Water Travel

"When does a man quit the sea?" asked E.B. White. "Does he quit while he's ahead, or wait till he makes some major mistake?" Skipper and the crew seem to thrive pushing for the latter. Sailing alongside killer whales. Flying the Canadian flag upside down while coasting blithely into Victoria. Debating who gets left behind the day they have to squeeze into the three-man lifeboat. Interrogated by the US Coast Guard. Running aground. Losing themselves in blinding sea fog. Standing rapt beneath Taps' benediction as the American flag retires in Roche Harbor.

Todd and Sheryl Sullivan writing as Tssully share their adventures while fishing in the Huron-Erie corridor of the Great Lakes. Novice and experienced fishermen alike will both enjoy their successes and failures and the learning experience that comes along with it, while fishing for multiple species. Whether you enjoy fishing in a lake or river environment, the listener can pick up some new techniques by following them along on their journey.

Travis Merrill's life isn't going according to plan. He's quit several career paths, his wife has left him, and his only solace is volunteering to portray a cavalry surgeon at historic Fort Verde in Arizona, a place where time seems to stand still. When a weird trick of time actually sends him back to the year 1877, he's boxed into impersonating the surgeon for real.

A Florida boat tour is a short ride, usually two hours or less, where you and your fellow passengers learn something new about Florida history, ecology or wildlife from a spirited and helpful guide while gliding across supple, sun filled waters. You may see dolphins, manatees, turtles, alligators, and more. Cruise past famous and infamous homes, Indian mounds, and ancient cypress trees where diving birds sit on branches spreading their wings to let them dry. A boat tour is a floating adventure with friends. Boarding a pontoon boat is easy, involving a short ramp or some steps.

In the Year of the Shark, a chance encounter between a ne'er-do-well writer and a tropical storm left him marooned on the deserted end of a Caribbean island and charged with the rescue of his four shipmates. There, Mishka Shubaly learned some valuable life lessons - among them that in the absence of whiskey, wine, and water, urine will get the job done.

This short piece outlines the adventures I had both in the air and on the sea. My travels took me on a flying safari across Australia and cruising around the coasts of Tasmania and New Zealand's South Island. Both spectacular, breathtaking places in their own rights. Let me tell you, the rewards outstripped the risks by a long way.

“The Yosemite” by John Muir is an influential work that celebrates the natural beauty and spiritual impact of Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Published in 1912, the book combines Muir's personal experiences, scientific observations, and philosophical reflections on the wilderness.

John Muir’s “My First Summer in the Sierra” is a captivating narrative that chronicles Muir’s experiences during his first extended stay in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California in the summer of 1869. As an avid naturalist and conservationist, Muir vividly describes the awe-inspiring landscapes he encounters, from towering mountains and lush forests to sparkling streams and serene meadows. He shares intimate observations of the diverse plant and animal life inhabiting the Sierra.

In September 2019, Max Morgan boarded a vintage Twin Beech aircraft with his five co-workers and was pulled back in time to northern Germany 1,700 years earlier. Max’s family found acceptance from the local villagers, and Max trained them in tactics to turn them into a cohesive fighting force that made the Romans nervous. His introduction of black powder grenades and the use of his firearms were significant force multipliers, but that did not stop the Romans from visiting tragedy on his tribe and his family.

The solemn, rhythmic intonation of the shipping forecast on BBC radio is as familiar as the sound of Big Ben chiming the hour. Since its first broadcast in the 1920s, it has inspired poems, songs, and novels, in addition to its intended objective of warning generations of seafarers of impending storms and gales. In Attention All Shipping, Charlie Connelly wittily explores the places behind the voice, those mysterious regions whose names seem often to bear no relation to conventional geography.

Discovering the Beauty and Fragility of the Natural World: A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf. Written by John Muir, one of America’s greatest naturalists, the book captures his deep appreciation for nature as he explores the American South.

Two years ago, a weird trick of time sent Travis Merrill spiraling from 2016 to the year 1877. Committed now to his life in frontier Arizona, Travis is married with a child on the way and is homesteading a ranch. His knowledge of the future, however, keeps him at odds with his neighbors, his friends...and his wife. He finds it more and more difficult to protect his home without alienating his family, yet he can’t ignore what he knows is - and will be - true.

In September 2019, Max Morgan boarded a vintage Beech Twin aircraft with the five ladies from his office and the three-person flight crew for a flight to Sheridan, Wyoming. Max’s boss had scheduled a team-building exercise for survival training, so they had bags packed with camping gear, firearms, and ammunition. Then the aircraft hit a mysterious vortex in the air that pulled them inexorably toward the west at a dizzying speed. That vortex dumped their aircraft back in time in northern Germany 1,700 years earlier.

I climbed into my orange plastic Kayak and zoomed off to the green shallows of Young Cove. Just what is it that makes paddling this waterway such pleasure? Sometimes I think it is the kayak music. That is the musical sound of the hull traveling through the water on a quiet day. It is constantly changing and it is always calming to me.

Take a walk in the park. Or explore a forest, gorge, campground, even a historic site. Spend a week or a weekend. Go biking, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting or cross-country skiing. Or just relax and enjoy the most beautiful scenery in the Northeast! This is a guide to the state and national parks throughout Massachusetts, the wildlife refuges, nature and bike trails, historic sites, facilities and activities at each site, and contact information.

Did you ever wonder why scuba divers need weights or what the bends are? Why do divers fall backward into the sea rather than forward when diving? Do you want to know why water does not enter the face mask? If you want to know the answer to any of these questions, this book is for you. Greater than a tourist explains in plain language the procedures for scuba diving and how to protect you from harm, using personal experiences as examples.

A book remembering a moment in time. A moment I knew, holy crap, this is serious and everyone is looking at me. It was then I realized I am the captain! Having survived my first long solo sail a year ago, I figured it was time to take it up a notch! Sailing has been a passion project of mine. From a young age, I have been set to many different activities by my overactive enthusiasm, from blazing trails on bikes through thicket and bog alike, that run along the local river. To pulling fish too small to fry from that very same river.

I built a raft out of plastic pop bottles and plywood, and then sailed away for a Saturday. I had sailed many kinds of vessels in the waters of southern Puget Sound, but never a homemade raft. The raft cost me $60. The adventure was priceless. Join me as I try this grand experiment.

Kayaking at night has its rewards and hazards. I have noticed that when you master a sport, you eventually want to challenge yourself. Sooner or later you end up doing it at night. Low visibility takes a sport and turns it into an extremely isolating, yet empowering, experience. My life and joy for living are in only my hands. I must make peace with God, silence my personal fears, then embrace life to its fullest. This is the pleasure I have found in kayaking at night.

In the still and cool hours before sunrise I have learned a few things about myself and God. It is my hope to share them with you, as I share the experiences which take place in my orange 15' kayak. Take what you like and forget the rest.