Vacation Experiences & Research

How To Climb Mt Whitney In A Day - Part 1

2012-01-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

On August 4th, 2009, I made a successful summit of Mt.Whitney in a day. My intent with this post is to provide advice to help others from the east coast successfully climb Mt.Whitney in a day. Because there is already a lot of good information available on many aspects of planning your Mt. Whitney hike, there is no need for me to duplicate what's available elsewhere. I will however, link to the resources I found most useful and that should save you a lot of time.

I should really title this post, "What Someone From The East Needs To Know To Climb Mount Whitney In A Day". So what is the difference between someone for the Eastern US climbing Mt. Whitney and someone from the Western US? In a word, ALTITUDE! Read carefully, that is altitude and NOT attitude!

Before we head up the mountain, let's get a few facts out of the way. Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the lower 48 (aka . . . continental US.) I'd like to give you the exact height, but that fact is still in dispute. Personally, I like to use the figure of 14,505 ft., which is listed on wikipedia. However, the official USGS benchmark on the peak has 14,494 ft. Regardless, there is no dispute about it Mount Whitney being THE highest.

For the adventurer living in the eastern US planning a Mount Whitney summit attempt, it's impossible to find a location to train the body for that kind of altitude. The highest mountain east of the Rocky's, Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina, is only 6,684 ft. and that's nearly 2000 ft. lower than the trail head for Mt.Whitney.

Although there are many routes to the summit of Mt. Whitney, the most popular route begins at the Mt. Whitney Portal. The Mt. Whitney Trail begins at an elevation of 8,371 ft. and continues 11 miles up the mountain to the summit at elevation 14,505 ft. That's a whopping 22 miles round trip with an elevation gain of around 6,100 ft. In fact, 10 out of the 22 miles are above 12,000 ft! The extreme altitude is usually what prevents hikers from successfully making it to the summit.

Why Climb Mount Whitney In A Day?

Now that we no this hike is going to be a challenge, let's address the question of why attempt it in a single day. I would guess that most choose the day option simple for the challenge. If you choose this option, know that it is going to be long and difficult, but when it's over you'll have an amazing sense of accomplishment. Aside from the challenge aspect, here are a few practical reasons to choose to climb Mt Whitney in a day:

You won't have to bother with carrying a bear canister
Most likely, you won't have to carry out your poop (more on this later)
Day use permits are easier to get than overnight permits
You'll need less gear (tent, bag, stove, etc . . . ), which means less weight to carry

So if you've read this far and you're still interested in climbing Mt Whitney in a day, here are some of the information covered in future parts

What time of year is best to climb Mt. Whitney
Gear selection and tips
How to acclimate your body to the altitude
What to eat and drink
and much more!

Birding At Bernheim Forest

2011-12-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)

Thought I'd write a short post about the excellent opportunities for birding at Bernheim Forest Arboretum and Research Forest located in Nelson County, Kentucky, which is about 25 miles south of Louisville, Ky and 17 miles west of Bardstown, Ky. Birding at Bernheim Forest is perfect for all levels of bird watchers. Beginners will appreciate the many areas designed specifically for bird watching.

Winter Birding
During the winter months, there is an indoor room located in the Education Center with floor-to-ceiling windows providing great views of feeders placed just outside. The setting is very natural and there is interpretive information on display to help you identify the more common birds. A walk on one of the many hiking trails or fire roads offer views of the many woodpeckers frequently seen here, as well as other year-round birds. Geese and ducks can be seen near lakes within Bernheim Forest.

Even though many birds have migrated south for the winter, it is possibly the best time of year to begin learning to birdwatch. For one thing, there is practically no foliage and without all the leaves blocking your view, spotting birds is much easier. Plus, the many birds that are present are year-round residents, which means when the spring migration occurs you'll be able to quickly recognize the more commonly seen birds and focus your attention on the amazing migratory birds.

In winter, expect to see:

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) - recently, a wake of consisting of more than 150 was seen riding the currents in the clear blue sky.
and many more!

Spring Migration
During the spring, summer and fall, birding at Bernheim Forest is simply amazing. Believe it or not, all those tiny birds have flown thousands of miles to return to Bernheim Forest. Don't miss the opportunity to witness one of the most amazing displays of nature. I recommend you set a goal to accomplish all of the following:

Purple Martin Colonies
Huge colonies of Purple Martins can be seen through late July near Lake Nevin and also around the Education Center where special Purple Martin habitats have been established. To really appreciate this bird learn about its dependence on man.

