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Go on a 10-year sailing voyage with this thought-provoking memoir

Discover what life is like on the water.

Liz Clark logged 20,000 miles in 10 years sailing along the Central American coastline and around the Pacific Islands in the 40-foot sailboat Swell. In her book “Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening,” she pours her heart out about her inner struggles as a lone female set on freedom and outer challenges like navigating the oceans and keeping her craft shipshape. The hardcover edition came out in 2018, but the new paperback (released this month) will expand the story’s audience.

Clark grew up in San Diego, the child of sailing parents. When she was nine, the family took a seven-month sailing trip along the coast of Mexico. She started surfing while earning her environmental studies degree at UC Santa Barbara. In 2001, after graduating, she met Barry Schuyler, who had founded the environmental studies program in 1969. Schuyler wanted to help her live her sailing dreams, so he offered her the use of Swell in exchange for vicariously accompanying her on her voyage.

A portrait of captain and author Liz Clark from the shoulders up. — Captain and author Liz Clark. / *Photo by Jianca Lazarus, courtesy of Patagonia*

“Swell” is the story of a young woman who prizes self-discovery and freedom above all else. She faces the ambivalence and inner contradictions that most people do, especially the young and those with a lot of time to think. While she is critical of the capitalist priorities of the U.S., she’s also extremely American. What other country so strongly emphasizes the right to the pursuit of happiness?

Clark stays determined to see the best in people despite plenty of brushes with creepy guys and a terrifying, drawn-out situation of being stuck on an island with a broken boat and an abusive boyfriend. She is very earnest about her spiritual epiphanies and tries to put them into practice when dealing with other people. She loves ocean creatures and faithfully reports underwater encounters with those she meets while swimming and surfing. She sees up close the horrific human-generated plastic waste floating in the ocean and washed up on islands. And it scares her.

A woman surfing a wave. — *Photo by Tahui Tufaimea, courtesy of Patagonia*

Above all, “Swell” is about the quest for freedom. This lovely sample passage is typical of her life at sea when things are going well, and especially resonates for young women raised on the male gaze. “Out here, there is no one to compare myself with—there’s not even a full-length mirror to critique my appearance. I let my hair go wild. I laugh out loud, and break into dance without a second thought. I can fester in my filth or spend half an hour massaging shampoo into my scalp. I wear an odd ensemble from the clothing bin—or nothing at all. Some granny panties that Mom gave me have become my go-to sailing uniform. I can scream, cry, and sing all in one breath with no one to judge me. I want everyone to feel this deep liberation.”

A person on the shore with their arms outstretched and back to the viewer. — *Photo by Tahui Tufaimea, courtesy of Patagonia*

The book resembles her unstructured life at sea. But I would have liked a more practical backbone. I constantly found myself disoriented, asking, where is she? How much time has gone by? Who is this person who’s suddenly popped up on the boat and is sailing with her for some unspecified time?

I also wanted more information about her finances. Clark downplays anything to do with money, apparently as part of an anti-capitalist stance. She grumbles about having to do any work without meaning to her, even as she’s visiting places where people are poor and doing whatever they can to subsist. While sailing, she built up a blog popular enough to inspire strangers to send her money. Corporations sponsored her. At one point, she met up with filmmakers documenting her voyage. She’s asked to speak around the world, write articles for magazines, and eventually write this book. All these career accomplishments are mentioned offhandedly, almost as though they’re intrusions into her life at sea.

Patagonia, one of her sponsors, published the book. Photos show Clark sailing, surfing, doing yoga on beaches, and paddling a board with her darling ocean-going cat Amelia on the front. She also includes portraits of people she meets on the island and a fun photo of her and a friend singing backup for Jimmy Buffett when he did a surprise concert at an obscure Bora Bora Bar.

A woman and a cat on a surf board in the water. — *Photo by Jianca Lazarus, courtesy of Patagonia*

This thought-provoking book will make readers question their own lives. Are we free enough? Are we too materialistic? How can we be more spiritual and tread more lightly on the earth? Have we chosen the right path?

