I come from a small island in the middle of the Pacific. I blame my upbringing for my love of remote places, hidden gems, and wanting to go to the places where fewer footsteps roam. Road trips to find such places have become a regular part of my life traveling with outdoor photographer Travis […]

At low tide boats in the harbor hover in one foot of silky water waiting for their respective owners to finish their morning ritual of tea or coffee. The sun is rising in the distance to the right as we motor out of the harbor of Tomia island. I admit I am curious and anxious […]

Smoke from the cooking fires sits low on the horizon. Chickens peck and scratch in the pale 6 a.m. light. In Desa Sama Bahari, children in Spongebob pajamas rub sleep from their eyes. Yet, Desa Sama Bahari is not a place you will find on most maps. Or even if you did you may find […]

From Sea to Summit: Climbing Mt. Rinjani, Indonesia Adventure at a glance Location: Lombok Island, Indonesia Closest cities: Senaru (600m) and Sembulan (1,100m) Difficulty: Challenging Elevation: 12,408ft at the highest peak. The crater rim is at 8,658ft Time Commitment: Usually 3-5 days Best time of year: April – November is the dry season. The majority […]

Excerpts from written travel log.. June 22, 2016 6 a.m. It looks like Baja/Tijuana. On a windy day. This place hmmm not exactly what any of us pictured Greece looking like. It’s very arid and crazy windy. I drove to town today and it gave me a little hope for other areas. There were some […]

Navigating your way through any foreign country can be daunting and Indonesia is no exception. Here are a few quick tips to keep your travels safe, respectful and fun: Dress modestly: Always a good rule of thumb, but be especially mindful as Indonesia is a predominately Muslim country and social norms are different than in the […]

It’s a balmy 77 degrees with a light breeze as I board our boat on the northern tip of Sulawesi. Our group of eight fits easily onto the spacious wooden decks of our dive boat. I stretch out in the open cabin and take in my surroundings; it’s a myriad of tanks, masks, belts, and […]

–Top ten don’t miss list for photographers and adventurous travelers 10. Stargazing from a remote island. If you happen to be there during summer months – especially when there’s a new moon – make sure you step outside to see the Milky Way stretching across the sky. It varies somewhat with time of year and […]

All photos were taken by Benjamin Everett on our road trip through Alaska

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As the gate swings open, four old dogs play in the yard, noses to the dirt, weaving and swerving around boats, an aging tractor and a maze of white styrofoam boxes with practiced ease. Under the hot Wai’anae sun, dive tanks stand in haphazard formation like miniature gray soldiers with “Kaiohi” stamped uniformly across them. Kaiohi Tropical Fish owner and diver Rufus Kimura emerges from under his tented aquarium area and, for a second, it is easy to forget that this man is at the forefront of a very small and quite unheard of underwater revolution.

The 23-foot boat’s twin outboard motors leave behind a frothy wake as we cruise out of the sheltered estuary of Hawaii Kai. Rounding the corner out of the bay, the silky morning water turns to small white chops. A lone canoe paddler strokes hunched against wind. Rain clouds blanket the distant Ko’olau mountains in a cold gray mist that has mixed with the ocean spray to coat my glasses and dampen my sweatshirt. My mission today: to catch a fish.

In a densely settled Honolulu neighborhood, a Jamaican man and a man originally from New Jersey are spending the afternoon on their hands and knees harvesting olena, sugarcane and bananas. This unlikely duo is working together to promote sustainability in a way that is relevant to modern society.

Approximately 8,000 minors in Hawaii are on probation, under supervision or in custody. But in Hawaii’s justice system, Surfrider Spirit Sessions is giving a choice to teens that adjudicated youth in the rest of the nation do not have: to go surfing.

As a community-based non-profit organization, Surfrider Spirit Sessions (SSS) teaches youth in Hawaii’s justice system life lessons and positive social skills through surfing and other ocean activities. Many of the kids initially express skepticism about surfing or even swimming. As the weeks go by and their surfing abilities improve, Spirit Sessions asks them, “If you can do this, what else can you achieve that you didn’t think was possible?”

Four men stand poised at the edge of the Nu‘uanu Pali lookout, ready and alert. They come prepared, armed with ropes, carabineers, helmets and gloves. These men are members of the Honolulu Fire Department’s elite Rescue 2 team, and today, as part of their mountain rescue training, they will rappel nearly 270 feet down the windward face of the Pali.