The Fall Congregation in Haines

Ever seen him up close?  Stern beak, piercing eyes, scaly talons as sharp as arrowheads.  Wings so grand, they've been seen swimming to shore with a heavy fish, using their 7' wings as paddles!

Now imagine 3500 of them!
WELCOME TO HAINES ALASKA, EACH FALL!

The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is a 50,000 acre park in Alaska, located where the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers converge, near the town of Haines, at the top of the Inside Passage.

Eagles are abundant throughout Alaska, so...
Why do such huge numbers converge on the Chilkat River in late Fall?

There is a unique upwelling of warm, percolating water that keeps the river mouth of the Chilkat from freezing!   This allows the eagles to feed on the late run of chum salmon in free-flowing water, and to make this area their winter home!
It also has allowed, for centuries, the river tribes of the Tlingit to thrive.  Their name for Chilkat means "storage place for salmon", and for as long as anyone can remember, they called this gathering of eagles the "Council Grounds".

This is the river mouth today.

Want to spend the week in mid-November with him?   You can roadtrip over on your own from Anchorage, or fly in and join a tour -- let me show you how!

Photo credit to Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve 

Don't make your Car into a Bear Lunchbox! (and other bear safety rules)

Curry Village, Yosemite NP,  July 1998, around 1am. 
I left 4 snoring children in the van, and drug myself into registration to get our "tent" keys.   My exhausted mind heard the conversation go something like this: 
"blah blah blah... bathrooms.. .blah blah.. check out time... blah blah.. permit.... blah.. and make sure every scrap of food is out of your vehicle before you park it."


Wait!  Wait a minute!  They didn't understand!   Had to be some mistake!
I had been driving for about 8 hours that day, over the Oakland Bay Bridge and up through the mountain pass, to reach the Park.  I was in the 4th week, and the 4000th mile, of our annual summer roadtrip, and I was the sole driver.  The sole adult, as a matter of fact. 
So, you do the math: 
4 boys, age 12 and under, eating out of a cooler and playing candy poker across the breadth of our country, for 4 weeks.  
Despite regular cleaning sessions, can you imagine the floor of our van?    From chocolate kiss wrappers to balled-up hamburger papers, a stray french fry and an empty gatorade bottle... .


I squinted my eyes and said to the ranger, "Huh?" 


His instructions were crystal clear, though, and not negotiable.  For a second, I admit I thought-- "yeah, right" --  but as i turned around to exit the office, I saw the above photo, and this sign:

                  DON'T LET YOUR CAR BE A BEAR LUNCHBOX!

I obediently went back to the van and spent a good hour, collecting garbage, covering grocery bags with blankets, and scraping melted jolly ranchers off the dashboard.

#1: Don't make your car into a Bear Lunchbox!


#2:  Here are some basic rules of the road:

• Don't eat twinkies in your tent before you fall asleep.  Bears want your food, but you might be in the way.
• Would you want a bear to come close to YOUR cub?  Then don't go up close to a bear's kids.
• Don't take away food that a bear has seized.   Once he has your food bag, wave goodbye to it!
• Never cook or store food (even toothpaste and wine) in or near your tent.  A FED BEAR IS A DEAD BEAR!  and besides... improper food storage in a National Park is a federal crime!
• Leave your dog at home.
• Remember that bears are most active at dawn and dusk.  Be aware and try to stay in a group. 
• If you see a bear, pick up small children in your arms. 
• Bears think you're threatening if you stare them down.   Don't do that. 
• Pepper spray-- it's not for novices. If you haven't been trained to use it, leave it in the store!
• And seriously.. Running away is ALWAYS the worst idea.  

#3:  Hire a Guide!
A wonderful outfit is Alaska Bear Adventures!
They make the same spectacular flight out of Homer, over the glaciers and wilderness, and into Katmai Park, to see the bears.
But instead of heading to Brooks Falls (which hosts as many as 500 guests/day at the peak of season), consider Alaska Bear Adventures!


They take you out to Hallo Bay where there are no platforms, no bathrooms, and no ranger stations ... just you and the bears! 

