army Ranger, discussed this with us and we took a vote in which two of us expressed that we felt it might be time to head downhill.  Somehow being led by an Army Ranger, who stated clearly that he had full confidence in his ability to get us safely down the mountain, and anchored by a US Marine who was feeling much better and aching to get to that summit, convinced myself and the other doubter that we should press on, so that’s what we did.

We got to the top of the red line, but not to the summit.
We got to the top of the red line, but not to the summit. 🙁

The hiking at this point was also more difficult.  The snow had turned to ice and was more slippery.  We were often having our boots break through the ice and fall into a knee-deep hole.  The wind was sometimes knocking us over.  We couldn’t see very far in front of us for the blizzard that was taking hold around us.  We were well above 12,000 feet in altitude and thinness of the air was beginning to affect us as well.  Oh, and the slope of the mountain was probably 45 degrees.

You may recall from earlier in this story that one group of four and three groups of three had set-off from the camping area.  One trio, left a hiker with my group and headed downhill.  Another trio was well ahead of us making a run at the summit.  That left my group and the original group of four together as we climbed to 13,000 feet in altitude.  At that point, the other guide, determined that the weather had deteriorated enough that should we continue, and things get a little worse, that we might not be able to safely descend the mountain.  We were turning around.

The first bit of downhill hiking was very difficult and I was again afraid for all the reasons I was afraid before weather was an issue—slippery ice, the axe, slope, fitness, etc.  Thankfully this did not last long.  We made it just below a region of the mountain that was rocky and glissaded about as far as we could.  If you’ve never glissaded before, imagine going downhill in a sled but without a sled.  You just sit in the snow and make pretend the mountain is a giant, cold, slide.  It was fun.

The only part that stunk about the descent was when we finished, and turned and looked back at the summit, and saw nothing but blue sky.

 

Filed Under: Headline, Hike, USA Tagged With: guided hikes, hiking, mountaineering, mt.shasta

Whitewater Kayaking After 6 Years – a not so cautionary tale

July 20, 2016 By Jillian

Learning to roll againYup.  Six years since we’ve been in whitewater kayaks.  Let me let that sink in again – six years!  The last time we rolled one of these boats was in South Africa, after an interesting day on the river with a local guy who had some extra gear.  Anyway, here we are six years, three kids and two states later and once again ready to get back in the saddle…or cockpit?

With our very adventurous cousins (one a former raft guide) getting married in Western North Carolina, it was no surprise that the wedding weekend festivities included whitewater.  Being the gentleman that he is Danny volunteered to kayak the river with the groom so he wouldn’t be out there alone.  With three kiddos who need at least one parent, I decided to be the responsible one and raft with the larger group instead of kayak.  [Note: By responsible I mean, I was totally chicken $H*% about being able to roll still, so I made a graceful exit as I could from the sport.]

 

FunonthewaterSo there we were.  Me barely listening to the “safety talk” the raft guides gave us and Danny somewhat nervous in the river with the groom attempting a few practice rolls in a whitewater boat for the first time in six years.  As he puts it, the first “rapid” he clutched his paddle with more than a little trepidation. Making it through without a single bobble he gained confidence and by the time we hit some more playful water he seemed totally back in the saddle, even dare I say a little adventurous for his first time back in a kayak.

And so rapid after rapid they tackled in their kayaks.  At the bottom of each Danny remained upright and with a smile.  He and the groom not only seemed to be enjoying themselves, but also playing in the water a bit.  Maybe whitewater kayaking is a bit like riding a bike… you never forget your skills.

The first five miles under their belts, Danny and the groom continued downriver as I went to the take out with the other rafters.  Admittedly I was a little sad to see them go on, the adventurous part of my spirit still remains, but I was content at leaving well enough alone.

Danny and the groom continued another few miles down the river, aiming to take out right in the town we were staying.  And wouldn’t you know it, Danny had to practice his roll on the very last rapid.   As they say, a good roll is any roll where you find yourself upright and breathing air… even if you are out of the boat at the time!

 

In full disclosure, Danny has mentioned several times since the trip that he is not as young as he used to be…. 🙂

rafting

Filed Under: Headline, Weekend Warrior, Whitewater Tagged With: french broad, kayaking, whitewater kayaking

Show down at the sink

May 24, 2016 By Jillian

This post is sponsored by Epic Wipes, a heavy duty wet wipe that is great for adventurers and busy families on the go.  Don’t miss their kickstarter campaign, now live!

There I was wrangling three children under three at Target, with my infant in my arms when I heard it.  Unmistakable and boy we were too late to try to make a run for it.  It was a diaper explosion.  A big whoosh, followed quickly by the relieved giggle of my little guy and a shout of “stinky!” by one of our nearly three year olds.  Ah-ma-zing I thought as I felt the warmth through the diaper and his clothes.

Rallying the troops we headed toward the front to commandeer the changing table.  Only when I got there I found that the changing table was about as far away from the sink as it could be and there was no way that a few small baby wipes the size of my hand were going to clean up this mess. This is when I typically turn to the sink bath.  That’s right.  Remove the diaper, wipe that kid and then bathe that kid in the sink with whatever hand soap is in the dispenser, because after an explosion like that small baby wipes are not going to be enough to feel comfortable putting on a new set of clothes.

Somehow in the midst of the automatic hand dryer turning on and off, on and off, thanks to my nearly three year old twins, I had a moment of clarity. 

