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Jutting out into warm sky blue waters, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula divides the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea. Once was the home of a great Mayan civilization, Mayan ruins abound. High on a cliff looming over the sea sits Tulum, one of the most compact and intact ruins around.  While visiting Tulum on a shore excursion from a Carnival cruise, we had the great fortune to have a tour guide of Mayan descent. In addition to the knowledge passed from one generation to the next, he had also done his college thesis on Tulum and the ancient Mayans. He seemed quite eager to share his vast wealth of information on the ruins with our group.  He explained that Mayan culture revolved around the cycle of life. Summer and winter, birth and death. Their circular calendar covered 360 days around the outside, with a person carrying a heavy burden pictured in the center depicting the other five. While they didn't have leap years as we do, they moved their starting point up ¼ of the way, or one equinox each year, which covered the extra day at the end of the four years. He was very adamant that the Mayans did not in fact predict the end of the world in 2012. People who don't understand the culture say that, the real Mayans such as him do not believe it one bit. He said it is just time to reset the equinox on their more complicated long term calendar system.  The five days at the center of the yearly calendar meant time for the people to carry the weight of the earth. They gathered within Tulum's walls and fasted during that time. Tulum had a sewer system, necessary for a gathering of that size. It also had a cenote to provide fresh water.  The temples at Tulum ran east to west. Buildings for living areas ran north to south. The ancient Mayans had a written language, of which the symbols can be phonetically translated to match our letters. Their math used a binary system much like modern computers. In the way they wrote their numbers, the larger ones resembled a pyramid much like the ones they built. They did not use pyramids as tombs the way ancient Egyptians did.  We bypassed a tall archway into the ruins, which our guide explained had been rebuilt by taller people long after the Mayans had abandoned Tulum. Farther down the wall we found a Mayan sized arch, which meant we all had to duck on the way in. Tulum means wall in Mayan, and makes these ruins unique as most of their cities had no walls. Our guide explained that Tulum was not an ordinary city, more comparable to a holy place. The scholars, thinkers, and mathematicians lived within the walls with farmers on the outside. The farmers had no calendars, so the scholars on the inside told them when to plant and when to harvest. The walls, he said, were not to keep the farmers out, but rather the scholars in, because the farmers had all the wealth. 
The building referred to as the castle by today's tourist maps was their main temple. It has a central pyramid-like structure, flanked by a smaller building on each side. The main building has gaps on either side. One frames the summer solstice and the other the winter solstice. Our guide explained that the small building near the summer solstice resembles the legs of a Mayan mother, with a baby coming from the darkness into the light at the moment of birth over the door.  Quite a few buildings of different shapes and sizes cover the main Tulum site. One called Temple of the Frescos has carvings on the walls, some of which still have a hint of color left from where they once had paint.  Off in the distance sits the Temple of the Wind. Specially placed holes caused this building to whistle a warning when a hurricane headed for a direct hit on Tulum. It still works, having whistled when the winds of Roxanne reached hurricane force in 1995.  The ancient Mayans had quite an advanced civilization. They even performed plastic surgery. Considering large noses quite attractive, they reconstructed theirs to attach high on the forehead as seen in the way they carved their masks.  Only stone structures remain in Tulum. The Spaniards, afraid of anything that might have significance to a religion other than their own, burned all the calendars and other wooden artifacts. Much knowledge was lost, as only that which passed verbally from one generation to the next remains.  A flight of stairs leads to a beautiful beach below the ruins. There people can sunbathe, swim, or even snorkel if they brought gear. Near the parking area, shops of all sorts carry everything from fine jewelry to local crafts and food. The Flying Man Show entertains visitors with costumed men spinning around a pole on long ropes. When they finish the show, they quickly detach from the poles and approach the crowd with collecting tins. 
