Various Topics

Haar Sauna

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Looking for an awesome experience while traveling the wonderful Isles of Shetland? St. Ninians beach is a beautiful beach just south of Lerwick. The crystal clear waters will make you think you’re in the Caribbean. Yes it’s cold, but the beauty will make up for the cold water. It’s a unique beach where you can swim in the Atlantic Ocean.

St. Ninians beach (Atlantic Ocean)

Haar Sauna is right on the sand 100 feet from the water. You get warmed up in the sauna then take a plunge in the Atlantic. Then make your way back to the sauna to warm up. You can continue taking cold plunges and warming up as long as your allotment of time booked in the sauna.

Mel is a wonderful host that will make you feel right at home. She is your guide for a memorable experience.

Haar Sauna has two sauna rooms on the beach. One is for up to six persons and the other holds up to eight. And yes, they are repurposed horse trailers. BRILLIANT!

You must book in advance with Haar Sauna at haarsauna.com.

Bring drinks and food and spend the day on the beach. Be prepared to walk a short distance from where you park your car. You can even take a hike across the sands to explore the island. I can’t wait to return.

Live the Adventure. #haarsauna

Various Topics

The Manor Hotel and Pub in Alconbury England.

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The Manor Hotel and Pub

Looking for a lovely English village to enjoy country walks and village hospitality, then Alconbury is a great choice. Close to a joint air base with The Royal Air Force and the U.S. Air Force the village has had many vistors from America over the years.

My journey brought me here to visit family and I loved it. Quiet time for reading and walks around the village was a pleasant rest.

The owner’s, Brian and Julie along with their staff make you feel quite at home. Brian was kind enough to take me to his vegetable allotment where many of the vegetables for the restaurant are grown. A full English breakfast with your room is the way to go.

The bar is fully stocked with refreshing beers and spirits. Non-alcoholic drinks are also available. I like to try local beers when I travel, and had plenty of choices. The old beams and character of the hotel make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

The Manor is well known for their steak dinners and tasty treats like bacon wrapped, stuffed, jalapeƱos. Bbq food at its best. There is a separate dining room from the bar outfitted with high end touches.

An outside area on the lawn with tables and umbrellas are perfect for an afternoon drink with a view of a ornately carved oak tree.

My room was pleasantly large and steeped in history with old beams. I sleep great with the window open and was not interrupted with outside noise.

Family room with three beds.

Wild blackberries are abundant around the village along with historical markers. Why not relax with a nice latte while watching the villagers walk by. I recommend the steaks for dinner. They’re cooked on hot, tile shaped rocks. Just keep turning the steak to your desired taste. The burgers are also a great choice.

Blackberry
Cheese burger with bacon.
Lamb steak, fries, coleslaw.

I really enjoyed my stay in Alconbury. I will return to visit family and new friends.

Various Topics

Danner’s new Chelsea boot

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I’m not new to Danner, I own several pairs of boots made by Danner. I have worn Danner Acadia’s for many many years and also own a pair of Skyridge’s and Mountain 503’s, along with South Rim 600’s.

I recently purchased a new pair of Danner’s Mountain 600 Chelsea boots. I like the idea of having a slip on boot that has excellent traction from quality Vibram soles. The Chelsea and South Rim 600’s share similar Vibram soles that offer a “mega grip” traction . Immediately I noticed that there was literally no break-in. The boots are very comfortable out of the box and can easily be worn all day long.

As I travel to Ireland and Scotland frequently, I plan on wearing the Chelsea’s on my next trip. I believe I would be able to eliminate a second pair of shoes and use the Chelsea’s for light hiking and around the town walking. The only drawback is that the Chelsea boots are not waterproof but I believe that’s just in the area where the elastic stretch section is near the top of the boot.

I wore my Skyridge boots for 4 weeks in 2018, while traveling through Ireland and Scotland. I walked over 200 miles in complete comfort. I brought a light pair of slip on shoes with me but never wore them, due to the comfort of my Skyridge boots.

I tested my Chelsea 600’s on a 5 mile hike with various examples of terrain. The boots were awesome. The traction worked excellent on dry gritty surfaces and on steep hills.

Steep uneven grade
Steep and gritty slope
Steep gravel

Danner also came out with a Pacific Crest Trail “PCT” inspired shoe called the Trail 2650. This is an extremely lightweight trail running shoe that incorporates that awesome mega grip Vibram sole.

Danner is definitely the place to go if you’re looking for a quality pair of hiking shoes or boots. #danner

Food, Places

Dublin’s newest, old distillery-TEELING

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On a recent trip to Dublin, Ireland, I was fortunate to visit Teeling Whiskey. Jameson was closed for refurbishment in March of 2017, during our trip, which was a win+win, for us. I always recommend taking a distillery tour when traveling to Ireland and Scotland, even if you don’t drink. It’s part of their heritage, and if you want to be a traveler it’s important to experience the heritage and traditions of the country you’re exploring. Right?

