White water rafting has always been on my bucket list and I figured I'd try it at some point during our trip around the world.  However, I never checked it off the old list on our big trip, despite being in destinations with large raging rivers like South Africa and Peru.  We were recently in the Arenal region of Costa Rica, and it being the rainy season, the rivers were roaring.  What better time to try rafting?!?!

We chose to go with Desafio Adventure's class 3/4 rapids based on user reviews and they did not disappoint! We boarded a bus with a group of giggly teenagers on a group trip and a four 20-something passengers, which made us us the bus elders. The rain was pouring over La Fortuna, however we drove two hours to the Sarapiqui River, which was a little less wet. It didn't matter though, we were about to get thoroughly soaked! 

At the river, we met up with a another tour bus and the crew started inflating the rafts. We threw on our gear (helmets & life vests), grabbed an oar, divided into groups and went through a safety briefing and quick tutorial with our guide, Jorge.  Thankfully, Chris and I were on the boat with the four 20-somethings - making us a group of six, plus our guide. Later we learned that, had we been on a raft with the lanky teenagers, we would have been rescuing them from the water the entire time! They regularly fell out of the boats because they collectively weighed about a hundred pounds. 

Here is a picture of our tour bus, shortly after we arrived at the river:

[Above] Rafts are inflated, ready to go. [Below] Our raft group! 

Little did we know that there would be several thrills on this trip. The first we expected - the rafting itself. Our guide, Jorge, took us through the first rapids beautifully and in no time we were all laughing, screaming and loving the thrill! We got pretty wet at first, but just in case we weren't fully drenched, Jorge poured a helmet full of water on each of us. 

Then we encountered bigger rapids, which initially elicited this kind of response (that's me screaming in the back):

We quickly got over the fear and powered through, paddling per Jorge's instructions. Look how hard Chris is working in the picture below:

At the end of each rapid, we would raise our oars and celebrate our survival by shouting "PURA VIDA", the Costa Rican mantra meaning pure life. 

At the mid-point of our trip down the river, we stopped to have some fruit and relax.  Chris spotted some people across the river jumping off a cliff into the water.  The funny thing about Chris is that he has a fear of heights (which is ironic since he is 6'5"); he won't bungee jump and it took a ton of convincing to get him to try a canyon swing.  But cliff jumping? He LOVES it.  I joined Chris in his insanity, and swam across the river, against the rapids and over to the path that led to the cliff. First Chris jumped. That blue blur in the left picture below is Chris mid-jump and the person in pink above is me.  I blew up the picture of me so you can see my terrified expression watching my favorite person jump off a 20 foot cliff into rapids.  

After ensuring Chris resurfaced, it was my turn. However, I was hesitant and little scared.  Then a 10 year old kid told me nonchalantly "It's really no big deal, I've done it twice already". I succumbed to the tween's peer pressure, and I ran, jumped, flailed, screamed, hit the water, swam as hard as I could to land and then...laughed. It was scary at first but most of it was insanely fun! 

After our jump, the sun came out and we relaxed, eating especially sweet pineapple and watermelon while taking in this view:

Post cliff jumping:

If you haven't noticed from the pictures already, class 3/4 rapids are really fun. I think anything less would be a little boring. After cruising through some decent drops and snaking around rather large rocks, I felt pretty comfortable at the half way point. Jorge decided to change that sentiment when he suggested that I ride on the front of the raft, holding the rope "like a horse". I thought it was a joke, but he was serious. "It will be fun" he said.  So I made my way to the front of the raft, expecting him to withdraw his offer before I sat down. He didn't and so I took my position, figuring we wouldn't go through any major rapids while my legs dangled over the front of the boat. 

Boy was I wrong. We DOVE into a rapid. 

Luckily for everyone else, I broke the wave.  In the picture below, that black and orange thing in front is my shoe. The rest of me was on the floor of the raft, in the laps of total strangers. WICKED AWKWARD! 

I attempted to pull myself back up:

I REALLY tried to pull myself out of this terribly awkward situation! Notice Chris laughing at me in the back.  