Acrobatic Barn Swallows
An entertaining display of Barn Swallows can be seen each summer at the Garden Pavilion located next to Lake Nevin. Be sure to keep visiting until you see the babies crowded in the nest.

Lake Nevin Loop
Walk the loop trail around Lake Nevin and your practically guaranteed to see (and hear!) the brilliantly colored Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea), Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and various types of ducks. Look for the Indigo Buntings just after you cross the second bridge (walking clockwise)

Native Kentucky Prairie
An elevated observation platform stands in the Big Prairie making it easy to spot birds of a native Kentucky prairie habitat, possibly including the recently re-introduced Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). You'll know this one when you hear it . . . it actually calls out its name!

Song Birds
Even when the foliage is thick as a blanket, and spotting birds is difficult, a short trail walk or hike will get you serenaded with songs of the seasons top performers such as the Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) (Click here to hear song) and Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) (Click here to hear song).

In this post, I've only mentioned a few of the many birds that are possible to see while birding in Bernheim Forest. To learn more, visit the Bernheim Forest website and click here for an official list of birds at Bernheim.

Be sure to call Bernheim Forest to find out about their bird related programs presented by knowledgeable interpreters. All programs are reasonably priced and can jump start your connecting with nature!

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Twilight Zone, Death Valley And Highway 395

2011-12-04T16:44:00.001-08:00

I recall as a youngster a re-run of a Twilight Zone episode about a father from a pioneer wagon train who sets off to find something for his sick son and finds himself transported from 1847 into modern times. Of course modern times was actually 1961, the year that particular Twilight Zone episode actually aired. I hadn't thought of that show in years until one day and friend and I were driving through southern Arizona, taking a "GPS short-cut", to Chiricahua National Park. The area was so undeveloped and rugged we half-way expected to see a pioneer wagon train, being chased by Indians, moving across the horizon off in the distance.

So you might be wondering what a drive in southern Arizona has to do with Death Valley and Highway 395, both of which are mentioned in the title of this post. Well, as it turns out, after researching that Twilight Zone episode, quite a lot.

The Twilight Zone episode name was "A Hundred Yards Over The Rim" and I thought it was filmed in Death Valley National Park (declared a National Monument in 1933, and a National Park in 1994). Actually, it was shot around the town named Olancha, located on Highway 395. If you subscribe to Netflix, you can watch this episode which is listed at season 2, episode 23 (#59 in the list).

If you watch this episode, one of the first things you'll notice are the familiar faces of the actors and actresses in this episode. Cliff Robertson (Charlie Parker's Grandfather in Spider Man), Edward Platt (Get Smart), John Astin (played Gomez in the Addams Family) and others. Of course you can find out more about the famous people on Internet Movie Database website (www.imdb.com). Surprisingly, what you can't find on the IMDB website is information about shooting locations.

As I recently re-watched this Twilight Zone episode on Netflix, I found myself thinking I'd been to those filming locations. The second I saw the sand dunes, I would have bet money it was filmed in Death Valley somewhere around the Stovepipe Wells sand dunes. As it turns out, I would have lost the bet! Anyway, when Mr. Horn looks on the other side of the rim and sees power lines and a road, I knew it had to be Highway 395 and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Of course, that is just an "area" identification and I wanted to know more specifics.

To get more specifics I do what everyone does these days, Google search to see what is on the web. As with most things these days, it's amazing just how much is available with just a few clicks.

Craig Beam, a self-admitted Twilight Zone addict, has a great site with lots of great information about this episode and filming locations. At his site (MyLifeInTheShadowsOfTheTwilightZone.blogspot.com), he also references an awesome video by Paul Giammarco called, Twilight Zone: On Location 2010, which I've embedded here:

So before I continue, just let me say, the video is awesome and two thumbs up goes to the team for doing such a cool project.

