Posted by Keith Mulvihill | July 23, 2010, 8:30 am | Permalink
ReadyMade deputy editor Amy and her now fiancé (!) Josh spent a chunk of time out west in early July. The getaway was part road trip to see relatives and part camping/backpacking trip (with hopes of seeing no one!). The duo started in Spokane and made their way through Idaho, and then on to Montana (where they camped one night in the Yaak; it was about 30 degrees and sleeting on July 1). From Amy:
In Glacier National Park we did a 12-mile backcountry loop. We went up on the northwest side to Bowman Lake, stayed in a campground one night (which was remarkably well spaced out and lovely—though watch out for the nuisance deer) and then camped at Upper and Lower Quartz Lakes (that’s Upper Quartz lake pictured above where we had a family with an infant for camping neighbors…which made for some interesting discussions about backcountry etiquette as we had no choice but to listen to the parents singing to the child over and over and over).
From there, we drove down through Kalispell and Missoula (the amazingness of the Good Food Store, an indie Whole Foods, nearly convinced me to up and move there) on our way through Lolo and into the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness area. Josh was on a trail crew there for a few summers so it’s a really special place to him. And it’s remote and much less trafficked than a national park (and free!), which is a huge plus.
We parked at Elk Summit off of highway 12 and did part of the Moose Creek trail. Josh had “forgotten” how steep of a descent the hike in was (about 4 miles downhill), so hiking out was a bit epic with 3 hours of straight uphill. But it made it more important to enjoy swimming in the creek, keeping an eye out for bear, seeing a remarkable Cedar grove, and reading many books in the mosquito-safe protection of our tent. (I am mosquito bait seemingly no matter what I do.) After the hike out, with precisely timed 30 minute breaks to keep us on our steady uphill march, we had elk and bison burgers at the Lochsa Lodge. They were perfect—especially since I could enjoy them under a coat of calamine lotion from their country store. Mosquitos and a hard hike may not sound like a vacation, but I’ll take the stunning views and the remote country filled with beautiful trees, wildflowers and rivers any day.
Moose creek in the Selway (in Idaho) which was just warm enough to hop in and out of.
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Posted by Keith Mulvihill | July 19, 2010, 10:36 am | Permalink
Starting this week, in celebration of its 85th birthday, the John C. Campbell Folk School is offering new students $100 off on classes. You can read the details here, but the upshot is that only new students that register before the end of the year can take advantage of the discount.
The school is located in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of westernmost North Carolina (about seven miles east of the town of Murphy). They offer a huge variety of classes covering about 50 topics including book arts, weaving, woodworking, quilting—all kinds of old-timey fun!
[Images: John C. Campbell Folk School]
Posted by Keith Mulvihill | July 15, 2010, 8:30 am | Permalink
I was talking on the phone the other day with my friend Jennifer, who lives in Tucson, AZ. She and our friend Raoul recently made a quick trip to Northern AZ to visit the crazy cool slot canyons up there. (BTW: they visited Antelope Canyon and Water Holes Canyon and had a great time.)
They lingered in a bewitching slot canyon well into the second day and decided to stay another night in the area. Long story short: the notion of camping in a Wal-Mart parking lot came up as they searched for a vacancy in a nearby campground.
This struck Jennifer (and now me) as a crazy idea. Who camps in a Wal-Mart parking lot? Well, it turns out that Raoul and his friend Nate did exactly that a few years ago (see photo above). Why did they do this? Well, Raoul says that they were planning to cycle in the Cochise County Cycling Classic. They got a late start from home the night before and had to be up super early for the ride. So, last-minute, they decided to make camp in a nearby Wal-Mart parking lot in Douglas, AZ. Somehow they’d heard this was an option and no one bothered them.
I have since come to learn that Wal-Mart camping is sort of popular. The company doesn’t exactly promote the (free!) parking lot camping practice, but it seems happy to look the other way. Then I found this tip sheet for camping at Wal-Mart and these comments about how great and welcoming Wal-Mart is to RVers and this article that mentions that Kmart, Costco, and Flying J truck stops also allow (free) RV overnight stays. Note: some cities have banned parking lot camping, so its worth asking or looking for signage before you bunk down for the night.
So who among you has camped at a Wal-Mart or other big box store parking lot or any parking lot for that matter? Post your thoughts/experiences in the comments!
[Image by Raoul Erickson]
Posted by Keith Mulvihill | July 13, 2010, 9:05 am | Permalink
My friend Peter Frank is contributing this installment of Travel Porn. Check out his great travel blog Let’s Be Frank: straight talk and true tales from a life of travel
Here’s what he has to say about his cool photographs:
Istanbul is a fulcrum in so many ways—geographically, culturally, politically—which is why I find it exhilarating. This shot (above) encapsulates that for me: Taken from the Topkapi Palace, the former home of the sultans, it looks across the Golden Horn to “modern” Istanbul with its ships and skyscrapers—old and new in one shot. The New Mosque (completed in 1665) isn’t the most famous in Istanbul, but it’s one of my favorites for its gorgeous multiplicity of domes. I took this shot (below) from the balcony of Hamdi, a great spot for a kebab lunch with a view. The Spice Bazaar around the corner is another get-a-taste of Istanbul’s accessible exoticism.
Hey, wait! Send me your Travel Porn submissions here kjmulvihill@gmail.com
The New Mosque (completed in 1665).
[Images: Peter Frank]
Posted by Keith Mulvihill | July 9, 2010, 10:04 am | Permalink
A few months ago I attended a Trail Maintenance 101 class held by the NY NJ Trail Conference (a 90-year-old organization dedicated to creating, protecting and promoting a network of over 1,700 miles of trail in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan region). As a volunteer trail maintainer my job is to clip and trim vegetation, remove litter, clear the path of fallen trees/limbs and to repaint/replace trail blazes. (Also: hiking and climbing and daydreaming).
