Hiking New Zealand

by Erik Olsen on

Birds fly south for the winter, so why shouldn’t you? Far
south…all the way south. To New Zealand. Forget about the
Lord of the Rings tours,
leave that to the Hobbit wannabees, and strap on your hiking boots, get out of the city and head for the hills.
The mountains of Kiwiland are sublime, and you can go on and on through some of the most gorgeous countryside on
the planet. Remember that it’s summer down there now, so the temperatures are cozy.

But you might first need a guide: where do you go? Which island is best for hiking (or tramping, as they call if
down there). Here’s a
solid little
piece about how to tramp among the kiwis. The article covers several of the better-known hikes in New Zealand,
including the Milford Track, probably the best known of all the Great Walks.

American Trails

by Erik Olsen on

I’m going to guess that most people had no idea there was such a
thing as the  Millennium Trails
program. Well, there is, and according to the government copy writers who get paid to describe this stuff the MTP
“is a national program that will celebrate, recognize and be a catalyst for creating trails to “honor the past and
imagine the future” as part of America’s legacy for the year 2000.” How nice.

The project is supposed to build, enhance or recognize (hey you! yeah you, you’re a trail, aren’t you? I thought
so.) approximately 200 trails. From the Mississippi River Trail to the Freedom Trail (you know, through Boston) the
project is now underway. So if you’re interested in what the project is doing, or are just eager to read some
scintillating bureaucratic prose, go to the government site. If you want a
site with a better interface that describes the trails and the project, go to
Altrec’s site.

Coppola’s Cabin in the Jungle

by Erik Olsen on

My guess is it probably offers better accomodations than Colonel Kurtz’ bamboo prisoner cell (remember, where Marlon Brando dropped Chef’s head into Martin Sheen’s lap?). Francis Ford Coppola’s Blancaneaux Lodge is nestled in the jungles of Belize in Central America. He found the place, so he says, when he was hunting for locations to film Apocalypse Now, and came back to buy a chunk of it. Now it is a world-class lodge called the Blancaneaux Lodge, and offers sybaritic accomodations for those who also want some jungle adventure with their champagne.

Photo of the Day: (1/29/05)

by Erik Olsen on

James Kay takes breath-taking photos of just about every adventure
sport. This shot of Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska is no exception. His site has got so many fine photos, you can
probably find more than one to buy from him and hang on your wall. The range of his work is amazing, and the color in
some of these photos otherworldly.

Camel Trekking

by Erik Olsen on


To be honest, I had no idea you could

ride camels through the American Southwest. They’re not indigenous there, right? (ha, just kidding. What, you think
I’m stoopid?). But seriously, folks. You gotta admit that when it comes to savoring the scintillating sunsets of the
Southwest, doing it by camel would be pretty sweet. Sitting astride a dromedary
like Lawrence of Arabia as you are passed by Gladys and Henry in their twinkie-loaded RV is definitely the way to
go.