Recreation & Leisure Articles

1. Fly Fishing Rods – Getting The Bends

By Rick Chapo Picking a fly fishing rod is a tricky endeavor. Do you go with your ego, expected fishing environment or something else? While length is a factor, the bend or action of the rod is a key factor. Flexibility Fly fishing rods are often defined by their flexibility. In laymen’s terms, flexibility means how far the rods will bend when the same casting effort is used. Minimal Bend A fly fis... read more

2. Traveling With Scuba Dive Gear and Equipment

By Clint Leung With today’s state of air travel and airport security, scuba divers often have to decide how to travel with all their dive gear. For those scuba divers who plan to rent all their equipment at their destination, this isn’t an issue. However, the trend in diving has always been that as divers become more experienced with more dives logged after initial open water certifications, they tend to want ... read more

3. Sweden Travel – Stockholm and Karlskrona

By Rick Chapo Known as the land of Vikings, Sweden is actually an odd mix of cosmopolitan cities and vast stretches of wide-open spaces. For budget travelers, Sweden is a bit expensive. Stockholm An incredibly beautiful city in the summer, Stockholm is the Venice of Northern Europe. Like Venice, Stockholm is built on the water with canals and waterways criss crossing the city. Instead of marshland, Stock... read more

4. Scuba Diving At Grand Cayman Island's Stingray City

By Clint Leung One of the most famous natural attractions in Grand Cayman Island is Stingray City. This is an area in the ocean not far from the northern tip of Grand Cayman where tourists can get up close to hundreds of friendly stingrays. Stingray City can get quite crowded especially when the cruise ship passengers are at port. Fortunately for us scuba divers, the masses are taken to a shallower section of... read more

5. Monaco – The Wealthy Conclave of Europe

By Rick Chapo Perched over the Mediterranean Ocean, Monaco is a picturesque country. With very high prices, most travelers can only afford to spend one day in this conclave for the rich. Monaco The principality of Monaco is a bizarre little place. Situated to the east of the French Riviera, the country is very small and dominated by the city of Monte Carlo. Everything in the principality caters to the we... read more

6. How to Choose a GPS

By James Chartwell You've heard that new sport, geocaching, is fun. Or, you're tired of getting lost on your travels. Welcome to the 21st century. Global Postioning System (GPS) has been around long enough that prices are reasonable and the technology is user-friendly. With myriad brands and models, how to choose? If you want a GPS for both hiking and driving use, then a handheld unit would be the way to go. Some... read more

7. Camping Journals – Preserve Your Camping Experiences

By Rick Chapo Camping is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your camping experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a camping journal for your adventures. Camping Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent camping experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went camping. Undoubtedly... read more

8. Budapest – Health Resort Spas

By Rick Chapo Budapest is an amazing city with so many attractions that it is hard to know where to start. The health resort spas seem as good a place as any. Budapest Spas Budapest sits on a tectonic plate fault line in Eastern Europe. While earthquakes seem inevitable, one advantage to the location is the proliferation of mineral water spas in the city. Here are a few highlights. The Gellert Spa Hote... read more

9. Greenland – The Misunderstood Land of Intrigue

By Rick Chapo Say “Greenland” and a traveler immediately thinks of a giant slab of ice. With attractions such as Disko Bay, Motzfeldt So Lake, and the hikes around Qaqortoq, Greenland is great for travelers looking for something off the beaten path. Disko Bay Disko Bay is the home to massive icebergs. By massive, I am talking icebergs the size of large buildings. The icebergs are simply everywhere. Watchi... read more

10. Living In Siberia – Lenin's Revenge

By Rick Chapo In 1999, I moved to Chita, a city in Siberia, Russia to teach for a year. After seven days of planes, trains and, well, more trains, I was ready to experience Chita in all its glory. Day 1 – Lenin’s Revenge Riding on a train for three plus days does weird things to your equilibrium. You tend to develop a natural compensation for the swaying. Unfortunately, your body doesn’t just snap back wh... read more

11. Big Bend National Park – Texas

By Rick Chapo Big Bend National Park is a land of borders. Situated on the boundary with Mexico along the Rio Grande, it is a place where countries and cultures meet. It is also a place that merges natural environments, from desert to mountains. It is a place where south meets north and east meets west, creating a great diversity of plants and animals. The park covers more than 801,000 acres of west Texas where... read more

12. Seville Spain - Spectacular City Of Color And Romance

By Linda Plummer Capital of Andalucia and largest southern city of Spain, this dashing and romantic place is packed full of life, history and culture. Nature lovers will also find plenty on offer at the Doñana Nature Reserve and the Sierra Norte Nature Reserve. Children will delight in the Isla Mágica Theme Park, Aquópolis Seville Guadalpark Water Park, and nearby Mundo Park. Seville is, of cour... read more

