Windward Oahu

Everyone says they would like a vacation to Hawaii-and you will never hear me argue against Hawaii as being an awesome place to vacation.  While most people think of Waikiki when they talk about Hawaii, personally I prefer the Windward and Northshore shores of Oahu more than the downtown Honolulu area.  What does this side of the island have?  Well outside of surfing competitions, Haleiwa, the Polynesian Culture Center, Pali Lookout, Shark's Cove, some awesome waterfalls, and miles of cool beaches, not that much.  Here are some of the reasons why I like these areas of Hawaii.

 Here I am diving at Shark's Cove.  This is one of my favorite places to Scuba.  There are arches and caverns to explore.  And just what might you find hanging out under an overhang?  A turtle!

I wonder what he/she was thinking here.

 

Normally I'm not too into commercialized luaus and hula dancing.  But I really like the Polynesian Culture Center.  You can see performances from various islands of the pacific and participate in games and other activities.  Oh yeah, the night show is a must!

There are many nice beaches in Hawaii.  And a million ways to enjoy the sun and sand.  But I really enjoyed a few opportunities to watch a storm roll in and the waves break on the shore.

My family loved going to Haleiwa.  We love going and getting shave ice (Matusumotos) and watching the sunset. 

Key West Florida

The start of Highway 1

Located closer to Havana than to Miami it should not be surprising that Key West sometimes seems more of a foreign destination than a domestic one.  However, no matter how different Key West may be from mainland America, it is actually part of Florida.  But if you are looking for a vacation that is exotic and different from your everyday life in the contiguous 48, Key West may be what you are looking for.  Located 130 plus miles from Miami, the road ends here (or starts depending on our perspective).  Don't believe me, walk to the junction of Fleming and Whitehead streets.  There it is, the beginning of highway 1.  This mile marker sign has been stolen more times than you might believe, don't worry though you can buy your own at any souvenir shop on the island and avoid going to Jail.  Have you heard about Duval Street?  The locals in Key West think of their island as a small drinking town with a tourist problem.  Yes, you read that correct.  I don't have actual data to support this, but my guess is that there are only a handful of places in the world that serve more drinks per square foot than Duval Street.  The "Duval Crawl" can, and is experienced every night by tourists and some locals.  It is no wonder that Jimmy Buffet wrote part of his hit song "Margaritaville" in Key West.

Smathers Beach in the background

If drinking is not your thing, no worries, what about enjoying life on the beach?  Key West's sandy beaches are made from corral not volcanic rock.  Why is this important you ask?  Because corral doesn't absorb heat, so the sand doesn't burn your feet or your back or whatever part of your body finds itself in the sand.  While Smathers beach is the best known and most popular beach on Key West, the entire south side of the island is one long sandy beach. 

School of fish at Sand Key Lighthouse Reef

There is so much to do in Key West, but some of my favorite activites weren't actually on the island.  Snorkelers and divers love the clear, warm waters of the Caribbean.  Enjoy watching Parrot fish crunch corral into sand, or watch schools of snappers or sergeant majors float along in the soft currents.  And if you want something a little more exciting than small tropical fish-how about turtles.  Green sea turtles are commonly seen around the keys.

Turtle off of Eastern Dry Rocks Reef

What about historical sites?  Are you someone who isn't into getting sunburned by spending too much time in the water?  Not to worry.  From the Shipwrecker's Museaum to Ernest Hemingway's House to Fort Zackary Taylor to the old lighthouse to the "Truman's Little White House" or even all the way to Fort Jefferson, there are plenty of options for you to enjoy.  You can learn about two civil war era forts, find out what drove Ernest Hemingway, learn about shipwrecking and ship rescuing or find something in common with Harry Truman all in this little island. 

Fort Jefferson (Dry Tortugas)

Most people enjoy a good sunset.  Fortunately for you, in Key West you get to enjoy great sunsets.

Sunset at Fort Zachary Taylor Beach

Fishing.  Want to try your hand at deep sea fishing?  Catch Wahoo, Mahi Mahi, Snapper, Bonefish, Grouper, Tarpon, Barracuda, or other species?  Well no worries, because Key West has them all.

fishing for Snowy Grouper

Other activities that you can enjoy include kayaking the mangroves, jet skiing, sailing, harbor cruises, riding the conch train, the butterfly house, an evening of entertainment at Mallory Square and so much more.  The problem with Key West isn't trying to find something to do, it is trying to figure out how to get everything done in a single vacation!

Kayaking Key West

Glacier NP

A couple of summers ago my wife and I took our family to 3 National Parks in a matter of a couple months.  We went to Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.  They were all nice, and I will probably blog about the other two sometime in the future, but Glacier was beyond nice.  We were so impressed with the mountains, the blue tint of the water, the road to the sun and of course seeing glaciers. 

