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Springtime Is the Best Time to See Alaska: When Wildlife Awakens

9/20/2017

With UnCruise Adventures, you'll spot bears, whales, eagles and glaciers; hike on sunny days, traverse waterfalls and soak in hot springs; snorkel, kayak and ride paddle boards in pristine bays and fjords. What more could an active traveler want?

Photos courtesy of UnCruise Adventures

By John Roberts

When spring arrives, change is in the air in Alaska.

You have to be there to see the bears that have come out of their dens and down to the shoreline to fish, dig for clams and wander the beaches with newborn cubs.

You won't want to miss out on the sunniest days, perfect for hiking in remote wilderness amid the blooming flowers in vast meadows that sit below snow-capped peaks.

You need to hear the loud cracks of calving glaciers that signal the soon-to-follow thunderous plunge of a newly born iceberg as it drops into the icy blue waters at the end of pristine fjords.

Alaska is an incredible destination any time of year, but it's a magical experience to be among the initial travelers to arrive in Alaska in spring when the awesome splendor of its annual awakening occurs.

I know. I've done it, sailing with UnCruise Adventures on its expedition ship Wilderness Explorer during the first week in May.

Read all about my adventures on Wilderness Discoverer here: An UnCruise Adventures Voyage in Alaska Is a Thrilling Challenge You Won't Ever Forget

I have been on more than 50 cruises and been to at least 45 countries. Friends, family and people I meet out on the road know I travel a lot, and the top question I get is "What is your favorite place?" It used to be a difficult question to answer -- until I went on my trip on Wilderness Explorer in 2016. Now, I quickly respond with all the incredible details of my week in Southeastern Alaska.

UnCruise Adventures in Alaska, brown bears

UnCruise Adventures in Alaska, whale spotting

The experiences are still so vivid in my mind. We had numerous sightings of brown bears, breaching orcas and Dall's porpoises riding our bow wake. We gathered on the observation deck of the ship as the captain maneuvered close to a steep waterfall in the channel (a rainbow appeared) and passed colonies of Steller sea lions. We saw bald eagles soaring overhead daily.

We ventured off ship to test our limits with kayaking and extreme hiking outings. We hopped onto standup paddleboards and took skiff tours in serene bays.

We loved every moment, returning to the ship for camaraderie over drinks and gourmet meals or a plunge in the hot tub to soothe our exhausted bodies. I am sure that I got lucky with the weather. We had days that reached the mid-70s, and sunshine was nearly constant throughout my week onboard Wilderness Explorer. The average temperature for May in Alaska is typically in the mid-50s. Spring is the driest time of year and features the most sunshine. This is also prime time for wildflowers, bear activity and birding. You can even catch the Northern Lights this time of year.

UnCruise Adventures in Alaska, ship in a fjord

The opportunity for a wide range of adventure activities is almost overwhelming. I never slept better than after some of these days exploring. We hiked dozens of miles and crossed surging waterfalls that were fed by the snow melting from mountain peaks under the warming spring temps.

We also soaked in natural hot springs and went snorkeling in a tidal zone. (One activity requires a swimsuit, the other a wet suit.)

Oh, and don't forget the Polar Plunge, an end-of-journey celebration that thrills (the observers) and chills (the plungers).

The ports during this time of year are peaceful and uncrowded, too. Arriving ahead of the busy tourist season allowed me to see the residents of these Alaskan towns carrying on their daily activities in relative peace. I hiked alone on a trail to a high point in Wrangell and was one of three people in a local bar when I rewarded myself for the climb with an Icy Bay IPA (from Alaska Brewing Co., of course).

UnCruise Adventures in Alaska, snorkeling

UnCruise Adventures in Alaska, whale tail

Alaska is incredible no matter when you go, but if I had to pick my favorite time, it would be spring. What makes it even better for a frugal traveler like myself is that the cost for expedition cruises to Alaska is lower before the season hits full swing.

UnCruise has more than 30 departures on seven ships (holding 22 to 88 passengers) in April and May, so you can be there to witness "Alaska Awakening." Itineraries start the season on April 7, 2018, when Wilderness Explorer sails from Seattle to Juneau on a 14-night Alaska's Inside Passage and San Juan Islands voyage.

