Horseback riding IN the surf: Bathing Suit Required!

Most surfside horseback rides are a blended experience of lapping waters, breezy mounts, and orange-y sunsets.   Rarely, though, do rides require bathing suits!

But not in the Cayman Islands!  Here, it's a REAL beach swim!  Check it out:

Even the kids can do it!

How does horseback riding in the surf work?

The ride starts on the beach with an hour-long walk (or canter, if you're ready) on the sand, under the swaying trees.                                   Once you and your mount are all warmed up, they take off your saddle and let you jump aboard for the 15-minute swim.

What does horseback riding in the surf cost?

It's $125-145pp, depending on whether you want a private ride. 

Are there other unique horseback riding experiences other than the Swim?

In fact, the Rivers, who own this stable, are lifelong Caymanians and imaginative entrepreneurs who offer everything from horseback weddings to their enticing Moonlight ride during the full moon!

Where should you go for horseback riding in the surf in the Caymans?

I'd recommend Spirit of the West.... here's their site.

What else can you do on a Cayman vacation? 

Your island adventure can be a sunset cocktail on the sand, but don't you want MORE than that?   

At Tough Love Travel, I feature all unique lodging (small guesthouses, cave hotels, lighthouses) and novel excursions like horseback riding in the surf.  I create 100% personalized itineraries, door-to-door, so you can just pack and go play!  

Click here to schedule a free get-acquainted phone call now. 

Pink Flames across the Sky: the aurora in Fairbanks!

Melanie @Tough Love Travel is a certified Alaska expert with 16 years on-the-ground experience in the state. 

Check out her Alaska website right here!

It was April, 2012 when she screamed at the sight of pink flames streaking across the Alaskan sky over her head.

Kathy Lenninger, owner of Sled Dog Adventures, was escorting a couple who had come on a pilgrimage, all the way from Australia, just to see the aurora.  Their mecca, however, was composed of solar particles rather than stone, and their "arrival" was not guarantee.   Sure enough, for awhile it seemed their spiritual journey would end in disappointment - they'd been in Alaska for a month so far, with no aurora.
And then they met Kathy.

THEIR QUEST FOR AURORA
On that April morning, the 3 aurora-seekers traveled an hour north of town to the White Mountains, to a trail that would lead them into the snowy wilderness and up to a mountain-top cabin for an overnight.  

Each driving their own team of dogs, they fought their way up the steep grade in waning northern sunlight, and arrived at the cabin in time to bed down their 16 huskies and have some dinner.

Up there in the black, clear night, they scanned the sky, over and over, but with no promise of aurora, the Aussies eventually tucked themselves into their cozy attic loft for some sleep.

Around 10pm, Kathy thought she'd go out to give the dogs an extra pat before turning in.   Thanking them for their hard work earlier that day, she bent down, stroking and scratching one dog after the other.

At dog 8, with her back aching, she stretched up, for just a minute, but then SCREAMED!
Above her, the sky was alive with pink flames!

She yelled for the clients, who came rushing out.  In her 39 years up in Alaska, she had never seen any aurora like it!  And her clients finally "arrived".

For an unbelievable 20... maybe 25... minutes they stood there mesmerized by the aurora.  The pink flames danced on and on, eventually morphing more to yellow and eventually streaking in green (the most common aurora color).

The next day, they drove their dogs back into Fairbanks, eager to tell their story, but the town already knew.   The glorious pink aurora had made the front page of the Fairbanks Daily News Miner!

WHAT MONTHS ARE BEST TO SEE THE AURORA?
The above story occurred in April, but you can catch the aurora even in August.   Summertime is when I, myself, saw the aurora, but it was over a Walmart in Edmonton Canada --  hardly as romantic as Kathy's mountaintop cabin.
Aurora viewing is most popular in winter because the nights are longer.

ARE THERE INDICATIONS THAT THE AURORA WILL APPEAR, OR BE PARTICULARLY VIBRANT?
There are no indications to the naked eye or to the typical person.  But scientists can predict the chance of aurora and they keep a website updated at their University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute lab to share their insights with the public.  Click this link!   Today, for example, the aurora is forecast is high -- rated a 5 -- with a band reaching from Barrow up on the Arctic Ocean down to King Salmon, which is in Katmai National Park in the Gulf of Alaska.

