Arlington, VA - I was a young 21 when I first walked into Casual Adventure. I was on the prowl for a backpack to accompany me around Europe for the summer. Nine years later, I found myself returning once again as I prepare for my first trip around the world. Casual Adventure is a family owned and operated retail store selling high quality camping, hiking, and backpacking equipment. Their early years, dating back to 1955, were dedicated to selling military surplus supplies. The store is located off Washington Boulevard in the youthful Clarendon area.

The hallmark of my shopping experiences over the years has been the excellent customer service. Sales associates are knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. Their motto “We Can Outfit You from Great Falls to Nepal” was the result of their supplying a man with Mountain Hardwear, who then went on to summit Mount Everest in 2000. A large framed photo of him on top of the world, holding the store’s logo, hangs on a wall by the jackets.Everything I’ve purchased there has withstood the wear and tear of the road, from the streets of Dublin to the jungles of Belize.

Previous purchases include: Gregory Chaos backpack, North Face cargo pants, shorts and jacket, Merrell hiking boots, socks, and a host of smaller supplies. Future purchases will include: LED headlamp and a possible Casio Pathfinder watch (altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and compass). One item I have yet to buy is a bandanna, as they keep throwing them in free of charge.

My favorite part of the store is the wall of customer pictures. Anyone can bring a photo and tape it to the wall to show off their spirit of adventure. My contribution to the wall consists of a snapshot of the erupting Arenal volcano in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, circa May 2005.

In an age of ever increasing retail camping conglomerates, it’s nice to know I can still walk into a local store and receive great products, service, and bandannas!

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Casual Adventure is located at 3541 N. Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201. Phone: 703-527-0600.

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Washington, DC – Where would one go to ride an aerial zip line, have golf swings analyzed, and take a scuba diving lesson under the same roof?

Adventure travelers of all ages descended upon the Washington, DC Convention Center last weekend for the final day of the 2007 Adventures in Travel Expo. Billed as Washington’s Ultimate Travel and Adventure Show, previous stops included New York, Long Beach (CA), and Chicago. Admission was $15, however I received a flyer for free admittance thanks to National Geographic. Perhaps my magazine subscription paid off!

Upon walking into the cavernous convention center, I got my bearings from the balcony overlooking the basement level before descending the stairs to explore. It was a few minutes past the opening hour of 11am on Sunday. Once down, I was immediately confronted with the Global Beats Stage, and West African Dancers doing their thing to a steady drum beat. It instantly put me in the mood to leave the reality of the day behind, and let my imagination run wild with the opportunities, displays and brochures bombarding me from all angles.

As I moved from booth to booth, I quickly realized the cool exhibitors had raffles to enter. Trips to Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Grenada, were just the tip of the iceberg. Besides the exotic vacations, prizes ranged from a new Suzuki SUV to a carry-on size piece of luggage (I skipped that drawing). Along with the near endless drawings to enter, I slowly started to accumulate pamphlets and brochures from whitewater rafting companies to Teaching English as a Foreign Language programs. My goal was simple, limit myself to what truly looked appealing for my upcoming RTW trip, and make it out of there without having to rely on the dreaded plastic tote bag. I was having flashbacks to the auto shows I use to attend as a kid. I’d collect all the brochures, only to throw them out five minutes after getting them home (when they seemingly lost whatever appeal they held under the bright lights).

As I worked my way down each aisle, I passed from continent to continent. I had forgotten how common it was to have attractive women at the booths. Many were from the countries whose travel agencies they represented. The Irish missed the memo though, as their booths were manned by old, white haired men. Whether it was a young Australian woman, or talkative Indian man, the international makeup added an air of authenticity to the show. From Vermont to Nepal, New Zealand to Trinidad, the world was represented in a thorough manner.

After a solid two and a half hours, including a delicious, authentic Caribbean lunch of BBQ Chicken, with rice and beans, I departed a slightly wiser adventure traveler.

Now what am I going to do with all those brochures.

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ARLINGTON, Va. – Jerry unpacked his small, old suitcase on the teacher’s desk as coffee-slurping students shuffled into the classroom on an early Saturday morning.

Arlington’s Clarendon Center was ground zero for Travel Writing – A One-day Short Course available through the county’s Adult Education program. Our teacher was Jerry Haines, a former lawyer and college journalism teacher turned Washington Post columnist. The class was made up of 7 women and 3 men, ranging in age from early twenties to late forties.

