Adventurous Angies Blog on RealTravel

Philadelphia journal: First Day of Travel - Philadelphia to Vancouver: A Soggy Set Off

Fri, 09 May 2008 15:10:00 GMT

After spending a better part of the day packing for the trip we set off in the pouring rain for Philadelphia.

We were flying from Philadelphia International Airport to Toronto and then onto Vancouver, B.C. where our cruise ship was waiting. Our flight was very early in the morning so we spent the night in Philly.

Galway journal: Day 8: Connemara, Cong and Galway

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:56:23 GMT

Our day began with a drive through the lovely region of Connemara which has a beautiful and varied landscape from high mountains to peat bogs.

Our drive took us to the village of Cong, situated in County Mayo, the major film location to the movie the Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O' Hara.

My family are big fans of the Quiet Man and watch it every St. Patrick's Day. It was great to be able to see alot of the locations from the film. A local guide took us on the tour of the village and showed us all the sites. After the tour everyone went back to the center and were ...

Galway journal: .........

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:45:26 GMT

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Galway journal: Day 7: Clonmacnois and Galway

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:37:00 GMT

Our tour began very early today as we were setting off for Clonmacnois which is situated in the center of the country. The ride from Dublin took nearly 2 hours.

Clonmacnois is a monsatic site in Ireland with a large round tower, old stone churches and examples of old High crosses.

All along our drive to Clonmacnois the weather was pretty good but as we got closer the skies became more and more overcast.

When we arrived we went inside the visitor's center to watch a short film about Clonmacnois and also do a short guided tour inside. Clonmacnois has the origional very ...

Dublin journal: Day 6: Dublin

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:00:26 GMT

Our day began with a tour of Dublin with a local guide who took us by bus around the city and showed us many of the principal sights of interest.

Our tour went through the Georgian Town Houses, Fitzwilliam Square, Marian Square, the Oscar Wylde statue, the National Gallery, Leinster House, the Natural History Museum, the President's Office, the Lord Mayor's House, Trinity College, Grafton Street, the Molly Malone statue, Temple Bar, the Central Bank of Ireland, Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Phoenix Park, the Wellington monument, the Dublin Zoo, Parnell ...

Dublin journal: Day 5: Waterford, Kilkenny and Dublin

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:58:52 GMT

Our day began with a tour of the Waterford Crystal factory. We had a guide who led us through the factory to various working stations and explained how the crystal was made and what each worker was doing.

There was a live demonstation of crystal blowing and crystal cutting. You were able to ask the workers various questions about their jobs. There is a musuem which showcases the many trophies that the company has made. The tour ended at the gift shop where we were left to browse.

After everyone had finished shopping we got back on the bus for the drive to Kilkenny. The ride took a ...

Albrightsville journal: Riding at Camelback

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:24:08 GMT

Last season was my first full season of snowboarding. I'm by no means great but I do ride an intermediate board and as of last season I was able to do the basics, heel-side turns, toe-side turns, stop, get on and off the lift and even link turns.

In September I had to have an ankle reconstruction done with alot of physical theraphy which held up my snowboarding season.

I wasn't able to get out at all in November or December even though we did have a few days where it was cold enough for our mountains to open.

I decided to try for the first time in early January. It was the ...

North America journal: Snowboarding 2008

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:24:08 GMT

Last year was my first real season of snowboarding and it was a short season because of lack of snowfall and warm temps.

So far this year my season has been cut short because of two ankle surgeries. I'm trying to get out as much as possible.

Howth journal: A Good Meal and a Good Show

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:12:57 GMT

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North America journal: White Water Adventures 2008

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:20:04 GMT

Rafting and Kayaking trips in 2008.

Hazleton journal: Eagle Rock Resort

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:07:29 GMT

After an unsuccesful first attempt at snowboarding after my first ankle surgery and just having a second ankle surgery done in mid-January I decided to try snowboarding again to see how it would go.

I really wanted to know if I was going to be able to ride again or if I was going to have to give it up.

I went with Jen and Ken to Eagle Rock, which is a small mountain that is fairly close to where we live. The night before we went it poured so the slopes were incredibly icy.

I was happy that when I got my board on it didn't hurt like the last time. I was able to ride this time ...

Skagway journal: ...........

