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This journey is called Trekking the Planet. It is a 400-day, around-the-world trip to raise geography education awareness. We plan to visit six continents and approximately 50 countries. During the time we are away we plan to trek to some of the most remote and unspoiled places in the world. We will be traveling mostly on the ground by land and sea, minimizing flights. By visiting places of cultural and natural significance, our hope is to instill a greater awareness and curiosity about the world in as many young people as possible.

We plan to engage students by providing enrichment materials: sixty (60) four-page weekly education module overviews (that correspond to where we will be) that use the framework of the Geography Standards of 1994 developed by the US National Council for Geographic Education. In addition, we plan to send out weekly supplemental emails with our impressions during our journey, as well as images and video from the road.

Our materials are totally FREE to educators, kids and parents. Become a subscriber to receive our pre trip monthly newsletters and free weekly geography education modules during our journey. Non-Educators can also follow our trip by subscribing to our newsletter.

To learn more about our journey, frequently asked questions and subscription options, visit our new Trekking the Planet website.

I love reading guidebooks and use them extensively in trip planning and while on the road. However, they are a pain to travel with since they are bulky and weighty. In the past I have resorted to copying just the pages I needed or even cutting out the sections of the book that did not pertain to my trip, leaving the rest of it intact.

I am intrigued now by electronic media, both written and audio, as perhaps a solution to this printed guidebook issue. Especially with a smartphone and a laptop / iPad, there are many more options than just a few years ago. A case in point is the fact that Lonely Planet offers many guidebooks as pdf files. These can easily be downloaded and transferred to my iPhone, iPad and laptop. Although it is usually cheaper to buy the entire book, I can just download the chapters of the areas I will be seeing. All the information is then readily available, although I will most likely still print the map pages when I try this on my next trip.

There are also more and more mp3 audio files that can make taking a city walking tour or visiting a museum a much more memorable experience. Rick Steves is one of those who offers these for no cost and I plan to use them on some European trips I have planned in 2011.

I am still not sold on these electroinc alternaties as total replacements for the printed word but will be experimenting with them during future trips to determine how viable they are as guide alternatives. Curious to know if anyone else has any feedback in this area.

When the iPad was introduced a few months ago, I grappled with the decision of whether to buy one. It wasn’t a question of the technology, which I thought was really great, but whether it would be practical for me to have, given the cost. So I began to think how I would use it and, of course, taking it on the road was one of those considerations.

I ended up buying one right before we went to Canada on our rail journey in June. The purchase I made actually consisted of two different components: the iPad itself and a “photo accessory” which allows one to upload pictures directly to the iPad from either an SD card or an USB connection from a camera, through two different connectors that are provided. Unfortunately, the photo connectors didn’t arrive until the day after we got home from the trip, so I wasn’t able to try those out during the time I was gone.

I opted for the 32 GB iPad (the middle choice between 16GB and 64GB) and the Wi-Fi only version. I wanted more size for movies that I planned to load to the device, and with the average movie taking about 1 GB, I would be limited with only 16GB. The Wi-Fi version was chosen over 3G for several reasons. First, I didn’t want to spend more up-front money plus an extra monthly amount for 3G. Secondly, I have Wi-Fi at home and it is fairly prevalent on the road so I felt that it was more cost effective to “pay as you go” for Wi-Fi, rather than the flat monthly rate that would be the case for 3G. Even on my two recent trips in South America and Africa, getting Wi-Fi at hotels was not a problem, and some of the time it was even free. Lastly, the iPad was going to replace the small laptop I usually bring and I could only get to the Internet with that using Wi-Fi, so I was no worse off than I would normally be.

So we set on vacation with iPad in tow, which made my computer bag feel much lighter. I used it to surf the Internet, send emails with pictures taken and emailed from my iPhone camera in lieu of my other camera, since I did not have the photo connector, watch movies and even blog on the WordPress application. Wi-Fi was free at the hotel and at the various train stations we stopped in, and I was able to connect with no problems.

On one occasion during the train trip, we had a four hour layover in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where we could get off the train and wander into the downtown area. I never did find a Starbucks in Winnipeg, but was directed to a coffee shop called Second Cup, which had free Wi-Fi. After purchasing a snack and a drink I whipped out the iPad and began putting the finishing touches on an email that I had been composing on the train. Almost immediately several folks in the coffee shop gathered around because it was the first time any of them had seen an iPad. So after providing a quick guided tour of the device, I was able to get my email sent and make my way back to the train.

Duiring the flight home from Vancouver, BC to Los Angeles, I not only used my iPad to compose and send another email, but I was able to use airline Wi-Fi for the first time, which made the flight seem like 45 minutes instead of 2 1/2 hours. It was great to use such a small device (compared to my laptop) while sitting in those economy seats. Overall, I knew I would like the iPad, since I already have an iPhone and it is my all-time favorite device. I have not been disappointed – my iPad has been great and I love using the apps. I also am impressed with the screen quality and processing speed.

