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So, it's about to crazy here. I got Pat a surf board for his birthday last month, and then this week I bought myself one because I didn't want him having too much fun without me. I pick my board up on Friday and I cannot wait! Pat and I have gone surfing twice, once in Hawaii and once in New Zealand. As usual, Pat is a natural. It's been 6 years since the last time Pat had been surfing and already after going out a few times, he's light years beyond my skills. Right now, I'm just getting really good at not drowning, which is key. In the spirit of this new adventure, I wanted to share some really cool surf spots around the world, and not all of them are where you might think, like this first one... 1. Surf Pool at Wadi Adventure- United Arab Emirates I'm sure surf purists are skeptical, but it's considered the future of surfing. Plus you don't have to worry about sharks. That sounds like it's worth checking out to me! It's considered the best surf pool in the world. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, check it out! 2. Raglan, New Zealand Raglan is famous for it's world class long left hand break. If you've seen the move Endless Summer, they made a point to visit this legendary surf spot. So, while we were there, we decided to check it out for ourselves (Check out our post on surfing in NZ). Just our luck, there were no waves that day. But Raglan also has beautiful black sand beaches that are always worth a visit. 3. Oahu, Hawaii There are lots of places on Oahu that are great for beginner surfers, but on the North Shore when the weather is right, you'll get some of the biggest surfing waves in the world. While we were there they were having the Quicksilver Eddie Aikau surf invitational. It's an invitational partly because there's only so many people in the world who can surf these waves. It's pretty spectacular to see. I think it's safe to say that I will not be out on any waves like that anytime soon! 4. Port Orford, Oregon You might be thinking to yourself, isn't it kind of cold to be surfing in Oregon? And you'd be wrong. Yes, you'll want a wet-suit, but you're going to love learning to surf in Oregon. Whenever I see surf videos and there's hundreds of people fighting it out to catch a wave, I think how horrible that must be. Here in Oregon, we have lots of great surf spots for beginners to experts and you'll have the waves and the beach mostly if not completely to yourself. I don't know about you, but when I'm falling and looking like a klutz all day, I don't want a lot of spectators. Port Orford has a nice sandy and pretty protected beach that has lots of nice little waves for learning on. 5. New Buffalo, Michigan Yes, you read that right, Michigan! There's even surfing in the Midwest. Winds blowing across Lake Michigan can create ocean like waves and having you paddling out in no time. There's a pretty dedicated group of surfers there, so you're bound to find someone to show you the ropes.
It just goes to show you that, no matter where you are, you can probably find some surfing fun not too far away. Where are your favorite surf spots, even if it's just to watch? I hope you have some fun plans this 4th of July weekend and this summer if you are elsewhere in the world. Wherever you go, travel happy! Skeeter
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Happy Friday and 4th of July! If you are celebrating, be sure to be safe and have fun! Today's first travel deal might surprise you, but let's go with it and see what we find. 1. Bogota, Columbia: You can fly from LAX on November 7th and return on November 15th with Spirit Airlines for $349! Under $400 for an international flight is a crazy good deal. I found that using Skyscanner. Now let's get to the obvious question...is it safe? Yes. Columbia has made huge strides over the last few years to clean up its act. It's doing so in part to promote tourism to its beautiful country, that for so many years was the center of our war on drugs. You'll encounter lots of culture, and a rich history. Venture out to smaller villages to really take it all in. CNN did an article about some of the common misconceptions about Columbia. Do lots of research before you go, and you should have a great time! As is true for any place, pay attention to your surroundings and know which areas to avoid. Each large city has neighborhoods that you may not want to venture into. That doesn't mean that the whole city is worth avoiding though. 2. Oregon Coast: You can fly from Phoenix to North Bend on August 12th, and return on the 20th with United for $456.Or if you want to drive a bit, you can fly into Eugene on the 13th, return on the 20th with United airlines for $224. I found those using Kayak.
I'm a little biased since I now live on the coast, but it's an affordable trip that I think everyone should take. It's the perfect escape from sweltering summer temps and there's an abundence of things to do. You can take a beautiful coastal hike from Sunset Bay to see sea lions, go sport fishing, ATV riding on the world famous dunes, kayak, surf...really your options are unlimited. I'm discovering new things everyday. There's really too many recommendations that I could list here, so if you're looking for something in particular for a trip to the coast, let me know in the comments. I hope you all have a great holiday weekend! Happy Travels! ~ Skeeter So Pat and I found some big waves just a short drive from our house at a place called Hot Water Beach. We rented a board and took turns at trying to catch a wave. We have only surfed one other time in Hawaii. In Hawaii we both were able to stand up each time we tried and we even started to try to learn how to turn and walk around on the board. So we figured that we were just naturally born to surf and that it would be a piece of cake. We were so wrong. When we got to Hot Water Beach the waves looked huge. They were at least twice the size of the waves in Hawaii, but we figured that we would be able to handle it. Pat went out first and did pretty well considering. He didn't stand up, but he got close and was able to ride the board most of the way in. It was then my turn. I got close to being able to stand up, but then lost the wave. The waves kept pushing my to the side faster then I could paddle the other way. I then found myself on a bunch of rocks trying to hold onto the board as I was pummeled by wave after wave. Pat came to my rescue and pulled me off the rocks. He said I was getting tossed around like a rag doll out there. I then decided that laying on the beach was more my speed. Pat, undetered, went out for another try, but things turned out much the same as his first try. Even though we're not going to be sposered by Quicksivler anytime soon I'm glad we at least went out and gave it a go and emerged relatively unscathed. I guess it's just a good excuse to head back to Hawaii to give the baby waves another try. Tomorrow we are going to be picking up Pat's mom from the airport in Auckland. We are really excited that she is going to be visiting and we are looking forward to showing her this beautiful country. Today we are busy getting thing ready for her visit and for us to move out of our apartment. We only have 10 days left here in Whitianga.
Among the things we have to do is to get Delilah fixed. About a week ago our headlights stopped working. We took her in to the local mechanic and figured she was about due for an oil change too (due meaning, we're not sure if she's ever had an oil change). So we figured we'd get it all taken care of at the same time. We went to pick her up and the mechanic told us that he couldn't fix the headlight, and that we'd have to take her somewhere else, and that the oil change would be $200! I did a little research and apparently this is a pretty standard price. Needless to say we were shocked, mostly becaues the main reason we were taking her in was to get the lights fixed. We're selling her in two weeks and a $200 oil change wasn't really what we had in mind at this stage of the game. We just got a call from the mechanic who is fixing the headlights with the price. Considering how expensive the oil change was I was ready for about anything. Luckily it will only be $139 to fix the lights. Which is good news since we are going to be leaving early in the morning tomorrow to head to the airport. We are getting really excited to be on the road again and seeing new things everyday .Some of the things on our list for the last month of our trip include: Milford Sound (said to be one of the most beautiful places in the world) Hiking on glaciers Bungy Jumping Whale watching Rotarua (which is the center of Maori Culture and a geothermal hotspot much like Yellowstone) Hiking the Souther Alps And much more... We are also getting excited to be closer to coming home and seeing all our friends and family again.Thanks for following us on this journey! ~Skeeter |
Skeeter
Hi there! I'm Skeeter. I grew up moving a lot and that makes me a bit restless for travel and exploration. I started this blog with my husband Pat when we decided to backpack New Zealand for a year. We are always looking for the next adventure and are loving life. We're just your average couple with two sassy dogs and a love for travel. We're sharing our travels and the tips we pick up along the way. LIZHello! I'm Liz. Blogging is very new to me, but I'm so excited to finally write as much as I talk! Archives
December 2016
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