Tag Archives: Traveling

Isle Royale part II

September 3, 2012 Troy

We were off to the next destination which was just over four miles away while carrying 40 pounds or more of camping equipment and food. While researching backpacking it was recommended to carry a maximum of 20% of your body weight in your pack. Ours seemed slightly higher than that which appeared to be more common amongst the other hikers on the island. 20% would certainly have been more comfortable and easier on our bodies. The scenery was quite nice and changed along the way however after a couple of miles of walking up and down hills with all this weight the scenery became less important. Finally after five hours of hiking we arrived at our destination and where able to take the packs off for an extended period of time. This did include stopping for lunch and a couple of other snack breaks so it was not constant walking. After some recuperation it was time to set up camp for the night and enjoy our surroundings.

Huginnin Cove was without a question worth the hike. We had Lake Superior on two different sides of us with trees and rock formations everywhere else along with plenty of peace and solitude. The landscape was spectacular even when you’re exhausted from getting there. Listening to the waves of the lake crash against the rocks surrounding the shoreline while taking in the surroundings was an amazing experience. Off in the distance we could see the shores of Canada and at times see the city of Thunder Bay. At this camping area there was no pre-built shelter, running water, or flush toilets so it was more extreme camping. Our evening meal was prepared while watching the sunset across the water. As we finished cleaning up for the evening the stars light up the sky with no moon to interfere. This happened to occur at the same time as the Perseid Meteor Shower was winding down so not only did we get to star gaze but we were treated to shooting stars and numerous satellites crossing the sky. This was the experience I was hoping for!

Our next morning was beautiful and sunny giving some incentive to get up and enjoy the day. We were much slower in emerging from the tent even with this nice sunny day as there were many sore muscles and joints along with the knowledge that it was another day of hiking with all this extra stuff strapped to our backs. Eventually we made breakfast and cleaned the dishes and packed everything away into our packs in an effort to head back to Washington Creek. There are two ways to get from Hugginnin Cove to Washington Creek. We explored one of those the previous day so decided it was time to take the second trail today. A very good decision as the scenery was much better and the trail slightly easier.

For the conclusion of this post click to continue…

Adventures, Troy's Blog

An Evening Adventure at Acadia

September 24, 2011 Troy

After a full day of exploring Acadia National Park, the sun was beginning to wane so off to find a great spot to watch it set. Looking at the photo above I would say we were successful although I’m sure there are a number of great spots to watch both sunrises and sunsets. We pulled over on the side of the road, got the tripod and camera, and found the best spot to view the sun as is slowly merged into the horizon. There were a few other cars that stopped to quickly take a picture and then moved on but for most of the time we were able to enjoy a spectacular sunset on Mount Desert Island, Maine which is were Acadia resides. This was likely going to be our only opportunity for enjoying a sunset as Hurricane Irene was headed our way and the next night would be filled with clouds. Once we were satisfied with the viewing it was time to move on to our evening residence.

Along the way I caught a glimpse of Bubble Rock sitting high above on a ledge of stone. Wanting a longer view of this large rock that appears as though it could tumble over the edge with just the smallest incentive we found a parking lot with a trail to a better viewing area. Earlier in the day this parking lot was full so we continued on planning on returning later. There was about 30 minutes of daylight left and the hiking trail was only 1/4 mile long. Doing the math assuming a walking rate of 2 miles per hour it should take us about 15 minutes to get there, 15 minutes of pictures and enjoying the surrounding and 15 minutes back to the parking lot. I knew it would be getting pretty dark by the time we got back to our vehicle but we should be fine so off on another adventure it was.

About a third of the way Karen decided she was going to utilize a bench along the trail and would wait for us. I expected that the trail should terminate not to far ahead and we would get a nice look from a viewing point and then return to the car. As we continued on the trail it kept winding back and forth and then began to ascend more than expected. The longer we followed the trail, the darker it got and the more I began to realize this trail led right to the boulder we had seen from a distance below. Well, it shouldn’t be to far now so on we went. Finally we were at the top of the trail and near our objective. It was amazing to me that the National Park Service would allow people to get so close to this rock at the edge of a cliff. Once we finally saw this boulder I understood a little better. There was no way anyone was going to move this rock allowing it to go over the cliff. Once you realize that it has been in this location since the glaciers you can understand how unlikely it is to move.

To be Continued….

Adventure, Troy's Blog

Where Everbody Knows Your Name…

August 23, 2011 Troy 4 Comments

We arrived in Boston after a short delay in our flight and hit the ground running… I mean walking. Our goal was to get information about the Freedom Trail which is part of the National Park System and possibly see some of the sites on that trail. After quickly finding something to eat we were off and managed to visit a few sites including where the Boston Massacre happened and the oldest graveyard in Boston which opened in 1630. I was amazed at the detail engraved into headstones over 300 years ago.

These sites were closing down for the day so it was on to one of the other landmarks that was on our list: Cheers. Or at least the bar that the TV show Cheers was modeled after. Fortunately this was within a few blocks of where we parked the car so there really was not a lot of walking involved. Obviously this is still quite a popular attraction as there were trolley loads of people coming to take their pictures by the Cheers sign. The original Bull & Finch Pub that was the model for the set used in the Cheers series is still downstairs however a replica set has been added along with a giftstore to where “Melvilles” would have been. It was great to see this in person after watching it in a number of Cheers episodes. I would never guessed it would be in the location it is with a lot of residential buildings and parks around it.

