The Behind the Story Blog: Where’s Jayme?
I just returned home from my new favorite cycling destination: South Korea. I spent a week biking the country’s Four Rivers Bike Path, an impressive network of world-class cycling infractructure that spans more than 1,000 miles. Look for my story in the August issue of National Geographic Traveler. I’m fairly certain there’s nothing else like these bike paths on Earth. You can replicate my trip this fall with Bike Tours Direct.
For May and June, I’ve got four trips lined up, including one to Chamonix, which has been on my bucket list for nearly 10 years. I plan to spend July at home in Colorado, hiking, biking, running, and stand-up paddling with friends in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and leading a Summer Adventure Writing Camp for Girls July 21-25.
Here’s my trip list for May and June. Holler if you want more info on any of these.
Utah National Park Blitz: I love the desert in the late spring. It’s hot, but not yet too hot. I’ll try canyoneering for the first time in Zion National Park, which is lauded as one of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. I’ll also be stand-up paddle boarding in Lake Powell, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now, and hiking through the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park.
Santa Fe, New Mexico: Santa Fe is one of my favorite places in the U.S. and I’m always looking for an excuse to travel there. This time, it’s for Bike + Brew, a three-day festival celebrating bikes and beer, and the Santa Fe Century Ride, a 103-mile road bike ride through the scenic southwestern countryside.
Glacier National Park, Montana: I’ve been wanting to bike the park’s “Going to the Sun Road” ever since I heard that Glacier opens it to cyclists before car traffic for the summer season. I’ve always imagined Glacier to be such a rugged, wild place, and the idea of experiencing it by bike, not protected inside a car, has me absolutely entralled.
Alaska Tour: I’m still working out all the details on this one, but I’ve got ten days to see as much of Alaska as I can. My three priorities are Denali (the highest mountain in North America), the Alaskan Arctic Circle, and Kenai Fjords National Park.
Chamonix: My assignment in Chamonix is secret until May 21, when I’ll reveal it on MensJournal.com. Until then, all I can say that it involves Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the alps, ultra-running, and one very happy travel journalist.
JM