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Backpacker | 2016 Holiday Gift Guide

November 23, 2016

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Backpacker Magazine
November 23, 2016

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Filed Under: Author, Backpacker Magazine, Gear, Outdoor Adventures, Travel

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Woke up to this view (photographed through my #hom

Woke up to this view (photographed through my #homeoffice ). #sunrise over Donner Lake with ribbons of clouds. @tahoenorth

When the National Weather Service warned us about

When the National Weather Service warned us about a multi-day winter storm which would be “remembered for years to come,” I had just sent off my husband to the airport.

As resilient as we are with #mountainliving , my four kids and I haven't slept well for days struggling with all the things dad usually takes care of: fireplace (burning logs rolling out), shoveling out the car (while cementing it in ice), chains (ripping one off), making sure the pipes don't freeze (leaving all faucets on because we couldn't find water shutoff).

On Day 3, the only day that school was open that week, I woke the kids at 5am and told them to pack a bag.

Temperatures had dropped as low as 4 degrees. By 6:30am we had managed to load our car with everyone's snowboard (and Christmas gifts for teachers and Stampin' Up! tools to craft cards and ballet shoes needed for this weekend's Nutcracker performance and textbooks/hw/laptops for all four kids and their LEGO Advent Calendars) by sliding down a chute the kids had created on our front steps.

TIP: My friend from my days living in Alaska, took one look at that chute and the stuck car, and said, uh, don't let the kids do that, you have to shovel the steps when the snow is powder. They packed down the snow and now it's ice.

After several neighbors stopped by to help chip away at the ice beneath my car, we could not get the car loose until 3pm. Everyone was in tears...they missed the only day of school the week before Christmas and all their gift exchanges and farewells to friends.

Power was out 5 days. During that time, the older kids trained @palisadestahoe and the younger two spent about 5 hrs a day performing Nutcracker. And I started guest editing with Alpinist Magazine.

Tomorrow another snowstorm twice as bad, will arrive, with high winds, rain and lots and lots of snow !
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#poweroutage
#supermomlife #laketahoecalifornia #adventurewriter

When you grow up crawling into unnamed caves trail

When you grow up crawling into unnamed caves trailing behind a mother who taught you how to peer through a lens in search of that perfect composition, you tend to have a high threshold for risk when it comes to photography.

--- I snapped this image (1/10) of Josiah @properfilms (who has always captured the best shots of me in action ...see 3/10 -7/10) with my @apple iphone then sealed it in a @seatosummitusa waterproof pouch. 2 hrs later, I lost the photo along with most of the videos and photos in this post, in an underground waterfall about 1200 meters from the entrance of the longest cave in São Paulo. Swipe left to experience what it's like to canyoneer or spelunk through a river cave and read in comments about how I nearly lost my life trying to rescue this photo and how @fran.cavernadodiaboaventura (hugging me in 10/10) and @mdmaycon30 of @caverna_do_diabo_aventura and Marina and @gutobertagnolli of @maiobaturismo recovered it.---

Fran , co-owner of @caverna_do_diabo_aventura the only woman to trek through the entire 7000 meter cave, said, "We are a small company that works hard to make people feel the emotion, overcome their fears, and above all, memories of an amazing place. We do it with a lot of ❤️ I am a woman who struggles every day in an industry that has many men, to show that we women are capable."

In the 10 days, I spent with @saopauloturismo , I checked out adventures they are rolling out to international tourism, raised awareness about how tourism can make a difference for the locals and conserve endangered resources like the Atlantic Rainforest.

Vale do Ribeira (Ribeira Valley) impacted me viscerally. Without my phone for 56 hrs, I was present to an adventure that I’ve always longed for where I return with relationships that would last a lifetime, thrilling stories that I’ll tell my grandkids one day, and epiphanies about why the last frontier has lured the women in my bloodline into trouble for generations.
@seatosummit @seatosummitbrasil #transformativetravel #adventurewriter #awsaopaulo #adventureweeksp #girlsthatwander

In June, I had the opportunity to spend a few drea

In June, I had the opportunity to spend a few dreamy days in @golapaz . As I mentioned in an earlier post, in between a series of #gourmet meals showcasing #bajacuisine , @bajaadventureco took me fishing one day in the #SeaofCortez, home to more than 5000 species of micro-invertebrates, many rare and #endangered #marine #mammals like the vaquita, humpback, blue, and California gray whale, leatherback sea turtles, #sealions pelicans, sardines and anchovies, and more. The next day, @estarla & @streetgourmetla joined me for a 6-8 hour tour of #islaespiritusanto an @unesco #World #naturalheritage Site since 2005 and a #nationalpark since 2007.

The first thing our marine biologist guide said when we boarded: you can't swim with #sea lions June 1-Sept 1 because they are breeding and the bulls are aggressive and unpredictable. Therefore, I was especially surprised to capture footage of a #sealion dancing underwater with my #appleiphone . Then moments later, we sailed by one of the largest sea lion colonies in the world, hanging out on rocky crops at the northern tip of the #island .

