Location: Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, British Columbia We hiked up three lakes to Middle and Upper Joffre Lake. It was a rough, rocky and steep (3 mile) mountain route. The elevation gain to Upper Joffre Lake from trailhead is approximately 400 meters. We hiked through old growth forests of hemlock and spruce on the lower elevations. As we climbed up and fianally arrived at Upper Joffre Lake we were at nearly 9000 feet. There are incredible views of rugged peaks, icefields and cold, rushing streams beneath the Matier Glacier. It was a long challenging hike. We then all took a very quick dip in the lake itself, at a temperature of just above freezing it was unbeleiveably cold but it was an amazing refresher. Then the icing on the cake, our guides Buzz and Jazz disappeared for a few minutes and returned with a silver tray full of fresh blueberries, brownies and othe treats. An amazing day.

Standing on the rocky shore of Fernandina island, snapping photos of a family of sunning sea lions, I’m amazed at how seemingly unaware these sleek mammals are of my presence. As I turn to continue on my way, I notice a pup – he must have been only a month or two old – staring at me with big, brown eyes. “Hi!” I whisper, delighted that the cutest of the lot has decided to give me his attention. The pup bobs his head and then, to my amazement, waddles towards me. I freeze, remembering our guide Pablo’s words: “Don’t touch the wildlife, let the wildlife touch you.” Should I move? Will he bite? He doesn’t look mean. I decide to stand perfectly still.

When the pup reaches my feet, he sniffs, his whiskers tickling my ankles – and then grabs hold of my shoelace between his tiny teeth! I laugh as he entertains himself with his new toy, whipping his head back and forth like a puppy playing tug of war. Luckily he’s not strong enough to pull me over, but he does manage to untie both of my sneakers. As my uncle snaps photos from a nearby ledge, Pablo joins us on our perch.“Curious little fellas, aren’t they?” he says with a smile. When the game gets old, the pup sidles his way into the surf where he splashes playfully before flopping his way back up to dry rock to resume his nap.

A favorite travel moment was arriving at lunch in a small Tuscany hill town after biking up the switchbacks. The ride was a real challenge, the views were incredible, and lunch was marvelous! Imagine arriving in this small town, on a bicycle, and finding, in the middle of a side street, your lunch set up on a table for 20! The ride offered stunning views of the surrounding countryside — fields being worked, cows grazing, and grapes growing. The lunch of local specialites, served by the cook and her husband, was the crowning touch to the morning’s climb.