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A World Famous Adventurer Wants You to Live Your Best Life

9/27/2018

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Erik Weihenmayer, blind adventurer, kayaks at Manhattan Kayak Co., in Manhattan
I met Erik Weihenmayer during a quick kayaking outing in Manhattan in advance of the upcoming No Barriers Summit being held in the city at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.
By John Roberts

If you enjoy travel and adventure, you know what it means to push yourself.

To test your limits. To meet new challenges and get outside of your comfort zone.

Erik Weihenmayer has been the living embodiment of what it means to shatter pre-conceived notions about what is possible.

He is one of the world's foremost adventurers, having conquered Mount Everest, climbed the Seven Summits, kayaked the full 277-miles of the Grand Canyon's treacherous whitewaters, and finished the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. These are just some of the top achievements on Weihenmayer's list.

Impressive? Inspiring?

For sure.

Now, consider the fact that Weihenmayer is blind.

The 50-year-old Fort Collins, Colorado, resident has been working hard for more than three decades to create a new template for how people facing challenges can live their best lives and do what they love.

He lost his sight at the age of 13 to a childhood disease and refused to let that hamper his life. To help others, too, Weihenmayer co-founded No Barriers USA in 2005. The nonprofit organization offers support and a range of resources to fulfill its mission to "unleash the potential of the human spirit.  Through transformative experiences, tools and inspiration, we help people embark on a quest to contribute their absolute best to the world.  In the process, we foster a community of curious, brave and collaborative explorers who are determined to live the No Barriers Life."

In that spirit, the organization also hosts the annual No Barriers Summit. This year, the event takes place in New York City at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It will unite 1,500 select attendees to collaborate, share experiences and put forward new ideas and concepts that can help more and more people reach their goals and potential no matter what challenges they face.

In the lead up to the No Barriers Summit, I met up with Erik and other members of his No Barriers team to do some kayaking in the Hudson River (see video at bottom of this post).

Then, we had a chance to chat about some of the goals for his organization, the summit and what he hopes his life and experiences can teach anyone who is facing obstacles or challenges.

5 Questions with Erik Weihenmayer of No Barriers USA

Q: How has No Barriers USA grown and evolved since its inception and what do you hope attendees to the summit get out of it? 
 
A: It's grown a ton. We felt that there was a potential movement here and lots of people who would want to join because a lot of people struggle in the world. They are on the sidelines, not in the thick of things and not the best version of themselves. They feel like they're missing something.

They get shoved to the sidelines for a variety of reasons. Physical disability is a big one. Things like trauma or PTSD or brain injuries. Or maybe just human, invisible things like anxiety and fear.

So, we knew that this movement was potentially massive worldwide. So, then the idea was how to grow it, and we've been trying to do that in fits and starts over the last 15 years.

Now, we impact more than 10,000 people a year, and the summit will be a really amazing opportunity to showcase the message of No Barriers in front of a citywide audience.

We've been going to these incredibly beautiful mountain cities (recent summits have been in Colorado and California, for example). We wanted to take it out of the mountains and bring it into people's faces.

There are a lot of city folks who would not experience this message unless we brought it to them. 
 
Q. What innovations or other developments in adaptive sports are you most excited about these days?
 
A. Represented at the summit, for instance, is Sam Schmidt. He is a huge hero of mine. He crashed his race car and is a quadriplegic, and with the help of this company called Arrow Electronics, they built him a car that he is able to drive with his eye movement. He's driven that car more than 100 mph, and he'll be there with the Arrow Car.

A project like that is inspiring for everybody. I don't care if you have a physical disability or not.

Another person who inspires me is Mandy Harvey. She's a deaf musician who went deaf while in college during her music program, which isn't a very convenient time to go deaf in your life.

But there is a remarkable adaptability in the human brain. Scientists call it neural plasticity.  
So, if you can figure out a way to get information to Mandy (who discovered she still has perfect pitch), then she can sing songs.

She uses a simple app on her iPhone that tells her when she hums something whether she's in tune or not. She's able to learn songs, and she has written her own music.

She sings barefoot, so she can feel the vibrations of the music. And she has all these visual connections with her band, so she knows when to go in or go out.

So, No Barriers is about, yes, innovation, which is hugely important. But at the same time, it's also about the human spirit.

Q. You just had a milestone birthday, turning 50. What will you do to celebrate?
 
A. I have tons of trips. I'm going back to a Himalayan peak called Ama Dablam that I failed at 18 years ago. It's a 22-and-half-thousand-foot peak; some says it's the most beautiful mountain in the world. In December, I'm going to climb for two weeks in Wadi Rum in Jordan.

I'm feeling really fit, feeling really good, actually. I don't plan to slow down.
 
Q. What have you learned over your decades of facing challenges that can also help people not look at age as a barrier, too?
 
I climbed Everest back in 2001 with a guy who was 64 years old. That just shows me that, you know sure, the body does break down eventually, and that's reality. But you can push it for a long time.

You will slow down, but not in a predictable way that you might think.

For me, it's been a little bit of not falling into the trap of that I have to do something harder and higher and riskier. That gets you in trouble and is shallow. It becomes more about your resume.

I think the No Barriers message is about that map that we're building in our lives. It's not like a very neat and prescribed map. It's more like a map that propels you in very unexpected ways forward.

You have to be committed to riding the energy of life to discover new things and not settling for getting shoved to the sidelines.
 
Q. What is your best piece of advice for people who are reluctant to get out of their comfort zones?
 
A. Sometimes, what we need is just a kick start. Sometimes that No Barriers journey is so tenuous. People end up at some plateau in their lives. How do they kick start themselves into moving forward?

We get people who just have the courage to jump in and take part in the No Barriers experience, and that becomes the catalyst to them taking on something in their lives. 
We call them No Barriers pledges. Whether it's writing a book or getting a job or starting a business. That thing that you were just scared to do, you make that pledge and say "I'm going to do it."

We've had soldiers get off of pain killers and work their way out of trauma.

What I'm saying is that sometimes you get stuck a little bit, and you need to find a way to unstick and make changes in your life. No Barriers could be a part of that unsticking process.
 
The No Barriers Summit is October 5 and 6, 2018, in New York City. 
 
Thanks for reading, 
JR
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Why You Should Spend Time in San Francisco Before a Cruise

9/18/2018

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San Francisco cruise pier 27
By John Roberts

I have taken two cruises from San Francisco.

One time, it was a 17-day voyage through the Panama Canal on a repositioning cruise that would end in Fort Lauderdale. That cruise on Celebrity Infiniti stopped at ports in Monterey, California, Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Caribbean islands. It was a long and rewarding journey.

My other cruise from San Fran went north to Alaska on Regent Seven Seas Mariner. Combining the beauty of an Alaska adventure with a luxury cruise experience? Pure bliss.

I already knew the itineraries would be amazing, but each time I got on the ship to sail away from San Francisco, I realized that I wished I had allotted more time to visit that great U.S. destination. Regrettably, I had planned for just one overnight before embarking on my cruise.

Next time, I'll take more time to enjoy the city because there are so many things that are easy to do right neat the cruise port. Here are seven cool things to check out before your cruise in San Francisco.
Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco
Ghirardelli Square
This area got its start in the 1800s as a chocolate factory. Today, it's a sprawling modern specialty retail and restaurant complex with so much to offer.

Ghirardelli Square is one of the iconic sites near the waterfront area and serves as a model around the United States for successful restoration projects involving old manufacturing facilities.


San Francisco Brewing Co. has opened there, and you'll also find restaurants like McCormack and 
Kuleto's Seafood and Steaks and The Pub BBQ, as well as a cheese shop, artist and culinary programs, mini golf, and the namesake chocolate boutique, of course.
Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco
Pier 39 sea lions in San Francisco
Fisherman's Wharf
This is THE hot spot along the San Francisco Bay, with so many activities available. We like to go for the restaurants and bars because it's scenic spot to enjoy the sunset while enjoying good food (seafood reigns here) and cocktails. The Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood is a bustling spot -- with nice wide pedestrian areas -- that runs approximately from Ghirardelli Square east to Pier 35.

