I had so much fun re-visiting my travel stories in Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler's Tales.
My travel wings are clipped, but I can still enjoy sharing my past adventures. Craig Koehn loves spotlighting Booming Boomers on his podcast Boomer Far Out Adventures. We are not over the hill, we are in for the thrill of being alive and holding each day precious.
I take you to from the majesty of my Alaska homeland to of magical beauty of New Zealand, the wild west of America and the romantic isles in the south seas. My theme song is that nature can be our salvation. In this modern age I believe that reconnection with the natural world is critical to achieve harmony and balance in ourselves and with others.
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has rafted, kayaked
and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the globe. The
most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost Angel
Walkabout. In Lost Angel in Paradise she
shares 32-of her favorite daytrips along the coast of California. In this issue
we learn about her latest effort Get Great Trips for Free. Learn more about her travels at www.LostAngelAdventures.com
My travel memoirLost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler's Tales receives glowing reviews from readers. In the year of the virus armchair travel is a fun way to get around the planet without any risk. Many of us are tired from reading so much online. So,I decided it was time to get my book into audio format.
LeAnn Pashina did a sterling job narrating my stories. She keeps the energy level up without becoming shrill. I wanted to read the stories myself, but professional narration calls for a skill set I don't possess.
Here is what award winning travel writer James Dorsey had to say aboutLost Angel Walkabout.
Lost Angel Walkabout by Linda Ballou takes the reader out of their armchair and into the vast world as few travel writers can. Her eye for detail combined with intimate knowledge of her surroundings sets Ms. Ballou heads above most of the travel writing pack. In this age when everyone with a back pack proclaims him or herself a travel writer it takes a book like this one to re-define the genre. The stories are personal and inviting, giving the reader not only a feeling of participation but leaving them with a memory of where they have just visited. This is just plain great travel writing.
Escape with me to Alaska, Costa Rica, Hawaii'i, New Zealand and parts of the Wild West. The audio book is available on Audible and Amazon
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has rafted, kayaked
and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the globe. The
most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost AngelWalkabout.In Lost Angel in Paradise she
shares 32-of her favorite daytrips along the coast of California. In her latest
effort Get Great Trips for Free she provides a roadmap for travel writing
success.Learn more about her travels at
www.LostAngelAdventures.com
On my visit to Australia in early 2020 I was treated to an unexpected visit to the Quarantine Station in Sydney Harbor created to deal with the Spanish Influenza and more. This was a disturbing experience that made me wonder why I was there. When I returned to the US. I found myself in the middle of a new pandemic.My article Taking a Cue from the Q-Station appeared in Travel World Magazine
The September issue of Travel World Magazine is dedicated to inspirational stories during the pandemic.
I have not been traveling during the pandemic. But, others who have ventured out to Costa Rica, the Rocky Mountains, Flagstaff and many more destinations share there expereinces in this issue of Travel World dedicated to surving the pandemic. I was a little jealous, but feel I have done the right thing for myself.
We all have to decide for ourselves what is the best way to cope with this deadly virus.
I have been enjoying hiking in my own back yard the Santa Monica Mountains and swimming in the Pacific Ocean.
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has rafted, kayaked
and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the globe. The
most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost Angel
Walkabout. In Lost Angel in Paradise she
shares 32-of her favorite daytrips along the coast of California. In this issue
we learn about her latest effort Get Great Trips for Free. Learn more about her travels at www.LostAngelAdventures.com
In the words of Edward Abbey…I am not an atheist, I am
an Earthiest!
Earthiests are people who literally need to plug into
the planet to recharge. Whether sitting on a rock warmed by the sun, or face
planted down on the sand at the beach, standing on a mountain top arms spread
with palms up to gather energy, or resting against a tree, I am gathering
energy from the earth.
