Last year I hiked and swam up Santa Elena Canyon at Big Bend National Park. Charlie Gandy photo

I first got hooked on hiking as a kid, when my dad led me into the ravine at the end of our street in Northwest Hills. That led to longer hikes along Shoal Creek and the Barton Creek Greenbelt. But even I discovered plenty of new routes while researching my latest book, “Urban Trails Austin” (Mountaineers Books; $18.95.)

The guide, set to publish Oct. 1, highlights 40 trails in and around the city, from the Ann and Roy Butler Trail at Lady Bird Lake to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail in Round Rock.

I’ve hiked over Whitney Pass on the John Muir Trail twice. Chris LeBlanc photo

The book is available for pre-order now here. I’m also planning several book signings. Stay tuned for more information on that.

I’ve spent the last couple of years sneaking in hikes whenever I can, and I’ve learned a lot.

The best trail if you’re training for a backpacking trip? The River Place Nature Trail.

The best trail for birdwatchers? The Hornsby Bend Trail.

The best trail if you want to take a dip when you’re done? The loop at Commons Ford Ranch.

The 224-page book covers these trails and more, including routes at Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park and along Onion Creek.

If you’re not familiar with my work, I’m a long-time journalist who spent 21 years at the Austin American-Statesman, where I wrote mainly about fitness and adventure. (Remember the Fit City column?) I’m happiest outside, and biking, hiking and swimming are part of my daily life. I’ve backpacked the John Muir Trail and the High Sierra Trail in California, as well as routes through Glacier National Park and Big Bend National Park. Here in Austin, you can frequently find me on the Barton Creek Greenbelt, especially if there’s been rain.

Today I’m on the loose as a freelance writer. I focus on travel, outdoor adventure and environmental issues for about 30 publications, including Texas Monthly, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, The Nature Conservancy Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, Texas Highways, and Texas Coop Power Magazine. Find links to my latest work at www.pamleblancadventures.com.

Pam LeBlanc sits in a Helinox Zero LT. Chris LeBlanc photo

A can of beans. A large bag of potato chips. Four sticks of butter.

The newest ultra-light chair from Helinox, the Chair Zero LT, weighs barely an ounce more than each of those things, which means it might actually make it into my backpack when I hit the John Muir Trail again later this summer.

I’m a weight weenie. I work hard to keep the weight of my backpack low. Nothing’s more miserable than trying to lug a heavy pack over mountain passes.

When I hiked 200 miles on the John Muir Trail in 2016, my backpack, including nine days of food, weighed 28 pounds. (That’s without water, which weighs a little more than 8 pounds per gallon.)

The Helinox Zero LT, center, weighs 1.1 pounds. Pam LeBlanc photo

I didn’t carry a camp chair then, but I’m thinking about it now. I’m older. My bones are creaky, and the idea of settling into an actual camp chair instead of lowering my buns onto a hard rock at the end of the day sounds appealing.

With that in mind, I recently tested the Chair Zero LT by Helinox, which weighs just 1 pound 1 ounce.

That’s significantly lighter than the Helinox One, which weighs in at about 2 pounds – not worth it on a long backpacking trip, but good for a shorter adventure. That chair is sturdier and an inch or two larger in every dimension. It also holds more weight– 320 pounds for the One compared to 265 pounds for the Zero LT.

The new Zero LT is made of lightweight mesh and ripstop fabric, so tears don’t spread. The poles are shock-corded, so it whips itself into place when you unpack it. It comes with an X-shaped stabilizer strap that helps prevent it from sinking into the sand or grass, but I’d leave that at home.

One complaint? I staggered like a drunk trying to get up from the seated position. And it’s expensive. The Helinox Zero LT costs $159.95. The Helinox One costs $139.95, but you can find it on sale for less than $100.

Now I’ve just got to figure out where I can shave a few more ounces off my base weight so I can take my new chair with me.

The new Rebecca Caroline tasting room occupies the historic Hye Post Office. Pam LeBlanc photo

William Chris Vineyards has officially entered the bubbly business.

The Hill Country winemaker west of Johnson City opened the doors of its Rebecca Caroline tasting room today. I stopped by for a sneak peak, and sampled four types of sparkling wine, all made with Texas grapes.

The history runs deep.

