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BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON April 8, 2013

G is for Getaway to the Galápagos Islands

BlueBooby(600 x 399) (450 x 299)

The fragile, moon-like landscape of the Galápagos Islands lures more than 100,000 visitors each year despite the archipelago’s remote location 600 miles off the west coast of mainland Ecuador. Ever since Darwin‘s famed visit aboard the HMS Beagle in 1835, travelers have been enchanted by its history, exotic vegetation and wildlife.

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In order to protect the eco-system of this UNESCO World Heritage Site as much as possible, the Ecuadorian government restricts the number of cruises that can visit each island at any one time. But you don’t have to worry about missing out: each of the 13 major islands, from the oldest in the East (Española) to the most recent (Fernindina) in the west, offers unique flora and fauna diversity for an extraordinary experience.

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To plan your own escape to the Galápagos Islands, choose from among a variety of tour options, including 8-day small-ship cruises, shorter-stay lodge-based day trips, and combined land/islands packages. Visit Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism site or discovergalapagos.com for more information.

In case you missed the travelogue of my own 2011 journey to the Galápagos,  you can catch up on my stories here:

http://bit.ly/12CrGLs                 http://bit.ly/10Bvo84                   http://bit.ly/Z4pXhV                         http://bit.ly/XoJd9q

http://bit.ly/10BvTyT               http://bit.ly/XoJiK8                        http://bit.ly/Yc8o0H                        http://bit.ly/Zxc8vt 

http://bit.ly/10Bx0ia                http://bit.ly/16J79ae                     http://bit.ly/XzY4Ai

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What about you, wanderboomers? Have you visited the Galápagos Islands yet?

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands Tagged With: archipelago, cruises, Darwin, diversity, eco-system, Ecuador, Espanola, Fernindina, flora and fauna, HMS Beagle, landscape, small-ship cruises, the Galapagos Islands, UNESCO World Heritage Site, vegetation, wildlife

BY Nancy Mueller 10 Comments ON October 11, 2012

Foraging Fun with Jennifer Hahn

Author. Poet. Teacher. Naturalist. Forager. Jennifer Hahn packs an impressive resume after more than 25 years as a wildlife adventurer whose travels span hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Northern California to Canada and kayaking solo from Ketchikan, Alaska to Bellingham, Washington where she now resides. Along the way she’s also led tours throughout the Pacific Northwest, Baja, Mexico and the Galapagos Islands.

In person, Jennifer is petite, vivacious and down to earth – literally. Her passion for sustainable foraging fills her conversations and writings.

After publishing her first book, Spirited Waters: Soloing South Through the Inside Passage, Jennifer began a second book about the foods in the wild that had kept her alive on her kayaking adventure. But as a steward of the environment, she felt morally responsible to include only those foods that wouldn’t be decimated by greater consumption, resulting in her book, Pacific Feast: A Cook’s Guide to West Coast Foraging and Cuisine, and companion laminated guide, Pacific Coast Foraging Guide: 40 Wild Foods from Beach, Field and Forest. Included are her harvesting guidelines like the 1-in-20 rule when it comes to sustainable foraging. If there are more than 20 plants, you can dig one up and leave the rest for reproduction. If not, take none.

With Jennifer in the lead, we’re off for a day of our own foraging adventure to discover the diversity of tasty edibles found in our own backyards.

Hiking with Jennifer through the six acres surrounding the home she shares with husband, sculptor Chris Moench, is a walk on the wild side. She cautions us to watch out for stinging nettles before describing their diverse uses in cooking, fiber production and medicine.  Nearby we discover wood sorrel, a shamrock-shaped plant with a lemony flavor that grows in moist, shady places.

Further along Jennifer points out huckleberries, purslane, a plant high in omega 3 with a crisp, lemony bite that’s perfect in stews, and the licorice “many-footed” fern root, good for soothing sore throats. A self-described spiritual eater first, she demonstrates how to harvest mindfully and says “Thank you” to the plant for giving its life after breaking off a piece for closer inspection.

Our picnic lunch at nearby Lake Padden begins with Jennifer’s recitation of Rumi’s poem that starts, “Lord, the air smells good today . . . ” Newly inspired and satiated, we continue our day of foraging fun with an afternoon hike, gathering native trailing blackberries, salal berries and strips of madrona bark we find on the ground along the way.

But our day of sustainable food discoveries is not quite finished yet. Still to come is dinner at Ciao Thyme, a popular Bellingham kitchen restaurant, where restaurant owners Jessica and Mataio Gillis will show us how to create cooking magic with the fruits of our labors.   I can hardly wait . . .

What about you, Wanderboomers? What’s your favorite recipe using locally sourced foraged food?

Filed Under: Activities, Alaska, Baby Boomers and Travel, Bellingham, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Food & Dining, Pacific Northwest Tagged With: adventure, adventurer, Alaska, Baja Mexico, Bellingham, Canada, edibles, foraging, fun, Galapagos Islands, huckleberries, Jennifer Hahn, Ketchikan, licorice fern, many-footed, Pacific Northwest, Spirited Waters: Soloing South Through the Inside Passage, sustainable foraging, the Inside Passage, Washington, wildlife, wood sorrel

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON February 9, 2012

Alaska’s Tenakee Springs

The Island Spirit

The Island Spirit

For cruise travelers looking for waterways off the beaten path, it’s hard to beat Alaska’s Inside Passage. Bays, coves and inlets draw small ships to their shores where time is measured by incoming tides and seasonal shifts.

Waterfront in Tenakee SpringsAmong the small, remote communities found here, Tenakee Springs stands out. Within this peaceful enclave, colorful homes perch on pilings in a single line along the waterfront. Each share a heart-stopping view of the surrounding snow-capped mountains and wildlife. Behind the buildings runs the only road through town, an unpaved path for walking and biking.

At the dock we’re greeted by friendly canines who accompany us on our stroll through town. We linger at the Tenakee Hot Springs Lodge, before moving on to the beautifully restored St. Francis Chapel, followed by Snyder’s Mercantile for coffee, pastries and a few mementos of our visit.

I can easily imagine holing up here for a couple of weeks, hiking the nearby trails, kayaking in calm waters, whale-watching, only to cap off the days with good, long soaks in the hot springs.

After catching up on my sleep, I’d browse the stacks at the Dermott O’Toole Memorial Library, borrow a few books, and most certainly start writing my travel memoir. Ahh . . .

Have you cruised Alaska’s Inside Passage, Wanderboomers? If not, what are you waiting for?? If so, what’s your favorite spot?

Filed Under: Activities, Alaska, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations Tagged With: Alaska, bays, coves, cruise, Cruising, Dermott O'Toole Memorial Library, hiking, hot springs, inlets, Inside Passage, kayaking, small-ship cruises, small-ship cruising, Snyder's Mercantile, St. Francis Chapel, Tenakee Hot Springs Lodge, Tenakee Springs, the Island Spirit, whale-watching, whales, wildlife

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.
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