Visit Abandoned Rocket Factory in the Everglades

I came across this "attraction" while researching "things to do/see" in Everglades National Park.

While on the east side of Florida ( Daytona Beach ), I was really hoping to visit Kennedy Space Center, but this abandoned rocket factory in the Florida Everglades known as Aerojet-Dade, sounded a lot more appealing and mystique ( not to mention it's free ).

In the 1960s the Aerojet company was considered as the possible supplier of solid-fuel rocket motors to be used as primary power plants for the Saturn I space booster.

The short version is that NASA never did use Aerojet when the Apollo space mission decided to go with liquid fuel instead of the solid fuel. The Aerojet eventually gave up on its plant and sold the land to the State of Florida, which holds it to this day as a nature preserve. Most of the original buildings associated with the plant, and some of the machinery, appear to be still there, albeit in decrepit condition.



The factory is accessible, though the last couple of miles of the access road are closed to motor vehicles, so if you want to visit you have to bicycle or walk part of the way. There are a few houses nearby, and people come to bird watch or to fish in the canal that parallels the road, but the place is essentially deserted once you get past the no-motor-vehicles-beyond-this-point sign.

Radioactive tourism: Chernobyl is open for tours

People will pay money to see "weird things" like : bearded woman, half-man/half-alligator, Auschwitz,abundant prisons, swamps, catacombs/caves, cult/occult places, and even the world's most notorious nuclear power plant, Chernobyl.

I've read about "unofficial tours" of land surrounding the Chernobyl plant long time ago, and knew that some day it would eventually become "an attractive tourist destination".

At first it was mostly people looking for "mutants". In fact some animals and foliage have passed on some traits of genetic mutation caused by the incident, but according to the scientists they never resembled the monsters described in the media and all died out quickly.

Now it is one of Ukraine's most visited sites. Roughly 6,000 tourists—most of them Europeans—stream through this area annually on private tours unsanctioned by the authorities. But starting this year, the government is also looking to cash in on the plant's notoriety, with plans to open up the zone to official tours, as well as boost its safety by building a giant concrete shell to encase the reactor by 2015.


The Ukrainian town of Pripyat, which is just miles from the nuclear power plant, is The Ghost Town and the highlight of the tour. The town is an eerily mundane time capsule, buried in dust and left almost exactly as it was when its roughly 50,000 inhabitants were forced to flee in 1986. The long aluminum fence and barbed wire surrounds the town and opens its doors only to workers and to small groups of tourists interested in how the world would look like if all people would have disappeared in one moment.


After the four-hour tour and a prison-style meal, visitors stand on a contraption that looks like a time machine. If it flashes green—no radiation—then you are good to go. On your way out of the exclusion zone, you (and your vehicle) must go through a similar radiation x-ray of sorts.


But the radiation is still here : invisible, odorless, tasteless, it permeates the buried buildings, cars and cattle, the earth that covers them, the rivers that flow nearby. And it will do so for a long time to come...

Interested ? Have fun ! - Chernobyl and Pripyat tours

Tidal bore surfing in Indonesia ( the Seven Ghosts )

I already wrote about tidal bore SUP surfing in Alaska. This unique phenomenon only occurs in a small number of rivers around the world. Alaska's Cook Inlet is just one of them.

These tsunami-like waves are surfing's new frontier. They can travel for up to 20 miles an hour and can get even stronger as the river gets narrow and shallower, reaching recorded heights of up to 30 feet, offering riders opportunities that can't be found in the ocean.

But not every river has a bore. In fact, tidal bores only occur in an estimated 100 rivers in the world and only during extreme tidal ranges.


Recently, one of such rivers has been discovered ( and ridden ) by Rip Curl's pro surfing team in Indonesia. Hidden deep in the heart of the Indonesian jungle, the river is known to locals as "The Seven Ghosts". Normally, the waves on this river don't get more than head-high. The Rip Curl boys struck gold:

My Bucket List : Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Honestly, now I don't even remember where I got the idea to go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. But if you've been following my blog for some time , you remember that in 2009 I started my first Bucket List, and one of the ideas was - Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Well, two years later, I've made it happen !