According to the video above, two episodes of the Twilight Zone were filmed on location in Death Valley National Park. "The Lonely" (season 1, episode 7 on Netflix) and "I Shot An Arrow In The Air" (season 1, episode 15 on Netflix). However, "A Hundred Yards Over The Rim" was not actually in Death Valley, but around the town of Olancha, CA. The sand dunes are the Olancha Sand Dunes (find directions to them here) and they are impressive. Several scenes used in "Iron Man" (2008 Marvel Enterprises-Paramount Pictures) were filmed in the area of Trona and the Olancha Sand Dunes.

Soon, I plan to dedicate a whole post to trip itineraries based on movie film locations!

I guess I'll close by suggesting that if you like travel and you like history, try to do what Paul Giammarco did and find the exact spots of interesting locations shown in Hollywood productions. Who knows where you might find yourself, Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, Maine or anyplace in between! A website called "The WorldWide Guide To Movie Locations" is a great place to get started. Why just travel when you can trip!

Angel's Share, Devil's Cut and Jim Beam Bourbon

2011-11-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

For those of you not familiar with the unique culture and language found in bourbon country, let me introduce you to some of the more entertaining phrases. It just so happens I live very near the Jim Beam distillery, which is just down the road from the bourbon capital of the world, Bardstown Kentucky.

Each year many people travel the Kentucky Bourbon Trail through scenic country back roads and experience the small town charm of Kentucky. Of course in between all that, frequent stops are made to the many bourbon distilleries dotted on the trail map. Each distillery offers something different and special in it's own right, but being a neighbor to Jim Beam, I guess it's OK for me to show a little favoritism.

Not long ago, while going through my daily mail, I noticed a postcard with a Jim Beam bourbon barrel and the phrase White Dog Smokers in bold white type. The postcard was an invitation stating "Come As Friends - Leave As Family". They wouldn't have had to twist my arm too much anyway, but the promise of amazing smoked BBQ and a little taste of bourbon was irresistible.

So back to the purpose of this post, bourbon country culture and language. After reading the invitation I was left with the question - what is a White Dog Smoker? As it turns out, the phrase "White Dog" refers to bourbon at a particular stage, before it's placed in the barrels, and the liquid is still clear . . . or white. Many people know White Dog by it's other commonly used name . . . Moonshine. You really should visit Jim Beam distillery (or others) and learn about the fascinating process of making bourbon. Their yeast strain is over 200 years old!

So then what is a White Dog Smoker? Now we know what White Dog is and the "Smoker" part I guess is just a good ole fashion BBQ get together.

Moving on, let's talk about the phrase "Angel's Share". When I first learned about this one it really cracked me up! Once white dog is placed in the wooden barrels, during it's aging process of 4 to 8 years, some of the bourbon will evaporate through the barrel. Apparently it is enough to be noticeable so that when the full barrels have finished their aging process are opened, their not as full anymore. What evaporates into the air is called the "Angel's Share". Now what is even more amazing is that when you visit Jim Beam distillery, or any other distillery for that matter, you will notice the growth of a pitch black fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis, on the exterior surfaces of buildings, trees and other vegetation, and anything else that happens to be nearby.

This is a really freaky thing to see with your own eyes! The tree colors of Spring and Fall can especially make for some amazing photo opportunities.

Too keep this post as short as possible, I'll close with the mention of "Devil's Cut" which is kind of the opposite of "Angel's Share". after aging, when the bourbon is dumped out of the barrels, some of the bourbon was absorbed by the wood of the barrel. So in the end, bourbon barrels are really full, and they aren't really empty. Old timers and locals have known about this for a long time. In fact, bourbon lovers living close to distilleries used to do their best to get hold of the empty barrels and could manage to squeeze out the remaining bourbon. Although it's really not literally a squeezing process and is probably time consuming, complicated work, those with the know how were rewarded with some of the tastiest bourbon available.

Recently Jim Beam has introduced a new product named "Devil's Cut" they describe as, "A distinctly bold bourbon with rich flavor unleashed from deep inside the barrel wood".

So, let me know if you enjoyed my bourbon post and if you think I should dive down this rabbit hole a little deeper.

Yellowstone National Park - Volcanoes and Magnetism

2009-01-03T17:23:00.000-08:00

I can't really explain it, but volcanic regions have for me a magnetic tourist attraction which draw me towards them with an irresistible impulse. I am only slightly acquainted with natural history, geology and other earth sciences, so I don't pretend to be anything other than just curious.

