Costa Rica’s summer-rain means rivers are full & rafting is awesome!

Summer’s here and it’s rainy season in Costa Rica. But while a few rainy afternoons might keep some travelers away, there are plenty of reasons to put a Costa Rica trip on the list of great summer getaways.

1. Prime Turtle Time
From late March to late August sea turtles make their way to Costa Rica’s Pacific and Caribbean coasts to lay their eggs. May, June & July offer excellent chances at seeing leatherback hatchlings. Travelers interested in joining biologists in their studies of these giant turtles are welcome to do so at the Pacuare Nature Reserve.

2. Rafting at its Best!
Swelling with rainwater, Costa Rica’s rivers are full and whitewater rafting is epic! Now is the time to tackle the Pacuare, famous for its scenic views and just as celebrated for its class III-IV whitewater rapids. Or paddle the Savegre or Sarapiqu, whose class II-III rapids alternate with clear still-water pools – a perfect place to take a quick dip.

3. Rainy Season = Green Season
Summertime is when Costa Rica is looking her best. Combining sunny days with rainy evenings, the rainforests are lush, vibrant and bursting with life.

Speaking of green … Over a quarter of this country is protected by national parks, reserves, or private foundations. A Costa Rica tour offers the chance to view conservation at its best and explore examples of successful eco-lodges, ecotourism and preservation efforts. For example, one of our new favorite lodges, Rancho Margot, uses its lodge and reserve as a teaching tool, welcoming volunteers and guests to learn more about organic farming and sustainable tourism. We’re fans and so are fellow travelers: Rancho Margot recently made headlines as an honoree of TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence as a top performing sustainable hotel.

Aaron and the kids, Gabs, Samuel & Faye, strolling the boardwalk in La Paz, Baja — while I hang back with the camera to capture the cuteness.

The boardwalk in La Paz’s Malecon district is ideal for strolling. And following our 5-day camping adventure in the sand and sun of Magdalena Bay, a day casually walking the boardwalk was welcomed. We were up early to try and beat the height of the afternoon heat — 9:30 AM and it was already in the mid-eighties. The kids had a handful of pesos burning a hole their pockets and they did a little bargaining with street vendors for souvenirs. We took pictures along the pier. We stopped for ice cream at a small shop called La Fuente and people-watched while our hands grew sticky with melted lime sorbet and chocolate chip ice cream. The boardwalk was lined with sand sculptures of familiar Disney characters and local marine life; Samuel and Faye posed for a picture next to an eight-foot tall sea horse and turtle the size of a small car.

“Don’t touch,” I said and pointed to a nearby sign that repeated No Tocar.

“Mom,” Faye responded. “I got to touch real turtles, remember?”

“I do.”

Dinner that night was joined by Jaime Campos and Chris Pesenti from RED Sustainable Travel and Adventure Life partners. Between bites of the best mushroom burger I have ever eaten, we talked a little shop, but mostly I reminisced about our Baja adventures that week. (I overused the word “awesome”, talked with my hands and made a lot of grand gestures, which occurs when I talk about something I find … well, awesome.) It was a perfect way to finish our family vacation: new friends in a new favorite destination that the Conways are certain to frequent again and again.

To read additional entries from our family Mexico adventure, click here.

Good morning and good-bye Magdalena Bay. Thanks for treating the Conway family so well.

I strolled the beach with my companions: a steaming cup of coffee and a groggy four-year-old Faye. It was our final morning at our Magdalena Bay campsite and Faye and I quietly walked the shoreline as the sun burned off the last of the early-morning clouds. Our stride was slow. There was no rush. We dipped our feet in the water, carved our names in the sand with our big-toes, picked out the most brilliant and beautiful shell on the beach, then immediately found another (and another and another) to replace it. Faye and I did everything we could think of to linger just a bit longer.

Our bags were packed and waiting for us in the boat. We hugged the crew and said our grateful good-byes, thanking everyone for taking such great care of the Conway family during our time on the Bay. Chef Hubert tossed Samuel into the air and gave him a tight hug. During the week, Samuel and Hubert bonded over a similar sensibility that bested their language barrier. But Magdalena wasn’t done with us yet. Life jackets on, we boarded our faithful ‘Carla’ once again and made wake to the sand dunes.