Some people
think nothing is happening when they are sitting still because their minds are
too busy to feel anything. But, they are receiving nature’s gift just the
same.An earthiest consciously makes themselves
more receptive to the bounty by quieting their minds and will not miss an
opportunity to plug into the universal gas pump.
None of this is new. The Navajo strive to achieve a
harmony and balance within themselves and their society in nature to a state
they call Hozho.Ancient Hawaiians
lifted their fingertips to the sky in hula in an attempt to pull mana or
spiritual energy into their being. They received power from Moana the grand and
vibrant sea and believe they are stewards of the land. The act of lying on the
forest floor in order to absorb the energy of the earth and the trees called “Forest
Bathing” is now popular in Japan. Moderns are practicing “Earthing” that is
walking barefoot to re-balance with natural forces to counter act
eltro-magnetic fields we are all exposed to.
I find sustenance and solace in nature. My daily walks
are a meditation that allows my mind to relax and wander freely. I don’t wear
earbuds I leave distraction from my thoughts behind. I want to hear the sounds
of the birds twittering and the wind whispering through the trees. I want to
let thoughts bubble up from the well of my subconscious. I want to digest all
the input I receive each day. My overstimulated molecules settle into place and
I find answers to my questions in my writing and in life this way.
Yes, I believe nature can be our salvation. It is for
me.
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou’s articles have
appeared in Real Travel Adventures, Travel World, Go World and numerous other
national magazines. She is the adventure travel expert on the National
Association of Baby Boomer Women. Her
new-adult novel The Cowgirl Jumped Over
the Moon was a finalist at the Equus Film Fest. She continues to enjoy
great trips around the globe! Learn more about her travels at www.LostAngelAdventures.com
and her novels at www.LindaBallouAuthor.com
You have to be careful what you ask for. I have talked about writing Isabella Bird's story for over a decade. I visited Estes Park and hiked in the Rockies in 2017, to get a better feel for the region. My essay,Riding in the Hoof prints of Isabella Bird, won the Traveler’s Tales Solas Award. I have long admired this plucky English Woman whose travel books were best sellers in the late 1800’s.
I didn’t feel I had time to commit to a novel until the year of the virus. I got the time, whether I wanted it or not. Presently, I am deep into my novel Embrace of the Wild, a fictionalized
account of Lady Isabella Bird’s tour of the Rocky Mountains in 1874. I hope to
have the first rough draft completed by mid-September. Like my two other
novels, it is a destination piece that takes you a place you can’t get to any
other way. I’ve enjoyed being in the Rockies while it was still virgin
territory. I hope you will find this journey as exciting as I have.
I will come up for air soon, but for now I am focused on finishing a first draft that I can share with beta readers. Then off to my editor for the acid test. I am striving to have it in publishable format by years
end.
By then we should have a vaccine and I can get back onthe freedom trail!
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has rafted, kayaked
and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the globe. The
most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost Angel
Walkabout. In Lost Angel in Paradise she
shares 32-of her favorite daytrips along the coast of California. In her latest
effort Get Great Trips for Free she provides a roadmap for travel writing
success. Learn more about her travels at
www.LostAngelAdventures.com
Humans do not “save
beauty”; rather beauty saves us. Gretel Ehrlich
In this year of the virus it is more important than ever to feed your soul with positive energy.
The soul craves beauty. It wants to be in the world and to
breathe in crisp air, to smell the sweet tang of orange blossoms and to know
the happy faces of poppies in the spring.The sight of patches of yellow canyon
daisies blanketing the meadows brighten the psyche, lifting the gauze of
depression that can set in with too much of doing what must be done.
The soul is refreshed when the body is in motion with blood
pumping to muscles awakened in a brisk walk.
The soul wants to see, to feel, to
absorb, to touch, and to be alive. The soul seeks balance and harmony. It wants
equilibrium and finds it in nature, in art, and in music. To keep the rust off
your soul and your spirits soaring, seek out beauty in each of your precious
days.
That is is what my book Lost Angel in Paradise is all about!