Visitors have a choice of walking from the parking area to the ruins or taking a tram, which costs a couple dollars. On the bus on the way there, they do their best to convince everyone to take the tram because of the time it will save in getting back to the parking lot when it is time to leave. With our group though, by the time people bought their tickets and got loaded onto the tram the walkers had gotten to the meeting area by the ruins first. When time to leave comes, any time saved riding the tram is probably lost waiting for it to get there so it really seems to come to a matter of preference for walking or riding more so than the time involved.
Tags: Mayan Calendar Mayan Ruins Mexico Yucatan Penninsula Travel 2012
Most everyone has heard of white water rafting. Those who like a bit of adventure have a great time splashing through bumps and dips in the wild waters of river rapids. What about rafting for people who prefer a quieter ride? It does exist, in the form of scenic river floats. Many people find a day on the river quite enjoyable, whether a wet and wild white water adventure or a serene scenic float. White Water Rafting on Washington's Wenatchee River 
Several rafting companies, including Alpine Adventures, offer white water raft trips on the Wenatchee River starting from Cashmere near the popular Bavarian themed tourist town of Leavenworth. After meeting the gear truck at the take-out point in Cashmere where they receive wetsuits and life vests, rafters board the rafting company's bus bound for the launch point. Alpine Adventures launches near Leavenworth in a calm portion of the river. Floating down a calm part before arriving at the white water gives the guides plenty of time to teach rafters how to paddle and practice following their directions. It also provides people an opportunity to jump in the water if they want a chance to cool off from the warmth of the sun. When the rafts arrive at the first rapid, the guides put to use all the paddling instructions practiced in the calm area to steer the rafts safely through. The raft rises on a wave and splashes down in a trough, much to the delight of everyone on board. Anybody dry at the start of the first rapid finds themselves emerging quite wet before the raft reaches the final wave. Avoiding the front seat does not keep anyone dry on a trip through the white water.  In the calm areas between the rapids, people enjoy the scenery, sometimes spotting wildlife such as an osprey in its nest. It also offers a chance to rest up for the next wild paddling session through the whitewater. The slow spots also give those with waterproof cameras a hands-free chance for some photo opportunities. To insure camera safety, buckle the top strap of the life vest through the camera string and tuck it inside the life vest when not in use. It does limit the camera to the length of its string from the vest when taken out for use, but insures that it will not get dropped overboard when hastily stashed on the next command for paddling. After floating down the river for awhile, a dam blocks the way. The rafts pull ashore for portage around the dam. After a very short walk, returning the rafts to the water at a public launch on the other side of the dam. Some other rafting companies start their trips at that point. Further down the river, the rafts pull ashore once more, this time on a small mid-river island. The guides set out a tasty lunch of sandwiches, lemonade and cookies, upon which the guests descend like a flock of hungry vultures.  After lunch more rapids create opportunities to try new things, like sitting on the front of the raft trying to “ride the bull.” A fall puts the bull rider back into the bow of the boat, not into the wild river. Back at cashmere, the rafts once again pull ashore. Rafters carry the boats up to the grass and find photographers staked out in the parking lot with photos of the boat in rapids available for sale. To find white water rafting near you, google white water rafting, your state. Alpine Adventures also offers scenic river floats from Lake Wenatchee State Park. Scenic River Float – River Rafting for Everyone For those who would enjoy floating down the river without the excitement of white water rafting, try a scenic river float. Some of the same companies that offer white water raft trips also offer scenic floats. Cruise ship passengers may find scenic floats offered as shore excursion options on some itineraries, such as Alaskan cruises stopping in Juneau.  For a scenic float down the Mendenhall River in Juneau, the tour bus picks passengers up at their ship for the journey to a lake dotted with small ice bergs where the rafts launch. The lake offers a distant view of Mendenhall Glacier. After passing through the lake, rafts enter the Mendenhall river for a gentle float with just a few slightly bumpy spots. Grandmothers and small children enjoy this relaxing scenic float along with passengers of all ages. The guides do all the paddling on this trip. Guests just relax and enjoy the scenery.  One of the more interesting sites along the way includes a bend where the entire riverbank is lined with junk cars, placed there decades ago to stabilize erosion. Other sites include cliff swallow nests in the river bank, often accompanied by sightings of cliff swallows. Bald eagles fly overhead. Evergreen trees line the riverbanks, along with huckleberry bushes and other native plants. Once back on shore, guests are given a snack before boarding the bus back to their ship. To find a scenic river float closer to home, google scenic river float, scenic raft trip, or anything similar.