Near the end of the book, Clark sums it all up. “I am not the best sailor or the best surfer, or the most credentialed at anything, but chasing my dream has taught me that fulfillment and self-love don’t come from being ‘the best.’ They come from pursuing our passions and connecting to our own spirits, communities, and the world.”

Writer received a free copy of the book for review.

Never too old — Caroline Paul’s new book talks adventuring as you age

There’s always time for adventure.

Caroline Paul wrote “Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking — How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age” because she was 55 and wondering about her future.

“I had always been an outdoor adventurer, from my youth as a whitewater guide to my many wilderness expeditions on mountain bikes and sea kayaks in midlife, to skateboarding and surfing and flying experimental planes into my fifties,” the bestselling author and former firefighter said in an interview released by her publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing. “But I looked around and there really were hardly any women my age out there with me.”

While she saw plenty of men her age and older, she realized that her peers were dialing back their adventure. “So I began to look at the research and also to talk to women who were still doing things outside. And what I found was surprising even to me.”

A book cover showing a person standing on the wing of a plane with overlay text reading "Tough Broad." — *Photo courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing*

Paul takes readers around the country to meet women ages 50 to 90 who are still getting outside to challenge themselves, learn new things, take risks, and chase awe. These women include 80-year-old scuba diver Louise Wholey, who braves the chilly waters of Monterey, California; Kittie Weston-Knauer, a 74-year-old BMX racer and instructor in Des Moine, Iowa; and the Wave Chasers, a group of boogie boarding senior women in San Diego. “Tough Broad” shares Paul’s interviews, research about aging, and experiences joining these women — her role models — in their chosen outdoor adventures.

“We need templates in our life,” Paul writes. “We need to see our possible selves in someone else’s grand exploits.”

Author Caroline Paul in a helmet while riding a one wheel. — Caroline Paul riding her one wheel. / *Photo courtesy of Caroline Paul*

My favorite chapter was about wing-walking. Seventy-one-year-old Cynthia Hicks likes to Google “something fun to do here” when she travels. That’s how she discovered Mason Wing Walking Academy in Sequim, Washington. In the 1920s, when there were lots of surplus planes left over from World War I, this daredevil activity became popular as part of aerial shows. Today, people can still learn how to climb out of their seats in a red biplane, attach themselves to a cable on the wing, and stay there while the plane does loop-de-loops.

The author beautifully describes the day that Marilyn Mason taught her to wing walk. “The plane rockets skyward. As it climbs, my mind shuffles around in a state of bewilderment. It ransacks neurons and old memories for a pattern to latch on to. Too late. The horizon curdles, falls away. Spinning earth, buffeting air, iceberg clouds flashing by.”

In the wing walking chapter, Paul talks about how research on the state of awe has exploded recently. “I recognize how perfectly wing walking primes us for awe: there is the majestic view at thirty-five hundred feet that feels almost religious; there is the total disequilibrium of doing something so antithetical to every survival instinct; there is the exhilaration of twirling and ricocheting and falling in a vast sky.”

While less active people often see adventure activities as thrill-seeking, Paul wonders at her underlying drivers, especially as she ages. “Could this be what has really been motivating my outdoor quests these past few years? Instead of adrenaline, have I unwittingly been seeking awe?”

An older woman in a wheelchair holding binoculars on a bridge near forest. — Virginia Rose, avid birdwatcher and one of the women interviewed in Paul’s book. / *Photo courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing*

“Tough Broad” is an entertaining read. It’s sure to inspire women to continue to enjoy the outdoors, create new neural pathways as they try new things, and enjoy the camaraderie of their sisters in adventure into their later years.

Writer received a free advance copy of the book for review.

6 incredible places to go whitewater rafting in the US

Ride the rapids.

Outdoor adventuring can take you all over the world. Today, let’s dive into some of the most incredible whitewater rafting excursions you can go on without ever leaving the United States.

What makes a spot perfect for whitewater rafting? If you’re a passionate rafting enthusiast, you’ll probably prioritize places with reliable local outfitters, gorgeous scenery, and exciting rapids that suit your skill level. Lucky for you, there are plenty of places throughout the U.S. that fit the bill. Start planning your next destination rafting trip with this list of six incredible places for whitewater rafting. You can even explore a first-person account of rafting through the Grand Canyon here.