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:34:34 GMT

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Kilkenny journal: Talk a walk through the medieval streets of Kilkenny

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:27:47 GMT

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Waterford journal: A tour through one of the most famous crystal factories

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:24:45 GMT

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Kilkenny journal: A tour through the castle

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:20:37 GMT

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Waterford journal: Day 4: Blarney, Cobh and Waterford - A Trip through Southern Ireland

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:56:03 GMT

Today our tour began early as the drive from Killarney to Blarney was going to take a bit of time.

When we arrived in Blarney we were let off at the Blareny Woolen Mills and encouraged to shop there. Some of the older folks on the tour opted to shop but we instead went to Blarney Castle.

My parents had never been there but I had been on a trip in 2005. The day was grey, overcast and threatining rain. We decided we wanted to go kiss the Blarney stone before it started to pour, there would be time to shop later.

The grounds at Blarney Castle are beautiful, perfect manicured ...

Waterford journal: Beautiful house with lovely hosts

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:46:00 GMT

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Cobh journal: Lots of Sad History to be Experienced Here

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:03:21 GMT

Blarney journal: Shop til You Drop

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:02:00 GMT

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Shannon journal: Day 9: Shannon and Flight Home

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:26:23 GMT

Today basically consisted of packing clothes, getting up early, driving to the air port and a 6. 5 hour flight to the States with a 3.5 hour drive home. It was a long day but worth it for another great trip to Ireland.

Bunratty journal: Convenient location

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:04:47 GMT

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Bunratty journal: Great Old World Food and Entertainment

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:04:04 GMT

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Galway journal: Day 8: Galway, Burren, Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:02:56 GMT

Today we departed Westport for Galway where we were going to do a short tour of the city and some shopping in Eyre's Square. The bus tour was very basic and encompassed the major sites of the city. We were left off in Eyre's square to take some time and look around.

We decided to stroll through the streets and take a look in some of the shops. We also went into an art gallery and saw some wonderful local landscape paintings. We went into the local mall and took a look around. Malls aren't an overly common thing in Ireland. As a matter of fact I've only really came across what could be ...

Leenaun journal: Great little cafe in a beautiful location

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:34:56 GMT

Great Irish stew!

Lisdoonvarna journal: See the odd landscape of the Burren

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:00:07 GMT

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Liscannor journal: See the spectacular Cliffs of Moher

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:58:47 GMT

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Westport journal: Day 7: Westport, Killary Fjord, Connemara, and Cong

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:11:59 GMT

Today we left Westport early to head to Killary Harbor to take a Catamaran cruise. I love the water and boats in general so I was glad to be doing this. I was also never on a catamaran before so I thought it would be interesting.

Along the way we were treated to some beautiful views of Croagh Patrick and the very varied landscape between Mayo and Galway. When we were nearing the village of Leenaun where we would be catching the cruise we came along this beautiful area called Lough Doo where the mists were settling in over the mountains and there was a dramatic view of the lake and an old ...

Leenane journal: A scenic cruise in a gorgeous area

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:26:28 GMT

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Cong journal: Visit the cute little village where the movie was filmed

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:24:23 GMT

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Donegal journal: Day 6: Donegal, Sligo, Belleek and Westport

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:55:15 GMT

Today we went to visit Triona Designs to see the famous Irish Tweed being made as well as other knitwear. The tour was narrated by a the owner who explained how the looms are operated as one of the workers was making a piece. Everything there is made on the looms, the old fashioned way. The workers are very skilled and pretty quick so they can crank out quite a bit. Everyone was given a bit of time to shop in the center's gift shop and then everyone was treated to tea and scones in the little cafeteria. I went outside for a bit to take pictures of the sheep in the field near the shop and also ...

Enniskillen journal: Great Sandwiches and Pints in cute atmosphere

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:33:25 GMT

A quaint little pub that looks to be a locals-only sort of place with some great sandwiches on the menu for lunch.

Westport journal: Be entertained by the locals

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:47:20 GMT

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Drumcliff journal: See the resting place of the famous poet

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:40:18 GMT

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Enniskillen journal: Tour the famous pottery center

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:15:59 GMT

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Ardara journal: See how tweed and knitwear are made

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:39:01 GMT

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Belfast journal: Day 5: Belfast, Nine Glens of Antrim, Giant's Causeway, and Derry

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:12:51 GMT

Our day began with a guided tour of the sights of Belfast with a local guide. We toured the area by bus and our guide pointed out many famous historic buildings.

