Thirdeyemom

Traveling the World and Doing Good

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  • Nagarkot Community Homestay, Nagarkot, Nepal

    Two Days at the Nagarkot Community Homestay in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

    After a lovely morning exploring the beauty and charm of Bhaktapur, our group headed a short distance away to Nagarkot, a beautiful village nestled in... Read More
  • Harding Ice Field Trail Seward Alaska

    Hiking to the end of the trail at the Harding Icefield in Seward, Alaska

    Perhaps one of the most spectacular day hikes of all time is the hike up Exit Glacier to the Harding Ice Field located in Seward,... Read More
  • A Day Trip From Florence Exploring all Five Villages in Cinque Terre

    Perched high atop the steep, rocky coastline of the Ligurian Sea lie the Cinque Terre, five breathtaking colorful Italian fishing villages dating back to the... Read More
  • Iceland: Two days in Mývatn and Krafla, Iceland

    Day Five of our Ring Road Trip around Iceland found our family of four arriving early afternoon at Mývatn Lake, probably one of the most geologically... Read More
  • Hike to Lac Blanc, Chamonix, France

    Unforgettable Hikes along the Tour de Mont Blanc: Hike from Col des Montets to Lac Blanc

    Sometimes in life, the best comes last. Serendipitously, this proved true with our very last hike on our intergenerational do it ourselves Tour de Mont... Read More
  • Blackett's Ridge Hike, Sabino Canyon, Tucson, Arizona

    The Best Hikes in Tucson’s Sabino Canyon

    There is no better way to connect with the raw beauty of nature than by doing a good hike. I grew up hiking and for... Read More
  • First Time Guide to Climbing Kilimanjaro

    Have you ever had a dream for so long that it never stopped bugging you until you decided to just do it? For me, it... Read More
  • Cerro Concepción, Valparaiso, Chile

    A Street Art Lover’s Guide to Valparaiso

    "Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves". -  Henry David Thoreau Valparaiso is an art lover’s paradise. Known as one of... Read More

TRAVEL

December 13, 2025December 13, 2025
— 15 Comments

The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: En Route to Soraypampa

Back in August, my daughter and I set out on an unforgettable adventure in Peru, completing the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu with Mountain Lodges of Peru. It was a trip we had been planning since 2020—until the pandemic put our plans on hold.

We finally made it happen just a month before she left for college, and for me, shortly after recovering from my second hip replacement and stepping into the empty-nester chapter. The timing couldn’t have been more meaningful. ✨

The experience exceeded every expectation—challenging, beautiful, and deeply memorable. Below is a recap of our first day on the trail, trekking to Soraypampa.

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Icalama, Chile
November 26, 2025December 4, 2025
— Leave a Comment

Ancestral Paths to Mountain Biking Trails in Icalma, Chile

A small dedicated group of local people in the remote Aracauria region of Chile has turned ancient ancestral paths into sustainable tourism through mountain biking as a way to keep their indigenous traditions and culture alive. Here is their story. 

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November 24, 2025November 24, 2025
— 13 Comments

Hiking the Kumano Kodo: The last leg to the Nachi Grand Shrine

The last day of our hike along the Kumano Kodo was from the remote village of Koguchi to Nachi Taisha, one of the three Grand Shrines of the Kumano Kodo and the most stunning. It... Read More
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November 6, 2025
— 13 Comments

Hiking the Kumano Kodo: Ukegawa to Koguchi

The fourth day hiking the Kumano Kodo trail was a recovery day and only 13.2 km/8.2 miles. The hike today involved a short bus ride to the Kogumotori-goe section of the trail, where we had perhaps one of the best views of the velvety green forested mountains. The look out area is called Hyakken-gura looks out onto the “Kumano Sanzen Roppyaku-ho” – a local expression which literally translates as the “3,600 peaks of Kumano” per our guidebook.

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SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL GUIDES AND RESOURCES

May 14, 2025May 14, 2025
— Leave a Comment

Meet Klättermusen Experiences: Scandinavia’s New Sustainable Travel Company

Klättermusen Experiences is a new sustainable travel company that is connecting travelers to Scandinavia’s rich culture and wild outdoors. Check out their latest trips for 2025 today!

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March 6, 2025March 6, 2025
— 3 Comments

Experience the magic and beauty of a safari in Zambia with Dazzle Africa

Dazzle Africa,  a woman-founded 501(c)(3) based in Las Vegas, began its journey when six women visited Zambia in 2011. With 12 years of safari experience, Dazzle Africa has been recognized by Travel and Leisure twice, in 2021 and 2024, in the Safari Operators Category. Over the years, Dazzle Africa has invested over $2.5 million in conservation, education, and clean water projects in Zambia, all while taking pride in curating exceptional experiences for their guests. It is one of the few non-profit safari outfitters in Zambia and is changing how guests experience and make lasting change with their life-changing safaris.

