Have you seen a dolphin show with jumping and flipping dolphins that is choreographed by the instincts of the wild dolphins? You will find this show in the waters off Paihia in the Bay of Islands at the northern end of New Zealand!

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New Zealand is located in the Southern Hemisphere and therefore has seasons opposite to what we experience in the United States. New Zealand is a year-round destination for travelers and has so much to offer throughout the year. Hiking and biking are top-notch during the "shoulder seasons" of spring and fall. Beaches, surf, fishing, and kayaking are phenomenal during summer. Skiing and riding are the hallmark of winter. Here's what to expect, and when, for New Zealand's seasons!

You know your sport. You're absolutely competent in your sport. In your own "neck of the woods" you have no issue planning and going out on your own, or even with friends and family. But there are times when using a professional guide is incredibly valuable. So, when should you consider hiring a professional guide?

When You Value Your Time
My husband and I have developed a deep appreciation for the fact that we now have more money than time. As younger travelers, we had more time than money so we could head out for adventures and slowly sort out where we were going, where the best hikes were, or where the snow was best for some backcountry skiing. Trial and error were fine, because, hey - there's always tomorrow!

Things change. Now you have a week, maybe two weeks for that dream vacation and you want to spend your vacation enjoying your vacation, not taking a day or more to re-think and re-design the whole plan.

A professional guide saves you time because they know the area, they know the conditions, they know the routes. Your professional guide can quickly re-think a plan or adjust the itinerary based on conditions.

For example, you plan a ski tour to the Alps, but when you arrive the snow conditions on that route are not ideal, or worse, just not an option. Ta-da! Your guide will know where the conditions are favorable and can match the groups' interest with a new route and you will get on your way.

Or, imagine arriving at a new rock climbing area and even with a guide book you still have to spend time puttering around, identifying the routes, scoping them out, finding the right walk-off trail, etc. Now imagine you arrive at that new rock climbing area with a guide who leads you right to the perfect climb and you are on the rock shortly after arrival! 

When You Are Adventuring With Kids
​Your kids are old enough to adventure with you - awesome! And, you've got the know-how to show them the sport you love. But, here are the benefits of hiring a pro with your kids:

• Safety - You've got more eyes keeping an eye on the safety of your kids. From checking gear to make sure it's secure and on correctly to keeping kids away from cliff edges on the trail, you've got backup.
• Enthusiasm - Now you've got a guide setting the pace and giving direction. Kids are less likely to argue with a professional than with their own parents, right? My experience with my kids is they enjoyed the novelty of being with a Pro and their pace and endurance on the trail was like nothing we've seen before! And, our guide was able to encourage and push them to expand what they thought were their limits. Success for all!
• Enjoyment - Knowing you aren't the only one responsible for your kids' safety helps you to enjoy the experience yourself. You now have time and space to more thoroughly enjoy the scenery, enjoy the adventure, and enjoy seeing your kids having fun and pushing themselves. 

Put simply, a via Ferrata is a protected climbing path. Via Ferrata, Italian for "iron way" originated in Italy during World War I to move troops through the mountains through the use of ladders, iron rungs, and cables. Today, you can still follow the paths set during WWI and explore bunkers and tunnels in the Dolomites.

Whether your family loves to climb or has never been climbing, there is a via Ferrata trip for you! One of the best things I liked about our via Ferrata adventure was having the whole group moving and working at the same time. No one had to "wait for their turn" on the rope. And, with the many routes to choose from for their variety, location, and exposure - there's sure to be a route that is a great match for your family or group. 

You can enjoy a single day on a via Ferrata route or go for multiple days and enjoy the culture of the mountain huts, or refugios, in Italy. Each refugio has it's own character and it is exciting to stay up in the mountains! The beds are made comfortable with cozy duvets and pillows - just bring a light sleep sack or sleeping bag liner. And, you can't go hungry at the refugio! Your overnight stay includes a multi-course dinner and breakfast the next morning. But beware - sodas can be more expensive than beer!
And, bring a deck of cards to keep your group entertained in case afternoon thunderstorms keep you inside for a while.

Variety

For our 3-day, hut-to-hut, via Ferrata trip in the Dolomites, we had fun climbing ladders, traversing mountainsides, climbing iron pegs and cables, crossing snow patches, hiking in beautiful alpine forests, and having amazing views all the time! And, this was just around Cortina d'Ampezza. There are via Ferrata routes throughout the Dolomites! The best and most efficient way to experience the Dolomites is with a professional guide. Check back for a future post on, "Why Use a Professional Guide".

Final Thoughts

We knew we were going to be climbing in the Dolomites during our trip to Europe. We also knew that we didn't want to lug around extra gear before or after our time in the Dolomites. So, what did we bring, what did we need to bring?

• Day packs for everyone. These were necessary for carrying our personal gear from hut to hut. And, these packs were used as our carry-on luggage for flights. We were able to leave the kids' packs in the huts for climbs and just use parents' packs for day gear (also helps to keep those kids moving when they are lighter).
• Refillable water bottle. Necessary for hiking and useful throughout the trip.
• Hiking shoes. Well, parents brought climbing approach shoes which also served as our hiking and comfortable walking shoes. Kids had hiking shoes. All were waterproof or water resistant.
• Sleeping bag liner. Necessary for overnights in the huts. We forgot ours but were able to buy some in Italy. 
• Headlamp. For "just in case", but also handy for nighttime in the huts and tunnels in the mountains.
• Gloves. You're going to be holding onto and sliding your hand along a metal cable. We found some inexpensive gardening gloves with sticky rubber on the fingers and palm. Not necessary, but we liked them!
• Professional Guide. Our guide was able to provide harnesses, via Ferrata gear, and helmets.