Off to explore more of the Freedom Trail…..

General Travel Thoughts, Troy's Blog

Would You Travel for Months at a Time?

August 20, 2011 Troy 10 Comments

For a lot of people their immediate answer is “YES!”. I prefer to travel for a week or two and then return home. What do you think of when imagining traveling for months at a time? There is a wide range of thoughts anywhere from constantly on the go living as a nomad like Gary Arndt of Everything-Everywhere or Matt Kepnes of Nomadic Matt to traveling in Europe for six weeks and returning home.

My personal preference depends on where I’m traveling. If I’m traveling in or near the United States I like to go somewhere for up to two weeks and then return home to re-group and comprehend the recent experience. Also, I like the comforts of home in between new experiences. If I’m traveling overseas to Europe or Asia than two weeks is the minimum. My general guidelines come from the length of time it takes to get someplace.

Ideally I would like to go someplace new once every other month. There can be a lot involved in planning and executing a trip such as places to stay, air, passports and visas, ect. so some downtime in between is often helpful. There are some limitations to traveling like this. Trips are packed with more to do in less time because time is limited and it is more difficult to say I will do or see that tomorrow and stay in a location for a few extra days. This is of course an assumption since I have never really experienced the nomadic lifestyle. The costs are higher due to traveling home and then off to another destination as well as the expense of keeping a home which means maintaining a job.

I use to believe that traveling from one destination and going to the next one would be great. Now… I would have to give up a lot of things I enjoy with having a home, family, and work so I choose to travel on occasion. Another belief of mine is that travel is a great lifetime of adventures. Traveling for a few years straight can lead to getting burned out after a year or two reducing the enjoyment of the next adventure. Getting burned out is something I have read from travelers who have been on the road for an extensive amount of time. I know, many of us would like to give it a try. There are many new experiences and adventures that I look forward to from completing the National Parks Monopoly Board to diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Keeping that travel excitement and anticipation is part of exploring a different area.

Become a Monopoly Traveler

The Concept

October 15, 2010 admin

The concept of being a Monopoly Traveler is to travel to each of the destinations on a particular version of Monopoly. These destinations come from the properties on that Monopoly board.

: The National Parks Board that began our adventures as Monopoly Travelers

First, decide which board(s) you want to travel. Next, choose how you want to get to each location, and finally determine what you want to do once you get to your destination. It’s that simple! There are over 1,800 versions of Monopoly with more being created every year. Many of these boards are full of destinations that allow you to become a Monopoly Traveler.

Why become a Monopoly Traveler:

The purpose of being a Monopoly Traveler is to experience new destinations. Some of these destinations you may be familiar with while others will be places you have never experienced before. Using a specific Monopoly Board to determine your destinations increases the chance that you will experience a place you never knew existed and would not have planned on exploring if it weren’t for becoming a Monopoly Traveler.

Each edition of Monopoly has locations that were chosen by somebody else for a specific reason. Chances are that each location has significance and is worth experiencing. Determining your travel destinations in this way helps eliminate your biases and become more of a pure explorer, open learning about places which will positively surprise you. These locations will likely be of interest because they’re are on a board that you have chosen which means there where places of interest to you already on the Monopoly board.

Surprise yourself and make the commitment!

The Monopoly Traveler Concept is born:

My wife (MT Karen) and I were traveling to Hawaii for a beautiful beach wedding. There were many excursions such as snorkeling, fishing, and a Luau we wanted to experience while in Hawaii since we had never been there. One of these excursions was visiting the USS Arizona Memorial. During our visit to the USS Arizona Memorial we entered a gift shop to look at souvenirs. While browsing I came across a Monopoly Board of the National Parks. I loved playing Monopoly while I was younger so this edition caught my attention. While looking over the National Parks Monopoly box, I saw several destinations that I had heard about while growing up but never visited and would like to see ‘some day’. You can imagine how often some day comes around. As I was putting the box back I mentioned to MT Karen “Wouldn’t it be fun to visit all of the properties on this board?” She smiled and said “uh huh”. That was the end of the conversation for many years.

Since that time our family was growing and our children were getting older. That were a number of conversations about where we wanted to take the kids and what our wishes were for them to explore while growing up. We firmly believe the things they learn in school have a larger impact if they get to experience teachings first hand. A few years ago I looked at MT Karen one morning and told her I thought it was time to travel the National Parks Monopoly board. We wanted the children to get a taste of many of the different areas of the United States so that they could experience so many new places that were both similar and different to their home. Well, both MT Karen and I would get to do the same. The Monopoly board provides more of a random collection of destinations than we would have chosen which accomplishes our goal of exploring different destinations across America.

: The Monopoly Travelers entering Grand Canyon National Park

Being Monopoly Travelers:

We feel very fortunate to be able to live one of the goals we set out many years ago and have become National Park nerds. While traveling to the parks that are on the board, we will often visit other parks that are somewhere nearby. Being a Monopoly Traveler does require commitment in order to complete a board. There are around 28 destinations on each board. Some have more and others have less. There are destinations that you will enjoy more than others but there is guarantee – you will have experiences that last a lifetime. These experiences will provide bonds with those you choose to participate with and create memories that will bring a smile to your face. It is these memories and bonds that make being a Monopoly Traveler gratifying.

Welcome to Monopoly Traveler!

We will share our experiences and what we learn over the course of our travels and invite you to share yours with us. Let us know which Monopoly board you would like to travel!

Gaining Life Experience