Outdoor Adventure Texas Style

by Kraig Becker on

The LA Times recently paid a visit to West Texas and wrote up two good articles on what that part of the state has to offer in terms of activities for the traveler who enjoys spending time in the outdoors while visiting a new location.

The first article takes a look at the bountiful rock climbing and bouldering opportunities at Hueco Tanks State Park, an 860 acre park located near El Paso that is known for ancient rock paintings dating back hundreds of years. The park gets it’s name from the natural stone basins or “huecos” that form water collection “tanks” and have gatered and stored rain water for indigenous people in the region for thousands of years.

Despite all the amazing history that surrounds the place, in recent years the Hueco Tanks has become a mecca for rock climbing enthusiasts who come from all over the world to take on it’s massive boulders. There are many challenging routes, or “problems” in the vernacular of the sport, for climbers of all skill levels, making it an ideal spot to camp and climb for a few days.

The second article, not surprisingly written by the same author, reveals the opportunities for mountain bikers in the El Paso area. Riding the Redd Road mountain trails through the Chihuahuan Desert, near the Rio Grande River, provides for a challenging ride for even experienced mountain bikers, mixing in plenty of rock and sand for a ride that can be technically demanding at times.

When paired together, the two articles make for a great travel itinerary for outdoor enthusiasts looking for a new adventure destination without breaking the bank. Spend a weekend in the El Paso area and mix in some climbing and mountain biking for a well rounded experience. The winter months are the perfect time to go as well, with little precipitation and mild tempertures allowing you to play all day in the warm West Texas sun.

Budget Travel: Albuquerque

by Jamie Rhein on

Summary: Albuquerque, founded in 1706 by a group of Spanish colonists on the banks of the Rio Grande, has grown into a sprawling southwestern city that creeps up the Sandia and Manzano Mountains to the east and out onto the mesa to the west where it meets the National Petroglyph Park Monument. On the southern end, Isleta Pueblo halts it’s sprawl, and to the north is Sandia Pueblo.

If you drive into the city at night from the west, it can look like stars. From a distance during the day, Albuquerque can look like an oasis. For an outdoor enthusiast, a history buff, or someone interested in the arts, there is an array of things to do that won’t break the bank or bleed your wallet dry. With the airport right at the city’s edge, and the train and bus stations close to downtown, Albuquerque is quite accessible, however, don’t stop here. I’d use Albuquerque as a stepping off place to see more of New Mexico, but take a few days to enjoy what it has to offer on your way in or out.

Getting In: Bus, train, plane, car, bicycle–you pick. Albuquerque is an accessible city with inexpensive travel options. Airlines have much competition which helps keep the prices down. Continental and Southwest are the best bets. Amtrak also has a stop here, as does Greyhound. Albuquerque is on the way to other places, so why not spend time here if you’re making a cross-country jaunt?

If you do arrive without a car, I’d rent one. It would make life easier and give you more options of places to go in the city in the quickest amount of time–as well as take drives to Santa Fe, Acoma Pueblo or Bandelier National Monument. In 2008, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express opened. It’s the communter train between Santa Fe and Belen and points in between.

There is an extensive city bus service and many tourist sites are accessible by foot from Central Avenue, the Albuquerque’s main artery that goes from east to west. Bring water along if you’re walking. It gets hot if you arrive after April and before October. It’s a dry heat, so if you perspire, you won’t end up soaked.

Although, I haven’t done this option, if you arrive with a bicycle, you can hop on a bike trail at the airport. Here’s a link to the details.

Where to Stay: As the largest city in New Mexico with the major airport located here, there is an abundance of places to stay. Think of a chain hotel, and you’ll find it. If you’re looking for funky, stay in one of the independently owned hotels on Central Avenue, part of historic Route 66. As a word of warning, choose carefully. A friend and I thought it would be fun to stay in one when I lived in Albuquerque and I think it might have been a flop house. Let’s just say one of the TV channels offered more than I anticipated and one didn’t need to pay extra. To find a recommendation, contact Route 66, the organization dedicated to keeping this historic road thriving. Stay close to Nob Hill, University of New Mexico or Old Town.

