Changing Reward Airline Tickets…some useful tips

January 31, 2010

Last week I flew to Tucson from Vancouver on a ticket earned on points from Continental Airlines. There were no hitches going down but the same cannot be said for the return. I didn’t reconfirm the return portion of the ticket before going to the airport which I’ll usually do for overseas flights but not for flights within Canada and the US. That was my mistake. Reconfirm. Always. Most of us check in online 24 hours ahead of time now, but I didn’t have that option or I would have known that there was going to be trouble.

The bottom line was that the flight had been changed and I had never received any notification of that change. The flight we should now have been on had left hours ago and no others were scheduled, let alone available for almost 24 hours. In a smaller airport like Tucson you have fewer options but this is what I learned.

1. Get the ticket agent on your side. You’re going to need an ally. In our case we dealt with a Delta agent who initially gave us a rough time but who in the end saved the day!! This was really a Continental Airlines problem but if you get the right airline agent they’ll get the problem solved. Be patient, friendly and courteous.
2. Once you have begun your journey, despite all the rhetoric, airlines can and will make changes to the routing, though not the final destination. I was supposed to have returned via Salt Lake City but in the end that was of no consequence whatsoever.
3. Know the partner airlines of the issuer of the ticket. In this case I knew that Continental was now part of the Star Alliance so routing on those flights was a possibilty.
4. Be prepared to take matters into your own hands. Check out the departures board and look for all flights on partner airlines heading in the general direction of where you’re going. Then get your ticket agent ally to check connections and availability.
5. Finally ask the ticket agent to PUSH your ticket to the airline you want to fly on. I checked to make sure that US Airways would accept the ‘pushed’ ticket and once I had the OK from them it was a 2 minute matter of writing up an old fashioned paper ticket, though the Delta agent did need a supervisor to approve the transaction.  (The other word for this type of transaction is a FIM or Flight Interruption Manifest. It is a document issued by an airline as a substitute ticket for passengers experiencing irregularities during travel when the original ticket is not available. A FIM is generally issued at a gate, ticket counter or transit desk by an airline agent and will note their original routing and ticket numbers, as well as those of the new routing, thereby making the FIM the new ticket. A FIM is only valid for a specific flight on a new airline that is not the airline the ticket was originally issued with. For example, a Delta gate agent could produce a FIM for a flight on United and send the data to United. The FIM would then be accepted as a regular ticket on the specified United flight. (source – Wikipedia))

If you’re flying with a regular, purchased ticket versus one bought via points, you’ll find that the ticket agent has alot more leeway in what they can do for you. However, if customer service really is a priority then they’ll still find a way to get you on your way. Delta Airlines was terrific, sympathetic and creative and in my case Continental Airlines was far more concerned with using reward seats than in getting me to my final destination even though I spent just shy of 2 hours on the phone!!

Save yourself some frustration next time you have a flight problem with a ticket purchased on points and remember PUSH and FIM and with luck you won’t be waiting hours on a phone for nothing. Happy flying!

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Mexican man hunt – a thought provoking bike ride on southern Arizona roads

January 29, 2010

This bike ride wasn’t what I bargained for. First, it’s far more beautiful in a very desolate sort of way than I expected. There are mountains everywhere the eye looks, rolling hills, mesquite  trees and cactus. There aren’t as many birds but perhaps that’s a function of how little is blooming in January. If you do see a bird it’s quite possibly a loggerhead shrike, a pyrrhuloxia, or a phainopepla, birds whose names suggest a different world than we’re used to.

The initial ride took us from Tucson, 70 miles south to Sasabe on the Mexican border. Once you’re well away from Tucson on the secondary highways one car in two is a border control car, and that’s 50 miles from the border. At the 25 mile mark there is a full border patrol checkpoint. Once you reach Sasabe the fence marking the US- Mexico border is on view for miles as are the cameras mounted on watch towers. The area is literally crawling with border control vehicles.

Yesterday had a different feel to it. The bike ride took us from Sasabe to Tubac, about 55 miles in total. There were the usual number of border vehicles but this ride was different. The landscape was littered with the meager belongings of the Mexicans. You’d see backpacks, items of clothing, scarves and beads. Well trodden paths and used water jugs were everywhere. So were the border guards. Every culvert and abandoned building was searched. Cars are pulled over and trunks are opened. And just when you think you’re home free there’s another border patrol stop.

One can’t help thinking about the plight of these Mexicans – not the drug running ones which are a different group, but the ones willing to risk it all  for a better life for themselves and their families. The human face gets lost in the politics. I know this is an extremely emotive subject especially for the taxpayers of Texas, Arizona and California. But, it’s a very human story too and unless you are devoid of any empathy it is hard to imagine walking in the shoes of the Mexican.

