Skip to content
Course Charted Destinations
Course Charted Travel Smarter
Course Charted About
Destinations
Travel Smarter
Slide 1
Course Charted: Your Guide to Slow, Sustainable, Savvy Travel

What began as a journey half-way around the world, into the courtroom, and behind a camera has brought me here - helping you chart a course for memorable, meaningful travel...

READ MORE
previous arrowprevious arrow
next arrownext arrow
Course Charted
  • Start Here
  • Destinations
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Europe
    • Asia
  • Travel Smarter
  • About
  • Contact
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

philippines

9 Essential Tips for Canyoneering Kawasan Falls

kawasan falls canyoneering

In this article you’ll discover the 9 essential things you need to know before Canyoneering Kawasan Falls, one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines! Learn from my mistakes and successes so you too can have an unforgettable adventure here.

Categories Asia, Destinations Tags philippines, travel hacks

Course Charted About Me

Hi! I’m Alana, a Chicago-based attorney turned travel writer, photographer, and travel content creator here to help you travel smarter to Chicago and beyond. Click below to learn how I escaped the 9-5 for the 24/7!

READ MORE

Join the Adventure on IG!

alanainwanderland

alanainwanderland
CHICAGO FALL COLORS PREDICTION ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‚ thanks to CHICAGO FALL COLORS PREDICTION ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‚
thanks to the Smokey Mountains fall foliage predictor map i linked in Stories i can make the following predictions about ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ผ:
Sept 18-25: minimal to patchy colors
Sept 25-Oct 2: mostly patchy colors
Oct 2-9: patchy to partial colors
Oct 9-16: partial to near peak colors
Oct 16-23: near peak to peak colors
Oct 23-30: peak to past peak colors (*some leaves going brown)
Chicagoโ€™s best time window for peak colors seems to be Oct 18-27 which is a bit later than last year but these predictions are very weather dependentโ€ฆ 
if we get several days of cold weather itโ€™ll speed up the fall color change, but if it stays warm (as it looks like it will this week), thatโ€™ll delay the color change 
wind will also be a factor in how long we get to enjoy the peak fall colors โ€” if we peak during a windy week in Chicago the leaves may not hang around long (literally!)
whatโ€™s your best prediction for Chicagoโ€™s peak fall colors?? Letโ€™s see who ends up being right! ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ‚ SHARE this Reel with a Chicago fall lover and ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ!
.
.
.
#chicago #chicagolife #fallcolors๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‚ #fallfoliage #windycity #chicagoreels #autumnaesthetic #chicagoinfluencer
The Center of Order and Experimentation | @orderan The Center of Order and Experimentation | @orderandexperimentation in Chicagoโ€™s West Town is one of the most unique coffee shop / gift shop combos youโ€™ll ever visit โ˜•๏ธ+๐ŸŽ
this Chicago hidden gem describes itself as โ€œa retail experience purveying playful, quality goods for home and lifeโ€ with a coffee program provided by Monday Coffee | @drinkmondaycoffee 
๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒโ€™๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„:
๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป: 1727 W Grand Ave, Chicago (easy parking off Grand)
๐—›๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€: Tues-Sun 9am-3pm (*ironic that they serve Monday coffee, isnโ€™t it ๐Ÿ˜œ)
๐—•๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ: i got the smashing pumpkin coffee (so perfect for fall) and perused the many amazing candles, fragrances and stationary items โ€” everything in the store is carefully curated and so special! 
if you havenโ€™t been to The Center of Order and Experimentation yet, definitely make it a point to stop by and SHARE this spot with someone who loves unique Chicago coffee / gift shops and ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โ†’ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ!
.
.
.
#chicago #thingstodoinchicago #chicagoshopping #westtown #westloop #chicagoinfluencer #chicagocoffee #chicagocoffeeshops
have you been to #Chicagoโ€™s PiniPico Brazilian c have you been to #Chicagoโ€™s PiniPico Brazilian cafe and coffee shop | @pinipicocoffee yet?? โ˜•๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท
PiniPico is a true Chicago hidden gem tucked away in the Gold Coast neighborhood, and itโ€™s serving up really unique coffee options + Brazilian treatsโ€ฆ ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒโ€™๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„:
๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป: 1538 N Clark St, Chicago (Gold Coast, close to the Chicago History Museum)
๐—›๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm; Sat-Sun 8am-6pm
๐— ๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜†: orange pistachio latte ๐ŸŠ
SHARE this Reel with someone who needs to take you on a coffee date ๐Ÿ˜‰ and ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โ†’ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ!
.
.
.
#goldcoast #thingstodoinchicago #windycity #chicago #chicagocoffee #chicagoinfluencer #chicagofoodie #chicagocoffeeshops
Chicago in the fall is justโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ˜Œ๐Ÿ‚ if you wa Chicago in the fall is justโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ˜Œ๐Ÿ‚
