Nestled in the jungle of northern Guatemala, hide the remains of one of the largest Mayan civilizations ever to exist. Tikal was inhabited from the 6th century BCE to the 10th Century CE. After it was abandoned, the jungle swallowed up this great city. Steep, awe-inspiring, limestone temples that have been uncovered and reconstructed rise up from the green vegetation. Many more temples are still hidden under the jungle. We spent a little under 48 hours in Tikal National …
Guimarães and Braga
Guimarães and Braga are two historic cities near Porto. While many people combine these two cities in a single day trip, I believe they deserve at least a day each. Guimarães This charming city in the north is fondly referred to as the birthplace of Portugal. The first king, Afonso Henrique was born here and fought the Battle of Sao Mamede nearby, which led to Portugal’s independence. Guimarães became Portugal’s first capital in the 12th century. Imagine yourself in …
Historic Porto, Portugal
Blue and white tiled churches, mosaic sidewalks, colorful apartments, bridges, hills, and port wine. This is Porto and it's delightful. Porto is the 2nd largest city in Portugal and was the capital before Lisbon. It was spared by the terrible 1755 earthquake that devastated Lisbon. Therefore, more historic buildings remain in the older districts. Porto is full of small winding streets, many with mosaic tiles (known as Portuguese pavement) creating the sidewalks. Layers of …
Hiking and Camping in Big Pine Lakes
Mountains, pine trees, and gorgeous turquoise lakes! What else can you ask for in a hike? The Big Pine Lakes hike in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California is an incredibly popular hike for good reason. This hike can be done as a day trip or a multi-day backpacking excursion. You can camp anywhere along the route, including any of its 9 lakes. I strongly recommend taking a few days to see and enjoy more of this incredible area. I have backpacked this trail twice and visited all …
Two Days in Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National park is home to the highest peak in Nevada, the oldest non-clonal trees on Earth, and some of the darkest night skies in the contiguous U.S. We spent 2 days / 3 nights in Great Basin National Park. We arrived in the late afternoon and drove up the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive to our reserved campsite at Wheeler Peak Campground. A ranger told us that this campground is commonly thought of as the prettiest campground in all the national parks, and I can see why. Some …
Hiking to Annapurna Base Camp
As we started the final section of our hike to Annapurna Base Camp, a thick eerie fog rolled in. For most of this last stretch, we couldn’t see more than 50 feet in front of us, much less the giant white peaks we were hiking towards. As we walked up the final hill, the clouds began to lift and open up a bit. We could spot the lodges and portions of the towering mountains behind. We had finally made it to Annapurna Base Camp! We hiked a total of 8 days up to and back …