My hat goes off to the fortitude of the Mexicans who try. I know it’s illegal but as one human to another (versus aligning myself as a Democrat or Republican) I admire the courage to scale a 14 foot fence with nothing but a pack on your back, and then to deal with the harsh, unforgiving countryside full of snakes in the summer, and the fear that you’ll die of thirst or be caught.

I hope the great thinkers of the world can come up with a better long term solution than border fences. Today, with all the obstacles thrown in their way, there are still 120 Mexicans per day who get picked up in this small section of the US.

I’ll continue on my ride now, north to Tucson and I won’t stop thinking about what needs to change. I was very lucky to be born on the right side of the fence.

An interesting movie to rent to get another viewpoint is called ‘A Day Without a Mexican’.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Hiking and Visiting Zion National Park, Utah – guest blogger, Phillip Ferranti’s perspective.

January 26, 2010

 Zion National Park…a sanctuary of exotic beauty!

 

Zion National Park

Every year since 1988 I’ve pilgrimaged to Zion National Park to refresh my spirits by drinking in some of the most sublime, and colorful beauty on earth. The first Mormon scouts to see Zion canyon appropriately named it after the biblical heaven…”Zion”, and rightfully so. Zion includes elevations from canyon and low desert of 3,700 feet to aspen and fir covered slopes accented by black & grey basalt at 8,700 feet. Unlike the Grand Canyon or Bryce, Zion is a “hiker’s park”, with over a hundred miles of trail that actually draw you into the deep bowels of canyon country, hugging steep trails that lead to spectacular vistas of the whole of southern Utah, while affording you awesome looks into the depths of those same canyons.

Trails are awash in color…vibrant, intense, mystical! Whole sides of canyon walls sweep down at you with rusts and browns, bright yellows and orange, reds and lavenders. Some places actually vibrate with color, azure and cobalt to match the soaring sky arching over the whole of canyon country. A photographer’s dream, where the deep green forests atop the canyons contrast with the colors below.

There is a calming presence in Zion, much like a medieval church where “sanctuary” was given to persons pursued by threatening worldly forces. Zion is the ultimate “stress management” seminar, teaching us to access our quiet strength within, rejuvenate with an aesthetic elixir, see the primordial forces of wind, earth, fire and water sculpt a majestic setting Michelangelo would have been proud to have carved. And did I say “hiking!”

Zion is usually a quick drive through by the 2.5 million visitors seeing it each year. But don’t cheat yourself. Zion is a forever experience. I booked 3 days my first time there and ended staying almost 2 weeks! Zion is always new and refreshing. After you’ve hiked the great “Inner canyon” hikes of East Observation Point and West Rim to Angel’s Landing, be sure to really discover Zion’s backcountry by driving up Kolob Terrace Rd. where the scenery is exceptionally beautiful. My suggestions for that drive include: after 5+ miles park on the left where Smith Mesa Rd. joins Kolob Terrace and hike up to Smith Mesa and across as far of it as you like; a real hidden gem of a hike where especially from mid May to early June its great grass prairie where horses often run is back dropped by soaring canyon mountains and the whole place suggests “the old West” of 1840.

Further up Kolob Terrace Rd. hike Hop Valley, early morning, (mid May especially sees wildflowers) and when you drop down into the main canyon, explore the 3 side canyons to your right…really!! I’ve never been in a place that seemed so primeval. The next trail along that road is Northgate Peaks. Do it! Quiet serene beauty, yes, but when you come to the slick rock section to the left of the trail that takes you to the famous Subway hike, bushwhack to a high rock out cropping vantage point for great vistas before finishing the hike.

Finally treat yourself to the 13.5 mile one way “5 star hike” Lava Point to Zion Canyon found further up the road. You’ll need someone to drop you off for this one (or park cars at both ends). That one is my favorite. In one shot you go from Zion’s high point to almost its low point, with everything in between affirming and inspiring your commitment to return!

Back in the main Zion Canyon, water level permitting,try hiking the Virgin River to the Narrows. It’s one of the “classic” hikes of the American West, unique, beautiful, and fun! And, just for the “aesthetic record” hike Zion in sunny weather. Its color needs to be seen in sunlight for its magic to cast its spell.

On a more practical note, where to stay, what to do, where to dine. My favorite hotel, the Driftwood Lodge. Awesome down-canyon views, a cozy park area next to the Virgin River, and Gourmet fare at its best at Parallel 88 Restaurant located on the property. Dog friendly, too. Best Western Zion Park Inn, Canyon Ranch Motel and Flanigan’s Inn rate high also. Restaurants of note include The Spotted Dog at Flanigans, Oscars Cafe and The Switchback Grille. Great places to compliment Zion’s spectacular hiking where appetites are stoked and memories created.