I first visited Yellowstone National Park in July of 1969 at the early age of five. Although my recollections of the visit are faded, I still remember it. My Aunt, one of the family members I was on vacation with, kept talking about the ability to boil an egg in a stream. I remember the amazing colors of Morning Glory Pool, Old Faithful erupting, grizzly bears of the side of the road, bison grazing in open meadows, moose in valley streams, and the geyser land sounds and smells. What a remarkable place to visit as a child.

Ten years later, in 1979, I would return to Yellowstone National Park and once again enjoy the amazing experience of touring a super-volcano! The Norris Geyser Basin, located in the northwest edge of the Yellowstone caldera, was hit by a Magnitude 6.1 earthquake in 1975. During my second visit in 1979, it was obvious many of the trails and boardwalks were closed or re-routed, giving evidence that the region has a dynamic history of being a restless caldera.

In terms of averages, according to some, Yellowstone is overdue for a super-eruption. Fortunately for us, the time scales are so large that even a slight variation from "routine"eruption of once every 600,000 or so, guesstimates could easily be off by 10,000 years or more. Whew....thank goodness! And what if the the worst case scenario does happen in our lifetime? Well, it is just to horrible to consider. Unfortunately, it's impossible to really predict when the next such eruption will happen, and the range of possibilities are: from later today to a million years from now.

Even a non-super Yellowstone eruption might be bad enough. In fact, some predict that a large eruption, but not a full super-eruption could trigger earthquakes along the New Madrid Fault or trigger the Long Valley Caldera in California to become active, which also seems to be overdue for eruption.

So, with all this in mind, it is with a anxious eye I read my Google News Alerts that filter into my inbox regarding the recent active earthquake swarms in Yellowstone National Park. Apparently, this is one of the most notable earthquake swarms on record. Starting on December 27th (2008), there have been more than 500 earthquakes at Yellowstone National Park. The rangers who live in the park say the constant quakes prevents them from getting a good nights sleep!

What Happens in Vegas? - Snows in Vegas!

2008-12-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

How amazing is 3 1/2 inches of snow on the Las Vegas Strip! WOW! I've heard conflicting reports on rather or not it was a record amount. One report suggested the most snow ever in Las Vegas since records have been kept, while another stated worst snow in 30 years.

Regardless, I can't help but wonder what the Bellagio fountains looked like in the heavy snowfall. The normally black Luxor pyramid was white, covered with snow.

Not surprisingly, with the city only having something like four snow trucks, reports were a few flights were diverted to the Salt Lake City International airport and traffic was clogged. I guess being stuck in your hotel isn't really a problem in Vegas. In fact, that is kind of the whole point to a Vegas vacation for most visitors.

By the way, the temperature in Death Valley only got into the 40's today. Could the Pupfish be starting to stir?

Top 10 Travel Web Sites

2008-12-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

In the month of November (2008), according to Hitwise data, 39.36% of all web traffic related to the “travel” industry went to the following top 10 web sites:

Mapquest
Google Maps
Yahoo! Maps
Southwest Airlines
Expedia
Travelocity
Orbitz
Priceline
Yahoo! Travel
American Airlines

In my humble opinion, the top three shouldn’t be considered “vacation” type travel web sites. Sure, once I know my vacation destination I’ll make use of directional travel sites, and on occasion, I’ll even use those sites for planning a vacation. However, they are in the top three for directional purposes, and most likely for short-range trips.

Therefore, if my “assumption” that the top three are not really vacation/long-range travel planning web sites, Southwest Airlines was the real number one travel site in the November. That is for a good reason, Southwest is the only airline that “consistently” offers travel bargains. So, hats off to Southwest Airlines!

So far, the travel industry seems to be holding on to hope that 2009 won’t be as bad as we all think. Travel executives are trying to keep “pricing integrity” intact (for which read, “Don’t offer rock-bottom rates just to fill an empty seat or room”) until they see what impact the bailouts have on the economy.

Some have suggested that 2008 was the year of the “Stay-cation” and if things don’t pick up, 2009 will be the year of the “Nay-cation”.

Death Valley Califonia Earthquakes

2008-12-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

On December 2nd, 2008 a small swarm of earthquakes occurred near Death Valley. The largest was a magnitude 4.1. However, in a region with such a violent past, any activity is worth noting.