By the time roll call was taken, it was apparent our teacher had a good-natured, humor streak. As if the subject matter and insider tips weren’t exciting enough, Jerry’s silly jokes and anecdotes from a lifetime of world travel, and 12 years of writing about it, would permeate the series of lectures during the 6-hour class.

Our introduction to travel writing began with a rundown of the most common categories:

1. The Destination Piece – A class article detailing a specific locale
2. The Fact-Intensive Piece – Shorter, good for beginners, and includes Top 10 Lists and Best (beaches, hotels, etc.).
3. The Journey Piece – Focusing on the getting there rather than the destination.
4. The Travel Essay – A broad category, often illustrating a universal truth.
5. Special Interest – Specific activities, such as cooking schools or traveling with kids.
6. Several Places at Once – Multiple activities or destinations in the same general area, or tied together by a common factor. Also known as “The Round-Up.”
7. The “How-To” Piece – Slanted toward logistics, such as How to See Tokyo on a Budget.
8. The News Peg – Hanging the story on a current event, such as a natural disaster.
9. Adventure Travel – Rafting, biking, or any story which causes the traveler to overcome an obstacle.
10. Humor – This one speaks for itself.
11. Special Events – Annual holidays or festivals, such as The Running of the Bulls.

We then turned to the travel writer as traveler, and researcher. Topics ranged from writing about people more so than places, to the importance of note taking. The third lecture focused on structuring an article, illustrated by one of Jerry’s published pieces from The Washington Post about a Minneapolis flour mill museum (more fun than it sounds).

Lunch arrived soon after noon, with most of us walking across the street to Whole Foods Market for a sandwich to bring back to class. The first surprise of the day came after our lunch break when Jerry let us know that he does one-on-one critiques of students’ writing at a rate of $25 per assignment, including edits mailed back to you, and a follow-up phone call. Several students’ eyes lit up at the offer.

Once the quorum was reached, we picked up with photography tips. Jerry, a self-professed non-professional photographer, focused his advice on what types of photos newspapers are most likely to buy (Hint: be original).

The last two subjects meshed together as our day was coming to an end – marketing your writing and the logistics of submitting pieces to newspaper and magazine editors. A student’s question also elicited typical rates for major newspapers. For example, a “1^st play” piece in the Newark Star-Ledger (front page of travel section, above the fold) pays $575. A short piece (fewer than 800 words) can net $250 from The Washington Post. On the high end, the New York Times can pay $2,000 for a 1^st play. The higher rate is partly the result of their purchase of the full rights to your work.

The second surprise of the day came when a go-getter of a woman in class suggested to Jerry that a group of us get together informally to share our writings and feedback. A few eyebrows rose with the question, and the quick, positive response had us leaving more empowered and excited than when we entered.

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See a sample piece by Jerry Haines on Worldhum. Registration for Jerry’s travel writing classes can be done online at the Arlington Public Schools website. Arlington residents pay $56, non-residents $73. Discounts are available for seniors.

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Last weekend I drove into Washington, DC after donating some stuff at the Salvation Army. I was excited to check out the Adventures in Travel Expo which was making it’s fourth and final stop. I got a great, free parking spot across the street from the convention center. I walked confidently to the front door, though noticing no banners announcing the event, or people around for that matter. Right before I reached the door, I remembered the flyer I received said March 3-4. I had gone on the wrong weekend! So on my 10-minute drive back to Arlington, I decided to snap some pics of the buildings and monuments I pass on a routine ride home. The point was to share how lucky I am to live outside the capital of the US, surrounded by monuments and buildings that tell the tale of our country’s history.

Coming Soon:

Travel Writing class - I’m attending a 6-hour travel writing class tomorrow, taught by a travel writer for the Washington Post, LA Times and Baltimore Sun. It’s offered through Arlington’s adult education program. $56. I’ll let you know if I pick up any cool tips!

Review of Adventures in Travel Expo 2007 - Sponsored by National Geographic (HQ in DC of course). I’ll be going on Sunday, thereby missing keynote speaker Arthur Frommer, and the first couple to have traveled around the world by human power (rowboat, bike, ski, walk) alone.

Lake Rewalsar and Manali - More stories and photos from Stefan’s travels to India!

And more - survival shows, couchsurfing, strategies for saving money, and my super-duper Excel spreadsheet for developing an itinerary and budget.

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