The Greek Islands were not an intended stop on our world tour; they weren’t even on our radar since they are not known to be “budget travel” or even budget friendly destinations. We assumed there was no way to fit them into our $50/day “business model”... That is, until we discovered a HelpX opportunity that traded some manual labor in…
As wee little Explorer Genes in 1989, Greg and Mandy certainly had one thing in common as they watched Indiana Jones emerge into the ancient city of Petra’s Treasury in The Last Crusade… how can such a magical place actually exist and how awesome would it be to see it in person? It took 30 years, but we finally made it happen, and we also threw in some incredible ruins, castles, ancient mosaics, and otherworldly nature in the process. And not to forget, some really amazing and genuine people along the way.
The Earth throws just about every dramatic landscape at you in Iceland; Gushing waterfalls….check. Explosive geysers……check. Volcanoes and steaming fumaroles….check. Glaciers and icebergs… check. Hot springs and bubbling mud pots… check. Iceland is a country where the earth moves, and moves you. With 30 active volcanoes, and vast glaciers occupying nearly every mountain range, the land of fire and ice…
It was in Prague that we began our story… noses buried in our guide books, hurriedly walking down a cobblestone street and not paying attention until, suddenly crashing into each other. Knocking each other flat to the ground whilst locking eyes, and suddenly the song “That’s Amore” begins playing. A majestic castle looms in the background, overlooking the Seine –correction,…
There is so much more to explore in Oregon besides the big three destinations of Crater Lake, Mt. Hood, or Multnomah Falls. For nine years, we have criss-crossed Oregon, seeking the unique on off-the-beaten-path trips and ventured down countless backroads in this extraordinary state we have been very fortunate to call home. Along the way we made some amazing discoveries…
APE CAVES Ape Caves, on Mt Saint Helens, has been on our NW to do list for a while. We had both done the easy lower cave trail before, but this time we had our sights set on the more challenging (and much less populated) upper cave trail. More spelunking than hiking and at a steady 42F it’s essential to…
The Making of an Explorer Gene (His Story) Growing Up Inside A Snow Globe… At the age of 6, my mom moved me to a new home. A magical and otherworldly wonderland home. The welcome sign at the entrance road to this unfamiliar land proclaimed that you were entering Leavenworth, Washington, the “Bavarian Village.” The sign included a new, unfamiliar,…
Part I: An Early Explorer My now husband and I were tucked between two lumberjack (err, gentlemen’s) clubs and an empanada food truck on SE 82nd Avenue when he realized without a doubt he wanted to marry me in 2012. We had found our way to a Vietnamese travel agency in East Portland thanks to our building handyman, Binh Nguyen’s…