Tags: White Water Raft River Raft Float Fun
Imagine riding a horse through snow on a warm sunny day in August. This may sound like an impossible contradiction, but I did just that on a high country pack trip with Icicle Outfitters & Guides of Washington State.
Icicle Outfitters offers everything from day rides near Leavenworth and at Lake Wenatchee State Park, to drop camps where they pack in gear for hikers or hunters, to full service pack trips. In the winter they even have sleigh rides.
My sister, niece, and I took a pack trip in the Glacier Peak Wildernessarea. This allowed us to visit an area we aren't equipped to haul our own horses to, and to take rides ours aren't conditioned for. Also to explore an area we know nothing about with a guide to keep us from getting lost. 
Pack trips sometimes involve a traveling camp where you bring the camp along and stay in a different place every night. Others pack in a base camp where they set up once and take day rides from there. You can venture farther from the starting point with the traveling camp, or have a more elaborate set-up with the base camp option. 
We selected a base camp trip. The first day we rode in with pack mules carrying our gear. The mules left after dropping off supplies. On subsequent days we rode out on different trails and saw lots of beautiful places. The last day of our trip, the mules came back to pick up our gear, although we did not ride back with them. They passed by us on the trail coming in as our group headed out. Even with our head start, the pack mules beat us to the trailhead because we stopped at a beautiful high mountain lake along the way to do some fishing. 
The Cascade Mountains have dozens of remote lakes with excellent fishing opportunities. A three or four piece rod works best because it fits in the rod case or tube which is both easily packed in on the mule, and can be tied onto the saddle for use during the trip. On some lakes, a float tube is also a great option for some off-shore fishing. Small high-mountain trout bite small lures such as power bait or flies. Anyone planning to fish needs to purchase a fishing license prior to their trip because the wilderness has no stores.
We saw up close the results of the 'Let it burn" policy for wilderness areas after riding many miles through eerily beautiful stands of burned trees. Some had peek-a-boo views of snow capped mountain peaks between them. Wildflowers and new young trees grew amidst the stands of dead trees. Strangest of all were the occasional untouched tall live trees that managed to escape harm while all those around them burned. 
One day, we rode to Entiat Glacier. Along the way we passed first through meadows full of brightly colored flowers, then later through isolated patches of slowly melting snow in unburned woods. Another day's ride included lunch near an old historic trapper's cabin and fishing in a high mountain stream. Best of all, somebody else had to saddle and unsaddle the horses. 
Camp food provided by the professional outfitter would be very hard to beat. We dined like royalty on dutch oven meals. We had dinners including salmon, pork chops, and fruit cobblers. They also cooked wonderful breakfasts with things like hot fresh cinnamon rolls or eggs and potatoes as well. Quite a switch from the usual hot dogs, burritos, and pancakes we eat when camping on our own, and someone else to wash the dishes. It's great to sit back and relax on vacation while other people do all the work.  Our guide liked dutch oven cooking so much he said he even cooked that way at home, He said using charcoal briquettes makes it an exact science, but coals from the fire mean guesswork. The amount of briquettes varies depending on the size of the pot and the material it is made out of. For a 12" cast iron dutch oven, 15 coals on top and 9 on the bottom cooks at 350 degrees. For aluminum add 4 more briquettes each to the top and bottom. On the average, for each 2 inch increase in pot size, add 2 more each to the top and bottom of the pot. For baking bread or biscuits, change the ratio to 4 briquettes on the bottom and 18 on the top for the 12" cast iron pot. To change the temperature, 2 briquettes more or less changes it up or down by 25 degrees.