UnCruise ships also visit the towns of Sitka, Ketchikan, Haines and Petersburg and cruise into destinations such as Misty Fjords National Monument, Lynn Canal, Glacier Bay National Park, Tracy Arm and Frederick Sound.

Have you been to Alaska -- or is it on your travel wish list? Let us know in the comments below. (I can talk about Alaska all day; just get me started.)

Thanks for reading!

Remember, always travel happy.

JR

This post was sponsored in collaboration with UnCruise Adventures to promote its Alaska Awakening campaign highlighting spring travel to The Last Frontier.

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Hiking Guide for Baldpate Mountain in New Jersey

9/12/2017

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Baldpate Mountain in Ted Stiles Preserve hiking in New Jersey

By John Roberts

Baldpate Mountain looks over the Delaware River from the New Jersey side of the waterway. That's Pennsylvania in the distance. The mountain (about 500 feet of elevation gain) sits within the Ted Stiles Preserve in Hopewell Township, New Jersey. The preserve is 1,800 acres of wilderness filled with pretty meadows, canopied forest, streams and rocky trails. It's home to a range of wildlife and a great place to hike.

The well-laid-out trail system promises numerous chances to come back again and again and vary your route so that you always have a new experience.

I went for the first time on a Monday at mid-morning in the first week of September and was alone on the trail all day. I passed a couple other hikers, but most of my three hours was spent gloriously communing with nature, serenaded by bird calls the whole way.

Access to the trailhead is on Fiddlers Creek Road, about a mile off River Road in Titusville. At the main parking area, you will see an information hut with the trail maps (color coded). Pick your route (paper maps might be available, but I snapped a picture to look at with my phone) and head into the woods.

The trails are perfectly groomed, but I imagine they can get muddy when it's been raining. Some areas have small wooden plank bridges in place to pass through soggy areas. Wear comfy hiking shoes and bring plenty of water. Apply sun screen (the trail is mostly under cover of the forest but emerges often into open spaces exposed to sun) and some insect repellent.

My five-mile hike took about 2.5 hours. I chose to follow trails all the way back to a high point on Fiddlers Creek Road and follow the paved road back downhill to my vehicle, thus making a loop. You also can choose to do out-and-back routes. I am excited to return and try longer options and bring along friends.

During my hike, I saw spiders (and walked through many low-hanging spider webs), squirrels, chipmunks, moles, worms, wildflowers, berries, mushrooms and dozens of bird species. I also saw evidence of deer.

The first section of the trail from the main parking area is for hikers only, but most other parts of the preserve and forest offer wide paths that are multi-use. You could be sharing some trails with mountain bikers, horseback riders and trail runners. You can drive farther up Fiddlers Creek Road to find additional parking areas at the top and then work your way through the trails in reverse. Horse trailer parking also is available in the lot at the top.

Maps at the preserve help you set your routes.

A few highlights of my hike:

I liked the steep rocky incline that you reach about 30 minutes into the hike if you are starting from the main parking area trailhead. This is a good spot to take a nice group picture, too, and offers some of the most technical hiking of the trail that I was on.

A large meadow that is at the very end of the "hiking only" Blue Trail is filled with sunflowers and songbirds. This space opens up to a set of picnic tables and is an ideal spot for a lunch or snack break while relaxing in a gorgeous sun-splashed setting.

The site features 12 miles of hiking trails that are free and open to the public. This is a carry-in, carry-out preserve. This means, leave no trace when you use the park. I hope this helps you discover the fantastic outdoors experiences available at Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain.

Thanks for reading.

Travel fit!
JR

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Don't Hit the Road Without Knowing these 21 Quirky Travel Hacks

9/6/2017

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Give your oldest pair of sneakers one last use on an active adventure, then toss them before you head home.

By John Roberts

At In The Loop Travel, we are always on the search for new ways to add comfort, save money and secure our health when we travel. We continuously discover -- or invent -- new tips and tricks for how to travel smarter and better. These travel hacks might come from trial and error, a jolt of common-sense inspiration or by chatting with fellow travelers who have some cool ideas.

