Off to Italia

Leaving for Rome, Italy today and hoping to actually use this blog for its intended purpose - providing a narrative of adventures from the field, complete with photographs. 

The gate agent is calling my zone. Off to Italia...

New Airline Fees... Just in time for Summer Travel

The following is a list of new airline fees that kick off just in time for that trip you planned for summer. Who knew a second bag was now a luxury? Airline mergers will soon limit the travel playing field and with diminished competition comes less competitive pricing on fares.

Air Canada: $25 each way for a second checked bag starting May 15.
AirTran: $10 each way for a second checked bag starting May 15.
Alaska Airlines and Horizon: $15 to book flights through reservation agents or airport sales desk starting May 21.
American Airlines: $25 each way for a second checked bag starting May 12; $3 for snacks, $5 for "fresh light meals" on domestic flights (sandwiches or wraps, no vegetarian options); eliminated online booking bonus of 500 miles for round-trip first- or business-class tickets, and 250 miles for round-trip coach fares.
Continental: $25 each way for a second checked bag starting May 5.
Delta: $25 each way for a second checked bag starting May 5; airline provides complimentary snacks, but some snacks and meals cost an extra $1 to $8, depending on the item.
JetBlue: $10 for extra legroom, and $20 each way for a second checked bag starting June 1.
Northwest: $25 each way for a second checked bag starting May 5.
Spirit: $10 fee for checked luggage reserved online, and a $20 fee for luggage checked at the airport.
Southwest: $25 each way for a third checked bag, and $50 for the fourth through ninth bags.
United: $25 each way for a second checked bag; $5 for snack boxes, with sandwiches and salads available at varying prices; increased ticket change fee; Saturday night stays are now required for tickets in 65 percent of the markets it serves.
US Airways: $25 each way for a second checked bag; eliminated the 500-mile minimum mileage award granted for short-haul flights; will charge between $5 and $30 each way for aisle and window seats starting May 7, matching other carriers.
Virgin America: $25 each way for a second checked bag starting May 15.

Walks of a Lifetime

In late June of last year I traveled to Chicago for professional development as my attendance at the University Photographers' of America Association annual symposium was sponsored by the university where I serve as chief photographer. Although the majority of my week was spent in the small hamlet of Burr Ridge where Moraine Valley Community College played host to the more than 75 photographers in attendance, I, nonetheless, had two days to explore the city alone.

Chicago is an easy city to love and after a burger at the Billy Goat Tavern, the intimate Ryan Adams show at the 299-seat Victory Biograph Theater and a generous display of soccer hooliganism at the Copa D'Oro hosted by Soldier Field, I didn't want to leave. One of my pre-trip, travel-geek discoveries definitely came in handy during my day after the conference ended.

National Geographic Traveler publishes podcasts via iTunes called "Walks of a Lifetime."  These 20-minute narrative itineraries by journalist Rudy Maxa provide an informative accompaniment to a leisurely stroll through one of 25 major cities. You download, sync to your iPod, pop in your earbuds and take your camera for a walk along a route guaranteed not to disappoint. When you've only got one day to see a city, take the "Walks of a Lifetime" with you. It's a terrific companion. I'm definitely looking forward to next month's walk through Rome.

Sudden Journeys

Kyle Anderson, one of my close and favorite friends, lives the life of the tour guide, an inveterate traveler leading groups of high school students on week-long journeys to discover a European country and its history. Kyle is a tour coordinator and trip leader for Joshua Expeditions, a non-profit Christian organization founded for the purpose of assisting schools and churches in bringing the world to young people.

A great writer and talented photographer, Kyle would routinely send long emails, complete with pictures, updating all of her friends on her travels. She recently replaced this long-winded electronic prose with her blog Sudden Journeys. Be sure to check it out if you've got some time. I'm hoping to cross paths with Kyle in Italy during my travels there in late May and early June.

Photo appears courtesy of Kyle Anderson.

Shan's New Zealand Travels

My good friend and adventure partner Shan Porte leaves next Thursday for a month-long odyssey around the south island of New Zealand. To say that I am jealous of her New Year jaunt would be an understatement. Shan is considering a permanent relocation to the south island so her trip is a fact-finding mission, a 'sussing' of the place. The blog of her travels can be read at Shan's NZ Travels.

A Vacation to Hell

In early September Tybee Island kayaker Michael Robinson sent an e-mail encouraging me to vote for fellow paddlers Richard Davis and Dave White in their quest to win Immersion Research's second annual Vacation to Hell contest. I logged into the IR web site and soon watched a reggae-filled video of my adventure chums paddling the Oregon coast and discussing their desire to mount whatever expedition IR could throw at them.

The Immersion Research Vacation to Hell is an adventure grant that challenges a paddle team of four to endure whatever sea/river expedition the company decides is appropriate to the daunting moniker "Vacation to Hell." Last year's winners - The Range Life - were sent on an August 2007 descent of the Rio Huallaga in Peru's Andes mountains, an un-run feeder of the Amazon. The account of their expedition can be read at Rio Huallaga.

Although Rich and Dave didn't claim IR's Vacation to Hell, I was excited to learn that Russell Farrow from my local shop, Sweetwater Kayaks, along with the same paddling buddies he accompanied on an expedition to Labrador in 2005 - Mark Prator, Tim Keen and Alain Cormier - were the winners. The team, nicknamed Team Sweetwater, is tasked with a fearsome dilemma - a 60-mile open water crossing from Baffin Island to Devon Island, the largest uninhabited island in the world, followed by a 45-mile portage from Devon's east shore to its west. Once back in their boats, their adventure will conclude with a 40-mile open water crossing to Ellesmere Island. A blog documenting their expedition can be found at Devon Island.

A recent USA Today article on the Vacation to Hell appears here: USA Today.

Across the Tasman?

One of the last major untamed crossings for sea kayakers is the Tasman Sea, a hefty swath of cold, unforgiving water between Sydney, OZ and Auckland, New Zealand. Two Aussie grad students - Justin Jones and James Castrission - headed out nine days ago hoping to be the first to claim the honor. Their heavily-sponsored expedition, dubbed "Crossing the Ditch," will be the longest trans-oceanic crossing ever attempted in a tandem kayak. It's worth checking their web site just to see images of their custom-designed glass boat and learn the history of its construction. One of the expedition sponsors is a New Zealand company called Daestra, maker of a software called TracPlus that utilizes satellites to allow companies to track vessels in motion. Log onto Crossing the Ditch to chart their progress or read the frequent updates they are logging online via their sat link.

The widow of paddler Andrew McAuley might have a few words of caution for the duo as McAuley died earlier this year when his boat capsized within sight of the NZ coast and the completion of his journey. The prevailing consensus was that McAuley dozed off, dumped and was unable to right the boat.

More information on the life of Andrew McAuley and his Trans Tasman Kayak Expedition can be found on his web site at Tasman Solo. As you will learn, McAuley was a very experienced paddler and an accomplished adventurer.