Then we were taken into the area of the Shankill and Falls Road, which is an area where one street (peace line) divides the Protestants (loyalists and unionists) of the Shankill Road from the Catholics (nationalists and republicans) of the Falls Road.

This is an area that has seen a great deal of sectarian violence between the Protestant (UDA and UVF) and Catholic (IRA, Provo IRA). With recent political changes in Northern ...

Downpatrick journal: Day 4: Downpatrick, Mt. Stewart House and Belfast

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:10:05 GMT

This morning we left Dublin early for the drive to Northern Ireland. I had never been in Northern Ireland before and was anxious to see it. I've always heard that it is as beautiful as the Republic but with the reputation of the Troubles in the North we weren't sure what to expect.

Northern Ireland is a separate country from the Republic of Ireland. Its is under British control so you will see the Union Jack flying as opposed to the Irish tricolor. You will need a passport to enter Northern Ireland and also they do not operate on the Euro, they use the British sterling pound.

The ...

Derry journal: ......

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:57:56 GMT

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Derry journal: Another Tour focused on the Troubles

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:49:04 GMT

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Ballintoy journal: Swing above blue waters and see Scotland in the distance

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:40:51 GMT

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Antrim journal: View N. Ireland's "Ring of Kerry"

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:35:38 GMT

A beautiful scenic drive along coastal towns of N. Ireland

Bushmills journal: An almost lunar landscape

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:33:23 GMT

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Belfast journal: A Tour of Political Murals and Sights of Belfast

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:32:37 GMT

An honest look at the Troubles impact upon Belfast and how attitudes are changing

Downpatrick journal: Cozy up with a Pint in a quaint old pub

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:11:00 GMT

The Crown Saloon is a famous pub and once you step inside you can see why. The pub boasts a burnished yellow,red and gold tin looking ceiling, the floor has mosaic tiles, there are tiles on the walls, beautiful wood carvings, stained glass windows, one long and beautiful wooden bar, and probably best know the 10 wooden "snugs" or booths around that bar that let you and a group of friends close yourselves off from the rest of the pub to have a private conversation or drink. Beautiful and well worth a visit just to see it never-mind the craic inside and the good pub grub they serve.

Downpatrick journal: A very posh hotel in the center of Belfast

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:01:51 GMT

The Europa is a four star hotel in the center of Belfast.

The outside of the hotel is very modern looking and the interior is very classy. It looks to be a pricey hotel. Many celebrities and heads of state have stayed here.

The rooms were nice and had internet access through the tv. There is a four star restaurant with gourmet cuisine in the hotel.

Downpatrick journal: See where the most celebrated saint is buried

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:58:57 GMT

The St. Patrick Center tells all about his life history, his missionary work in Ireland and his death and canonization as a saint.

There is a guided tour in the center with various displays and inside the Down Cathedral there is also a short tour and a visit to St. Patrick's reputed burial spot on the grounds.

Downpatrick journal: A beautiful maintained Victorian Home and Garden

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:58:57 GMT

The Mount Stewart House was used during Napoleonic times and contains period furnishings and portraits. The tour is a guided tour of the house and a self guided tour through the gardens which is very large and very beautiful.

Downpatrick journal: A quick ride across a pretty lake

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:58:57 GMT

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Downpatrick journal: Snacking at St. Patrick's Centre

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:58:56 GMT

A tiny snack bar situated within the center offers scones, tea, coffee, cookies and even light fare like soup. They had very good berry scones and tea and also delicious shortbread cookies.

Downpatrick journal: One of the Europa Hotel's Restaurants

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:58:56 GMT

A fancy restaurant that offered four star cuisine. Relaxed atmosphere and gourmet cuisine made for a good meal.

Glendalough journal: Day 3: Glendalough, Dublin and Abbey Tavern

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:30:01 GMT

Our tour departed Dublin early in the morning for Glendalough, which is a monastic site in county Wicklow south of Dublin.

The ride went through some pretty landscape and took a bit over an hour. Once there we were taken inside the guest center where we saw a quick film and were able to walk around and look at some of the informative displays.

