The previous evening’s storms passed. After a fine night at the primitive campsite at MM83.5, the trails had generally drained very well and I managed to keep my feet dry. Mozzies weren’t bad either until after Double Lake. A few downed trees across the path, just to remind you there was some recent wind! ThereContinue reading “Lone Star Hiking Trail Day 2 – Tarkington Campsite MM83.55 to Magnolia Campsite MM68.5”
Author Archives: Peter Ireland
Lone Star Hiking Trail Day 1 – TH15 to Tarkington Campsite MM83.55
This post and the associated series were first shared on the Lone Star Hiking Club Facebook Group page, directly from the trail. I had gained much useful information from this group, so I wanted to give back. This was my second attempt at thru-hiking, my first attempt being a couple of years earlier with SamuelContinue reading “Lone Star Hiking Trail Day 1 – TH15 to Tarkington Campsite MM83.55”
Thirty Years with Schlumberger
Why do I describe my career on an adventure blog. First, the job itself was quite the adventure, and it inspired many other adventures through the travel it led to and the people I met. In describing my adventurous pursuits on this site, omitting my thirty years with Schlumberger would be a big hole. Second,Continue reading “Thirty Years with Schlumberger”
Diving the Oriskany and Lionfish Hunting in July 2020
My research for diving adventures led me to Brady Hale’s Ocean Strike Team which organized lionfish hunting trips out of Pensacola Florida. The dives required the Deep Dive specialty, so we signed up to do that first with Michael Watkins from Dive Pros, and that took us to the amazing Oriskany wreck. This was aContinue reading “Diving the Oriskany and Lionfish Hunting in July 2020”
Motorhome Rental
On our journey to motorhome ownership, we have rented units three times: once in the UK and twice in the US. The UK rental was in 2008 when the kids were small. The US rentals were in 2017 for driving the west coast between Mexico and Canada, and in 2020 to visit North Carolina waterfallsContinue reading “Motorhome Rental”
Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail: Briar Bend Park to Woodway Memorial Park
This is a “catch-up” post from May 2020 to describe our second outing on the Buffalo Bayou. Having successfully completed a solo outing the previous week, I persuaded Samuel to join me for the next leg. The days were getting hot, so a short trip was advised. Moving upstream from my previous outing, the nextContinue reading “Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail: Briar Bend Park to Woodway Memorial Park”
Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail: Woodway Memorial Park to Allen’s Landing
This is a “catch-up” post from April 2020, when COVID was just starting to get real. The legacy of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 remained strong. We’d bought our bright-green ten-foot “Lifetime Manta” kayak for less than $300 in 2012 to have some fun with the kids. It had been hanging from the ceiling of ourContinue reading “Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail: Woodway Memorial Park to Allen’s Landing”
The British Virgin Islands by Sailboat in 2020
We had booked a dream holiday for March 2020. Over the previous year, I had taken courses to qualify as a yacht skipper and Samuel had qualified as crew. We were bareboat chartering a yacht from Sunsail in the British Virgin Islands. When we left Houston in mid-March, there remained some uncertainty about where thisContinue reading “The British Virgin Islands by Sailboat in 2020”
The Outer Mountain Loop and Guadalupe Peak in 2019
The fifth installment of my West Texas adventures takes Samuel and I back to Big Bend’s Outer Mountain Loop (OML) and to “The Top of Texas,” Guadalupe Peak. The primary goal of the trip was to be the highest person in Texas at the beginning of 2020. The rest was just for fun! You canContinue reading “The Outer Mountain Loop and Guadalupe Peak in 2019”
A Six-Day Tour of Lake District Peaks
This is a “catch-up” post, written in July 2022, of a fantastic loop trek that a 14-year-old Samuel and I completed in June 2019. When we had lived in Ulverston in 2010 and 2011, Samuel had been too young and I too inexperienced for extended wildcamping trips. Our 2018 trek in Colorado had given usContinue reading “A Six-Day Tour of Lake District Peaks”
Diving at Sea Base in March 2019
The catalyst for Samuel to learn how to dive was a trip to Florida’s Seabase with scouts in March 2019. These were his first dives after qualifying the previous year. Seabase’s setup was very good for new divers. Our instructor, Dale Davis, a former air traffic controller with the air force, was fantastic both asContinue reading “Diving at Sea Base in March 2019”
Our Trip to Israel in 2018/2019
As Janet and I prepare for a trip to Greece in October 2024 to retrace the Apostle Paul’s footsteps, I write this post describing our trip to Israel to help refresh my memory. Perhaps you’ll enjoy reading it? I warn you that it was a packed trip, and this post includes many adventures. Summary ReflectionContinue reading “Our Trip to Israel in 2018/2019”
Ten Days in Colorado
This is the last of my “catch-up” posts for now, and this adventure with Samuel from 2018 is perhaps the most memorable trip we have done. While we have done longer trips since, this adventure had a combination of challenge and remoteness that were a stretch for each of us. We avoided crowds and enjoyedContinue reading “Ten Days in Colorado”
The Outer Mountain Loop in 2017
This is the fourth chapter of our experiences in West Texas. While our 2016 trip to Big Bend had been an epic collection of adventures, completing the Outer Mountain Loop added a tremendous sense of achievement. I had pictured doing the hike ever since a work colleague, Tim Long, had described hiking it with hisContinue reading “The Outer Mountain Loop in 2017”
Big Bend in 2016 With a Pre-Teen
Now for my third visit to West Texas. After an awe-inspiring summitting of Guadalupe Peak, Samuel and I were ready for our next challenge. Spring Break 2016 gave us the opportunity to head back to the desert while the girls did a trip to New York. Each of us were very happy with our trips!Continue reading “Big Bend in 2016 With a Pre-Teen”
Guadalupe Peak in 2015
This is the second of several posts that describe our multiple exciting adventures in West Texas. Ten-year-old Samuel’s interest in hiking and camping was growing and I was very much drawn to climbing Texas’s highest mountain, Guadalupe Peak. At 8,751 feet, it is nearly three times higher than anything in Great Britain. “Climb to the ‘TopContinue reading “Guadalupe Peak in 2015”
Pop-Up Camper
A pop-up camper was a memorable step toward our imminent RV ownership. Our hotel-based road trip to DC visiting National Parks inspired us to want a pop-up camper. Janet’s family had owned one when she was growing up. We liked the idea because it would be low maintenance, we would be able to store itContinue reading “Pop-Up Camper”
Car-Camping
As we prepare to take ownership of our first motorhome next month, I reflect on how we got to this point. One part of that journey has been our car camping. In Texas, we car camped as a couple in our first few years of marriage and with our first baby. In the UK, withContinue reading “Car-Camping”
The Llangollen Canal in 2011
One of the most remarkable canal trips in the UK is the Llangollen canal. First proposed in 1791, it takes you between England and Wales. The route includes the Pontcysyllte and Chirk Aqueducts and the 412m (1,381ft) Chirk tunnel. In May 2011, we rented a “narrowboat” for a week and cruised this canal. On theContinue reading “The Llangollen Canal in 2011”
Cruising the Norfolk Broads in 2009
The Norfolk Broads are wetlands in eastern England that are best accessed by boat. In May 2009, we rented a boat for a week long holiday. Such boats have a maximum speed of about three miles per hour, a brisk walking pace, and no special qualifications are required to skipper one. We chose a boatContinue reading “Cruising the Norfolk Broads in 2009”
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 