The town of Springdale has several top photography studios, including Fatali’s and David Pettit, David West and others that do more than justice to Zion’s famous scenery. The National Park Visitor’s Center is a must as well as the IMax Theater. Springdale really is laid back and blest with many small treasures to discover after a day on the trail. Finally, Deep Canyon Spa will top off the day’s adventures with massage treatments for the body that match what Zion Canyon does for your soul. I have found May/early June and September my favorite months to hike. But any time of year is “Zion Time.”
So what are you waiting for? You’re invited. Heaven is just over that next horizon, in a place called “Zion.”

Phillip Ferranti and his dog in the Mecca Hills area, close to Palm Springs

 

kindly written by guest blogger, Phillip Ferranti (www.phillipferranti.com/ )

author of 149 Great Hikes in and near Palm Springs

Airline Travel Safety – Why don’t they do this?

January 26, 2010

It doesn’t take long to memorize the airline safety announcement that you get every time you board a plane. It would be the rare person who didn’t know to buckle their seatbelt or to put on their mask before helping others. But, what they never do is ACTUALLY tell you what row is the exit row. They point to the front, middle and back but we’ve seen it happen so often so we all tend to tune out the message.

What they should do, in my opinion, which would cost nothing, is to actually tell you what row the Exit Row is, on whatever plane you are flying. Then they should ask you to count how many rows away you are from it. So specifically is it row 17, 18 , and 32 or whatever it might be. That way people could particpate in their onboard safety.

Leigh McAdam
www.hikebiketravel.com

Best Places to Live in Canada

January 22, 2010

It’s a given that Canada is considered to be one of the best places on the planet to live – when you consider life expectancy, the country’s economy, personal freedoms, literacy and so on. The United Nation Development Program publishes a list every year based on just those factors and Canada regularly scores near the top.

But, where in Canada would you live, if you could live anywhere? A few years ago, supposedly, one of the Caribbean Islands was interested in joining Canada. Most people I knew were all for it, which tells you alot about how much climate influences our decisions. Here are some things to think about.

• climate (except for BC, there is not a huge amount of choice here)
• size of the city and ease of movement; is it possible to get to work on foot or by biking?
• affordable housing or lack thereof
• ammenities like libraries, rec centers, churches
• access to healthcare
• availability of decent paying jobs
• intellectual and cultural opportunities
• crime rate
• your age and family commitments (single, married)
• social milieu – what’s the hair colour of the population? attitudes? openness?
• taxes

I think this is a much tougher question to answer in Canada than it would be in the US where at the very least you can choose a climate to your liking!

It’s always going to be a tradeoff. I’m wrestling with the possibility of a move from Vancouver to Calgaryand I think it all comes down to attitude. Vancouver offers  lots of rain and a high high cost of living but the flowers are starting to bloom in January, worldclass skiing is 90  minutes from my doorstep and the air is usually clean. Calgary is sunnier but has cold, long winters and great outdoor activities including fantastic summertime hiking and wintertime skiing. I can put a positive spin on just about anywhere. 

Here’s MoneySense magazines Top 10 2009 rankings, out of a possible 154 towns and cities.

(1) Victoria, BC  (2) Ottawa, ON (3) Kingston, ON (4) Burlington, ON (5) Vancouver, BC (6) Moncton, NB (7) Fredericton, NB (8) Winnipeg, Manitoba (9) Peterborough, ON and (10) Brandon, Manitoba

Scoring points for categories is an exercise but doesn’t take into account your emotional response to a place ; I have an instantly negative reaction to living anywhere in Manitoba, thinking of cold winters and buggy summers.

Many people I know are at one of life’s crossroads and this is a useful exercise but ultimately a place is what you make it.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Insights, Tips & Good Reading from Travel Blogs Around the World

January 21, 2010

On Thursdays when I’m not travelling you can now anticipate some great articles written by fellow travel bloggers. Look for witty, insightful travel tales, tips and ideas from some of the best.

• Essential Software Tools for Digital Nomads
• Using Your Iphone During International Travel without Breaking the Bank
• The single item from home that people miss most when travelling
• Ten incredible bridge walks
• Security for Dummies: Why the Airline Rules Won’t Work Either
• Manual Ferris Wheel in Katmandu
• Figuring out Indian Rail Travel
• The Top 10 Spanish swear words
• The Saturday City: The Cinque Terre

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

The Camino de Santiago, Spain by guest blogger Kristen McAdam

January 20, 2010

In the summer of 2007 I was stuck in a dead end job with a nasty boss. This was after a string of jobs that each seemed to take the bad from the previous and aim to outdo it. So by the time this summer job rolled around, I was really down in the dumps. On a not so important day in the middle of August, I was sitting down to a sunny dinner on the deck complaining to my parents as usual. It was during that dinner that I realized I needed to do something very different. So the next day I quit my job and a week later I was on a plane to Spain with nothing but a backpack and my running shoes! Now I had done a fair bit of travelling before this point so the idea of going to a Spanish speaking country on the other side of the ocean didn’t scare me. I had taken Spanish during my years growing up in Colorado so I was able to communicate – at least the basics. 