The horizon of Magdalena Bay is ever-changing. Shaped and sculpted by the Pacific wind, the Bay’s massive dunes are constantly manipulated into new, rolling forms giving a pulse to the stark and stunning landscape. We anchored in the backdrop of the blue sky and golden sand, and shared the shoreline with a dozen cormorants who were completely indifferent to their new visitors. I took a few pictures of the birds, but like the cormorants was a little indifferent and, like the kids, was eager to explore the dunes.

Sand dunes insist on playtime. The entire group took turns leaping off the steepest dunes. Our landings weren’t always pretty, but they were soft. The kids did a few sandy rolls and learned quickly to keep their eyes and mouths shut. Aaron and Gabs nailed a few back flips.

Magdalena’s sand dunes – serious playtime!!

Flips and leaps out of our system, we continued to cross the dunes. A 45-minute walk brought us to the Pacific coast and to an entirely differently environment. The lush mangroves that lined the Bay were replaced by stretches of soft white sand. The beach was covered in shells foreign within the Bay. We cooled our feet in the cold Pacific waters and wandered the shore. We came across a turtle shell and part of a whale’s backbone – both white with wear from the sand and sun.

Picnic lunch on the beach? Yes please.

The sun was heating up and it was time to turn back. The warming sand quickened our pace – so did the thought of the picnic lunch waiting for us back at the shoreline. Fresh ceviche (and an excellent vegetarian version made from jicama for this grateful vegetarian), tortillas, fruit and hibiscus tea were promptly consumed. Bellies full, we boarded the boat. Samuel was last to get in. He was distracted by his recent marine discovery: a living sand dollar nearly the size of a dinner plate.

We disembarked back in Lopez’s marina and said good-bye to the rest of our fantastic crew. The three-hour drive back to La Paz was quiet. I sat in the back of the van with my three kids who fell asleep leaning against each other like a toppled row of dominoes, and dusted the last of the sand off my toes.

To read additional entries from our family Mexico adventure, click here.

A sea turtle meets a Samuel on Baja’s Magdalena Bay

Turtle monitoring begins!

The camp buzzed with energy. The turtle monitoring was a much anticipated highlight of our Baja camping adventure and the Conway family was anxious to get up-close with the region’s black sea turtles. This monitoring program is part of Grupo Tortuguero‘s community and sea turtle conservation project — the information gathered provides data on health, migration patterns and habitat use of sea turtles in Magdalena Bay.

Leading this conservation effort are Magdalena Bay’s local fisherman. Former sea turtle hunters, they are now principal players in their protection. Our leaders were fisherman Carlos and Jorge and they joined us at camp for an early breakfast. We were also joined by two members from Grupo Tortugero, Antonio and Barbara; friendly and enthusiastic, they were welcomed additions to our growing Baja family.

Samuel does some reading on our turtle monitoring protocol.

The 24-hour monitoring started with a boat ride into the bay to set the net. Taking in account the tide, channels, depth and past successes, Jorge and Carlos set the turtle net intently. The net itself is unique to the program. Constructed like a curtain, it is specially designed to release turtles safely to the surface and prevent drowning.

Every two hours the net was checked for turtles. In the meantime we kept busy at camp with other marine creatures. 7-year-old Samuel and his 4-year-old sidekick, Faye, dug water-filled trenches along the beach creating a menagerie of hermit crabs, star fish, clams and scallops. Our group took advantage of the campsite’s volleyball net to show off our mediocre skills in a few friendly matches. A hermit crab race followed shortly, proving that in an event where nine slow-moving, directionally-challenged crabs are pitted against each other, there are no winners.

Six hours into our monitoring came the announcement we’d been waiting for – Tortuga! Aaron, it turned out, was our lucky-charm. He was the only one to accompany the fisherman during that round and came back with not one, but two turtles. Both turtles were new captures: a healthy male and female.

The fisherman carried the turtles, one by one, safely to the shore. We covered the turtles’ heads to keep them calm. The Conway kids, naturalists in the making, were ready with notebooks and quickly scribbled pictures and stats: weight, sex, shell measurements and the locations of a few pesky barnacles.

“Mr. Jensen is going to love this,” said our daughter Gabs as she took detailed notes to share with her high school science teacher — a fellow turtle-enthusiast — back in Montana.

The turtles needed tags and names. Samuel settled on “Jack” and our eldest decided to pass on her namesake, thus another “Gabs” was born. Following Jorge’s lead, Samuel kept Jack comfortable by pouring saltwater over his shell and head, and tried to make easy conversation with questions like, “Where do you sleep in the ocean?” and “Can you wag your tail?”