A Barbados bucket list that all outdoorsy travelers need to see

Explore the island.

On sunny January days, Brits, Canadians, and other tourists from cooler climes revel in the warmth of Barbados. It’s a welcoming country for visitors.

While Barbados is known as the easternmost Caribbean island, it’s technically in the Atlantic Ocean. The island country is only 21 miles long by 14 miles wide, but there’s plenty to do there on and off the beach. Plus, there’s a surprising amount of geographical diversity for such a small island. The southern and western shores are best for swimmers and beachgoers, while the wilder, hillier eastern coast attracts surfers and cliff walkers. Plan your adventure with this list of the best outdoorsy things to do in Barbados.

Discover the majesty of scuba diving in the Maldives

Wade among the eels and coral.

Following a marble ray as it silently ripples just above the seafloor is something you can only do underwater. On my first ever open-water dive, I got to hover above rays, watch a hawkbill turtle eat, and swim among thousands of colorful fish. I saw why divers of all experience levels call the Maldives paradise.

I had hoped to finish my open-water diver certification before arriving in the Maldives. The training consists of an online learning module, confined dives in a swimming pool, then open-water test dives. I’d passed the e-learning and done the confined dives at home in Oregon with Ocean Paradise Dive and Travel, but I ran out of time to try the open-water dives.

A turtle in front of a scuba diver underwater. — *Photo by Ahmed Saamee*

Try Scuba Diving program

Fortunately, the Sun Siyam resorts where I stayed had Try Scuba Diving programs for non-certified beginners. I had a chance to try diving once at the Siyam World resort and twice at another resort, Sun Siyam Olhuveli.

For Try Scuba Diving, an instructor works with one or two students. My first time out, I was one-on-one with Ahmed Saamee, a dive instructor at Siyam World, who goes by Sam. Two other people were supposed to go on our dive trip, but the others didn’t show. So, I wound up on a dive boat with Sam, the boat crew, and two additional scuba instructors who went along for fun. I couldn’t ask for a safer first time diving with all these pros.

Pool chairs on the beach. — Resort life at Siyam World. / *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

Since I wasn’t certified, the dive staff assembled my gear and helped me put it on. But because I’d already done a lot of coursework, Sam let me have a little autonomy. We reviewed basics like how to clear my mask if I got water in it, made sure I knew what I was supposed to breathe out of, and which button to press to add or subtract air from my buoyancy control device, commonly known as a BCD.

He reminded me to stay calm while diving. “Scuba is for being lazy,” he said. Once we got to a good dive spot and Sam and the other instructors had assessed the current, it was time to jump in.

Two divers sitting on a boat on the ocean. — Sam and I with our gear on. / Photo courtesy of Siyam World Dive Center

Take a giant step

I’ve seldom felt less graceful than I did while walking the short distance across the dive boat with a heavy cylinder on my back and ginormous fins on my feet. Once I reached the edge of the boat, I held onto my mask and regulator with my right hand and my weight belt with my left. Then, I took a giant step with my giant feet. I was in!

Sam let me slowly deflate my BCD with my left hand while I pinched my nose and gently blew to keep my ears from plugging. Down we went, a foot or so at the time. My first dive was very shallow. At about 15.5 feet, it was only slightly deeper than the swimming pool I’d trained in. But with a much better view.

A diver underwater. — Photo by Ahmed Saamee

Once we got horizontal, we slowly glided around, checking out the underwater world. The fish were amazingly beautiful. The coral wasn’t especially colorful, but the shapes were varied and interesting. One challenge of being underwater is communication. But some of Sam’s sign language I could easily understand, such as when he pointed at a moray eel and made a biting motion with his hand. Noted.

My buoyancy needed some fine-tuning. Too low, you damage the coral, or it scrapes you. But mostly, my body wanted to float up like a balloon. Throughout my time in the Maldives, helpful instructors would give me tips like exhaling more fully to sink or using my head to steer my body.