In October of 2008, I just happened to be traveling south on highway 395 heading to Death Valley, California. Traveling south on historic highway 395 is amazing in many ways, not the least of which, is all the earthquake and volcano related features visible to those with an interest for such things

On March 26th, 1872 a violent magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred near Lone Pine that killed 27 people and leveled all but two building. Even more astonishing, in just a few minutes an entire block of the Sierra Nevada’s raised 20 vertical feet

To help put that in perspective, one resource I found suggested that a single 12,000 ft mountain would weigh about 17,250,000,000 tons or 34,500,000,000,000 pounds! The Sierra Nevada is a range, not a single mountain and therefore its weight is inconceivable. Another source suggested that if you drilled under the mountain and buried the biggest nuclear warhead ever made underneath and set it off, the mountain wouldn’t even quiver and there would be no noticeable release of radiation or heat into the environment.

Simply put, earthquakes and volcanoes are powerful beyond comprehension. It is therefore, very humbling to travel through the western United States and see chapter after chapter of both types of events played out in regular, albeit unpredictable intervals. Those forces could at any moment decide to re-sculpture the face of an entire region.

Take Ubehebe crater in Death Valley for example. A mere 2000 years ago (there are trees older than that in California) an eruption occurred that was possibly more powerful than the Mt. St. Helens eruption.

So when I read in the news, statements like, “There have been a dozen earthquakes of magnitude-3.0 or above in the area since Nov. 25, 2008” and "There's something hot down there and it's heating up water", well I get a little excited. Is there another Ubehebe event on the horizon? Will it happen in my lifetime? I guess the facts would trend towards the answer being no, but odds are a tricky business, in that a long shot can happen any day. Looks like I’ll be keeping my Google Alert for earthquakes active a little while longer.

Click here to view a virtual panarama image of Ubehebe Crater

Avoid Germs While Traveling

2008-11-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

I recently read an article on the CNN website that suggested 5 ways to avoid germs while traveling. In particular, there were some interesting suggestions on avoiding germs on an airplane. To read the full article click here. I'm not exactly sure how long CNN archives articles, so I'll give you the take-aways here:

1. Sit toward the front of the airplane
(ventilation systems on most commercial aircraft provide better air flow in the front of the aircraft)
2. Don't drink coffee or tea on an airplane
(water in airplanes' water tanks isn't always clean)
3. Sanitize your hands after leaving an airplane bathroom
4. Wash or sanitize your hands after getting off an escalator
5. Wash or sanitize your hands after using an ATM

I guess suggestions 3-5 can be interpreted more generally as "Sanitize Your Hands" often!

Use Google News Alerts For Travel and Vacation Research, Education And Experiences

2008-11-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Google News Alerts can actually improve your travel experience and research. If you know your travel plans at least a few weeks in advance, it's a great idea to set up a Google News Alert to help you get more "information aware" of where you'll be going and what you'll be seeing.

I've created Google News Alerts for all kinds of things, like:

National Parks ...like Death Valley National Park
Points of interest ...Mono Lake
Earthquakes ...California Earthquake
Places to eat ...Whoa Nellie Deli
...and lots more.

The way it works is simple, anytime there is an item of information that Google deems as news, a description and link to the "news" is automatically sent to your email address. Fortunately, Google defines news as far more than what is typically thought of as news. Currently, results from News, Web, Blogs, Video and Groups are delivered. Google News Alerts are a great way to get more immersed in your travel experience!

Setting up a Google News Alert is really simple. Here's a tutorial on how to create a Google News Alert:

Step 1:
At the Google search page, click on the news menu option running along the top of the screen
(or just type news.google.com in your browser)

Step 2:
Type in a the name of the place or thing you want an alert for in the search box and click the Search News button or (press the enter key).

Step 3:
On the left side of the page, you'll see a small icon in the shape of an envelope with the text "News Alert". Click on the "News Alert" text.

Step 4:
You'll then see the Google Alerts screen with your topic already entered in the "Search Term" Input box.

Step 5:
Now you'll choose from several configuration options. I recommend:
Type: Comprehensive
How Often: Once a day
Deliver To: Put your email address in this box

Step 6:
Click the "Create Alert" button!