if you want to chase this gorgeous fall foliage around the windy city SAVE this Reel and note the locations below:
๐Ÿ‚ The Bean at Millennium Park (*the plaza around the Bean is under construction until spring but the autumn colors will still pop here!)
๐Ÿ‚ Nichols Bridgeway connecting Millennium Park to the Chicago Art Institute 
๐Ÿ‚ Lincoln Square neighborhood especially Welles Park
๐Ÿ‚ Lakeshore Path just south of Randolph Street and heading toward Adler planetarium
๐Ÿ‚ 311 South Wacker Park (a true hidden gem little park across from Willis Tower!)
Are excited to see Chicago covered in autumn colors?! ๐Ÿ‚๐Ÿ™๏ธ๐Ÿ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ fun things to see and do in Chicago this fall and SHARE this Reel with a fall lover!
.
.
.
#chicago #millenniumpark #thingstodoinchicago #thebean #chicagofall #fallaesthetic #lincolnsquare #chicagoinfluencer
my beige flag ๐Ÿณ๏ธ is that i have to stop at ev my beige flag ๐Ÿณ๏ธ is that i have to stop at every Chicago mural ๐ŸŽจ
hereโ€™s a list of murals by photo (in case you want to find them!):
Photo 1: 412 N Clark (alley in River North)
Photo 2: 1419 W 18th St (Pilsen)
Photo 3: 1482 W Gregory (side of Understudy coffeeshop | @theunderstudychi in Andersonville)
Photo 4: 2058 W Roscoe St (front of Ali House | @ki.house in Roscoe Village)
Photo 5: Concord Pl & Milwaukee Ave (Wicker Park)
Photo 6: 99 S Green (West Loop)
Photo 7: 401 N Racine Ave (West Loop)
Whereโ€™s your fav neighborhood for Chicago street art?? SAVE this list for more inspo to go out and explore chicago โ™ฅ๏ธ// #AlanaInChicago 
โ€ช__________โ€ฌ
โ€ช๐Ÿ“Chicago, USA ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธโ€ฌ
.
.
.
.
.
.
#chicagophotographer #chicagophotography #chicagostreetart #windycity #chicagoloop #ThingsToDoInChicago #chicagoart #chicagoexplore #westloop #travelinfluencer #chicagohome #chicagoevents #chicagolife #chicagofun #chicagoillinois #chicagothingstodo #chicagoinfluencer #visitchicago #chicagotravel #pilsen #rivernorth #chicagomurals #pilsenchicago โ€ฌ#chicagocoffeeshops #ChicagoLifestyle #ChicagoFun #ChicagoBlogger #andersonville
what better way to put your building on the map th what better way to put your building on the map than by putting a massive map on your building (shoutout to Chicago Tribune for this clever bit!)
in 2013, the new owners of ๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฆ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ wanted to turn their nondescript skyscraper into a noteworthy Chicago building so they took a chance on ESI Designโ€˜s idea for a massive map depicting the river and city streets 
and they went BIGโ€ฆ 400 feet to be exact ๐Ÿคฏ
the best way to view Chicagoโ€™s most impressive map is either from the river itself (on a boat or a kayak tour, like i did in this Reel) OR from Jackson bridge
donโ€™t miss the bright red โ€œyou are hereโ€ rectangle that represents 300 S Wacker on the map (it lights up with LED lights at night!)
have you seen this massive Chicago map?? SHARE this Reel with someone who loves Chicago hidden gems and ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ! 
.
.
.
#chicago #chicagohistory #chicagoriver #chicagoloop #windycity #chicagoinfluencer #chicagoarchitecture #chicagolife
whoโ€™s loving Chicagoโ€™s false fall and whoโ€™s whoโ€™s loving Chicagoโ€™s false fall and whoโ€™s wishing weโ€™d go back to summer?? ๐ŸŒฌ๏ธ๐Ÿ™๏ธ๐Ÿ‚
i know 70โ€™s will be here again, but i have to admit, i liked putting on a cozy sweater yesterday, going for a bike ride in the crisp air, and savoring a hot latte as it warmed my hands ๐Ÿ˜Œ
SHARE this Reel with a fall lover and ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ!
.
.
.
#chicago #chicagofall #thingstodoinchicago #westloop #windycity #chicagolife #chicagocreatives #chicagoinfluencer
every time i pass over Chicagoโ€™s Kinzie Bridge i every time i pass over Chicagoโ€™s Kinzie Bridge i obsess over these nautical townhomes stacked along the Chicago River ๐Ÿ˜๏ธ๐Ÿ›ฅ๏ธ
after some digging around, i found this ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ผ about them:
โ€ข these townhomes were designed by architect Harry Weese and there are only 4 of them in Chicago
โ€ข the townhomes were originally built and sold in the 1980โ€™s (priced between $350,000 and $600,000)
โ€ข only one has come on the market since then; it was listed and sold in 2015 for nearly 2.3 million!
โ€ข the angle of the townhomesโ€™ roofs mirrors the angle of the old lift bridge across the way (the angles are also meant to make you think of sailboats! โ›ต๏ธ)
โ€ข porthole windows dot the facades making you feel like youโ€™re on a boat 
โ€ข each townhome has an enclosed 3-seasons deck so you can enjoy boats passing by and skyscraper views with your morning coffee
โ€ข each home also has 45 feet of private riverfront outdoor space 
โ€ข in addition to the spiral fire escapes outside, the homes have spiral staircases inside connecting 5 levels of living space
โ€ข Weese envisioned beautiful developments along the river here, but sadly he died before they were completed
โ€ข now this area is an absolute Chicago treasure with River Bend, Kingsbury Plaza, Park Place, River Place, and Wolf Point (plus a gorgeous walking path along the riverfront)
would you live in these nautical townhomes?? SHARE this Reel with someone who loves Chicago architecture + incredible homes and ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ โžก๏ธ @alanainwanderland ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ! 
.
.
.
#chicagohomes #chicagohistory #chicago #chicagoriver #windycity #chicagoreels #chicagoarchitecture #chicagolife
Follow on Instagram
  • Privacy Policy
ยฉ 2023 Course Charted | All Rights Reserved