The Great Calusa Blueway

by Willy Volk on

If you’re heading to the west coast of Florida, you should schedule some extra time to explore the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail. Running along the shores of Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, paddlers can enjoy spectacular views of the area’s nature preserves from the warm Gulf waters of Estero Bay.

Dotted with mangroves that provide sanctuary for over 300 species of birds as well as multitudes of sea and animal life, including — if you’re lucky — manatees and dolphins, the area is a Nature Lover’s Paradise and a haven for those who long for a little slow travel. Numerous outfitters in the area offer guided trips, but for independent travelers, there are abundant rentals and launch areas; trail maps and GPS coordinates are also available.

Finally, if you’re interested, the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival runs October through November.

World’s Best Active Beaches

by Willy Volk on

Living in South Florida, we head to the beach a lot. I love relaxing on the sand, in the sun, with a beer on one side, a dog on the other, and a magazine with lots of pictures in front of me. Occasionally, I gaze out at the paragliders and envy them their active lifestyles. Then, I take a long, slow sip of my cold drink and remember why I came to the beach. Yes… relaxing on the sand is wonderful.

If you’re among the people who thinks cooling it on the sand is boring, and you’re rather get up and DO something, you need to check out Concierge’s list of 11 Totally Active Beaches and their attendant activities, which includes:

  • Scuba diving in Turks & Caicos
  • Kiteboarding in Essaouira, Morocco
  • Sea Kayaking in San Blas Islands, Panama
  • Surfing in Bali, Indonesia
  • Hiking in Washington State
  • Mountain biking in Dominica
  • Sailing in Captiva Island, Florida
  • Fly fishing in Isla Holbox, Mexico
  • Golf in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  • Wakeboarding/Waterskiing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  • Tennis in Kiawah Island, South Carolina

To the list, I’d like to include whale watching in Hermanus, South Africa. Although it sounds passive, it can be a very active endeavor.

Paddle the Gauley

by Erik Olsen on

It’s almost time again to wpe the dust off your boats, grab your paddle and hit the water. And there’s no better place to do this that in West Virginia at the Gauley River. Every year, when they open up the gates at the dam on the Gauley River, you will see hundreds of tons of water gush out of those gaping tunnels, creating some of the best white water in the world.

The water roars out of these massive pipes with a sound like the end of the world, and rafters and kayakers put in right there and ride the river down it’s several stages. I have only rafted the Gauley once, but it was a great experience. Paddler Magazine seems to share my enthusiasm. This piece on the virtues of the Gauley brought back some fine memories of the days when I was a junior guide and rafting was my life…one wonderful, albeit short summer long ago.

Just How Hard is it to Fall Off a Cruise Ship?

by Jonathon Morgan on

In the past two weeks, three people have gone overboard on cruise ships — a drunk 35-year-old off the Florida coast, and a couple 20-somethings who’ve asked for the circumstances of their tumble to be kept secret. So what gives? Are you actually at risk of going overboard when on a cruise?

Carolyn Spencer Brown of CruiseCritic.com says: “It is so hard to fall overboard that when someone does go over the side, it’s either because, sadly, it’s a suicide attempt or it’s because they’re being incredibly foolish.”

Douglas Ward, author of ‘Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships,’ suspects “that drink is usually involved in these kind of circumstances.”

Douglas Stallings, editor of ‘Fodor’s Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises,’ agrees, saying: “Many of these incidents involve excessive use of alcohol.”

So no, you’re not at risk, unless you’ve been getting hammered.

But not so fast. Even though statistics provided to Congress by cruise lines show that less than one in one million passengers went missing over a three-year period, organizations like International Cruise Victims still exist. These critics say that cruises are dangerous, and that — especially when foul play is involved — the cruise lines don’t thoroughly investigate. Additionally, a recent Congressional hearing found that crime reporting on cruise ships is inconsistent.

However, in spite of these high profile incidents, chances are that Douglas Stallings is right, and “cruise ships are considerably safer than any other place you’re likely to vacation.”

Do You Have Any Jaffa Cake, Dear Chap?

by Iva Skoch on

Two British rowers, Stuart Turnbull and Edward Bayliss, somehow got it in their heads that rowing across the Atlantic Ocean was a good idea. It didn’t turn out to be so great when, after nearly being hit by tankers, losing their speargun, being pounded by gales and 40 ft. waves, they had to be rescued by some Dutch rowers short of their destination.

The two set off from Tenerife, hoping to break the record (40 days) for rowing across the ocean the fastest. To cut down on weight, they gave themselves only 50 days of food rations. 56 days into their adventure, they were down to 1,000 calories a day rations and had to be given more food by a Dutch crew, who were out there doing the same thing.

Now, it was all for a good cause, Cancer Research UK, but they themselves turned out to be the charity cases. You can find out more about their continuing adventures at this Daily Mail site. (Oh, and if you’ve never tried a Jaffa cake…)