Eventually I gave up, accepted my plight and enjoyed the view from up front.  This was when Jorge and Chris yanked me by the vest into my back seat position. Out of awkwardness; back to paddling. 

After we finished the course, we drove about five minutes to a restaurant where we changed and had a tasty lunch. Then we slept on the two hour ride back to La Fortuna. We had a blast and would definitely do it again! If you are a reasonably good swimmer visiting Arenal, try Desafio's class 3/4 rapids and get ready to experience multiple thrills and, of course, pura vida! 

This will be my last post from our trip to the Outer Banks. In fact, it will be my last post for the next week because I'm heading to Costa Rica for the rest of the week:)  I hope you enjoyed seeing our beach adventures in North Carolina. All the OBX content can be found here or via the Destinations page.  

When I learned that wild horses roamed the expansive shores of the Outer Banks, North Carolina I had to see them for myself.  When Chris learned that Carolla Jeep Adventures offered tours where you could drive your own Jeep through the sand dunes to find the horses, he was sold on the expedition.  So a few of us signed up for the Jeep wild horse tour - a mini safari of sorts - where you follow a guide in your Jeep through the sandy roads and dunes of the northern Outer Banks in search of horses. 

[Pictured Above] Our Jeep. [Pictured Below] Jen & Mom Barbier ready to go! 

Before I recount the tour, I must take a moment to describe our guide John. He was informative, hilarious and maybe a smidgen off his rocker. But all the great ones are, aren't they? A former Marine and NC native, he is incredibly passionate about the horses, and he is currently working on a documentary to raise awareness on the subject.  

There seems to be one thing he loves more than those horses - the USA. When fighter jets from the nearby Air Force base flew overhead, he stopped talking, pointed at the sky and asked us, "Y'all know what that sound is?". Then he'd yell on the top of his lungs, "That's the sound of FREEEEEEDOM! HOO-RAH". In fact, he used "HOO-RAH" at the end of most thoughts. He had a fantastic southern accent, which he claimed was "gin-u-wine" (and I would never challenge him on that point). I'll share some of John's stories below so you can see what kind of character was guiding us through the dunes. I suspect all this is why his co-workers back at the tour shop dubbed him "Crazy John". I've been on a lot of tours and tour guides can definitely make or break your experience. In this case, John definitely made it special - he was funny, informative and incredibly unique!

[Pictured Above]  Who needs doors? Crazy John exits out the truck window!

Chris was looking forward to finally driving in the sand. We had been on a sand highway once before on Fraser Island in Australia, but we were squished in the back of a massive 4x4 bus while locals breezed past us in their trucks. Chris had also been "dune bashing" in Dubai, which was fun, but he was only a passenger. Needles to say, he was pumped to have control of the wheel. John was very strict about safety and, although Chris is a typical Boston driver and probably could have given our guide a Yankee dose of crazy on the road, he was not about to break the rules for fear of the potential wrath of Marine John (plus his mom was in the back seat). He followed instructions and we had a lot of fun safely bouncing in the sand.  If you are not comfortable with driving, you can opt to ride in the open air, but covered, seated section in the back of John's truck. 

[Top] Zipping down the sand highway. [Middle] Chris in his element. [Bottom] The most challenging (and fun) part was driving over the dunes. 

After a quick drive along the sandy highway and over a few dunes we stopped atop a large sandy hill that provided a view of both sides of the barrier island.  John told us that this was the second largest LIVING sand dune in the area. It' s living because it's constantly moving. Whenever a big storm hits OBX, the sand moves and the topography changes. For example, the Guggenheim family used to have a hunting house that resided UNDER the hill upon which we were standing!  

[Above] Jen jumping on the living sand dune and over Guggenheim's hunting lodge.  [Below] John, the dune & the ocean in the distance. 

After learning about the dunes, we set out to find the horses with the help of white Ibis birds which follow the horses and eat the remains of their food.  While we didn't see a herd of horses gracefully galloping along the shore, we definitely saw our fair share wild horses. Many people refer to these horses as "Bankers" or the "Banker Horse" because they are unique to North Carolina's barrier island. 

