Hit The Road in a Convertible!

Are you yearning to release your inner Thelma, Louise or Audrey? Have you always wanted to wear a big scarf and sunglasses and drive a winding road up the coast? You can go topless this summer by renting a convertible at many of the national car rental chains. Even if you're only driving to the grocery store, do it in style!

Start dreaming here: Avis, National, Budget, Dollar, Thrifty,

Cool Off With A Cold Book

Into Thin Air, a true account of one writer's experience on Mt. Everest, may be just the thing for these hot summer days.

In 1996, Outside magazine sent Jon Krakauer to Napal. His assignment: tell readers what to expect on a guided ascent of the world highest peak. Into Thin Air was written after Krakauer returned from what had become the deadliest season in the history of the mountain. The author's insight into the culture of the Himalayas, the personalities and motives of climbers, their sacrifices and survival stories is mesmerizing.

David Breashears' IMAX team was filming during the same climbing season and their incredible film Everest is a must see after reading the book.

Learn to Swim

If you weren't born a water baby, learning to swim may be one of the great adventures of your life. Developing a happy relationship with water can open up a whole new world of wave jumping, boating, canoeing, rafting, surfing, scuba.... Start expanding your horizons by visiting the American Red Cross

Surfin' U.S.A.

If everybody had an ocean
Across the USA
Then everybody'd be surfin'
Like californi-a
You'd seem 'em wearing their baggies
Huarachi sandals too
A bushy bushy blonde hairdo

Surfin' USA

You'd catch 'em surfin' at Del mar
Ventura county line
Santa cruz and trestle
Australia's narabine
All over manhattan
And down Doheny way

Everybodys gone surfin'
Surfin' USA

We'll all be planning that route
We're gonna take real soon
We're waxing down our surfboards
We can't wait for June
We'll all be gone for the summer
We're on surfari to stay
Tell the teacher were surfin'

Surfin USA

The Beach Boys said it all. Wanna learn to surf? Google "surfing" for your area or start here or here.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

Looking for something different for the first day of summer (TODAY!)? How about sweet corn ice cream. Read Slashfood's comments on this taste adventure here.

Profile of an Adventurous Woman: Surf's Up!

Guest post by Jan who founded an adventure group in Southern California.


I have always been a water baby.

In 1955, our first house was on Bangor Lane, less than ½ block from the beach in Ventura, CA. Ventura, at that time, was one of the great, gritty beach towns, as famous for oil as it was for surfers, second only to Huntington Beach.

I have fond memories of planning my escapes to the beach. When I went missing, which was often, my parents knew where to find me…sitting in the edge of the surf playing in the sand. As I was only 18 months old, this caused great concern for my parents, and so, hook latches were installed on the doors. Not to be dissuaded, and having a lot of time on my hands, I soon learned how to foil the latches with a broom handle. Spring latches came next, and again, I learned how to use a broom to slide and push the locks open. Having exhausted their creativity in keeping me safe…we moved inland. I discovered puddles. I discovered I could make puddles with the garden hose. And after flooding the backyard for the 3rd time, the handles were removed from the spigots.

It’s not easy being a water baby…or the parents of one.

The summer of 1974 was my summer of discovery and freedom. I was recovering from my first bout with cancer and I had decided life was just too short to try and please everyone. I decided also, that recover was not going to be spent safe in bed battling nausea and pain, I was going to direct my own recovery. I began to get up each morning before dawn, pack a lunch sack, towel, thermos of water, and go to the beach.

I would start the day walking. It was ¼ mile from lifeguard tower 1 to tower 2, and a struggle to make the walk to and back. But soon, I was jogging the entire length of beach 6 times to make a daily run of 6 miles.

I had gone to school with most of the life guards on that beach, and one day, Art and Eric, taught me to body surf on their break. I spent the remainder of that summer body surfing, boogie boarding, and free diving up to 35 feet for clams, abalone, rocks, whatever was available down there.

Time marches on, and between the demands of family and work, my days at the beach came less and less often as my husband and daughter were not water babies. Soon, the glorious days of summer, and the love of the water were replaced by other activities.
Life also changes, and as that marriage ended, I was delighted to meet the love on my life. He was one of the surfers from that old beach I used to surf the summer of '74. We got married, and I finally had someone in my life who understood my call to water. He was a career military man, and not long into our marriage took a 1 year unaccompanied overseas assignment on Okinawa. We spoke almost every day, usually after he returned from scuba diving or surfing with his buddies after work. I mentioned one day I would like to learn to dive and he said…”what’s stopping you”? By the end of the week I was enrolled in a NAUI class and 6 weeks later I was diving for the first time. Upon his return from Okinawa, we spent several weekends traveling to Catalina Island for boat diving, or beach diving from San Clemente to Laguna Beach at places like Divers Cove, 1000 Steps and others. For my birthday that year, my husband gave me sailing lessons and we began to alternate our weekends between sailing and diving. But soon, work and family took priority again as my parents were getting older and required more care.

Winter 2006

I got a call from my now grown daughter. She said my grandsons had something to ask me. “Grandma…Mom told us you used to surf…would you teach us”? they asked. Good grief was my first response. I haven’t surfed in 20 years or more. But I understand the draw and I said yes…then I enrolled in a gym with a pool and spent 6 agonizing weeks getting my 50+ year old, 50+ extra lb body back into some semblance of fitness.

I bought us all boogie boards and shorties (short wetsuits) and we planned our first trip to the beach. While I didn’t get much board time in that day, we spend a wonderful day in the water with the boys sharing something we love. It’s now a regular family outing. We incorporate safety training into each trip, reviewing what they have already learned about reading the water, and adding something new to the training. Last trip it was prevailing and rip currents; how to spot them, what to do if you get caught in a current. The boys have become quite comfortable with the boogie boards, and we’ll soon present them with their own surf boards and start lessons.

Last trip out, my oldest grandson said “Grandma…Mom said you used to dive…will you teach me?”

I’ll save the answer for another blog, another day.

Cattails for Lunch?

I like food adventures so you'll probably see a lot of items like this in the future.

For today, go on over to Slashfood and learn how to indulge your craving for the slender green beauty of fresh cattails.