Spur Jingling Interview with Carly Kade

Equestrian Author Spotlight: Meet Linda Ballou 0 Comment s   In this tenth Equestrian Author Spotlight, I talk with Linda Ballou. We discuss the best topics on earth ... writing, books and horses! In the interview, you'll find out that Linda gets to take horse treks around the globe and write about her experiences, hear why she loves being a writer, and if you are an aspiring author (or even an established one) Linda offers some solid tips on how to enjoy the ride. P.S, Your heart will melt over the stories behind the horses that inspired The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon Carly, a dynamic young woman who is the author of award winning In the Reins, asked me some great questions Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Besides the obvious “To Finish is to Win.” message that Gemcie brings home, I hoped that by taking readers to the mountains and seeing that world through her eyes it would engender a greater love and respect for the natural world.  Find out more in the Full interview that includes the trailer for The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  Subscribe to blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com and receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.

Remembering Ka'ahumanu on her Birthday

Happy Birthday to Ka’ahumanu the most powerful woman in old Hawai’i

On March 17^, 1768 (some say 1777) Ka’ahumanu was born in a cave at the fortress hill of Ka’uiki in Hana. The fierce Moi of Maui, once her mother’s lover, became so enraged when she chose Ke’eamuoku over him that he set his warriors upon her parents. They chased them through Haleakala Crater, but lost them in thick mountain forests. While Ka’ahumanu was still a baby her parents fled from Hana to Hawai’i where they lived in royal comfort. Wai-nani, A Voice from old Hawai’i my historical novel (1750-1819) is inspired by the life of the precocious Chiefess Ka’ahumanu. To some she is remembered as the” loving mother of the people” and to others she is the “flaw that brought down the chiefdom.”

Brave, athletic, strong, passionate, caring and centered in herself, I saw her as a forerunner of the modern woman. It was a tremendous gift to be given the opportunity to visit the cave where she was born.  It took the entire crew of six members of the Hana Canoe Club to paddle me to her birthplace.  We pointed the tip of the outrigger into the oncoming waves that sloshed over the bow and paddled through the foaming surf to the protected shallow waters lapping at the lava rocks beneath Ka’ahumanu’s birth place. I climbed the jagged black lava to a path that led to a large opening with two indentations big enough to accommodate a human.  Her mother enjoyed a lovely view of Hana Bay and the green mountains floating on the horizon. Offerings of flowers were placed in front of the cave. Before leaving I floated in the waters at the foot of her cave considered to be healing by those who come here for sacred ceremonies.

 Big Mahalo to friend and fellow author, Lorraine Brodek, for fulfilling my desire to visit the sacred birthplace of the woman that inspired my novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i 

  

Written With Warm Aloha

In the Name of Ka’ahumanu

Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  Subscribe to my blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com and receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.

Hidden Gems on Highway One in the Central Coast of CA

Heading up  the Highway 1 Discovery Route north of Morro Bay just past Villa Creek Road, I discovered a less-traveled hike at the Harmony Headlands that leads you through a meadow livened by birdsong to a wild walk along coastal bluffs.

If you go when morning mists are rising you will spot hawks, finches, meadow larks and more. The scent of sage and meadow grasses float on the air. This is a mellow walk on a well-groomed trail with a couple of benches where you can sit a spell and enjoy canyon views. When you reach the shore, you may run into a few local joggers on the bluff walk, but you will mostly have it to yourself. Keep your eyes peeled for a small parking lot and sign that says coastal access. There is no fee to park here.

 After you walk drive up the coast just beyond

Cambria to Exotic Garden Drive that takes you to a great lunch stop. Seating arrangements of all kinds are scattered around grounds bursting with all manner of blooms dotted with sculptures and other artistic creations.  A casual food counter serves dishes prepared from fresh local ingredients that can be taken outdoors and enjoyed in the garden. You can purchase plants here and browse the gift shop.

If you haven’t been to Hearst Castle, a stop at the spot the newspaper magnate chose for his elaborate estate warrants a visit.  It sits on one of the last undeveloped stretches of coast that begs you to stroll the sands at San Simeon State Park. The beef in the pancake-sized hamburgers at the Sebastians winetasting room and café (walking distance from the beach) comes from local grass fed Hearst Ranch cattle.

Sebastians Cafe and wine tasting room

Click for more adventures on the Highway One Discovery Route 

Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  Subscribe to my blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com and receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.