Where to Eat: Albuquerque is where you can eat your fill of Mexican food and never get bored. You’ll be asked if you want red or green chilie. Try green chilie at least once. One place to dry a dose of the good stuff for breakfast, lunch or dinner is at The Frontier across from the University of New Mexico. You can’t miss it since it takes up almost a whole block. Try the cinnamon rolls. I repeat. Try the cinnamon rolls. They are legendary.

Two other inexpensive places for great Mexican fare are Garcia’s Kitchen and Los Cuates. Garcia’s Kitchen started out in one location across from Old Town. Now there are seven. I’m partial to the original. There are two Los Cuates on Lomas directly across the street from each other. The south side of the street is the original. The north side has margaritas. Whichever Mexican restaurant you head to, enjoy the sopapillas with honey. Oh, how I miss those.

For a Route 66 dining experience, eat at the Route 66 Diner. Although the original burned in 1995, the rebuilt one reflects the time period.

To pick up food to take along on a bicycle or hiking outing, head to the La Montanita Co-op Market in Nob Hill.

Things to Do:

As a centerpiece to your visit, head to Old Town which is the oldest part of the city, but has been transformed into a area rich in shopping and things to do. The plaza is at the heart of the area and is where the 300 year old San Felipe de Neri Parish church, still stands. The church has a museum and a gift shop which reflect the Spanish influence.

You could browse Old Town’s shops for hours. Things to buy range from ticky tacky to high-end gorgeous. I’d browse before you buy. One thing to pick up that I think is a hoot is an adobe house incense burner. For wonderful arts and crafts, check out Amapola Gallery. It’s a cooperative that showcases the work of about 40 artists.

Also in the Old Town area are Rattlesnake Museum, Turquoise Museum, Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, and Explora, a museum that integrates art, technology and science. Also, there’s the National Atomic Museum. which gives a nod to Albuquerque’s military and nuclear science connections. This spring, the museum will change to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.

Not far from Old Town is the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, perhaps my favorite attraction. There’s a museum that covers the history and life of the Pueblo Indians in New Mexico. The gallery and gift shop is superb, plus the restaurant is a wonderful place to get a Tewa taco and green chile stew. If you want authentic Indian jewelry, this is where to get it. It’s high quality and reasonable. Take time to look at the murals on the outside walls of the building that surround the courtyard. For dance performances and other events check the calendar.

If you’re museumed out, Albuquerque is made for outdoor exploration. Bicycling is incredibly popular and something that’s doable in any season. Trails are extensive. For suggestions on where to bike, check out this page of RideThisBike.com. Here’s a link to bicycle shops to help you scout out a rental.

Test your mettle by hiking up Crest Trail in the Sandias. The trail goes up one of the mountainsides in a series of switchbacks. If you want to get to the top an easier way, take the Sandia Peak Tramway and hike back down. Bring a windbreaker or a sweatshirt, even in summer. At the top you can get chilled if you’ve hiked up. Trust me. I know. Although hiking in the Sandias offers the stunning views of the city and the challenge of pacing your climb to not poop out before the top, hiking in the mesa around the Petroglyph National Monument is also satisfying. Imagine who walked here before you.

In winter months, downhill skiing and cross-country skiing in the Sandias is another outdoor option. Because the temperatures in the city are much higher than the backside of the mountains, you could conceivably ski and golf on the same day. For the best and least expensive thing to do in Albuquerque, head away from the city and watch the sunrise or sunset.

Bowermaster’s Antarctica — The Weddell Sea

by Jon Bowermaster on

We’ve moved to the other side of the Peninsula, the eastern edge of the five-hundred-mile long finger jutting out of the continent, into the Weddell Sea. We tried to get in here last year, by sailboat and kayak, but were shut out. The winter of 2007 had been a particularly cold one, even by Antarctic standards, and the entry to the Antarctic Sound had been blocked long into summer by a pair of giant icebergs, each tens of miles long. That blockage, combined with a lack of wind, meant that where we had hoped to paddle – circumnavigating Vega and James Ross islands – was choked by frozen sea, passes between the islands still filled by one and two year old ice.

This year is very, very different. The winter of 2008 was warmer and windier and even though we’re a day away from the official start of summer, much of the Weddell is already clear of the same kind of thick pack we saw last year.