MOBILE APPS FOR AURORA TRACKING? 
Yes,  there's an iPhone Aurora app that you can download, or just use this QR code:

WHAT MAKES THE AURORA?
The dumbed-down scientific explanation is that charged articles from the earth's solar wind hit our atmosphere and light up.

IS THIS YEAR'S AURORA TRULY HEAVIER THAN NORMAL?
Kathy's been in Alaska for decades and she says she hears from other locals that this year's aurora is more vibrant, but frankly, she's usually sleeping at night!
Green and yellow are the most common aurora and she has seen a lot of those this winter.


HOW CAN YOU OPTIMIZE YOUR CHANCE TO SEE THE AURORA?

Aurora Borealis Lodge

• Stay at one of the many Fairbanks guesthouses that staffs a full-time night owl to constantly scan the sky for auroras and wakes up guests when one is spotted.

• Meet the owners of Aurora Borealis Lodge, 20 miles outside of Fairbanks on Cleary Summit.    It's outside of town to minimize light pollution and it's large glass windows are north-facing for premier aurora viewing!

• BEST YET!  Go out on an overnight dogsled with Kathy Lenniger!  You can email her here to ask all your questions!  Or read about her great sled dog excursions here!

For nuanced and personalized trips to Alaska, designed by an expert with 16 years of on-the-ground experience, 

call Melanie @ Tough Love Travel today!

(609) 923-0304

melanie@toughlovetravel.com

Or schedule a free call here!

Horseback riding in Vieques

For a vacation that you'll never forget, leave the planning to an expert!  Melanie @ Tough Love Travel knows the coolest things to do and is eager to share her expertise with YOU!  Email her today!

I was lucky to grow up with horses, so now, I seek out horseback riding when I go on vacation.  And what's more exciting than splashing in turquoise Caribbean surf from atop your own mount?

I found that chance in Vieques, the small island just 7 miles off of Puerto Rico.  After a hopper flight (this 20-minute flight seeing is an event by itself!) from the Puerto Rico's east coast and a welcome to the funky hilltop guesthouse of La Finca, we were ready to explore.

Where to horseback ride in Vieques?
Elizabeth at Esperanza Riding Company was our go-to gal for horseback riding on Vieques.  Relocated from the eastern shore of VA, she now runs a farm that's down a country lane, near the beach, where she nurtures a small family of Paso-Fino bred steeds.

Camello

Little Buddies

Will I feel safe horseback riding in Vieques?
I appreciated the way Elizabeth directed my novice-horseman companion to a steady mount, while she offered me a spirited white gelding named Avispon!   She's got quite a furry fleet to choose from...
Camello the happy-go-lucky one...  a purebred Paso named Locksmith (his english name)... and even Chico and Whitey for the little guys!

She lead our small group of 5 out of the corral, horseback riding through high meadows with sweeping sea views and through herds of wild horses who roam free on the island.

Where do you go horseback riding on Vieques?
Her route took us past historic ruins of sugar plantations, while she shared amazing island history about an ancient graveyard where 4000-year-old remains have been studied, and a famous island fort which happens to be the last Spanish fort ever built by the Spanish empire!

The highlight, though, was our jaunt downhill to the coco palm lined sandy beaches.
Not only was the beach spectacular, and you bucket-list equestrians will revel in the opportunity to go horseback riding in the surf....
but I found the local culture intriguing too.  Family life is key to Puerto Rico culture, and on this day, large jovial family groups  had gathered to BBQ, visit, swim and play games in small palm-shaded pockets around this brilliant crescent of sand.

Besides horseback riding, what else can you do on PR?

Waterfall trekking in El Yunque's rainforest!

A secluded guesthouse at the back of the rainforest with THIS view from your 100% private porch!

Kayaking in Vieques' bioluminescent bay!

Rum bar tours in Old Town San Juan!

 Wondering where else you can horseback ride around the world?  

Grab a free 20-minute call with Melanie 

by clicking here!

Yoga with Dolphins in Las Vegas' Secret Garden

Las Vegas's Secret Garden?  Did you even know this existed?  Want more unique travel ideas?  Meet Melanie at Tough Love Travel - she's the travel designer you've been looking for! 

You've heard of hatha yoga?   hot yoga?

  What about dolphin yoga?

I spent a morning with my 2 sons in Las Vegas' Secret Garden, the zen den of these cetaceans, so that I could decide for myself:   do dolphins really add an endorphin rush to the yoga experience?

Where is Las Vegas' Secret Garden? 
At the spa in the Mirage Casino, our $50pp entry fee got us a locker and personal escort, the yoga class with mat and water, a yummy post-workout smoothie, and all-day access to the spa's steam room, cool and hot jacuzzis, mediation rooms, and more.


Our yoga instructor Willow led us down to the Mirage's dolphin habitat, the famous Las Vegas Secret Garden -- a sprawling lagoon inspired and funded by Siegfried & Roy.   Apparently their own near-death experience with the white tiger in 2003 had inspired them to create better conditions for captive animals, so these dolphins are home-based in Las Vegas' Secret Garden, on permanent retirement.  They're never asked to perform by their round-the-clock caregivers who are schooled in both biology and psychology.

Tell me more about Las Vegas' Secret Garden...
There are at least 4 dolphins in the Secret Garden, (one of the youngest is a male named Huf n Puf) and they all, old and young alike, showed undeniable curiosity as we rolled out our yoga mats and exhaled our first "ummm".  

Are you saying right now....
I don't do yoga.  So what about painting?   Did you know that there are OTHER activities at Las Vegas' Secret Garden?
You can sign up for a joint painting program with the bottlenosers!   Check it out right here!

Yoga in Las Vegas' Secret Garden:
Yoga class proceeded from downward dog through warrior, and while the dolphins seemed to lose interest,  we humans had our curiosity peeked by random swim-bys across the tank's glass.  I have been to yoga studios splattered in sunlight, and others filled with the buzz of jungle insects who crawled just feet off the pagoda.   But this dim space at Las Vegas' Secret Garden, illuminated only with bluish glow from the tanks, so relaxed me that I often forgot I was in class and I let out a giggle as a dolphin's gaze met with my own as he floated by.

Did we experience a higher endorphin rush at Las Vegas' Secret Garden yoga?   
Maybe?   But the overall experience was one I'd highly recommend!  Besides a great workout (not too tough for us vacationers), the serene space inside the spa is a most welcome retreat from the craziness of The Strip.
Balance, in Vegas, is much more than the crane pose, of course.

Tough Love Travel specializes in unique vacations.  

If you can dream it, I can plan it! 

For more info, call or write Melanie: 

(609) 923-0304

melanie@toughlovetravel.com

16 Free things to do in Las Vegas

#1 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:   
Browse the sculpture exhibit outside of "O", the most-loved Cirque show in Vegas for the past 15 years.  The sculptor is world-renowned Richard McDonald and his bronze sculptures, now exhibited in the Bellagio Casino, were crafted at live posing sessions with real-life Cirque performers.  The exhibit is free;   taking one home with you is not!




#2 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:
Wander the canals of Venice (yes, it's cheesy but so fanciful that I think you'll be swept up into the scene.)  Plus, the Canal's Godiva shop gives out free samples of their famously soft chocolate caramels.  Note:  Gondola rides are offered both inside and outside at the Venetian Casino, for about $18pp



#3 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Check out the Dolphin Environment at the Mirage.  Donated by Siegfried and Roy after their wake-up call with the white tiger, it's an inspired environment especially designed to nurture captive animals.  The dolphins have a beautiful pool and a program staffed by experts who are certified in biology as well as psychology!   One of the many activities scheduled for these mammals each week? Yoga!   (Yes, YOU can do yoga with them, but it's not exactly free.  Want more details?  Check out Tough Love Travel's blog later this week...)

#4 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Watch free shows up and down the Strip, like this erupting volcano outside the Mirage.   Want a full schedule of free shows?  Click here. 

#5 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Catch street shows -- acrobats, musicians, and other entertainers set up at random locations along the sidewalk of the Strip.  We saw an all-male acrobatic troupe who leapfrogged over not one... not five... but 8 tourists!

#6 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Be entertained in St Marks Square of "Venice" - stilt walkers and carnivalers, singing quartets, plus much more

#7 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Ride the tram on the southern strip between Excalibur and Mandalay Bay.  (it's true -  adults do this to save steps but kids think this is a real ride!)

#8 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Dance to an open air concert at Freemont street.  The intersection of Freemont Street is known as "Downtown" in Las Vegas.  It marks the VERY FIRST paved road in this desert outpost.  Today, it has been transformed into an open-air pavilion with individual street performers,  big stages with hourly concerts,  and outdoor bars (where, yes, the bartenders dance on top of the bars).  Don't worry - it's completely family-friendly (Las Vegas, style)

#9 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Also in this Downtown/Freemont area, check out the shark tank at back of casino in Golden Nugget
(Something that's almost free?  $4 day passes to pool and waterside at Golden Nugget for non-guests where, yes, you actually get to slide THROUGH the shark tank!)

#10 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Take in a free stand-up comedy show at 7:30pm on Monday nights in the Alexis Park Resort (375 Harmon Ave)


#11 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Learn some Irish history at Nine Fine Irishmen inside the  NY Casino.  These nationalists from the Rebellion of 1848 were exiled to Australia, later to escape to America and play big roles in our Civil War.  Want more detail?  Read here!)

#12 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:   
Cheer for dueling pianos at the champagne-n-cigar bar at Paris hotel, every night from 9-1.

#13 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Queue up for the Mermaid swims at the Silverton Casino on Blue Diamond Road (a little off of the main Strip), on Thursdays-Sundays,  at various times.

#14 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS: 
Get caught in the fake thunderstorm inside Miracle Mile Shops (every hour, on the hour - plus 1/2 hours on weekends)

#15 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Take a free Craps Class, offered in most casinos, often at 10 or 11am.  (must be 21 years old).


#16 FREE THING TO DO IN LAS VEGAS:  
Don't miss vintage Vegas.   These old-school neon-lit joints, like the Desert Inn, are where Vegas really got started.   You'll find them just a short stroll north on the Strip, between Circus Circus and Downtown.

Want help deciphering the Vegas craziness?   Want to plan a road trip around the American Southwest, starting out in Vegas? 
I've done it all, and can show you the ropes!   

Grab a complimentary call to talk about the possibilities by clicking here! 

White Christmas at White Pocket

White Pocket....

A wild wilderness to explore by the Vermillion Cliffs of northern Arizona.

Not limited by permits (like its nearby cousin, The Wave) yet totally uncrowded.

Only a few hours from both Vegas and Grand Canyon. 

...was our trek of choice this holiday season.   Here's more about our adventurous day in AZ's White Pocket outback.



We started our White Pocket adventure off early from the coolest lodge in Kanab, the vintage Quail Park Lodge.  Our guide 4-wheeled us out of town and towards the AZ border, onto dirt tracks past Wire Pass Trailhead, and deep into land that felt more prairie than mountain.

Enroute to White Pocket, we passed fairy chimneys reminiscent of Turkey's Cappadocia but they were plops of pure red rock instead. The entire country, as a matter of fact, was deep clay red.


So nothing (except the name of our destination, "White Pocket") prepared me for the site which we approached a couple 4-wheel-hours later - a fortress of cream-colored rock thrusting out of the grassland which loomed larger as we drove closer, and closer.

White Pocket is an entire basin of Navajo Sandstone that's really a mix of cream, mocha, and paprika-colored rock.  Large swirls entranced me (and my camera lens), as the high precipices of White Pocket's bookend peaks summoned the egos of my 20-year-old sons.

The White Pocket moonscape also had blocks of hard gray stone plopped down like flat tiles.   We felt like prehistoric hunters, scaling the massive scales up the back of a dinosaur!

There was even a cave structure with petroglyphs dating back more than 800 years.
                               
It's true - we had originally aimed to trek not White Pocket,  but The Wave, featured in AFAR magazine's November article!  But despite Dreamland Tour's efforts at the weekly lottery, and the intimidating snowy weather which we hoped would deter many hikers,  permits were not available.   In the end, it was a lucky break for us!