A moray eel underwater. — A moray eel. / *Photo by Ahmed Saamee*

Diving in the Maldives

The Maldives is one of those destinations that makes many “best of” lists for diving. I talked to several scuba pros about what makes this archipelago in the Indian Ocean so alluring. But first, I’ll mention one thing I like about it: nothing will eat you. True, the moray eel might want a nibble, and the triggerfish will defend its territory. Even so, you aren’t going to lose an arm to a great white.

“Maldives is one of the best destinations in the world for beginners to start their career. Because we have the easy access to the ocean and the shallow lagoons to practice,” said Ibrahim Maahil Mohamed, dive manager of the five-star resort Sun Siyam Iru Fushi. Meanwhile, advanced divers can swim in currents. “If you dive with the current then there’s high chances to see bigger animals, like sharks, rays, like schooling of fishes,” said Mohamed, widely known in dive circles as Token. “Long story,” he said of his nickname.

A school of eagle rays underwater. — Eagle rays. / *Photo courtesy of Olhuveli Dive Center*

Sam, Token, and Sun Siyam Olhuveli dive center manager Ahmed “Nafsu” Naffaz all come from the same island, Naifaru. This seemed like a strange coincidence to me in a country with almost 200 inhabited islands. But Nafsu explained. “We have the highest majority of divers in the whole Maldives,” he said. “When you look at a resort, there will always be one Naifaru guy.”

Island life is closely tied to the water. Many Maldivian men become fishermen or scuba instructors. “The first divemaster in the whole Maldives is also a Naifaru guy,” Nafsu said. “And I think because of that there’s a high influence in the island.” Nafsu first met Sam when they were both working on liveaboard dive ships. Sam and Token grew up together.

A school of sharks. — *Photo courtesy of Olhuveli Dive Center*

The Maldives’ advanced diving sites are special, according to Luca Diamante, an Italian marine biologist and scuba instructor at Sun Siyam Olhuveli. Deep drift dives of 25 or 30 meters, where divers take advantage of strong currents, yield especially good marine sightings. “In this area you can spot in the right condition hundreds of sharks, hundreds of eagle rays. You have a very nice cleaning station for mantas,” Diamante said.

Cleaning station? He explained that small fish called cleaner wrasse clean the skin or gills of other animals. “And different communities are adapted to clean different animals. So there are cleaning stations for turtles, cleaning stations for mantas, cleaning stations for sharks. And all these animals, of course they move. But in every place they go, they have their own cleaning stations. Like public toilets.” Okay, once I’m certified, I need to return and watch a manta ray’s ablutions.

A manta ray in water. — A manta ray swims by to say hello. / *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

I greatly enjoyed the beauty and ease of resort life, staying in a lovely villa and strolling over to the dive center for an excursion. But the Maldives are changing. Now, there are more budget travel options. “Maldives is also a place where people can now do solo traveling or backpacking,” Nafsu said. He suggested staying on a local island, rather than a resort island, as a money-saving option. There, you’ll experience a little more of the local culture.

Advice for new divers

All the dive center instructors I met were pumped up about the Maldives, sea life, and diving in general. “People think that scuba diving is difficult or it’s dangerous to do,” Token told me. “But if you follow the rules and regulations, there’s no fear in it.”

Luca acknowledged newbies’ worries. “I mean, all this gear we use looks scary maybe at the beginning,” he said. And while some instruction is necessary, “It’s not like getting a university degree. It’s something you can do in three or four days.” As divers progress and get more experience and training, they slowly approach more difficult dives. “Diving is very hierarchical,” Luca said. “You have to learn everything step by step.”

Two divers in clear blue water. — Beginning instruction in a shallow lagoon at Olhuveli. / *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

Why not just snorkel? I love snorkeling and always felt that would be enough. But I spent more of my snorkeling time freediving to get a closer look. It started dawning on me that I wanted to go underwater and stay for a while.