After receiving her tags, we bid “Gabs” a fond farewell as she makes her way back into the bay.

The monitoring continued into the night. Gabs and I joined Jorge and Carlos for a midnight visit to the net. It was dark. I turned my headlamp off to eliminate the last of the light-pollution. No stars, no moon, no city lights — nothing to light our way but a glow of bioluminescence that haloed the bottom of our boat. The horizon blurred into the blackness and we headed out blindly into that abyss. Seemingly on instinct, our guides found their way to and from the net. No turtles that night, but our evening was hardly disappointing.

Aaron, putting his Irish-luck to the test, pulled through again at 6:00 AM with a 128 kilo female: a re-capture named Patty. Patty, perhaps carrying some Irish-luck of her own, was thriving. Almost two years had passed since she was first tagged and she was steadily growing and gaining a healthy weight. She was calmer than her fellow captures — even as a party of four strained to hoist her onto the scale — maybe because the process was somewhat familiar. After checking her tags (#2455 and #2456) our group posed next to the sea turtle for a quick photo. She seemed to approve. So did the pod of dolphins that ceremoniously swam by as the turtle disappeared back into the bay.

Want to go?

To read additional entries from our family Mexico adventure, click here.

Charo, Faye & I paddle through the mangroves of Magdalena Bay. (OK, OK, to be fair, Charo did most of the paddling.)

We were in our kayaks by 11:00 am. Paddle-talk included insight from our guides, Charo & Nolberto, on the ecological make-up of mangroves, the local fishing industry, as well as an animated conversation about our overnight coyote visit. Our tents provided the perfect place for dew to gather, and a few thirsty four-legged friends provided the most unique wake-up call I’ve ever encountered. After breakfast, four curious coyotes reappeared at the campsite to further checkout their new neighbors. (Note to self: Bring sandals, or other possible chew toys, into the tent at night.)

We easily paddled through the mangrove channels. The water was warm, calm and clear. About an hour into our journey we decided to get out and stretch our legs. Countless tiny crabs lined the top of the bank. They waved their large claws slowly back and forth. Naturally, I waved back. Charo explained this is how the males flirt with the females. I’d never had a crab get fresh with me before; I was flattered. But the crabs all quickly scurried back into their tiny dens as we made our way onto the bank. Turns out, I’m not their type. I tried not to take it personally.

Matt defines “stick-in-the-mud”.

We got muddy. Noberto showed the kids how to dig for clams along the mangroves and we captured a few of the flirtatious crabs to get a better look. Our new travel-mate, Matt, decided to take on some of the more serious muddy shorelines, which quickly swallowed him up to his knees. We helped by laughing as he struggled to get out and proceeded to loose both of his shoes. Aaron took lots of pictures.

“Why, yes I’ll have smore,” says sugar-happy Samuel & Faye.

That evening Chef Hubert did his best to accommodate a Smores request. He lit a fire and found a few chocolate bars and a bag of bombón — pink and white marshmallows. The kids got their sugar-fill and taught Noberto and Charo the “I hate rabbits” trick to keep the smoke away.

The stars were is rare form: bright and animated. The sky was clear and the moon hid beneath the horizon. On our isolated Baja beach, we were completely void of light pollution and couldn’t help but be in awe at our ceiling of stars. We did our best to pick out a few familiar constellations: Orion’s Belt, The Big Dipper and its “Little” sidekick. I dug out my 5-dollar constellation map which I had purchased at a gas station a few weeks prior to our trip. I felt pretty smart pointing out various astrology signs, until I realized my map was upside down. Oh well, no one seemed to mind. Our feet were in the sand and our heads tilted towards the heavens.

Want to go?

To read additional entries from our family Mexico adventure, click here.

Taking in the view from our beach-side bedroom on Baja’s Magdalena Bay.

The roadside Ranchero’s decor showcases intricate hand-crafted saddles, as well as a hodge-podge of attic-items including the stuffed head of a koala-deer (a stuffed koala bear head with antlers). We stopped at the family-owned Ranchero for breakfast on our way from La Paz to Lopez. This three-hour drive crosses the Baja Peninsula and our stop was perfectly timed to help break-up the drive, fill our stomachs and get to know our travel group a little bit better. The Conway family was joined by two new travel-mates: The father and son duo, John and Matt, were on this Mexico tour to celebrate Matt’s senior graduation. We quickly bonded over sunburns while passing around the small, but satisfying, menu. I took one look it and said “You had me at huevos rancheros.”