I arrived in Madrid after about 17 hours of travelling and made it to my hostel with no issues. Early the next morning I hopped on a bus bound for Pamplona – the city I choose as my starting point. Most people begin the Camino de Santiago in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port just across the border in France; but seeing as I only had a matter of days to plan my trip, I choose a well known city that would be easy to get to.

People embark on the Camino de Santiago for any number of reasons. For many it’s a religious pilgrimage which ends at the tomb of St. James. For others, like myself, it’s for the adventure and the challenge. Looking back, I don’t think I really had any idea just what sort of challenge and adventure lay ahead of me that first night in Pamplona.

But 30 days later I arrived at the Cathedral de Compostela in the middle of Santiago. I had seen beautiful churches and idyllic small towns. I passed through terrain from sprawling vineyards to dusty roads, to misty forests. I ended up making new friends, I dropped 20 pounds, and I arrived at the steps of the cathedral with the biggest sense of accomplishment I had ever felt. I recommend the Camino de Santiago for just about anyone. You don’t have to be in perfect shape – I certainly wasn’t – you just have to have the desire to try something different.

I thought I would leave you with a few items that I wish I had known beforehand…

 1. Pack light! Without question, I had the biggest and heaviest bag of all the people I met. While this makes for a great conversation starter (everyone approached me laughing at the size of my bag), make note that painful shoulders for 30+ days is not fun.

2. Be prepared for blisters! Make sure you’ve worked your shoes in before you leave – I had brand new sneakers…bad idea! And bring any sort of blister remedy you can think of. Trust me.

3. Tortilla de patatas is a typical Spanish dish that is essentially an egg and potato omelete. The first few days of the trip I couldn’t find much to eat. It was after meeting some amazing people along the route who told me about this dish that I finally got some sustenance. At even the smallest hole in the wall restaurant you are likely to find this dish. It’s cheap, it gives you energy, and it tastes good!

 Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. (Mark Twain)

Blog kindly provided by Kristen McAdam.

Kristen is an adventure traveler at heart but for now an employee of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in Toronto.

You can plan your own Camino trip by checking out the link,  a wonderful addition compared to the online info just a few years ago.

Cash, credit or travelers checks – what’s the best way to go when you’re traveling?

January 19, 2010

The way we pay when we’re on the road has changed dramatically over the the last few decades.

Traveler’s checks have gone the way of the dinosaur. Third world countries don’t like them and westernized countries aren’t far behind. Unless you’re staying at a big hotel or resort, likely catering to an older clientale, don’t even consider them. You’ll probably pay a huge fee just for the privledge of cashing them. End of discussion.

Cash is king and you’ll never be sorry to have it, unless of course you’re robbed. Nonetheless, it is still my preferred method of payment, especially on short trips. Keep in mind the size of the denomination. If you start flashing big bills around in a poor country you could be setting yourself up as a target. Instead, get a mess of small bills- US $1 and $5 dollar bills will be gladly accepted just about anywhere in the world and are perfect for tips. For longer trips try and bring at least $100 worth of those small bills and then stock up on $20 bills. Anything bigger than a $20 is usually suspect or extremely difficult to change, especially for smaller vendors in third world countries.  The small bills will take up alot of room but they”ll save you alot of money as you won’t find yourself overtipping. Always keep a bunch handy, perhaps in a pocket,  and that way you’re not flashing a wallet either. Canadians – don’t even think about trying to change your Canadian dollars unless you’re either desperate or prepared to lose alot on the exchange rate.

The Euro is extensively, but not solely used in Europe. Holdouts include the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Croatia. Poland, Hungry and the Czech Republic will eventually adopt the Euro but that hasn’t happened yet. The same rule applies with Euros – get alot of them but get them in smaller denominations and the poorer the country you’re visiting, the more likely you will need those small bills. You can  always use them for restaurant tips.