Mendenhall Glacier: hop Juneau's blue bus to this beautiful spot!

Glaciers are listed as the  #2 reason why people travel to Alaska, and Mendenhall is exactly what they're looking for! 
(wonder what the #1 reason is?   Wildlife!)

It's spectacular!
A tidewater glacier (meaning it flows directly down into the water) with a gushing waterfall alongside!  Postcard perfect, just check it out:

 You can see BEARS!  Steep Creek runs through the woods and into Mendenhall Lake, spawning salmon and attracting bears.  This lazy guy just finished a full fish feast, and is trying to sleep it off!


It has a great trail system!  You can walk to various overlooks where you can photo incredibly blue icebergs, 

  

or hike all the way out to the "beach" at the base of the waterfall!  It's a relatively flat, easy trail that only takes about 20 minutes. 

It's easy to get to!
If you're not on a cruiseship with an organized shore excursion, just hop on the town's blue Glacier Express Bus and for 5 bucks, in 10 minutes, you're at Mendenhall's entrance!

There're a lot of "extras" at Mendenhall!  You can hire a private guide to helicopter to the icefield above Mendenhall, for a glacier trek!  You can go ice climbing or enjoy a kayak on the glacier lake.   You can even camp overnight up on the glacier!

You can learn a lot!
There's a great visitor's center, complete with Fish Cam to watch the salmon spawn!   The wall of glass let's you enjoy a warm beverage while you soak in the scene!


FAST FACTS OF MENDENHALL:
Mendenhall Glacier is 12 miles long, and 1.5 miles wide, with ice that's 800' thick! 

BONUS TIP:
Before you leave Juneau, make a quick stop at Tracy's Crab Shack.  For $24.99, you can get one King Crab leg, a warm roll, and butter, and it's worth every cent!

7 Secrets of the 7 Sacred Pools

 
 7 Sacred Pools are located on the far southern edge of Maui, on Rt 31, just past Milemarker 42.   You'll find parking on the ocean side of the road.  What some secrets of visiting this hidden gem?

1.  Oheo Gulch is the best hike on Maui!

It's 4 miles, roundtrip, with an elevation gain of 650'.
It's also 2 1/2 hours of pure natural bliss -- ferns,  tropical flowers -- all ending at Waimoku Falls, a 400' gush over a sheer lava cliff!  
There's also an infinity pool! 


By the way, that's ME, the tiny speck in hot pink at the base of the Falls!

 

2.  Bamboo talks!
Have you ever been totally ensconced in a grove of bamboo, with each stalk so fat and round that you could barely wrap your hand around any one...
with the forest 100' tall and so dense, you were in deep shade, at 1pm...
where, if you stood silently, the only sound you would hear was the tinkle of the stalks -- "chink chink chink"-- hitting one another, in the slight breeze?   It brings to mind heavy wooden chimes. 
Fun facts:  Bamboo grows 3 feet a day! 
Imagine.... how would this bamboo-engulfed trail feel, if you got caught out there as dusk fell, on a windy night?  

3.  You don't have to hike at all, if you don't want to (or can't).
Most of the pools are right by the road.  This sounds awful, but it's not.  The pools are lovely, the sea view sprawls out before you, and the crowd makes for entertaining people-watching.   (might want to read #5 below, though) 

4. Pedal a bike -- I mean, make a smoothie.  Actually, you do both at the same time, on the bike-powered blender at Laulima Farm's Organic Fruit stand!   Try the Coconut Latte!   
It's only 2 miles from Oheo Gulch, in Kipahulu.
One reviewer says it this way:
harmonious non irradiated beyond orgasmic, I  mean organic sun drenched goodness.

5.   There is reportedly a "shark's den", where the stream spills out into the ocean at the lower Pools.  I'm not sure what a shark's den actually is, but I'd recommend steering clear of the strong current, anyway.

6. The road to Hana is only 60 miles, but can take as long as 4 hours, one way!  It's serpentine, cliff-side, and sprinkled temptingly with waterfalls and sea vistas -- so you just TRY  and not succumb to a photo stop or two.
Suggestion?   Plan to stay in Hana for at least one overnight.  I can reserve you a treehouse! 

