Archive for the ‘outdoor adventure’ Category

Riding the Western Range

August 10th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
U.S. West destinations family outdoor adventure

There’s something about the Old West that seems to bring out the kid in all of us. No matter how polished and sophisticated we may have become in our daily lives, when we pull on a pair of boots and sit high in a horse’s saddle, we imagine ourselves riding the range with the cowboys of legend (and Western movies). I recently got the chance to spend a couple of days at a dude ranch on my Colorado vacation and can vouch that each person in our group of 13 got to let that inner cowpoke loose.

To get the most out of a visit to a dude ranch, you need to set your mind to embrace the whole cowboy experience. If you act like you are too cool for your Tony Lamas  you are going to miss out on tons of fun and would be better off just staying in your Denver hotel.  If you decide to buy into the whole wrangling dream however – which you should since you are paying to be there– you will find yourself a yee-hawin’ good time.

I have actually been to a handful of dude ranches over the last couple of years and they all have many facets in common. Here are some of the things you can expect while getting your authentic western experience.

Horses
Horseback riding is the main draw. While many ranches offer activities for those who aren’t gung-ho riders, the main programs each day revolve around riding. This does not mean that you have to be an experienced rider. Many visitors come to the ranches expressly because they don’t know how to ride and want to learn. A good ranch will accommodate all levels of riders and separate them out by groups. It’s worth asking about the level of instruction before picking a specific ranch. Some ranches focus on giving out tips and pointers while others are more geared to getting people out on the trail.
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Mountain Music in Quincy, California

August 10th
2010
by Pete Rerig
posted in:
U.S. West Uncategorized activities destinations events and festivals family music outdoor adventure

The scenery changed dramatically on the 90-minute ride west from Reno, from desert dunes and red-gold canyons and cliffs to beautiful pine forestland dotted with one-stoplight towns. We were headed to northern California for a Quincy vacation, specifically to the 20th annual High Sierra Music Festival, a four-day event jam-packed with music and merrymaking drawing tens of thousands from around the country. The car weighed down with camping gear and coolers. This trip was more than just an excuse to jam out to more than 50 bands playing everything from funk to bluegrass, country to jazz—it was opportunity to relax and breathe in one of the most beautiful spots in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

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Durango, Colorado In-town Adventures

August 9th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
U.S. West activities destinations outdoor adventure

Colorado is known as a fantastic spot to get outside in the summer and enjoy the majestic wilderness and mountains for which the state is famous. Colorado vacations are often planned around hiking, biking, or the summiting of “14-ers”.

While some people may prefer the remote backwoods for their adventuring, others, due to time constraints or the conflicting desires of travel companions, need to stay closer to town. If you find yourself in the second group, do not despair. Durango, located in southwestern Colorado, offers a wide range of in-town adventures. You can find high quality hiking, biking, and paddling just minutes from your Durango hotels.

I just spent a few days in Durango and enjoyed the following adventures without leaving the city limits:
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Slovenia: Land of Outdoor Travel Adventures

June 22nd
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
activities outdoor adventure

The tiny country of Slovenian made the news in the United States last week as the most recent opponent of the US soccer team in the FIFA World Cup championships. The game ended in a 2-2 tie after a controversial foul call on what looked like the go-ahead goal for the US. Watching the game in an outdoor café surrounded by thousands of beer-drinking locals in Ljubljana, Slovenia, I was actually okay with the tie. I would have hated to end one of my best Europe vacations amid a nation of morose Slovenians.

With a population of only two million, Slovenia is an unknown travel destination to many American vacationers. Sandwiched between Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, the tiny country is about the size of New Jersey but offers alps, wine country, Adriatic coastline, friendly people, excellent hotels, and abundant outdoor adventures.

For those whose idea of a great vacation includes miles of hiking trails, back-country huts, mountain biking, rafting, spelunking, or canyoning, Slovenia is just your place. Although the country is small, over 33% of its lands are designated as nationally protected forests, meaning plenty of easy access to outdoor activities. Here are some of the highlights from my trip last week:
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Cozumel’s Celebrated Reef

May 11th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Mexico beaches destinations outdoor adventure

The coral reef and fish life off the coast of Cozumel have been major attractions ever since Jacques Cousteau touted the area’s underwater diversity in the late 1950s. The Mexican island, located near the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, deservedly draws a steady stream of scuba divers and snorkelers for Cozumel vacations.

