Chilling on the California Coast
Last in a series: “It’s just a hike. It’s just a hike,” our guide Rob insisted as he prepped us for our trek up the Ascencio Valley to the namesake towers of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. Then why did he have to say it twice?
Continue reading “Assessing the Ascencio Valley Trail at Torres del Paine: Is it ‘Just a Hike’?”
Part 5 in a Series: The hike across Estancia Lazo to Mirador Las Torres was easy. The mile-long descent down the slippery schist-strewn bluff beneath the million-dollar view of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park was not. Bring your trekking poles.
Part 4 in a series: Everyone needs to be alone sometimes, especially The Geek and even MontaraManDan. In Patagonia we each found a slice of solitude in the steep meadows and forests that rise above Estancia Helsingfors, a remote ranch at the edge of Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park.
Continue reading “Alone time above Estancia Helsingfors at Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia”
Part 3 in a series: If you want a selfie with the Patagonian peaks that make up Argentina’s iconic Fitz Roy massif, you have to earn it. Expect wind, rain and steep ascents. Watch out for stinging caterpillars and feral cows. Photo bombs by meandering cloud banks may drive you mad. Continue reading “Playing Hide & Seek with Fitz Roy in Patagonia; Beware of Stinging Caterpillars”
Part 2 in a series: Looking for a penguin colony with a view? Try “the end of the world” at the southern tip of Patagonia.
Continue reading “Living the Penguin Dream at the ‘End of the World’ in Patagonia”
Part 1 in a series: Buenos Aries feels like a European city, but the only “palace” we toured was a 20th century office building inspired by “The Devine Comedy.” You won’t find grand cathedrals holding royal remains. Instead, look for the late political diva Eva Perón in a tiny rented crypt. Street protests, a legacy of 20th-century political upheaval, are a Plaza de Mayo staple. Beef? It’s what’s for dinner.
Continue reading “Passion, Politics and Empanadas Flavor Our Buenos Aries Cultural Sampler”