After dinner, we sat around the fire toasting marshmallows for s'mores and listening to stories. Packers who spend as much time in the woods as our guide have some interesting tales to tell. He met some interesting characters over the years. One time he came along an old fashioned steamer trunk lying in the middle of the trail. He got off his horse to move it and got pelted by rocks and sticks from the owner of the trunk hiding somewhere in the trees. Further down the trail, he came across another trunk.
On his way out a week or so later, he again came across the steamer trunks. This time a couple miles farther down the trail accompanied by their owner. Quite friendly this time, displaying no sign of the earlier hostility, he claimed to be on the way to Darrington to pick berries.
“That's over 50 miles away, on the other side of the mountain,” the guide informed him.
The man had no grasp on reality thinking he would make it over a mountain before it snowed dragging first one trunk then doubling back for the other. The forest service crew had to go in and pack him out.
Deer liked our camp almost as much as we did. A doe with two fauns and a spike buck who was most likely her yearling son hung around most of the time. At night more deer snuck in to the area where some of the horses stayed tied to a highline, while others roamed free grazing on meadow grass.
The deer wanted to eat the ties off the saddles to get the salt where they rub against a sweaty horse. All the saddles had to be bundled up in the canvas used on the mule packs to keep the deer out. The mule pack canvas also made great (if a bit smelly) blankets over the sleeping bags, keeping us warm in our tent on the cold mountain nights.
Brightly colored birds called evening grosbeaks enjoyed eating ash from the firepit. One especially brave bird flew down to munch on cooler ash near the edge of the pit while we all sat around the fire having breakfast. His shyer companions flitted around nearby trees waiting for us to put out the fire and leave before they took their turns. 
I recommend that anyone who is not accustomed to horseback riding try a day trail ride at a horse rental stable before booking a pack trip. If you enjoy the day trip enough that you feel like you want to ride more when it ends, then a pack trip might be for you, but if you want off the horse an hour into the ride, it would not be a good idea.
Most seasoned trail riders would enjoy a pack trip. People with only arena riding experience might also want to try the day ride on a trail first. Some arena riders feel insecure when suddenly faced with the lack of walls around them.
We planned our pack trip with Icicle Outfitters as a once in a lifetime experience, but enjoyed it so much we can't wait to go again.
Tags: Cascade Mountains Horse Camping Dutch Oven Cooking Fishing Horse Pack T
One small ship cruise line goes under. Most people would have seen their ships as fodder for the scrap yard. Dan Blanchard of American Safari Cruises saw them as the means to start a new company. With the complete overhaul of two ships formerly of Glacier Bay, InnerSea Discoverieswas born, a small-ship cruise line with a taste for adventure and exploration of wild places. 