The Whale Trail Story

  When whales burst from the sea in joyful exhilaration they humble us with their awesome power.  Making the longest migrations of any mammal on earth from chill waters of Alaska to Baja California they rely on ancient knowledge to guide through treacherous seas. Today their challenges are greater than ever from congested, noisy shipping lanes, to pollutants and plastic in our oceans. The creation of the Whale Trail with over sixty designated viewing sites on the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to California is an attempt to bring greater sensitivity to the needs of the largest, and oldest creatures on our planet to survive.

Six viewing sites have been identified on the Central Coast of California; in San Simeon; Moonstone Beach in Cambria, the pier at Cayucos; the bluff trail in Montana de oro State Park; the Avila Pier and at the Oceano Dunes Overlook at Grand Avenue.

I visited the Piadras Lighthouse in San Simeon that sits on a lonely peninsula jutting out in to rough seas crashing over sea stacks. Docents led tours through the manicured grounds garner good viewing spots for a variety of marine life, including the whales during migrations. A fluffy otter was floating on his back oblivious to crashing waves while Elephant Seals lay sprawled on the shore. 

Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  

Triumphant Year for the" Lost Angel"

It pays to google yourself once in a while. To my delight, I discovered that I am on the list of Top Baby Boomer Blogs forSenior Adventures. As the Adventure Travel Expert on the National Associationof Baby Boomer Women, my articles are shared in many places that I have not initiated. It is fun and exciting to see how the internet works in strange and mysterious ways

 Africa has been on my list for about a decade. I finally made it in grand style this year.  The Ultimate Safari with Overseas Adventure Travel that took me to less traveled tracks in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia was everything I had hoped for. I wrote half dozen articles about my time there. Here is the link to my interview on Around the World TV.Here is a link to Into the Wilds of Africa  featured in Real Travel Adventures E-zine.

Me with my favorite guide Cowboy

Collateral goodness from my journey brought me to Mat Dry, safari guide and owner of  This is Africa safaris. He gave me the most flattering review that Lost Angel Walkabout has received to date!

There is no other way to say it; Linda Ballou is an OUTSTANDING writer and an incredibly dynamic individual! Lost Angel Walkabout is about as captivating a collection of travel tales as one could hope to read..

for more

 Mat helped me with my article The Elephant in the Room that I shared on Green Loons eco tours. I felt the need to bring awareness to an environmental problem that is not discussed because South Africans are afraid it will dissuade tourists from visiting their respective countries.

Two sides to the Elephant story

Peter Steyn, editor of Globe Rovers Magazine headquartered in Hong Kong, reached out to me on Social Media. That is one of the really fun things about my writing journey. You never know who will stumble upon one of your articles, or books and find you interesting.

This is the conversation that ensued and appeared in Globe Rovers along with the following book review of Lost Angel Walkabout. What a fun encounter. Check out his magazine for lots of great info on distant destinations for the intrepid traveler.

Stay tuned in for more adventures to come as I work on my next travel collection "The Lost Angel Rides Again", Wild Ballou Wander, ? You tell me. Cheers Linda

Armchair travel makes a great gift for your travel loving friends!!
Lost Angel Walkabout available with free shipping on my site
www.lindaballouauthor.com or all online distribution sites.

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A Holiday Hike to Share with Friends

Trail mates come in all shapes, sizes, and attitudes. Get to know a new friend, or catch up with an old one, while you  burn unwanted holiday calories on this easily accessed 2.5 mile loop.

The Sara Wan trailhead located on Pacific Coast Highway at the foot of Corral Canyon is one of the Santa Monica Conservancy’s newer acquisitions. The well-maintained path is wide enough for two and switches back and forth to heavenly vistas. Bear to the left on your way up canyon and enjoy the murmur of Corral Creek as you begin your hike. Fog chased by a cool breeze off the Pacific drifts through stands of eucalyptus, alder, Coastal Live Oak and willow tracing the path of the creek and keeping things comfortable. Soon you will be in mountains

frosted with pink bush mallow and lavender Chia sage, so bring a hat, water, and sun block. Once aloft, you enjoy an easy stroll with sweeping views of the coast all the way to Point Dume.

The path takes you to a vantage point with stunning views of Catalina and the Santa Monica Bay before leading you back to the parking lot.

The best ahi burger on the entire 27-mile stretch of scenic Malibu Coastline awaits your return at the open air Malibu Seafood Café adjacent to the parking lot. You can treat yourself to lobster live from the tank or be happy with scrumptious fish and chips. From the upstairs covered patio, dolphins are often seen cavorting in the deep channel. A flock of wild parrots, migrants from Mexico, have made homes in the palms swaying overhead.

