Sunday, November 17, 2019

Book Review: Epic Journeys- 245 Life Changing Adventures

YOU GUYS. If you have a traveler on your Christmas list, or maybe someone who wants to travel bust isn't sure how to start, GET THEM THIS BOOK.

Epic Journeys: 245 Life Changing Adventures

From rafting the Zambezi River's 23 stomach-flipping rapids to hiking the Inca trail and sailing from island to island in Greece, the travel experts at National Geographic reveal the world's best adventures in this stunning--and practical--treasury.

From navigating the class-five rapids of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon to sandboarding the slopes of a volcano in Nicaragua to dogsledding in the Arctic, this beautiful and comprehensive book offers trips of a lifetime for explorers and adrenaline junkies alike. Filled with more than 300 vivid photographs, this inspirational guide reveals over 225 of the planet's best destinations for hikers, skiers, divers, rafters, and more. You'll also find everything you need to know for the ultimate epic journey: what to see, when to go, and what to do. Combining adventure with cultural experiences--for example, a safari through Madagascar or visiting the ruins of Buddhist temples after sea kayaking the warm waters of Vietnam--this one-of-a-kind collection, complemented by top ten lists and adventurer essays covering everything from the best hiking trails to the top wildlife parks, will lead you to new heights of exploration.

I really have no idea where to start with this book. First of all, I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent pouring through this book because I lost count over a week. I'm not kidding. I have gone through every page, spent even more time looking things up on the internet, and telling Matt we should do this. Of course, I got the "OK, sure thing" look from him but still.

You know when you're in nature, or maybe you're on a vacation doing a touristy thing, and you find yourself surrounded by something so cool that you never thought you'd see but here you are- looking at it. And all of a sudden you get emotional and maybe even cry? Alright, so that might just be me, but sometimes when I see something so geologically cool I get teary eyed because of how cool it is, how long it took to be created, and the sheer process of it being created is just so much.

That's how I felt when I read this book. Literally from page one when it features part of Zion National Park (which is on my bucket list!) and the hiker is looking up at The Narrows. I knew from that page this book was going to inspire me to go places.

The book is broken down into regions (South/Central America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America, The Polar Regions), but my favorites were easily Oceania and North America. Mostly because those seemed the most do-able for me given some of my health issues. But those pages are heavily tabbed off with some post it notes with some ideas, because I want my kids to see some of these things. For instance, I've been to the Grand Canyon and have done some of the things it lists in the "To-Do" section, but I haven't been to Havasu Falls and frankly, I didn't even know that was part of the Grand Canyon. Also, one page 331 it lists the Top 10 Adventures for Exploring National Parks. One of them is "slough slogging" (walk through wetlands) in the Everglades and honest to God, I might have to skip that. Alligators scare me and I'd probably pee my pants if I saw one outside of a zoo.

This book also gives you sample itineraries for different trips so you could literally have your vacation planned out for you. So many websites listed for resources, guidance on when you should go on these trips, and specific local resources to contact to get the trip of a life time. If you want to go on amazing trips but are overwhelmed with details and how to arrange it, this book is going to be your #1 resource. I highly, highly suggest giving this one a try. Also, the photos are undoubtedly amazing so if for no other reason, get it for the photos.

If you are a travel agent, you better have this on your table for clients to page through!

An incredibly huge thank you to National Geographic for sending me this amazing book as well as TLC Book Tours for having me on this tour! All opinions are my own and this post contains affiliate links. 

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