What to Buy When Going on an African Safari

On June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Africa1 Comment

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As we prepare for our trip to Kenya and Tanzania in just a few weeks, there have been several items that we have purchased with the safari in mind. Some of them were items that we needed to replace, some were things very specific to the safari, and all will be useful on other trips in the future. To be clear, we purchased all of the items and none of them were given to us as a promotional product. We are light packers these days, regardless of the trip, but since we’re going to spend 11 nights on safari, we are only taking carry on bags, so everything that we take needs to serve a purpose. Obviously we’re taking more than just these items, but these are the things that we bought in preparation for our trip.

Safari Hats and Shirts – We have several shirts that are sufficient for going on safari that we used when going to the Amazon Rainforest as well as to Egypt, but we decided that it was time to get a few more. One thing that we don’t normally wear are hats, but considering the amount of time that we are going to be exposed to the sun, we definitely needed wide brimmed hats that will protect our heads from getting burned.

Multi-Outlet Power Converter – Although we’ve had a power converter for years that has served us well, we decided to upgrade to a new power converter that has multiple outlets so that we can charge several items at once. The amount of time in the lodge is going to be limited as most of our time will be spent in the jeep, so keeping our phones, cameras, and other electronics fully charged is going to be important. With this power converter we can charge up to 6 items at one time compared to our old converter that could only charge a single item.

DSLR 400 – 800 mm Zoom Lens – We have other lenses for our camera, but we decided that for this trip we should getter a different telephoto lens. We don’t know how close or how far away we will be to certain animals, but we definitely don’t want to miss out on getting that close-up of a lion or other animal just because we couldn’t get close enough.

Camera Backpack – This is certainly something that we should have purchased years ago as will definitely make taking multiple cameras and lenses much easier. It is large enough to put everything into, but small enough to use as a personal item for the flight. It will definitely protect the camera equipment during the times when the cameras are not out and in use.

New Duffle Bags – It was about time for us to get new duffel bags as our other bags had seen 7 years of travel to over 30 countries. We always want duffel bags as carry-on bags so that they can squeeze into tight spaces and collapse when not in use. Hopefully these will last as long as our last ones and make their way to even more countries.

iPhone Zoom and Fisheye Lenses – We take as many photos with our phones as we do our cameras, so having different lenses that simply clip over the phone camera lens provides the opportunity to capture things that we wouldn’t always get. We also like the images that the fisheye lens produces, so we’re looking forward to playing with some of the different images.

Although we did buy these items with our safari in mind, clearly they will all be useful for all of our upcoming trips. It is very rare for us to buy things specifically for a trip, so versatility is important to us. We look forward to all of these items as we head to Africa in just a few weeks.

Enjoying the Beauty and History of Southwestern Colorado

On June 7, 2021June 7, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado2 Comments

We don’t make our way to southwestern Colorado as often as we should. Whenever we do take the time to go there, we always have a wonderful time. There are so many different reasons to make your way through the mountains and valleys, as there are definitely some beautiful locations throughout the area. Regardless of whether you want to get into the mountains and go hiking, see some locations of geological interest, or visit ancient ruins, there is something that will appeal to everyone. We have been to each of these locations multiple times, but never in the same trip. It would actually make for a very interesting loop from Colorado Springs to go to all of these locations on a single trip with short stays along the way.

Alamosa and the Great Sand Dunes National Park – If you head south from Colorado Springs and then go west once you reach Walsenburg, it is about a 3 hour trip to reach the town of Alamosa. At least for us, the main reason to visit this quaint town is to enjoy time in the Great Sand Dunes National Park, which is truly an amazing experience. It is also a great location to enjoy food of the southwest in one of the several restaurants located in Alamosa. There are some very interesting hiking trails in the area, even one that allows you to get up close to some petroglyphs.

Durango, Mesa Verde National Park, the “Four Corners”, and the Aztec National Ruins Monument in New Mexico – Located in the southwestern corner of Colorado, about 3 hours west of Alamosa, Durango is a great place to explore. The area is known as the four corners because it is where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona all come together in a single location. There is even a marker right where all four states come together and if you want, you can put one body part in each state by putting your hands and feet in different states all at the same time. Mesa Verde National Park is certainly spectacular to see and it worthwhile taking the time to go into New Mexico to visit the Aztec National Ruins Monument.

San Miguel River that Runs Through Telluride

Telluride and Ouray Colorado – After seeing the historic area of the four corners, you can continue north for about 2 hours to the town of Telluride where you can enjoy some upscale relaxation. There are many trails to hike for people of all ages as well as mountain biking and other outdoor activities. Since it is a resort town, there are more than enough food options for any type of meal or budget. Whether staying in the actual town of Telluride or staying in the Mountain Village, taking the gondola between the two provides incredible views without having to exert any energy. The mountain vistas are some of the most spectacular in Colorado, which makes Telluride a destination all on its own.

Pond with a Beaver Damn Just Outside of Telluride

After spending time in Telluride, it is about a 6 hour drive back to Colorado Springs, but the scenery is beautiful and varied as you go through valleys and mountain ranges. Any of these destinations are worthy visiting simply for their own reasons, but combining them into a single trip will provide you with a very unique experience since each location has something different to offer. There are obviously other locations along the way that can be added, so this route can be added to for those who have more time to spend on the road.

Wherever You Travel, Flowers will Make You Smile

On June 3, 2021June 3, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge4 Comments

It doesn’t matter what part of the world that we travel to, we enjoy seeing the beautiful flowers of the area. Whether it is in the parks, on a trail, or just around the buildings downtown, there are always wonderful flowers or flowering plants around. In fact we have enjoyed taking photographs of the colorful flowers so much that we have put several posts out dedicated just to the images of the flowers that we have captured. Here a few of the posts that we have previously shared:

Colorful Flowers Around the World – We tried to share images of flowers from many different countries and continents to show the natural beauty that can be found all around the world. The variety of flowers is as diverse as the scenery in all of the different parts of the world where they exist.

The Flowers of Egypt – Egypt can be a harsh environment with desert covering much of the landscape, but that didn’t mean that we didn’t see some very colorful flowers during our time there. In contrast to the heat and sand, the bright flowers really stood out.

The Wildflowers of Colorado – We do quite a bit of hiking in Colorado and really enjoy seeing the different wildflowers. They can be found growing in some of the most rugged places and we are amazed to see them literally growing out of the sides of boulders.

Seeing Tropical Flowers When Traveling – We have been to several tropical countries and have seen some of the most amazing flowers, but these exotic flowers can be found in many other places as well. The tropical climates certainly provide all of the conditions necessary to create some quite stunning flowers.

Some of Our Favorite Flower Photographs – The title of the post pretty much says it all. The focus here though was on individual flowers as opposed to beds of flowers or flowering bushes. Focusing in on a single flower often allows you to clearly see all of the beauty that the flower has to offer.