A Thirteenth-Century-Castle in the Making

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Brad Christensen

I was once asked which, of all the super powers, I would choose… if given the opportunity.

I didn’t hesitate in my response: “Time travel. Nothing would be more transformative or educational than to skip back through time for history lessons, or into the future for a hint of what’s to come. I could correct past errors and foresee future mistakes. I would meet the interesting and influential people and witness the great events throughout the ages.”

I can’t tell you how often I’ve stood in marvelous places with wonder and awe of how they came to be.  In my mind’s eye, I’m taken back to a former time… a time before motors and modern tools… a time wherein methodology trumped technology, and clever contraptions quenched quandaries.

If only I could experience what it was like to live in that time, to witness with incredulity the erection of monumental buildings, and moments which have shaped history and humanity alike.

Ahhh… but there is.  At some point, WorldWanderlusting will debut a series of Living History museums which will provide exactly that kind of experience.  For now you’ll have a taste as we show you what’s happening at the Chantier Medieval de Guedelon, just two hours from Paris, France.

“In the heart of Puisaye, in Yonne, Burgundy, a team of fifty people have taken on an extraordinary feat: to build a castle using the same techniques and materials used in the Middle Ages.

The wood, stone, earth, sand and clay needed for the castle’s construction are all to be found here, in this abandoned quarry. Watched by thousands of visitors, all the trades associated with castle-building – quarrymen, stonemasons, woodcutters, carpenters, blacksmiths, tile makers, basket makers, rope makers, carters and their horses – are all working together to complete the castle.”

Photo Courtesy www.guedelon.fr

I am ashamed that I know this place only by photos.  My only visit to France in the past five years was a 7-hour stopover en route to Amsterdam, en route to Tanzania.  It barely allowed for the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre trifecta.  I have, however, avidly tracked the progress via the multimedia profusion on the Guedelon website and facebook page.

Photo Courtesy www.guedelon.fr

Of particular intrigue was the documentation of the groin-arch-construction, something at which I’ve gaped more than once in more than a few spectacular buildings.

Masons cut no corners as every tool they use is “of the era” and fashioned on site.  These are not actors on stage, these are artisans at work.  Even their clothing is authentic.

 

The team, or various versions of it, has been at work since 1997, when all that existed of the project was a dream in the mind of Michel Guyot.  For 15 years, they have toiled in an effort which likely pales in comparison to many of those of its time, yet still inspires a sense of amazement that none of us will fully grasp until we get there in person… and please, please let it be soon.

If I go by their timeline, I have to be nervous because not really much remains relative to where they were when it began.  This project has to be nearing 80-90% completion, so time is really running out.

I could go on and on, but for me to try to do so simply would not do it justice.  Your only hope is to engage the project yourself, see what they’re doing, and plan your visit.  I can’t even believe that the charge to partake in this slice of history is a mere ten euros… and with the euro crashing, it’s time for me to get serious.  Here are just a few more quick links to get you inspired to see this masterpiece while it’s still under construction.

 

 

Posted in Europe, Fun Travel Stories, Living History | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Why you need to visit Lava Hot Springs, Idaho

Posted on June 7, 2012 by wpengine

Lava’s Pool (Courtesy of lavahotsprings.com)

I know that many of our readers are from the Idaho/Utah area, so this might sound a little boring to you, but you need to make sure that you’re taking advantage of this place.

Idaho and the mountain west are know for our natural hot springs. Hundreds of small springs dot the landscape all over our state. You can find them off the side of the highway, and some deep in the forest. Usually they are close to rivers, but not always. Sitting in a warm hot spring feels rather therapeutic and relaxing. It is nice knowing that you’re not swallowing chlorine by the bucketful. One time when my brother was swimming at a pool one of the attendants opened a bottle of Clorox and poured it into the pool. You can assure yourself that this won’t happen at Lava Hot Springs.

Lava at Night

There are five different pools that range from 102 on up to 112 degrees.  I dare you to spend more than 15 minutes in the hottest pool, it is HOT.  You can move from pool to pool and feel the differences in temperature.  All pools are outdoor, but feel great in the winter when it is cold outside.  One time when I was there the rain was coming down so hard but it felt nice being in the warm water.

Some might like a more natural feel for their hot springs, but this one has been commercialized.  Although the grounds have been developed, which is a bit of a bummer, it adds a lot in convenience and beauty.  The bottoms of the pools have small pebbles instead of the normal stucco bottoms of swimming pools.

