Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind. Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

Did you ever have one of those days when you really think someone is trying to give you a message? You know what I mean - those times you attempt to do something but you get stopped with every effort? Well, that's what happened to me last weekend.

I have had a crazy work schedule and wanted to FINALLY take advantage of the beautiful snow and get out again on my snowshoes with my pups. I planned to go on a familiar route, since I only had about 2 hours to spare. I packed up the snowshoes, the dogs, a bag-o-pup-treats, and dressed in the requisite layers. I was ready.

I drove the 15 minutes to the trail-head. Darn...never plowed. But hey! I have a Subaru! I drove right into that 1.5 to 2 feet of snow and parked. Hmmmmm, that's still pretty close to the road. I better try to pull in a little further. I successfully backed out and gunned it to get in a little further from the road. Nah, I can do better. With the third time I got this really bad feeling...like that "I'm pretty stuck" feeling. Can't call the hubby, he's proctoring an exam. Too proud (and embarrassed) to call my friends. So I got out my car mats, strategically placed them under my tires, and stepped on the gas. Nope. I used my ice scraper and my hands to start digging. Nope. I was wedged between several nice plow chunks of ice and a whole lot of snow. Cars and trucks drove by. I imagined them waving to me and laughing. I kept digging, knowing it could take 2 hours but I wasn't going to ask for any help.

Finally a nice man came and pulled me out with his pickup truck. I pulled out of the trail-head lot, and headed up the road. The only place to turn around was at the next trail-head; I pulled in, and Good Samaritan Guy pulled in behind me..."you left your car mats back there." <<sigh>>

I headed back the way I came, only to realize there was no place to park, and had to go past the trail-head another 5 minutes to turn around yet again. I picked up the mats, and headed back up the road to the 2nd trail head, and at this point I should have cut my losses in this 60 minute mess and just drove home. However, I am not that smart. That, and my dogs just looked at me with those puppy dog eyes.

I strapped on the snowshoes, leashed up the pups and headed out on the trail. It was 20 degrees and the sun was blindingly bright on the shining snow. It was HEAVEN.

It was heaven until it became HELL. Two little biddies and their three giant unleashed dogs came up from behind a hill and the giant bull mastiff took down my little pup, big time. Growls and yelps and palpitations (mine). Biddies screaming. We got the massive dog off my little Doc and thankfully he was quivering away and covered with slime, but no blood. Harry licked Doc's invisible wounds while the Biddies made excuses for their near-Grim. I kept my composure and willed them to disappear, which they did. Any sane person would have taken the sum of these parts to mean GET OUT OF THERE NOW. Since I am barely sane and I really like snow, I ignored all this and followed the trail.

And it was glorious.

You can see Doc escaped unscathed. He ran and ran and ran. He loves snow, too.

Harrison, ever the gentleman, enjoys a good stroll in the woods, whatever the weather.

The sun warmed my spirit and nature filled my soul. I hiked for an hour and recharged my batteries, glowing for a variety of reasons. It was wonderful. We crossed a chain of streams, and the glimpses of running water under our feet gave me the energy to take on the rest of the day.

Many times in life we use signs as an excuse for not accomplishing something we really want to do. I learned (again) from this experience that signs are sometimes put in our paths to test us, to see if we really want something...not necessarily a sign to turn and run away.

Showing Travel Some Love

Friends frequently ask me to "share" my travel tips with them. I am not sure why this is - I rarely go anywhere conventional, and I take a bit of goodnatured ribbing about my family's exploits. I actually wrote a pretty comprehensive post about this - and then took one look at it and promptly deleted it. It was B-O-R-I-N-G.

I guess the easiest thing is to share what has helped me in planning some of the trips we have taken. You might like to plan journeys like me. You might like to hire a trip planner or go to a resort. Whatever you like, maybe you 'll find something useful here.

1. Know what you like. Better yet, know what you (and your family) don't like. Don't take this piece of advice too lightly. If you don't like sand, you will never find a way to like your beach vacation. Figure out if you want an active vacation or a passive one. Once you have this down, hunt down as much information about your likes as possible. Maps.  Yellow pages.  Google.  Pinterest.  Blogs.  Magazines. You name it. Something will jump out at you and you will get totally jacked up!

   

   Early morning, kayak camping, Middle Saranac Lake 2005 in the ADK

2. Know how you will get there. Sounds easy, but it isn't always. Driving takes time and gas (and a vehicle). If you don't have a lot of time, flying might be a better option. Of course those sites across big bodies of water pretty much mandate a plane, unless you have the time for a boat.

   

   Kayaking to Crow Island at low tide, midcoast Maine 2004

3. Pack less than you think you need. This really is true. No one knows you, and you won't have to worry about being an Outfit Repeater. Search the internet for packing lists and other ideas - they really exist, and they are really helpful!

   

   Ferry from Adololphustown to Glenora in Ontario, 2013; showing off John's mad packing skills.

4. Don't forget some cool gadgets to help you. Depending on what you are doing, you could really benefit from these tech toys:
• Voyager Air 2 - mobile wireless storage device; up to 5 devices can stream simultaneously. Fab on airplanes. Corsair Voyager 2 on Amazon
• Extended battery charger - I love my Jackery. Jackery on Amazon
• Solar charger - great for camping off grid
• Bluetooth speaker - tunes make for special times
• Dry bags - perfect for hiking/camping/kayaking/touring in wet weather
• Adapters - a must when out of the USA
• First Aid Kit - duh

Here's my Voyager Air 2 next to my mouse. It's very portable.

I use the same apps and websites as everyone else, but I happen to love these the best:

• HomeAway (app) or VRBO (vacation rental by owner). We have rented dozens of homes around the world and (knock knock) never a problem. Just read every review.
• Trip Advisor. Great for helping you make up your mind. Read every review for every place you want to go.
• Ulmon City Maps to Go. Their app maps for Rome and Paris are the bomb.
• Expedia, Kayak and/or Travelocity. So far the best for me is hands down Expedia. I am scoping out Skyscanner now.
• AAA and Groupon. So old but so now.
• Rick Steves' podcasts - these were indispensable in Europe. Only bought one tour, the rest we used his podcasts and headphones. It was way easier and totally cheaper. Click here for Rick Steves' stuff

I could blab for days about this, but the bottom line is this - be open. Don't be afraid to try new things, and think about making memories for you and your family. For me, vacations are all about my family and showing my kids their world - be it here in the US or anywhere else. There is so much to see, so much to experience, and so much to do...don't limit yourself! 

Journey on, friend!

Sunset from the Maine Coast - 2007