INTERNATIONAL AND ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Destination guides. Tips and advice. Stories from the road.
Travel has given me freedom, space for reflection, and some of the best experiences of my life. Whether backpacking through Europe, hiking in Honduras, or road-tripping through my own backyard, I’ve never once regretted a trip. In my opinion, exploring a new-to-you region is one of the best ways to get out of your comfort zone and work a little more adventure into your life.
If you want to learn more, find travel tips and advice, or just read about my adventures (and misadventures) on the road, check out my recent posts below.
CHASING WATERFALLS ALONG THE SEA TO SKY HIGHWAY
British Columbia’s Sea to Sky Highway runs 163km from Vancouver to Pemberton along Highway 99. It offers up brilliant coastal views…
ROAD TRIPPING WITH A DOG: THE ESSENTIALS
Are you planning a road trip with your dog? In my ~ totally biased ~ opinion, they make the best travel companions…
MSR ELIXIR 2 BACKPACKING TENT REVIEW
Let’s face it, backpacking tents are pricey. If you’re in the market for a new tent, you’re likely doing your research…
ROAD TRIPPING THE ICEFIELDS PARKWAY WITH DOGS
Alberta’s Icefields Parkway is considered to be one of the world’s most scenic drives, so it was a no-brainer to include it as part of our…
BACKPACKING THE SALTERY BAY LOOP ON THE SUNSHINE COAST TRAIL
The aptly named Sunshine Coast Trail runs 180 km along British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast – from Sarah’s Point in the…
WELL, THAT WAS FUN: A DECADE IN REVIEW
Always a sucker for an arbitrary moment of significance, I thought it would be fun to look back at the past decade as we turn our calendars over to the 2020s.
ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS
Hitting the road soon? Whether you’re on a long day trip or heading off on a weeks-long adventure, this list of road trip essentials…
HIKING IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK: A ONE-DAY ITINERARY
Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park has been on my wish list for some time now so on a recent trip to Palm Springs we decided…
5 THINGS TO DO IN PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
Palm Springs had never really been high on my list of travel destinations. I always just saw it as place where retired snowbirds went to escape…
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK PHOTO ESSAY
Joshua Tree National Park has been on my hiking wish list for a long time so, on a recent trip to Palm Springs, we…
LOST IN THE MURDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD (AND OTHER MISADVENTURES IN HONDURAS)
I shifted uncomfortably in the backseat of the van as I watched out the window. The already dark streets of San Pedro Sula had…
GALATEA CREEK TRAIL TRIP REPORT: BACKPACKING TO LILLIAN LAKE CAMPGROUND
The Galatea Creek Trail is located within Alberta’s Kananaskis Country, just a little over an hour’s drive from Calgary…
THE BEST (AND WORST) OF 2017
I’ve been spending the last few days looking back on 2017 – thinking about what worked, what didn’t, and what I would change in…
DUMB TOURIST MOMENT #12 – THE CORKSCREW IN PARIS
“Do you sell corkscrews?” I asked, while simultaneously pointing at the bottle of wine on the counter and miming the action of opening…
KANANASKIS COUNTRY TRIP REPORT
I recently posted a photo essay of my 3-day backpacking trip in Alberta’s Kananaskis Country. But I wanted to do up a trip report with a few…
BACKPACKING IN KANANASKIS COUNTRY: A PHOTO ESSAY
I recently spent three days in Alberta’s Kananaskis Country on my first solo backpacking adventure. It was a pretty amazing experience…
AND I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES…
I carefully picked my way down the steep side trail and stepped over a mound of rotting driftwood. I stumbled down onto the…
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO: INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
Looking to explore the world but don’t know where to start? This guide will help new international travelers plan their first trip and make their dreams a reality!
DUMB TOURIST MOMENT #47 – THAT TIME I TRIED TO BREAK THE LAW IN ITALY
In 2010 I spent nearly 3 months traveling around Europe, which provided plenty of opportunity for dumb tourist moments to occur…
WHAT I ATE IN MEXICO
People give me a hard time about taking pictures of my food but I have to say, looking back over photos like this always brings up the…
DAY TRIP FROM PLAYA DEL CARMEN – THE RUINS OF TULUM
Playa del Carmen is close to a number of different Mayan ruins and we knew we wanted to go and see at least one of the sites during…
DAY TRIP FROM PLAYA DEL CARMEN – SWIMMING IN CENOTE CRISTALINO
In preparation for my trip to Mexico I read about cenotes (pronounced say-no-tays) and knew I had to check one out while in Playa del Carmen…
DUMB TOURIST MOMENT #172 – THAT TIME WE ACCIDENTALLY BROKE INTO A GROCERY STORE IN HONDURAS
In preparation for my upcoming trip to Playa del Carmen, I recently dug out my travel journal and started flipping through the pages. While reminiscing…
A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRAVEL – MY ANTI-TRIP TO ORLANDO
Normally when we travel I’m all about planning. By the time I step foot on a departing flight I’ve most likely done countless google searches…
HIKING THE CHILKOOT TRAIL – RESOURCES
Are you thinking of hiking the Chilkoot Trail? Or in the process of planning and preparing for a Chilkoot Trail hike? Well, you’ve come to…
THE CONCLUSION – DAY 5 ON THE CHILKOOT TRAIL
I plopped down on the bench outside the church, taking it all in. The air was fresh and cool, yet comfortable. Only the lightest breeze…
PULLING ME BACK IN – DAY 4 ON THE CHILKOOT TRAIL
Waking up in Happy Camp, the weather hadn’t changed much overnight. Fog continued to blanket the landscape and a cold wind drove…
FACING MY FEARS – DAY 3 ON THE CHILKOOT TRAIL
Starting out, under cloudy skies and a light drizzle, the trail out of Sheep Camp quickly moved from thick forest to sparser alpine terrain…
IS CRYING ALLOWED? – DAY 2 ON THE CHILKOOT TRAIL
The dirt trail, winding its way through towering trees and across flowing streams, had been taking us up and down all day. At 8.4 km…
BEAUTY AND BEAR SCAT – DAY 1 ON THE CHILKOOT TRAIL
“Watch out, another pile of scat here,” I called back to Mark, who was a few steps behind me on the muddy trail. It was the fifth we…
HIKING THE CHILKOOT TRAIL
Spanning 53 kilometers/33 miles, two countries, and centuries of history, the Chilkoot Trail offers a hike to remember…