Partly inspired by Rio de Janeiro 's Carnaval, partly by articles like " 10 Best places to get drunk in public", I wanted to experience this celebrated -around -the- world event first hand.

I had only a couple days to spend in New Orleans, and being ExtraHyperActive, I wanted to see/do everything ( or at least as much as possible). After surfing the net and checking out some of the Lonely Planet books, I found... tons of absolutely useless information.

So here, I'd like to offer a few of my own tips, and I hope they'll be useful:

- If you are not planning to "get wild and out of control" try not to go there the last weekend/Monday/Tuesday or at least avoid the famous Bourbon Street

- The cheapest way to get from airport to Canal St is by bus ( instead of taking taxi/shuttle for $33)

- The cheapest place to stay is 10 minutes away from downtown along Tulane Ave ( I got a room on the day of my arrival for $70 )

- The famous drinks to try - Hurricane/Hand grenades/Bloody Mari/anything with alcohol in it


- The famous food ? Don't even know where to start. I've never been a big food snob, but trying out "authentic southern cuisine" was one of my reasons to visit New Orleans. Got to try : po-boys ( basically a seafood Subway sandwich ); Jambalaya ( spicy fried rice with sausages/seafood); Cajun cuisine ( everything spicy); Beignets ( powdered doughnuts )

Things to do ?

River boat tours

As a kid growing up in Western Siberia, I was fascinated by Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn/ Tom Sawyer, and never thought that one day I would travel on the mighty Mississippi River, where Twain operated a steam-powered riverboat.

Swamp tours

A unique journey back to the early days of Louisiana bayou and swamp explorations is a "must do" during your visit. Just 3-4 hours long, these trips offer a quick look at the Louisiana Wetlands, the inhabitants of the swamps, and particularly the life and habits of the American alligator.

Walking Tours - The French Quarter History Tour. A better alternative - check out one of these books, pic what you want to see, and go for a walk.

Turned out, I am not a big fan of carnivals. But the French Quarter made an unforgettable impression on me ! If visiting Paris/Brazil seems like a "dream that won't happen", New Orleans is a cheap ( "off season" ) and a great alternative.

P.S: There was another "heavily promoted " tour - Hurricane Katrina tour, traveling through neighborhoods affected by the hurricane.

Jazzland Amusement Park after 2005 Hurricane Katrina 

I wasn't sure if I wanted to ride around on a bus looking at other people's devastation...."they say that money goes towards families affected by this disaster"...If you believe in something like that, aside from Mardi Gras, that's another reason to visit this wonderful town. If not, here are " Top 10 reasons to travel to New Orleans "...

River surfing and river boarding the mighty Zambezi River

As I wrote in my previous post, the Zambezi River is recognized by rafting and kayaking enthusiasts as one of the top ten paddling rivers on the planet.
Home to the famous Victoria Falls, with the rapids like " "Stairway to Heaven" and "Oblivion" , the Zambezi River is classified as Grade 5 - "extremely difficult, long and violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops and pressure areas". Meaning ? It's pretty wild !



Pioneered by river boaders in 1996, it was only a matter of time before someone thought about surfing one of it's standing waves.

Depending on the season ( somewhere around mid- January and early July ) when the water level in Zambezi is dropping naturally, it creates an opportunity for some fantastic surfing, both for beginner and expert surfers.

Speed flying Red Bull style

Winter is almost over, and unfortunately I missed on a great opportunity to try speed flying/riding , and not just anywhere but in Aspen !

Before, I wrote that the only place to try speed flying was in Europe, but was surprised to find out that we have a club in Aspen that tries to introduce and promote this sport in US. Well, may be next year I'll have a chance to give it a try, and may be will add another toy to my adventure collection.

Till then, enjoy another great speed flying/riding video shot in Chamonix ( France ) sponsored by ...well, who else ? My favorite Red Bull !