In it I share the beautiful days along the Califoria Coast that have helped me achieve balance and harmony in my life.
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.
While living on the north shore of Kauai, I got a job as a
cub reporter at the Kauai Garden Island
Napali Coast Kauai
News. This gave me access to people
on the Island I found noteworthy.
Suzanne “Bobo” Bollins, who lived at the notorious Taylor Camp (1969-1978)
where young people fleeing the Viet Nam war and materialism of the mainland were
living out the ultimate hippie fantasies, seemed a good prospect. It was said
that Bobo swam the tumultuous waters of the Napali Coast wearing only a belt
with a pouch containing a dry pareau for when she reached the shore. This
seemed quite a miraculous feat to me, so I made an appointment to interview
her.
She welcomed me in her tree house abode with a glass of
Merlot. She told me that dolphin often played with her on her swims from Ke’e
Beach to Kalalau Valley—some eleven miles away. She said she felt their
intelligence when they came close to look her in the eye. She seemed perfectly at ease in her Spartan
quarters, forerunner to the “Tiny House” movement today. Her brown skin was weathered from the sun and
a thick braid of golden hair went to her waist. Stories of the residents
cavorting nude were over-stated, she told me. She was wearing a sarong tied at
the shoulder in the early Hawaiian kikepa style, and said regular clothes were
worn by residents in the evenings to fend off mosquitoes.
She was highly
animated in the telling of her month-long stays in the valley held sacred by Hawaiians,
but abruptly stopped short to announce that the lava rocks in the canvas-domed
sauna just outside her door were ready. This was to be an evening of sharing
with the other residents in the camp. Bobo offered me a hit off of a joint of
the most powerful pot I have ever run into in my life, and asked me if I would
like to join them in a ceremony celebrating Earth Mother. Curious minds want to
know, so I stripped to my undies and joined the group wearing no more than
their birthday suits. We sat in a circle around the steaming crimson rocks
holding hands while chanting a reverberating Om. The heat generated by the cauldron of molten
rocks combined with the intense communal sharing of energy brought me to a
feverish crescendo. I stumbled out of the sauna, and planted myself face down
in the frigid mountain stream running through the camp to cool off. Energy shot through the top of my head like a
comet, leaving my mind as clear as the sparkling heavens above.
At that time, the highly romanticized camp of peace and love
hippies, glorified in coffee table books today, was nearing an end. Elizabeth
Taylor’s brother, Howard who owned seven acres of beach front property had
originally allowed a group of thirteen disenfranchised youth from San Francisco
to build their camp on Ke’e Beach. Soon, there were over 120 people, including
women with small children living at the camp. The residents of Taylor Camp who did
not pay taxes, lived on welfare and food stamps, soon found themselves at odds
with the locals. What’s more native Hawaiians didn’t like the desecration of
the Kalalau Valley by hippies camped there. It was rumored that
home boys had put a dead pig upstream the week before my visit to contaminate
the water and encourage the tree-house people to move on.
Still, I admired Bobo for her extreme bravery and
athleticism. At the time I did not know
that I had found the inspiration for the dolphin that would be the loyal friend of my heroine in Wai-nani, A Voice from
Old Hawai’i. It is fascinating to
witness how life experiences boomerang into an artist’s consciousness and
appear in their work. Many Wai-nani
readers view her relationship with a dolphin family as fantastic. The truth is
that all of the interaction between my heroine, and her best friend--a
bottle nose dolphin, is real. That is to say, I researched the behavior of
dolphins and their relationship with humans throughout history to bring
authenticity to the story. A documentary
film detailing life in Taylor Camp was released in the Islands. Bobo’s granddaughter,
Natalie Noble, stars in the film swimming alone in the buff along the majestic
Napali Coast. I suspect there are dolphins playing in her wake.
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.
Below
are the links to the GlobeRovers FREE App with all FREE issues. You and other
readers can either search in your App Store for “globerovers” or just click on
the links.