Prices to getting in the pool are very reasonable.  You can get in for usually under $7 a person, but prices range depending on weekends, holidays, etc.  If this place were much closer to my house I’d buy a season pass as it is a piece of paradise.  Try hitting this place at night and staying at a local hotel.  You won’t find a Marriott, or SPG hotel, but they might even fill their tubs and showers with natural hot spring water too.

One thing I love about this place is the cleanliness. They always have the grounds looking beautiful and the water is always clean. The locker rooms are clean as well and don’t make you feel like you are getting a fungus.

Ben & Jerry’s (Courtesy of benjerry.com)

Before you splash in the pool purchase a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and take it with you in the pool.  If you’re anything like me you’ll want to share it, but either way it can go with you in the water.  This is one of the only pools that will allow treats like this.  Don’t spill in the water, but don’t worry, the pools are constantly flowing with fresh natural water.

How to Find Lava Hot Springs:

If you’re coming from the Salt Lake area:

  • Drive north on I-15
  • Take Exit 47 and head East on US 30
  • Drive about 11 miles
  • Drive past the outdoor swimming pools and turn right on Main Street.  The pools are on the right hand side.

 

 

 

Posted in Fun Travel Stories, Idaho | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Confessions of a Travel Points Hoarder

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Brad Christensen

You’ve seen them – episodes of the grossest kinds of atrocities, people buried in mounds of their belongings, garbage, or both. I’m a bit of a packrat, but thankfully I don’t have that kind of problem.  My problem is of a slightly different variety.  I hoard travel points and I have a problem.

I hoard frequent flyer miles and points.  I can’t get enough of them.  Like a garage-saler that picks things up just because they’re cheap, I spend my free-time, and (shamefully) some of my not-so-free time accumulating points I may never use.

I am not ashamed.  I wrote a few days ago about a high-school teacher of mine who picked up pennies while jogging.  The truth is that the fools are those who let the opportunities pass them by.

I had always been a point collector, but I crossed a line about a year and a half ago when I started “risking” my credit score to get American Airlines points.  I know, I sound like a junkie who shared needles to get a high, and that’s actually another good analogy because I pretty much am a junkie, and I do get high…

But it’s hardly been a dangerous habit.  My credit score was 799 about a year ago when I started tracking it with CreditSesame.com  In its “depths,” as I zealously applied, it sunk to 767, and now I’m comfortably floating around 788.  My wife’s has followed a similar pattern.

In the meantime, oh the things that I’ve done.

  • I took my family of six to Colombia for $574.
  • I flew my brother-in-law from Rhode Island to Idaho Falls for 35,000 Delta Skymiles and $10.
  • I went to Honduras and dove with sharks for the same “price.”
  • I’ve stayed 11 free nights in hotels.
  • Nicole and I went to New Orleans for 50k United miles and $20.
  • And together with Nicole, we still have about 769,800 pocket-burning points kickin’ around.

The problem has come in that I’m finding myself preferring to get more points over spending the ones that I have.  I feel like Pablo Escobar who had to bury cash from the drug trade because it was coming in faster than he could spend it (and it’s not like he wasn’t spending it at a good clip).

I am making some headway, though.  I’ve started to cut a path through the clutter.  I used the freaking amazing opportunity on some cheap flights to Panama combined with some Ultimate Rewards points to book a family trip that’s got me feeling like I’m trying to reinvent myself as a Latin-American (our 2011 trip was to Colombia).  I’m using some freely accumulated Club Carlson Gold Points to lock down a hotel in Tampa during the Republican Convention (where the cash price for the hotel runs a cool $311 a night).  Do you see why I can’t help but bring in the drug metaphors?

I’ve got to tell you that I’m excited to be doing what we’re doing.  Some of my closest friends still haven’t grasped the WorldWanderlusting concept, but it’s coming.  More conversations are tending to turn to travel, something I gladly accommodate.  I don’t mind being known as the guy that will help people plan vacations… in fact, I love it.

Brad and Nicole aboard the Norwegian Spirit

If you’re looking at doing several short-haul flights from major airports, you have until June 7th to get yourself in on the bonus points from the British Airways Visa Signature Card®.

