Dispatch from Maine

We’re halfway through our month on the East Coast. Now on our 11th week on the road, we’ve been through 21 states, and yesterday we rolled over the 10,000 mile mark since leaving British Columbia last September. And for the … Continue reading →

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My favourite surprise

Our days in Etosha were drawing to a close. We still had one full day before we started the extended journey back to Windhoek to catch our flight. And it turned out to be a very special day. The morning dawned glorious and golden – and rather chilly – as it had most days. Our …
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Day two in Etosha

I awoke in the dark after another night of freezing cold temperatures. A plan was urgently needed for the following night. The sleeping bag wasn’t up to the task. But those thoughts quickly disappeared as we packed up camp and wondered what awaited us during the day. Again, we were first out of the gates …
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A day of birds

I woke up warm and happy for the first time in Etosha! I had a failed negotiation with Viking Explorer the night before. I thought, being the kind, caring man that he is, he would be only too happy to relinquish his Norwegian sleeping bag and take my North Face sleeping bag. I wanted to …
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A magical day in Etosha

That first night in the park (and I think the second too!) I froze. The answer to “how cold can it really get in Africa in Winter?” is VERY! Despite a very good quality winter sleeping supposedly temperature rated to -7C, my newly purchased fleece blanket tucked inside, full thermal base layers AND a beanie …
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Jumbo Rocks – Joshua Tree National Park

Great piles of boulders are strewn across the landscape, creosote and ocotillo reach toward the clear blue sky, and spiky Joshua Trees dominate the horizon. We’re in the Jumbo Rocks Campground for one night bound for Arizona by motorcycle. California’s Joshua Tree … Continue reading →

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Arizona Loop Overview

Arizona is wildly different from top to bottom, and east to west. For those who haven’t spent much time exploring the Grand Canyon State, it seems easy to sum up Arizona with the iconic canyon and a desert with Saguaro cactuses, … Continue reading →

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Hiking Half Dome – Yosemite National Park

We are on the rim of the immense glacier carved valley in the bright sun and wind, gripping steel cables through rubberized gloves, barely balanced on an arching back of pale granite, breathing thin air that catches in our lungs if we inhale too … Continue reading →

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Crater Lake National Park

The deepest, and perhaps bluest, lake in the United States is a brilliant sapphire in a dry mountain. We look down from the rocky edge where enormous pines have taken root, and Crater Lake shimmers in its caldera of pumice stone. … Continue reading →

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Nine Days in the Kgalagadi

January 19-28, 2014 We spent nine days in the Kalahari, or the Kgalagadi if you prefer. I think most of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is technically semi-desert rather than desert; it’s sandy and dry, but there is some vegetation (mostly grass) and occasional light rains. There were two thunderstorms when we were there, and distant […]

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The Lesser Wonders of Tanzania

Ruaha National Park marked the northernmost point of our trip. From there, we had the dubious pleasure of re-tracing our tracks back to central Malawi, where we would cross into Zambia and begin meandering southwest to Cape Town. We varied our route where possible, but Malawi, like the other...
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In the Land of Ugali: Tanzania, Part I

Nov. 18-Dec. 2 The land does not always change much when you cross a border, but there was a very clear difference between northern Malawi and southern Tanzania. In Malawi, the road followed the flat, grassy lakeshore. Shortly after entering Tanzania, we were driving through far lusher and more...
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Mana Pools -> Harare -> Masvingo

Mana Pools is in northeast Zimbabwe. From there we travelled south, cutting slightly east of the country’s vertical meridian. We spent one night between Mana Pools and Harare at a place called Chinhoyi Caves, where you can follow some rough stone steps down to the Sleeping Pool. The pool...
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Mana Pools

Oct. 12-Oct. 15, 2013 Mana Pools, as mentioned previously, is a game reserve with no fences. We spent four days there. It was pretty enjoyable despite the 40-degree heat, apart from my ongoing concern that I would at some point be strolling over to the ablutions, gazing happily at some antelope...
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Augrabies Falls National Park

After Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park we headed towards the next park to the west; Augrabies Falls National Park. We made another stop in Upington to stock up on food and fuel, had a quick cup of coffee, and set off. From Upington the road to the park follows the Orange River, and we soon found...
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Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

What a fantastic week this has been! First we took part in the Nossob 4x4Eco Trail, and then we explored the park for a few days. The sightings were many and good. We arrived at Twee Rivieren Gate in the afternoon after starting from Kuruman in the morning and stopping off in Upington for food,...
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Nossob 4×4 Eco Trail

We spotted this trail in one of the South African 4×4 magazines, and it looked like a very good option to experience the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park up close and personal. The booking was soon made with the park directly, and we were very excited as we pulled up in front of the petrol...
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Victoria Falls

Oct. 5-Oct 8 The Zambezi River meanders from Western Zambia to the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique. Where it approaches the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, a series of islets forks it into a multitude of smaller channels, each of which forms a spectacular waterfall as it cascades into the...
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Hwange National Park

Sept. 28-Oct.5 Photos and italics pending a decent internet connection. Hwange National Park, when entered through the Sinamatella Gate, is perhaps five hours north of Bulawayo. Most of the trip was along the A8, one of Zimbabwe’s major roads. It was paved, free of potholes, and –...
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Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park is a roughly rectangular splotch of land in the northeast quadrant of South Africa. It’s the largest of South Africa’s parks; its long axis, which runs northwest, is roughly five hundred kilometres long – slightly further than Vancouver to Penticton. On the...
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