Token explained why he finds diving superior to snorkeling, saying: “When you go underwater, you’re going into a peaceful world where there’s nothing to disturb you. It’s just yourself hanging out with the fishes and the beautiful marine life. And you’ll be moving underwater like a fish. You’ll be observing the fishes like a fish.” Token urges visitors not to settle for sitting around on the sand. “Other than just coming and enjoying the beaches or the luxurious villas, the best way to get yourself into some adventure is to explore the oceans.”

Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Outdoors Wire did visit the Maldives during a press trip with Sun Siyam Resorts. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

See what it’s like to swim underwater with a jetpack

Race through the ocean.

When I first heard of the Cudajet (an underwater jetpack), I immediately wanted to try it. The idea is that you can get much farther freediving with a jetpack since we humans can only hold our breath for an average of 30 seconds to two minutes. Underwater jetpacks were originally designed for combat divers and rescuers. But if you’re lucky enough to make your way to Siyam World in the Maldives, you can try one.

My intro to the Cudajet began in the Siyam World dive center. My instructor, Mohamed Raif, who goes by Dan, showed me the sleek jetpacks. He explained that I’d wear a special vest with the Cudajet strapped to my back like a backpack. Oh, and a neoprene hood to cover my long hair. It was crucial not to let my hair get sucked into the Cudajet. I decided not to ask what would happen if it did.

A diver underwater wearing a cudajet. — *Photo courtesy of Siyam World*

Then we loaded up our Cudajets and took a golf cart to the end of a pier. Dan helped me get suited up in a vest, mask, and hood, then strapped the jetpack onto my back. It was a bit heavy. Next, he told me to stand on the end of the pier and jump off, executing a 180-degree turn in midair. I think this was to make sure the pack didn’t hit the piling in case I didn’t jump far enough. It was a little daunting, but I think I made it at least 120 degrees and wound up in the water, still alive and ready to go.

Next, I had to learn to operate the hand control. The jetpack has to be submerged in the water to work. So, if you want to move on the water’s surface, you lie on your back and cruise around looking up.

A person showing off the cudajet and explaining how to use it. — Dan introducing me to the Cudajets. / Photo by Teresa Bergen

The main way to use the Cudajet is to duck dive straight down. Once the jetpack is submerged, you turn it on and power down to your desired depth, then go horizontal, holding your breath and going as far as you can before releasing the button and surfacing. Easy, right? While Dan swam around like a dolphin, my first attempts involved more sputtering and confusion. I’d go down too fast, my ears instantly plugging, feeling out of control and having a hard time leveling out. Dan kept telling me to look up instead of down, but my neck didn’t seem to want to comply.

After a while, Dan had me try Plan B: starting on my back, leaning my head back, and going faster and faster until I was underwater face up, then turning over so I was prone. This worked better, and I became slightly more dolphin-like.

It was fun, and a little frustrating, but satisfying when I got it right. However, as I powered past three gorgeous eagle rays, I realized a jetpack was too fast for me. I’d rather slow down and watch the marine life than speed past it. But if you are a motor enthusiast who loves being in the water, this is the high-tech toy for you.

A diver doing a flip underwater while wearing a cudajet. — *Photo courtesy of Siyam World*

According to the Cudajet website, you can use it to dive down to 40 meters, and its top speed is 10 feet per second! You’d better practice holding your breath before you try this. And equalizing, or your ears will be in trouble. It weighs about 30 pounds and costs nearly $18,000. I definitely recommend visiting Siyam World and taking a lesson from Dan to see if you need a Cudajet.

11 thrilling water adventures to try in the Maldives

Dive into adventure.

A clownfish pokes its head out of a fluttering anemone, then darts back in. I’m snorkeling through the Nemo Garden, an area rich in the predatory marine invertebrates known as anemones and the fish who love them. When I pop back to the surface, marine biologist Caitlin Rentell of Sun Siyam Iru Fushi explains their symbiotic relationship.

“The anemones have stinging cells in them so other organisms will get stung by the anemones,” Rentell told me. “But clownfish have this special mucous that basically coats their skin. And they’ve evolved so they can go in the anemones without getting stung.” The movement of the clownfish brings fresh water and nutrients to anemones, which are attached to coral reefs or rocks on the sea floor. In return, clownfish hide out in anemones to evade predators.