Some of Glendalough's original high crosses are kept inside the display center to slow the deterioration process and models of the crosses are outside in the origional's place. Afterwards we were taken on a narrated tour of the site where a ...

Howth journal: Dinner and a show at a famous venue

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:42:53 GMT

As always its good food and good entertainment at the Abbey Tavern

Dublin journal: Day 2: Dublin

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:11:56 GMT

On our second day of our escourted tour we arrived in Dublin early. We collected our bags and met the other passangers on our trip in the airport. We were sent by bus from the airport to our hotel which was located in the Ballsbridge section of the city.

From the outside the hotel didn't look too bad. We were told that the Jury's Ballbridge Hotel was slated for destruction to make way for a housing development but once you got inside you could see that its upkeep has fallen behind. Many of the outlets in our room didn't work, the beds were uncomfortable...some things didn't look the ...

Lower Youghiogheny journal: Unguided White Water Rafting on the Lower Yough

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:34:19 GMT

Over Labor Day weekend I went camping and rafting in the Ohiopyle State Park.

I had never been on the Lower Yough before but Beth, another avid rafter I met in WV, was coming along as well as my brother and his wife. We decided to do an unguided run of the Lower Yough to see how well we could do.

Prior to the trip I rented a raft and secured private boater launch times from the state park. If you aren't on a commercial trip you must have a launch permit to get on the river.

We rented a raft, life vests and helmets from Laurel Highlands, one of several outfitters situated ...

Glendalough journal: Informative Tour through Gorgeous grounds

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:20:56 GMT

I was really looking forward to this tour because I love the old Celtic Crosses. I wasn't disappointed. Their was a narrated tour that showed you through the visitor center as well as the monastic site outside. Afterwards you were left on your own to wander the grounds and take photographs. It's a beautiful area.

The World journal: Mystical Ireland Tour 2007

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:12:12 GMT

This was my fourth trip to Ireland. My family and I took another escorted tour from C.I.E. This tour included both Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Dublin journal: A peek into the life of the medieval rich

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:03:45 GMT

A fairly interesting tour of the Dublin Castle situated right in the center of the city. The tour includes a narrated tour and history of the state rooms inside Dublin Castle. You get to see the old, expensive furnishing and historical portraits.

Dublin journal: Slated for demolition and not upkept the best

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:58:11 GMT

This hotel is slated for destruction to make way for a housing development, as you can imagine its upkeep has fallen behind. Many of the outlets in our room didn't work, the beds were uncomfortable...some things didn't look the cleanest. Its also not close to city center.

White Water Challengers journal: Kayaking Day 10: Kayak Clinic on the Lehigh River

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:55:47 GMT

Today was day 2 of the kayak clinic I took in White Haven with White Water Challengers.

First we were going to have a class room session to review the skills we learned on flat water yesterday and also go over river features and how to read white water. We did that until everyone's questions were answered. Then we loaded the shuttle with our kayaks and gear and set off for the river.

We were being sent to the Upper Gorge section of the Lehigh from White Haven to Rockport....that's class 3 but since the water level was at 250 c.f.s. and all the rafting companies were using the lower ...

The World journal: Alaska Cruisetour 2008

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:48:53 GMT

This is a cruisetour my family is taking with Princess in May.

Kelly's Lock journal: Kayaking Day 8: Cold Weather River Practice

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:54:32 GMT

Fred and I decided to take a trip to Kelly's Lock to get some practice in. He just bought a Fluid ww/playboat and wanted to test it out.

We left after work on a particular cold and drizzly day for August. I could tell I was going to need to invest in a dry top for the colder months because it was only late August and I was already freezing.

The water level at Kelly's was still pretty low. We headed down river and after going through a few small riffles we cut into the good eddy line at Kelly's.

We took turns practicing our peel outs, ferrys and eddy turns. Fred found the ...

Jim Thorpe journal: White Water Rafting Section 2 of the Lehigh Gorge

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:22:18 GMT

Today me, Michelle, Lauren, Katie, Jen, Ken, George and Tracey went rafting with Pocono White Water in Jim Thorpe. Since I was the group organizer of my last rafting trip with my parents and family I got a free pass for this rafting trip. Its a big advantage to be the group organizer, you get free rafting passes and discounts for some of the people in your group. I got another free rafting pass for this group, and a free dinner coupon at the center.

