I changed up my hiking scenery this past week. Instead of heading toward the Rocky Mountain foothills near Bailey, I ventured toward the foothills near Loveland, Colorado. Here, I hiked the trail to Stone Mountain.
GO HIKING!
Roadtrip to the Rockies: Bruno Gulch Trail
I just recently posted about South Park Trail and the hike I completed the following day, Bruno Gulch, intersects this trail at a location farther south. That tidbit of information isn’t terribly important if you are only looking for a short and easy hike, but if you are looking for more distance, these two trails may be hiked together as a point-to-point.
GO HIKING!
Roadtrip to the Rockies: Trail 600 AKA South Park Trail
I hesitate to write about this trail, as this particular segment of Trail 600 also known as South Park Trail, is not on the All Trails App. As a result, this seven-mile out-and-back hike close to Denver alludes crowds. While the entire length of South Park Trail is around 12 miles, there are three places where it may be accessed.
GO HIKING!
Canakkale, Turkey
During my two-week tour around Turkey with G-Adventures, our final night’s stay was in Canakkale. Canakkale is a seaport on the southern coast of the Dardanelles with a population of nearly 200,000. It is a good base for those wishing to visit Troy and Gallipoli.
GO VISIT!
From Selcuk to Ayvalik
It is about a 2.5 hour drive from Selçuk to Ayvalik, the next stop on our two-week G-Adventure tour of Western Turkey. Along the way, we stopped in Bergama to see the Turkish rug making process.
Selçuk…The Site of Ephesus
As part of my two-week tour of Turkey with G Adventures, a budget National Geographic company, we stayed in Selçuk for two nights. Sadly, I knew nothing of Selçuk or of its many attractions. For that matter, I didn’t know much about Turkey except that people enjoy it, so I wanted to go.
Selçuk is a very popular tourist destination. During the shoulder season at the start of COVID, however, the city was rather quiet, which I enjoyed! While Selçuk features a variety of restaurants and shops on lovely streets and a smattering of ruins on the hill above town, it is best known for its proximity to Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With all the attractions, Selçuk definitely warrants an overnight stay or perhaps even a weekend get-away. Below is a list of things to do while in Selçuk.
EXPLORE!
Turkey: Pamukkale and Heiropolis
I actually signed up for this G-Adventures tour, a budget National Geographic company, specifically because the itinerary included Pamukkale. Pamukkale is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which features natural travertine terraces of thermal pools. I saw a picture of the famous site in a National Geographic magazine at least 10 years ago and have wanted to visit ever since.
Take a Soak!
The Sunken City of Kekova
A long time ago, I read an article about SCUBA diving in underwater, ancient ruins near Istanbul. I thought that would be cool to do, so it has stayed with me for years. Having said that, during my six week trip to the Middle East which included Oman, Israel, and Turkey, SCUBA Diving didn’t make the list.
Instead, I signed up for a two-week tour through the western half of Turkey with G-Adventures, a budget-minded National Geographic Company. Having completed little research and being rather dependent on the tour company, I was surprised to learn that there were underwater ruins in Kekova, one of the destinations on our travels.
SAIL AWAY!
All About Antalya
History of Antalya
Antalya was originally founded by King Attalus II of Pergamon around 150 BC and was called Attalia for the King. It soon became part of the Roman Empire and prospered until the fall of Constantinople. The Seljuk Turks captured the city in 1207 which fell to the Ottomans in the mid 1300’s.
It remained under Ottoman control until World War I when the city was briefly given to Italy before the Turkish Republic recaptured Antalya during the War of Independence.
RELAX!
Cappadocia: Three Day Itinerary
Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey with unique geological structures and lots of history. There are lots of things to do while visiting the region which includes several small towns such as Ürgüp, Göreme, Uçhisar, and Avanos to name a few. Hiking, taking a hot air balloon ride, and exploring an underground city are a must while in Cappadocia.
LET’S GO!