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Friday - March 29, 2024
 

Linda Ballou Experiences the Beauty of “Falldorado” in the Front Range with Isabella Bird

October 7th, 2022

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Just 34 miles up sweeping I 70 from Denver lies Evergreen, a popular stop for folks wanting to breathe deeply of crisp, pine-scented air.  Forward-thinking Denver elders forged out huge open spaces for hikers and bikers in this area. A myriad of trail networks lace the hills surrounding the rustic mountain town. I hiked in Dedisse Park on an undulating trail through a forest overlooking the Evergreen Lake. Expect to meet mountain bikers and other hikers on the trails. Evergreen is a hub of outdoor fun and connecting highways to the interior... Read More

Linda Ballou Shares Her Interview on the Rocky Mountain Channel – And Eye Candy for Nature Lovers

September 7th, 2022

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate I love this interview with Brett Wilson at The Rocky Mountain Channel podcast. I felt relaxed and welcome. He wanted to know what prompted me to follow in the hoofprints of the indomitable Isabella Bird from pristine Hawai’i to untamed Colorado in 1873. We talked about how Isabella and Rocky Mountain Jim were two seriously damaged people who found their salvation in nature. Isabella describes their legendary romance and the ethereal beauty of the region in her book A Lady’s Life in the Rockies. Her vivid descriptions of the region drew... Read More

Linda Ballou Wonders Whether She Was ‘Blissfully Sinking’ or ‘Gloriously Synching’ into River Time, During Her Recent Rogue River Raft Trip. Either Way, She Relished Every Moment.

July 19th, 2021

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate  Every bend of the river beckons—every pool may bring better luck. Life should be like that. — Zane Grey The Rogue River is a vital artery in southwestern Oregon that flows 215 miles from Crater Lake to Gold Beach on the coast. Rainie Falls is the take out point for rafters to the 40 mile stretch of the wild and scenic corridor on the infamous Rogue. We skirted this big drop into a gaping hole, the only Class 4 rapid we encountered on the 4-day rafting adventure, by taking a side channel. We listened for the low rumble of rapids ahead... Read More

As Mother’s Day Approaches, Linda Ballou Recalls Her Recent Visit to “Mom’s Meadow” – And Delivering the Fruitcake

April 22nd, 2021

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. I would take it to the meadow where I had scattered her ashes.  I had kept it in my freezer (even through a severe downsizing) because I just couldn’t bear to throw it out. Her fruitcake was much too heavy for me to eat, and I didn’t want to give it to anyone. Taking it to where she rested seemed a logical thing to do. The day could not have been more gorgeous. White clouds smeared across the baby blue heavens,... Read More

Linda Ballou Shares Her Recent ‘Wander to the Edge’ Podcast Interview with NABBW

December 14th, 2020

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate It’s a wrap! 2020 is coming to a close. Adventure Travel Writer, Linda Ballou, shares highlights of her year in this interview with Adam Asher and Zanne Merkel on their podcast, Wander to the Edge.   Topics in our discussion included: Why I need to be on the travel edge. What it takes to write a travel book. How to make travel writing work for you. Taking time to be in nature each day Forest Bathing and Hozho Seizing opportunities opening up in the travel world. Some of my favorite daytrips on the Coast of California My latest... Read More

In the year of the virus: Nature Can Be Our Salvation.

September 5th, 2020

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate In the words of Edward Abbey…”I am not an atheist, I am an Earthiest!” Earthiests are people who literally need to plug into the planet to recharge. Whether sitting on a rock warmed by the sun, or face planted down on the sand at the beach, standing on a mountain top arms spread with palms up to gather energy, or resting against a tree, I am gathering energy from the earth. Some people think nothing is happening when they are sitting still because their minds are too busy to feel anything. But, they are receiving nature’s... Read More

In Which Linda Ballou Shares Part Two of Her Recent ‘Deep Dive Down Under’ ~ Including Palm Cove, Daintree Forest and Sydney

February 20th, 2020

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 overlooked a stunning white sand beach. The tropical waters looked inviting, but informed tourists kept to the shore. Saltwater crocodiles lurk in these waters along with box and stinger jellyfish in the summer. A massive swimming pool replicating a sandy... Read More

Join Linda Ballou As She Makes Tracks to Her Favorite Less-Traveled – And Therefore Serenely Sublime – Trails in the Hawaiian Islands

December 3rd, 2019

Mark Twain described the Hawaiian Islands as the “prettiest archipelago ever to lay anchor in the South Pacific.” I agree, but so do millions of other travelers! Still, you can find serenity in a sublime setting if you bend an effort to get off the beaten track. Here are a few of my favorite less-traveled trails. Maunawili Demonstration Trail, Oahu Oahu, the gathering place where millions enjoy the healing waters of Waikiki, is perhaps the hardest island to find respite from crowds. On a recent trip, however, I stumbled upon the Maunawili Demonstration Trail, a high and dry path hugging the... Read More

Kathy Marris Sheds Light on ‘Down Under’ Adventure Travel

May 17th, 2019

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 Bali. Australia is on my radar for 2020, so she seemed a perfect source for tips to make my trip more meaningful and less hectic. So, many tour companies have you spending a lot of time in airports zipping around a large country with extremely... Read More

Ballou’s New Book “Lost Angel in Paradise,” Shares Why Not All Who Wander are Lost

February 6th, 2019

Title:Lost Angel in Paradise: Outdoor Days from L.A. to the Lost Coast of California (Lost Angel Adventures) Available in Kindle format (with free app) Author: Linda Ballou Reviewed for the NABBW by: Anne L. Holmes Now you can delight in day tripping adventures along with adventure travel writer Linda Ballou, who’s long been known for her enticing articles about her power-packed  outdoor days along the sun-splashed California coast from Malibu to Mendocino. For years, Linda’s many friends have asked her if they could come with her on these adventures, and she’s always declined.... Read More