Here you go world…The Idleours Guide to Summer Fun at Keuka Lake! Disclaimer: This article is not meant to be all-inclusive. Idleours is our family cottage on the west side of Keuka, and the activities listed below are geared towards visiting family and friends. As a result, it’s west-side-centric and focused on the stuff…
Why “glamp” at BaseCamp 37° outside Kanab, Utah? For a remote, peaceful, wilderness experience without having to sleep on the ground or haul a boatload of gear. My time at BaseCamp 37° felt like heaven after seven straight nights of tent-camping in southern Utah, and it came with more than a few surprises. I went…
Planning a trip to Northern Ireland? We've developed a focused, 10-day itinerary that has it all: hiking, history, charming villages, castle ruins, and stunning vistas. Chris and I love to get boots on the ground, so our plan involves three days of hiking the Causeway Coast Way. If you're not that into hiking, that’s ok!…
Overview In October 2016, I was lucky enough to spend almost three weeks camping and hiking with my best friend Karen. We met in Reno (having flown from Alaska and Oregon, respectively) and then worked our way from Yosemite down to Mt. Whitney before cutting east to finish up in Death Valley. We packed so…
After two full weeks of hiking the rugged Eastern Sierras, four days in Death Valley felt like a vacation from our vacation. Death Valley is humongous (3.4 million acres!) and we lazily explored the park, driving through its vast stretches accompanied by the Eagles and Jackson Browne. Though nature’s palette is muted here, it’s not limited…
Fair warning: Two of the quotes in this article are…creatively applied. They’re close, mind you, but a little off from their original intent. They came to me on the climb, though, so maybe I can blame it on the altitude? Backing up, a friend and I climbed Mt. Whitney in mid-October and it could not…
When I set out on a 3-week road trip of the Eastern Sierras, I did not expect to climb Mt. Whitney. It never entered my mind, but my hiking partner was most definitely thinking about it. She very cleverly (some might say diabolically) kept mum and quietly planned a series of hikes to gradually acclimate to…
In a span of three days I hiked amongst ancient Bristlecone Pines, toured Manzanar (a former Japanese internment camp), and explored the Alabama Hills. Visiting one right after the other naturally led to comparisons, and I was struck by their common thread: Beauty - and even triumph - in the face of extreme adversity. Great…
Yosemite is one of those bucket-list destinations, and I’m eternally grateful that my fist visit occurred late-season - the place was mobbed, even in October! I realize Karen and I did our part to add to the crowds, but sheesh, shouldn’t people be at work or in school or something?? Don’t misunderstand: I fell in…
I landed in Reno in early October primed and ready for a 3-week road trip with my best friend from high school. Though the original plan was to head south to Utah’s painted hills, Karen called an audible and switched things up. The Eastern Sierras hold a special place in her heart and the forecast…