Coastal Kayak Tours - Haleiwa, Hawaii

It has been over one year since I posted to my blog. I guess I did not have anything to share since COVID-19 took a year out of everyone's life.  Well today I got motivated to share some news from the Aloha State of Hawaii. Back when I was doing some consulting for Dri Grip Sunscreen we sponsored a kayak fishing tournament in Hawaii.  David Eglas, AKA, Boogie D, ran the tournament. Dri Grip sent them sunscreen and a donation.  Since then Dave and I have been long distance compadres.  We follow each other on Facebook.  

Dave has been a busy guy. He has learned to be a bee keeper and is an active member of Nalea Farms which is a local farm cooperative giving back to the local community.  Boogie D still has his kayak tour business. Here is the link to Coastal Kayak Tours. They are the North Shore oldest and most experienced kayak guide tour company. Let them show your the real spirit of Aloha.  If you like to fish from a kayak ask Dave on Facebook to arrange a special kayak fishing tour. He can definitely put you on some big Hawaiian fish. 

Be sure the next time you are visiting the Hawaiian Islands to give Boggie D a shout out on Facebook and catch one of the Coastal Kayak many kayak tours.  The sunset tours I am told are spectacular.  

Unit next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great out doors. 

   

 

U.S. Navy Seals Fort Pierce Museum Memorial Day Weekend 2021

Poptop Heaven 2020 Update

 

Way back during my USAF career from 1981-1984 I was stationed in West Germany with the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force. We were a NATO outfit.  We were part American, Canadian, German and French military. There is where I fell in love wit the VW camper.  I purchased a 1970s camper from a Canadian Major who was going back to Canada that was not going to take it with him. It came with a cute little trailer.  The perfect family camping outfit. We traveled all over Europe camping. Camping in Europe is a blast. We went to Holland, Switzerland, France and of course all over Germany. After my tour in West Germany was over, I shipped it back to my new USAF assignment in southern California.  Sad to say I lost my VW camper to an engine fire when the fuel line ruptured. That is another story for another time.

Poptop Heaven is without a doubt the number one reseller of certified re-conditioned VW popup  and Rialta campers.  They are located in Yucaipa, CA right off I-10 in San Bernardino County. The closest air port is located in Ontario, CA. About a 30 minute drive on I-10. 

Since the last time I reported on Poptop Heaven, they have made some interesting changes to their offerings.  They still sell certified re-conditioned full size VW popups and Weekenders and Rialta campers but have added Dodge/Mercedes Sprinters. Back in the day they only offered one pricing level. Today they have added a second.  They offer an Essential and a Premium pricing level. 

The Essential pricing level comes with a 3 month / 3,000 mile limited warranty. The Premium pricing level comes with a 2 year / 24,000 warranty. Both have the option to buy a 5 year / 60,000 extended warranty. But the main difference between these two pricing levels is cosmetic.  With the Essential pricing level the vehicle will contain blemishes like worn carpet or worn spots on the exterior paint.  See the photo above of the open rear of the VW Camper. You can clearly see spots on the bumper where the paint has worn off.  These kind of blemishers do not impact the function of the camper.  But with the Premium price level the carpet will be replaced and the camper will be painted. Click HERE for the Poptop Heaven website page that explains in detail the two different pricing levels. Adding a second pricing level gives the buyer another purchasing option.  If you do not live in California, you can have your camper shipped. How you ship it affects the CA sales tax. To avoid the sales tax, the shipper must a registered shipper. Having uncle John drive it from CA to let's say Ohio, you will pay CA sales tax. You can arrange your own shipping but give Poptop Heaven a chance to beat what ever quoteyou get. 

You can find them on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, and YOUTUBE.

So if you are in the market for a new adventure vehicle, why not give Poptop Heaven's certified re-conditioned campers a look.  You will not be disappointed. 

 Remember to wear a mask when in public and keep your social distancing to greater than 6  feet.  The COVID-19 pandemic is still around. This fall can you see yourself driving the Blue Ridge Parkway look at all the fall colors in your new Poptop Heaven Camper. 

Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Surf Expo starts on September 16th with and an all virtual tradeshow

It is that time of the year for the September Surf Expo. Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic this year's show will be an online virtual tradeshow.  The show will return to the Orange County Convention Center next year.  This is the second Surf Expo of each year.  Each year the expo just keeps getting better and better.  So if you are an owner or buyer for a local surf shop or a sporting goods store or specialty outdoor gear  retailer, do not forget to mark your calendar and register because the show starts on September 16th for three days. Do not miss out by not attending online where you can visit virtual brand booths to see all the new products for the 2021 surfing season.  Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

SCARPA Mountaineering Footwear at Outdoor Retailer Online Summer Market

My father grew up in NYC.  He use to tell me stories about all the different emigrant groups who came to NYC many years ago during the great migration periods.  He told me that the Italians were the shoe makers. As I grew up and started my hiking and mountaineering adventures, I became aware of how very good Italian mountaineering boots were. I have never owned a pair but have known a friends that vouched for that.  

