Columnists
Linda's mission is to experience as many beautiful places on our planet as she can before they are no more. Travel tales relating her experiences while kayaking, horseback riding, sailing, birding and hiking about the globe have appeared in numerous national magazines. She had great fun collecting travel stories, and profiles of people she met in “naturally high places” for her book, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales. Her latest book Lost Angel Unleashed is the third book in her Lost Angel Trilogy
Go to LostAngelAdventures.com for more adventures.
For more about Linda’s novels and media offerings go to. www.LindaBallouAuthor.com
Recent Content
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Overview of the Willamette River as viewed from Corvallis. Photo courtesy of Linda Ballou Nestled in the heart of the fertile Willamette Valley…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Overview of the Willamette River as viewed from Corvallis. Photo courtesy of Linda Ballou Nestled in the heart of the fertile Willamette Valley, Corvallis, Oregon is located just forty-five minutes from the Oregon coast. It enjoys mild temperatures year-round, without the dense fog and blustery winds of typical coastal towns. It is also just far enough off Hwy 5, the main artery from Portland south, to avoid industrial development. Corvallis offers miles of mountain biking and hiking trails, a river perfect for boating or kayaking and a…
Linda Ballou
June 6, 2025
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Scene from the Adobe Arcade in downtown Ojai. Photo by Ranee Ruble-Dotts courtesy of the California Association of Boutique & Breakfast Inns…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Scene from the Adobe Arcade in downtown Ojai. Photo by Ranee Ruble-Dotts courtesy of the California Association of Boutique & Breakfast Inns. Just thirteen miles inland from the coast, Ojai enjoys a moderate climate all year round. Long heralded as a place of health, serenity and a cradle of creativity, the valley nestled at the base of the Topatopa Mountains, harbors secrets for you to discover. There are only 8,000 permanent residents in Ojai, but since it is about an hour away from Los Angeles, weekends in Ojai are a beehive of ac…
Linda Ballou
May 21, 2025
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Now is the time to plan your summer holiday. Here are some tips to help you streamline the process. Artificial intelligence plays a significant ro…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Now is the time to plan your summer holiday. Here are some tips to help you streamline the process. Artificial intelligence plays a significant role in shaping travel experiences. Travelers are utilizing AI-powered tools for personalized trip planning, enhancing convenience, and customizing their journeys. Expedia, Travelocity, and others provide flight, lodging, and car rental information, but there are new AI tools to make your travel planning easier and more efficient. Roam Around helps you find places that are not on everyone’s hit li…
Linda Ballou
March 25, 2025
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Native American Pottery found in Santa Fe’s El Museo Cultural De Santa Fe (Native American Cultural Museum) located on Museum Hill. Photo cour…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Native American Pottery found in Santa Fe’s El Museo Cultural De Santa Fe (Native American Cultural Museum) located on Museum Hill. Photo courtesy Linda Ballou. Sheltered in the foothills of Sangre de Christo Mountains, Santa Fe has served as a resting place for travelers for centuries. It has become a cradle of creativity for artists of all stripes. With over 250 art galleries representing art from around the globe, the most ardent collectors will find the perfect piece to take home. The Spanish conquistadors who arrived in Santa Fe …
Linda Ballou
October 14, 2024
In 1961 Douglas Rainsford Tompkins was one of the first to summit Mt. Fitzroy in the depths of southern Chile, and he fell in love with the magnitude and majesty of one of the few remaining wild place…
In 1961 Douglas Rain…
In 1961 Douglas Rainsford Tompkins was one of the first to summit Mt. Fitzroy in the depths of southern Chile, and he fell in love with the magnitude and majesty of one of the few remaining wild places on Earth. An avid outdoors man, he founded The North Face outdoor clothing and gear company and was co-founder of Esprit, both hugely successful enterprises. But his passion for the land prompted him to drop out of society to live in a small cottage in southern Chile with 150 million dollars in his piggy bank. He became an environmentalist with the dream of buying huge swaths of land and working…
Linda Ballou
August 28, 2024
Some of the flowers at Blue River Resort. Linda Ballou photo. By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Bowers of luxuriant tropical flowers grace the well-tended grounds of the Blue Ri…
Some of the flowers …
