Category: Adventure Travel

When Hubby announces his intention of sweeping me off my feet and into an unstable craft in lizard laden waters, I put my foot down. I’m up for just about any kind of boating. However, if I am going to be in a gator territory, I’d rather not swim. Not that I have ever over-turned a canoe, but there is always a first time.

Just north of Charleston, South Carolina wander miles of waterways that once made up a vast canal system. Now set apart as a wildlife sanctuary and dubbed Old Santee Canal Park, the area shelters great egrets, little blue herons, water moccasins and lots and lots of alligators. Paths meander around marshy pools and through damp woods and wide walkways provide safe passage over mud flats and soupy green swamps. I crave exploration and will happily go for a walk, but I have no intention of getting up close and personal with a pre-historic green leviathan.

We agree to put boating on the back burner and explore the reserve from the safety of the boardwalk. Cyprus and sycamore trees tower over head and pink rose mallow blooms in the marsh. I take note of my surroundings, mentally cataloging the flora and occasionally stopping to see what fauna I might spy in the tangled undergrowth. A black and yellow garden spider stakes out his territory, his body hanging upside down in a zippered web. A monarch butterfly flits across my path. I peer over the railing to follow her progress and there, in the reeds beneath me, lies a four foot alligator. His eyes are black and his skin is the color of duck weed. I am overcome. Not with fear mind you, with awe. He looks so ancient, like a creature from the land that time forgot. Suddenly I cannot get in that tippy canoe fast enough.

We do a quick march back to the interpretive center and, for five bucks, rent a boat. In minutes, we clamber in and push off into the murky water.

Osprey peer at us from tree tops nests and great blue herons hunt mosquito fish in the shallows. Box turtles and yellow bellied sliders sun themselves on floating logs. We paddle into the far reaches of the canal system where wild rice grows and Spanish moss drips from the trees.

The channel narrows and we carefully navigate under a low green bridge. The air is still and warm and tickles my nose. I scan the shore for tell-tale gator slides. And then we see him-a ten foot beauty sleeping on the bank. I can’t help myself; I want to get closer. We paddle once, hard, pull our blades out of the water, and silently drift in. The reptile opens his eyes and, apparently not happy with our intrusion on his siesta, shifts his massive weight, lurches into the water, and swims right under our canoe. I could easily touch him. My heart races. I am enchanted and terrified. And then, just like that, he is gone.

It isn’t until later I learn that alligators jump. We never should have ventured so close to that old boy’s domain. I was afraid of tipping my canoe and landing in his territory. In retrospect…I’m just glad he didn’t land in mine.

INFORMATION PLEASE

Old Santee Canal Park is located in Moncks Corner, South Carolina just ½ hour north of Charleston. The park includes hiking trails, observation platforms, a boardwalk, canoe rentals, an interpretive center, a picnic shelter, a learning center, and the Berkley Museum. There are also tons of activities. It’s open year round from 9am -5pm (Interpretive Center closes at 4:30). Cost is just $3 per person and kids under 6 are free.

Old Santee Canal Park is not only a great place to see wildlife first-hand, it is also home to the Stony Landing Plantation, a beautiful 18th century house furnished with reproduction period furniture. Open for tours daily.

Have dinner on the canal at Gilligan’s Sea Food Restaurant in Monck’s Corner (just minutes from the Old Santee Canal park) where not only will you find the best hush-puppies on the planet, you can feast on sustainably harvested local shrimp and recycle oyster shells. Yes, they plant the shells back in the oyster beds helping insure cleaner water and happy eating for generations to come. Open 11am-9pm and 11am-10pm Friday’s and Saturdays.

East Africa is a great tourism destination known all over the world. There are many attraction sites that one can visit especially within the three East African countries, namely, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. There are many tours and travel companies available to lead first time visitors to the various tourist attraction sites. In order to get more from the tour, tourists can choose the Tanzania Kenya tour packages.

On the first day of their visit, the visitors leave their respective countries for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi Kenya. Most of them will arrive in the country the following day where your chosen tour company will take you to your hotel for rest and relaxation.

Tanzania Kenya tour packages, would generally take the visitors to the Amboseli National Park in Nairobi where they will watch a range of animal species such as the giraffe, lions, and gazelle among other wild animals. Lunch is served either in the car or a pre-selected site. The tourists are advised to bring their cameras along as this is a great opportunity to take pictures of the beauty in east Africa.

Visitors are also advised to spend some time in the Amboseli Park where they will enjoy the view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The site is captivating as it has elephants enjoying a quiet walk on the foot of this mountain. From the park, the visitors will be driven back to their hotel for the night. Supper is served from the same hotel.

Along this route, the visitors will be treated to a tour of the Manyara Park in Tanzania. This park is named after the Lake manyara of Tanzania and is one of the largest in Tanzania. Animals found in this park include zebras, warthogs, water bucks and wildebeests. The national park is also home to thousands of bird species. The night is spent in Arusha.

While on this tour make sure to visit the Ngorongoro crater, still in Tanzania and spend the night at one of spa at the site. On the last day of the Tanzania Kenya tour packages, visitors travel back to Nairobi and bid farewell to east Africa. Note however, that there are many packages that one can choose from apart from the above.

