Southern Scenic Route, New Zealand

To recover from our hike, we took a few days to drive leisurely down the coast of the the South Island of New Zealand. The well established Southern Scenic Route had lots of options for activities along the way ranging from hikes and wildlife preserves to historic lighthouses and fishing villages.

Milford Track, New Zealand

The Milford Track was one of the greatest adventures of our travels and the one we had been planning for months. It is a four day, three night, 33.5 mile hike along the ‘finest walk in the world’. The path is historic having been discovered in the 1880’s and leads hikers through green forests, into…

Te Anau, New Zealand

Te Anau is a small town on Te Anau Lake and the Fiordland National Park border. The lake and mountains surrounding Te Anau are beautiful. Te Anau town seems to exist because of people hiking three nearby great walks in Fiordland National Park: Milford Track, Kepler Track, and Routeburn Track. It is a good place place to…

Trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake, Myanmar

Traveling through Southeast Asia without camping equipment didn’t give us too many opportunities for long hikes. In Kalaw we were able to arrange a hiking trip with homestays along the way. Finally we got to have a real adventure in Myanmar. Along the way we learned a lot and made some good friends with our…

Vang Vieng, Laos

Surrounded by breathtaking mountains, rice paddies, and rivers, it is no surprise that Vang Vieng attracts hoards of backpackers, vacationers, and adventurers. The town has a booming and still growing bar scene not unlike that of a spring break destination. At first it was overwhelming to see this Laotian oasis overrun by bars offering free…

Retro Trip: Chiang Mai

Retro Trip Post: This is article 2 of 3 articles reflecting on our first trip to Thailand taken in 2011. After visiting Koh Samui to celebrate the marriage of two of our friends, we were invited to join them as they traveled to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Chiang Mai was our favorite part of…

Retro Trip: Old Rag, Shenandoah National Park

If you live in the great Washington DC area, Charlottesville area, or are an avid hiker on the East Coast, you’ve probably heard of Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park. Hiking the Old Rag Mountain is a right of passage for anyone in DC who considers themselves the outdoors-man and for many University of…