Boretide SUP Surfing In Alaska

I have a strong feeling that Alaska might be the next surfing and stand up paddling destination in US. If not, surfing and SUPing in Alaska will be another great outdoor activity/adventure along with sea kayaking, heli-skiing, mountaineering and general cruising everybody should try.

As I wrote in my previous post, surfing in Alaska can bring a sense of nirvana that few boarders ever get a chance to experience in places like Hawaii and California.

The Cook Inlet on Alaska's south coast is one of three places in North America where tidal bores have been observed. The bores that vary in sizes from just six inches to six feet high, allow surfers to ride from 20 seconds to a few minutes.

But the size of the Turnagain Arm, a 43 mile long and 1000 feet deep channel of water, gave surfers a unique opportunity to ride the roaring waves for up to half-an-hour.

If you haven't had a chance to visit SurfAlaska.net, I strongly recommend. Even if you are not into surfing or any other board/extreme sports, just looking at these amazing pictures makes you realize that there is still some wild frontier left in the world.

You might also like "Extreme Glacier Surfing In Alaska Video"

Great mancation idea : Shooting real fully automatic machine guns in Las Vegas

For many guys, Las Vegas is already # 1 destination to blow off some steam partying, drinking and gambling. The downside of all that is ....you won't remember shit drinking your face off for five days straight. But I guarantee you that no matter how drunk you are, you'll never forget this:

The Gun Store offers people the opportunity to shoot fully-automatic machine guns as well as handguns, rifles and shotguns...

I mean, we are talking about fully automatic M16, AK47, Uzi, M1A1 Tompson, M 249 Saw...



My suggestion, visit the store before you piss your money away on booze and hookers...because starting your story with : " I shot a fully automatic AK47..." beats " I got so wasted and almost hooked up with a fat chick..."


The Gun Store Las Vegas from nicholas Larralde on Vimeo.

Cave base jumping in Oman

One reason I don't write often about one of the world's most dangerous recreational sports of base jumping is because ...well, chances are, I'll never get to try it. And it sucks to write about something I haven't personally experienced. The only thing left to do is to watch other people live their lives to the fullest.

In this post I posted a cool video about cave base jumping in the Cave of Swallows in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

Recently I came across another great video of cave base jumping, this time in Muscat, Oman ( officially the Sultanate of Oman, a country in southwest Asia ).

Since I have a "caving" category on this blog ( and not too many caves in Washington to write about ), I thought I'd write a short post about Oman caves.

Oman offers some of the most hair-raising cave exploration in the world. Some of the interesting caves in Oman are the Jebel Akhdar massif, Kahf Hoti (the longest known cave in Oman that stretches up to five kilometers !), several caves in Jebel Bani Jabir, the most impressive being the three deep shafts which enter the chambers of Majlis Al Jinn - one of the largest underground chambers ever discovered ( large enough to hold the biggest of Egypt's pyramids).

The video below feature Felix Baumgartner, one of Red Bull's crazy dare devils jumping into Majlis al Jinn ( translates as The Chamber of Spirits ) cave. Until recently there had not been a way to reach the cave by car, so cavers had to hike in carrying their equipment or rent donkeys from a village a few hours walk from the cave entrance.

For several years tourism companies had been providing caving trips into Majlis al Jinn, but in 2008 the Oman government announced that people would no longer be allowed to enter the cave.

So, here is your chance to catch a glimpse of one of the world's most famous caves:



P.S : According to the news, in 2010 Oman's Ministry of Tourism is planning to develop one of the world's largest cave chambers into an eco-tourism attraction.

Best zip lines in U.S and around the world

The first time I heard about ziplining/ziptrekking was from a friend of mine, who just got back from his trip in Costa Rica. Since then, ziplining for me, was in many ways synonymous with that country. Gliding on steel zip lines from platform to platform high in the treetops at astounding 100 miles per hour ( the maximum speed known for any existing zip-line in the world is in South Africa) sounds like a thrilling adventure.

After I did my ziptekking in Whistler last year...I was a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I love Whistler ( especially in winter) ! But as an "outdoor adventure " ? It was ...just OK.


But it doesn't mean I wouldn't do it again...somewhere else.