That said, it is never a picnic over here. Though sunny and bright, I take a long walk today and nearly lost the tip of my nose to frostbite. The biggest worry here, this time of year? Sunburn. The combination of the atmospheric ozone hole and all the bright snow, ice and sea that surrounds means sun block is as necessary as Gore-tex.The landscape on this side of the Peninsula is very different. The islands are short-hilled and rust-colored, stark. Other than a solitary Argentine base, there’s no one around for one hundred miles, and you sense that remoteness. Only a couple of the dozens of tourist boats that prowl the Peninsula each austral summer comes here. More than 100,000 sizable bergs calve off the Antarctic continent each year, about one-third of them come from the glaciers lining the Weddell Sea. Remember in 2002, when a chunk of ice the size of Rhode Island dramatically broke off from the Larsen B ice shelf? The Larsen B is just south of where I am today and some of that ice and its brothers and sisters are still grounded here. As I write I’m standing alongside a flat-topped berg a few stories tall and at least two miles long.

The ice here is different too. The sky is bright blue, the wind howling at thirty to forty miles an hour and I spend the better part of an hour looking through a spotting scope towards Seymour Island, following “the pack” being pushed by wind and current. It is miles wide, floating on the surface, exactly what you would not want to get caught in. Imagine being surrounded by a fast-moving pack tens of miles wide, unable to escape. You could be stuck for days, or worse.

The Weddell’s icebergs are mean and tough too, none of that soft, slushy stuff you might see at this time of year on the western side of the Peninsula. Hit one of these, and you’ll suffer. They are extremely hard, toughened by years of extreme cold and wind, often studded just below the surface by giant, sharp continental rock. Even the name of the water here is ominous – the Terror and Erebus Gulf – named for a pair of historical wooden sailing ships that first risked exploring the region.

At the north end of the channel, I take a longer walk on Paulet Island, known for its 100,000 pairs of nesting Adelies. There are so many birds it is nearly impossible to clamber up the boulder-strewn beach. Beneath many of the adult birds peek the first chicks I’ve seen this year. As the day goes on, the sky grows evermore blue, the winds stronger.

Click HERE for more dispatches from Antarctica!

Budget Travel: Honolulu

by Brenda Yun on

Summary:
The bustling metropolis of Honolulu is a far cry for the palm tree paradise otherwise known as Hawaii, but warm weather, Waikiki beach boys, and white sand beaches are still plentiful and plenty good reasons to make that journey across the Pacific.

While Honolulu is not known for its cheap airfares and hotels, both can be found. Once here and nestled in, both relaxation and adventure lurks around every corner. By day, head ‘mauka’ (to the hills) or ‘makai’ (to the ocean) for an outdoor adventure that could cost less than a penny. In the evening, watch the sunset surfers in Waikiki and dine at one of the great local eateries around town.

To be sure, Honolulu has just the right combination of activities for even the tightest of budgets.
Getting in:
Although ATA and one of Hawaii’s beloved airlines, Aloha, closed earlier last year, there are plenty of options to get to and from the mainland. Hawaiian Airlines is the best and only locally owned airline company that frequently flies from the west coast to Honolulu for cheap. For those living on the east coast, United Airlines is a good option. Flights from the west coast cost between $350-600 roundtrip, while fares from the east coast cost between $600-800. That might sound like a pretty penny, but (aside from Miami) Honolulu is the only tropical locale in the 50 states.

Where to stay:
Nearly all visitors to Honolulu stay in Waikiki, the tourism center of the islands. Hotels and B&B’s cost between $100-200 a night, but there are a handful of hostels that are close to the beach and quaint enough.

  • Just one year ago (February 2008), Hostels.com declared the Seaside Hawaiian Hostel as one of the top five hostels in the world! This hostel is close to the nightlife on Lewers Street in Waikiki, the bus lines on Kuhio Street and Kalakaua Ave, and just blocks from Waikiki Beach. Guests can choose between tastefully decorated regular or premium dorms, semi-private rooms, or perfectly private ensuites.
  • If you don’t mind the sparse decor, the convenience of the Pacific Ohana Hostel can’t be beat. This place is smack dab in the middle of Waikiki and just a block away from the International Marketplace, Waikiki Beach, and buses.
  • Finally, Hosteling International-sponsored HI-Waikiki and HI-Honolulu Hostels are quiet and comfortable options for those looking for privacy, cleanliness, and friendliness.