Our boat was waiting for us in Lopez. And so were our guides, Nolberto & Charo, our trusted captain, Luis, and Chris Pesenti the Director of Red Sustainable Travel and our host for the week. Our campsite was a short 30-minute boat ride away. Enroute we passed rolling sand dunes and lush mangroves. I asked Chris if our campsite has a name.

“Yes,” he answered, “many.” It depends entirely on which local fisherman you happen to ask.

We settled into our camp, made up of a small neighborhood of tents along the sandy shore. Aaron and I unloaded our gear and took a moment to take in the view of the bay from our private beach-side bedroom. The kids immediately kicked off their shoes and were in the water gathering scallop and calm shells by the handful. We regrouped in the community tent so Chris could officially introduce us to our home for the week. He reminded us to stay on designated trails to lesson our impact, gave us the 101 on using the bathroom and shower, and encouraged us to poke our head into the kitchen where chef, Hubert, was preparing lunch. Lunch – fresh salad, mashed potatoes, chicken, vegetable soup and hand-made tortillas – was fantastic.

Chris also provided a little more insight into the turtle monitoring we would assist in during our stay. This unique conservation trip is specially designed to support research on black sea turtles as part of the Grupo Tortuguero program. The information gathered during this trip provides data on health, migration patterns and habitat use of sea turtles in Magdalena Bay, ultimately providing policymakers with the tools they need to make decisions about species’ conservation. My seven-year-old, Samuel, took one look at Chris and said, “You had me at turtles.”

Handstand contest — a staple of all great family adventures!

Chris said his good-byes and left us to our island hideaway. The afternoon passed by quickly with a nature walk along the beach. The Conways had a handstand contest along the shore. Happy hour started promptly at 4:00 and by the time dinner rolled around we had fallen into the relaxed rhythm that the campsite insists. As the sun started to set, we followed Charo to the top of a bluff and said a ceremonious farewell to the day and welcomed the new adventures awaiting us tomorrow.

To read additional entries from our family Mexico adventure, click here.

The family that sea kayaks together, stays together.

It was by lucky circumstance that our guide, Pedro, was joining us for more of our Mexico travels and we were delighted to have his companionship in Balandra Bay. An easy 25 minute drive from La Paz, the Bay is a fantastic place to do a little sunning and sea kayaking and this is exactly what we had in store. But the wind was a bit of a show-off that morning, so we decided to limit our full-day sea kayaking trip to a few hours paddling among the Bay’s mangroves. (Arriving at Balandra, I sheepishly realized I forgot our cameras back in La Paz. Long story short, our sea kayaking trip was delayed about 50 minutes and I perfected the use of “Lo siento”.)

Pedro gave us some quick paddling points while Aaron slathered the kids in a fresh coat of sunscreen. We were still a little pink from yesterday’s sunny Espiritu Santo trip; today we were not being shy with our SPF. Aaron and I doubled up with our younger kids and our 15-year-old, Gabs, took on her own kayak. The paddle out was against the wind. It was a true test of core strength (shout-out yoga) and I was sweating-it by the time we reached the mangroves. On the other hand, my kayak companion, Faye, was kicked back with her toes dangling in the water. But the wind died down almost immediately once isolated by the mangroves. Whew.

Pedro pulled some Oreos from his bag, which reconfirmed his coolness-status with the kids (and the kids’ parents). Re-energized, it was a peaceful paddle in the mangroves. Pedro explained to us their significant role in the region’s ecology and overall health of marine life. The mangroves themselves are beautiful: calm waters and lush vegetation set in the backdrop of Baja’s rolling red landscape. It is a place where three hours passes in the blink of an eye.

Beautiful views in Baja’s Balandra Bay. Seriously, look at that water!

We glided our way back to the beachfront. I unloaded the kids and applied a little more sunscreen. By now the air was still, except for a calm breeze that seemed to come just when needed – almost on cue. Pedro unpacked a picnic lunch and we quickly ate it under our cabana.