The new tasting room occupies the old Hye Post Office on Highway 290, across the road from the main winery. Lyndon Baines Johnson mailed his first letter here when he was 4 years old, and years later, as president, swore in his postmaster general on the front steps. Inside, you can belly up to what was once the counter of the old post office, see some of the building’s original mailboxes or look up at the stamped tin ceiling. (A tiny post office still functions in one corner of the 120-year-old building for a few hours a day.)

Marcy Stellfox sips sparkling wine at the new Rebecca Caroline tasting room at William Chris Vineyards. Pam LeBlanc photo

From the front porch, you’ll see a faux storefront for M.L. Leddy’s, a Fort Worth-based bootmaker. Peek inside and you’ll see an antique barber chair, a cache of old ledgers and some cool old hats and boots. Just don’t plan on placing an order. The shop isn’t real; it never opens.

The Rebecca Caroline tasting room also serves raw oysters and caviar.

Chris Brundrett, co-founder of William Chris Vineyards, shows off some of the winery’s grapevines. Pam LeBlanc photo

Chris Brundrett and Bill Blackmon teamed up to start William Chris Vineyards in 2008. While the winery has gussied itself up in recent years, expanding and adding a formal tasting room in 2019, it’s held on to its small-town roots.

“We get to see hyper experienced wine connoisseurs and people who just downed a Dr Pepper,” Brundrett said. “Wine can be so dang intimidating.”

The Fredericksburg area is now the second largest wine region in the country, behind California. It’s known for a variety of grapes, including tannat, a full-bodied red heavy on tannins and dark fruit flavors.

William Chris Vineyards sees about 60,000 visitors annually. It uses grapes grown in the High Plains of Texas, the Fredericksburg area, the Llano Uplift and the ancient salt flats of West Texas to make its wines.

“We used to hear that Texas wine sucked,” Brundrett says. “That perception has changed. People know who we are now.”

Reservations are recommended.

The Faust Hotel in New Braunfels reopened in May after a multi-year renovation project. Pam LeBlanc photo

For decades, my memories of New Braunfels centered around sausage, beer and dirndls, because I only visited during the ten-day German celebration known as Wurstfest.

That changed last week, when I made an overnight trip to experience the city in summer. Turns out it’s heaven for a water-loving swimmer like me.

Here are my suggestions for what to do if you plan a trip…

1. Stay at the historic Faust Hotel, which opened as the Traveler’s Hotel two weeks before the stock market crashed in 1929. It reopened in May after a $10 million renovation, and staying there feels like sliding back into the Roaring Twenties. A pocket bar off the lobby occupies what was once the hotel barbershop, a speakeasy will open soon downstairs, and the hotel’s original cash register is on display next to the front desk. Pro tip: Instead of paying for valet parking, park for free in the city lot on South Castell Avenue, a block away.
2. Eat dinner at Wilhelm & Werner. I’m no foodie, but dinner here ranked as one of the best meals of my life. The menu is Texas-themed (think Texas sweet onion soup, Gulf oysters, Hill Country rabbit pie and a dessert called the Cenizo Pot made of smoked Texas sage custard that brought me to my knees.) Just bring a fat wallet, because it’s expensive.
3. Take a flying leap into the spring-fed pool at Landa Park I might have been the oldest person to launch myself off the rope swing the day I visited, and I loved hanging out on the floating platform at the center of the pool. If you don’t like the feel of aquatic grass under your toes (who doesn’t!), you can opt for the cement pond and splash pad just up the hill.

Stacy Thigpen paddles along the Guadalupe River with his dog Joey. Pam LeBlanc photo

4. The park was nice, but the highlight of the trip for me came when we hopped on inflatable standup paddleboards and rode them down the Guadalupe River upstream of the city. The half-day trip took us past huge cypress trees, along limestone bluffs, and through a rocky, natural chute in the riverbed. If you book with Stacy Thigpen at PaddleTX, like I did, the trip includes lunch at the Lonestar Float House. (Order the burger and sit on a half-submerged picnic table in the river for best results.)

5. Back in town, drop by Red Stag to shop for clothing, jewelry and furniture, all arranged in a sprawling restored historic building. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt.

Naegelin’s Bakery in New Braunfels opened in 1868. Pam LeBlanc photo

6. My mom used to bake anise-flavored cookies called springerle, and I was thrilled to find them at Naegelin’s Bakery, which opened in 1868.

