Wanderboomer

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

BY Nancy Mueller 4 Comments ON June 18, 2012

A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part II

I’m probably not the first person you’d expect to find on a day hike, let alone at a week long hiking boot camp. But when Mountain Trek extended an invitation to recharge and revitalize in a safe, nurturing environment, I jumped at the chance to gain a new perspective, not to mention shed a few pounds.

More importantly, the promise of a healthy lifestyle, increased vitality and overall well-being was too good to resist. I had visions of taking leisurely hikes through the Kootenay Rockies, supplemented with nutritious organic meals, and followed by nightly massages and soaks in the hot tub.  Ahh . . .

But this was a boot camp, so first I had to earn those massages and soaks . . . Dang . . .

We started our week with a Body Fat Analysis (“Do we have to?”) and a review of our health goals for the week. My plan was to tone up, lose 4 – 6 pounds, and improve my cardio-vascular conditioning. I managed to squeak within the desirable fat percentage range for my age and gender. Whew! But obviously, I knew I could do better.

The mornings began with a gentle, but insistent, knock on our doors: “Good morning, Nancy!” 15 minutes later, I made my way down to the dining room where I ingested a yummy protein smoothie with a dash of flax powder to kick-start my metabolism. On to the yoga studio . . .

Just entering the minimalist space, overlooking Kootenay Lake and the Purcell Mountains, gave such a calm and peaceful start to the day. Our yoga instructors, Anna and Susan, used their soft, yoga voices to lead us through a series of gentle, restorative practices which were modified for each of our physical limitations. Some of us proved more flexible than others, some came with feet, hand or knee challenges.  But all of us gained from the yoga practice. As Susan explained:

“Yoga is less about being able to stretch your hamstring than it is about coming home to yourself. Most of the time we live from the neck up, disconnected from the rest of our body.” Breathe . . .

From the yoga studio, we headed to the main dining room for healthy breakfasts that included Mountain Trek’s Cinnamon Granola, Roasted Red Pepper Frittata – and my favorite – Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce, served with a variety of non-caffeine teas.  Mmm . . .

So far, so good. But a core feature of the Mountain Trek program – alpine mountain hiking – still lay ahead . . .

How are you staying fit for your summer travels, Wanderboomers? Share your tips with us here.

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, British Columbia, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations Tagged With: alpine mountain hiking, body fat analysis, breakfast, fitness, health, healthy, hiking, hot tub, Kootenay Lake, Kootenay Rockies, massage, Mountain Trek, organic, Purcell Mountains, smoothie, vitality, weight loss. frittata, well-being, wellness, yoga

BY Nancy Mueller 9 Comments ON March 1, 2012

Take the Leap: Plan Your Escape

What Wanderboomer hasn’t dreamed of taking off for an extended vacation, maybe even a trip around the world, before or after retirement? I know I have. Well, economics professor and world traveler, Wayne Dunlap, has written a manifesto to show you how to do it.

In his practical and inspiring book, Plan Your Escape, Dunlap tackles the nagging questions, concerns or excuses that keep us from realizing our travel dreams. But the beauty of his advice is that readers planning shorter trips will also walk away with useful tips for their journeys. For example, have you wondered how you’re going to come up with the money to fund your wanderlust? In Dunlap’s case, he and his wife Pat sold their business, rented their home and took a gigantic travel leap by visiting 51 countries in two years, spending an average of $100. a day. Not bad, huh? Dunlap details exactly how they managed their costs both before and during their travels. Concerned about staying safe and healthy on the road? The author tackles that, too, by providing tips and tools for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and minimizing security risks far from home.

What I Like

Plan Your Escape offers a comprehensive approach to take you from visioning your trip, to planning, packing and even shooting photos like a pro. Each chapter begins with a brief summary of the chapter contents with motivational and inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout. I love a book with checklists and action steps to keep me on track, and I found plenty included here, including an extensive packing list and a step-by-step 5-month planning and preparation guide. As an added bonus, Dunlap includes travel advice from experienced travelers he and his wife have met along the way.

Globe

What I’d Like to See

While I appreciate inspirational quotes as much as anyone, inserting so many throughout the text became more of a distraction than a motivator for me. In general the book could have benefited from more thorough editing to avoid overuse of exclamation points(!), errors using proper parts of speech (e.g. image vs. imagine), placement of periods (inside, not outside, quotation marks) and organizational structure of chapters as well as topic headings within the chapters.

Summary

It’s hard to argue with success. Dunlap and his wife have made their travel dreams come true by following the steps he shares with readers in Plan Your Escape. His travel enthusiasm and encouragement to others who’d like to follow in his footsteps is evident. But readers, be warned: when I asked Dunlap how easy it was to return home after their two-year adventure, he said that he and his wife were in the process of selling their house and possessions so they could get back to what they love best: planning their next escape.

Ready to plan your next escape, Wanderboomers? Where are you headed? Share your travel escape with us here.

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Health & Safety Tagged With: chapters, checklists, dream, dreams, editing, escape, globe, guide, health, healthy, leap, organization, planning, preparation, safety, security, step-by-step, travel, wanderlust

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
For travel tips, news & inspiration in our Wanderboomer newsletter, subscribe here.

Destination:

  • North America
  • South America
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • Australia
  • Africa

Categories:

  • Business
  • Family
  • Purpose
  • Writing

© 2023 · Wanderboomer. Terms and Conditons | Sitemap | Contact · Site by Wordpress Barista