The day before I had shoved an Epic Wipe in my diaper bag.  When we were asked to test and review them, I had grand dreams of using them one morning after mountain biking a technical trail, or after a trail run at the National Whitewater Center.  They would be used to clean us of dirt, grim, mud, and sweat before we re-entered the real world… But alas mom life is not like that, and so my very first test of Epic Wipes came in the bathroom at a nondescript Target in the suburbs cleaning the tush, back, belly and legs of my little guy.  And you know what? One Epic Wipe did the trick.  In less than a minute, and with one wipe, that kid was clean as a whistle and wriggling into a change of clothes.

20160525_145414

 

So what’s an Epic Wipe?

You know how small baby wipes or wet wipes are?  Now think of super sizing it.  Like seriously super sizing it.  Check out how big it is next to our 75lb Lab mix.  The box says 2’6″. Now remove the toxins and the chemicals and add Eucalyptus Oil and other natural extracts.  Make the wipes biodegradable and made of 100% bamboo fiber and voila, now you have an Epic Wipe.  Portable yet durable, Epic Wipes advertise themselves as cleaning everything from a s’more covered munchkin to a mud-caked mountain biker and I believe them.  The only downside is the lack of sink showers in my future… then again….maybe not such a bad thing after all.

20160525_145806

This post is sponsored by Epic Wipes. We were compensated for our test and review, however thoughts and comments are all our own.  Thanks to our dog Waldo for submitting to the photo shoot and obeying my command before eating the treat in front of him.

Note: Epic Wipes are not intended for use on infants.  Read the warning label before use.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Headline Tagged With: hygiene, products, review

The DIY NYC Pizza Tour

March 11, 2016 By Jillian

Without a doubt there is a ton to do in New York City – the question is usually where to begin? For me, one of the greatest joys of traveling is the food. I LOVE local, interesting cuisine and restaurants. That doesn’t necessarily mean pricey though – especially in a big city like New York. Eating like a local in New York doesn’t have to break the bank, especially if you’re interesting in something as ubiquitous and typically NYC as a slice of pizza.

The moment you walk out of most of the hotels in NYC you’ll probably be inundated with shop windows advertising a quick bite. Pizza joints abound in New York, and while most places are decent there are some real stars out there that are worth the walk (or ride!) and may show you a different side to New York at the same time. A word to the wise: while credit cards are taken almost everywhere, have cash on hand, many small pizzerias operate on a cash-only basis.

Here are some of our favorites:

Lombardi’s: America’s First Pizzeria

As you would expect, the FIRST pizzeria in the United States was in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City. Gennaro Lombardi is credited with bringing this Neopolitan street food to our shores. His pizzeria still stands today, down the street from the original location, an homage to the original treat that started the craze. Address: 32 Spring St, New York, NY 10012.

 

IMGP3409Grimmaldi’s

This place holds a special spot in our hearts as one of our regular haunts when we go to NYC to see friends. A constant contender for the best pizza in New York (ranked by The Food Network and Zagat as #1!), this place feels more like a hole in the wall neighborhood pizzeria than a #1 pick. The pizza however will change your mind – every single time it is delicious.   The original location, underneath the Brooklyn Bridge is a bit of a mission – there’s almost always a long line and a no reservations, no slices rule – but it’s worth it just for the pizza. Address: 1 Front St, New York, NY 11201.

 

Margot’s Pizza

Photo Credit: Adam Kuban
Photo Credit: Adam Kuban

Your timing has to be right for this one. A pop-up spot inside EMILY, Margot’s Pizza requires tickets for its once a month offerings.  Lauded as one of the best bar – style pizzas in New York, the thin crust hot supreme is the thing to order. Tastings sell out quickly, as the pop-up only happens about once a month. Tickets go on sale the week before the pop-up. Check out the next date, and book your ticket here: http://margotspizza.com/ Address: 919 Fulton St , New York, NY 11238

 

Patsy’s Pizza

Heading uptown to East Harlem, Patsy’s is another original on the pizza tour list. First opened in 1933, you may be surprised by the small size of these yummy thin crust slices. Have no fear, no one will judge if you eat more than one! Address: 2287 First Ave, New York, NY 10035.

 

Our NYC favorites aren’t the only places to go for a slice in New York – there are plenty of delicious neighborhood places throughout the city so if you find yourself across town and looking for a quick bite don’t hesitate to stop someone on the street and ask where you can grab a slice!

 

We’ve had some pretty crazy pizza’s over the years – so if you got here looking for interesting pizzas, don’t miss this post on Everglades Pizza! Heading to NYC in the Spring or for a weekend?  Don’t miss our Springtime in NYC post and our Weekenders Guide to NYC.

Filed Under: Destinations, Headline, North America, USA Tagged With: diy, nyc, pizza, tours

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 98
  • Next Page »

Connect With Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Featured Posts

Our Bucket List
How We Travel For Free
$ Travel Tips

Recent Comments

  • Barbara on Kayaking Kauai’s Na Pali Coast
  • Lori Hubbard on Review: Eneloop Batteries and Charger
  • TK on The Trouble with Philadelphia

Banking on the Road

It can be very hard to keep track of your finances while you're on the road long-term. Be sure to check out how we took care of our finances while traveling and feel free to email us any questions you have.

Adventure Guides

Torres Del Paine
China Adventure
Uzbekistan Overland
Egyptian Odyssey
Malaria
Argentina Adventure
DIY African Safari
South Africa Guide
Bolivia by Bus
How-To African Visas

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright 2008-2015 · All Rights Reserved · Contact I Should Log Off · RSS · Partner With Us · Privacy