National Geographic Traveler lists three best zip lines around the globe, including the famous South African's "Unreal " Extreme Adventure Slide:



If you can't afford a trip to South Africa ( or Costa Rica, or China ), there are many zip lines across US that not only offer a great adventure, but will also save you money. Read here about companies that offer ziplinig in Atlanta, California, Utah, Colorado and New England.

Also, you might be surprised to find out that we might have our own zip line in Washington....

Good, ol' American cuisine

American foods have a reputation as being “junk foods " ( you may disagree ). And nothing says " junk food " like " Quadruple Bypass Burger " and "Flatliner Fries" (cooked in pure lard ! ). If this is still healthy enough for you, how about unfiltered cigarettes, beer, liquor, and soft drinks such as Jolt cola and Mexican Coke made with real sugar ?


There are several US cities and restaurants that lay claim to being the home of the hamburger. But if there is one place I could eat my " last meal ", it would be " The Heart Attack Grill " in Chandler, Arizona. After watching this video, I've decided this is the way I want to " go ".

P.S : Did I mention waitresses are dressed like " naughty nurses " ?

Cave base jumping

I am not sure how to categorize this post : base jumping or caving ( spelunking ) ?

The Cave of Swallows in San Luis Potosí, Mexico is the largest cave shaft in the world, second deepest pit in Mexico and the 11th deepest in the world ! ( the high point provides a 1220 feet (372 m) freefall drop ).

This cave had been a favorite BASE jumping site from the 70’s until it was officially closed to jumping in 2002. When BASE jumping was still allowed, an enthusiast could expect a jump to last about twelve seconds from his initial leap to reaching the floor of the shaft. But going down was only half the fun. The only way back up was...the reason BASE jumping is not allowed there anymore. Some of the BASE outfitters were using a motorized winch system to lift the jumpers to the surface after their jump which made the authorities ban the sport.

BASE jumping organizers are attempting to work with the local, state, and federal governments to once again be allowed to enjoy the cave. For now it is illegal to jump with a parachute or use a motorized winch near Cave of Swallows.

But rappelling and ascending out is still allowed. Same as with BASE jumping, absailing ( descending ) is fun, but going back up is the real challenge. A caver would have to climb up a single rope, using rope clamps, which is very exhausting. It is at least 40 mins of enormous exertion, even for extremely fit cavers a hard fight. For normal, physically fit people it more or less two hours of ascend.

Also, the floor of the pit is covered with piles of dung from the millions of birds. This dung, the rainwater, and debris from the surface are the food base to numerous animals on the cave floor. There are millipedes and insects, snakes, and scorpions. The air is filled with smells, fungi and bacteria. It is possible to visit the floor without respiration mask, but cavers who want to explore the corners of the cave should bring such equipment. There is always the danger of Histoplasmosis and other diseases.

So, for now enjoy the vidoe !

Chase a tornado in Tornado Alley.

Have you ever been fascinated by a natural disaster - storm, tsunami, hurricane...tornado ? Want to get up close and personal ? Than join Storm Chasing Adventure Tours, the world's premiere and top rated storm chasing tour company in Tornado Alley.

Although Tornado Alley is generally considered to be in the areas of the Central United States, no official definition of the term has actually been produced by the National Weather Service. The most common definition of Tornado Alley is the location where the strongest tornadoes occur most frequently. In the United States, that location is from northern Texas, northward through western Oklahoma and Kansas, through eastern Colorado, up through Nebraska, and into southeastern South Dakota, southern Minnesota and western Iowa.

Lucky for us (or not) we (Washingtonians) don't have this "fascinating Nature's Miracle". So if you want to catch a glimpse of a major tornado, from its formative stages through maturity and dissipation, book this 6 days/7 nights "thrilling storm chasing vacation".

So, basically, for 6 days you'll be travelling across a number of states throughout the Great Plains in "the most highly equipped chase SUV" trying to find tornadoes and severe storms, get as close as possible and... take a picture.

The company guarantees " the maximum tornado experience and the pictures you'll take will be out of this world".