The 2020 Outdoor Retailer Online Summer Market was held in July. But the access to all the exhibitors is open to all who registered until the end of August. As I cruised all the online booths I found the SCARPA booth. SCARPA stands for the Association of Footwear Manufacturers From the Mountain Area of Asolo.  SCARPA is n ow run by an Italian family who have been in the mountaineering and ski boot business since 1956. Click HERE for the SCARPA history on their UK website.  

I seems like my mountaineering days are long over but I still love to visit the mountains any chance I get. I now live in central Florida. But now and again I do get to visit the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia visiting my son's family. When I travel I like to wear footwear designed for the mountain and surf lifestyles.  I have a closet full of these kind of shoes. 

After visiting the SCARPA USA website, I came across two different mountain lifestyle designs that caught my fancy. one was the Mojito for men and the other was the Margarita. I use to have a pair of Rockport sailing shoes that look very similar to the Mojito. I flat wore them out until the soles separated from the shoes.  It is a shame I do not have a local store where I can try on a pair Mojitos. Remember when selecting a SCARPA boot or shoe this is an Italian company where all the sizes are European.  

That is why it is important to try them on before your purchase them.  It will save some agony if the shoe or boot does not fit and you have to return them.  

The SCARPA Margarita has a rubber rand that goes all around the shoe. The rand is that part of a rock climbing shoe where the rock climber gets extra friction when wedging the shoe in a crack.  Not sure that is necessary wearing a pair around town but having a rubber rand on a mountain lifestyle shoe will keep it from being scuffed up or damaged on rough surfaces. So if you have a specialty outdoor outfitter near you that carries the SCARPA brand of boots and shoes, check them out.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. Be sure to wear a mask and social distance until COVID-19 pandemic is over. 

Alps Mountaineering at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Online 2020

When working media attend trade shows like the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market there are literally hundreds of brands and thousands of individual products to look at, feel and touch. Having many shows like Surf Expo and ICAST, to selection of what to look at can be daunting. Because the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market this year is all online makes the  selection of what to look at much much easier.  I just visit the exhibitor's Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Online page and purse what they are promoting.  I also go to their website and do the same.  

Alps Mountaineering is one of this year's Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Online exhibitors. The company Alps Mountaineering has has five brands, Alps Mountaineering, Alps OutdoorZ, Cedar Ridge, Browning Camping, and Browning Blinds. Alps Mountaineering brand is a brand that covers almost the entire gambit of outdoor recreation equipment and gear when it comes to camping, hiking and climbing.  After I cruised through the Alps Mountaineering website I noticed a different style of tent that caught my eye. It was a tent that did not require multiple tent poles. 

It is called the Trail Tipi. Why I liked it was the fact that you could use your trekking pole as the center pole instead of carrying extra tent poles.  The tent weighs less than four pounds and packs in a very small space. A perfect choice for one or two hikers on an overnight trip. 

So if you are in the market for a new one or two person backpacking tent you just might want to look at the Trail Tipi. At $129.99 it not a bad deal. If you are a Amazon shopper, you can find it for sale there. Click HERE for Amazon. There are a few online review that say this is not the right tent for rainy days. The tent does not have a water proof fly.  But you could treat the nylon fabric with a waterproofing spray prior to use to help the withstand rain. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Outdoor Retailer (OR) Summer Market Online July 21st - August 31, 2020

The annual Outdoor Retailer (OR) tradeshow is held twice every year in Denver, Colorado. OR has a winter and summer market tradeshow. This is where the entire outdoor recreation community comes together to have fun and to see all the new products that will be coming to your local specialty outdoor outfitter of your local sporting goods store.  This year because of COVID-19 Pandemic the 2020 Summer Market Tradeshow was moved online like other big shows like ICAST.  Because the show is entirely online, it looks and feels different than a show where you walk from booth the booth talking to marketing and sales reps. I have never attended either the winter of summer show so I am excited to be able to attend the summer market online tradeshow and share my product reviews and my thoughts on other show topics. The OR Summer Market Online will be open until the end of August 2020. Please ome back and visit Outdoor Recreation in Orlando often.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.