Category Archives: Active Travel

Active Travel, cycling trips, Multisport adventures

Austin Adventures Introduces Multisport European Adventure Vacations; Book before Mar 1 for Free Pre-Tour Hotel Stay

On Austin Adventures’ multisport European Vacations, you get to experience the activities that each destination is best known for, such as kayaking in Croatia.

BILLINGS, MT –A new trend is afoot. What for many years was the mainstay of adventure travel in Europe, the traditional bike tour no longer offers enough variety and satisfaction for active American travelers. Tours that can offer a combination of experiences and activities are now the hot ticket.

Decades ago, Austin Adventures helped pioneer the concept of multisport travel in North America. They have witnessed this evolution and, in 2018, have fully embraced European tours with much more than only cycling.

“While pedal tours are a great way to see a country, they do have their limits. The ‘perfect’ bike ride isn’t necessarily convenient or available every day,” explains Dan Austin, visionary President and Founder of Austin Adventures. “With multisport travel you can hand-pick the best of the best. Each day we focus on the perfect activity to pursue, be it biking, hiking, paddling or whatever.”

For example, Austin Adventures selects activities that each destination is best known for. “You wouldn’t want to miss kayaking in Croatia or hiking in the Dolomites, would you? Don’t get us wrong; we love cycling but we also love the excitement and flexibility multisport gives us and the experiences and memories it provides for our guests,” adds Austin.

And for 2018, to rest up for an active week in Europe, Austin Adventures is offering a complimentary hotel stay in the gateway city the night before a trip.  This means a free hotel stay at a company-recommended accommodation in, among others, Paris or Amsterdam. The only condition is that the adventure trip is booked before March 1, 2018. See: https://www.austinadventures.com/special-offer-europe-pre-trip-hotel/

So, what has driven this evolution in the company’s European itineraries? Austin points to its loyal trip alumni (representing some 70 percent of annual sales). They bird-dogged Austin’s team for new ways to experience Europe beyond the company’s time-tested and popular bike tours.

The result is an enhanced and expanded roster of Europe Multisport Adventures – Beyond Bike Touring that draws on underutilized – certainly by Americans – coastal waters and lakes for kayaking, compelling alpine regions begging for hikers and more.

Austin Adventures’ deep experience in Europe – over 30 years – means that active travelers can now nibble on Europe as the locals do – taking the time off a trail and over lunch to observe, for example, how the French slice their cheeses, how Germans pour beer and how a Croatian guide’s family lives.

Austin Adventures’ Director of European Operations, Adam Beecham, wants guests to explore Europe like a European, by revolutionizing the way Americans view adventure travel. This is accomplished by incorporating physical, mental and social elements into each adventure. He also wants to dig into Europe’s highly specialized cultures with visits, for example, to futuristic greenhouses in Holland, organic wine producers in France, places where German precision and engineering are showcased, local craft breweries in Belgium and to Italian kitchens for making homemade pasta.

“Our revamped trips to Europe will be more sustainable, involve more local experts and cultural exchanges while taking in the best of each culture, all with their signature Austin Adventures service on a silver platter,” Beecham promises.

Following are a sampling of Austin Adventures’ 2018 multi-sport European itineraries:
(note: dates with * designate family-focused departures)