This is a picture of Lake McDonald.  I've since wondered if they have a problem with people throwing rocks into the lake.  All along the lake shore there are literally thousands of perfect skipping stones.  And the lake is wonderfully clear with near perfect reflections of the snow capped peaks.  We pulled into the parking lot at Lake McDonald only intending to get out and take a quick peek.  We were so mesmerized by the beauty of the lake that we ended up spending hours just gazing at the reflection of the clouds and mountains on the water (and skipped a few rocks). 

One of my wife's favorite things about Glacier NP is the water.  It is this awesome blue color.  The glaciers themselves are blue, I believe it is due to the density that they freeze at, and the water that in in the streams are from melting glaciers and runoff.  This also makes the water really blue.  We had never seen blue waterfalls before.  Usually waterfalls look dirty, white or clear if they are thin.  But the waterfalls at Glacier were blue! 

If you go to Glacier NP, you must drive the Road to the Sun.  You will be amazed at the vistas, the mountain passes, the glaciers, hikes along the way and maybe some glimpses of mountain goats.  We drove west to east and at the end was St. Mary's Lake.  A rainstorm was moving through but I still managed to take the above photo.  Even after a couple of days of high mountain lakes, this lake was still very impressive.  Completely surrounding by high mountain peaks, green fir trees and even dotted with a couple of islands, St. Mary's Lake is a must stop.
Adam

Paddling the BWCA

Imagine getting away from everything.  Away from cell phones, tv, traffic and everything else that screams stress and society.  That is what it is like paddling a canoe through the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness(BWCA) of Northern Minnesota.  There are three main areas that service the BWCA; the western end (Crane Lake and the Echo Trail), the central section (Ely) and the eastern side (The Gunflint and Tofte region).  I spent 3 summers working on Crane Lake, a summer working in Ely and 3 summers working on the Gunflint.  An entirely separate summer I visited the Ely area and went on a canoe trip with my father.  It is safe to say that while I don't know everything, and haven't paddled every lake in the BWCA I have seen a good portion of the region.  While many people may argue which area is the best, I'm of the opinion that they are all wonderful and have something to offer.

The western side has unique challenges.  The entry points along the Echo Trail can be long and often muddy.  Lac La Croix, a massive lake dominates the region and if the winds are calm I prefer paddling the big lake is preferable to portaging, but if the winds come up Lac La Croix turns into a beast.  These challenges keep the crowds down and if solace is what you seek, this area can be golden.

The Ely area is by far the most trafficked section of the BWCA.  A forest ranger once told me that about 80 percent of all the BWCA permits are for an Ely area entry point.  One of my trips into the BWCA was through Moose Lake, the number one most accessed lake in the BWCA.  We went in late June, paddled into Birch Lake and on into the South Arm of Knife Lake.  5 days were spent fishing, swimming paddling and hiking and we didn't see many other canoes.  So, I suppose that if you know where to go, or know someone who offers good advice (canoe outfitting businesses offer great advice) then even in Ely you can find areas that offer seclusion.

The eastern side is divided into two area, the Tofte area is less developed than, in my opinion, any other region of the BWCA.  Outside of Brule lake, there are no really big lakes to conquer.   Wildlife sightings, including moose, occur at a much higher rate than in either Ely or the Lac La Croix area.  The Gunflint side of the BWCA has more up and down terrain than any other area.  This is great for those who love waterfalls and scenic overlooks, but bad for those who hate portaging.  Another downside to the Gunflint is that it seems the portages are longer than many I've done in the Ely area.  But the scenery can't be beat, and I am one who loves a day of hiking so I persevere portaging and love the view from on top.

All in all I love the BWCA, and the feeling of softly gliding across a still lake can't be beat.  Cooking over an open fire, breathing the clean air and knowing that my cell phone won't ring doesn't hurt either.  My favorite memories from the BWCA?  Definitely the times I've been able to see the Aurora Borealis.  I haven't found anything as mesmerizing as watching the Northern Lights dance in the sky!

Welcome to my travel blog.  When we lived in Hawaii I enjoyed writing a simple blog about traveling in Hawaii.  Since then I have often thought about expanding that idea and writing about one of the things I love most-Traveling.  So, here it is, my travel blog.  I love traveling so much that I even started a new company called Find Unique which is all about finding unique places to visit and things to do.  We are preparing to launch a new website called finduniquelodging.com that is all about unique lodging establishments around the U.S.  Check our our website to see a listing of unique, non-franchised lodging options.  I hope that you enjoy some of my ideas and photos for fun places to visit.  Enjoy!
Adam Van Tassell