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing in the legendary Baja sunshine. The kids grabbed hold of their goggles and went wading in the turquoise water. A perfect place for the kids to swim, they could wade nearly a 1/2 mile and still not get their hair wet. Gabs and I sat on the white-sandy beach with our feet in the water and I examined the shells, rocks or whathaveyous that Samuel and Faye plucked out of the Bay. Aaron and Pedro wandered further down the beach to take advantage of some great snorkeling. Once back, a game of tackle-the-kids-in-the-water quickly broke out. There was a lot of splashing and a lot of laughter.

I joined them.

To read additional entries from our family Mexico adventure, click here.

Faye enjoys some playtime after our private picnic lunch on Baja’s Espiritu Santo

We had a solid sleep after yesterday’s long day of travel & transfers. Everyone rose bright-eyed and we were downstairs to meet our driver, Jorge, in the hotel lobby by 8:15 am sharp. Our agenda today was a private trip to Espiritu Santo Island and snorkeling with sea lions at the island’s Los Islotes. Called The Pearl of Cortez, this beautiful rocky island with a spiritual name is a little over an hour’s boat-ride from La Paz Bay. A national park, Espiritu Santo is a haven for wildlife and is celebrated for great snorkeling and countless secluded beaches. We were hoping to confirm the island’s famous status.

After getting suited for wetsuits and snorkeling fins, Jorge dropped us off at the marina. He waved us a fond farewell, leaving us in the good hands of our guide, Pedro Lopez. A local from La Paz, Aaron and I immediately bonded with Pedro over our shared love of biathlons and marathons — while the kids connected via silly faces and a little slapstick. He was the perfect guide for us.

We boarded our speedboat. Our captain for the day was Cocoo, an experienced fisherman with 20+ years of exploring the Sea of Cortez under his belt. On board, the kids pointed out dolphins and kept watch for leaping manta rays, while Aaron and I sat back and enjoyed the sun and sea-spray, finally embracing that we were on holiday. Enroute our capable captain maneuvered our boat into tiny cliff-side caves while Pedro explained a little about the island’s unique geology visually outlined in its rocky landscape.

Snorkeling with our new sea lion friend, Mojito. Awesome!

“Mom, did you hear that?” my 7-year-old, Samuel, said as the boat slowed. We were approaching a small rocky island. “There’s a dog our there.”

He was close — not dogs exactly, but lions. The tiny Los Islotes is year-round home to roughly 500 sea lions. We slowly approached the island. Pups nursed from their mothers, while large bulls barked. Aaron spotted some squids in the water, which was unusual for this region. Even more so was that the sea lions were taking advantage of this calamari feast; Pedro explained they typically hunt further away from the colony in deeper waters. We joined a handful of other small boats in the area and found a place to anchor.

“I see Mojito,” said Pedro. He pointed at a small group of young sea lions sunning themselves on shore. Pedro has visited this colony so often he has named some of his favorites. “We’re in luck. Mojito loves to play.”

He was right. Pedro, Aaron, myself and our 15-year-old daughter, Gabs joined Mojito and a few of his friends in the water. The sea lions blew bubbles in our faces, nipped on our fins, dove over heads and thought our underwater camera was hilarious (and delicious). It was hard to tell who was entertaining who, but I assure you I was entertained!

“Mom,” Gabs said pulling her snorkel from her mouth. “This is the coolest thing ever!”

Samuel and our four-year-old, Faye, made a solid attempt to join us, but the water was a little choppy and quite cold. They were content to stay with Cocoo and watch us play with the sea lions from the boat.

After an hour or so in the water, attempting to keep up with the sea lions, we were delightfully exhausted and hungry. Saying good-bye to Mojito, our next stop was Candelabra Beach. Here a private picnic lunch was waiting for us, along an isolated beach that defines tranquil. We immediately found our niche. Gabs and I parked it in the warm sand. Aaron chatted with Pedro in the shade. Faye and Samuel waded in the turquoise water in search of creatures. Our lunch spread was awesome: fresh salad, cheeses, avocados, fruit and a Pacifico or two. Bellies full, Aaron and Gabs tackled the paddle boards and I went for a swim. Samuel put his snorkeling gear on and headed to a nearby reef. He emerged from the water proudly declaring, “I swam with the fishes!”

We took our time here. There was no rush to leave and plenty of reasons to stay. But as the sun started to loom over the horizon, we knew it was time to board our boat back to La Paz. But before we did that, Pedro had something else in store for the Conways.