Google allows you to create more News Alerts than you'll ever want, and it's easy to delete them when you're finished. For more detailed information about Google News Alerts, point your browser to: http://www.google.com/alerts

I've gotten some awesome information and entertainment as a result of using Google News Alerts prior to my travel or vacation. For example:

Did you know that every summer, during the hottest part to be exact, there is an ultra-marathon that starts in Death Valley and ends on Mt. Whitney?
Mono Lake is home to arsenic eating slime!
Everyday there can be hundreds of earthquakes taking place in California, many focused around, so called, dormant volcanoes?!
Of all the options, the best place to eat in Lee Vining, California is at the Whoa Nellie Deli Mobile Gas station? (Trust me, this ain't no joke...the food is awesome!)

So now I ask you, why travel when you can trip! Follow my advice and you'll have a much better travel or vacation experience.

Bonus: Mono Lake Video

Using a GPS unit to track your flight

2008-11-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

If you have a GPS unit, it is really cool to track your flight and then view it in Google Earth. Why would anyone want to use a GPS unit on a plane? Personally, I often find it very frustrating to be flying over such scenic locations and not have a clue about what mountains, lakes, deserts, towns, and the like, I'm seeing out my window.

I was a little concerned about what an airline might think of me using a GPS on a plane. Would they consider it a security risk? Would they kick me off the flight if they found out? On a 2008 business trip from San Jose, California I decided to give it a go and see what happened. Immediately after being boarded on the flight, I checked all the literature in the seat pocket in front of me to see if there were any rules for using such a device during a flight. On this particular airline there was no mention of a GPS unit being an approved or prohibited device. I justified it by telling myself the device is only receiving a signal that is always being broadcast everywhere 24/7 anyway, regardless if mine is turned on or not. (Note: On later flights with other airlines, I found GPS units were mentioned as an approved device, but only after reaching an altitude of 10,000 feet.)

The ForeRunner 305 is basically an oversized wrist watch with GPS capabilities. Having the appearence of a watch helped make it inconspcious, which was a good thing since I really didn't know if what I was doing was frowned upon. Make no mistake, in order to track the satellites, the unit must be kept by the window. So, if you don't have a window seat, don't waste your time because it won't work. The "wrist watch" design made it easy and comfortable to keep the device facing the window.

Sitting on the runway, I turned the unit on and in about 35 seconds it locked in on the satellite. I was ready for take-off. With the cabin doors closed, the planed taxied away from the gate and proceeded to the main runway. In no time at all the plane was airborne and the GPS was reporting some amazing speeds!

Normally I use this device for tracking my walks, hikes and one in a blue moon....a jog. Being the first time I'd used it on a plane, I had to rethink my whole concept of pace when I saw it report a mile passing by every 7 seconds!
As it turns out the Forerunner 305 actually has a setting just for using it in a plane.

As it turns out using a GPS unit to track your flight and then viewing that in Google Earth is awesome! Here are some photos and samples:

This first image shows the take-off from San Jose, CA. The red line is what imported into Google Earth, then I added the green arrows to show the loop path we took before actually heading away, Eastward from the city.

Here in the second image we the red line which represents my flight path and its proximity to Mono Lake, California.

With using my GPS unit, there is no way I would have known I was looking out my window at Canyonlands National Park. Upheaval Dome was really cool looking from the air!

In this image, as with all the images, the red line represents my flight path. This image show the entire flight path from San Jose, California to Atlanta, Georgia.

To remove all doubt about the accuracy of GPS tracking, check out this last image which shows landing in Atlanta, then the taxi to the gate!

Bernheim Forest - Secret Gem of Kentucky

2008-11-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

Located in Bullitt County Kentucky, Bernheim forest is a real gem. Not only is it largely unheard of, but it is also a scenic splendor. First a foremost, as the name implies, Bernheim Forest is an arboretum and research forest. Most everything done there is focused on trees. Preserving trees, studying trees, and thankfully, helping the public enjoy and appreciate trees is what they’re all about.

Bernheim Forest is in what is frequently called the knobs region of the county. The knobs help give the region a “backwoods” characteristic, but there is nothing “backwoods” about the history of Bernheim Forest.