Credit cards are also invaluable but they are not problem free. Consider the following:

• if you take a cash advance at an ATM machine with your credit card you will be incurring interest charges immediately, at very high rates too.
• if your card is compromised, especially on a long trip off the beaten path, you will have a challenging time getting it replaced. Two years ago my daughter was in Egypt at the beginning of a 4 month African trip and her card was compromised, probably in a Canadian airport. Not only did she have a very difficult time even cancelling the card from a distance, she had no easy way of getting a new one. Sending a new card to Sudan and Ethiopia stretches the limits of FedEx. I would highly recommend leaving all your banking information with a trusted friend or family member who has the authority to act on your behalf while you’re away.  Otherwise your frustration with the banks will go through the roof – their advice will be to have the person who is travelling make a collect call to sort things out. Just try that in parts of Asia and Africa – it won’t be happening!
• almost all credit cards now have a surcharge tacked onto any foreign transaction. There will be bank currency conversion fees and a transaction fee just for the privledge of using your card. Before you leave home find out what those fees are and if they are outrageous look for a new card issuer. In the United States, Capital One is one of the only banks that charges no fees – but online research suggests that they are dreadful to deal with. The bottom line is do your research ahead of time but expect to incur charges when using your credit card. 
• Call the bank that has issued your card beforehand and let them know where you are going to be traveling. You’ll be much less likely to have a charge denied.
• Watch out for credit card minimums. Sometimes those minimums are as high as $30 so you’re going to need that cash.

ATM machines have made international travel much easier. They’re becoming more common but again, they aren’t without their problems.

• Fees can be high and can include  an ATM non customer fee, a currency conversion fee and a flat fee. The smart thing to do is to take out the largest amount of money possible (since some of the transaction fee is fixed you will be charged the same amount if you take out $20 or $500 ) and preferably in an unusal amount so you don’t just get large bills. If you do, try to get to a bank and get them broken down immediately into smaller bills.
• Your card can become demagnetized. Take an extra card as a backup if that happens.
• Always shield your pin number at bank machines. In Mexico, a sophisticated mirror system was in place at an ATM machine and one of the men in our group had $1000 neatly removed from his cash account.

Before you head out on a trip:

• set up online banking and when you have a secure server check that your transactions are legitimate.
• bring a small calculator and do the math, preferably before you get to a border, and especially if you have a good idea of what the exchange rate might be. When we crossed the border from Malawi to Zambia we were besieged with money changers, many of whom were legitimate but there were others who profited only because of the confusion of figuring out in one’s head how many kwatcha one should be getting when going from Malawian kwatcha to Zambian kwatcha. Add noise, confusion and time constraints and you’ll set yourself up for a bad experience.
• Don’t wait until you’re down to your last $50 in the local currency, especially if you’re nowhere near a bank or ATM machine. Plan ahead.
• It is not unusual to be asked for your passport when you’re converting money in a foreign country.
• Don’t keep all your money in one spot. Some people keep two wallets – one that has the bulk of your money and one that has about $100 in US or Euros notes and a bunch of notes in the local currency. That way if you are robbed or held up and they ask for your wallet you can give them something, not all of it - but enough of it to make them think so.

What are your tips when on the road? Can anyone recommend a particularly good or bad Canadian or American credit card? I’d love to hear from you.

Leigh McAdam

founder, www.hikebiketravel.com

Random Acts of Kindness by Strangers – on the Road

January 18, 2010

I’ve been travelling for over 35 years, so my memory as it relates to specific trips, remembers the generalities of  the trip but not always the details. What is etched in memory are the times I’ve been the recipient of random acts of kindness by strangers. They were all notable,  no matter how small the act of kindness.  Most occurred when I was backpacking, either alone or with my husband.

I’ve listed them below in chronological order. This exercise has been useful to me to remind me of how small actions can make long lasting impressions and perhaps you too will consider a  random act of kindness to a stranger sometime in the near future.

