My dad and I, toasting a few adventures. Happy Father's Day!

My dad had no interest in joining my mom on her European adventures. He was happy to drop her at the airport and wish her safe travels. It’s nothing personal; Mom’s not the only one who has experienced the dad-drop-off. My sisters and I have bid Dad farewell at the airport in route to Norway, Ireland, Mexico, Argentina… “Have fun. Be safe.” We did. We were. Dad would make his way home, content to keep his feet on the ground and let his girls do the jet-setting.

How did this happen? How did a cool, calm and perfectly content homebody create a daughter who gets antsy without an upcoming trip on the horizon, and perhaps has a little bit of a chemical imbalance that requires a rush of adrenaline to correct?

I can only image that he is equally confused. When I brought up the desire to take Amazon sea-kayaking trip this winter, I was quick to also add a few extra Amazon-esque embellishments that among many things included the disappearance legendary explorer, Percy Fawcett, electric eels and the infamous candiru; the bloodsucking tiny fish who has a reputation of seeking out the most intimate parts of the body… Dad didn’t quite share my enthusiasm.

But no matter how reluctant my dad may be to join in the travels, he is the one to blame for the wanderlust. As a kid, Mom and Dad toted my sisters and me across North America, from Alaska to Florida, and plenty of weekend escapes to Lake Superior’s North Shore – we filled in the gaps with the best of Minnesota. We were encouraged to wonder what else was out there to explore. It was more than just the mere action of traveling. It was things like Dad’s 4:30 am rise and shine to watch the sunrise along the Mississippi. It was things like earning our stripes in the Polar Bear club – Dad proudly led his bear cubs through the thin layers of lake ice; the colder the temp the greater the bragging rights. It didn’t necessarily matter the places we saw. It was the way Dad showed these places to us, with energy, curiosity and an ongoing pursuit of adventure. I took it in – wide-eyed and eager for more.

Last Father’s Day, Mom and Dad made the trip from Minnesota to my home in Missoula. Almost the minute they arrive, I took off to do a little backcountry in Glacier National Park. It was beautiful trekking, a bit of spring-snow – prime grizzly country. My parents enjoyed a private weekend with the grandkids, they took care of Dad’s day with plenty of grand-kid charm that included a few carefully constructed artistic gifts. And to be honest, there are few places my dad would rather be than quietly strolling Missoula; it definitely has his rhythm if not his politics.

Glacier and grizzlies for me. Chillin’ in Missoula for Dad. Yep, that sounds about right.

This Father’s Day we will both be grounded; me in Missoula, Dad in Minnesota. But we’ll take time to connect. I’ll give him a call, ask if he’s heard from the Swiss-Miss (Mom) and let him know that my Amazon trip is a go. He’ll send me well-wishes, “Have fun. Be safe.” And while I won’t need a dad-drop-off for this upcoming adventure, I know I’ll get there because of Dad nevertheless.

So Dad, while you say potato and I say high altitude 4-day Andean trek – at the end of the day I have you to thank for the countless, unforgettable travels I’ve had the privilege to pursue. And I promise I’ll keep a cool-head when you make casual comments like, “Now that you mention it, I have always wanted to visit the Galapagos.”

Love you Dad. Wishing you and all charming, supportive and loving fathers out there a happy Father’s Day.

-Beth Bob

Our friend Milgros takes her son Bruno trekking in Peru's Ausangate

This goes for grandparents traveling with grandchildren, while the parents/guardians stay in the US. Some countries are stricter than others – chances are you may not even be asked to show any consent letter, but it is definitely a possibility. I think it is always safe to error on side of caution.

I just did this recently for a trip my daughter and I are taking to Costa Rica for a little mother-daughter bonding via adventure travel. (We leave on Saturday — I’ll do my best to check in and share a little of our adventures… No promises, we’ll be on vacation after all.) Very simple – just printed off an online sample letter, filled in the travel dates, applicable names, and took it to a notary at our local bank. Done and done!

I also highly recommend that you check into the US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs for additional advice, more information on entry requirements — and/or the Embassy or Consulate of the country you’re visiting is also a good reference.

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Start planning your Holiday Adventure Tour

1. Plan in Advance
Spaces fill up quickly for holiday departures, especially on the most coveted travel dates — which is exactly why I am reminding people to start planning in July and not October. Air travel expenses begin to skyrocket for the holidays in October. Booking early improves your chances of finding reasonable prices as well as desirable departure and arrival times. Here is a handful Adventure Life’s Holiday Departures to get you started.

2. Travel Insurance – a good idea
Travel insurance can safeguard you from delayed or canceled flights, weather disruptions, lost luggage, medical emergencies, last minute cancellations and more. Disagreeable weather is typically at its best during the holidays (after all, that’s one of the reasons we all choose this time of year to escape), which increases the chances flight interruptions. Along these line — if possible, try and arrange any connecting flights in a warm-weather city like Dallas or Atlanta where planes are least likely to be “snowed-in.” Remember to keep all your receipts for filing claims upon return.

3. Pack Light & Smart
Less is more. Packing lists are a helpful guides and will usually include (or exclude — I guess I don’t need three pairs of shorts for four days after all) items that never crossed your mind. A few helpful items to bring: flashlight, earplugs, sunscreen, disposable wipes, zip-lock baggies of various size. Also, make sure your carry-on has your essentials, such as any medications or eye-wear. If your checked luggage goes missing, it can take additional time to show-up during the holiday season. Make sure your carry-on fits airline regulations, or it will have to be checked. And if you decide to bring a gift, don’t wrap it, as security will more than likely unwrap, even if it is in your checked bag.

4. The Art of Traveling with Children
Everyone has their own tricks for entertaining kids during long travel days, but during your holiday, try an approach that invites children to immerse win the local culture and countries. Give you child a disposable camera. Older children might enjoy keeping a journal. When it comes to mealtime, encourage kids to try something new on the menu. This is an adventure trip — let them play the role of world explorer! Make sure you have all the appropriate documentation for traveling aboard with children, such as documented vaccinations, passports — and if another legal guardian for your child is staying in the US, you should obtain a notarized letter from him/her granting permission for you to leave the country with the child. The other guardian may have this notarized with their signature at a local bank before mailing it to you. Bring this with you on your trip.
More advice on family adventure travel.

5. Photocopy Important Documents
Passport, tickets, credit cards, drug prescriptions and other critical documents should be photocopied, and the copies carried in a separate location from the originals. Have all emergency and important contact numbers (your tour operator’s 24-hour contact number, hotel, family, airline, and your credit card company’s number in case it is lost or stolen) readily available. And while you’re at it, double check the expiration date on your passport. It should be valid for at least 6 months after your departure date.

My mom, and her three girls (and one grand-baby-to-be) on a canoe trip in Minnesota

Marissa and her mom getting ready to enter the ATM cave in Belize

Julia's mother-daugther Galapagos trip -- see Mom, they're all smiles!

I’ll get right to the point. Today I’m using all tools at my disposal, including the Adventure Life blog, to appeal to you to finally take that mother-daughter trip with me to Patagonia. With Mother’s Day approaching this weekend, I thought the timing was right — thematically anyway. Also, you are probably wondering why the card I sent has a picture of Torres del Paine on the front. Well, this explains it.

We’ve been toying with the idea for a while, but it’s time to make it happen. Don’t worry, we have plenty of time to plan. The best time to visit Patagonia is during our winter season, so I was thinking we could sneak away in early December when the weather in Patagonia is cooperating and there isn’t a chance your golf course will be open. (Mom, we’ll discuss your golf addiction later.) And Mom, we’re going to hike the W circuit.

Here’s my pitch:

Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park offers granite peaks, enormous glaciers, waterfalls, turquoise lakes and temperate rainforests — this is the backdrop for our trek. We’ll never get any higher in elevation than about 3700 feet, so don’t worry about altitude sickness. For the most part, the W circuit avoids the difficult and taxing routes in the park except for the last section to the Torres. But hey, you teach first-graders — “difficult” and “taxing” are part of your everyday vocabulary.

Base camp will be EcoCamp; it’s domes are designed to respect the surrounding environment and also to interfere as little as possible with the natural beauty of the park. And yes, there’s wine.

We’ll leave the notorious homebody (also known as Dad) in his favorite spot – he has his yoga and Michael Pollen to keep him company.

