There are technical hikers, and then there's me. I enjoy hiking because it allows me to be in nature, appreciate the surrounding beauty, and provides a different physical challenge compared to doing a spin class on my Peloton or running on a treadmill. Backroads organizes the group into easier and more difficult hikes, allowing everyone to choose without any judgment, ensuring a good time for all. The goal is to do what your stamina and joints can handle. On the first day, we

If you desire to get out of town and see the country, this is a nice day trip. We took the train to an area they refer to as Not Switzerland Saxony where they have rock formations out of sandstone which reminded me of Sedona but surrounded by verdant forests instead of desert. When we got back into town, we visited their main concert hall, the Palace of Culture , which was built under the communists and was surprisingly beautiful in a mid-century modern way. The murals inside

When I was first planning my month in Kenya, I contemplated a 3 or 4 day trek up Mt Kenya until I reminded myself that I am the guy who needs the third room. Instead, we did visit the Ndare Ngare Forest and the Sirimon Route Hike, but only did part of both. Mount Kenya is Africa’s second highest mountain at 5,199m (17,058 feet) and the highest of all Kenya Mountains. On the Sirimon hike we started at around 10,000 feet and went up to 12,000 feet. I was surprised that I did n