While we were waiting for our trip to start we wondered around the shop at the rafting center. They have some nice things in there. I picked ...

Upper Lehigh River journal: Kayaking Day 7: First Time on a River

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:21:27 GMT

Today Brian, Me, Fred, Jason, Mike and Spooky met at Rockport. Oddly enough Allen the man who sold Fred his kayak a few weeks earlier was there also with his friend Art. So the 8 of us decided to go down the river together.

We set up a shuttle and drove to the put in at White Haven. I was nervous. I still don't have a roll and the river was about 850 cfs on dam release. I knew at that level there were a few slow class 3 sections of white water out there.

We got our kayaks down to the river....which was difficult....there were tons of kayakers all over the place and gear was spread ...

Kelly's Lock journal: Kayaking Day 6: Eddies and Ferries and Peel Outs, Oh My!

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:39:07 GMT

On Saturday my friend Fred and I spent the day together. We went and picked up his kayak that he bought from a semi-local man. Fred got a Corsica kayak.

After getting his kayak we went to Blue Mountain Outfitters in Marysville to get some gear. Fred needed a helmet, paddle, pdf and a few other things. We were like 2 kids in a candy store, running all over the place picking things up. We spent nearly 2.5 hours in BMO and hundreds of dollars! The people who work at BMO are really nice and really know their stuff. They make sure you get outfitted properly.

On Sunday Fred took Jason ...

Landingville Dam journal: Kayaking Day 5: Good Times With good Friends

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:34:27 GMT

Today Jason, Brian and I took our kayaks to the Landingville Dam since we were all off work for the 4th.

We put in up river of the dam and paddled downstream. the river was definately higher than the last time we were on it and alot more murky than before.

Jason is eager to learn as much as he can so Brian was showing him some braces and just generally showing off in his kayak. Jason was impressed. Jason decided to attempt a brace once we got into deeper water. His brace failed and he ended up flipping the kayak, amazingly he managed to roll the kayak on pure instinct. He was ...

Landingville Dam journal: Kayaking Day 4: Entertaining the Family

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:26:18 GMT

I was itching to take my kayak out since it had been awhile since I was last in it. I also just got a new dvd called "White Water Kayaking:Basics For Women" which had some helpful tips in it that I was hoping to try out.

I didn't really have anyone to go out with since everyone I know who paddles had plans. So I talked my family into coming down and watching me kayak around the Landingville Dam. Since I'm new to kayaking and already had a pretty big mishap flipping over and getting stuck under the kayak I thought it would be a good idea to leave my spray skirt off and have some people ...

White Water Challengers journal: Kayaking Day 9: Kayak Clinic at Francis E Walter Dam

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:06:49 GMT

I took a kayak clinic with White Water Challengers located in White Haven, PA.

The cost of the clinic was 159.00 for 2 days, it also included use of a kayak, paddle, helmet, life vest and spray skirt. I had my own equipment so I used that.

The meeting time for the clinic was 9:00 a.m. When I got there I met Bob, one of the clinic instructors who was getting two other participants into kayaks.

We waited around until all 6 who were to be in the class showed up. Everyone was given a kayak, paddle, helmet, life vest and spray skirt which were loaded into the van.

We were ...

Fayetteville journal: Tearing Down Camp

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:05:33 GMT

Sunday we got up early, tired, sore, hungover and bruised to tear down tents and pack up gear. We left Fayetteville about 9:30 a.m. it was almost 7 p.m. til I got home. It was a long car ride but so worth it!

It was a great weekend and I know I'm going to be doing more of this in the future! I'm pissed I'm going to miss Gauleyfest this fall because of my ankle surgery but I'll be back in the spring for big water!

Til next time I'll leave ya with Songer's motto: Sling 'Em and Fling 'Em!

Fayetteville journal: Extreme White Water Rafting in the Lower New River Gorge

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:46:58 GMT

Songer knows that Darrin's group from Paddles, Poles and More likes to party so they think its funny to book us on the early rafting trip. We were told we had a 7:15 meeting time and we'd be heading to the river after that.

Saturday we got up early to have breakfast and sign waiver's before we could go rafting. Everyone was pretty hungover and tired and I think a few people still looked drunk. We were given our helmets, life jackets and paddles at the center before we boarded the bus.