The first time I saw the Wilderness Discoverer she sat high and dry in a shipyard in Seattle. Pointing to the bulbous protrusion on the underside of the bow hanging over our heads, Dan Blanchard enthusiastically explained how an underwater camera soon to be mounted there would give future guests a view of what swims beneath the ship from the flat-screen TV's not yet added to the passenger cabins. He added that the bulbous bow, as it is actually called, reduces drag and thus decreases fuel consumption. Outside the boat did not look like much. Most of the paint had been removed and the hull was in various stages of repair. Ships come into drydock periodically for maintenance and repairs. This one would stay longer than most for intensive overhaul. Dan mentioned that he intended to fix potential future problems in addition to current ones while the ship had her makeover. After climbing a tall set of construction style temporary stairs, we reached the back deck and climbed aboard. We proceeded for a tour of the mostly still intact inside of the ship. At that time it appeared much as it had in its past life with barely a glimpse of the destiny of what it would become. Looking into sparse cabins with beds resembling camp cots, it took a lot of imagination to picture comfortable guest rooms. Stepping cautiously over various tools and bits of construction debris, and careful not to touch any wet paint, we followed Dan as he happily pointed out the changes he planned to make. “I'd like to decorate it in early Forest Service Lodge décor,” he said at one point, mentioning that he would be happy to accept donations of items anyone in our group of writers and travel agents might have for that purpose. No doubt he expected things like fishing poles or kitschy cups. Perhaps someone might have an old fishing lure or some antlers. Things to give the ship an old fashioned outdoorsy look reminiscent of a remote lodge built in the first half of the last century. My thoughts drifted to the hay loft of my barn. There sat an old western saddle, gathering dust and cobwebs. It spent many years in that hay loft after a horse's extreme bucking fit broke the saddle tree.  At some point in the tour I found the chance to ask if he might like the saddle. He said he could find a use for it, perhaps as a lamp. I next saw the Wilderness Discoverer several months later when I stopped by Dan's office to deliver the saddle. Dan said he had decided it would make a good bar stool. (I had wondered how the lamp idea would work.) He pointed out the way to the dock at Seattle's Fishermen's Terminal where the boat now resided in water.  The outside looked far better this time, the inside far worse. The newly painted green hull symbolizes a green company as well as honoring the Forest Service boats of Alaska. In southeast Alaska, the Forest Service built and maintains a series of boardwalk trails in the wilderness, which InnerSea Discoveries makes use of on their cruise itineraries. InnerSea Discoveries passengers don't just see glaciers, they hike on one. Instead of watching ice bergs float by, they get up close enough to touch, and even taste them. 
Having patched, repaired, and painted the outside, work had began in earnest on the inside. Piles of old fixtures and furnishings cluttered much of the space. Little of the interior remained intact. Most of what did would not stay for long. Some of the vessel's future crew took time out of their day's remodeling and clean-up work to show off their new toy, the kayak launcher.  The kayak launcher enables people to get in and out of the kayak without getting off the boat. The kayak sits on rollers in between a set of handrail-like bars. Once in the kayak, it slides into the water on the rollers as the passengers use the handrails to push themselves toward the water. Testing it out with the bow of another boat just a few feet away proved a bit of a challenge, but it worked wonderfully and once in operation cruise ship guests will not have that obstacle to face.  The third time I saw the Wilderness Discoverer she sat tied to a pier not far from her former berth. This time she had her sister ship the Wilderness Adventurer tied to her side as they awaited their double christening ceremony. The newly refurbished inside now matched the recently renovated outside. While still small, the staterooms now sported real beds and of course, the flat screen TV's. All new furnishings graced the dining room and bar. A trip down a flight of stairs led to a small massage room. Up on deck a fleet of Necky kayaks awaited action and hot tubs nestled under their covers. Even exercise equipment found a place on deck, though how much use it will get in days filled with hiking and kayaking remains a mystery. The ship looked great. It only lacked one thing. They had not yet mastered the secret of how to mount the saddle onto a bar stool. So while the ship found new life, the old saddle still waited. It did not have to wait long though. It missed the christening, but made it on the ship securely mounted to a bar stool before the ship set sail for the summer cruising season.   Time came for the christening. Champagne bottles broke simultaneously on both ships, followed by loud blasts of their horns joined by the horns of other ships in the fleet and cheers of the crowd and crews. Two ships once destined for the scrap yard rescued and rebirthed to a new life as adventure vessels bound for Alaska with InnerSea Discoveries. Instead of cruising from port to busy port as the large ships do, they cruise cove to scenic cove, experiencing the wonders of nature in the wilds of southeast Alaska.
Interested in this cruise? Book early for next year at InnerSea Discoveries. This year already sold out. Or try American Safari Cruises luxury yachts to Alaska in the summer or their wintertime warm destinations in Hawaii or the Sea of Cortez.
Tags: Cruise Travel Adventure Alaska InnerSea Discoveries Nature Vacation
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