Through the vision of Isaac W. Bernheim, fourteen thousand (14,000) acres were donated to the people of Kentucky as a gift in 1929.

There is a lot to do and see at Bernheim, so much in fact that you really need to visit their website at www.bernheim.org to educate yourself on all the possibilities.

At the moment, the fall colors are in full glory and the park is breathtaking to say the least. My personal “must do” recommendations are:

Walk the mile loop trail around Lake Nevin
Sit in the Quiet Garden and enjoy the view of Lake Nevin
Stroll out on the Canopy Treewalk

Be sure to pack some food and take advantage of some of the best family picnic spots in the state. Scattering throughout the Bernheim Forest are many picnicking areas.

Keep in mind, these recommendations are just to get your started. If you have the time and energy, there are some 35 miles of very nice day hiking trails. Most of the trails are short, ranging between approximately ¼ miles to 2 ½ miles. However, there is one really long trail, called the Millennium Trail that is to 13.3 miles in length. I have hiked this trail several times with my Garmin ForeRunner 305 GPS unit and every time it reports an elevation gain and loss of over 8,000 feet! I couldn’t believe it myself and therefore checked it again on several occasions, all with the same report.

Bernheim Forest is only open from sunrise to sunset, so in the short days of winter, the park will close early.

So there you have it, if your looking for things to see and places to visit in Kentucky, make sure you check out Bernheim Forest. Also, as kind of a bonus, Jim Beam distillery is literally right across the street. Jim Beam is the world’s largest Bourbon distiller and certainly deserves it's own post here on my blog. In fact, the trailhead to one of the Bernheim trails is practically in Jim Beam's parking lot. Check out a blog called The Digressive Press, to read about one man's attempt to get physically fit by hiking that particular trail.

I plan on posting more detailed information about both Bernheim and Jim Beam in the future.

IVRs - Intense Vacation Research Subjects

2008-11-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

In the online travel world, information overload is a real problem. There are no doubt millions of travel web sites "out there" and a few actually offer helpful information. However, if I may be so bold, I think there is still room for one more.

First and foremost, this Vacation-Education blog is a personal outlet for me to share my travel experiences and the research I put into my vacations. Although the phrase "my vacations" may sound a little self-serving, I promise to try and be interesting. On the other hand, because much of the content comes from my vacation experiences, it also gives the information some credence of credibility. I guess it should be stated at least once that I'm not associated with the travel industry in anyway and therefore can post opinions, tips, and observations that are honest and transparent to intent.

It is my hope this blog will fill a "niche" that, instead of addressing the foundational components of a vacation (planning, booking, reserving, etc..), will instead focus more on connecting the difficult components of a vacation, the ones that can transform a typical vacation into an edu-vacation.

For example, let's say you're going to plan a vacation to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. It's true you'll need to find a hotel room, purchase some cave tour tickets, get directions and all the usual "foundational components" of a vacation. However, by digging just a little deeper (no cave pun intended), you can actually have a much better Mammoth Cave vacation experience, plus get much more for your time and money. So what do I mean by "digging deeper"? Let's start with some of the basics:

What books should you read before you visit Mammoth Cave?
Are there any movies or videos you should view before your trip?
What are the key historical facts, events or people should you know about before you're there?
Would some light science information (geology, biology, etc...) help you better appreciate your vacation?
Is there any music that would add to the overall experience?
And there are many other IVRs (Intense Vacation Research Subjects) to explore, so you can "know before you go"

The answer to most of those examples is usually a resounding yes! However, the amazing thing is you won't find these recommendations on any other travel related sites! Why? Because most travel sites are there to help you with the foundational components of a vacation, and usually only focus on rooms, tickets and menus, which is where they make their money. Sure they may throw in a few facts and a paragraph or two of history, but that is not nearly enough.

And Finally, a clear message I want to convey in my initial blog post is to encourage all visitors to contribute by posting responses. Even if your response is just a single line of text, it could really help other vacationers avoid the hazards of having a "bank account draining", "needed more time", "wish I would've known", "guess I'll have to wait until next time" - vacation.

PS. Having lived in Kentucky all my life, Mammoth Cave National Park will certainly be one of my IVRs ("Intense Vacation Research Subjects), so stay tuned for upcoming posts on the subject of Mammoth Cave National Park.