The sky was suddenly filled with activity as our boat came closer to a colony of hundreds of nesting Magnificent Frigates. The birds were busy. They circled the boat and skinned the water — a closet birder, this was a spectacular moment for me.

“Just one last little surprise I had to share with you,” Pedro said as we drifted away from the birds.

But he was wrong. Once back in La Paz Bay a pod of porpoises surrounded our boat and we watched them perform as the day transformed into evening.

A fantastic start to our family Mexico vacation.

Weather report: Slight breeze & sunny. High 90s.
Sunburn report: Kids pink, Aaron peeling.
Animal sightings: Leaping manta rays, squid, countless fish, hundreds of sea lions & frigate birds, dolphins and a pod of porpoises

To read additional entries from our family Mexico adventure, click here.

5 bags, 3 kids, 2 parents, 1 yoga mat, 2 life jackets, 5 sets of snorkeling gear, 11 days of camping gear … and a partridge in a pear tree — the Conways are finally Baja bound!

The Conway family is packed and ready and headed to Baja! Nine-months of anticipation has finally come to an end and I now fully appreciate the insight I had to plan early to address those items that weren’t on my original packing-list: new passports, cancelled & re-scheduled flights, pre-excused school absence letters and snorkeling lessons. I kept perspective by reviewing the details of our awesome itinerary and daydreaming over fantastic photos of Baja’s beaches. While preparing for this Mexico tour has been a process, picking our trip was the easy. My kids love the sun, surf, sand and captivating wildlife, so our Mexico Baja Sea Kayaking & Conservation trip was a perfect fit for our family of five.

The Conway Family — all smiles enroute to Baja!

Our adventure is balanced with snorkeling, sea kayaking, sunbathing and exploring in and around La Paz, with a five-day camping trip on the remote beaches of wildlife-rich Magdalena Bay. While in Magdalena, we’ll be joining researchers from Grupo Tortuguero in their community and sea turtle conservation project. The information gathered during this research adventure provides data on health, migration patterns and habitat use of sea turtles in Magdalena Bay.

Only two flights and a three-hour drive stand in the way of our sunny escape. We’re so excited to start our Mexico adventure. Stay tuned — it is sure to be a trip.

To read additional entries from our family Mexico adventure, click here.

We’re excited — even more excited than that one time we got two Snickers from the vending machine for the price of one (although that was a great day). This exhilaration stems from the fact that Adventure Life completely rocks and has very generously given us, Cooperative for Education (CoEd), a grant to further our mission to break the cycle of poverty in Guatemala through education. The best part? This grant is already being used to improve life for primary school students and their families in rural Guatemala through the Culture of Reading Program (CORP).

These engaging story books are just one of the many ways CORP fosters reading and learning among primary school students in Guatemala.

The CORP program is intended to foster a lifelong love of reading and learning in children by providing teachers with best practices in reading instruction, as well as a selection of engaging story books. If Ismelia, a first grader currently in the CORP program at La Canoa primary school, is any indication, CORP is achieving its goal in every way.

Her mother, Irma, is astounded by Ismelia’s interest in learning. She states, “When Ismelia comes home after school, all it takes is a simple question like ‘What did you do in school today?’ and Ismelia tells me every detail about her day—she even repeats the dramatizations and songs they do.” Irma goes on to explain that Ismelia’s older brother, now a sixth grader, didn’t learn how to read until second grade, so she is absolutely amazed that Ismelia is already reading and writing less than two months into her first grade year.

Look at those smiles! Ismelia lights up every time she starts chattering away about school.

Ismelia is just one example of the thousands of students who are falling in love with reading and learning thanks to Adventure Life’s help. Irma takes great pains to ensure that Ismelia never skips a day of school, stating, “I don’t want her to miss out on a single moment of the wonderful learning experience she is getting.”

Thank you, Adventure Life, for helping Ismelia thrive, for helping teachers learn best practices in reading instruction, and for being a company that truly cares about the communities where they work and travel. It is refreshing to partner with an organization that shares our passion for sustainable long term solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. We couldn’t be more excited to be a recipient of your good will—in fact, you can read more about our unabashed enthusiasm here!

Man, that Adventure Life logo sure looks good on our sponsor plaque…

As Maria Ovando, a Guatemalan Ministry of Education official, states, “Thanks to you, we have books so we can get to know the world. When these children grow up, they will remember the support you have given them, and because of your help, they will have a better life.”