I spent nine days at three different Sun Siyam resorts in the Maldives. Since the South Asian country is 1% land and 99% ocean, it’s heaven if you like a water-focused vacation. Activities range from quiet and educational to loud and motorized.

Two black, white, and yellow fish. — Clownfish staying close to their anemone. / *Photo by Caitlin Rentell*

Loreto Bay National Park invites you to dive into the aquarium of the world

Explore the bay.

I’m all geared up with snorkel and flippers, ready to jump off a boat beside a sea lion colony near Baja California’s Coronado Island. About 100 of them are barking their heads off. It’s deafening. I’m a little leery, as I’ve heard stories of sea lions elsewhere being less than welcoming. But my guide, Ivette Granados Marines, assures me that the local sea lions are friendly. They only bite rude people who stick Go Pros in their faces.

I let go of the boat and fall into the deep warm water. An enormous sea lion torpedoes under me, staring with round black eyes. Sure enough, I am watched but unbitten while snorkeling in the unreal turquoise waters of Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto. Here’s what you should know before visiting the park for yourself.

Cliffs rising out of water. — *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

The marine park

Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto, which translates to Loreto Bay National Park, includes five uninhabited islands and 510,000 acres within the Gulf of California. The Mexican government established the park in 1996. Since then, it’s gained the added distinction and protection of being declared a Ramsar site in 2004 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Ramsar sites indicate internationally important wetland areas.

A blue kayaking approaching a shore. — Approaching Honeymoon Beach on Danzante Island. / *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

The Gulf of California, also called the Sea of Cortez, is the Pacific Ocean inlet between the Mexican mainland and the eastern coast of Baja California. I spent three days exploring Loreto Bay National Park and the nearby Baja town of Loreto.

Wildlife in the Sea of Cortez

Locals and tourists alike enjoy taking boats out to snorkel, swim, fish, dive, and kayak in the park. While the moniker “aquarium of the world” has made the area vital to the local tourism economy, the point of being a park is to protect the area’s many non-human inhabitants. In addition to friendly sea lions, other big mammals who swim here include dolphins, orcas, fin whales, and humpback whales. The world’s largest mammal, the blue whale, migrates through the park in February and March.

Shells laid out on pebbles and rocks. — Shells of some of the smaller Sea of Cortez residents. / *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

As we boated back from a glorious kayaking and paddle boarding excursion on Danzante Island, Ramon Arce told me about blue whales, his favorite Sea of Cortez animal. “They are huge,” said Arce, an elite kayaking guide with Sea Kayak Baja Mexico. “Sometimes when they show up and you don’t expect them, maybe you get scared for a few seconds. But then they just pass nearby.” While it’s against marine park rules to intentionally go whale watching in a kayak, sometimes they’ll come towards you, Arce said. “In February and March, it’s pretty common to see them.”

A person SUPing on water near an arch rock formation. — Ramon Arce leading our paddling excursion. / *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

Each of the five islands — Coronado, Danzantes, Santa Catalina, Del Carmen, and Montserrat — has slightly different species of the same animals. Santa Catalina Island, the most remote, has seven endemic reptile species found nowhere else in the world. These include the leaf-toed gecko, the desert iguana, and a very disconcerting rattlesnake.

The critically endangered Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake lacks a functioning rattle. Instead, the buttonlike base of the snake falls off every time it sheds its skin, preventing a rattle from growing. “The snake doesn’t need that rattle,” said Granados Marines, a geologist by training who is now operations manager for the central-northern region of Visit Baja California Sur. “Why? Because no one on the island is going to attack the snake.” Uh, but isn’t their courteous warning one of the best things about rattlers?

A cactus growing above a rocky cliff. — *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

The importance of algae

While few people would question the awesomeness of a huge creature like the blue whale, sometimes it’s the lower-profile organisms that make a difference. As we sit offshore in our boat, admiring Isla Coronado, Granados Marines tells us a story of the hero of the marine park: algae beds called rhodoliths.