We took our stuff to decorate our helmets on the bus with us and we did that for the 20 min ride ...

Fayetteville journal: Hang Overs, Shopping and Partying at Songer

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:44:22 GMT

On Friday morning I woke up about 8 am, after about 4 hours of sleep because it was so hot in the tent. Also I could hear Bob and Gunther yelling "9 dollars" from the picnic tables. I went outside to see what was going on. Apparently the heat woke a few of us up and Darrin, Bob, Gunther, Amber and Brooke were all laying all over the picnic tables. I joined them because it was too hot in the tent. We layed there in our hung over misery for quite awhile. At some point everyone in the group got up and we decided we were all hungry. So we went into Fayetteville for Chinese food. Prob not the best ...

Fayetteville journal: Have a Few Brews and Watch Some Entertaining Videos

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:17:20 GMT

Another good night spent at the Songer High Water Lounge drinking with crazy people, talking about white water and watching some crazy videos of rafting trips!

Fayetteville journal: Shop to Amuse Yourself

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 07:29:40 GMT

When you're bored and hung over a good thing to do is walk around the Dollar Tree and Big Lots to see what you can use as a crazy hat. It makes for good entertainment.

Fayetteville journal: Setting up Camp and Drinking at Songer

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:19:35 GMT

I left my house at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday to drive to Crystal's house in Bensalem. From there we packed my gear into her car and headed out onto the interstate about 8:15 a.m.

The drive took about 7-8 hours from Crystal's house. Along the way we passed the Lower Yough, the Cheat, and the Gauley on the way to the New River. I wonder if the people in WV know how lucky they are to have so many awesome rivers so close to them?!

We arrived in Fayetteville at the Songer base camp about 4:30 p.m. All along the way we had blue skies and sun, which the weather report wasn't calling for. We ...

Upper Lehigh River journal: ........

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:30:14 GMT

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Lake Wynonah journal: A Fun first Experience

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:24:23 GMT

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Landingville Dam journal: Learning new tricks with friends

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:18:57 GMT

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Landingville Dam journal: Kayaking Day 3: 2 Mile Paddle on a Gentle River

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 17:54:33 GMT

Today Jason, Tami and I took our white water kayaks to the Landingville Dam.

Jason also just got his first kayak a few weeks ago so he is learning as well. Tami has been paddling for quite some time.

We put in just near the fire station and started paddling toward the Dam. The river is quite low in many places. We could see the bottom of the river in many spots.

Jason and Tami are brother and sister and they were carrying on with each other. They were using their paddles to splash water all over each other when Tami's paddle broke! She had a used one and it just snapped in ...

Jim Thorpe journal: Family Style Rafting with the Family

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 10:34:20 GMT

On Sunday the family and I went white water rafting. It was supposed to be me, my mom, my dad, my aunt, my uncle, my brother and his niece going. Unfortunately my brother got his foot fractured at work and couldn't go, his niece also couldn't make it.

So on Sunday me, my mom, my dad, and my aunt and uncle trekked up to Pocono White Water in Jim Thorpe. We were supposed to be doing the Gateway section which is Class 2-3 rapids and it was a dam release weekend. I would say it was 70 something outside breezy and pretty overcast. When we got to the center we were told that they were in ...

Lake Wynonah journal: Kayaking Day 2: Wet Exit and Emergency Rescue!

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 08:37:43 GMT

So today Brian and I took our kayaks back to Lake Wynonah so he could teach me more. This time he taught me the Wet Exit, which is an emergency bail out incase your kayak flips over and you can't roll it back right side up.

Brian waded out waist high in the lake and had me paddle out to him. He stood there while I flipped my kayak upside down and tried to release the spray skirt. I got it on my first try. I gotta say it felt weird purposely tipping my kayak upside down and being stuck in a boat that's capcised. But its a good thing to know........which I later discovered!

We got ...

Lake Wynonah journal: First Time in My New White Water Kayak

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 08:22:28 GMT

On May 25th I went to Blue Mountain Outfitters to look at a white water kayak........

I've been white water rafting a few times and really loved it. I have a few friends who have been white water kayaking for several years. They have been urging me to get a white water kayak.....So I decided to go get a kayak without ever having done it!