 

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My Fight with Mount Kilimanjaro

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Brad Christensen

A few months ago I wrote a guest post for friends of ours at www.1000fights.com, an excellent travel blog for couples. I told the story of my fight with Mount Kilimanjaro.         -Brad 

Her name, so utterly foreign yet bitterly familiar, still invokes Dickens’ostensible opposites.  To reproduce it from my lips freshens my mind with rivaling sensations of joyful enthusiasm and painful failure. Kilimanjaro.  This is the story of my fight with her.

We met at Machame camp in Tanzania – our first date was a steep climb through lush rainforest was complete with monkeys, vines, and the two interacting in a natural manner. 

Though it was challenging, I was vigorous and her beauty and charm were intriguing.  As our day’s journey slowed to an end, a taste of what to was to come arrived in the form of an eerie aberration – the landscape transforming from thick and green to misty and moss-strewn. Nonetheless it still had a strange allure, and camping just below the cloud layer offered a romantic sense of vulnerability.  I admired her.

The second day brought an initial victory – plunging through a dense layer of fog, any temptation to attempt a retreat changed from the prospect of a leisurely downhill path, to a seemingly impenetrable floor of clouds.  It was easier to go on.

She was ruthless and uncaring as the slope sharpened.  Plant life was sparse and the air thin as we crossed through 12,000 feet.  I found myself out of breath – not only in awe of her splendor, but also aghast of her cruelty. By the time we arrived at Shira camp, I wasn’t interested dinner -African hot dogs and semi-fresh vegetables, preferring instead to rest. If she had embittered me with her heartless grind throughout the day, I forgot it altogether when she rewarded me with the most brilliant sunset these eyes have ever beheld (the sunset which now greets visitors to www.worldwanderlusting.com). I loved her.

Given the austerity of the scenery on the third day, I should have known she would eventually break my heart.  I may as well have been on the moon.  There was a cold, fierce wind.  Vegetation went from scarce to non-existent, along with oxygen, and my aching muscles were letting me know.  My heart in particular, having to beat at twice its normal rate to oxygenate my blood, literally felt like it would beat right out of my chest.  I trudged in the shadow of the peak – she, staring down on me with contempt, yet I, at her in admiration. By the time we arrived at camp it was dark – a blessing.  Had I been able to see what the next morning would bring, I would never have awakened.

Barranco wall engulfed the entire panorama – not saying “good morning,” but saying, “I’m insurmountable.” I believed her.  Lines of porters, like ants, weaved their way to its crest; identifiable only by the white bags they carried on their heads.  I set out, no longer greeting fellow climbers with a cheery “Jambo,” but with a disgusted sigh.  At the top of Barranco I felt no joy, only the obligation to continue.  If I allowed myself, I could feel satisfaction – even a thrill, but I couldn’t.  I felt anguish.  It was an endless cycle of descent before inevitable ascent.  Torment.  The climb to Barafu, the final camp, I made only with the motivation of cursing her through clenched teeth. I hated her.

With only a few hours to rest before we began the summit at midnight I had little sleep.  Donning arctic winter gear and headlamps for our final encounter, I set out in conquest with a shard of hope.  The altitude was taking its toll and nausea set in along with muscle cramps.  I wretched.

Still, I pushed along for 3 hours in the dark, each footstep barely ahead of the last, progress coming at great cost.  My body was revolting.  When I could push no longer, 1700 vertical feet below the summit, I stopped, stared up at the moon, and collapsed.  I despised her.

And though she conquered me, stole from me all that I could offer, and left me hungry and wanting… I love her still. She respects me still.  And neither of us will concede that we’ve seen the last of each other.

Posted in Africa, Fun Travel Stories, Hiking | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

BAR 2011 (Big Awesome Ride) Part 2

Posted on May 30, 2012 by wpengine

This is a continuation of BAR 2011…

Day 3

Staying at a Days Inn with a pool doesn’t always mean that the pool is going to be a great one.  I actually was rather dismayed by the pool, and felt like I needed to shower after swimming.  Luckily I was able to sleep on a bed that night but having six grown men in one bedroom meant that some were sleeping on the floor.  That is a hard thing to do when you’ve been riding on a motorcycle for 8 hours.

Day 3 Cranbrook to Banff Via Lake Louise

As we were all getting loaded onto our bikes at the beginning of the morning I noticed that something was wrong instantly when I let out the throttle.  I stopped, dismounted, and felt rather dismayed when I realized that my rear tire was flat.   I sped to the nearest shop and requested that they fix the tire.  The wait would be over an hour, which was a depressing thought when I knew that I would be holding everyone up.

