Hey Reader!

We seemed to have jumped from full-on winter to early summer in Portland, Oregon. Could it be that we spent a month traveling in Ecuador and completely missed spring? Probably. But if you love blooms, now is a great time to visit as rhododendrons, azaleas, and dogwoods are in full flower. And even our roses are anxious to bloom, coming about a month earlier than usual this year.

Our Trip to Tucson was a great success. We met lots of folks at Travel Con and ate a ton of great food while learning about Tucson's Culinary Heritage, the reason why UNESCO designated them a City of Gastronomy. We definitely want to visit again.

Ecuador in April! It was beautiful. We saw our first Spangled Coquette Hummingbird, photographed dozens of orchids in the Oriente, and worked with clients to improve services, raise funds, and attract those aligned clients! Best of all, we had a wonderful Holy Week, learning some new tips for others wanting to visit during this special time. We ended the trip at Tambo Condor, working with Vladimir to strengthen the fundraising campaign to build a new interpretive center near Antisana National Park.

Now we are back in Portland getting ready for summer. We're spending time in the garden, sowing seeds, planting veggie starts, and weeding beds. After a month away, the weeds have a way of taking over. We'll spend the next few weeks writing articles, processing photos, and reliving our last trip... all while dreaming of our next one to Peru this coming August.

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Recent articles

From Ecuador to Canada, Help Laura Fly! Laura Gualco, a young female birding guide who works at the Mashpi Amagusa Reserve has been invited to volunteer at Long Point Bird Observatory in Canada! We're helping her raise funds to afford this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Learn more about Laura's journey and how your contribution could help. Read article

Our Favorite Car Camping Gear After a long winter here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re finally thinking about summer, which means camping! Last year, we broke our long camping drought with a nice 10-day car trip with overnights in Oregon, Nevada, and Utah on the way to Telluride, Colorado to visit friends. To make this trip even better, we invested in a few upgrades for our equipment... necessary after years of wear and tear. Read on to see Scott's recommendations! Read article

Angie Reviews: We Will Be Jaguars In the very first pages of "We Will Be Jaguars" by Nemonte Nenquimo, I was hooked. Maybe because I have flown in a plane very like the one that 6-year-old Nemonte announces to her brothers as it lands near her home in the Amazon jungle, Toñamapare. In 2014, I arrived in this same place as a tourist, not a missionary. As I continued reading, I was continually amazed at the places and people I recognized. Nemonte writes her difficult story in an engaging style that is sure to hook you as well. Read article

Scott Reviews RFID-Blocking Wallets and more: As Scott reviews more gear, he gets requests to check out travel items, like RFID-blocking wallets and passport holders. It got him wondering if they were worth the investment. In this article, he gets into some of the nitty-gritty details of safe travel in a modern world where scammers can supposedly clone your data by standing next to you in an airport line. Should you worry? Scott's got your back. Read Article

Looking Ahead: We're planning for 2026

We are planning travel for 2026 - including an Amazon adventure early in the new year and a trip to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon in Peru later that summer. If these intrigue you, let us know. We are always happy to travel with readers looking for adventure and willing to put up with a few unknowns as we visit places for the very first time.

We hope this edition of The Rambler sparks your curiosity and inspires you to visit our website. Stay curious, travel responsibly, and embrace the adventure!

Until next time, happy travels!

Warm regards,

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