7. I didn’t make it to the city tube chute this time, but for $7 you can hang out on the riverbank downtown and make as many trips down the cement-lined channel around the dam as you want. (When I was a kid, we called this area Stinky Falls.) You can rent a tube on site for $15.

8. I also skipped Schlitterbahn Water Park & Resort, but if you’re into man-made pools, waterslides and a lazy river, it’s mecca.

9. If you’re feeling fancy, head to Old City Hall, a high-end eatery located in what was once the New Braunfels City Hall building. We went for lunch on a weekday, and the joint was packed.

10. Krause’s Café & Biergarten once only served a noon meal, but it evolved into a place where people went to drink beer and play dominos and card games. Now it’s known for live music and German specialties like schnitzel, bratwurst and pretzels. I swear it’s home to the longest row of beer taps I’ve ever seen. Oddly, it also serves breakfast, and the peach French toast made me swoon.

The Eagle Creek run at Sunshine Village feels like zooming through Mother Nature’s half pipe. Pam LeBlanc photo

Temperatures might be hovering around 90 degrees in Austin, but ski season hasn’t wrapped up yet. And even as Colorado suffered through one of its lowest snow years in history, Banff is recording one of its best.

I just spent a week in Canada, wallowing in the white stuff – and you’ve still got plenty of time to get there.

Mt. Norquay in Banff has the longest and fastest tube runs in Alberta. Pam LeBlanc photo

Here are the 10 reasons to make the trip.

1. You can ski three resorts in one vacation. I made Brewster Mountain Lodge in Banff my base, and hopped a free shuttle each day to get to Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Mt.Norquay.
2. Ski season stretches on forever here. Sunshine Village, which opened Nov. 4 and doesn’t close until May 18, boasts one of the longest non-glacial ski seasons in North America. Lake Louise operates until May 3 and Mt. Norquay keeps lifts spinning until April 19 this year.
3. This season will go down as one of the best snow years on record in Banff. December set records, and it snowed about 6 inches during my stay the last week of March.
4. The luxurious lifts! Sunshine Village and Lake Louise have “bubble lifts” with heated bucket seats and tinted covers that pull down to protect you from the elements. I’m officially spoiled.
5. Norquay, Banff’s backyard ski area, celebrates its 100^th anniversary this year. The place is steeped in history – it’s a pioneer of ski racing and you can still see the old ski jump judging towers.
6. Speaking of Norquay, or “the Mighty Quay” as some call it, it’s home of the longest, fastest tube runs in Alberta.
7. The view of Mount Rundle, which looks like it’s been smacked with a giant frying pan, gives me chills. (You might recognize it if you’ve ever attended the Banff Film Festival road show in Austin.) I made the steep hike up Tunnel Mountain to take it in.
8. Whisky! Stop by Park Distillery for a short distillery tour followed by a whisky tasting. You’ll get to sample six different whiskeys, all made with glacier water and Alberta rye.
9. Order a “Texas of the North” Tea, Alberta’s spin on a Long Island iced tea, at a new country bar called the Dusty Boot in downtown Banff. The vibe is perfect, especially if you snag one of the fluffy upholstered chairs next to the bar. Or grab the mic for cowboy karaoke downstairs.
10. Check out the food scene. My favorites? Chuck’s Steakhouse for locally-grown Alberta beef, Hello Sunshine for sushi and a groovy atmosphere, and Brazen, for the ginger beef and pear tart.

Lake Louise is having one of its best snow years on record. Pam LeBlanc photo

Pam LeBlanc warms herself on a boulder next to a creek in the French Alps.

Every December, I shake the dirty laundry out of my suitcase, crumple up the last plane ticket, and reflect on the places I visited over the previous 12 months.

This year, I hiked hut-to-hut in France and Italy, sailed on a yacht around the British Virgin Islands, and listened to a glacier groan and splinter in Patagonia.

In all, I booked 17 round-trip flights. I stepped foot in eight states besides Texas and nine countries outside the U.S. I zoomed around Texas, too, reveling in horseback rides and paddling trips in this wildly diverse place I call home.

I did things I’ve never done before, like attach cramp-ons to my boots and scramble up a snow-covered a volcano, and a few I’d rather not repeat, like having my passport stolen in a foreign country.