Here is our list of 21 unique travel hacks that can help you travel like a boss. Please, please, please help us out and add some of your own tried-and-true methods in the comments below.

OK, let's get to the list! . . .

These items can can improve your travel experience ... really!

Drop Zone -- We travel a lot, and we also seem to be ordering more and more of our "stuff" online through Amazon, for example. It just makes sense to get these deliveries at our workplace. If it's allowed, set up your workplace as the delivery address for your online orders. That way your new goodies will never sit out on your porch or in front of your apartment building when you are traveling out of the country for the week.

Digital Copies -- Make digital copies of your important documents like passports, driver's licenses, visas, itineraries, contact info and any other items that you would be a big hassle if you lost them. Many of these items won't stand as replacements for the originals but having the copies can expedite the process of getting a new passport, for example. Take picture with your cellphone or upload images to a secure cloud service like Dropbox.

Bag it Up -- Ziploc baggies can be among the most-versatile things to pack. Use them to pack up an extra snack for the road from a hotel buffet. Keep your cellphone or other items dry when you are out hiking in the rain. Or put the hotel room TV remote into a Ziploc as soon as you arrive. Grab a handful of the resealable bags because you never know what you might use them for. The remotes at hotels or Airbnb accommodations are gross germ farms. Ewwww! At hotels, an easy fix also is to wrap it in a shower cap that is often provided in your room's bathroom as part of a toiletries kit.

Backup Plan -- If you made arrangements for a stay at a place you reserved on Airbnb, VRBO.com or even a hotel and motel, research at least one more spot that can be your fallback if the hotel or other service screws up your reservation or doesn't give you a room that meets your satisfaction. We have heard of people arriving at their Airbnb to find it dirty or have some other aspect of the plan fall apart. Have a backup Airbnb place you can quickly book or use an app such as Hotel Tonight to secure your accommodations in a pinch.

It's Showtime -- Load up your phone or tablet with downloadable entertainment from Netflix or Amazon (the services offer downloadable content that you can watch offline). Having a batch of shows and movies is perfect for downtime in airports or on planes and trains and also a great way to unwind in your cabin or hotel at the end of the day if you're in a place with no Wi-Fi connectivity.

Airline Apps -- Similarly, make sure that you know what entertainment system your flight will have (if any). Some airlines use planes with no TV screens and require you to have their app to view entertainment options once you air in flight.

Lounge Around -- If you get a limited number of airline lounge passes -- maybe from a rewards credit card -- you probably will hold on to them and wait to get the best use out of them. I get one lounge pass a year from United for having a United Mileage Plus credit card, and I won't use it unless I have a layover of at least five hours at an airport. The tip here, though, is to always carry these passes because you never know when travel disruptions might leave you stranded at an airport. I have left mine at home and regretted not having it for just such a case.

Power Play -- Get a power block (picture at top) to charge your phone and other devices. These come with multiple ports to charge several items at once, and they are much more powerful, with a longer lasting charge that quickly recharges your stuff. They are not much larger than a big cellphone and work infinitely better than the charging sticks that charge one device at a time. I use the EC Technology Power Bank that costs around $25 to $30.

Volunteers Needed -- Many flights are overbooked. If you keep your travel schedule flexible, you can get great benefits by volunteering to be bumped. Arrive to a gate early, check with an agent about whether there is a possibility they will need volunteers, and plant yourself close to the desk so you're ready when they make the call. You get booked on a later flight (sometimes just a few hours later) and likely can get between $400 and $1,000 in airfare vouchers and even meal vouchers and a hotel stay (depending on when your new flight is scheduled).

Welcome Home -- I know most people like to squeeze out every possible moment from their vacations, but consider planning to come home a day early, if possible. That means flying back on a Saturday instead of Sunday, for example. This way, you get a full day back home to do the laundry, grocery shopping and ease back into reality instead of dropping your bags, going to sleep and getting up on a Monday to go back to work. Leaving an extra day on your weekend when returning means you can afford to volunteer to be bumped (and getting all those perks) or won't be faced with an overly stressful crisis (having to miss a day of work, getting the kids back to school, etc.) if weather or a mechanical issue puts your flight off for a day.