Luckily the next destination was the shortest distance of the five day trip.  We only had to travel from Cranbrook to Banff (As you can see on the left).  However, our first stop would be Lake Louise.  The picture to the left tells everything about the terrain.  As with most of the Rocky Mountains they run from north to south and have valleys between the peaks.  The mountains on both sides of the valley are gigantic granite peaks with majestic green trees and waterfalls throughout.  The speed limit is only 55 MPH, but you wouldn’t want to go any faster for fear that you might miss some of the majesty (Plus a Mountie might try to catch you).

Kool-Aid Water

The water in the national park was best described as a Kool-Aid Blue.   Even though it might look inviting, don’t let it fool you.  The water is glacier water, and for this reason the water has this wonderful color.  However, the word glacier generally connotes freaking freezing.  It wouldn’t be hard for you to guess that we were the only crazy tourists who decided to take a dip in Lake Louise.  The Asian tourists were busy taking pictures of the “Crazy Idaho Boys” who were swimming in the lake.  After the refreshing swim the drive was short until we arrived at the town of Banff.

Dinner was an Irish pub where we ate many varieties of shepherds pie.  The atmosphere was accurate and the food was outstanding.  A band played authentic Irish music as we ate our meal and reviewed the day.  Banff Reminds me of Jackson, Wyoming.  Don’t plan on going there without booking your hotel first.  We got burned and ended up paying tons of cash for a five star hotel.

Day 4

Banff to Kalispell via Glacier

I might be giving you the idea that it can’t get much better, but somehow it did.  Day four was incredible.  We continued to pass through amazing mountains, high valleys, and green scenery.  The Canadian highway 40 is one that cannot be missed.  I’ve never seen so many Lance Armstrong candidates like I did on that Sunday.  They must have all had the day off of work and spent the day riding up hills and dropping down valleys.

Leaving the mountains was a refreshing taste of home for me.  Mountains are always in the distance, but wide open spaces.  Once we got closer to Waterton National Park things got more exciting.  Crossing the border was rather uneventful other than the mother black bear and her three cubs.  The Customs official mentioned that those were the only Canadians that he allowed to cross the border without checking their passports.  We watched them for about 20 minutes as they rustled through the trees and scraped the bark.

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is another piece of the BAR that will take your breath away.  The speed limit is between 25-50 so this was the only portion of which I rode without a helmet.  I realize that I could get killed at any point even going 25, but it was worth removing them helmet to experience Glacier.  We stopped for a moment at the top of Mt. Logan to survey the land.  We began our ascent to the peak, but the looming sunset required us to saddle back up on our bikes to ride into Kalispell for the night.

Luckily Brad used the “wink at the front desk attendant” to find us a good deal on a hotel in Kalispell.  Although it was only a Super 8 they gave a great deal.  It came with breakfast and we were all able to split it amongst the four of us.

Day 5

The last day was the longest of the ride.  We had to get from Kalispell to Idaho Falls in one day.  We made sure to drive on the East side of Flathead lake so we could purchase cherries from a local stand.  During the early summer the flowers on the cherry trees bloom and in August you can buy the most fresh cherries ever.  They are to die for and I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to goes to Glacier in August and they purchase some delicious cherries along the way.

The weather was incredible and the ride was beautiful.  We stopped at a few gas stations for hot dogs and Red Bulls (The perfect riding food) and continued from Missoula to home.  Instead of following the exact same road home, we took a small detour to visit a couple of sites along the way.  The Western United States is famous for hot springs.  If we would have had more time it would have been amazing to stop at the Lost Trail Hot Springs, or the Jackson Hot Springs.

The Big Hole National Battlefield was one of our stops on the way home.  It was a gloomy feeling as we learned about the Nez Pierce and how we corralled them up like cattle and gave them some of the crappiest land.  It was a total bummer what we did to them as a country.  It was a great educational event.  I would recommend it to anyone.

We also did a quick detour to visit Bannack, Montana.  In the days when Montana was a territory it was the first capital.  Today is a well preserved ghost town and provides a taste of what it might have been like in the late 1800’s.

The rest of the ride was Interstate 15.  Fortunately it was the only part of the interstate that we had to take on the entire trip.  With a motorcycle ride it is almost always better if you are on your own without the freeway.

Overall the BAR was a great success.  We all had an incredible, and safe trip across the Rockies.  For anyone who hasn’t done something like this, you are really missing out.  It isn’t airline travel, but it will take your breath away.