13. Costa Rica – VW Vans and Crawling Things

By Rick Chapo For better or worse, man has tamed Mother Nature in many countries. My general impression is this isn’t the case in Costa Rica. San Jose to Carrillo Roughly ten of us had decided to head to Costa Rica for a week to stay at a friend’s place just outside the beach town of Carrillo on the west coast. We flew into San Jose and were supposed to be met by a rental company representative that had ... read more

14. Small Town, Big Fishing Problem!

By Ron Kirstein Small Town, Big Fishing Problem! by Ron Kirstein, edited by Lisa Cole Port Renfrew is a small Canadian town with a major fishing problem. The problem is the sport fishing is great and only a few people know that. We arrive in Port Renfrew in late afternoon. Captain Quigley greets us at the entrance to Osprey Cabins. Quigley and his family provide these comfortable cabins in a beautiful ... read more

15. Thailand – The Land of Smiles and Cheap Travel

By Rick Chapo Thailand is known as the land of smiles, which is amazing considering the traffic jams in Bangkok. For budget travelers, Thailand simply can’t beat on price alone. Thailand Thailand is an odd mix of contrasts. It can be extremely stressful while trying to get around in Bangkok and gloriously relaxing while laying on practically any of the beaches that populate the coast of the country. Rega... read more

16. Hiking Trails – Preserve Your Experiences

By Rick Chapo Hiking is a great way to escape the rat race, get out in nature and leave the stress of the world behind. Alas, your hiking experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a hiking journal. Hiking Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent hiking experience. What sticks out in your mind? Who did you go with and were there any incredible view... read more

17. Holland Travel – Amsterdam, Van Gogh, Anne Frank

By Rick Chapo Holland certainly has a reputation with travelers. Known for having a very liberal attitude on social issues such as prostitution and drugs, the reputation is not always deserved. Yes, marijuana and prostitution is legal, but there is so much more to the country. Many look at Amsterdam as Holland, but visitors know there is much more. If you desire to travel to Holland, also known as the Netherlan... read more

18. Ice Climbing – Preserve Your Experiences

By Rick Chapo Ice climbing is a great way to escape the rat race and live on the edge. Alas, your ice climbing experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a ice climbing journal for your adventures. Ice Climbing Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent ice climbing experience. What sticks out in your mind besides the fact it was cold? Did you climb ... read more

19. Spain´s Hotels - Why Not Pick A Parador

By Linda Plummer Spain has a super selection of hotels and you will surely discover something to suit all tastes and pockets. Whilst most visitors holidaying in Spain from abroad tend to stick to the stereo-typed hotel chains for their vacations, Paradores make a fantastic alternative. Quality accommodation and food guarantee a stay that is remembered for comfort, style and value for money. And, throug... read more

20. Bird Watching Journals – Preserve Your Bird Watching Experiences

By Rick Chapo Bird Watching is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your bird watching experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a bird watching journal for your sightings and trips. Bird Watching Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent bird watching experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first ... read more

21. Budapest, Hungary – The Castle District

By Rick Chapo Towering a couple hundred feet above the Danube River, the Castle District in Budapest is a special place. Surrounded by gothic churches with stain glass, a visit to the Castle District is like stepping back into the renaissance. Castle District Situated in the Buda section of Budapest, the Castle District sits on the eastern side of the Danube. Positioned a couple hundred feet above the Dan... read more

22. Budapest, Hungary – The Paris of Eastern Europe

By Rick Chapo Located in Eastern Europe, Hungary is diverse and beautiful country. The undisputed treasure of the country is Budapest. Budapest – A Tale of Three Cities Over 2,000 years old, Budapest is a large city containing traces of the various forces that have ruled it over time. Romans, Turks, Goths and many others have conquered the city. Somehow, the various influences work in such a way as to mak... read more

23. A Day at the Summer Palace of Peter the Great

By Rick Chapo For elegance and old world feel, St. Petersburg is by far the best Russian city. If you go, a visit to Peterhof, the summer palace of Peter the Great is a must. Peterhof As Tanya and I left St. Petersburg for Peterhof, I was in a foul mood. A pickpocket had cut through the bottom of my backpack and swiped my camera. The ferry taking us was packed and the adorable child on my right had just ... read more

24. Spain´s Beaches - You´re Spoilt For Choice

By Linda Plummer Spain offers the visitor over 4,000 kms of coastline where s/he can enjoy shining sun and sapphire seas in wonderful settings. And what a choice of sands! Golden sands, white sands, grainy sands, powdery sands, and even the black sands of the Canary Islands! Allergic to sand? No problem! Just plump for a resort with smooth, white pebbles! You´ll find a good selection! Already ho... read more