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Shane and Erin
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. ~Mark TwainShane and Erin
Travel Blog Posts
October 22nd 2011
Hello friends and fam around the world! This entry is a little closer to home but just as eventful as our many trips abroad. One picture..is all it took...of turquoise blue waterfalls cascading into pools and more pools at the bottom of massive canyons. These pools connected by winding stretches of shallow rivers running just fast enough to freshen life around them. Just as the one photo had sold us..so too had it worked for our friends in Seattle and Portland. Howie and Tara, Kieth and Leah and the always-trip-ready Pauly joined us for our 2 night trip out of Phoenix. Knowing that we had one mule with stingy pack limit, food and supplies was the biggest concern we had beforehand. Powdered this and dehydrated that made up our shopping list and we set off on ... read more
March 5th 2011
The island of Zanzibar hosts many exhausted climbers fresh from the slopes of Kilimanjaro. Well known for its spices, in particular: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper. Zanzibar lies 16 miles from the coast of Tanzania, the group of islands were claimed as a colony or protectorate of the Brits for almost a 100 years until 1964, where it became a republic of Tanzania. The capital of Zanzibar is Stonetown which is a World Heritage site. We grabbed a quick flight from the mainland on a twin engine plane that took us briefly over the Indian Ocean. Our midnight arrival into Stonetown gave us few options and we ended up in a humble hostel down an alley. Availability among some of the better hotels on the island was tight but we did find the Dhow Palace which ... read more
February 28th 2011
Affordable Rustic Tent Safari--Ask for Details Inside!! Normally, these ads plastered everywhere in the major tourist hubs would speak to the adventurers in us but having just gotten our fill of tents on Kilimanjaro just days earlier, we set out find more comfortable accommodations. The tourism industry in these countries are well aware they have the market cornered when it comes to wildlife safaris and it’s a “must do” so the prices can be shocking. However, we felt the cost of having our own driver/tour was worth it. We had embarked on past safaris where it only took one annoying member in a group tour to grate your nerves to the point of attempted murder. The 5-star treatment allowed us to take in the animals at our leisure and give very specific instructions to the driver. ... read more
February 20th 2011
Hello again to all of our friends and family both near and far. Many of our past travels have been based on the criteria that there are some places in this world that will look much different now than what we would see in 10-25 years. One could make that argument for most locations but we’ve tried to identify the most drastic of scenarios. A past discussion on Tanzania’s Mt Kilimanjaro brought up the fact of its quickly disappearing glacier coverage. Experts say at the current rate, hikers in 15 years will miss out on brilliant blue ice walls table topping Africa’s highest point…that was enough, bought the tickets. Okay, in all honesty, the likelihood of us climbing at 4 vertical miles in 15 years is a stretch also and played heavily into the equation. We ... read more
Winter Wonderland in Big Bear
Published: December 13th 2009North America » United States » California » Big Bear Lake
December 11th 2009
Big Bear Lake. A 5.5 hour road trip from Phoenix seemed worth it to capture that snowy holiday feel that just seems to feel right this time of year. We were lucky enough to find some available time in the timeshare location just a mile from the lifts in Big Bear City. The large snow storm expected was a surprise we heard just a couple days prior to our drive out. Clear roads and sunshine escorted us up to lofty elevation of 7000 feet. Our first morning brought snow flakes and driving winds that nearly shut the small town down and gave us a good reason to stay inside the majority of the day sipping cocoa. Sunshine the next day lured us to the mountains at SUMMIT where we enjoyed a perfect day of light powder ... read more
Mekong Delta & Phu Quoc Island
Published: July 16th 2009Asia » Vietnam » Mekong River Delta » Can Tho
July 7th 2009
Now, for those who’ve asked why the heck would we want to visit Vietnam on a vacation, these pictures should answer the questions…okay, not the snake one. Arriving in the heavily populated Saigon, we made quick plans to catch the city sights later and escape to the mighty Mekong river which supports a great deal of people throughout 6 countries. We visited the riverside towns of My Tho and Can Tho offering us boat tours of the river. We didn’t know what to expect and couldn’t imagine what was extraordinary about this river above all others but it was quickly realized the beauty really lies in the daily life that skirts the river’s edge. When offered the opportunity to either sleep in a hotel or rustic riverside home with a family…we jumped at the chance with ... read more
June 22nd 2009
Nha Trang gave us our first big beach experience since we've arrived in Vietnam and for many it appears to be paradise. We met numerous ex-pats who are now calling this city on the water and sand..home. Lobster and seafood of all types are sold by pajamaed women slung with flexing bamboo rods over their shoulders and perfectly balanced baskets on each end. On one end, 30 pounds of seafood, the other 30 pounds of boiling water in a pot. The beach is long and full of parks and appears to be well preserved from the large touristy resorts who's shadows loom over the sand. We found a good, clean mini hotel named Ha Van with an outstanding roof top bar giving one a nice view of the city and cheap, cold beer. While staying there, ... read more
June 15th 2009
We staged most of our activities in the North from the Old Quarter in the bustling city of Hanoi. The Hoan Kiem lake near the center was a popular area for the locals and visitors alike with it's winding walking paths and shaded benches looking out on the water. The serenity of the calm water clashed with the waves of weaving, chaotic mopeds zooming the surrounding streets. With Hanoi being the epicenter of Norther Vietnam national pride, we were quickly introduced to "Uncle Ho", the former leader and who's image is everywhere. We decided to skip the viewing of his "Lenin" like preserved body but did visit HoChi Minh museum giving us a great deal of history on his efforts. The nearby "Hanoi Hotel" was interesting but full of blatent propaganda that we could do without. ... read more
May 29th 2009
A quick hello to our friends and family.... since we last wrote from India we have decided to join the ranks of the unemployed and spend some time exploring the exciting country of Vietnam.... The hilly region around Sapa near the Chinese border was our first destination that we set out for from Hanoi. The overnight train delivered relative comfort for the 7 hour journey. Arriving at 5am, we enjoyed a steaming bowl of pho before we joined up with a fun, international group made up of five others. The cool air of Sapa was a welcome relief after Hanoi's muggy heat and we set off with our local tribal guides for our first day's 8 mile trek into the hills. The area's nickname as the 'swiss alps of Vietnam' was well deserved providing an ever ... read more
January 5th 2009
Hello to all of you who we’ve been out of touch with since our return from our year long travel of 07. We took root once more in Seattle, WA and have been employed with a start-up consulting firm. The travel bug biting throughout the year persuaded us to bank our vacation time and escape for some worthwhile time in India. As with most trips we did very little planning and the entire trip was in question with the recent terrorist attacks and potential danger looming, but we decided to shrug off the warnings and continue on with our big adventure. There is really too much to write on this amazing country and cultural highlights within but we’ve included some fun pictures and I would invite everyone to experience India for yourselves if ever given the ... read more
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