Jackline Mwathe Is A Tour Operator And Has Been Organizing And Reporting On Kenya Vacation, Travel And Tours For Years. For more information on Kenya Tourism, visit her site at KENYA TOUR PACKAGES

By Jackline Mwathe

Although we thought it would only take a couple of hours to ride from Devils Tower to Sturgis, SD, we were wrong. During Sturgis Bike week, the traffic is multiplied by the sheer number of motorcycles infiltrating the region. It was almost time for Sturgis Bike Week, and motorcycles had been filing into the area for about two weeks now.

I had reserved a campsite for Sturgis Bike week. There are several to choose from. The one I thought I had reserved was on the east side of town, forcing us to ride right through the thick of traffic. A word of warning – riding through the main part of Sturgis during Bike Week can be a challenge. The Bikes move slowly. It was also very hot when we were there, which means your legs are going to get very hot!.

I had actually ridden to the wrong campsite. The one I actually had reserved was just south of Sturgis – on the way to Rapid City. We wound up having to ride back through the traffic again to get to our campground. Needless to say, after a good bit of time on the road, this was a little frustrating.

The campsite you choose for Sturgis Bike week really depends on what your plans are. If you prefer a quiet, relaxing camping adventure, you will want to bypass some of larger sites like Glenstone. For us, we decided to go to the Bulldog Campground. It was relatively quiet compared to some of the others.

The campsite offers live music. They also had good restrooms with showers, and a place that served food. It turned out to be a good choice for us. The band that played there was really good. They did some cover tunes, but I preferred the original music. The little restaurant served a pretty good breakfast in the mornings too.

After riding for many miles, your motorcycle is bound to be dirty. One of the things that is not hard to find at Sturgis Bike week is a place to get your motorcycle washed. We were fortunate to find a group of CMA guys (Christian Motorcycle Association) at a local church. They were offering a free bike wash, fresh coffee and snacks, and were even blessing bikes.

The town of Sturgis South Dakota is very small and normally very quiet. The first week of August every year, however, that scene changes dramatically. Thousands and thousands of motorcycles arrive every year for one of the largest motorcycle rallies anywhere.

Some of the attractions that bring motorcycle riders from all over the country are things like the Motorcycle Museum. There are some great vintage motorcycles to peruse in the museum. The downtown strip has just about anything you can imagine. Food, festivities, all sorts of biker gear and apparel can be found. You can even find parts and upgrades for your motorcycle. You can get a custom paint job or lights too. There is a small stairway with an elevated platform you can pay five dollars to go up and get some great pictures of all of the motorcycles that are parked in the downtown strip.

One of places to stop for lunch is the Knuckle Saloon. It’s not a real big place, just off the main drag. The food is really good and not too expensive. Don’t be surprised if a Wet T-Shirt contest breaks out while you’re having your lunch.

These are just a couple of the places to stay and things to see and do while at Sturgis Bike Week.

View great information related to Sightseeing at http://www.sightseeingreview.com

Strugis Information – http://www.sightseeingreview.com/home/sightseeing-activities/motorcycle-touring/sturgis-bike-week

By Dave Roberson

I travel full time all over in my RV and learn a lot of travel tips. It is just amazing the things you learn from other people. The resort I am in right now is on the Colorado River. It has two swimming pools, two hot tubs and a bar in the middle.

When your not enjoying boating or playing on your jet ski in the river, then your down at the pool or maybe even at the bar. One thing we all do, is get together at the hot tube in the evenings. It really is amazing what you learn in the hot tub.

Here is a few travel tips that I thought was worth sharing.

Bite By A Rattle Snake

This seventy year old told us a story about when he was seven. He was bit by a rattle snake in the leg. Someone took a dead chicken and tied it around his leg, he did not have to go to the hospital or take any shots. And of course he is alive today because of it.

Apparently the blood from the chicken sucked out the poison from the snake. One problem, the only thing around here are ducks, I do not think I want to try using a duck, but I am going to avoid going where the rattle snakes are anyway.

A Bowl of Sugar

The next story I heard was from this lady. She said she was cutting up some potatoes and sliced her finger really bad. Her friend grabbed her hand and stuck it in a bowl of sugar. Yes pure white granulated sugar. She said the pain was gone instantly, they wrapped up her finger and she did not have to go to the doctors at all, it healed up just fine. I know I am going to keep my sugar handy from now on.

No More Leg Cramps

One last tip. My husband use to get leg cramps every night. Someone told him to start taking apple cider vinegar. I did some searching on the internet and found that Braggs was the best. So we went and bought Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar with the mothers in it. My husband took two teaspoons three times a day, and that night for the first time, he had no leg cramps.

We have been taking apple cider vinegar for about a year now. My husband has never had a leg cramp again, and he is now off of his blood pressure medicine. It is also a great detoxifier. Do your own search for Braggs apple cider vinegar. It has quit a history behind it and what it is good for.

What ever you do, do NOT stop taking your medications with out your doctors approval.

I hope these RV Travel Tips have been helpful for you as they have for me.

Julianne Rowat, the author, is an internet marketing entrepreneur. She has wrote other articles, press releases and has videos on motivation, self improvement, and FAQ about having an internet marketing business. Her husband is a retired fire fighter/ paramedic. They have 4 children and 6 grandchildren. They travel all around the United States in their motor home while working their internet marketing business. Their mission is to help others all over the world succeed in their own internet marketing business. You can read more about them in their blog at: http://www.juliannerowatsblog.com or check out their business at http://www.ultimatewealthfromhome.com

By Julianne Rowat