  • Holland to Germany – Amsterdam to Aachen is a 7-day program from $2,998 per person double ($480 single supplement; $2,698 children) rolling from Amsterdam in 2018 on May 13, June 10*, July 1* and 22*, Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. Activities include guided walks through the Dutch landscape of heath fields, tulips and woodlands and over the cobblestones in medieval centers including Maastricht; cycling up to 30 miles a day on designated bike paths; and learning how to blokart (sailing across a sandy beach on wheels). See https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/hollandgermany-amsterdam-aachen/
  • Spain – Barcelona & Catalonia is a 7-day program from $3,998 per person double ($680 single supplement) departing Barcelona in 2018 on April 22, May 13, June 3, Sept. 9 and 30 to explore Catalonia’s treasures from the Pyrenees to Costa Brava and on to the Mediterranean. Hot air ballooning (optional), kayaking, eating cava served with coca de llardons (a Catalan cake) aboard a short flight, walking, swimming, rowing, boating, biking, snorkeling and overnighting in a medieval castle embellish this food-and-wine-sated itinerary. See https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/spain-catalonia/
  • Croatia – Dalmatian Coast is a 6-day program from $3,498 per person double ($680 single supplement; $3,148 children) with 2018 departures along the dramatic Adriatic coastline from Split to Dubrovnik on May 6, June 10 and 17*, July 1*, 8* and 22*, Aug. 12* and 19, Sept. 2 and 23 and Oct. 7. Once the realm of the Romans and the Venetians, ruins and palaces and an evolving and remarkable cuisine reflect a colorful past just across the sea from mainland Italy. Activities include sea kayaking, tastings at vineyards, hiking, biking, beaching in buggies (beach) and (optional) walking the wall around Medieval Dubrovnik after climbing many steps. See https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/croatia-dalmatian-coast/
  • Italy – South Tyrol and The Dolomites is a 6-day hiking and biking program departing Verona (Italy) from $3,398 per person double ($680 single supplement) with 2018 trips scheduled May 13, June 10, July 1 and Sept. 23. This is a region in Europe coveted for its mountain-driven beauty, wines and cuisine.  See https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/italy-south-tyrol-and-the-dolomites/
  • France – Provence is a 7-day hiking, biking and kayaking adventure out of Avignon from $3,898 per person double ($880 single) on 2018 summer and fall departures (TBA).  Roman ruins, lavender fields forever, markets and castles mingle with wine tastings and regional fare. See  https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/france-provence/
  • Austria – Alps to Salzburg is a 7-day program from $3,698 per person double ($780 single; $3,328 children) with 2018 departures June 17 and 24*, July 15 and 22*, Aug. 5*, 12* and 19 and Sept. 2. Munich is the gateway to Salzburg, the home of Mozart, hiking, biking, rafting, spelunking and (optional) paragliding in this alpine playground with time enough for apfel strudel and beer. See https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/austria-alps-salzburg/

Order Austin Adventures’ catalog ONLINE, call 800-575-1540 or email [email protected]. For a full roster of 2018 trips that is frequently updated beyond the print catalog visit http://www.austinadventures.com.
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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, bike trips, Cultural Travel, cycling trips, Historic Places

Ride & Seek Mounts 1,787 Mile Cycling Tour from Barcelona to Rome, in the Footsteps of Hannibal

Ride & Seek offers an opportunity to cycle Hannibal’s route, 1,787 miles from Barcelona to Rome.

Sydney, Australia– Ride & Seek offers intrepid cyclists a chance to follow in the footsteps of the Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca, on a 1,787-mile fully guided cycling tour through Spain, France, and Italy. The 28-day journey takes riders over the Pyrenees, Alps and Apennines on roads featured regularly in the Vuelta a España, Tour de France and Giro d’Italia bike races. Cyclists will embrace cultural and historical elements of Catalonia, Languedoc, Provence, Piedmont, Tuscany, and Umbria, including culinary delights, as they meander down roads less traveled.

The “Hannibal Expedition” is divided into two distinct stages, and guests can choose to participate one or both of them.  The tour is slated for September 2-30, 2018 and starts at $6,540.

Stage 1 – Barcelona to Alba (968 miles, 16 days): Starting in Barcelona guests will cycle up through Cataluña and over the Pyrenees mountain range. The crossing of the Pyrenees is obviously a tough undertaking but the route doesn’t tackle the highest peaks, which makes this stage a relatively relaxed introduction to what’s ahead. Guests enter France through the lovely town of Ceret, which was once home to Picasso, before continuing through the beautiful French countryside of the Languedoc-Roussillon.  The second part of stage 1 provides an opportunity to take on a number of iconic climbs – Ventoux, Galibier, Alpe d’Huez, Agnel and Izoard among others.

Stage 2 – Alba to Rome (818 miles, 14 days): Stage 2 takes riders across the spine of Italy – the Apennines – and through a landscape of vines, castles, agriculture, and beautiful hill towns. Starting in Piedmont, riders will traverse the spectacular Oltrepo Pavese and head into Emilia Romagna. From Pisa, guests venture farther into Tuscany through what can only be described as picture postcard scenes en route to Rome.

“This tour offers total immersion into the landscape, history, and culture as we ride an inspirational trail on the roads less traveled,” said Ride & Seek President Dylan Reynolds.

“This is a fully-supported/guided expert tour. One of the benefits of keeping the group size small (a dozen or so) is that it enables us to stay in the smaller, family-run establishments that add to the authenticity of the travel experience we hope to provide. We have carefully selected the places we stay in based on their ‘personality’ and the hospitality of the hosts. Be it a parador in Spain, manoir in France or agriturismi in Italy, we seek to connect you with the places we travel in, through the accommodations we choose. We go by the mantra of selecting the best available accommodation wherever we stay but in saying that we also look to avoid the generic luxury chain hotels. Invariably our more eclectic choices such as a deconsecrated monastery in Tuscany where the English Patient was filmed, or a balsamic vinegar producer in Emilia Romagna are highlights of the trip for many of our guests.”

