by Daniel Lawton “I was afraid my parents were going to freak out,” said 13-year-old Louisiana Boy Scout Ian Fuselier, about being recently stranded in an Arkansas national park. Fuselier, five of his Scout mates and two adults, spent 36 hours stranded in the wilderness after heavy rains made a river they had planned on […]
by Daniel Lawton I think that this is the most uncomfortable I have ever been, I thought to myself. I knew it wasn’t true, but that didn’t make me feel any better. I was lying on a crude sleeping pad on Maya Beach, an uninhabited island in Southern Thailand. For those Leonardo DiCaprio fans out […]
by Daniel Lawton “Ko Phi Phi is a group of six islands in the Andaman Sea off Phuket Island in Southern Thailand. The area was settled by Muslim fisherman in the 1940s and launched into the spotlight after the Leonardo DiCaprio movie “The Beach” was filmed on one of its beaches in 2000. Despite suffering […]
by Daniel Lawton “Penang is an island off the northern coast of Malaysia. I went there to obtain a 60-day Thai visa, which was a worthy excuse to stay a few days longer. The island is awash with multiculturalism because of its location as a strategic point during the days of spice trading. Residents are […]
by Dan Lawton “I must admit that I’m late to the Bill Bryson party. I’m not sure how it happened. I have been reading for well over 20 years; I have been hiking for a solid 15. Yet, somehow, I have never read any of Bryson’s books, even though he has a reputation as being […]
by Dan Lawton “Doi Suthep is a national park and Buddhist temple 15 kilometers outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand, and yesterday I rented a motorcycle and drove there. The ride is gorgeous, a flurry of sun-drenched forests with vista views, and the landscape near the temple is equally pristine. Perched on the top of a […]
by Daniel Lawton Every year, thousands of Americans pile into station wagons and mini vans and hit the road for annual summer vacations. Destinations vary from the beach to Disney World, but there’s one constant: vacations cost plenty of cash. Are you looking for an easy way to make your summer vacation a bit cheaper? […]
Liz Childers Want to have an up close and personal view of the wilderness without sacrificing the comfort of modern amenities? Check out Bubble Tree Tents, a French tent design that has features like couches, sofas and even hardwood floors. These tents blow up into giant clear globes, so you can have a pristine view […]
Liz Childers “Every year, millions of Americans flock to national parks and wilderness areas to enjoy the great outdoors. Unfortunately, many campers still don’t understand the best methods to minimize their ecological impact while camping. I recently came across an impassioned letter to the editor about how to leave no trace while on a camping […]
Daniel Lawton “There is a pirate bar across from the Anodard hotel, where I live in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It’s a strange place and patronized mostly by a coterie of Australians and Englishmen who consume large amounts of white rum from a carafe that resembles a milk bottle. I was sitting there one evening, eating […]