7. You may have the pleasure of witnessing some nude sunbathers.  Native Hawaiians seem to shun clothes! 

--------------photos censored by the management of TLT ----------

Aloha!

Mantas and more: Underwater in Hawaii!

Want to swim with him?

It's a thrilling night.. fully guided, on a boat with both snorkelers and divers, where you jump in the dark water, 300' offshore, and, along with your fellow swimmers, form a circle around the submerged spotlight. This light attracts plankton, which -- you got it -- attracts plankton eaters!  The prehistoric-looking mantas soar in from the darkness, their 25' wingspans gliding gracefully but so powerfully right past you.  As they barrel roll, mouths wide agape to catch the plankton, their wings flutter under your belly.  I still get goosebumps, just remembering my shared minutes in the water with these creatures.  My 8-year-old scrambled up on my back, screeching in delight!

More underwater thrills?
Check out Molokini crater.  This crescent shaped atoll, an hour boatride west of Maui, is a playground for unusual marine life!

It's a marine sanctuary, protecting and showcasing more than 250 types of fish.  And because it's rock-based (a rock caldera, left over from volcanic explosion), the water is free of soil, so exceptionally clear!  






Also, because it is removed out in the Pacific, it attracts more diverse marine life -- rays, turtles, and even, occasionally, a whale shark!


Not a typical shark at all! These humongous creatures are vegetarian, and feel on plankton, like the mantas above!




Want a place closer to your main hub on Oahu?
Hanauma Bay is famous for having the most fish, but it is CROWDED!  And crowds still up silt.
So, try Shark's Cove on the north shore!  Make sure the waves are not too big (remember, North Shore Oahu is big-time Surf country!) and be prepared for strong currents!
But also be ready to be treated to great clarity and wonderful marine life...
Butterfly fish, parrot fish, damsel fish, surgeon fish, tang, wrasse, big eye, perch, chub, trigger fish, goat fish, jacks, mullet, cornet fish, needle fish, eels, turtles, and -- YES! --  sharks!


For kids in your group, there are fun tide pools, too. 
Wear good foot gear for the rocks, and get there early.  After 10am, the parking can be tough! 

Finally, don't miss water fun, atop the waves!  Kayak the tallest sea cliffs in the world, hike to magnificent backcountry waterfalls, and marvel at the lava flow from the comfy deck of your guided cruiser!

 
Photo credit for some shots to Pride of Maui, a wonderful guiding outfit to take you out to Molokini Crater!

Marguerite talks about MARRIED TO A BEDOUIN

Marguerite was a young Kiwi backpacker, on a trip to the Middle East, when she ended up in Petra, sharing tea with a handsome and -- it turns out-- irresistible bedouin named Mohammed.

She hiked and listened around campfires and marveled, then tried to continue on her walkabout.  But Petra and the charming bedouin tugged her back, and within a week or so, she was ensconced in a cave, in love, in what was to become her new life.

That was 1978, and for 30 years, she created a family and shared her medical skills as an integral part of this desert community.
You'll have to read the book to learn the rest of her story!

Today, you can travel to Petra, stop in Marguerite's souvenir shop, and meet her bedouin community (and some of her actual family members!).

Here is Polly (from Monday's interview), who enjoyed an intimate tea in Petra with the sister of Mohammed (Marguerite's husband, seated far left).

Marguerite tells such a compelling memoir!  Surprisingly, she had a challenging time, getting it published.   Here, she talks about writing about her life, and honoring the man who so profoundly changed her life, and the love of 2 people from such different backgrounds.
Read Marguerite's interview!

A night under the stars of Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is a great valley in Jordan's southern desert, inhabited for centuries by the nabateens who left petrogylphs and temples, and then the bedouins who still wander the sands today.  Wadi Rum may be best known, though, as the trekking grounds of TE Lawrence (of Arabia, and of Hollywood fame) who spent a lot of time there during the Arab Revolt of WW I.
Today, a guide can be hired to jeep adventurers from the wadi entrance, out to a variety of desert camps.  There, they can camel ride, dance around a bonfire, watch a sunrise, and soak in some sandy solitude.