The bulls barked so loud that we couldnt hear each other speak. They postured, established their territory and sang, “Hey look at me,” but it’s the mommy sea lions and their #yearlings that I can't stop thinking about at night. They remind me of my life with my children. #LaPazBCS #VisitBajaSur #visitmexico #lapaz #mexico @visitmexico #bajasur #livelapaz #momandbaby #parenting #babysealion #babysealions #animalsofinstagram

What would you order from @thecoveatlantis #fishre

What would you order from @thecoveatlantis #fishrestaurant ?
-Grilled #lobster with lemon-dijon mustard and butter
-Secretory Ibérico Bellota, skirt #steak from the legendary black-foot #ibericopigs of Salamanca, Spain.Mojo verde and roasted peppers.
-#snapper (like the ones we caught in the Bahamas) grilled over wood fire, endive salad, marcona almonds, radish.
-#scallops From Nantucket, New England) seared with Hawaiian hearts of palm, tamarind, caperberries, citrus.
-#mussels from Cape Cod, MA in a lobster bisque, fennel, potatoes.
-#ribeye 21 Day Aged from Iowa, USA twice baked potato, house-made steak sauce.
- Flamingo #daiquiri Made of Banks 5 Island Rum, vanilla, lime, Peychaud's Bitters
-#hushpuppies: corn bread fritters with honey butter with trout roe. Interesting. @atlantisbahamas #paradiseperfected #bahamasatheart

For our first family #international trip , we chos

For our first family #international trip , we chose a #resort like @atlantisbahamas because we knew our #expenses funded their #nonprofit #AtlantisBlue Project Foundation which fosters the #preservation and #conservation of #coral reefs, #seaturtles #sharks #manatees #cetaceans along with their #bahamian ecosystems, through scientific research, education, and community outreach.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In their #dolphincay you can #swim #snorkel #kayak and #standuppaddleboard with #dolphins who were rescued from #katrina or ingesting trash or getting caught in fishing nets and lines and other litter, pollution, oil spills, collisions with boats etc...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#atlantisbahamas provides a locker, wetsuit, snorkeling gear, towel . You can't take a camera or cell phone into the water but they provide a #photographer who accompanies you through your experience! It really takes the pressure off from being stuck behind the camera. I was most shocked about petting a #dolphin. Their skin feels soft, rubbery, and cool. When I asked the kids what was most surprising? The 5 yo said, "That they can walk on water." The 8 yo said, "That they can walk backwards on water." The 13 yo said, "That they were so friendly." @ko_snowboarder said, "That the #dolphins🐬 were rescued from so many different places around the world."⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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5 of 6 | www.LeslieHsuOh.com
#paradiseperfected #bahamasatheart #visitbahamas

The Dig is a the largest #openair #marinehabitat w

The Dig is a the largest #openair #marinehabitat with 50,000 #aquatic animals representing over 250 #marine species, 14 lagoons, and eight million gallons of ocean water. Located in @atlantisbahamas in the #royalatlantis get a break on a hot day and check out purple-striped #jellyfish, six foot #moray #eels, sea urchins, 1000 pound #mantaray , #horseshoecrab and over 100 venomous Indo-Pacific Ocean #lionfish ! #atlantisbahamas is also the only facility in world that successfully reproduced an #endangered #smalltoothsawfish ! #paradiseperfected #bahamasatheart #bahamasatlantis #bahamasvacation

On my flight to the #nassaubahamas I learned that

On my flight to the #nassaubahamas I learned that my Auntie Rita Blumenstein passed away in her sleep. She was not only the first traditional healer recognized by Alaska but one of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. But more importantly I love her as a granddaughter would.
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As soon as our boat left #nassau the spray of the clear green turquoise water upon my face mingled with the salt of my tears. When I fished in Alaska, I always brought Auntie Rita the first fish I caught. I taught my kids to do the same. She loved all the fish heads we used to save for her. Ever since I moved away from Alaska, I feared the day I would lose her before getting the chance to return to her side. While I have grieved many loved ones who have passed before me including my mother, brother, father-in-law, uncles…this time I felt the pain of every single loss in my life amplified.
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We #fished in the #bahamas🇧🇸 in memory of Auntie Rita. From Nassau, you can fish both #inshore and #deepsea in four hours because of deep underwater canyons and reefs located near the shore. In minutes you could be fishing 6000 feet for #tuna (this time of year), #wahoo #mahimahi or #Marlan. The owner of @reel_dreams_bahamas Captain Andoni Lisgaris must've thought it was strange that we kept thanking Auntie Rita for each fish we caught.
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The 2nd day I had a chance to get away from the crowds and
#islandhop to #andros . Originally my husband and I had planned to #flyfish #bonefish while the kids played at @atlantisbahamas . Instead due to an injury, my son came with me. We let the quiet beauty of @smallhopebay comfort us. Auntie Rita would've loved the flats, miles and miles of shallow water where you can spot the illusive bonefish 150 feet away. #bahamas #bahamasatheart #atlantisbahamas #paradiseperfected #visitbahamas #bahamasvacation #bahamaslife #bestinthebahamas

For @natjaorg gold award, I won two nights at the

For @natjaorg gold award, I won two nights at the @atlantisbahamas #thecoveatlantis the newest and most sensually #luxurious hotel of six. The first clip is the view from my room and a glimpse of their step down living space. Architects @jeffreybeersinternational and @rockwellgroup created an experience where guests feel this resort's connection to #water : marble floors, deep soaking tub, all the walkways to the 600 #oceanview suite rooms intentionally wind through rivers, waterfalls, pools of fish, high ceilings, no walls. It's the kind of place I love where the sound of running water is so loud you can't hear yourself breathe. Where every chair along the walkway invites you to rest your limbs.
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6th photo/clip: the blue tiles at the bottom of the #adult only pool not only match the towels and cushions but also lures me into the comforting cool blue water. The music is loud, the drinks served, gaming tables packed. Nice break from the kids.
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At night, 8th photo/clip, the lighting sets a mysterious and romantic mood...#bahamasatheart #Atlantisbahamas #paradiseperfected #visitbahamas

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