This past weekend I made my first trip to my glorious section of trail: it’s a rugged stretch of the Long Path, just under two miles long, located in Harriman State Park. The first mile or so brings hikers to the top of Long Mountain and the Raymond H. Torrey Memorial (1880-1938) a founding member of the Trail Conference and very influential in the development of the Appalachian Trail.
The highlight is killer views of the surrounding mountains and valleys (see top photo below). If you’re in the area, by all means, do the hike to the Torrey Memorial. Bonus: Just last week, someone posted this Youtube video of the summit of Long Mountain!
Interested in Volunteering? Check out these trail volunteer opportunities around the country:
New York New Jersey Trail Conference
Appalachian Mountain Club
The American Hiking Society
Pacific Northwest Trail Association
The High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew
The Colorado Trail Foundation
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Posted by Keith Mulvihill | June 30, 2010, 8:58 am | Permalink
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like cooking (and eating!) around a campfire. The great thing about it is that you don’t need a lot of skill or a lot of food. The easiest grub I know how to make (thanks to my dear friend Jennifer) are quesadillas. Thinly sliced apples, cheddar cheese and salsa sandwiched between two tortillas and warmed on hot rocks next to a campfire tastes great after a day of hiking.
If you’re looking for something a little more ambitious ReadyMade has some great campfire cooking recipes here.
The cool, creative, outdoorsy folks at Cold Splinters (an awesome travel blog I love and admire) turned me on to a 1970s gem called Campground Cooking (pictured above). I immediately bought a used copy (for 4 bucks!) after reading this post about Lodge Dutch ovens and sourdough biscuits.
Here’s a yummy recipe from the book you can cook up outdoors this weekend (and don’t forget to add your own campfire cooking recipes/ideas in the comments):
Kettle Baked Beans
3 One-pound cans of baked beans
1/3-cup molasses
2 tbs. prepared mustard
1 tbs. lemon juice
½-tsp. black pepper
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
½-cup cook bacon, crumbled
¼-cup strong black coffee
¼-cup rum
Mix ingredients and bake at 350 deg. F. for one hour or over hot coals for 90 minutes. Leftovers can be reheated. Makes 6 to 8 servings
From “Canoe Kitchen,” by Mike Michaelson
Campground Cooking, Edited by Charles and Kathy Farmer (Digest Books, 1974)
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Posted by Helen Jupiter | June 29, 2010, 8:56 am | Permalink
Here’s a great deal for anyone traveling to Paris this summer: Between July 19th and August 26, uber-hip and tres chic Mama Shelter is offering double and twin rooms for only 99 euros. Included in that great rate are two complimentary buffet breakfasts, two metro bus daypasses, and a disposable camera, bien sûr. Designed by Philippe Starck and described as radiating “youthful energy,” Travel & Leisure voted Mama Shelter last year’s best design hotel for its avant-garde and innovative style (think sconces made from masks, quirky carpets and ceilings with words and phrases scrawled across them, and exposed concrete walls).
There’s a restaurant, a pizzeria, and two bars. Lastly, the hotel is accessible but off the traditionally tourist-beaten path, offering the opportunity to explore a “revitalised pocket of eastern Paris” and “more diverse side of the city.” Mama Shelter is a great option for the traveler who has outgrown traditional backpacker hostels and is looking for something stylish and edgy but budget-friendly. Have a look-see:
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Posted by Helen Jupiter | June 25, 2010, 9:20 am | Permalink
This budget-friendly hotel, housed in a century-old building in NYC’s West Village, crams an incredible amount of character into its retro, train and ship-style “cabins.” Travelers to the city will appreciate both the low cost (rooms for under $100 a night) and the smart design.
All Standard and Bunk Bed Cabins feature compact twin beds with built-in drawers and upper and lower storage space, and share charming communal bathrooms at the end of the hall on each floor.
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Posted by Keith Mulvihill | June 18, 2010, 8:53 am | Permalink
The first day of summer is Monday June 21st and it’s also Naked Hiking Day.
Of course, I’m all for people enjoying the great outdoors, clothes or not. So, in honor of the occasion—and if you want to get an early start this weekend—here’s a little info to get you going. You can learn more about the joys of the activity at this Nude Hiker blog. Some great tips for would-be naked hikers can be found here. And, last but not least, anyone wishing to connect with fellow naturists should check out Hiking Naked.
I’m going to be honest here folks: I’m all for nudity in the great outdoors and I love skinny dipping, but hiking with no clothes? I’m not quite sold on the idea, mostly for practical reasons. But, I’m happy to put this under the Don’t Knock It Until You Try It category of things to check out.
I’d love to hear from you if you’ve hiked naked. Tell me about it in the comments!
[Photos via Live for the Outdoors (top) and Wikipedia’s Nude Hiking entry]
Posted by Keith Mulvihill | June 15, 2010, 8:34 am | Permalink
For a small country, Costa Rica sure packs a punch. There is so much to see and do! On a week-long trip last year, my friends and I decided to split our time: we spent a few days in the jungle, near Arenal Volcano, and a few at the beach, near Manuel Antonio. Hiking around the lush Manuel Antonio National Park was amazing, but the biggest surprise occurred on the roof of our rented house: each evening a treetop parade of wild monkeys kept us spellbound. Is there anything cuter than a baby monkey?! (See below.)
Beach Tip: The beaches in and around the Manuel Antonio National Park are stunning but tend to get crowded. A mile or two away you’ll find a more secluded spot at the far northwest end of Playa Espadilla.
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