Today, Polly from Princeton, NJ tells us of her memorable overnight under the stars of Wadi Rum...
Q:  Tell us the highlight of your desert overnight adventure!

A:  The petroglyphs!  We took 4 wheel drive, 45 minutes or more, deep out into desert. I could get out and climb on rocks. Oh, the textures! and Colors!

Another memorable moment was my "alarm clock" -- very early in the morning, I could hear camels snorting outside my tent.



Q:  What surprised you the most?
The sand!  I had expected a desert to be white and expansive, but the sand was red, and very coarse.  It made for a stunning glow at sunset!

Q:  What suggestions would you make for a newcomer to Wadi Rum?

Strike out on your own!  You don't have to go far, just far enough to be solo in the desert. I went out alone - saw tracks of tiny creatures, listened to the wind.

In the distance, a bedouin woman walked with her herd of goats... she didn't want her photo  taken (I had been warned to ask before shooting), but this quiet woman and I had a little moment together, before she wandered off with her goat bell tinkling... it was just a small moment, completely unplanned, with someone off the tourist track, and it gave me a touchstone back to authentic Jordan which I will always treasure!

And here's some practical advice:  Hire a driver!  He handles the entry fees, the gas, the directions, and the introductions to your camel guide.  You just pay him at end, and it simplifies so many logistics, plus drivers are inexpensive in Jordan.


Q:  Did you see any wild creatures? 
No animal life, except that herd of domesticated goats and some riding camels! 

Okay, this was a fun moment...on a 4-wheel-drive, open-jeep, desert tour, we met up with some camel drivers, and went on a camel ride!
Word of warning: Saddles in the desert are not designed for comfort, and every time we passed those scrubby bushes, my camel HAD to stop and take a bite... very amusing. 

Q:  Tell us about dinner
It was a charming communal meal, served in our camp, seated in a semi-circle of dark velvety cushions, splayed around a roaring bonfire.  A musician played one of those 3-stringed guitars and we danced!  The music got very boisterous! 

It was a sumptuous feast! ...bowls of fruit,  all the classic middle eastern dishes, this heavenly firebaked bread like naan... all beautifully displayed on long table. 

And the chicken! They cook it traditionally, in a roaster called a Zarb -- wrapped in canvas, cooked in a kettle, buried deeply in the sand pit, the chicken looks all orange-y (and smells so fragrant!) when they lift it out.  Boy, was it delicious!   We were all amazed at the remarkable spread that they laid out for us, so far from a real kitchen!

Breakfast?  It was very good, except they serve something like spam for breakfast meat!

Q:  Did you sleep in a tent?

Yes, but you know, it was different than I had expected.  The tents were made of goat hair, and all connected via side walls.  The BIG surprise was a  REAL pillow, plus sheets and blanket.

At first, my tent was hot and stuffy, so I tried to sleep outside on the wonderful dinner cushions.  In the dark, alone, with fire still glowing, I stared up into a sky exploding like powdered sugar with a million stars!  But then mosquitoes started biting and that was the end of THAT magic!
When I returned to the tent, it was amazingly cool!   AND bug free! (people always ask me that!)

Q:  I hate to ask, but.... what about toilets?

I expected pit toilets, but my camp had just renovated and they were downright luxurious!
Lots of marble, flush toilets... but oddly, they don't supply you with towels!  and the showers were COLD!

Q:  How far did you go back into the Wadi?  
Wadi rum is quite enormous, but my camp was about 20 minutes into it, from where I rode a jeep out another 20-30 minutes, and then took a camel ride, to edge of a precipice.

Q:  Okay, sounds wonderful.. but what was the low point? 
The generators... they make a lot of racket.  But generators bring refrigeration, so they're important.   Plus, they're turned off at night, and then... ahhhh, the bliss of silence!

Q:  What other activities do they offer back in Wadi Rum? 

  

You can go desert trekking, hot air ballooning, mountain biking, or visit Jebel Rum, the ancient bathhouse of the Nabateaean.   You can even see the house of TE Lawrence, himself (above, right)!

One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence something throbs, and gleams...” 

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince