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I get inspiration for travel everywhere I am. This week it came from closer to home.
Last weekend I vacationed in place (my way of enjoying things even when I don't leave our community).
A few highlights... a night out to see the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Every year a local town hosts the BMFF, the Warren Miller Film Tour and select movies from the Telluride Film Festival. I love them all.
The BMFF has a mix of inspiring stories celebrating the best of mountain culture, sports and adventure. They ranged from 6 minutes to 30+ minutes long. One was about a young French woman, Nouria Newman, a "whitewater kayaking powerhouse," one of the best kayakers in the world and often the lone woman in a sea of men. She and her fellow adventurers travel the world pulling kayaks up through jungles and mountains to get to spots that have never been kayaked before. You can see a trailer here. She's an adventurer, a badass and an inspiration.
Another of our favorites was the story of Stephanie Case, a UN human rights attorney who ran ultramarathons to raise money for a women’s shelter in Kabul. She set up Free to Run and empowered thousands of women and girls who believe in education and progress to follow in her footsteps. See the story here.
If you are curious if the BMFF is coming to a town near you, you can see the world tour dates and places here. I walked away from the show with many new places and experiences on my bucket list.
We also had a belated family birthday celebration, since half our family was sick over my birthday in December. We had a family pickleball clinic led by my pickleball coach.
Although I know my family members are all athletic, what I failed to realize was how much the skill of ping pong would translate into a pickleball game. My husband's reflexes are lightning fast. My son repeatedly jumped two vertical feet in the air to slam the ball for an unreturnable hit.
You know you nailed it when your 16 year old asks when we can play again.
I have several clients who are enamored with pickleball and want to play it on vacation. Many resorts are building purpose built pickleball courts, or at least converting their tennis courts for pickleball use. If you haven't tried it yet, do it! It's a great friend and family activity. I have put together a lengthy list of resorts and spas with pickleball courts, resulting in many new places for me to visit!
This week I came across this list of 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year Contest. The first one is my absolute favorite - it's of "one of the last two Northern White rhinos left in the world, resting under a hot afternoon sun with her friend and caretaker." The winning photos will go on display at an outdoor exhibition in Bristol, England during the month of May. If you have't been to Bristol, put it on your list. It has some great boutique hotels, delicious restaurants and beautiful hikes in an AONB (Area of Natural Beauty - a UK government designation).
Many of you know I'm a mom of three kids. They are 16-21 years old. My 19 year old is leaving Friday for the second half of her gap year. She will be starting by hiking the W Trek in Patagonia and then traveling all over South America with her best friend. If you have kids, you likely have also felt the conflicting emotions of both being overwhelmingly excited for her and sad to let her go. One of the challenges of parenting.
Lots of great articles below - from 36 Hours in Madrid (one of my absolute favorite cities!) to the Rise of the 50+ Solo Woman Traveler to The biggest wellness travel trends of 2023.
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