By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Kathy Marris is my counterpart ‘Down Under.’ She is the author of 50 Shades of Age, a lighthearted collection of stories on being 50 something. A top blogger for the mature travelers she shares insider tips for travelers in OZ, and favorite holiday spots in striking distance – like […]
By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate It seems everyone I know has been to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in the Red Rock Country of Utah. It was high time for me to experience the soaring ramparts with majestic views, the splendor of sculptured slot canyons, and the magic of hoodoos millions of years […]
By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Each year I attend the Los Angeles Adventure Travel show to get news about travel trends. Here is what is hot and what is not according to travel gurus like Rick Steves who spoke about broadening your global prospective through travel, and Pauline Frommer who shared lots of money […]
By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate “I go to the forest to lose my mind and find my soul” ~~ John Muir It is my extreme pleasure to share outdoor days that have helped me achieve balance in my life. So many friends ask me to take them hiking, but part of my pleasure is hiking […]
By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate To start the New Year off with a bang, I am publishing a collection of my favorite outdoor days along the California Coast. It is my extreme pleasure to have visited all of these beautiful places and to share them with you in Lost Angel in Paradise. I cap […]
By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate I love travel narratives. These are a few of my favorite travel books sure to whet your wanderlust. These are not typical guidebooks, they represent well-written travel literature. Travels in a Thin Country by Sara Wheeler Sara travels in a way that I would love to do, but just don’t have the […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate No matter what your relationship with the person who brought you into this world—be it good, bad, or indifferent—it is always complicated. My mother’s passing left me with my energies low, immune system weakened, and spirits sagging. The Hawaiian Islands have always been a source of solace and […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Ever want to turn off the city and just run? Urbanitis is a common condition in the City of Angels that causes me to dodge crowds, noise pollution, and the constant insistence of my cell phone. When these symptoms occur, I feel the need for a dose of […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate About an hour north of Los Angeles a spectacular day trip to the Island of Santa Cruz awaits you. Turn up at the Island Packer dock in Ventura Harbor about 9 AM with a lunch in your backpack and leave your worries behind. After an hour-long cruise across […]
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate I hiked the half mile around Malibu Lagoon to what is famously known as Surf Riders Beach, aka “Buns Galore” Beach. Barefoot surfers joined me on the shade-less path carrying their boards tucked under their arm or over their heads. Unzipped wet suits, folded down on slim waists […]