So how did they get here? There are many theories but one of the more common beliefs is that they came from early Spanish settlers, since they have many of the same characteristics as domesticated Spanish horses.  As the early Spanish explorers and settlers came to colonize the new world, many of them arrived at the Outer Banks first. Unfortunately for the explorers, there are a lot of sand bars off the coast  which cause many a shipwreck.  If a ship hit a sandbar and didn't unload weight quickly, it became permanently stuck. When the ships hit shallow water, they unloaded as much weight as possible, and often times that meant the horses. Since horses can swim, many made it safely to shore and learned how to live on their own. 

Fast forward to the 1980s and people began developing the land in the northern Outer Banks which resulted in many horse deaths. The National Park Service, State of North Carolina and several other private organizations now manage and protect the horses and their habitat. Currently there are fewer than 400 wild horses spread across the islands. Here are a few that we encountered on our tour:

At one point we spotted a mule hiding behind a house in the dunes.  John told us that the mule - half donkey and half horse - hasn't learned how to adapt to living on the beach. For example, the horses do a "lazy walk" on the sand to file down their hooves. The mule doesn't know how to do that, so he has really long hooves that prevent him from moving quickly. Apparently, it also scares off the ladies because none of the mares have taken a liking to him.  John wouldn't tell us all of this when we were this close to the mule, for fear of offending him:

So we had to drive over here before he'd give us the scoop on why Mr. Mule was so sad. Look at him, he totally knows we are talking about him. I'll admit, I felt a little guilty :(

After a couple of hours we bid farewell to the horses and drove back down sandy highway 12, which at this point was lined with trucks and people tailgating.  We managed one more horse sighting (of sorts) before going back to town:

My favorite part was the guy hanging out with his horse head in the background! 

If you are ever in the Outer Banks and are looking for something a little different and I recommend Carolla Jeep Adventure's Horse Tour. Make sure you request John as your guide! 

I've hated running my entire life, which is a little strange considering my parents and brother are all natural runners. I'll happily play a sport for two hours, kickbox until my legs fall off or dance like a fool in a room full of real dancers (usually laughing at myself the entire time).  But running? Ugh, so boring. 

However, recently I've begun running a lot more for a few reasons. First, it's free. Second, timing myself has proven to be quite the distraction, making it slightly less boring. And third - I can run anywhere which is probably the biggest bonus since I travel so much. 

While in North Carolina, I wanted to run but most of the streets in Kitty Hawk have no trees and it gets HOT in the direct sun. If I was going to run beyond a mile, I needed something a little more shady.  Chris and I discovered a 3.5 mile route around the Duck Woods Country Club off Route 158. The route takes you by the golf course on one side, and then through a neighborhood of pretty homes on the other side. The best part? The streets are lined with huge trees making this quite the cool route!  

Here is a map of our run. Click on the map to zoom. 

Growing up, Chris and his family used to spend one week in North Carolina's Outer Banks every summer.  The Outer Banks (OBX) continues to be a family favorite and we spent the week following the 4th of July in a cedar shingled house on the beach in Kitty Hawk.

If you live in the mid-atlantic area, the best way to get to OBX is to drive (it's about 5 hours from DC). Most of us were coming from Boston which is a pretty long drive (almost 12 hrs!).  Chris and I flew direct to Richmond where we rented a car and drove 3 hours to Kitty Hawk.  One can also fly into Norfolk, which is only an hour drive and probably the best option, if you can find affordable tickets and direct flights.  Driving from New England is not a bad idea if you can take a little extra time off to stop along the way (Baltimore, Annapolis or DC break up the drive nicely). 

Here are a few tips for planning a visit:

1) Get a house rental that starts on a Sunday, or better yet, a Friday. The traffic on Saturdays is horrendous because that is when most rentals turn over. 