Posted in Fun Travel Stories, Travel Itineraries | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Priority Club Point Breaks

Posted on May 23, 2012 by wpengine

Being a Wanderluster and a frugal person for some people can be a funny match. Many people who know that I love to travel ask me where I’m going next. My usual answer is, “Wherever is a good deal.” At this rate I’ve got desires to see the whole world. Visiting one particular destination isn’t usually my style.

While many people don’t understand this, most of you probably will,–because you’re reading this blog. You’ve probably seen that Brad and I usually go random places at random times because the deal is good and we want to go there.  If the offer came up to visit Japan tomorrow for $50 I’d go there.  If someone offered me housing and a tour in Rio, then I’d find a way to make the miles get me there so I could take advantage of the sleeping deal.

In fact, this is how we came up with the Starwood Travel Loop.  We found that there was an abundance of category 2 hotels for Starwood Preferred Guest in the Alpine Europe area, and so we booked an AAdvantage ticket to get us there so we could take advantage of the great location of the hotels.  You’ve also seen us show you how to visit amazing sites in Spain using the Marriott Rewards Credit Card.  We’re also working on one about how to visit Germany using the most recent Club Carlson Big Night Giveaway.

This is where the Priority Club (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Intercontinental, Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites,  Crowne Plaza, and a few others) Point Breaks can be amazing.  They are hotels that would normally cost you from 7500-40,000 Priority Club points per night, but instead are “on sale” for 5000 points per night.  They are released every quarter and have tons of hotels across the world where you can stay for an AMAZING deal.

Right now the deals are out and you can stay at any of these properties for only 5000 Priority Club Points through July 31st 2012.  One great advantage of the Priority Club is that your points will never expire.  You don’t have to worry about staying at a hotel every 18 months so your points don’t go to waste.  Their hotels oftentimes come with free continental breakfast, which is a huge advantage.  So, if you’ve been dreaming about steak for dinner and learning to Tango, then stay at the Intercontinental Buenos Aires.

Have you ever redeemed points for a Points Break deal?  What was your experience?  Would you do it again?

 

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Save Dollars, not Pennies, with the Club Carlson Promotion

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Brad Christensen

My high school government teacher was well-known for his hobby – he picked up pennies while jogging around town.  His theory, which he shared enthusiastically with just about everyone, was that he could pay for a new pair of running shoes by collecting pennies he found along the way.

I never did the math then, but now that I buy my own shoes, I thought I might make some calculations.  If a pair of running shoes cost about $80, he’d need to stoop about 8,000 times to collect enough to replace his Nikes.  If he averaged a penny every other mile, he’d need to run some 16,000 miles, or 10 miles a day for a little over four years.

What I’m getting at here is that saving pennies is great, but if you really want to make a dent in things, you need to save some dollars.

We posted last week about the Club Carlson promotion and how you can get 188,000 Club Carlson Gold Points from staying 4 nights (spread between you and your spouse and the two different promotions) at Club Carlson Hotels before July 15th.  What we didn’t tell you was that those 188,000 Gold Points could be worth almost $2000 in free hotel nights.  I know it sounds too good to be true, but this is exactly how it works.

The promotion is allowing the first 100,000 registrants to participate… and to me it is just bizarre to see that 100k people haven’t picked up the monstrosity of cash that is just sitting there, waiting to be scooped up.

You risk absolutely nothing to register, so think of it like this; you are jogging past an enormous pile of cash, just stoop down and make yourself eligible to get in on this sweet action.  Register here for the Radisson Big Night Giveaway, and register here for the Country Inn and Suites promotion.

We, the proprieters of WorldWanderlusting, get nothing for having you sign up through our site – nothing besides the satisfaction of enabling you to travel to amazing places.  Though, in the interest of full disclosure, we do get a commission when you use some of the links on our site to sign up for travel-reward credit cards.

If you like the idea of registering, but you’re not exactly sure what you’d do with your stash of Club Carlson Gold Points, sign up for our mailing list and you’ll soon get treated to an epic vacation itinerary through Germany, where Club Carlson has all kinds of Category One hotels which you can book for 9000 Gold Points a night.

Wanderlust with us on Facebook!

P.S. My teacher would have to run 10 miles a day for 109 years, picking up a penny every two miles to save equivalent of the $2000 from maximizing this promotion.

Posted in Club Carlson | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments