All posts tagged: hiking

Road Trip: San Francisco to Vancouver

Renegade camping, forest trails and secret swimming holes After spending nine months circumnavigating the globe, it only took a few weeks at home before the open road started whispering my name again. When a friend hopped over from Australia for a visit, it was all the excuse I needed to throw my camping gear in the car and head out in search of adventure. Our first stop was Outside Lands music festival in foggy Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Summer music festivals are pretty high on my list of fun things to do, and with headliners like The Who, Metallica and Alt-J, the good vibes were in full swing all three days. Other favorite sets from the weekend included Khraungbin, Foxygen, Maggie Rogers, Sofi Tukker, Temples, Real Estate and Bleachers. With our heads still in the clouds, we headed south for a quick dip into Big Sur. Since access via highway one was closed for the season due to winter storm damage, this magical stretch of coastline was practically empty. It felt like we …

Epic hike: the monasteries of Meteora, Greece

If you ever get the chance to visit the stunning rock formations and monasteries of Meteora, Greece, don’t miss it. Meteora, which literally means “middle of the sky,” “suspended in air,” or “in the heavens” is a region of spectacular monolithic stone pillars in northern Greece. Occupied by monks since the 14th century, the six gravity-defying Greek Orthodox monasteries of Meteora sit high above the village of Kalambaka, offering a vista of Greek religious history, eye-popping scenery and confounding structural engineering. You’ll find yourself wondering, “How on earth did they do that?” at every turn.  Apparently, God doesn’t require a building permit. Getting there There are daily bus connections and trains from Athens, and bus connections to Thessaloniki, Delphi and many other cities in Greece. I recommend using the website Rome2Rio to map out your transportation. If you’re visiting Meteora on the weekend or during high season, it’s smart to book your transportation ahead. Once you arrive in Kalambaka,  it’s a half day hike to visit all of the monasteries via the trail that connects them, …

Weekend Getaway: Ojai, California

For those of us living within the smoggy confines of Los Angeles or Orange County, the need to break away for a weekend of fresh air is a common occurrence.

Hey, sometimes you just need to see a tree that’s not a palm tree.

Searching for somewhere that’s a short drive away from LA, but feels world’s apart from Hollywood, the 405 and South Coast Plaza? Try Ojai.