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Backpacking

The Magic of Salento

Adventure in Colombian coffee country.

There was more than just a luscious countryside of diversified vegetation and smooth, rolling hills, where a clean river ran steady and uninhibited over gardens of round stones. More than just untouched wax palm trees, ...

Hiking Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains

Far off the beaten path...

The Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine occupy the far western part of the country. They are considered moderate – nothing quite as massive or high as the Rockies, nor as rolling or subtle as the Appalachians. ...

Copalis Beach

On the road in Washington state.

There’s only one place to drink in Copalis Beach. The river winds through a short slough to the ocean and, just south (as "just south" as it could be), sits Green Lantern Tavern. The nondescript ...

Balaklava, Ukraine's Golden Beach

The coast was stark and abandoned. We'd discovered a natural wonder with no foot traffic – a landscape of vibrant colors and fluid sunsets that belonged in a watercolor. Before my eyes, the Black Sea ...

Lopez Island, Washington

Z and I arrive by evening ferry at the nondescript dock of Lopez Island. A sign by the terminal advises that “All at large dogs will be detained” – curious, to say the least. We ...

Demre, Turkey: The Sea is Free

Island-hopping in the Turkish Mediterranean.

Before my sister, Stormy, began college at UCSD, I thought it imperative that she have an adventure. So for the summer, I flew her to Antalya, Turkey, where I had been living. For her 18th ...

Oz's West Coast – and the Unexpected

When you think of a national park, your mind rarely conjures up images of people falling in love. The classic boy-meets-girl scenario is usually left to Hollywood's far-fetched romantic comedies. But here’s a story about ...

Adventure (via Scooter) in Ubud, Bali

When my cousin Natalie and I left the Monkey Forest Inn villas in Ubud to stay in a different villa for her birthday, I had no idea the adventure I was in for – as ...

Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia: The Untold Story

On a recent vagabonding extravaganza, I took a recess from Western society for 10 months to explore the world. During this rebellion, I found myself enticed by the Indonesian archipelago, and of course, the ever-alluring ...

Omiš, Croatia

Maya, my three-year-old Border collie mix, and I had been traveling through Europe. We had started in Athens, and now we were in Split, Croatia, at a dog-friendly B&B. The owners said that almost anything ...