Everyone’s doing it. Adventure Lifers Julia, Kassi, Marissa and Mary have already taken their moms on trips to the Galapagos, Belize, Costa Rica and Panama. I’d happily put you in touch with one of them as a reference to testify that this whole mother-daughter trip-thing is right up our alley. Julia and her mom did a mainland Galapagos multisport trip that included 9 days of snorkeling, horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking. Marissa and her mom took to the jungles and beaches of Belize for great caving and snorkeling. Come on Mom, you’re making me look bad.

If I haven’t sold Patagonia to you, then you pick the place. After all, the destination is only part of the package; quite honestly I’m really looking forward to the good company …

Wishing you — and all the patient, understanding, good-humored and loving moms out there — a very Happy Mother’s Day.

Love,
Beth

Adventure Life's moms keep up their travels -- Mary takes the Twins to Africa

Marissa takes Carter to Costa Rica and Panama

Beth takes Faye on a Peru adventure

Since Adventure Life beginnings in early 1999, we’ve had a stream of charming babies set up shop with mom or pop — 4 bouncing babies boys, and one delightful little girl. And, with the recent arrival of twins, we’re looking forward to two more tiny bundles to show up in May when Mom, Mary, returns back to the office.

Parenting in the Workplace Institute, and Babies in the Workplace are sister organizations that are “dedicated to providing support, resources and objective analysis of parenting in the workplace programs.” They have compiled a list of roughly 140 baby-friendly companies in the nation — including Adventure Life. This NGO also provides great resources whether you’re an employer or employee, the benefits of going baby-friendly, and great advice on making it work. For us, we’ve discovered what works and what doesn’t. Example: Designated baby zones = works. Inflexibility and cookie-cutter expectations = doesn’t.

As a mother of three and Adventure Life staff member, I can personally tell you how much I have appreciated this perk. My youngest two have joined me at the office — and this policy provided me with such an unbelievable amount of relief to the countless anxieties that face a new mother returning back to work. Makes me proud to boast a little about it in our blog…

Leatherback nest found! The Lovato family assists scientists on their turtle patrols at the Pacurare Reserve

While at the Pacuare Reserve, travelers are invited to assist the biologists in their turtle patrols. The patrols vary by season. During nesting season, it is your job to walk the beach looking for a leatherbacks laying eggs. When you find one, you’ll wait with the researcher until the turtle is done laying eggs. Then, you’ll have the chance to approach the turtle and assist in measuring and tagging it before the giant leatherback returns to the sea. Turtle egg poachers are a major threat to the survival of leatherbacks, so your next job is to carefully dig up the eggs and rebury them in another location so poachers cannot find the nest.

The Lovato family shares a little of their time at the Pacuare Reserve, and their turtle patrols when they worked hands-on with researchers as they continue to protect, monitor and study the intriguing turtles that return to this region each year to lay their eggs.

About an hour after we got there, we were asked to accompany two volunteers on an excavation. This is where they dig up a nest that has already hatched and count the eggs in categories (hatched, and not hatched but: fertilized, not fertilized, and some more fine categories). The digging is done by hand, scooping out sand, the eggs and anything else you find down there: crabs, maggots, and turtles that haven’t yet made it out of the nest. Some of them are no longer alive, but this day we found six live healthy babies! They are set on the sand to perk up and make their way out to sea. The kids were beside themselves with excitement as each little one crawled across the beach. One with a bent shell they nicknamed Peanut. Another baby had a slightly bent flipper. Hope the little guy or girl made it once they started swimming! I was up to my armpits in sand digging, and the kids helped with the digging, and counting once all the babies made it to the ocean. What a way to start our visit!

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If you had a chance to pick-up the May 2009 issue of National Geographic, there is a great article — “Ancient Mariner” — that addresses the history and future of the leatherback turtles (which can easy reach 2,000 pounds, mind you!) that have endured on the planet for 100 million years. Issues, such as climate, population, pollution and predators, plague these endangered marine giants. But, as Tim Appenzeller in the National Geographic reports, because of their adaptable and resilient nature, some regions have actually seen their leatherback populations increase. A great read, with great pictures.