“Those algaes are like the nurseries of the Gulf of California,” she said. If you cut into a rhodolith you can find up to 140 species of different eggs of fish, nudibranchs, shrimp, sea stars, and other critters, Granados Marines explained. “That was the motivation that the community wanted to create the marine park. To defend the bottoms of the sea here. Because without rhodoliths, we don’t have a place for some of the species of fish to put their eggs.”

A seagull on shore looking at a sea lion sticking its head above water. — *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

Snorkeling the Sea of Cortez

While I love paddleboarding and kayaking, there’s nothing like being in the water with whatever animals live in the area or are passing through. After visiting the sea lion colony, we went ashore for some beach time. I spent my time in the water, cruising around looking for critters. Colorful king angelfish and surgeonfish are beautiful, but I especially enjoy the surprising fish. I got a shock when a long, tubular trumpetfish silently passed beneath me. And when I was examining some rocks on the sea floor, I realized one had eyes. It was a stonefish, an ambush predator that zaps its prey with highly venomous spines on its back!

Two snorkelers underwater among fish. — Taking a look inside the turquoise water. / *Photo by Teresa Bergen*

If you go

The small town of Loreto is the best base for visiting the marine park. You’ll need an outfitter to take you to the islands on a boat. There are many choices, but both options I went with — Dolphin Dive Baja and Sea Kayak Baja Mexico — were excellent.

Loreto offers many lodging options, too. If you want to stay in the town square amid all the action (and near La Route bike and espresso shop), I recommend Posada de las Flores. It features an airy courtyard and rooftop pool. For a beachier experience, Hotel Oasis is right on the malecon, so you can gaze at the Sea of Cortez from your hammock.

Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Outdoors Wire did visit Loreto on a press trip hosted by Visit Baja California Sur. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Here’s what you’re missing if you’ve never visited the Chattahoochee River

Discover the Hooch!

In 2022, over 3.5 million people visited Georgia’s Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. This recreational hotspot centers around (you guessed it!) the one and only Chattahoochee River. This roughly 430-mile landmark is one of the country’s smallest river systems, but it still manages to offer plenty of adventure opportunities for outdoor explorers.

If you grew up in Georgia, Alabama, or Florida, you might be familiar with the Chattahoochee as a chill summer fun destination. In warm months, it’s pretty common to see swimsuit-clad crowds floating down the river on intertubes. This river provides even more than meets the eye, though. See what else it has in store with this list of eight fun outdoor activities to try on the Chattahoochee River.

Rowers flock to Boston for Head of the Charles Regatta

It’s a race across the water.

Since 1965, rowers have flocked to Boston’s Charles River for the annual Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR). This year, the big event runs October 20-22. Boston is expecting peak fall color, 11,000 rowers from around the world, and 400,000 spectators. If you love rowing, you’ll want to be there.

Boston has long been associated with rowing, which is one of the oldest Olympic sports and also closely identified with academia. So, it makes sense that the HOCR is a big deal for the city. Rowers start the race at the Boston University Boathouse. They proceed under a railroad trestle and the BU Bridge, then navigate five more triple-arch bridges before reaching the finish line about three miles upstream.

The schedule is packed and timed down to the minute. It starts on Friday, October 20, at 7:45 a.m. with a men’s single race in the 70+ and 80+ age groups, followed by women of the same age at 8:05 a.m. It continues, race after race, for a total of 75 races over the three days.

Rowers on a river. — Community Rowing brings the sport to the masses. / *Photo courtesy of Community Rowing, Inc.*

Way more people want to row than can fit into the 75 races. Would-be competitors submit an online application, then cross their fingers that they’ll be accepted. In addition to the thrill of victory, top finishers in the men’s and women’s championship singles event will get $10,000. Second place brings $5,000, and third place earns $2,500.

Interested in rowing but not a contender? Community Rowing Inc., North America’s largest public-access rowing organization, is partnering with Hotel Commonwealth to let guests try out the sport. Hotel Commonwealth guests can take private indoor instruction, then try their skills out on the water with a Community Rowing coach. Community Rowing is dedicated to exposing people of all backgrounds to rowing. Its partnership with Hotel Commonwealth will support rowing programs for Boston Public School kids, veterans, active duty military, and para-athletes.