The Travel Life and Living with Intention

     Snowball fights in July while wearing shorts and sandals! That was a real treat during the nation’s midsummer heat wave in 2012. Glacier National Park, The Crown of the Continent, was the perfect place to be for all of us:  perfect weather, beautiful mountains, invigorating hikes, a refreshing boat ride on the lake, and a group of 12 cheerful travelers.        There is nothing quite as energizing as spending time outdoors in the fresh mountain air. No shopping malls or fine dining for this crew. We were out for a good time in the mountains, and that’s exactly what we got.  The boat trip on Two Medicine Lake was just the beginning of a grand adventure for us. We stepped off the boat and into the woods, then hiked to Twin Falls. The trail was filled with an array of wild flowers, including Montana’s state flower, Bear Grass, which has nothing to do with bears, and looks like a white globe of fluff on the end of a tall, st...

Have you heard of 'Glamping'? It is truly an outdoor girl's dream!  Ok, maybe not all outdoor girls, but definitely a dream trip for me. Two years ago, I had the opportunity to go to the Snake River in Idaho for an exciting, rafting adventure on this phenomenal river. Where the Snake River heads north and forms the border between Idaho and Oregon, is Hell's Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America.  Boulders and rock slides have rolled into the river to create the biggest rapids in the Pacific North west. Between rapids, we had spectacular scenery that we enjoyed from the river, and we also went ashore to experience challenging hikes where we encountered Rocky Mountain Big Horn sheep and mountain goats. The river was wild at some points, with class IV rapids like Wild Sheep and Granite Creek. At other times, we kicked back, watched the sky, and floated down the river without a care in the world. And we were totally unplugged!  No cell phone coverage in this remo...

One of my favorite North American destinations is Glacier National Park and Waterton International Peace Park, just north of Glacier.  Hiking, kayaking, and beauty-gazing are the three top activities in this stunning Crown of the Continent!

Melissa has ten years of experience in organizing and leading trips and has had the travel bug for over 30 years, taking her to adventures in Asia, Europe and throughout North America. Her first experience traveling abroad was as a student, studying in the Loire Valley of France, and since then, travel has been a part of her life. As a French teacher, she has taken students to various parts of France and throughout the province of Quebec. She has also traveled to the beautiful French island of Guadeloupe, living with a family and studying the culture and language of the Guadeloupians.  With her own family, Melissa lived for several years in Japan, where she and her husband raised three children. The children have flown from the nest, and now reside in Seoul, South Korea, Denver, Colorado, and New York City. Melissa has also led tours throughout North America during her summers off from teaching. For Melissa, the greatest joy of travel is sharing adventure, exceptional food, and...