To read about our entire journey check out our blog posts leg-by-leg:Β Portland to Champoeg State Park, theΒ Willamette Valley,Β Β McKenzie Pass, and Cascading Rivers Scenic Bikeways Our very first cycle tour was on an Oregon Scenic Bikeway and involved a bee sting (our dog, Maxwell), a[...]
Known for its coffee, proximity to the Valle de Cocora (Cocora Valley) and Los Nevados National natural park, and the giant wax palm trees, Salento, Colombia is a popular tourist destination. It’s filled with excursions that will please any traveler, from more laid back activities[...]
The novelty of cycle touring has been wearing on me for quite some time. The daily packing and movement to a new location has lost its luster. Our bikes, unfit for gravel surfaces due to the composition of my bike frame, our tires, oh, and our dog, force us to stick to the main[...]
I am a chocolate snob. Anything under 60% is just not chocolatey enough and between 70% and 85% is ideal. And donβt even thinking about tainting chocolate with milk. Thatβs just repulsive. Throughout much of South America, Iβve had a bit of a tough time finding high quality, vegan[...]
On January 24th, Sora turned 12 years old. Twelve. With her young pup spunk, high energy level, and joie de vivre, you’d have us fooled. Itβs a made up birthday, since Dave adopted her when she was three years old, with little known about her background, but that doesnβt matter. To[...]
I am not typically one for visiting mega tourist destinations. The crowds, lines, and all the tourist traps, make me want to bolt as soon as weβve arrived. It took some convincing from several friends to make me agree to visit Machu Picchu. Donβt get me wrong, I found Machu Picchu[...]
When planning my family visit to Ecuador this Christmas, I asked my trusty college roommate for advice. She had studied abroad there during our last semester of college and her program took her all over the country. βMindo,β she said. βDonβt miss Mindo.β But we missed Mindo. One of the[...]
Not usually a large city fan, especially large polluted Latin American cities, Quito won me over. We had a few friends we already knew in the city, as well as some friends who had lived there previously. We were seeking access to nature and dog-friendly places to walk and run with Sora.Β [...]
I came across the Go Pet Friendly Pet Blogger Challenge a few weeks ago and thought it would be fun to participate. This post shares our blog highlights from 2016, outlines our goals for 2017, and gives a bit more background information that will hopefully be interesting to both[...]
The vista from the viewpoint wasnβt particularly impressive. The grey clouds hovered over the hills that encircled us at 4,000 meters, casting a dreary mood over the land. I however, could watch the wisps of clouds dance across the bellies of the mountains, like the slow exhale of a[...]
Finding dog-friendly jaunts in nature that also include transportation is not always easy, but I emailed a few tour companies to see what they might be able to offer. Arutam Ecotours, emailed me right away and suggested the hike to the Waterfalls of GirΓ³n (also called El Chorro) and asked[...]
If you haven’t read Part I, you should. As the wind gathered more force and the hail intensified, Jesse and I ambled on in meditative silence. The storm wasnβt so miserable. It wasnβt raining, so we werenβt wet, and it wasnβt all that cold. Nevertheless, we wanted to reunite with[...]
Dave is a bit of a weather worrier. He frequently checks the forecast and frets about supposed incoming rain or wind or heat. Then he tells me about the weather, shoving his phone in my face to prove the disaster on the horizon. I typically glance over and say, βhmmm.β Actually[...]
Iβll admit this right off the bat. You cannot visit Machu Picchu with a dog. You can get close, but you canβt actually take your dog inside the sacred site. We had hemmed and hawed about whether or not to visit Machu Picchu, knowing it would be difficult, but everyone told us we had to[...]
Our friend Flavia, whom we met early on in our travels at a Casa de Ciclistas in Patagonia, wanted to enlist our help in adopting a puppy with whom she had fallen in love a month prior in the small mountain village of Hanchipata. Suggesting a bike ‘n hike trip to dog-friendly[...]
Before heading to Bolivia, we put together fake documents to please the border patrol who would be issuing our visas. They like to see a place of residence, departure flight, and several other bits of information. As cycle tourists, we never know where weβll be when, so we just found a[...]
Β
Β
Join our mailing list to receive access to downloading the checklist. You can unsubscribe at anytime.