What they don't guarantee is that....

you will see a tornado because they happen on 25 to 30% of tours, but we can say that you will have a great experience seeing great storm structure and the beautiful scenery of the Plains.

But either way, get ready to pay $ 2600 for this " truly an amazing experience".

Call me a wuss, but I think some of Mother Nature's beauties should be admired from the comfort of your home.

On the second thought...what the hell... I want to go!

Dude, wanna go on mancation?

A recen article in the Seattle Magazine talks about the latest buzzwords in the travel industry, a spin-off on the girlfriends’ getaway marketing phenomenon-"Mancations". Although the term is new, the concept isn’t--as evidenced by the dozens of guy-getaway themed movies that have been around for ages ( "City Slackers",
" Without a Paddle", "Wild Hogs" are just a few).

So, what exactly is a "mancation "?



The Urban Dictionary, an online compilation of slang, offers seven definitions with the first:

"When men "engage in 'guy' activities that involve sports, camping, gambling, chasing women and most of all drinking amongst their ... male friends. No wives, mistresses or girlfriends allowed. Done in order to get in touch with their male-primal roots.Mancations provide the opportunity for men to get together and bond with guys from work or old friends from college"

Acceptable. But the way ?...

Although golf outings, sports events and fishing trips are the mainstays of male bonding, some of the fellas are branching out with high-velocity adventures like skydiving and bungee jumping, while others opt to kick back with spa treatments and back waxes.



Is there more to the guys' getaways than sex and drinking ?

When you were younger, what was you ultimate " mancation "? For lots of guys it has always been - Vegas, Atlantic City, Miami, Tijuana or the nearest strip club ( two days without leaving the club ? It happens).



But when we get older and our lives become busier and finding time to hang out is getting more difficult to find, do we still have to do " the old routine " (drinking, partying ), or is it the time to "confront our existential crises" and share our feeling ?

One thing is for sure, there is no " mancation" without booze. That's why many distilleries now days are capitalizing on this new travel trend. The famous Jim Beam and Knob Creek distilleries offer a guys-only tour of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail during National Bourbon Heritage Month ( did you know that in 2007, the U.S. Senate declared, by unanimous vote, September as “National Bourbon Heritage Month !).

You don't need to go "mancationing" in Kentucky, as our own Spokane’s Dry Fly Distilling—a boutique distillery that is one of Washington’s first—has become a popular destination for discerning vodka-, gin- and whiskey-loving men from around the Pacific Northwest. You will get hands on training opportunities in everything from Grain Handling and mash preparation to ...dealing with hang over ( not sure about that).

Following the footsteps of " City Slackers ", another " mancation " idea - Dude Ranches. Once you are boozed enough, make your way to the "K Diamond K Guest Ranch" , in Republic- an old gold mining town, 125 miles northwest of Spokane, where you can enjoy camping, fishing, hunting and white water rafting surrounded by fresh air and natural beauty ( make sure you watch "Brokeback Mountain" before going).



Too much bonding ?

One interesting fact :
Women's trips lean toward sharing life experiences ... related to their husbands, families, careers.
Men:
Men don't worry about other members' feelings.

And why should they? when there is booze to "taste" and women to chase- that's THE MANCATION !



Dude, you wanna bond?

My Adventures in Russia-Part III (The Western Siberia)

My last stop was my home town Noviy Urengoy. The famous Siberia.The land of snow and exiles.The never ending reservoirs of natural gas and oil. The real Mother Russia.








Novyy Urengoy (New Urengoy), sometimes called the Dallas of Siberia, is located 80 km south of the Arctic Circle near the confluence of the rivers Yevoyakha and Sedeyakha. The winters here last up to 9 months.The average temerature -40 C. The area has frozen ground (permafrost) and tundra.The Nenets and Khants people are an indigenous tribes that have long survived in this region.





The oil and gas industry is the leading economic sector, with a 93% share in total industrial production. More than 90% of Russia's natural gas and 12% of its oil are produced here.


