by Stephanie Tufts Kelea Surf Spa boasts two fabulous locations, one in Hawaii and the other in Costa Rica. KSS, as it’s known to the locals, is dedicated to women who want to learn how to surf while enjoying pampering spa treatments between surfing and sleeping. KSS is a delightfully modern concept based on an…
by Alexa Trotta I found Nemo while snorkeling a few feet off the coast of a wild, deserted island in Fiji. His yellow-and-blue-striped body darted beneath my flippers, then disappeared into the winding blue, green, pink, and purple coral mountains of the serene undersea-scape surrounding us. I was miles from home—and a world away from…
by Janet Bein A native-born Israeli, Eli is a tall, broad-shouldered man, with a short, graying beard. He lives in the rural village of Benjamina (between Haifa and Tel Aviv), likes to wear jeans, and looks like a cross between a kibbutznik and a rabbi. For more than fifteen years, Eli has worked in the…
by Alexa Trotta The thought of wading through murky waters surrounded by dark, slimy cave walls didn’t impress me at first. In fact most things that involve the word “slimy” don’t particularly excite me. So when Matt told me we were going cave spelunking in an underground dwelling of glowworms and who knows what else,…
by Becca Fitch Last summer at a backpacking camp in the Trinity Alps I went on a choice hike called Gonzo. Gonzo is defined as a slang term meaning fiercely advocative or partial without regard for balance or objectivity. This definition is not far off. Gonzo was on of the most emotionally and physically intense…
by Julie Ferro Aletch Glacier, high in the Swiss Alps. With both trepidation and excitement, I allow myself to be tied to eight other people, single-file, about three feet apart from one another. Our guide, the very experienced and well-known Art Furrer, ties himself at the head of the line to form a ten-person dragon….
by Marcie J. Bushnell Over 500 kinds of lichens and moss blanket the lava fields. It’s nature’s way of softening the rugged, mostly treeless “moonscape” that greets us as we exit the sleek Icelandair aircraft in Keflavik, Iceland. My twenty-six-year-old daughter and I exchange glances and smiles as we pass through the modern, minimalist airport…