2) Consider staying in an area that is close to shops. One of us drove to the store daily and we were glad the market was around the corner. Plus we could walk to the drugstore and a yoga studio.  Some homes are pretty far outside of town centers and it could take a half hour to get to the store, which means less time on the beach. 

3) If you can swing it, rent a beach-front room/apartment/house. The view and breeze makes a huge difference.

4) If you plan to fish, get a fishing license for the week to avoid fines. You can pick one up at Walmart for $10.

OBX is a really laid back destination and the main attraction is, as you probably guessed, the beach. You can rent kayaks and SUP boards, go scuba diving and even hang glide over the dunes! One year we rented a kayak and came face to face with a school of dolphins that stopped to hang out with us for a while.

So what did we do for a week in OBX this year? 

We enjoyed the beach:

We ate. A lot.

We fished:

We boiled (in a good way).

We marveled at the spectacular sunset:

We went on a wild horse safari (more on this later).

We celebrated being together.

We spent five days over the 4th of July weekend in the Outer Banks with the Barbier family.  Luckily, we arrived just hours after hurricane Arthur departed and Sir Arthur left stunning days and spectacular sunsets in his wake. Check out the beach in Kitty Hawk at sunset in the pictures below.  Mother Nature sure does paint the best pictures!

Stay tuned for more posts about the Outer Banks this week, including an adventure involving wild horses, a beach highway and a guy named Crazy John!

Vermont is one of those states that can be enjoyed any time of year and while many people consider peak season fall/winter for leaf peeping and skiing, I think it's most beautiful in the spring/early summer.  I spent the last weekend in June with Chris and my parents hiking in western Vermont. We met at Merck Forest in Rupert where we started our day with a picnic lunch and then spent a few hours hiking through the property, which is home to many animals, stunning vistas of the Green Mountains, and webs of maple syrup tubes. 

Even if you aren't familiar with Merck Forest, you have likely heard of its benefactor - George Merck of Merck Pharmaceuticals. In the 1950s, George Merck donated 2,600 acres of land to be used for public use. Now Merck Forest & Farmland Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching innovative, sustainable management of forest and farmland. They offer a variety of activities such as hiking, camping, hunting, workshops and school programs. 

Southwest Vermont makes for a relaxing summer weekend destination. Merck Forest has a variety of trails for all levels and there are several other activities nearby: Manchester for shopping & dining, Dorset for golf & quarry jumping, and Lake Saint Catherine for swimming, boating, and fishing. 

Here are some pictures from our hike at Merck:

After our hike, we stopped at the Battenkill Valley Creamery for some well-deserved ice cream (we were hiking for almost 3 hours!). It was a little out of the way but they have the most delicious black raspberry ice cream, so it was worth it. We brought a few pints back to our family's farm where we met my aunt who was also at the house for the weekend. It was nice to be back at the farm and to see the garden in full bloom. That night we saw a spectacular show from Mother Nature. The fireflies (or lightning bugs as I like to call them) were out in all their glory. At the farm, the nights sometimes get really dark - almost pitch black. We found a dark area where hundreds of blinking fireflies surrounded us, looking like glitter, falling in the air. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful summer day. 

Nantucket may be known for its sailboats and luxury yachts, but its ground transportation is definitely worth noting. We saw a variety of colorful and - in some cases - rare cars during our long weekend. Check 'em out:

Let's start in the past because vintage cars were abundant for such a small island. Check out this canary yellow VW Karmann Ghia in perfect condition.  Gotta love the Early American Connecticut vanity plate with the Nantucket shout out (ACK is the Nantucket airport code). 

A couple cruised into town in their red MG TD for a little Father's Day shopping. No big deal. 

In Nantucket, they put out fires with style:

This was probably my favorite vintage vehicle. It's one of the original Mayberry sqaud cars from the Andy Griffith Show. The owner was kind enough to turn on the siren for us! 

The most prevalent car on the island was the Jeep Wrangler. Behold this ultra preppy Jeep, clad in Lilly Pulitzer print. 

The perfect set of wheels for this week - USA vs. Belgium in the World Cup tournament today and the 4th of July on Friday. Go USA!