• late December 1979 – excited, scared, 22 years old, in San Francisco on my way to New Zealand, trusting, naive, walking across the Golden Gate Bridge to a youth hostel – a middle aged couple joined me on my walk across the bridge and were horrified about my staying alone in a hostel, drove me to their gorgeous home in the hills, gave me dinner and a bed for the night and the next morning dropped me at the airport
• January 1980 – same trip, still working my way to NZ, flight from Fiji to NZ- sitting beside a young Fijian couple who lived in NZ – took pity on me traveling alone and insisted I stay with them in Auckland – which I did for 3 nights!
• January 1980 – Auckland, not a true stranger but the mother of a friend’s roomate kind of stranger – Mrs. Sylvia Keane, widowed, 8 Quiet Street, Auckland (no idea why I remember those details),put me up every time I went through Auckland over a three month period, unbelievably generous and hospitable
• April 1980 – flight from Sydney to Auckland – cute seatmate who went out of his way to get me to my Auckland accommodation and a week later put put me up for a night in Rotorua – also alerted me to the fact that all the guys looking like Rastafarians sitting a few seats up from us in coach were in fact Bob Marley & the Wailers.
• May 1980 – thumbing on the North Island of NZ and picked up by a sheep farmer (hardly news there) but once again offered a room for the night and a few free meals
• January 1982-  husband and I picked out with our Canadian flags on the backpack by fellow Canadians living in West Germany and lonely for Canada – they wined and dined us and put us up for a few days
• March 1982- just crossed the Greek-Turkish border in a snowstorm and trying for hours to hitchhike to Istanbul – picked up by a Turkish fellow who had worked at Club Med so spoke French – drove us to a cheap hotel in Istanbul, introduced us to his family and took us out for dinner the following night where he insisted on the meat platter – complete with bull’s and sheep’s testicles, though it wasn’t until I heard les balles du mouton that I clued in and by then it was too late
• April 1982 – hitchhiking for hours in northern France with the goal of making it to the Belgian border – finally picked up by a fellow in a fancy car, driven to his home where his very decent wife was asked to provide lunch- French omelette, salad and a dust  covered bottle of red wine brought up from the cellar and to top it all of a drive at the end of the meal directly to the Belgian border
• 1983- 2008 – long interval of family type trips, followed by tours with adventure companies with little chance to have unscripted interactions with locals
• August 2008 – Broughton Islands sea kayaking – really crappy weather- really big waves – scary stuff – wonderful Irish family offered to put our kayaks on their fishing boat and take us all the way back to Telegraph Cove, and that’s after meeting them a few nights earlier when they dropped off a pot of fresh prawns on our beach
• May 2009 – ‘Have you been to Ireland before?’ Never, we say. ”Then a Great Big Welcome to Ireland to You.’ and that was from the smiling and very sincere custom’s agent. I just hope the Canadian equivalent can treat our Olympic guests in the same memorable manner.
• May 2009 – on The Dingle Way, Ireland-  ‘those packs look heavy’ says our hostess for the night and the next morning she arranges, free of charge, to deliver them 2/3 of the way to our next destination. Hats off to the Teac Sean B&B in Anascaul,  the woman running Seaside Haven B&B in Ventry who did eactly the same thing , and to the woman running Imeall Na Mara in Ballydavid who thought nothing of driving us to dinner 20 minutes away or plying us with fresh apple pie after a particularly tough day
• May 2009 – on The Kerry Way, Ireland - husband has headed home and doing this one on my own – again some of the woman went well out of their way especially the woman at the Southern Sun B&B in Cahirciveen, the woman running the Coomassig B&B in Sneem who brought tea, kindness and a drive to dinner when I thought I would drop from fatigue.

There you have it. Thirty seven years to be exact of real adventure travel and a list of 15 truly memorable acts of kindness, though I know that there have been plenty of small acts both given and received but none as noteworthy as the ones descibed above.

 Leigh McAdam

founder, www.hikebiketravel.com

Website Changes for Hikebiketravel !!!

January 15, 2010

With who know how many zillions of websites out in cyberspace now and the difficulty of ever being discovered, I have chosen to recreate and remold hikebiketravel. The inspiration to keep going and carve out my own niche within the sphere of travel bloggers is this quote passed to me by my mother. Life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself. And so it begins.

• Effective immediately you are now able to freely download the detailed and hopefully very useful travel itineraries and guides. If you know of someone who would find one beneficial then please pass along the website address and the only thing I ask for in return is that they subscribe to the blog. Eventually I hope to make this a necessity.
• Look for many more links to useful travel related websites.
• I am embarrassed to confess that I will begin tweeting. I guess one should never say never as I have been repeatedly told to tweet and have resisted. If you’re of a certain age I don’t expect you’ll be following me. I am guessing (since I don’t exactly know how this works) that you’ll be able to see the tweets online.
• Look for guest bloggers.  The first one will be my daughter, whom I managed to coerce into writing about her month long walk across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago.  Please contact me if you have a travel story, accommodation tip or restaurant review that you would like to share. I’ll get you onto the website immediately.
• Sometime this year there will be video though I won’t begin uploading until I have worthwhile footage.
• Hikebiketravel will start geocaching and commenting on the travels of its geocaches.  
• Look for many more blogs filled with newsworthy travel tidbits, useful or outstanding restaurant and accommodation reviews, biking and hiking tips and tours, great books to read both travel and otherwise (especially since most people I know take a good book with them when they travel), any gear info that I find useful  as well as information on gardening and wine tours.

I hope you’ll find the revamped website relevant and the information meaningful. Please bear with me in the next few weeks as changes are implemented.

