Banff and Beyond: Outlandish Adventures in the Canadian Rockies by Jack Leggett III

Dedicated to my mother: Mary Beth McGowan

Thanks for remembering and sharing this insanely majestic place with us. Sometimes it was hard to put these experiences into words, but on the following pages I do try.

Disclaimer: The following accounts should be considered as inspired by true events, but admittedly there are parts that stretch into the realm of fiction rather than objective truth.

 

Climbing in Canmore (Outskirts of the Canadian Rockies)

“I won’t go any higher, I’ll just traverse across the route,” I hollered down to my parents and friends who were all bunched up at the base of the immense rock wall I was clambering across. Traversing being a climbing term referring to moving horizontally across a route as opposed to vertically. “That way if I fall, I’ll likely just break a leg or two, instead of my neck.” Strangely, no one seemed relieved by this statement.

The Scotland Experience by Esperanza Flores

Having gone twice to Scotland, one would think that I would have check it off my bucket list and moved on.  But this place of history and tragedy; charmed with a touch of mystery and superstition keeps drawing me back.  I simply cannot get enough.  And if I dare to say, when I’m there, I feel like I’m right at home.

Alone and Unafraid by Daniel T Neufeld

Alone and Unafraid – My Time In Istanbul

The early morning light illuminated the ornate dining room of the Hotel Air Boss on the western edge of Istanbul. Sunlight streamed through the floor to ceiling windows and settled on pure white tablecloths and maroon chairs. A light rain brought the smell of soil and trees through an open window. Walking through the double-door entrance, the earthy smell greeted my nostrils as an assortment of dozens of different kinds of foods laid out on trays drew my eyes. As I approached the long self-service buffet table the smell of soil and rain was gradually replaced by the scent of fresh fruit, sizzling meat, and cheese.

Turkey Run Indiana by Victoria Collins

Turkey Run

Trail three is utterly abandoned.

My hiking buddies—Owen, Curtis, and Joey—scurry up and down slick hills, jump over small ravines and land precariously, their hands reaching for a hold in the cliffside. I take the trail more carefully, an instruction manual running in my mind. Foot here, sidestep there, grab that root for extra balance. I am a determined, but slow, hiker. Turkey Run poses quite the challenge for my right leg, weakened in a surgery long ago; I command my ankle to turn outward, but the nerves don’t fully connect with my brain, and I’m left staring down at an unmoving foot. Owen sees my dilemma and runs over to help me down the damp hillside that I’ve been struggling with. Water rushes past our ankles as we reach the trail floor.