Anywhere in the World -- Let's stick with the notion that you are a flexible adventurer. If your bucket list is limitless, perhaps you might like the idea of planning your vacation in reverse. Search for the cheapest flights to any number of destinations that interest you. Can you travel at a moment's notice? Pick a location, a flight, a date. Then, pack your bags and go! You could save thousands on trips.

Cash Stash -- I carry a backpack as one of my luggage. In one of the pockets, I have a 20 British pounds note and a 20 euros note. This is my emergency money in case I need it in a pinch. I use credit cards whenever I can (get one that has no foreign transaction fees), and I also bring some cash in a wallet, but my secret stash is for emergencies -- maybe I need a taxi ride and am out of other funds, for example.

Lost and Found -- Put a label on your devices -- e-reader, tablets, cellphones, computers, etc. -- with your name, contact info and address. If you forget one of these items anywhere along the way -- the main culprit is in the seat pocket on a plane (don't ever use the seat pocket of a plane!) -- you have a better chance of your lost item making its way back to you.

Luggage Limbo -- Place a business card or a sheet of paper with your name, phone number and address on it inside of your suitcase or backpacks in case any luggage tags are torn off during transit. This helps if your bags are lost or delayed by the handling service. Or if another traveler unwittingly grabs your bag off the carousel.

Clean and Comfy -- Bring a pair of travel socks for your long-haul flights. You can slip off your shoes and keep your feet warm and comfortable onboard the plane. When your trip is done, slip off the socks and toss them (Because, airplane floors. Yuck!).

Bubbly Quenchers -- When ordering bottled water in less-developed parts of the world, go with the fizzy stuff (picture at top). The sparkling water with "gas" or bubbles is much more difficult to counterfeit. This means you are not going to get local tap water in your bottle (yes, this happens), which can make you sick.

Fresh Laundry -- Bring along fragrant dryer sheets and a clean bag to segment your suitcase when you repack your clothes for the trip home. Because you have packed efficiently (right?), you will have maybe only a few items of clean clothes left. Keep those in the clean bag, away from your dirty, stinky clothes. Place a couple nice-smelling dryer sheets on top of your packed dirty clothes and then lay your clean clothes bag on top.

Screen Time -- You know how you had that boarding pass loaded on your app or browser and then it disappeared when you lost connectivity at the airport just as you were approaching the agent in the security line? Take a screen shot of the boarding pass on your phone, and this will never be a problem again. You can just retrieve the image from your phone's picture gallery and not worry when you lose Internet connectivity.

Roll It Out -- Cut a small section of a pool noodle (picture at top) and bring it along to use for lumbar support on your flights. Your back will thank you. You can also use the piece of foam as a roller for exercising the bottoms of sore feet or massaging any other tired muscles.

Save Your Memories -- Offload pictures and video from your cameras at the end of each day. Use a portable drive or your laptop to store and organize the days of your trip. This helps you stay on top of documenting your travels so it's not an unwieldy task when you return home. More importantly, you are backing up your images in case your memory card is lost or damaged. That way, only one day's worth of images are lost, not the entire trip.

Sneaker Toss -- Going on an active adventure, maybe with hiking in dirt and mud, or daily bike rides (maybe in the rain)? You probably will be working out at the hotel gym or getting in a run outside a couple times. Bring a pair of old sneakers -- the ones that are on their last legs -- and give them one last hurrah. I have used a pair of old sneakers on my more active outdoor trips and simply tossed them out at the end (picture at top of this post). This keeps stinky shoes away from my luggage and clears up the space needed for a couple souvenirs. (I reclaim more space than most when I do this because of my size 12 feet.)

What do you think? Used any of these tips? Have more to add? Let us know.
Thanks for reading,
JR

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Springtime Is the Best Time to See Alaska: When Wildlife Awakens

Hiking Guide for Baldpate Mountain in New Jersey

Don't Hit the Road Without Knowing these 21 Quirky Travel Hacks

These items can can improve your travel experience ... really!

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