So I have to say that my first trip with the iPad was successful and I am looking forward to enjoying many more days with it on the road.

Stayed tuned for more updates and pictures from this trip!

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Once the passports were back, they were sent to the Paraguay consulate the next day. This took a little longer than Brazilian process, not only due to the mail back-and-forth but because I had asked for single entry visas and was contacted because only multiple ones were being issued. This necessitated sending another money order to cover the incremental amount. But those passports are now back and, after verifying the Argentina and Uruguay entry requirements once more, we are now all set on this front. Even though these visas are pricey ($130 each for Brazil and $65 each for Paraguay, plus a $131 each entry fee when we arrive in Argentina), they are all good for five to 10 years, which means we will not have to go through this again next time we visit.

So we are now getting things out and beginning to sort though items to determine if there is anything we have to buy before we leave. Just today we decided to buy some different luggage that should be easier to navigate, so it is good not to leave these things to the last moment.

I am also compiling our approximate day-to-day activities lists. In this case we try to have a guide of things to do in each destination for reference, without getting to the point where each hour is literally scheduled. Similarly we also build a list of restaurants that look interesting so I am beginning to compile that list as well. Either way, we always use these lists as guidelines and also rely on conversations with others who we meet while we travel and things we see and experience while in the moment. In the end it usually turns out that we draw from equal amounts of all these inputs while on the road.

Lastly, I am also making a list of all those important things one needs to do before leaving, like stopping mail, adjusting water and heat, as well as tasks to do when we return. It is much easier to have these lists to refer to right before and after trips so that nothing is forgotten.

The next entry should be just before we leave - so stay tuned for that update.

With things now set we booked two internal plane flights from Iguazu Falls to Buenos Aires, just prior to taking a ferry across to Uruguay, and a flight from Montevideo back to Buenos Aires to connect to our travel home. So we will have a nice combination of bus, ferry and plane travel as we move about the region.

The last major thing to do at this point was to explore hotel options. We tend to book hotels where possible and now have reservations every night except the two that we will be staying in southern Paraguay. Short of making phone calls in Spanish, there is no easy way to make advance plans there, and since we will be arriving in Paraguay in the morning, after an all-night bus trip, we should be able to get a room without any problems.

To book the hotels, I used the guide book I had purchased as a baseline and then searched by location on the Internet, using Kayak.com, Hotels.com, Travelocity.com, Expedia.com and Orbitz.com and whatever other sites I was referred by them. I was trying to stay mid-range in price so looked at options in that category, paying attention to the guidebook impressions and the reviews on the sites.

After reconciling all the information, noting the location relative to public transportation and the potential amenities, such as free breakfast and non smoking rooms, I looked for the best deal on each site. I ended up booking rooms on several different sites, since no one site had the best deals in each place. However, I was able to get free breakfast in one city and free internet in another, using this method. I also ended up getting a much better price in one case by booking straight on that hotel’s website so truly there is not a ‘one size fits all’ in this case.

Now that this is done, the next step is visas. We need formal visas for Paraguay ($45 apiece) and Brazil ($130 each), which are best obtained before leaving home. So the rest of this month will be getting that accomplished. Argentina has just started charging a processing fee to enter the country of $130 each for US citizens (for reciprocity reasons) so between all three of these fees, it will add up and the budget has been modified to include that as well.

During the last month leading up to the trip we will be outlining our day-to-day activities and noting restaurants / other places of interest to visit. More about that in the next planning installment.

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Full disclosure for the recommendations below: We provide the links for convenience and we do receive a small commission if you follow the links listed and make a purchase.

The first book, called Blood River: The Terrifying Journey Through The World’s Most Dangerous Country, tells the story of a British journalist’s six-week odyssey through the Democratic Republic of the Congo, retracing Stanley’s journey of more than 100 years ago. It provides a great sense of what it is like in a country that few people visit today but is an important part of Africa.

Another river, this time in South America, is the title of the second travel-related book, The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey. After Theodore Roosevelt left the presidency in 1908 and subsequent to his famous African safari trip, he took a lesser known exploration journey to an unexplored Brazilian tributary of the Amazon. He and a team of American and Brazilian nationals became the first group to navigate the River of Doubt, later renamed Rio Roosevelt in his honor. However, this trip was not without its hardships, including the death of several members, with Roosevelt barely surviving.

The final book, a much lighter read than the previous two, is called Off the Tourist Trail: 1,000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives . Great for the armchair traveler or for those planning their next trip, it compares a hundred over-touristed and highly rated sights and provides great alternatives that are lesser known but just as awesome. Along with great photos and descriptions, it provides even the most seasoned traveler with some great future trip alternatives.

