The Salty Travelers Blog

My better-half, Kevin, and I decided to write this blog during one of our recent international trips. I had to do a bit of research on hiking, dining, and accommodations in Banff National Park and once I did, I found it challenging to get legit information on things WE liked to do. What gives? Are we the only couple in the world who would prefer to get out and sweat a little while on vacation? (Have you noticed that if you sweat excessively during exercise that you have a chalky-salty-film on your skin?) Are we the only ones who would like to get away from crowds and touristy things once in awhile? (Tourists/crowds can be so damn annoying! They make me salty! How long do we have to wait in line for that? Why do all of my pictures have someone in the background photobombing my shot?) I get so annoyed...and salty...about all that nonsense. Get it? Its a double entendre. LMAO! ) Yep, I am the Salty one. Most of the time.

Our LIFESTYLE

My Pepper and I are both avid outdoor lovers. I must sit outside, be outside, and find sunshine wherever we go. We are also fairly athletic (or crazy, one of the two). But, we both get a bit anxious sitting around too much. So, vacations are generally not for relaxing-but for seeing and doing and living! We DO get pretty tired from all the action-so we miss out on the bar scene at night. We are not big boozers anyway. We prefer to spend our time DOING. Now, I totally get it if you just want to “get away”, sit by the pool, drink margaritas, and work on your tan. Different strokes for different folks. We will just not have a ton of references for bars or cocktails. Sorry, BudMan.

We spend very little time in our hotel/air bnb/lodge so we generally do not look for the 5 Star resort. But if you enjoy a cool, artsy, interesting accommodation that is comfortable to be at when you are completely exhausted from a super active day…then read on. We do try to have at least one fancy-ass meal per trip. (Don’t we ALL deserve a nice meal after a long, active day?!) I am an avid, Michelin Guide, Eater Reader for reference. When on vacation, I can’t mess around with a bad choice. So I do my research! Other than that, we eat local, grab and go, and check out a local rooftop or two. As long as there is no line. Seriously. I get hangry when I need food. After all, when you burn 6000 calories hiking in one day, how can I stand in line for a slice?!

Lastly, we travel… a lot. We have 6/7 continents under our belt. (The 7th will come in time-Antarctica). We will only blog on our most recent trips here…But, we don’t know everything, haven’t traveled everywhere we desire, or claim to be absolute experts. But we do think that there is a big, wide world out there to see and experience. You need to just get off the couch, or the lounge chair, and see it. Live it. Appreciate it. One thing my Pepper and I have learned is that whether you go to the poorest parts of Africa (twice), Communist China (many times), down under to Australia (honeymoon), or head west to Colorado (when can we move there?)- people are all the same. We all have the same needs, wants, and dreams regardless of race, religion, or demographic. Open your eyes, minds and wallets and you figure that out. Maybe once that happens, we can all live in peace on this earth....

Anyway, we hope you enjoy reading about our adventures- and pick up a tip or two along the way for your next trip! Life is an adventure, baby!

Why Blog about it?

My Pepper, Kevin, and I plan a lot of trips- traveling has become a hobby for us! There is a big, wide world out there…and we want to see all of it! But, we are just two, boring working adults who have to schedule around prior commitments and within the constraints of out vacation time. We are NOT on a 12 month sabbatical blogging about our adventures. We are NOT backpacking during a gap year. (Who has time for that? I have to make some money to pay for all these trips!) We are just an adventurous couple who make time to do some pretty interesting things while on vacation to some pretty interesting places. Of course we want to see the iconic tourist attractions that are on our bucket list. But we also want to get away from the crowds and experience nature when traveling. If we can hike, bike, ski, climb, swim, whatever…we try and schedule that into our agenda. For me, the more adventurous and thrilling, the better! I love a little adrenaline rush! So why not share that buzzy feeling with fellow travelers and let them experience it too?! And, a few shortcuts and tips to make your travels a little easier doesn’t hurt, either…

While hiking, biking, skiing, or…just getting off the couch, may not be for everyone- its worth a try! You may actually enjoy it! I admit, Kevin and I long for indoor plumbing after a day or two of camping. My booty hurts if we bike ride too many miles. And we yearn to wear normal footwear after a few days of hiking. Honestly, who doesn't love slipping on a pair of red-soled shoes every now and then, right ladies?!

People often ask how (and why?!) Kevin and I can stay so active after all these years. Yep- we are OLD. Middle aged, in fact. But why act like it?! I can only say" Just get off the couch!" Go explore, get out into nature, and put one foot in front of the other. You do not have to be an athlete to walk through the forest, bike on a trail, or dine under 6 million stars! There is no greater feeling than the freedom of nature, the sun shining on your face and the sense of accomplishment when you experience something you did not think possible.

So just get off the couch…and make life an adventure!