A true year-round outdoor playground is a place called Mammoth Lakes, CA. The scenery is stunning any time of year and there are so many options for adventurous travelers!

Mammoth Lakes is a fairly compact town at the base of Mammoth Mountain Resort which means getting around town can be done fairly easily. There is a free shuttle system throughout town that runs year-round and efficiently transports guests from town to areas such as the Main Lodge, which is the jumping off point for the summer shuttle to Devil’s Postpile National Monument and Reds Meadow, or over to Twin Lakes and other lakes beyond for fishing, hiking, and more outdoor pursuits. And, of course, in winter, a shuttle ride is offered to both alpine and cross country ski areas.

While in Mammoth Lakes last week, I made it a point to check out The Village Lodge, which is part of the Mammoth Mountain Resort properties. While the condos are all individually owned, the Resort manages most of the condos as vacation rentals. That means you have access to these spacious and comfortable condos, can stay in one of the best locations in town, and enjoy the many amenities at the Lodge!
 
The Village Lodge is in the heart of the Village at the base of Mammoth Mountain. In the winter, the gondola runs right out of the village and gets you onto the mountain!

There are 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom condos available, all with full kitchens. The number of bathrooms in each unit matches the number of bedrooms. Perfect for each room getting their own bathroom!

Aside from having one of the best locations in town for access to the mountain as well as the restaurants and shopping in the Village itself, The Village Lodge offers many other amenities for a total vacation experience with family and friends.

Movies are available from the front desk for you to enjoy in the media room!

Exercise rooms with adjoining outdoor, covered hot tub and an arcade room!

After you've had an exciting day outdoors, you can come back and relax in the cozy fireside lounge or grab a s'mores kit from the front desk and roast up some marshmallows at the outdoor fire pits!

Of course, there's a pool! A year-round heated pool and a large hot tub in the pool area. There are also two other hot tubs on property, making it easy to find one closest to your condo building.

The Village Lodge staff, particularly the front desk concierge Monica, are super friendly and eager to make your stay at Mammoth a true pleasure! 

Spring break, 2018, and we packed up the van and headed down Hwy 395 for some backcountry ski touring, the kids' first ski touring trip!
I love the drive on Hwy 395 - incredible views of snow-covered peaks, idyllic ranches, canyons, rivers, and lakes.
We camped near Virginia Lakes, halfway between Bridgeport and Mono Lake. After settling into our home-away-from-home and taking care of dinner, we now had some quality family time to spend together!

We brought two games with us and it worked brilliantly! A deck of cards and BANANAGRAMS.
The kids played the classic Go Fish card game while the parents were busy with camp set up. And, they were also able to play their own version of Banagrams. Kids excited to spell words correctly - love it! OK, so there were a few imperfections, but, they were still excited about spelling.

Banagrams also serve as handy chips for a cut-throat game of poker!
Bonus! You can play poker and spell words at the same time! We anted up words such as "rage", "deer", and "cash".

Another successful aspect of the trip was a "for real" ski tour with the kids! Our intrepid leader found a wonderfully wind-protected gully and we kept the pace appropriate for our some-what novice backcountry skiers. A few gummy bears helped the spirits soar. At the top of the saddle, we took in the views, transitioned quickly, and smiled all the way down in the lovely spring corn snow!

Is there more to Panama than the Panama Canal? Why, yes. Yes there is!

Panama is for adventure seekers. Panama is for sun lovers. And, as the latest Visit Panama campaign states: Panama, for explorers, not for tourists!

I am spending time learning all about adventure travel options in Panama and Panama has climbed to the top of my Bucket List! Why? Because I want to hike in a cloud forest, spot sloth and brilliantly colored birds in a jungle. I want to play in the waves at an uncrowded Caribbean AND Pacific beach all in the same vacation. There are over 5 million acres of protected lands in the National Parks, including National Marine Parks. Bring on the hiking and snorkeling! And, how about some sea kayaking from island to island? 

Fun facts about Panama:

• The only place in the world where you can watch the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic, from the same spot!
• Panama City is the only capital with a rain forest within its city limits
• English is widely spoken in Panama
• Panama has more bird species than North America and Canada combined
• The highest spot in Panama is at the top of Volcán Barú, at 11,397 feet
• Beaches in Panama are public property, beach camping anyone?

Next step - learning about more ecotourism companies that combine Panama culture, hiking and water adventure into one incredible vacation - Stay tuned!

I am a Travel Agent who helps active families and groups experience the most amazing adventure vacations in mountains around the world.
I find those hidden gems to fulfill your adventuring dreams and take care of the details so you can spend your time playing and relaxing.

I offer complimentary Adventure Exploration Sessions to talk about your adventure vacation ideas and see if we're a good match to work together on your next adventure. The Adventure Exploration Sessions are over the phone and take 15-30 minutes. Would you like to schedule a session?​

The Road to Hana, except this is the view as seen FROM Hana! And, Doug from Facebook recognized this road right away! The Road to Hana is one of many beautiful and exciting ways to keep you busy on the island of Maui.
Maui has so many amazing beaches, including red sand and black sand varieties on the Road to Hana, with the best snorkeling from shore. Want to snorkel with green sea turtles? Take a trip to Maui!

Costa Rica! No one guessed this destination. Hmmm. 
Costa Rica has so much to offer for adventurers and is a fantastic place for a family vacation! Spend time at the volcano and then head for the beach for days of relaxing and exploring nearby National Parks for sloth and monkey viewing.

Barcelona, Spain! Jeanette correctly identified the location. Busy plazas, abundant cafes, and the famous architecture of Gaudi are highlights of this exciting city.