Looking for an adrenaline rush on your next trip? You’re in luck, Wisper Bikes make the best value ebikes on the market – you can view the range at wisperbikes.com. This week on BootsnAll we’re talking about the sometimes dangerous, always thrilling experiences travelers can find on the road. From Zöe Smith’s list of challenging (but exciting) bike rides and Victoria Brewood’s guide to doing risky (but fun) things around the world to David Joshua Jenning’s reflections on how humans seek the divine in natural disasters, we’re embracing our collective need to live on the edge, particularly on our travels.
On a more serious note, the U.S. presidential elections are approaching fast, and Jenn Miller (traveling mom, dual citizen, and expat extraordinaire) wants to discuss this phenomenon we keep hearing about of “I’m leaving if XXX gets elected…” and how even though she’s always pro-travel, someone has to stay home and work towards change.
6 Of the World’s Craziest and Most Challenging Bike Rides
Zöe Smith shares 6 cycle trails (in Europe, Asia, and the Americas) that will have you pedaling on some of the most beautiful (and dangerous) roads in the world. Everyone is invited to take the challenge but before you dare do that, go get from myproscooter.com a decent beginner road road bike and tools with it.
“So, you’ve cycled the rambling hills of Southern France and pedaled your way along the ins and outs of the American coastline and are looking for something a bit more challenging? These 6 cycling trails will have you plummeting down cliff edges, flying over potholes, and skidding around hairpin bends, all in the name of an adrenaline kick.”
I’m Leaving the Country if XXX Gets Elected!
Jenn Miller contemplates why so many Americans are considering moving abroad pending the upcoming election results, shares a few possible solutions, and finally makes the case for staying home and being a part of change for the better.
“It doesn’t take astute powers of observation to recognize that most Americans are discontent with the electoral process this year. It’s felt like a marathon of “can’t look away” train wreck proportions. From the hard “Bern” of the Sanders campaign, with the flickers of hope some felt, that perhaps, just maybe, we were ready for an anti-establishment candidate, to the merciless snuffing of his campaign by the Democratic establishment, to the carnival sideshow type disaster that has become the ‘What will he say next?; headline on the evening news following candidate Trump… And then there’s Clinton, no one I know really wants her either. Not really. For true democrats, it feels like she’s gravitated to ‘Republican Lite’ and those who find themselves on the other side of the aisle can’t imagine how electing someone with her ethics record could ever be a consideration.”
The Sublime Rush: 7 Ways to Experience the Power of Nature
There’s nothing like the power of nature to make us acutely aware of our mortality, or produce what’s knows as feelings of “the sublime.” David Joshua Jennings guides us through seven natural phenomena where one can feel the rush of the sublime at its most potent.
“Travelers often seek larger-than-life experiences on the road, but only some of these experiences are capable of penetrating the margins of that which we call the sublime. There’s nothing more powerful than raw natural phenomena in movement to whirl up the rare and exalted sensations …Which in really basic terms means: we kind of like that feeling of realizing that Mother Nature can be a terrible beast and that we are powerless against her. And, even as we realize how dangerous she can be, we can’t help but appreciate her beauty.”
14 Extreme Travel Activities To Get Your Heart Pumping
Want to live life a little more dangerously or seek some adventure? Victoria Brewood has a list of 14 of the most extreme, thrill-seeking activities on offer around the world. From cage-diving with sharks to base-jumping, there’s something for every kind of thrill-seeker here.
“Traveling is often about pushing yourself to your limits and living a little dangerously, which is why backpackers are increasingly challenging themselves to face their fears, break records, challenge their fitness and seek some thrills. Not satisfied with lazing on the beach, shopping and sightseeing, people are traveling far and wide to do something…well…a little more James Bond-esque. These action-packed, thrill-seeking, adrenaline pumping, death-defying activities are something to write home about…. if you survive!”
Photo Credits: mezzotint, KieferPix, Dietmar Temps, Stefan Pircher.