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November 4, 2024November 4, 2024
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Greether: Connecting female travelers to female guides around the world

Meet Greether, and its founder Vanessa Karel. With its tagline “Experience safer travel with a local bestie”, Greether is a leading platform that connects female travelers with local female guides to provide safe, inclusive, and empowering travel experiences.  Its mission is to promote cross-cultural understanding and peace through travel.

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Kiki Waterfall, Chiriqui province, Panama
October 30, 2024October 30, 2024
— 2 Comments

Why you should always purchase travel insurance and how to demystify it

Travel insurance is not just for those off-the-beaten-path destinations or people over 65. Instead, it is essential for anyone who travels. Yet figuring out how to demystify all the different options can be daunting. That is why I went right to the source. Read this Q&A with Christina Tunnah, General Manager of the Americas for World Nomads, a global leader in travel insurance and inspiration. 

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SOCIAL GOOD

Dharma Expeditions Los Cabos, Mexico
October 5, 2023August 24, 2024
— 6 Comments

How a Cactus Cooking Class is helping preserve Los Cabos’ last rancheros

Danny Perez, the founder of Dharma Expeditions, is on a mission to bring sustainable tourism to threatened indigenous Ranchero Californio communities off the tourist map in Los Cabos through his cactus cooking tours

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November 4, 2022April 24, 2025
— 9 Comments

The Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary : One of Few Rare Remaining Tropical Cloud Forests in the World

What started 50 years ago on a plot of cattle-stripped land has grown into the only tropical cloud forest in the United States with over 100 species of bamboo, gigantic tree ferns, and many rare... Read More
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March 22, 2022March 28, 2022
— 7 Comments

World Water Day 2022: Making the invisible visible while on the ground in Western Honduras

Just two weeks ago, I joined our US-based team on a visit to Honduras, and for a few of us, it was our very first time on the ground seeing our work bringing safe drinking water to Central America. We watched a water chlorinator being installed in an extremely remote community called La Cañada, located high up in the mountains in Gracias, Honduras.

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June 1, 2021July 23, 2021
— 2 Comments

How the Vicente Ferrer Foundation is saving lives in rural India

For over 20 years, RDT’s Bathalapalli Hospital has provided quality healthcare in rural India. Today it is on the frontlines of the fight against the pandemic and thankfully organizations such as the Vicente Ferrer Foundation and its local partner, the Rural Development Trust (RDT) in India are taking charge and doing whatever they can to save lives. While the challenges ahead are huge, there is hope.

Learn more about what they are doing on the ground to change and save lives, and how you can help today in this thought-provoking interview with Moncho Ferrer, President of the Board of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation.

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CULTURE

November 6, 2025
— 13 Comments

Hiking the Kumano Kodo: Ukegawa to Koguchi

The fourth day hiking the Kumano Kodo trail was a recovery day and only 13.2 km/8.2 miles. The hike today involved a short bus ride to the Kogumotori-goe section of the trail, where we had perhaps one of the best views of the velvety green forested mountains. The look out area is called Hyakken-gura looks out onto the “Kumano Sanzen Roppyaku-ho” – a local expression which literally translates as the “3,600 peaks of Kumano” per our guidebook.

Read More
Max William going up Teribe River for Naso tour
February 22, 2025April 21, 2025
— 7 Comments

A Visit to the Naso comarca in Western Panama, one of the last monarchies in the Western Hemisphere

A visit to the Naso Indigenous Community in the Bocas del Toro Province of Northwestern Panama is a magical experience and a way to support community tourism in Panama. As one of the last remaining monarchies in the Western Hemisphere, community tourism is offering them a way to keep their culture and traditions alive.

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Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Bhaktapur, Nepal
September 14, 2024September 14, 2024
— 5 Comments

A Cultural Journey through Thimi and Bhaktapur, Nepal

The first day of our trip began with a short drive outside of Kathmandu to the historic Newari region of Bhaktapur, an area rich in culture and lavish Newari architecture, Hindu temples, heritage, and beauty. Our first stop was in Madhyapur Thimi, a village known for its pottery and ceramics where we took a pottery class and learned how the community supports themselves through this beautiful craft.  Thimi is one of the ancient cultural and historical villages along the ancient trade route from Bhaktapur to Kathmandu, and is known as the pottery capital of the region. Roughly 11 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu, Thimi is easily reachable for a day trip and continues to play an important role in Nepali culture and tourism.

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