Scourings

When you start looking around for cruise deals and see all of those expensive cruises to the Mediterranean and Caribbean you might want to take a moment and look at Arctic cruises. Though it’s not exactly a trip to a tropical paradise, a cruise to the north pole of the world will give you memories that will last a lifetime. There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing the northern lights from the deck of a cruise ship sailing clear waters above the 77th Parallel. The Arctic is open to exploration during the summer months of July through September. Attempting the trip at any other time of the year would be futile, as it is generally frozen over in the wintertime. Even in summer it takes massive ice-breakers to cruise through the waters of the Russian Far East, Northern Canada, Greenland, and Norway. If you’re looking to tour strictly by sea these boats are by far the best options. Luxury cruise liners and small, fifty passenger converted research ships are available for passage during the summer months if you would like to disembark and explore the wonders of the northern pole. There are diverse tribes of people, wildlife, and unique marine life in the Arctic Ocean that you won’t see anywhere else. There are also land masses in the Arctic Circle where you can see what type of flora and fauna thrives in this climate. The island of Spitsbergen, owned and managed by the country of Norway, is one of the main attractions for those going on an Arctic cruise. This 15,000 square mile island sits above the 78th parallel in total darkness for much of the year, yet somehow manages to produce plant life and sustain animal life, mainly polar bears and reindeer. Spitsbergen is home to the northernmost polar weather station in the world and also the doomsday vault that contains seeds for over 1400 forms of plant life. Why would you want to visit the Arctic on a cruise? What you will find there is exactly the way that nature produced it. There are not many places like that left on earth. The Arctic Circle is and most likely always will be untouched by the creations and structures of mankind. There are some indigenous tribes there in Russia, Canada, and Greenland, but they are one with their land, not looking to overcome and develop it. Just seeing something like that is a good reason to go to the Arctic.

Considered Europe’s leading manufacturer of outdoor equipment, Outwell has been around since 1984. The parent company, Oase Outdoors ApS, is a family business run out of Holland. Outwell tents have been designed, manufactured and marketed by the company for over 25 years, and have now expanded the outdoor and camping equipment range under three key brands. Their focus however remains on their range of family tents, which is the mainstay of their entire product line.

Outwell tents are known for their quality and innovation. Every designer at Outwell experiences first-hand the features of the tents before making changes in design. A number of features have been added and removed from the tents, in order to make a family’s stay in an Outwell tent as convenient and comfortable as possible. One of the key design considerations has always been to reduce time for setting up and taking down the tents, so that the family can enjoy their camping expedition without having to spend too much time in setting their tent up.

The best Outwell tents are available in an amazing range of shapes, sizes, colours and designs. Besides the tents, Outwell also has a range of other outdoor equipment designed to meet the needs of both first-time campers and seasoned veterans of the outdoors. The company is recognized as one of the foremost brands of outdoor equipment in Europe, with a special focus on their family tents range. The company’s principles of innovation and quality ensure that Outwell tents enjoy immense popularity among all outdoor enthusiasts.

The world’s smallest continent and largest island is Australia. It is almost as large as the 48 adjacent U.S.. With 20.4 million people in population, mostly focused in the eastern and south-eastern coastal urban regions. This means that there are wide open spaces to explore in the remainder of the country, and this can be best done by car. Beautiful coast lines, inland mountainous regions and verdant tropical forests with exotic plants and wildlife are there for the traveler to see.

You can easily arrange for a car rental at the airport or hotel with an international drivers permit or a validated American or European drivers license. There are lots of car hire companies offering many kinds of vehicles, from assorted makes and sizes of cars and SUVs to minivans, camper vans and RVs, minibuses, and 4WDs. There is always a vehicle type to suit any need or requirement. Just to illustrate, camping enthusiasts can find campervans that will sleep up to 6 people, and come fully equipped with a microwave, gas stove, griller and refrigerator. Deluxe models will have double beds, toilet and shower in addition to the mini kitchen. There are 4WDs that would be suitable for more rough terrain. If budget is sensitive, there are economy compact cars and economy campers. There are also convertibles and luxury large cars, if you want to travel in style.

If you are visiting Australia from another country, you should be knowledgeable with the driving conditions: driving on the left side of the road, observing the different speed limits (in kilometres) and regulations in the States to be visited, checking weather and road conditions before travel, letting police know of travel plans if driving in rural areas, making way for the road trains (a semi-truck hauling 3 large trailers), etc. The car rental company will usually provide you with thorough information on driving rules and regulations, supplies to take (most importantly, plenty of water), what to do in case of emergency, potential dangers such as wildlife and driving at night, as well as accommodations, routes and resources on the road. Study and preparation ahead will insure a successful and pleasant car vacation in Australia.

What a remarkable summertime it has been. Last week we went on a bike ride through the Sequoias. Everything about the adventure was awesome except for the drive up . My gear was packed with my bike ready the night before. I left work early Thursday and started the drive alone. I was on a race against time as I was supposed to meet my buddies at the top of the mountain road, marked by a picnic table, at eight pm. I knew my window of opportunity was about thirty mins. After that time, they were to expect that I got held up and would try again at the same spot at 10am the next day. This means if I was too late, I would end up sleeping in my car alone that night.

Turns out I made it through traffic and up the hill in time to unhook my bike, crack open a beer and mtn bike ride up and down a couple of little hills before dark and before my buddies would arrive. The air was crisp and I was excited to be away from the city. The bike was in perfect shape and ready to hit some trails. Friends arrived beers in hand and ready to show me where the campsite was.

Our ride started early and we were ready with big packs stuffed with plenty of food and water. The first crank up the big hill was ridiculously long. We pedaled over 10 miles uphill, that took over 2hrs. Making it to the summit was awesome. We took a break and sipped some water from our stainless steel water bottles.

The rest of the day was spent busting tricks, hitting logs and enticing each other to go big. A couple of breaks were in order throughout the day where we drank a bit of booze and shared treats we had packed away. The dirt was just right. Not too dry as to cause any dust and not too wet that our wheels would get stuck. There was a bit of ice still left on the ground from the spring melt. The temperature was perfect, not too hot, not too cold.

Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold and the yeast wouldn’t grow, too hot and the yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is where we get the phrase “rule of thumb.”It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that, for a month after the wedding, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the “honey month” or what we know today as the “honeymoon.”In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So when English sailors would come into port the quartermaster would tell the sailors before leaving the ship to mind their own “P”’s and “Q”’s ( to mind their pints and quarts) for the bartender would add marks to a blackboard that had your mark on it. At the end of the evening the bartender would talley the marks and the sailor would pay for the bill.Sometimes the bartender would add a mark or 2 to the”P” or “Q” column, thus overcharging the sailor. Thus the phrase “mind your P’s and Q’s.”