It sure beats sitting at a desk in an office building. I’m flat-out, can’t-believe-this-is-my-life grateful for what I get to do for a living. And next year’s shaping up to be a doozy, too.

Without further ado, here are my top 10 travel experiences of 2025…

10. Route 66. Next year, the Mother Road will celebrate it’s 100^th anniversary. I zipped up to Amarillo, and from there explored 178 miles of the historic route that cut through Texas between Glenrio and Shamrock. It reminded me, once again, that no matter how far I roam, there’s always something new to experience in my home state.

9. St. Eustatius. So many islands in the Caribbean are crowded with tourists and hotels. Not the Dutch island of St. Eustatius, where I stayed at Golden Rock Resort and went scuba diving on lush tropical reefs, hiked to the rim of a dormant volcano, and gnawed on stalks of sugar cane fresh from the field. Next year, the island celebrates the 250^th anniversary of the First Salute, which officially recognized the United States after the American Revolution.

8. Biking in Idaho. I’ve snow skied and rafted in Idaho, but for years I’ve wanted to pedal some of the state’s Rails to Trails paths. I finally got the chance this year, when I visited the Idaho Panhandle in summer. The highlight? Riding the Route of the Hiawatha, a 15-mile gradually descending path that takes you through 10 tunnels and over seven trestle bridges.

7. BVIs. Time slows down when you kick off your shoes and spend a few days aboard a yacht that comes with its own captain and chef. All I had to worry about on my trip with Dream Yacht Worldwide was snorkeling, swimming and making sure I was back on the boat when it was time to sail to the next island.

6. Great Lakes. Cruises aren’t generally my thing – unless they’re wildlife and education focused, like the Viking trip I took through the Great Lakes. The bulk of the week-long cruise was spent in Lake Superior, stopping at several national parks in Canada. As a bonus, I got to show my husband a little of Mackinac Island, where I worked at a hotel one summer when I was a college student.

5. Yellowstone. I love our national parks, and I worry about their future. That’s why I signed up for an activism-themed trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks with Intrepid Travel. The wolves gave us the shaft, but I watched a grizzly bear trot alongside a river, marveled at herds of bison, and admired the biggest moose I’ve ever seen. I also met Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly, whose father happens to be a good friend of mine.

If it hasn’t rained in many months, it’s possible to hike to Fern Canyon in Santa Elena Canyon. Pam LeBlanc photo

4. Santa Elena Canyon. I’ve visited Big Bend more than 30 times, but I still find new things to do and love while I’m there. This year, I joined Charlie Gandy, who’s putting together the new XTX Trail across the state, for a hike far into Santa Elena Canyon. You can only hike to Fern Canyon during times of drought, but the adventure still involved wading into neck-deep water, plodding through knee-deep mud, and scampering over boulders the size of Volkswagens. In a word, dreamy.

3. Chile’s Lake District. I somehow managed to land in Chile twice this year. A hike to a glacier atop Osorno Volcano that involved ice axes, helmets, harnesses, ropes and crampons highlighted the second trip, when I homebased at Hotel AWA on gorgeous Lake Llanquihue. And did I mention the visit to an estuary, where we ate oysters freshly caught by a diver on our boat?

2. French Alps. With mountain biking, white water rafting, canyoneering and hiking over a mountain pass from France to Italy on the agenda, what’s not to like? I spent a luxurious week at Eleven’s Chalet Hibou, where the focus is on adventure. And I’ll never forget taking a dip in an ice-cold alpine lake.

You can hear Perito Moreno Glacier crack and splinter when you stand in front of it. Pam LeBlanc photo

1. Patagonia. From giant, creaking glaciers to jagged towers of rock and windswept hills of grass, the landscape in Patagonia simply stuns. I visited national parks in Chile and Argentina, hiked to the base of Torres del Paine and through the French Valley, admired Perito Moreno Glacier, and toured an estancia on a 10-day jaunt with Smithsonian Journeys. I’m still blown away.

In between all that were ski trips and visits to the Texas Coast, camping trips to state parks, and a visit with dear friends in Cape Cod.

Already on the schedule for 2026? A long-anticipated trip to Antarctica, a hiking tour through the Cotswolds, rafting down the Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories of Canada, and a trip to Nebraska to watch the sandhill crane migration.