Walter Teeling started his distillery in 1782 when Dublin was referred to as the “Golden Triangle for the amount of distilleries in Dublin. Sadly they all stopped producing in Dublin around 1976. Teeling just reopened in 2015 in the ancient market area of Newmarket Ā in Dublin, which is a short walk from Temple Bar. Tasting, tours, and shopping are available daily. The distillery still operates with the traditional 3 copper pot stills, which is an Irish tradition. Scotland double distills it’s Scotch.

I enjoyed the tour and my samples. I even had an Irish coffee, which is a little different than Jameson’s, because Teeling adds a little fresh nutmeg on top. They also have a wonderful whiskey liquor, which involves blending whiskey and honey together. I bought a bottle to share with the group. It was so good it disappeared in 24 hours. We even contemplated making a special trip back to Dublin from Galway for more.Ā I would definitely recommend a visit to Teeling. I also recommend asking for local whiskey and beer when traveling along your adventure.

Places

Tentsile Tree Tent at Loon Lake California in the Eldorado National Forest

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The 2016 Gasporra Expedition visited Loon Lake campground in the Eldorado National Forest. The location is at an elevation of 6400′ and approx. 50 miles east of Placierville California. ThisĀ annual trip visits outdoor gems around the Pacific Northwest. Loon Lake was another excellent choice by expedition location scout, Dan Kunze.

The trip included a demonstration of the Tentsile Stingray Tree Tent. Four other ground tents were also set up. I slept quite comfortable in the tree tent. No back pain from laying on the ground on an inadequate backpacking mat.

Campsite cooking and cocktails provided everything we needed to avoid driving back into town.

We also brought several kayaks and a small motor boat. This gave us an excellent opportunity to visit other parts of the lake and some of the islands. We also visited Pleasant Lake campgeound, which is a boat in campsite. This is the place if you want to be alone. There are several hiking trails in the area as well as the beginning of the famous Rubicon Trail for the jeep enthusiasts.

I will have to warn you that there is a problem with yellow jackets. They buzzed around us from sunrise to sunset. Wasp traps are set up in most of the campgrounds. Loon Lake campground has water faucets and pit toilets, along with fire pits. We enjoyed a fire every night.

The whole point of the trip each year is to get out and experience the outdoors. So get out there and LIVE THE ADVENTURE. #TENTSILEAFFILIATE.

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All photos from Palmstopinestravel.comĀ 

 

Travel Tips

Tree tent adventures

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Thinking of camping in the forest? Why sleep on the ground when you can be off the ground in a tree tent by tentsile.com. Fairly light and packable this tent will give you a dry comfortable night. There is also a plain hammock version to just relax and experience the outdoors. Sedgwick Travel is now an affiliate of tentsile.com and will have some items in stock. Sedgwick Travel will be showing the tree tent at local venues in California and Oregon, as well as static displays in the outdoors.

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Tree tent village via TENTSILE.COM

Alerts, Places, Trail Info

Watch your step!

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Be on the lookout for snakes. I saw this one on August 25 while hiking Devils Slide Trail in Idyllwild. I’ve come across this mountain rattlesnake before.

They don’t rattle, at least every time I’ve come across them. I’m sure if you aggravate it, you may get it to rattle, but who wants to do that. This snake just crossed the trail and kept going. And that’s fine with me.

Trail Info

Trail socks

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I have always grabbed any pair of socks to wear with my hiking shoes. I never knew that there could be such a difference by wearing Smartwool socks. I bought a pair in Ireland to wear with my waterproof hiking boots. Oh man, we’re they comfortable.

I recently ordered two more pairs of the short crew socks. Again comfortable and they keep your feet dry from perspiration. I’ve hiked 5-12 miles with no complaints. The socks offer maximum breathability with excellent moisture management. They are worth a try.

Home, Places, Trail Info

Idyllwild trail information

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20160808_130007I’ve hiked several of the Idyllwild trails in August. Other than it being a little warm at the lower elevations, it’s been beautiful above 7000′. The small gnats that have invaded the lower elevations are gone above 7000′. I did notice several downed trees on most of the trails. And some of the trails (PCT) need some trimming, due to plant (poison oak) overgrowth.

I didn’t find any water except for the stream crossing the trail just below Little Round Valley. So make sure you bring plenty of water on your hike. I don’t consume a lot of water normally but with the warmer weather I’ve been consuming about 60oz on a 6 mile hike and even more on longer hikes. Wildlife seems to be venturing down lower in search of water also. I’ve seen several deer along the way.

I find myself lucky to experience these local trails on a regular basis, and hope you also come up and experience this natural wonder in Southern California.

 

 

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