Category: Travels

Burning Man

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Pictures from my first Burning Man experience! 

So what is Burning Man? Oh geez.  Well… it’s this massive yearly gathering in the high desert north of Reno, Nevada. It’s a festival of art and creativity, of community and self-expression. It’s a temporary city where commerce is not permitted, giving is widespread and people meet each other through their participation in the event.  It’s definitely an experience.

The event runs a full week but FileMaker’s Developer Conference always seems to coincide with it. So this year I decided to at least taste a few days of it. Bonnie and the rest of her burning clan were kind enough to let me join them at their camp, “Heaven a la Cart”.

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Exploring Southcentral Alaska

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This is a collection of images from a three week trip to the southcentral portion of Alaska.  The first six days were booked with Alaska Wildland Adventures to explore the Kenai Pennisula and involved a series of separate guided day excursions while staying at a couple of lodges. (This flexibility was helpful since a different outfitter cancelled a week-long group trip at the last minute.) The middle ten days were arranged through REI Adventures and handled by Alaska Alpine Adventures. This guided group trip passed through Prince William Sound, visited McCarthy/Kennicott, traveled the Denali Highway, and included three days visiting Denali National Park. The final three days (and a couple of intermediate days) were on my own.

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Exploring Costa Rica

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This is a collection of images from a pair of trips booked through REI Adventures and provided by Costa Rica Sun Tours.  The first was their “Jungle and Sea Escape” from December 20-27, 2002 and the second was their “Costa Rica Multisport” trip from December 28 through January 4th, 2003.

   

 

Weekend Return to Bishop

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Spent a weekend with my high school friend, David, to visit and stay with his mom, Grace (and her llamas) back in Bishop, CA.  We went out four-wheeling a bit, explored some caves, disturbed some bats, checked out some views of Owens Valley, and Dave broke out his rifle for some target practice.  No llamas or bats were harmed in our endeavours.

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Belize Adventure

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This is a collection of images from a trip in March 2002 booked through REI Adventures and provided by SlickRock Adventures. It was a week of caving, rafting, canoeing, jungle hiking, sea kayaking, surf kayaking, snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, … oh, you get the idea.

 

Jungle hiking (and a bit of four-wheeling) to reach Actun Tunichil Muknal – otherwise known as the Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre.

Watch your step — those are real Mayan artifacts!

Two nights at Casa Maya, a guided tour of the ruins of Xunantunich, and some “mostly gentle” canoeing down the Mopan River.

Nice day to capsize!

 

Helmets and headlamps for caving via rafts on the Caves Branch River.  And overnight nestled in Ian Anderson’s Jungle Lodge.

Sweet!

Four days of sea and sun on Long Caye at Glover’s Reef.  Sea kayaking, surf kayaking, snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, oh, and hammock surfing.

Rough life!

Miscellaneous Excursions: Downtown in Belize City and out to the Belize Zoo, visiting the ruins of Altun Ha, and demonstrating our primate origins at the Community Baboon Sanctuary.

Who’s the true primate?!