Some of the flowers at Blue River Resort. Linda Ballou photo. By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Bowers of luxuriant tropical flowers grace the well-tended grounds of the Blue River Resort and Hot Springs. Magenta spikes of torch ginger, mounds of yellow hibiscus, and many varieties of dripping orange heliconia brighten the scene. Meandering paths lead to several pools heated with thermal energy from the nearby Rincon de la Vieja volcano. Cool-off pools are just feet away. Inside a maze of trails is a butterfly farm where brilliant Blue Morphos waft on a gentle breeze. Wa…
Linda Ballou
June 17, 2024
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Linda and fellow adventurers, Laura, Patricia and Pelar enjoy rafting Sarapique River. Photo courtesy Linda Ballou. After enduring hours of cram…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Linda and fellow adventurers, Laura, Patricia and Pelar enjoy rafting Sarapique River. Photo courtesy Linda Ballou. After enduring hours of cramped airplanes, air-conditioned hotels, and buses, being immersed in nature once again finally settled my molecules into place. My tired body came alive as we rocked and rolled down the Class III Rio Sarapiqui, a tributary of the San Juan River. While surging over rapids, and being splashed with their cooling spray beneath a baby blue sky, the stress of travel fell away, sort of like a snake shedd…
Linda Ballou
June 13, 2024
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Writer Since Covid hit our shores, travel insurance has become more important than ever. While it is true flight delays have lessened, flights are still a h…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Writer Since Covid hit our shores, travel insurance has become more important than ever. While it is true flight delays have lessened, flights are still a huge variable when you travel. Travel delays, as well as trip interruptions and cancellations, are not just frustrating and inevitable, they can be life altering. Which means that choosing to have travel insurance could not only protect your budget should you have to rebook at the last possible minute due to flight cancellations, but can also be lifesaving, should you have a health emergency outsi…
Linda Ballou
February 12, 2024
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Mobility issues are a problem for many Boomers. I am no exception, so I have investigated ways of ensuring that I don’t take a fall that puts me…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Mobility issues are a problem for many Boomers. I am no exception, so I have investigated ways of ensuring that I don’t take a fall that puts me out of commission. If you, like me, find you need to be in nature and feel the cooling breeze caressing your skin while you walk, take heart. Don’t let a mobility issue stop you from doing what you need to feel happy and content. I had to acknowledge that I can’t do what I used to do in the same way. I would like to share some of the things that will help you keep moving, and in shape for a…
Linda Ballou
December 8, 2023
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Hanalei Bay today. Linda Ballou photo When I lived on the North Shore in 1978, there was not one home on the shore of horseshoe-shaped Hanalei…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Hanalei Bay today. Linda Ballou photo When I lived on the North Shore in 1978, there was not one home on the shore of horseshoe-shaped Hanalei Bay. The notorious Taylor Camp treehouse colony, populated by hippies living off the land, was in full swing. The now famous Tahiti Nui featured in the film The Descendants was a hole in the wall. I could hike the Kalalau Trail, tracing the rugged Nāpali Coast up to the roaring Hanakapi’ai Falls, and take a dip in the pool below, without seeing another soul. I never made it to the site of …
Linda Ballou
September 25, 2023
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Po‘ipū Cost Walk. Linda Ballou photo. Po‘ipū is the favored spot by visitors to the Island because it guarantees full blown sunny beac…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Po‘ipū Cost Walk. Linda Ballou photo. Po‘ipū is the favored spot by visitors to the Island because it guarantees full blown sunny beach days. In 1978 Po‘ipū Beach was a deep azure plunge where I floated in ecstasy. But in 1992 Hurricane Iniki carved out a new coastline. Today the crescent shaped white sand beach is still a favorite of sun worshippers, but the water is shallow with a bottom littered with coral rocks. It is popular with snorkelers and small children but is no longer the best swimming beach on the South Shore. N…
Linda Ballou
September 15, 2023
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate As a young woman, I had dropped out of society and landed on the North Shore of Kaua‘i. It was a head-spinning transformative time in my lif…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate As a young woman, I had dropped out of society and landed on the North Shore of Kaua‘i. It was a head-spinning transformative time in my life. There, I was introduced to people experimenting with alternate lifestyles and those leading highly creative lives. After a year of Island life, I was brimming with good health and ready to face the future. Now, 45 years on, I yearned to return to the nurturing clime to know how both the Island and I have changed. Arboretum, in Kapa’a back county. Linda Ballou photo. Kaua’i is lush w…