My interview with GlobeRovers is on page 180-181. There is a slider located at th botton of the magazine that allows you to easily navigate the magazine.
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has rafted, kayaked
and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the globe. The
most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost Angel
Walkabout. In Lost Angel in Paradise she
shares 32-of her favorite daytrips along the coast of California. In her latest
effort Get Great Trips for Free she provides a roadmap for travel writing
success. Learn more about her travels at
www.LostAngelAdventures.com
Linda Ballou, shares a host
of articles and information about her travel books on her site www.LostAngelAdventures.com. You will find information about her novels
and media offerings at www.LindaBallouauthor.com.
Subscribe to Linda’s blog
www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel
destinations and events.
Tasmania: Australian Adventure - Go World Magazine
Editor’s Note: While we hunker down at home during the current world situation, we still dream of travel. Tasmania is Australia’s smallest state, and this southern island offers plenty of adventure. Enjoy!
Eager to hike the trails in Eagle Hawk Nest on the Tasman Peninsula, I set out early from Hobart, the largest port and gateway to adventures in Tasmania, an island state off Australia’s south coast.
The intoxicating perfume of wildflowers drifting on a sea breeze greeted when I pulled over to view of the shimmering blue Tasman Sea far below.
Tassie, as Australians affectionately call the island, is known for its rugged wilderness areas, which are mainly located within reserves and parks. Tasmania, Australia may be the smallest Australian state, but it offers plenty of adventure.
Waterfall Bay Walk in Tasmania
Waterfall Bay Walk
The Waterfall Bay Walk was a perfect amble through the forest overlooking the craggy rock formations and aquamarine coves far below. The Three Capes Track, a four-day, 30-mile track skirting the soaring dolerite cliffs unveiled in 2015 draws trekkers from about the globe.
National Parks in Tasmania
I left regretting I had not allotted more time to explore this gorgeous region. I gave myself one week in Tasmania (fast becoming a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts) to hit the top sites of Cradle Mountain National Park, the Cataract Gorge in Launceston, and Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park on the sunny east coast, so it was time to go.
A 3-hour drive north of Hobart through the arid middle of the country brought me to my friends’ home in Launceston. Proud of the rich heritage of their city, they pointed out the many Victorian structures and remnants of the convict days and gardens that grace their city.
They took me to a gracious restaurant overlooking the Cataract Gorge, famous for hikes into the dramatic canyon carved by the Esk River that is traversed by a striking suspension bridge.
From there I drove the winding road to Cradle Mountain, stopping in Deloraine for a “toastie” (a grilled/panini-like sandwich) and tea. A Wind in the Willows-like river walk in drizzling rain reminded me of the Mother Country.
Its tidy patchwork quilt of pastures on rolling hills dotted with sheep completed the picture; the difference being this bucolic scene is framed in ragged spires.
Driving in Tasmania
The country lane soon turned into a corkscrew affair that spiraled upward through mountains sheathed in thick forests. No one had mentioned to me that Tasmania is one of the most mountainous islands in the world.
Accidents on the narrow lanes are common. You are advised not to drive after dusk as that is when the wombats, wallabies, and pademelons come out to graze causing accidents as people swerve to miss them.
The Tasmanian Devil is a carnivorous marsupial that is now only found in the wild in Tasmania.
Tasmanian Devils
The nocturnal Tasmanian Devil, rarely seen outside of sanctuaries, is coming back from the brink of extinction. The devils suffer from infectious viral cancer in the form of a facial tumor that spreads through biting and has killed 90 percent of them in the wild.
Cradle Mountain National Park
Cradle Mountain National Park is home to the highest peaks in Tasmania with wild, unpredictable weather. Even though it was raining the day I arrived, I attempted to hike the 4-mile Dove Lake Circuit.
