Heide Brandes
Heide Brandes is an award-winning journalist who focuses on travel, adventure, outdoor experiences, culture and more. She has bylines in such magazines as National Geographic, BBC, The Smithsonian, Cowboys & Indians, Southern Living, AAA Journeys and more. Her work can be seen at www.heidebrandes.com. When not traveling and writing, Heide is an avid hiker, caver, professional belly dancer, medieval reenactor and kind of a quirky chick living in Oklahoma.
Articles by Heide Brandes
Gliding silently through the winding channels of the Okavango Delta, I felt a bit nervous. Our mokoro canoe, a type of dugout canoe skillfully guided by a local poler, sliced through the murky waters as we navigated past water lilies. But the large pod of hippos standing at the shore not too far away dampened the soothing atmosphere. The remaining serenity was suddenly broken by a loud splash and grunt – a reminder that we were sharing these waters with some of Africa's most formidable creatures.
The Basque Block in Boise, Idaho, stands as a vibrant testament to the rich cultural heritage of one of the state's most distinctive ethnic communities. This historic stretch of Grove Street, once home to some of Boise's earliest and most prominent families, now serves as a thriving center of Basque culture and cuisine.
Buffeted by ferocious winds, I stared into the abyss of an open airplane door. The bright South Carolina June sky and cotton candy clouds seemed a cruel contrast to the darkness gripping me — an innate fear of falling that has haunted me for years. I could barely hear my Skydive Carolina instructor Cathy Abelleira's words in my ear as I clenched my jaw.