Leigh McAdam

founder, www.hikebiketravel.com

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  • Bike Myra Canyon on the amazing Kettle Valley Railway
  • 5 Places to Sea Kayak Within 90 Minutes of Vancouver
  • A Distillery Tour on the West Highland Way
  • Crossing the Zambezi River on the Kazungula Ferry
  • Hiking Tips for England & Scotland
  • Hiking Highlights on the 2nd Half of the West Highland Way, Scotland
  • Highlights of Scotland’s West Highland Way – Milngavie to Tyndrum

• Categories

  • Accommodation Reviews and Tips
  • Adventure Travel Tours and Tips
  • Africa
  • Airlines, airports and air ticket info
  • Biking in Europe- tours and tips
  • Biking in North America – tips and tours
  • Book suggestions – travel & otherwise
  • Canada
  • Canoeing/kayaking trips
  • Downloadable Guides
  • Europe
  • Garden related travel
  • Gear reviews and tips
  • Green Travel
  • Guest Post
  • Hiking, backpacking and walking tips and tours
  • Miscellaneous travel tips
  • Other
  • Restaurant Tips
  • Safety Tips
  • Skiing Info and Tips
  • Spain
  • Travel Blogs from around the World
  • United States
  • Wine Tours and Tips

• Archives

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  • November 2009
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  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009