The trailhead is also where the challenging 6-day Overland Track begins. Sheets of water shut out the view of the mountains framing the lake and forced me to turn back. I was, however, able to enjoy the Enchanted Woods track in the gloom of a haunting forest ensconced in moss and algae to energetic Knyvet Falls.
Tasmania has many beautiful beaches
East Coast of Tasmania
Another roller coaster road brought me to the sunny East Coast of Tasmania where endless miles of white sand beaches are kissed by turquoise rollers off the Tasman Sea. Sailboats dot the marinas and summer cottages line the shore of coastal villages.
My charming Airbnb in Bicheno was a skip away from a blowhole, and a walk on granite rocks covered with orange lichen that brought me to a tiny marina where the special was a zesty seafood bouillabaisse.
The guide on a glass-bottom boat tour of the marina informed us that the marine creatures here, like squid and seahorses, are endangered due to a warm current coming from mainland Australia that is heating up the waters killing the kelp forests. Yet another imbalance in nature caused by global warming.
Tourville Lighthouse in Tasmania, Australia
Freycinet National Park
Freycinet National Park, home to the spectacular Wine Glass Bay, is the most popular attraction on the east coast. I took the spiraling road up to the Tourville Lighthouse where an easy loop affords mind-expanding views of the blue veil of the Tasman Sea.
The marine preserve below the surface, established in 2007, begins 3 miles offshore and extends for 200 nautical miles to protect migrating whales and all manner of sea life in the submerged mountain range.
The easiest way to experience Wine Glass Bay is to take the water taxi out of Cole’s Bay. It takes you around the peninsula, drops you off on a flat trail across the isthmus to Hazards Beach where you are picked up for the return ride.
Benoche Marina in Tasmania, Australia
With 40 percent of the land in this island state preserved with 880 tracks lacing the national parks, Tasmania is one of the last hold outs for true conservation.The caring population of just over half a million are doing all they can to keep their home clean and green. I’m grateful to the devil that got into me and told me I had to go and see Tassie for myself.
I looked forward to curling up with this book. So much fun to revisit Kauai and see it through the eyes of a local. I lived there when there were only 35,000 people and few “no trespassing” signs. In this rendering there are 70,000 locals finding it hard to survive and traffic jams. The protagonist like many Hawaiians is multi-cultural. She is torn between living on the mainland in Seattle and returning to her roots on Kauai. There is a mystery here, but I have to say I found the motive for murder a bit weak. No matter, I loved hanging with the locals, visiting places that have changed so much since my time in the Islands. Thank you to Naomi Hirahara for this authentic rendering of Kauai today with some interesting plot twists for good measure.Wai-nani: A Voice from Old Hawaii
Love this interview with Craig Koehns of Boomer Far Out Adventures Fame
With the CDC discouraging international travel this summer due to covid-19 most of us will be vacationing domestically. With our new normal in mind we re-convene with boomer travel adventurist writer Linda Ballou as she reveals her 32 off the tourist grid hidden gems along the stunning California coastline.
Talking about my favorite stops along the coast from Malibu to Mendocino made me want to do all my daytrips over again! California has so much to offer.
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has rafted, kayaked
and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the globe. The
most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost Angel
Walkabout.In Lost Angel in Paradise she
shares 32-of her favorite daytrips along the coast of California. Her latest effort Get Great Trips for Free tell you how to build your travel writing platform..Learn more about her travels at www.LostAngelAdventures.com
Are you ready for a road trip up the coast of California?!
Escape with me as I take you on my favorite power-packed outdoor days
along the sun-splashed California Coast from Malibu to Mendocino. Let your
spirit free strolling long stretches of sand in solitude. Breathe deeply of the
restorative energy of fern forests shaded by towering redwood giants.
Kick-start creativity while meandering among flower-infused meadows, listening
to wind voices off a full-blown sea. Get the rust off your soul and find
harmony in nature. When you are done with your hike, tuck into tasty treats at
a sweatband-friendly eatery that I have tested personally. You have earned your
calories!
