By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Hello friends! It’s my hope that today’s article will be a timely and practical one which is designed to help you find the perfect gift for any number of upcoming gifting events. Below you’ll find a healthy helping of gift ideas designed to appeal to your friends, family […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Overview of the Willamette River as viewed from Corvallis. Photo courtesy of Linda Ballou Nestled in the heart of the fertile Willamette Valley, Corvallis, Oregon is located just forty-five minutes from the Oregon coast. It enjoys mild temperatures year-round, without the dense fog and blustery winds of typical […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Scene from the Adobe Arcade in downtown Ojai. Photo by Ranee Ruble-Dotts courtesy of the California Association of Boutique & Breakfast Inns. Just thirteen miles inland from the coast, Ojai enjoys a moderate climate all year round. Long heralded as a place of health, serenity and a cradle […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Now is the time to plan your summer holiday. Here are some tips to help you streamline the process. Artificial intelligence plays a significant role in shaping travel experiences. Travelers are utilizing AI-powered tools for personalized trip planning, enhancing convenience, and customizing their journeys. Expedia, Travelocity, and others […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Native American Pottery found in Santa Fe’s El Museo Cultural De Santa Fe (Native American Cultural Museum) located on Museum Hill. Photo courtesy Linda Ballou. Sheltered in the foothills of Sangre de Christo Mountains, Santa Fe has served as a resting place for travelers for centuries. It has […]
In 1961 Douglas Rainsford Tompkins was one of the first to summit Mt. Fitzroy in the depths of southern Chile, and he fell in love with the magnitude and majesty of one of the few remaining wild places on Earth. An avid outdoors man, he founded The North Face outdoor clothing and gear company and […]
Some of the flowers at Blue River Resort. Linda Ballou photo. By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Bowers of luxuriant tropical flowers grace the well-tended grounds of the Blue River Resort and Hot Springs. Magenta spikes of torch ginger, mounds of yellow hibiscus, and many varieties of dripping orange heliconia brighten the scene. Meandering […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Linda and fellow adventurers, Laura, Patricia and Pelar enjoy rafting Sarapique River. Photo courtesy Linda Ballou. After enduring hours of cramped airplanes, air-conditioned hotels, and buses, being immersed in nature once again finally settled my molecules into place. My tired body came alive as we rocked and rolled […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Writer Since Covid hit our shores, travel insurance has become more important than ever. While it is true flight delays have lessened, flights are still a huge variable when you travel. Travel delays, as well as trip interruptions and cancellations, are not just frustrating and inevitable, they can be […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Mobility issues are a problem for many Boomers. I am no exception, so I have investigated ways of ensuring that I don’t take a fall that puts me out of commission. If you, like me, find you need to be in nature and feel the cooling breeze caressing […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate As a young woman, I had dropped out of society and landed on the North Shore of Kaua‘i. It was a head-spinning transformative time in my life. There, I was introduced to people experimenting with alternate lifestyles and those leading highly creative lives. After a year of Island […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Linda Ballou The only thing certain about travel in 2022 is that it is uncertain. People are chomping at the bit to travel again but need to remain flexible. Flight schedules are still in a state of flux, car rentals are at historical highs, and Covid-19 guidelines in […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate After eleven years, I decided it was time to deliver the fruitcake my mother had sent me in 2009 just before she passed away. Mom’s Meadow I would take it to the meadow where I had scattered her ashes. I had kept it in my freezer (even through […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate In writing Embrace of the Wild I hope to have turned the lemons of Covid-19 into limoncello—a zesty elixir that excites and satisfies the senses. In early 2020, I returned from a whirlwind tour of Australia just in time for the Covid-19 lockdown. I was grateful to be […]
I was not initially familiar with the story of Englishwoman Lady Isabella Lucy Bird, so I didn’t know what to expect when I began reading Linda Ballou’s newest book, Embrace of the Wild: Inspired by Equestrian Explorer Isabella Bird. However I was lucky enough to read it just days after publication, and am pleased to […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate The Mexican people call retired persons “Jubilants.” I was so busy I never thought much about retirement, but suddenly, due to COVID, here it is. I am unable to sell real estate because dealing with the public is just too dangerous now. My partner, who has been loving […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate When I am not adventuring on horseback through pristine country, hiking some of the world’s most gorgeous trails, or taking life-changing river trips, I am writing about them and my other adventures. Life for me was not always this way. A minor tragedy forced me to re-examine what […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate On my visit to South Africa in 2015, I was surprised to learn that there are too many elephants! With so many environmental groups fighting to prevent the poaching of these emblematic creatures for their ivory tusks, it was ironic to learn that as early as five years […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate From the extreme arid red center of Australia, our Overseas Adventure Travel group flew to North Queensland during the onset of the “wet season” from January to April. This region receives on average 10-feet of rain each year. Our gracious accommodations at the Beach House in Palm Cove […]
The ultimate Australian experience with Overseas Adventure Travel is a journey through a maze of micro-climates, multi-cultures and natural wonders. It begins in Melbourne and ends in Sydney; on the way taking in Alice Springs, Uluru, the Daintree forest (the oldest tropical forest on earth), and the threatened Great Barrier Reef. Melbourne is a vibrant […]