But exploration of the huge oil and gas fields on the Yamal peninsula has damaged reindeer habitat and destroyed fishing, threatening the longstanding self-sufficiency of the Nenets and Khants people, whose traditional occupations have been reindeer raising, fishing, and fur trapping.Till now this people lead the same way of life as their ancestors.






Russia is considered by the World Tourism Organization a country with great potential for tourism development. Figures cited by tourism experts showed that 70 percent to 80 percent of the 3.5 million foreign tourists that came to the country rarely ventured farther than Moscow, St. Petersburg and perhaps the Golden Ring. So, if you really want to get a taste of Russia, come here, the Real Siberia.








Reindeer sledding,ice fishing,bear hunting,arctic night camping are among things to do here.

My Adventures in Russia- Part II (Kursk )

My next stop was a small provincial town Kursk ( the capital of black earth (chernozem) belt ). Kursk is about 280 miles south of Moscow ( about 8 hours by train ).This town has vary rich historic routs. Archaeology indicates that the site of Kursk was settled in the fourth or fifth century B.C. The first written record of Kursk is dated 1032.Kursk was a key turning point of the Russian-German war during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in World War II (widely believed by historians to have been the largest tank battle in history).The modern city is a home for several religious attractions : Cathedral of the Sign, Sergievsko-Kazansky Cathedral, Korennaya Pustyn . The Command Station Bunker & Museum was built specifically in memorial of the courageous Russian T-34 tank units that fought in the Battle of Kursk, where a T-34 tank is on display.

The famous T-34

"Katyusha "- just like in that song

The monument to the crew of the "Kursk" nuclear-powered submarine

Even if you are not a history buff, you will feel like you have traveled in time ( sometimes it does feel like civilization hasn't reached certain parts of Russia ).But, besides sightseeing, there isn't much you can do in this town ( unless you consider drinking vodka an activity.(For some Russians it is an activity )). In winter this town does offer some great XC skiing ( feel like skiing when its -30 C ? ) and in summer great camping ( by camping, I mean drinking till you pass out under night stars ( very romantic ).

My adventures in Russia-Part I (Moscow )

Though this site is suppose to be about Washington state and its outdoor activities (and sights) , once in a while its good to get out of the state to see other places.This month I went back home to Russia.

The Red Square

Nowadays when the iron curtain is down and there is no more "communist threat", more and more Americans can travel to this mysterious and unknown country. For most, their journey starts in Moscow. I won't write too much about my stay in Moscow. Today you can find lots of travel information about any place in the world. I will just share my insights about this town. 

Moscow is a big, ugly, messy, but beautiful and , I would even say, spiritual city. Moscow is classic Russia – a mix of nouveaux riches in expensive sports cars and street hustlers looking for wallets. The main attraction ( and some ,may say, the only one ) is ,of course, the Red Square-the Kremlin,Lenin's mausoleum,St Basil's cathedral,Czar-bell,Czar-cannon and many more monuments are all here.To the east is the KGB museum and to the west is the open-air art market along Old Arbat, Moscow's most famous street.Great thing about Moscow attractions- most of them are withing walking distance or a short ride in the world's most beautiful subway ( which is an attraction of its own ). 

The Lenin's mausoleum


The Famous Moscow Metro

Just like any other capitol of the world Moscow can't be seen in one day or even one week. And the best way to see this town ( and what is even more important -to understand it ) is with a native English speaking friend.

You didn't experience Russia, if you didn't experience Russian hospitality. If you stay with a Russian host , chances are , you won't even have to go to a restaurant. Russians will feed you and treat you to ( guess what ?) vodka till you get sick ( and you will get sick- its impolite to refuse treats or gifts in Russia ). 

Oppose to Russian hospitality and generosity, you will get another feeling. 
One of the Russian distinctive characteristics - Russians don't smile a whole lot.That's why sometimes you feel like you being mistreated. Its not quite true. Once a Russian gets to know you a little better ( especially knowing that you are a foreigner), you can become best friends. But it doesn't mean you can trust anybody. The most common crimes in Moscow are not robberies , but street scams. So the best ( and safest ) way to travel around to Russia is if you personally know somebody there.

Many faces of Russia