All of these options will cost between $20-35 per night for dorm rooms and $40-75 for private rooms.

What to do/see:

  • International Marketplace: The International Marketplace has been an island shopping tradition for tourists and kama’aina (locals) alike. Most of the market sits under a huge, century-old banyan tree in the heart of Waikiki. Over one hundred shopping stalls, artisan stands, and mainstream shops sell special gifts and souvenirs. There is also a pleasant food court tucked in the center of the market that offers a variety of local and international cuisine. Also called “Duke’s Lane” between Kalakaua Avenue and Kuhio Street; open daily from 10 AM – 10:30 PM
  • Surfing in Waikiki: This is pretty much a must-do activity. Even if you’re a beginner, it’s best to rent a real fiberglass board from a place like Blue Planet (in Kapahulu) or Hawaiian South Shore (near Ward). Board rentals should cost only $25-30 a day. Check out my article on lesser known surf breaks in Waikiki for information on where to avoid the crowds.
  • Diamond Head State Monument: One of the most famous volcanic craters in the world, Diamond Head overlooks Oahu’s southeastern shores. The crater was originally named “Leahi” because its silhouette resembles the “brow of the tuna.” British sailors gave it its current name upon arrival on Oahu’s shores because the calcite crystals on the crater glistened in the sunlight from a distance. They mistakenly thought there might be diamonds in the mountain. The crater is over 3,500 feet in diameter, and visitors can climb to the 760-foot summit. The observation deck was constructed at the summit in 1910 to provide military target sightings. The trail is paved almost the entire way but can be steep in spots. Be sure to wear sunscreen and bring water on the hike, as there is no fountain up top. #(808) 587-0300; Hours: 6 AM – 6 PM; $1 entry; $5 parking
  • Pali Lookout: The Nu’uanu Pali Lookout (“Cool Height Cliff”) overlooks the steep cliffs of the Ko’olau mountain range, and remains one of the best vistas on Oahu. In 1795, King Kamehameha and his warriors defeated the Oahu armies by sending them over the cliffs, thereby claiming his victory and uniting the Hawaiian islands. The breathtaking sight and the gruesome history of the battle fought here is enough to cause a chill to run up your spine. Add to that the incredible winds that pass through the Pali and you could certainly be swept off your feet. To get there: Exit off the Pali Highway, just before the first tunnel heading from town to Kailua. Hours: Daytime (weather permitting); Entrance is free

Places to eat:

  • Waiola’s Shave Ice: It’s not called a snow cone or shaved (with a ‘d’) ice. It’s shave (sans ‘d’) ice, and it’s the coolest – in more ways than one. Waiola’s has made a name for itself as one of the only shave ice stores that surpasses the quality of Matsumoto’s in Haleiwa on the North Shore. The ice is like eating clean, puffy snow. The act of eating your treat is plain and simple, but the ordering of it is not: start with how big you want it and what you’d like inside (ice cream or azuki beans?); then tell them what flavor(s); finally, request a topping (lilikoi cream or condensed milk?).
  • Zippy’s chili or Rainbow Drive-In’s plate lunch: Zippy’s is Hawaii’s version of Burger King (of which we have none). The only thing worth eating at Zippy’s is the chili – either on fries or rice and with shredded cheddar cheese on top. It’s not chunky or spicy like Texas chili, but it’s oh-so-‘ono’ (delicious)! If chili’s not your thing, then plate lunch should or will be. Head to Rainbow Drive-In on Kapahulu Avenue and order a huge mixed plate lunch for just $6.50, which will come with barbecue beef and chicken, garlic mahi, two scoops of rice, and a scoop of macaroni salad. YUM!
  • 7-Eleven spam musubi: I once wrote an acrostic poem about my love of spam that went something like this:
Salty slab of not quite bacon –
Pig flesh so curiously pink,
Are you ever not on my mind,
Mocking my every taste bud?