A siesta on the Dan Blocker beach on the other side of PCH is a wonderful way to cap off this outdoor day. Bring a good book and wait for sunset. You can park in the Santa Monica Conservancy lot all day for five bucks—such a deal!

Your friends will thank you for bringing them here.

Directions: Malibu Seafood Market 25653 Pacific Coast Highway is about 11/2 miles up the coast from Pepperdine University between Malibu Canyon and Kanaan Road. An MTA bus stop is there for those who prefer not to drive.

Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voicefrom Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  

 Subscribe to her blog Linda's Blogand receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.

The Gift of Understanding-Kahuna Garden

Pi'ilanihale-Hana, Maui

A rutted road in Hana, Maui leads to the site of Pi’ilanihale, the largest remaining heiau (temple of worship) in all of Polynesia. You must cross over a creek to get to the entrance of Kahanu Garden where the heiau was hidden from sight until 1999. It is hard to believe that this immense structure spanning three acres built of basalt rocks could be so overgrown with jungle foliage that it would go unnoticed until modern times. The side facing the sea rises steeply in five stepped terraces. Construction of the main terrace dates back to the 14^th century when remote, water-rich Hana was heavily populated by Hawaiians.

Lono -God of Agriculture

Our guide, also named Pi’ilani, one of 14 children in a blended Hawaiian family, explained that Lono, the god of fertility, was worshipped here for agricultural bounty.  She said, the Hawaiians were so embarrassed about the paganism in their past that they let the heiau become overgrown. They may have also wanted to spare it from being demolished like so many of the ancient sites were at the behest of missionaries who prohibited hula, surfing, and even the language in schools in the 1800’s. Perhaps, the gods did not want this structure trampled upon by disrespectful tourists. Regardless of why it was hidden from time, the people of Hana cut back lush jungle foliage that threatened to swallow the edifice fifteen years ago, revealing a monument to a race of industrious, ingenious and loving people.

Kahanu Garden where the Pi’ilanihale is located is a flat expanse of green overlooking a tempestuous Pacific Ocean crashing on black lava cliffs. It was a landing place of early Polynesian settlers bringing plants they would need to survive. It was chosen by the ancients to be the site of the Makahiki Festival that ran for four months from November to February.  Warring was forbidden as this time of peace that allowed warriors to practice skills with contests and games. Elders played Konana, a form of checkers, and talked story while children frolicked. The tax collectors came around at this time collecting the bounty of the common people to be given to the royal class.

 Chief Pi’ilani, who ruled here in the 16^th century was beloved by his people for uniting the warring tribes of Maui and bringing prosperity in his reign.  Under his rule the Pi’ilanihale (House of Pi’ilani) Heiau that began construction in the 1200’s was completed. Rocks from as far away as Hana Bay, seven miles away, were used to finish the task.

Wandering the grounds that boasts the largest collection of breadfruit trees in the world, as well as samplings of all of the indigenous plants brought by early settlers in double-hulled canoes, you can imagine the joyous village that thrived here under Chief Pi’ilani’s rule.  Our guide, Pi’ilani, talked to us about the many uses of the kukui nut used to keep the fires burning at night. She said the day began in the evening when the work was done and people came to share what they had gathered that day in their fish nets, in their taro gardens, and fruits from the mountain trees.

Linda, Lorraine, and Pi'ilani

 Pi’ilani generously answered all of my questions about the realities of the people of old. At the end of our tour she told me she wanted to empower me with the gift of her knowledge. Instead of correcting or judging my tale of her ancestry in my novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i, she told me that she understood that my work was built on what I knew. She said that she would be happy to add her knowledge, as it was handed down to her, to my pool of understanding. We held hands while as she invited us to join her in a chant to the gods who reside at Pi’ilanihale and give thanks for the bounty of the Kahanu Garden, a gift to all who find their way there.A big mahalo to my friend Lorraine Brodek, author of Nobody in a Somebody who resides in Hana, for making this very special tour possible for me.

Linda Ballou is the author of Wai-nani: A Voice from Old Hawai'i, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler's Tales and The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon. www.lindaballouauthor.com

Living Spiritual Temple-Mo'o'kini Heiau

Mo’okini Heiau sits high on a knoll and enjoys a panoramic view of the Upolu Point of Kohala and the distant shores of Maui. It stands in the center of a once-royal complex that was a vital center of sacred and secular power. It is one of the first luakini heiau (temple of human sacrifice) built by the Tahitian Priest Paao in the 12^th century. Legend has it that it was the site of countless thousands of human sacrifices to the gods. The current site includes remains of the sacrificial temple measuring 250' x 130' with an open stone paved court enclosed by 20-foot-high stone walls and the sacrificial stone. According to oral tradition it was built in one night by 15-20,000 men passing stones to one another from the Niuli’i, nine miles away.

