Get the most from your California Wine Country Tours

When the fall arrives, it saddens me a little because it indicates that another travel season is over. Although, it has not really made much difference in recent years because I still have to take my ass out of all the fabulous destinations I want to visit.

I can only blame myself because I do not prepare properly.

It's like the Napa and Sonoma wine country tour I made with my sister and her family about 15 years ago. All my life I have wanted to go to California from my home in Ontario, Canada. I dreamed it for years. Then, one day, she announced that they were planning a camp expedition across the country and that I would be welcome to join them.

My dream was coming true. I was euphoric

For the next four months, I focused all my energy on my work. When I was not at work, I was watching TV or writing something. Meanwhile, my sister was collecting information about the places we can visit in the course of our wine country tours from San Francisco. Since we are both interested in nature, I left all the details to her.

However, when the time came for the trip, I realized that I had not investigated anything other than taking a look at some of the books I had brought from the library. She had not spent the necessary time working on the plans or even doing something of her own.

If you plan to travel with your family, do your own research in advance. This may sound like common sense, but it was something I could not do. As a result, I had some dissatisfaction with the tour. She had not thought about the historical places and geological formations that would have been fascinating to visit, apart from the famous city of Tombstone, Arizona, and the Grand Canyon. Fortunately, we visited there, but I could have gotten more out of it if I had done my own research instead of repeatedly asking for a side trip.

The biggest mistake I made was not working with my sister during the planning stage of the trip. Being lazy, I'm going too much to her. Instead of seeing things like El Alamo in San Antonio, the famous Route 66, the UFO sites in Area 51, the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, the San Andreas Fault, the blooming desert in Arizona and the Hollywood attractions, we spend much of our time hanging around marshes, fields and streams while we follow the migration of birds from the USA. UU to Canada.

Obviously, we all had a different mandate.

Do not get me wrong I enjoyed the nature that we saw on the way, but I would also have liked to see some of the cities. Since our trip, I have discovered even more places that I would have liked to see, but now it is too late because it is doubtful that I will return for that three-month trip.

The next time you plan a vacation, start early so you have time to research what's available, share ideas and interests and, if necessary, book accommodation and other services to avoid disappointment.

Experience the Wild Side by Developing Foraging Skills

How deeply you have experienced the proximity of mother nature till now? Generally, people from urban areas remember only a few trekking experiences of their vacations on the name of nature proximity. Nevertheless, there is also a hidden aspect that most of the people never know. Rather than a typical trekking program, you can also go inside the jungle for the purpose of foraging. The term foraging means searching for wild food. Mother nature comprises of some gifts that you cannot produce in any farm. For instance, the morel mushrooms only grow in their natural habitats & they have no seeds that you can use for cultivation. Apart from these mushrooms, you may find many other valuable hidden secrets after becoming a forager. In the below article, you can explore some of the amazing benefits of foraging.

Advantages of becoming a forager

• Experience of finding rare species

Not everyone is fortunate with the ability to identify the hidden secrets of nature. A random person cannot figure out that which mushroom is edible or which herb is life-saving h proper training, a forager can discover the rare species. It is helpful in arranging food as well as herbs that have huge medical importance. 

• Opportunity to come closer to nature

Foraging is a task where you spend the entire day inside the forest in finding edibles and herbs. In this way, a person learns lots of things from nature. The way how to explore the jungle, experience of the safe journey and developing survival instinct with the help of wildlife are some skills that one can gain during the foraging. 

• Unique camping experience 

Camping can become more adventurous if you are a forager. After gaining adequate knowledge regarding the flora & fauna of a specific region, you can arrange food without requiring any external help. Just imagine, returning back to the campfire with some delicious chanterelle mushrooms, cooking it and sharing with friends. It will change your perspective towards forest camping nights. 

• Helpful in emergency situations 

Emergency situations may occur at any time when you cannot find a source of food. The skills of foraging can help you in identifying edible wild mushrooms of different species. If you are in the middle of a forest without any life support, this skill can help in surviving for years without any external help.

• It can also be an earning source 

There are several types of edible mushrooms, flowers, fruits and herbs that one cannot find in any botanical garden or greenhouse. The demand for this rare stuff always remains high. Therefore, foraging can be adopted as a source of side income or full-time job too. 

How to become a forager?

You must be wondering how to become a forager? Gain some knowledge from the internet regarding the edibles of a particular location. Nevertheless, i is not enough because watching virtually and experiencing practically are two different things. The online images and videos can help you in understanding, but it is important to get some formal training from the professional foragers. There are some agencies where you can apply for a trip with experts by booking a date. They organize group excursions where members are educated with adequate information regarding all wild edibles whether they are fruits, vegetables, mushrooms or herbs. 

Foraging can be fun if you love forests. Try to find a foraging agency in the nearby location that can teach how to differentiate between black trumpet mushrooms & its poisonous twin.