Vacation Galleries

Bear Island, NC : October 28-30. For our first foray into coastal kayak camping, we chose Bear Island which is an undeveloped island just off the coast of Swansboro NC. This is a fairly popular kayak/canoe destination with designated campsites and the like, but a good beginner introduction to some coastal kayaking. So we packed up and away we went.

Bear Island, NC

October 28-30. For our first foray into coastal kayak camping, we chos ...

Updated: Oct 31, 2007 7:56pm PST

San Diego Wild Animal Park, CA :

San Diego Wild Animal Park, CA

Updated: Jan 04, 2007 10:03pm PST

Zion National Park, UT 2004 : Our first visit to Zion. We hiked the Angel's Landing trail and the Narrows up to Orderville. Didn't realize at the time that I'd be drawn back to this park each year for the next 3 years!

Zion National Park, UT 2004

Our first visit to Zion. We hiked the Angel's Landing trail and the Na ...

Updated: Jun 29, 2007 7:49pm PST

Mt. Whitney, CA : April 19-20 trip to rock climb Mt. Whitney. At 14,494 feet, Mt Whitney is the highest point in the continental (or at least the contiguous) US. We chose the East Buttress route, an 11 pitch 5.7 option. This trip is one that you look back on and, while glad that you did it, you don't relish doing again. The approach hike was brutal. I'm sure I was out of shape but I was also feeling the effects of altitude which made the hike that much worse. Erik and Lara were not affected by the elevation so I felt like I was really lagging behind. It basically felt like I was very out of shape and I had a constant buzzing in my head the entire hike/climb. In addition, once we got into the technical portion of the climb, we were climbing with a party of three without much experience doing so so we moved slow (last minute cancellation by our 4th party member). Due to all of these factors, it took us all day to make the climb and the sun set as we reached the peak. So we had to decend the "Mountaneer's Trail", basically a big scree field, in the dark by headlamp. But it wasn't all bad. The area was surpurb, saw a Pica, the view from the summit was unreal, and sleeping under the stars at that altitude was amazing. -Dana

Mt. Whitney, CA

April 19-20 trip to rock climb Mt. Whitney. At 14,494 feet, Mt Whitney ...

Updated: Jan 04, 2007 9:49pm PST

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, CA :

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, CA

Updated: Dec 17, 2006 9:14am PST

San Diego Zoo, CA :

San Diego Zoo, CA

Updated: Dec 17, 2006 8:08am PST

Great Basin National Park, NV : Visited to this out-of-the way park when Lara was working on her field work out that way. Great park and relatively unknown and unvisited.

Great Basin National Park, NV

Visited to this out-of-the way park when Lara was working on her field ...

Updated: Dec 17, 2006 5:50am PST

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ : Short visit to the Grand Canyon. Just checked out the cool sites.

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Short visit to the Grand Canyon. Just checked out the cool sites.

Updated: Dec 16, 2006 6:29pm PST

Death Valley, CA : Camping trip. We toured the area and camped in Panamint Valley.

Death Valley, CA

Camping trip. We toured the area and camped in Panamint Valley.

Updated: Dec 16, 2006 6:24pm PST

Bryce Canyon National Park, UT : Hiking trip to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah on June 1-2, 2005

Bryce Canyon National Park, UT

Hiking trip to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah on June 1-2, 2005

Updated: Dec 16, 2006 12:33pm PST

Bonaire, NA : Diving trip to Bonaire in September 2001.

Bonaire, NA

Diving trip to Bonaire in September 2001.

Updated: Dec 01, 2006 11:10pm PST

Mamaw 2008 :

Mamaw 2008

Updated: Sep 25, 2008 5:43am PST

Swansboro NC Kayaking : 10/8/09 kayaking trip to the outer banks near Swansboro NC. Great, short, relaxing paddle around the area and out to Bear Island. No life or death stories, just lots of fun paddling in the sound, lonely beaches, and ocean birds.

Swansboro NC Kayaking

10/8/09 kayaking trip to the outer banks near Swansboro NC. Great, sho ...

Updated: Oct 14, 2009 6:25pm PST

Girls' Weekend Sept 09 :

Girls' Weekend Sept 09

Updated: Nov 01, 2009 7:21am PST