After all was said and done I walked out of Blue Mountain Outfitters with a new Wavesport EZG 50 river runner/playboat, a spray skirt, helmet, pfd and paddle. LOL! The people at BMO were very helpful and knew their stuff. They took their time with ...

Jim Thorpe journal: Help! The Titanic is Taking On Water!

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 19:07:04 GMT

On Sunday Jen, Ken and Andy joined the Me, Michelle and Lauren for another day of exciting white water rafting!

We all went through the same check-in and safety procedures as the day before. We were also bused to the same area.

We were glad to have the guys to carry the raft this time and to help us paddle harder. Me, Michelle and Lauren didn't have the same energy as Saturday.

All 6 of us were put in one raft. This definately slowed us down. We didn't go nearly as fast the day before and we ran into alot more rocks and things.

It was an amusing ride. Andy and Ken in ...

Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Macungie journal: Linkage Achieved!

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:20:29 GMT

On Tuesday Jen, Ken and I took the day off work and went snowboarding at Bear.

At first I really wasn't sure how I was going to do. I hadn't slept very well the night before. I had gotten in from the Dropkick Murphy's concert in Allentown about 1:30 and only gotten to bed about 2:30 a.m. I was pretty tired from jumping around all night but I wanted to go. Jen and Ken had been in Philly last night at the Three Days Grace concert so they were pretty tired too. I thought it was going to be an interesting day.

We started the day with our last lesson at noon. It was only Jen and I in ...

Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Macungie journal: Ice, Ice Baby!

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:15:22 GMT

Today me and my cousin Jen went snowboarding at Bear Creek in Macungie. I wasn't sure how I was going to do because the night before my friends and family had a surprise birthday party for me at the bar and I was out doing shots until 3:30 a.m. When I woke up I was still a bit drunk and very shaky.

Thankfully we didn't go til 4 p.m. By that time I felt only slightly better but I decided to go anyway because with the weather the way its been who knows how long the season will last.

When we got to the mountain it was crowded, the top parking lots were filled up. We found a parking ...

Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Macungie journal: "We have Moguls Now!"

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:02:47 GMT

Last night my cousin's husband Ken went and bought his own snowboard, boots and bindings at Pinnacle so it's now official, we are all on BOARD! He got sick of renting and the prices and really wanted his own stuff so since Pinnacle was having a big sale he got his gear.

So today Me, Jen and Ken, went to Bear to snowboard and break in his new gear. We met Dorian and Chas there who had taken their first Learn to Ride lesson. They ski and wanted to try riding.

We went to Bear about 5 p.m. and the place was almost deserted! We couldn't believe it, normally the upper parking lots are ...

Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Macungie journal: We have LIFT Off!

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:59:58 GMT

Today me, my cousin Jen and her husband Ken went snowboarding again at Bear Creek. We got there for about 4 p.m. It wasn't too crowded for a weekend.

When we got to the bunny slope we could see most of the moguls were gone. There were a few small bumps left but I guess the heavy rain and people riding the slope wore them down. For the first time today we saw someone scanning passes and lift tickets at the magic carpet line. We hadn't seen that happen all season long but we heard Bear has a program where the encourage their liftys to catch people without passes for money.

When we ...

Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Macungie journal: Busting the Bindings!

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:59:29 GMT

Today Jen Ken and I went riding yet again at Bear Creek. We took a few warm up runs on the bunny slope and then went right over to the beginner's slope with the chair lift.

It wasn't too crowded at the mountain so the line for the lift was pretty short. We had tried going up with all 3 of us on the lift but when we tried to get off we knocked each other over so we decided to get on with only two on a chair and the next person in the next chair. Jen managed to get off ok, Ken fell and I came up behind them and got off with out falling.

Once again the slope was slushy because of the ...

Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Macungie journal: A Day Without an Expert!

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 20:29:55 GMT

Tonight after everyone was off work we went to Bear Creek again to snowboard. Me and my cousin Jen went. This time we didn't take a lesson. We decided to practice what we've learned in the previous lessons to see how we do.

Jen also bought a snowboard two nights ago so she wants to test it out. I think she's going to be getting rid of the skis and become a rider!

Well I have to say tonight was a tough night! We got there about 6:30 or so and the sun was down and as soon as we walked onto the snow we could tell it felt different. The snow at the base seemed all churned up and you ...