Part of the Meso American Barrier Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world, Cozumel’s almost 20-miles of coral formations can be explored for days or weeks on end. Most Cozumel hotels cater to divers and snorkelers and many offer dive packages that make delving into the crystal clear waters a breeze.

I have dived in many of the “Best Places” around the world – Australia, Tahiti, Thailand, Galapagos, Hawaii – but still find Cozumel to be my favorite spot.  The steady current that flows by the island creates ideal conditions for coral and sponge growth. It also keeps anything from building up in the water, which makes for incredible 100-foot-plus visibility. Lastly the current acts as a type of underwater draft pushing divers along past the reefs. This “drift diving” actually feels like flying and is what makes Cozumel so special.

For those who really want to test their diving chops, the recently created Ultimate Divers Challenge is the perfect outlet. The event’s organizer says that even though divers spend hours and hours on continuing education and skill improvement, there has never been a way to really test those skills. She created the Ultimate Divers Challenge for competitors see how they stack up against others.
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Andean Adventures

March 5th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
South America destinations outdoor adventure

There is good news out of Chile today. The government has made a dramatic downward revision in the number of expected casualties from last week’s earthquake. While any loss of life is tragic, it is great to hear that the number is less than originally forecast. While the sad damage to life and property has made the most headlines, the geological news coming out of the country in the wake of this event is fascinating. The quake, caused by the force of the Nazca tectonic plate pushing under South America, actually caused the coast of Chile to be permanently lifted by two to three feet. This extra land mass on the earth’s surface has modified the way the planet rotates on its axis enough to actually shorten our days by 1.26 millionth of second. It has also made the summits of the Andes a couple of feet higher, which means bigger bragging rights for travelers planning to scale some peaks on their next Chile vacations.

One of the most popular climbs for casual trekkers, as opposed to hardcore mountaineers, is to the top of the Villarrica Volcano located in the Chilean Lakes District near the popular vacation town of Pucón. Located south of and inland from the quake’s epicenter, Pucón felt, but received little damage, from the quake. Located on the shores of Lake Villarrica, Pucón was begat by adventures seekers and now prospers by sating their needs. Vacationers are drawn to the area by the awe-inspiring natural surroundings such as the magnificent araucaria forests, the snow-capped volcano, the sprawling lake, and rivers ripe for rafting adventures. Here is just a sampling of some of the fun to be had in the region:
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Searching for B.C.’s Mythical Beasts – Sasquatch and Ogopogo

February 15th
2010
by Robin Bruns Worona
posted in:
activities destinations events and festivals family outdoor adventure

Here we are, just four days in to the Olympics and we’ve already been through so much. The media blitz has been intense, starting with horrible tragedy, then quickly moving on to fanfare and fashion. There’s been protests, some truly amazing video art involving whales , and even a tight pant controversy. I think there’s even been a bit of athletic competition in there somewhere. Of course, there’s also been loads of press about visiting beautiful Vancouver, Whistler, British Columbia, even Canada as a whole. Where to stay, what to do. I was especially struck by the report Tom Brokaw did Friday night. It was informative, yes, but still kind of reminded me of those reports we used to basically copy out of the World Book Encyclopedia when we were kids. But I guess that’s about the level of knowledge most people have about our neighbor to the north. After all, did you know that we import more petroleum from Canada than from any other country?

Naturally, I can’t resist adding my two cents. British Columbia is indeed a lovely part of the world and after another 13 days of coverage, I’d be surprised if you didn’t have a desire to check it out for yourself. And by then you’re sure to know all about Vancouver’s Gastown and Chinatown. You’ll be able to map out a great public transit tour , compile a list of hidden gems, and figure out which whale watching trip is right for you. You’ll be reading local blogs (there are some great ones) and publications. But will you remember to take a second look at all your photos before you delete them just in case there’s a surprise lurking in the background? In fact, why not plan a little sidetrip or two in search of two of British Columbia’s mythical beasts—Sasquatch and Ogopogo?