You can't miss the most-famous residents at the wharf. Pier 39 is home to the colony of sea lions that haul out onto the floating docks in the bay and create a delightful ruckus (and not so delightful smell). Hundreds of these creatures are always on display, splashing around and wrestling with each other.

Also, within this stretch, you'll find bike rental shops, access points to ride the famed cable cars, tour operators running day cruises in the bay, plenty of retail outlets and the ferries to Alcatraz Island.
Alcatraz Cruises in San Francisco
Alcatraz Island 
The island is a National Historic Landmark, and aside from being known as the home of the infamous federal penitentiary, Alcatraz also is site of the first lighthouse and first U.S. constructed military fortress on the west coast. It's a top destination for many visitors, especially if it's your first time in San Francisco.

Book your ferry trip and Alcatraz tickets online through Alcatraz Cruises ahead of your trip because Alcatraz tours almost always sell out.  
Aquatic Cove in San Francisco
Aquatic Park
San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park (just across the street from Ghirardelli Square) is an area of beach and protected cove that offers a haven for avid swimmers and place for pretty sailboats to anchor. Swim clubs train and hold events in the bay that is mostly encircled by the long and curved municipal pier. There is a maritime museum on site.

Not brave enough for a dip in the always-chilly waters? No worries. Just plop down in the stadium seating, on the seawall or at a grassy patch at nearby Victorian Park -- or take a stroll on the pier -- while enjoying the sunset or sunrise.
Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco
Hyde Street Pier
This long historic ferry pier is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park and is situated at the edge of the Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood. The pier offers a variety of interesting interactive exhibits and has retired landmark vessels anchored that are worth a visit to learn more about the region's seafaring history.
Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco Irish Coffee
Buena Vista Cafe
Located at 2765 Hyde Street, Buena Vista Cafe sits at the end of Fisherman's Wharf near the Aquatic Park.  Buena Vista is the reputed home of the first Irish Coffee in the U.S., and you can drop in to warm up with the same recipe that brought the concoction to the States in 1952.
San Francisco Bay Trail
Bay Trail
San Francisco is a fantastic city explore on a run or by biking. The Bay Trail offers a wonderful way to easily get in a workout while enjoying the scenic surroundings. The 500-mile planned trail features a nice stretch that is easily accessible near the port area.

Start on the Embarcadero anywhere between the Bay Bridge in the south and r
un or pedal northwest past the cruise port, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, municipal pier and into the hills until you reach historic Fort Mason. In this direction you are heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge and Land's End. You can find multiple bike rental outfits in Fisherman's Wharf and the surrounding area.

Thanks for reading,

JR
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Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Offers Free Fitness Classes Onboard

9/13/2018

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Picture
The Grand Celebration cruise ship sails two-night cruises to the Bahamas. The ship carries up to 1,800 passengers.
By John Roberts

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which sails two-night cruises and offers cruise and resort stays to Grand Bahama Island year-round from the Port of Palm Beach in Florida, announced a partnership with Fit Bodies Inc. to offer free exercise classes from certified fitness, Zumba and yoga professionals onboard the Grand Celebration.

Fit Bodies is the world's largest teaching-exchange program for fitness, yoga, tennis and wellness professionals. The program onboard the Grand Celebration and Grand Classica (classes available starting in early 2019) cruise ships aims to provide passengers with exceptional workout experiences to unwind and recharge on their voyages to and from Grand Bahama Island.

"We are delighted to partner with these talented industry professionals to offer guests the best fitness experiences possible onboard," said Oneil Khosa, CEO of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. "In addition to exercising in our Ocean View Fitness Center, our guests can now enjoy the most popular workouts at sea led by certified trainers to ensure they feel rejuvenated during their getaway."

Fitness classes will be held both indoors and outdoors, if weather permits, and equipment will be provided. Cruisers get a schedule of fitness classes when they come onboard.

"Our new cruise partnership with Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and their customers is an exciting expansion in the 28-year history of Fit Bodies," said Suzelle Snowden, president of the fitness company. "We look forward to working with the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line team and their customers."

These short cruises sound like the perfect choice for a winter getaway or short wellness retreat when you need to refresh a bit.

Who wants to chase the sunshine with me and get in a few good workouts along the way?

Thanks for reading,
JR
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