Category: Best Of

After years of dreaming, Kim and I finally returned to Rarotonga, where we indulged in scuba diving and delicious local cuisine. Our adventure continued as we flew to Aitutaki, where the breathtaking lagoon and vibrant marine life left us in awe.

In June 2024 I was able to help put together a trip for a 19 day journey down the Grand Canyon. It was my third time down, Hazel’s second, and the first for Kim and Margot. We had some excitement when I put the whole

When I heard about the April 8, 2024 Eclipse, I knew we wanted to go. I’d never seen a total eclipse. The fact that it would go nearly straight over my brother’s place in Texas made it an even easier decision. When I checked the

This was a literal bucket list item for me, to swim with whale sharks. I’ve been thinking about it for decades. It was incredible. Hard to capture the size of these sharks. These are juvenile, but whale sharks are the largest fish around. These were

Exploring two new islands in French Polynesia, and a return to a favorite.

We all went to Catalina so that Hazel could get her scuba certification. Margot and Kim went to the Zipline, and I handed Margot my GoPro and asked her to film. She did an amazing job and produced just about the cutest video you can

Hazel had an assignment to write a “narrative story” for school. The teacher told her to focus more on making the story exciting than worrying about accuracy, so some of the details are off a bit. But I liked the story. By Hazel: My Narrative

After years of looking for a trip, I got an invite for myself plus one for a trip launching July 2023. Kim wasn’t available, so I asked Hazel. She was game and before long we were driving out to AZ. I was honestly pretty nervous

In 2022, we took an amazing trip to Baja in our van, with our good friends. Sadly Kim couldn’t make the trip. We all slept in the van, with three of us in the roof top tent, three on the platform in the back ,

National parks are one of the best ideas america has ever had, and deserve to be protected at all costs. The Grand Canyon is an incredible place and we’ve made several trips there, most memorably rafting and kayaking the full length of the canyon several

Running the Las Vegas Ragnar relay seemed like a good idea when I signed up, but a terrible one as it grew close. Life had gotten in the way of training sufficiently, and I had a deep sense of dread as the date approached. But

I had such a fantastic time at the US Waveski National Championships! Competing with over 78 paddlers, including amazing athletes from Australia and South Africa, it was the best contest of my competition history.
Holy crap, I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane today! To celebrate losing over 50 lbs, Kim and I decided to go skydiving. The anticipation was nerve-wracking as we boarded the small plane, climbing to 12,500 feet. I was terrified, but as I stepped

Some of this has been copy/pasted from emails I sent, so if tenses shift midway, please excuse. I decided to take a Trip on Tuesday Jan 5th.  On Sat, the 9th I left for Ecuador. After some flight delays, I got into Quito at about

The Middle Fork of the Feather is described in the classic CA paddling guidebook as “This is it! The Middle Fork of the Feather River is the best wilderness self-support trip in California.”  It is one of the original “Wild and Scenic ” designated rivers. 

I took a trip, I was supposed to be working for a raft company as a safety kayaker, but it did not go well.
Our incredible trip to Peru, where were able to hike the Inca Trail and visit the Nazca lines.

Pictures from my 1st run down the incredible South Silver Creek. Thanks to Kim for the photos. 700 feet per mile! Holy cow.

I've never thought of myself as a number chaser, but in March, my friend Tom and I decided to set a goal for our climbing day at Joshua Tree. Inspired by other climbers, we aimed for thirty "stars" but ended up with fifty! With no

There have been a few different contests for waveskis and kayaks held at Ventura over the years, including the first surf kayak I ever attended, and later my best contest finish ever where I was ranked as the #2 American waveski paddler. I don’t have

Davenport is a unique cove for surf. When it’s big, there is a deep water channel that allows you to paddle out in conditions that would make many beaches impossible. I’ve surfed some big waves there. The contest was a staple on the west coast

Leaning Tower Trip Report….. My first Big Wall (multiple days on the rock). I’d been thinking about this day since I started climbing. Actively thinking about it since my first trip (post-childhood) to Yosemite Valley, the home and mecca of big wall climbing. When I