• Links

  • 501 Places - Read Andy’s musings on his adventures to 70+ countries.
  • A Little Adrift - A well written blog with great photos by a 20 something woman who has done a RTW trip.
  • A Pair of Panties and Boxers - She use to want the corner office. Now she wants the world. Monica blogs about her travels around the world & her travels through life. Either way she travel, it’s food for her soul.
  • A Travel Around the World - Marta ‘n Chris travel the world and share their tips, stories and excitement of the venture.
  • Abandon the Cube - Ever thought of Abandoning your cubical to travel around the world? We are two travelers who did just that. Join us as we travel, mostly by ground transport and sea, across the globe at Abandon the Cube.”
  • About Airport Parking - Covers parking information at every major airport in the US.
  • Alice's Garden Travel Buzz - Look for great articles on gardens around the world, plus spas, foodie havens and cooking schools.
  • Art of Backpacking - Mike and Teresa have a well written, extremely useful website geared to the international backapacker.
  • Australia - Australia travel guide. Find the best of Australia.
  • Beers and Beans - Follow a California couple as they wander the world. Excellent photography.
  • Best Beaches in Asia - This website will lead you to some of the best beaches in Thailand, Taiwan, Cambodia and Hong Kong.
  • Brooke vs The World - Well written blog tracing Brooke’s journey around the world with some interesting longer term stops for work.
  • Brooklyn Nomad - A Noo Yawka with a bad case of wanderlust – great quotes, great photography.
  • Candice does the World - Get a Newfoundler’s point of view about Newfoundland, life and world travel.
  • Carolina Nomad - Spencer is your one stop travel source if you’re travleing to the Carolinas.
  • Currency Converter - Get exchange rates for world currencies.
  • Dave's Travel Corner - The go to website for all things related to travel – blogs, message boards, resoucres, photos, clasiifieds, travel news…
  • Enlighten Travels - A multi year journey around the world is recorded with insight.
  • Ever the Nomad - Anja is a Lonely Planet author who travels and a traveler who writes.
  • Everything Everywhere - Gary is a VERY well traveled guy who writes and takes great HD photos.
  • foXnoMad - Great blog with lots of tips on tech, money,lodging, culture…
  • Gabriola Cycle and Kayak - Guided cycling trips to Mexico, Spain and France for adventuresome travelers at very reasonable prices.
  • Gap Year Escape - Follow Amar’s backpacking travels in the southern hemisphere.
  • Gourmantic - A well written food and travel blog.
  • Guy and Girl Travels - Get both perspectives on travel from this team. Great stories from all the travel angles – food, happenings, haunts.
  • Happy Time Blog - Follow Aaron & Georgie as they have alot of fun traveling/backpacking the world.
  • Health Conscious Travel - A blog on health, travel and green living.
  • Hole in the Donut Travels - Read about Barbara’s travels from the perspective of a 50 something female with a serious case of wanderlust.
  • Hop and Jaunt - Check out the website of this pair of traveling designers.
  • Hoseasons Log Cabins - Luxury log cabins throughout the beautiful UK countryside.
  • How to Travel with Pets - This is your go to website if you’re a pet owner and you love to travel with pets including birds, fish and reptiles.
  • i Backpack Canada - Corbin provides you with lots of advice and tips for hitting the road with a backpack in Canada.
  • Ian and Wendy - Follow this well traveled Canadian couple on their worldwide travel adventures.
  • Inside the Travel Lab - A well written blog on the art and science of unusual travels.
  • Janes Guide to Scotland - Look for travel tips and information from someone who calls Scotland home.
  • Jet Set Citizen - John and his wife are jet set citizens – a group of people living the lifestyle they choose involving travel, technology and social media.
  • Lonely Planet Author: Joshua Samuel Brown - Read the musings of Josh, an expat living in Asia.
  • Monna McD - Follow the writings of this Canadian woman living in Bangkok.
  • My Several Worlds - Carrie writes about photography, lifestyle, travel and teaching ESL in Asia.
  • No Debt World Travel - Learn Brian’s tricks of traveling around the world cheaply.
  • Nomadic Chick - Jeannie is joining a long line of former cubicle dwellers and is about to embark on a RTW trip. Her stories are great as so is her writing style.
  • Otts World - Follow Sherry on her travels and enjoy inspiring photos and video.
  • Paddy in Buenos Asia - A very funny blog on everyday life of an Irish expat now living in Hong Kong. Warning – may contain nudity, bad language and Irish humour.
  • Quiver Tree Family Expeditions - Let this company help you plan a unique trip for your family to some of the world’s great places. Kid and parent tested itineraries.
  • Riverville House B&B, Kenmare, Ireland - If you are walking or touring the Kerry Way in Ireland then add this B&B to your must stay list. You will find lovely rooms and welcoming hosts at reasonable prices.
  • Rome Hotels - Looking for a hotel in Rome??
  • Runaway Jane - A lovely website by this fulltime travel writer and freelance illustrator.
  • Snarky Tofu - Check out the videos.
  • Start Backpacking - Get info on the steps to start backpacking, backpacking medicine, cheap flights and more.
  • Sunmaster Holidays - Find holidays, all inclusive holidays and package holidays with Sunmaster.co.uk
  • Tech Guide for Travel - Reviews of tech products used by travelers and all sorts of useful techie info in easy to understand terms.
  • The 9 to 5 Alternative - Peruse well written articles about travel, lifestyle and entrepreneurship.
  • The Caffeinated Traveller - Insights into world travel with colourful images – perfect with a cup of coffee.
  • The Planet D - Read about and watch videos on the ongoing adventure travels of Canada’s Dave Bouskill and Deb Corbeil.
  • The Professional Hobo - Adventures of a girl with no fixed address.
  • The Travel Expert(a) - Marina blogs about traveling in Central America AND plans and organizes trips in Costa Rica.
  • The World Effect - Excellent photography and writing are the hallmarks of Beau and Meggan’s round the world blog.
  • Trail of Ants - Check out this Brit’s excellent writing. He’s traveled on the Trans-Mongolian railway!
  • Travel Blissful - Follow Erica’s stories, tips, musings, video and photography as they relate to travel.
  • Travel Wonders of the World - Mark blogs about his travels to over 80 countries.
  • Travel Yourself - Follow Cailin as she travels the world one country at a time. Nice photography. Upcoming TV.
  • Traveling Canucks - Nicole and Cameron are a couple and a well traveled one at that with over 47 countries under their belt. Their photography is a treat for the eyes.
  • Traveling Greener - Sonya provides green travel news, trends and information.
  • Traveling Savage - Keith is a wonderful travel writer who tackles a wide range of off the beaten travel path topics.
  • Traveling the World by the Seat of our Pants - Follow the good, the bad and the nasty as this couple travels the world.
  • Travels with Phillip - Phillip writes about sharing his love of travel with his three kids. Lucky kids. Great adventures.
  • Travels with Two - Great website with lots of useful information for trip planning – especially for couples.
  • TravMonkey - Paul gives you detailed info for backpacking around the world.
  • Tuscany Tours - Offers full day and half day tours in Florence and Tuscany, Italy.
  • Uncornered Market - Look for human stories, photography, street food reporting and personal growth stories.
  • Vacation Rentals by Owner, Homes, Beach House, Condo rentals, Cabin rentals, Cottage, Beach rentals and Lake rentals. - Worldwide Leader – vacation property rentals that specializes in connecting property rental owners with travelers.
  • Vagabonding Life - Greg writes thought provoking articles about travel since escaping from the cubicles of corporate America.
  • Velvet Escape - Read about Keith’s escapes and adventure travels to some of the world’s most interesting places.
  • Wild Junket - Follow Nellie’s wild ride around the world. She’ll teach you how to swear in Spanish and get you up to speed on odd Asian habits!
  • World Clock - Find out what time it is anywhere in the world + get international dailing information.
  • World Electric Guide - Provides information on plug types and voltages in every country around the world.
  • Worldwide Airlines - You’ll find both the major and some of the obscure airlines in countries around the world.
  • Worldwide Weather - Get weather forecasts for most countires.