If I need a pick-me-up or just something to fill my tummy, I head to the local convenience store and purchase this Hawaiian staple for just $1.29. Now, 7-Eleven offers a variety of spam musubi options: regular, deluxe (with seaweed and egg), Spam Lovers! (an extra large slab of spam), and katsu (breaded and fried spam). There is a reason why we Hawaiians love spam to such a degree that we consume more of it than any other locale in the world (almost 5 million cans of Spam are purchased per year). As the major Pacific port during World War II, spam was brought to the islands by the boatload mainly because it didn’t require refrigeration and it provided protein and sustenance for military personnel.


Once you experience the sights, the smells, and as Pico Iyer recently reflected upon, the sounds of Honolulu, you will head home Hawaii-fied and likely yearn to return for more of the same and a little something different sooner rather than later.

Bowermaster’s Antarctica — Sharp Peak

by Jon Bowermaster on

Standing at the foot of Sharp Peak, a 4,000-foot-tall snow-covered granite peak rising straight up from the sea, beneath a 360-degree indigo sky, today just might be the most beautiful I have ever seen in Antarctica. Though even as I write that, I knowingly admit it’s impossible to compare days, especially here, since I’ve witnessed so many beautiful ones here over the past twenty years.

But this one was a beauty with a Capital B. Sitting off Prospect Point I am surrounded by THE most spectacular wilderness on the planet. Running about in a Zodiac on a glass-calm black sea, snowcapped mountain ranges circle me marked every few miles by substantial towering glacier tongues. Thick new snow is piled up on the hills and six-foot-thick fast ice (frozen sea) extends from the continent. Dozens of penguins and seals swim and fish, then slide up onto the ice for a rest. Flat-topped tabular icebergs bigger than small apartment buildings – crystal blue and surreal white – sit grounded in the bay or frozen into the fast ice. The sun is high and air temperatures reach to nearly forty … (earlier in the day I heard it was -10 F in Minneapolis!). Aaaaah, Antarctica!

Last year we tried climbing Sharp Peak, but were forced to quit before we started due to too-soft snow and crevasses masked by flat, grey skies. On that day the bay was chock full of floating ice of all sizes; this year most of the winter ice has already been blown out. Though we wouldn’t have had much luck climbing it peak today either, due not to slushy snow, just way too much of it.
It is particularly hard on a day like this, surrounded by ice that is hundreds of years old and mountains covered by new-fallen snow, that one day much of this whiteness lining the Antarctic Peninsula could be gone. Though the air temperatures along the Peninsula have risen during the past fifty years by nine degrees Fahrenheit, the biggest increase on the planet, it is still easy for critics of climate change and its impacts to use this exact vista to suggest that no amount of warming, no matter who or what is responsible, will ever make a difference to this place.

But despite appearances, evidence is all around: All along the Peninsula average temperatures of air and surface water are way up. Eighty-seven percent of all of the continent’s glaciers are flowing faster then ever and have receded. Each year the frozen continent is losing enough ice mass to cause the world’s oceans to rise about .05 inches, adding about 40 trillion gallons of fresh water to the world’s ocean, equivalent to the amount of water used by all U.S. residents every three months. Estimates for sea level rise are on the order of eighteen to twenty feet over the next couple millennium, but we’re not sure if it all may arrive in the same one hundred years. Ice shelves the sizes of small states along the Peninsula are fracturing at alarming rates.

The best analogy I can make for what is happening down south will be familiar to anyone who lives in a cold weather, ice-and-snow climate. Serious scientists in Antarctica talk about a “critical point,” when the combination of warm temperatures, precipitation and loss of ice cover will encourage Antarctica to melt very, very quickly. Think of your own backyard on a warm day at the end of a long winter; your yard, your stoop has been covered in snow and ice for several months and then on early spring day, after a momentous day of rain and warm temperatures, the last remnants of winter disappear … just like that.

The very same could happen here, which is the worry. Though I will admit to understanding why, on a day like today surrounded on all sides by miles and miles of ice and snow, there are still some out there who doubt the globe is warming precipitously. I am not one of them.

Click HERE for more dispatches from Antarctica!