The Tahitians believed that there was not enough respect on the part of resident Hawaiians for the gods, and they set out to strengthen the kapu system by building this temple and enforcing the strict laws of the land (kapu). Paao summoned the warrior chief Pili who brought stones from one of the most sacred sacrificial temples in Tahiti and placed the bodies of fresh victims beneath these stones used as pillars to consecrate Mo’okini Heiau. Mu, or body catchers, collected the humans to be sacrificed. These were most often conquered warriors or members of the slave class. Women and children were generally spared. The bodies of the victims were then baked and the flesh removed from the bones. The bones were used for fish hooks or parts for weapons.

The oldest, largest, and most sacred heiau in old Hawaii is all that remains of the royal Kohala complex dismantled by sugar plantation owners in the 19^th century. To Hawaiians it is a living spiritual temple and not a cultural artifact.

It was long held to be strictly kapu to visit, but In November of 1978 Kahuna Nui Leimomi Mo'okini Lum rededicated the Mo'okini Luakini to the "Children of the Land" and lifted the restrictive Kapu. In doing this she made it safe for all persons to enter the Heiau and created a new legacy for the Mo'okini Luakini as a place of learning for future generations to discover the past. Kahuna Nui Lum followed closely the wishes of her father Kahuna Nui Dewey O. Mo'okini who visualized this sacred site as one for the children of Hawai'i and the entire world. 

Take Highway 270 north from Kawaihae. Near Mile Marker #20 turn left at the sign to Upolu Airport. Just before the airport, turn left on the unmarked dirt road and travel approximately 2 miles. The site is on hill to the left.  Research for Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i became a beautiful obsession that called for numerous trips to the Islands. I visited sacred sites, interviewed elders, spent nights in Waipio Valley where the bones of ancient chiefs are hidden in caves in steep walls framing the canyon. .www.lindaballouauthor.com

Spotting Spouts on Dana Wharf Whale Watching Adventure

Dana Pride-Dana Wharf Whale Watch

For a day beneath tender blue skies with a teasing sea breeze rippling aquamarine waters head to Dana Point Wharf for a whale watching adventure!!

 It felt wonderful to leave the smoke-smudged skies from recent fires behind and to breathe deeply of unsullied air.  We motored through the harbor past the breakwater to a deep channel where “Red”, a humpback whale, has been feeding for that last couple of weeks.

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Whale Salute-Eric Frigger

We watched him dive and flip his tail in salute before heading on to find a splashing pod of common dolphin. These guys are smaller than the bottle-nose dolphin often seen on the California coast that are about four times their size. They travel in great numbers and seemingly fly through the water at an alarming speed. Occasionally they take time to do a flip, or splash to the cheer of the guests leaning over the bow of the boat to get a good view of the action.

Common Dolphin- Dana Wharf Whale Watch

The giant blue whales run in July, but we were not lucky enough to catch sight of one. The Gray whales are seen in numbers in the winter months when they are migrating from the icy waters of Alaska to Magdalena Bay in Baja California where they give birth to their young. Common dolphin sightings are consistent all year round. Sea lions and sea faring birds are often seen on the cruise. Your Captain shares information about the creatures you see as you patrol the shimmering blue water in search of marine life..

Sea Lions-Eric Frigger

There is a galley on board if you need a burger and a libation during your voyage. Back on shore  Proud Mary’s with open patio seating overlooking  the sparkling bay offers breakfast, lunch and dinner.  

Capt. Bringing us back to Dana Pt. Marina

Sailings on the “Pride of Dana”, a luxurious catamaran with viewing decks above and enclosed dining area below, go daily from dock #1 located in the Dana Point Marina. There is plenty of free parking in the marina. During the week the crowds are light even in the heaviest tourist season. What better way to beat the heat of the long, dog days of summer?

Linda cruising on the Dana Pride

For sailing schedule and  reservations go to Dana Wharf Whale Watching  www.danawharf.com

Based in Los Angeles, Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, is the author of Lost Angel Walkabout-

One Traveler's Tales. Find travel articles on her site www.LindaBallouAuthor.com