The Maiden of the Rock: A Deep Dive into Xunantunich Mayan Ruins in Belize Belize is a land rich with history and adventure, and for those who love to explore, its ancient Mayan ruins offer a glimpse into a world both magnificent and mysterious. My wife, Linda, and our friends, Eamon and Athena, and I dedicated our third day in Belize to exploring one of the most magnificent of these sites: Xunantunich, or "The Maiden of the Rock." This post will serve as your comprehensive guide to this breathtaking archaeological site, sharing our firsthand experience and helping you prepare for your own unforgettable journey. The grounds are well-kept, which we noticed the moment we walked into the central plaza, and the site is much bigger than we anticipated. The Journey Begins with a Hand-Cranked Ferry Getting to Xunantunich is a part of the adventure in itself, and it’s a detail that adds to the site's remote and timeless feel. The day of our visit was incredibly sunny, and the dri...
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Trip Report: Lake Travis Zipline Adventure (Video)
On October 30th Linda and I headed just outside of Austin, Texas for an exciting adventure at Lake Travis Ziplining Adventures. Check out the zipline video below. This was also the first-time Linda and I experienced a zipline where you don’t handbrake to stop.
Posing for a quick pic with Lake Travis behind us.
Lake Travis Zipline Adventures (LTZA) is a ziplining company just outside Austin, Texas and their tour is approximately 3-hours long through Lake Travis and the surrounding hill country. The entire tour has 5 ziplines ranging from 250 feet to 2,800 feet (the longest zipline in Texas). Between the ziplines there is hiking with the longest trail about 1 mile long.
The Drive
We didn’t have to wake up incredibly early because it was a quick trip out of Austin to LTZA. Upon arrival, it is a gravel driveway in a residential area. I quickly wondered if this was the starting location for the adventure, but it wasn’t, which is ok because it was a small area. The area has trees, chairs, and hammocks all around. Plus, there are a bunch of Cornhole setups to kill some time if you are too early. You can also find the main check in area, that has LTZA swag, bathrooms, and an overnight cabin.
The Main office at LTZA
Linda and I checked-in first and with some extra time before we started the adventure, decided to walk down to the lake. After bumming around the grounds for a while, our tour guides called us over to a 15-passanger van and drove us down to a dock. We jumped on a boat and headed to “Zip Island”.
The boat ride out to the zipline course
Baby Zips
Off the boat, we walked over to a building and covered area where we could use the restroom one last time and gear up. The guides sent us up the trail to the first of our baby zipline. The group stopped too early as we came to a platform and zipline. When the guides showed up seconds later, they got the group back on track. We reached the platform for the 1st zipline, which is somewhere between 250 – 300ft and intended to be a nice warmup to help everyone get over their fears.
Getting used to the course on the baby zip
There was another short walk and we were at the platform for the second baby zip, which is about 300ft long. Linda and I were at the back of the line, so we had ample time to look around at our surroundings before zipping off to the next platform.
The Leap of Faith
Finally, it was time for a long zip, much longer than either one of us had experienced before. The Leap of Faith is 1,800 feet long. Before we take off, the guides stop us for a group photo and couples’ photos with an amazing photobomb background. This platform had nice views of the lake and cliffs, and since we were still last Linda and I had time to take it all in. Being so long, it was incredibly hard to stay in one direction, and I ended up backward or occasionally spinning all the way around.
Looking out from the Leap of Faith Platform
The Line of Majesty
The Line of Majesty is the 4th zipline and comes in at 1,600 feet, and was my favorite zipline of the day. There is a nice covered area by the zipline platform, Linda and I took a few pictures to here and admired the overlook. As you zip, the view is amazing as you zoom by cliffs on one side and the lake on the other side and underneath you.
Linda over Lake Travis
The Double Barrel Shotgun
The final and most interesting zip is the Double Barrel Shotgun, at 2,800 feet is the longest in Texas. The name gives it away, but this zip has 2 lines running next to each other so you can get a little race in. This one is a little weird because they hook you up and you must walk to the edge of the platform before starting.
The trail up to the final zip. It's about a mile long hike
This zipline required what felt like a mile long hike and some pretty steep inclines. It took us a bit of time to make it all the way up in the mid-day heat. Once we were ready to zip, our race began with Linda off to an early lead, but I’m guessing my extra weight allowed me to fly by her for a healthy win. This zipline ends at a neat patio and bar where you can lounge around and drink if you’d like; however, the bartender hadn’t shown up so we just settled for free water because it was plenty hot.
Getting ready for the race with Linda on the Double Barrel Shotgun
After making back to the gear building, we dropped our gear and headed back to the boat to end our adventure. The long zips were amazing and I look forward to trying out their night zip tour.
The Patio, the final stop on your tour and a chance to relax
Let us know your experience with ziplining and your favorite place to go ziplining. Also, if you like the blog follow us on Facebook to keep up to date.
First Time at Sherwood Forest I have recently been introduced to the fun world of renaissance festivals, so Jack and I took a trip to the Ren Faire in McDade, Texas. Upon arrival, a group of characters were handing out flyers to gain attention for their show, which happened to be called Blunt Force Drama. Once we Jack and I finally made it through the festival gates, Blunt Force was of the first shows running. So of course, we stopped there. The show is a melee fighting tournament mixed with adult humor. The show starts by picking judges from the crowd and then the fighting begins. They even have adult humor commercials while you wait for the next round. I thoroughly enjoyed the fighting and the humor, but some might find it offensive (it was pretty racy). Also, I wouldn't take kids. Once the show finished, we followed Jack's policy of taking a lap around the grounds to see what shops and shows are available. This led me to find some awesome leather armor...
Tubing Down the San Marcos River Linda here for Adventures with BeeGee. We’ve been adventuring more aggressively since the Salkantay trek. My goal this August is to continue the adventuring while catching up on blog entries to ensure we preserve these great memories. On Saturday, July 20th, Jarrett, a friend of ours, and I went tubing down the San Marcos River. I realized I had been living in Austin for almost four years now and had not done this iconic Hill Country tourist activity. To be honest, we probably hadn't done it before because I only learned how to swim last year and am not the most comfortable in the water. The San Marcos River is relatively shallow, and the heat in Texas is unbearable, so if you want to enjoy the outdoors but are uncomfortable with water, this is a great option. The water is initially cold, but once the sun comes out, it starts feeling like a great relief from just lying on your tube. If you’re comfortable with water and swimming, I su...
Preparing for the 100-mile Extended Mountain Loop It’s been a while, but I finally found the time to make it back out to Big Bend National Park. If you are interested in our first trip to Big Bend, you can follow along here: Big Bend 2015 . I headed out for the trip around 2 pm on December 2, 2018, for what I’ve termed the Extended Outer Mountain Loop, a 100-mile backpacking trip spanning 7 days. The plan was to meet up with my dad, Bmo, in the Chisos Mountains, cache water, and then start the adventure. Planned 7-day route for Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park Background Location: 310, Alsate Dr, Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 Admission: $25 per vehicle, $14 campsites, $12 backcountry pass Elevation: 1,800 to 7,832 ft. Weather: Varied from rainy, cloudy, and sunny, 30 to 65°F Difficulty: Strenuous Website: https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm 7 days' worth of food The Drive Out I didn't get to leave as early as I would have liked ...
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