Linda Ballou
September 5, 2023
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Linda Ballou The only thing certain about travel in 2022 is that it is uncertain. People are chomping at the bit to travel again but need to r…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Linda Ballou The only thing certain about travel in 2022 is that it is uncertain. People are chomping at the bit to travel again but need to remain flexible. Flight schedules are still in a state of flux, car rentals are at historical highs, and Covid-19 guidelines in various countries are changing by the hour. Travel expert, Peter Greenberg, suggests that you contact your travel agent, or better yet, the concierge at a hotel in the area you are planning to visit, to get up-to-date information about Covid-19 requirements. Even the Worl…
Linda Ballou
March 3, 2022
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Winter on the Central Coasts means fewer tourists and plentiful wildlife. Birds and marine mammals gather there in chaotic profusion from Dec…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Winter on the Central Coasts means fewer tourists and plentiful wildlife. Birds and marine mammals gather there in chaotic profusion from December to February. White Pelicans Morro Estuary Every year, hundreds of birders flock to the sleepy fishing town of Morro Bay on California’s Central Coast to take part in the Audubon Birding Fest. The Pacific’s saltwater mixed with the freshwater of streams flowing in the largest estuary on the west coast resulting in a nutrient-rich brew for thousands of birds. The charm of the rust-…
Linda Ballou
December 31, 2021
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Smith River Steaming temps in the inland valleys of Southern Oregon are sending smart travelers to the coast to cool off. The Redwood Hwy (1…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Smith River Steaming temps in the inland valleys of Southern Oregon are sending smart travelers to the coast to cool off. The Redwood Hwy (199), out of Grants Pass is a snaking road that takes you to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, the northern most redwood forest in California. It traces the rugged Smith River Corridor sheathed in towering sugar pines and deposits you in Hiouchi. Hot Tip #1: If you can snag a room at the budget Hiouchi Motel, next to the Hiouchi Café you will be in perfect position to explore the ancient redwo…
Linda Ballou
September 15, 2021
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Every bend of the river beckons—every pool may bring better luck. Life should be like that. — Zane Grey The Rogue River is a vital arter…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Every bend of the river beckons—every pool may bring better luck. Life should be like that. — Zane Grey The Rogue River is a vital artery in southwestern Oregon that flows 215 miles from Crater Lake to Gold Beach on the coast. Rainie Falls is the take out point for rafters to the 40 mile stretch of the wild and scenic corridor on the infamous Rogue. We skirted this big drop into a gaping hole, the only Class 4 rapid we encountered on the 4-day rafting adventure, by taking a side channel. We listened for the low rumble of rapids ah…
Linda Ballou
July 20, 2021
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate After eleven years, I decided it was time to deliver the fruitcake my mother had sent me in 2009 just before she passed away. Mom’s Mea…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate After eleven years, I decided it was time to deliver the fruitcake my mother had sent me in 2009 just before she passed away. Mom’s Meadow I would take it to the meadow where I had scattered her ashes. I had kept it in my freezer (even through a severe downsizing) because I just couldn’t bear to throw it out. Her fruitcake was much too heavy for me to eat, and I didn’t want to give it to anyone. Taking it to where she rested seemed a logical thing to do. The day could not have been more gorgeous. White clouds smeared across t…
Linda Ballou
April 22, 2021
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate In writing Embrace of the Wild I hope to have turned the lemons of Covid-19 into limoncello—a zesty elixir that excites and satisfies the se…
By Linda Ballou, NAB…
By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate In writing Embrace of the Wild I hope to have turned the lemons of Covid-19 into limoncello—a zesty elixir that excites and satisfies the senses. In early 2020, I returned from a whirlwind tour of Australia just in time for the Covid-19 lockdown. I was grateful to be back on U.S. soil, but in shock to see the streets of downtown Los Angeles empty. A new world order was upon us. I had no idea how long this was to last, but I did know my travel wings were clipped and I needed to do something to save my sanity. According to many a centen…
Linda Ballou
February 24, 2021
