Madera Canyon, Arizona

Madera Canyon is a lovely little tucked-away spot in southern Arizona. My husband and I discovered it one weekend while we were whiling away the day in the Tucson area. We followed a winding road that crossed over low desert, then started to climb until we suddenly found ourselves among tall trees and greenery. Madera Canyon and Madera Creek traverse four different “life zones” which supports a variety of flora and fauna in a relatively small area.

The area is considered to be the third-best birding destination in the United States – ornithology enthusiasts will be able to sight over 256 documented species of birds, including 15 different kinds of hummingbirds and 36 species of wood warblers. Patrons of the canyon’s parks and trails will frequently come across small herds of deer and flocks of wild turkeys – even black bears, mountain lions and bobcats have been spotted on occasion.

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I was invited to Albuquerque, New Mexico a few weeks ago to enjoy the 40th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. I was ecstatic. I have ridden in a hot air balloon once before and couldn’t wait to do it again, and I was even more excited about the chance to photograph the visual spectacle of 500 balloons launching over the Sandia mountains at one time.

My camera broke in transit – strike 1 for my fantasy strip.

Wind and rain kept the hot air balloons grounded during my entire visit – strike 2.

And yet I had a fabulous time in Albuquerque and am eager to go back. Despite a lackluster experience with the 40th Balloon Fiesta, I discovered an old city surrounded by unique natural beauty and brimming with rich cultural traditions. I also had the best margarita(s) of my life.

Let’s start with the margaritas.

El Pinto (or The Spot in English) is one of the most popular restaurants in Albuquerque and arguably one of the city’s most successful businesses. What began as a family restaurant serving New Mexican cuisine has become a destination for locals and tourists, boasting an extensive chile garden and their own line of salsas. El Pinto is now the largest restaurant in the state, but guests still enjoy a level of hospitality associated with a family business. And really – you have to have the margaritas.

(Check out this video tutorial of how to make the perfect margarita.) Read More »

I met Mimi on a recent visit to Hocking Hills, Ohio. She was teaching my family of four to kayak around Lake Hope and we got to talking about what she does when she’s not paddling around a lake with amateurs. Turns out, Mimi’s passion is taking groups of women off into the woods.

That would be creepy if Mimi wasn’t so adorable and smiley.

Mimi runs Touch the Earth Adventures, a tour company that specializes in women’s hiking and kayaking retreats. For $1,150 per person, women enjoy a week of outdoor adventure in various locations all over the country. Good news: tents aren’t needed as Mimi lines up beautiful lodging as part of her weekly packages. She also arranges for activities like yoga sessions and spa treatments.

It’s no wonder her customers come out of the woods feeling empowered!

Mimi told me she takes groups of women who already know each other as well as groups of individual women who meet on the trip. Her groups can be as small as 5 women and as large as 20. Women can explore the outdoors of Ohio, where Mimi is based, or take a trip to the Carolinas. Her next week-long retreat will be in November to Charleston, South Carolina.

I would love to do this with my girlfriends and the women in my family. It sounds like an incredible girl power getaway!

Photo: Britt Reints

I had never heard of Hocking Hills, Ohio until I received a few tweets from @MyHockingHills.

Hocking Hills isn’t a town, but a county and a region of Southeast Ohio known among outdoorsy types as a great place to “get away from it all.” Specifically, visitors here will be getting away from:

• Traffic
• Internet
• Cell reception
• Chain restaurants
• Light pollution
• Honking horns and other noise pollution
• TV
• Starbucks

What do you get in exchange? Peace and quite and natural beauty, of course.

Without a TV or the Internet, the modern family might fear getting bored. Fortunately, there are plenty of activities in the area – all of which are about a 20 minute drive from each other. Our family got to:

Ride horses at The Spotted Horse Ranch:

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