In Argentina it looks like we will spend some time in Buenos Aires and then take an overnight train north to Cordoba. After a day or two there, we will take an overnight bus to Iguazu Falls, which is on the border of Argentina and Brazil. We plan to see the falls from each country. The Brazil - Paraguay border is also close by so we are considering going across there and then taking a bus to Asuncion. After spending a day there, we think we will fly to Montevideo, Uruguay, due to a lack of time to retrace our steps back south by ground. In Uruguay we will make our way to Colonia, which is a beautiful colonial town and UNESCO heritage site. Then, to get back to Buenos Aires, we can take a ferry straight across from Colonia on our last day, as we will have an all-night flight back to the US.

So now, with a strawman itinerary in hand, we have begun to dive deeper into each area to determine if it makes sense as a destination and if the itinerary as a whole holds up (i.e. we are not trying to do too much, while always seems to be the case!). We are also checking the high-level logistics and costs for the internal transportation pieces to make sure that we can easily get to each point along the way.

One challenge about planning this type of trip independently is that there is not a ton of material on the Internet, and what is there is mainly in Spanish. So in trying to put together the travel pieces, especially the train, bus and ferry connections, has been slow going. In many cases one can find sights that belong to tours or middlemen, but we were interested in finding the ’source’ company sites to get the most up-to-date information and generally the lowest cost. It took some doing, and a combination of reading other traveler blogs, visiting some tour sites and entering many Internet search variations, but we did get the source sites for each of these types of travel. It takes time to be sure, but in the end you do learn so much more about the places you are going to visit.

So now I am in the process of building a day-by-day detailed itinerary and verifying which days that train leaves or how often the ferry runs to fit it all together at a reasonable cost. Because of the Spanish language on the sites, this is slow going too, but will only help us as we navigate around on our own having to speak the language while we are there. Once the itinerary is set, we can begin looking at the sightseeing options and hotels. The next planning entry will cover those topics.

We spent last weekend in Portland, Oregon, as Darren ran in the Portland Marathon on Sunday morning. We had never been there before and I didn’t have a lot of time to research what to see and do. I thought I would use this as an opportunity to rely heavily on my iPhone and my free apps (by design I don’t have but a few paid apps) that I have downloaded for assistance. Before we left I spent a few minutes using the Internet at home to get some basic lay of the land. I researched the public transportation options from the airport to downtown and downloaded the pdf map to my phone so that I had the light rail map handy. I used an app called MetrO to give me an idea how long it would take to go from the airport into the downtown area. I bookmarked the address of the hotel so I could easily find it in Google Maps on my phone. All the trip details were also placed in the TripIt app so that flight times and hotel confirmations could be easily retrieved.

When we landed in Portland late Saturday morning, I found that the airport had excellent signs that took us right to the light rail system. As we soon found out, Portland has one of the best public transportation systems in the country. We bought day passes and as we made our way to downtown on the train, I went into Google Maps on my iPhone, turned location services on and watched our progress toward our hotel address. When we got off, it was an easy two block walk to the hotel.

Once we checked in, we had Saturday afternoon free for some sightseeing. I looked in the hotel magazine and at the free city map that I received and then used the iPhone to determine where the sightseeing options were in relationship to the hotel, how to get there via public transportation, and the cost / hours of operation. We opted for a trip to Washington Park and the Japanese Garden there, which was beautiful and peaceful. Back at the hotel in the late afternoon, we pondered some dinner choices. Using the Urbanspoon app, I searched on several options I had seen, again noting proximity to the hotel, dinner hours and cost. I was able to read reviews, learn about the restaurant specialties and even see the actual menus on my phone. We had a great dinner and also enjoyed a stroll around town before getting to bed early for the marathon start the next morning.

After watching Darren start the marathon race the next morning, I wanted to find the nearest Starbucks for some breakfast. I used the Starbucks app to pinpoint the exact location of the closest one and could even see if it was actually open or not. After getting a warm cup of coffee, I was able to find a great riverside walk to take. I listened to several podcasts and took some great skyline pictures, including the one above, while walking. I was able to receive occasional texts from Darren while he was racing and I tweeted those to family and friends, using the phone, so that they could follow his progress.

Once the race was over we had the afternoon to relax and explore downtown. We used the iPhone to find a sandwich place for lunch and a pub for a celebratory dinner. We found the Nike, Columbia and North Face stores and enjoyed our time there. We also visited a great independent bookstore called Powell’s City of Books which filled an entire city block and was by far the biggest book store I had ever seen. We also saw the historic old town, Chinatown and the train station before we flew home on Monday.

In all the weekend was a success. Darren ran his personal best for a marathon, we had a nice mini-break and were able to experience a new city. The iPhone made it all so easy. We could easily find a wealth of things to do and places to eat and we never had to worry about getting lost. I could have even written this blog entry using the free WordPress app on my iPhone, but that will have to wait for another time.

I have been told that there are paid apps from the likes of Lonely Planet that provide all their guidebook functionality adapted for an iPhone platform. I will have to break down and try one of these at some point. If it really works as advertised then the days of toting maps and guidebooks to places will definitely be a thing of the past.