It was the cutesy Olympic mascots that reminded me of the rich animal mythology in this part of Canada. I won’t get into it here, you can check out the site for their, uh, inventive bios. But basically, they are based in part on some of the beliefs and myths of the West Coast First Nations. While there are countless creatures you could investigate, why not start with two of the best documented? It just so happens that Sasquatch and Ogopogo have great taste location-wise, so really, it’s a win-win.
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Kidtopia at Keystone Resort

February 11th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
U.S. West activities destinations events and festivals family outdoor adventure

Now that all the Superbowl hype and fanfare is behind us, the buzz is building around another epic sporting event. That is of course the 2010 Winter Olympics, which will get underway tomorrow.  The big news today is the injured shin of designated Olympic darling Lindsey Vonn. I’m sure that the marketing machine at NBC will be able to find another big story to hype – be it Shaun White and his Double McTwist 1280 Whitesnake or perpetual Bad Boy Bode Miller and his, well, perpetual bad boy-ness.

Should the Olympics inspire any pint-sized skiers you might have at home, President’s Day Weekend is a great time to take the family and hit the slopes. A Colorado ski vacation might be just the ticket to grooming your ski grommet into being a future Olympian. Just think, book an Aspen hotel today, and you could be buying a ticket to host-country finalists France, Germany, or South Korea in 2018.

Children’s sports experts agree that one of the keys to instilling a love of any exercise instruction in kids is to keep it fun. If it’s wintertime snow fun you seek, look no further than Colorado’s Keystone Resort this weekend, where Keystone Kidtopia, a festival designed just for kids, will be in full swing.
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Costa Rica Girl Power

February 8th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America activities beaches destinations outdoor adventure

With most of the votes in yesterday’s presidential election counted, it looks as if Costa Rica has elected its first women president by a landslide. Laura Chinchilla, a protégé of Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias,  has received roughly 47% of the vote, about 22 percentage points more than her closest rival.

Costa Rica, the most stable country in Latin America, has long been a popular destination for adventure-seeking travelers. San Jose hotels are full of people on their way to explore the jungles, volcanoes, rivers, and beaches of this amazingly diverse country. In honor of the country’s new president, and girl power in general, here are some great Costa Rica vacations for women only. (Costa Rica is not the first Latin American country to elect a female president by the way — Nicaragua, Panama, Chile, and Argentina have elected women leaders before.)

Costa Rica Surfing Chicas:  Want to learn to hang ten without the pressure of a bunch of guys telling you what to do or monitoring your progress? You can try one of the women-only sessions offered by Del Mar surf camps. With programs in two locations, one on the central Pacific coast in Jaco, and other north of there in Nosara, Del Mar offers something for everyone. While learning or improving your surfing skills are the main goals, other camp offerings include yoga, hikes, massage, and time for relaxation.
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Big Game Getaways: South Florida Hot Spots

February 4th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast beaches destinations food outdoor adventure

It’s the fourth quarter of our Big Game Getaways—exotic, fun, family-friendly, and, in some cases, cheap travel ideas for you to enjoy while you’re taking a Miami vacation to see the Super Bowl. While it’s been fun exploring the different spots around South Florida—most of which have been a trip down memory lane as it’s the place I called home while growing up—the final whistle is blowing on our vacation planning around a trip to the stadium where it’s being played (just checked, and they have not re-named it again in the last week, not yet anyway).

To round out our suggested ideas of your very own Super vacation package, here are some other attractions and places to enjoy that aren’t too far of a drive from your Miami hotel. These destination spots below have been featured here on this blog before, so if you want more details, just click on the title name to read all about them. While most experts are currently favoring the Colts to pull out a victory in the big game over the Saints (I’m thinking I’ll be rooting for New Orleans), you can bet that any one of these suggestions will be a winner as part of your vacation plans, no matter if your team wins or loses.
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