Within White Pocket, there are sections which resemble the famous Wave:

And the White Pocket terrain offered hours of hiking and exploration, topped off with a garden-fresh picnic, served to us atop a butte with views overlooking White Pocket and the surrounding AZ prairies - all carefully orchestrated by our expert guide, Don, at Dreamland Tours.                   

And if you wonder how they got their name at Dreamland,  my son's trance (below) tells the story:

For more info on White Pocket or other guided adventures in northern AZ 

(yes, you want a guide!  don't be one of those stranded tourists in rental cars in THIS outback!), 

sleeping on the rim of the Grand Canyon, 

or road trips from Las Vegas,  

contact me at Tough Love Travel:

melanie@toughlovetravel.com

(609) 923-0304

Unique holiday gift: Overnight at a lighthouse

Want to solve your shopping problem, quick and easy, with a gift that's special, unique, and comes gift-wrapped and ready to present? 

Give an experience:  an Lighthouse Overnight!

Order instructions at the bottom of this post. 

So, what would a Lighthouse Overnight be like?

#1:  The lighthouse is built as a 2-3 story colonial home, not a tower, so the 2 bedrooms are on the 2nd floor.  There are no tall staircases to climb, unless you want to go up to the widow's walk at the top to examine the light.

 #2:   The lighthouse is out on a point.  So, it requires a 1/2 mile walk from your car, through the tidal woods,  to the front door.  You'll have to carry in everything you want for the night which - don't worry --is not much (sleeping clothes and toiletries, change of clothes for next day, and dinner - read below). 

The trail is actually a highlight of the trip.  It runs right along the river bank and you often see deer or herons.   

#3:   In the warm months, you can arrive at the lighthouse by either foot or kayak.   In the winter, though, kayaking would not be safe, so plan to arrive on foot.

#4:  Because the lighthouse is in a tidal area, the path to the lighthouse floods during high tide.  This feels very romantic once you are out at the lighthouse (surrounded 360* by water!), but it means that check in/out is at very specific times, scheduled around high tide.   Be prepared to get check-in times like "1-3pm and 7-8pm".

#5:  At the lighthouse, you'll be joined by one other pair of guests and a lighthouse keeper.  He'll give you an orientation, share the history, and help with any questions you have (like how to use the antique stove).   He makes a delicious - if not gourmet -  breakfast the next morning.

However, you'll be responsible for your own dinner.    It's nice to coze into the lighthouse once you arrive.  You can warm some cider or open a bottle of wine and enjoy the fireplace. Then, for dinner, I recommend bringing a pre-made lasagna or casserole that's easy to warm.  If you want to cook something more elaborate, though, there's a full kitchen at your disposal and even a modern gas grill outside (if you don't think it's too cold).  Or keep things super easy and enjoy a late lunch/dinner in town before you check in.  I would just discourage going out to a late dinner -  it's hard to do the hike in and out, after dark, in the winter.    

#6:   Although you're right on the water (with the river literally right outside your bedroom window), the lighthouse is cozy, heated by 2 gorgeous woodstoves.  

Wintertime at the lighthouse is a perfect time to read books, play games, peruse the guest book/comments, and enjoy the historical collection and restoration video in the 2nd floor museum. 

#7:  Just so you know... 

No pets.  No smoking.  No hairdryers.

RATE FOR PACKAGE

The rate for this Lighthouse Overnight is $399 for 2 people. 

Includes: 

*fully planned overnight with confirmed reservations including breakfast

*driving directions from home of recipient

*local dining and tourist info to enjoy enroute (like the famous Pedestrian Cross-Hudson bridge downriver or NY's wine country)

*a souvenir coffee mug from the lighthouse 

Your LIghthouse Overnight gift arrives complete, in decorative packaging, ready to present!

Payment by personal check or any major credit card.

HOW TO ORDER

Call (609) 923-0304 or email Tough Love Travel here! 

Order by December 15th for Christmas delivery.

ON THE WEST COAST?

If you'd like to give a Lighthouse Overnight to someone on the West coast, I can do that!  I have 2 options near you, too!   Just call or email for info.

The gift of a Lighthouse Experience is special, unique.  With all the quirkiness of sleeping in a remote lighthouse, your Holiday 2013 experience with leave you with some great stories, and maybe even some bragging rights!