The company has partnered with Lynskey, considered pioneers in handcrafted Titanium production for its fleet of Sportive bikes. On the carbon front, the company offers De Rosa bikes with electronic (di2) shifting and the ever-popular Specialised Roubaix. For those looking for a less aggressive cycling option, flat bar titanium bikes are available as well as Bosch pedal-assist bikes to make the hills a little easier!

“We put a lot of emphasis on ensuring that our guides are up to the task of providing a safe, informative and fun cycling adventures. We are all serious cyclists but we are also archaeologists, journalists, wine specialists, linguists, and historians. We offer a true insight into the areas we guide and travel. By selecting guides who have local knowledge of the places we travel through, as well as varied skill sets, we feel that our guide teams are able to offer a deeper and more rounded experience than many of our competitors.”

Ride & Seek (www.rideandseek.com) is a worldwide adventure cycling company offering unusual historical itineraries with quality lodging, fine gastronomy, and cultural immersion. The tours are designed so cyclists not only see and ride some of the greatest roads in Europe but also visit some of the most spectacular sites. “Providing a cultural insight into the areas we visit both historically and gastronomically is central to what we do. Historical journeys and cultural adventures are our specialties.”

For information, visit http://www.rideandseek.com/epic/hannibal.
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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, women-only travel

Women-Only Hiking, Kayaking Adventures in Canada

The coastlines and national parks of Canada are components of three summer wilderness vacations with Wild Women Expeditions.

The coastlines and national parks of Canada, celebrating its 150th heritage anniversary in 2017, are components of three summer wilderness vacations with Wild Women Expeditions, the tour company offering more active travel departures for women only than any other operator in the world.

“Canada is a country designed for adventurers. For women who want it all, Canada delivers the goods,” said Jennifer Haddow, Owner of Wild Women Expeditions  “We’ve been trailblazing outdoor adventures in Canada for over a quarter of a century. Increasingly women want to feel the freedom of connecting with wild space in its finest form. In Canada are some of the wildest and grandest natural treasures on the planet.”

Wild Women Expeditions’ Canadian programs are prototypes for the baptism-by-wilderness experiences that Haddow’s team arranges in 26 countries. These journeys reflect that…

  • Women need opportunities to just be themselves, together;
  • The wilderness helps women connect with elements of their psyche that may be lost in the daily hustle and bustle;
  • Pairing women and wilderness often encourages women beyond their comfort zones, leading to increased confidence;
  • These ingredients can be transformational, perhaps leading to answers to the question that Poet Mary Oliver poses: What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Backcountry camping is one of Wild Women’s signatures, a staple of 70 percent of its trips (a higher percentage of wilderness immersion than any other women-only company offers). Women carry their accommodations (tents) on their backs, as well as food and personal belongings, into remote wilderness where come nightfall, a campfire and the stars overhead provide the only light. Geology, wildlife and First Nation spiritual heritage found in Canada’s national parks figure into adventures in Newfoundland, British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Professional wilderness guides, all female, lead the trips. Following are capsule descriptions of three of the company’s Canadian adventures…

Newfoundland Gros Morne (National Park) Multi-Sport Adventure is a seven-day hiking and kayaking expedition that utilizes ocean-side cabins. The $2,295 CAD per person rate includes professional, local female guide(s), all meals, fully outfitted sea kayak day trip on Bonne Bay (think Minke whales, eagles, terns, and kingfishers), guided hikes (think Woodland caribou, Rock ptarmigan and Arctic hare) and walks throughout the park, a Western Brook Pond fjord boat tour, roundtrip transfers from Deer Lake Regional Airport (servicing Toronto) and a park pass.

Daily challenges reflect the philosophy that women can discover and build on their own inner strengths by mastering hurdles in the safe company of other women. The first hike in this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 5km with a 500m elevation gain/loss on rugged trails; the second is roundtrip 9km with a 300m elevation gain/loss; an estimated five-hour kayak excursion precedes the third hike, a 16 km, 800m elevation gain/loss trek experienced in over eight hours while climbing Gros Morne Mountain, the highest point in the park at 806m. Easy walks follow in tandem with a catch-your-breath boat tour of a landlocked fjord.

This park is as important to Plate Tectonics Theory as Ecuador’s Galapagos Archipelago is to the Theory of Evolution. The challenges of this environment become metaphors for those the women face, hiking first through a barren, nutrient-challenged  landscape; then discovering where the peridotite ends and the ancient oceanic crust begins, down through boreal forest to rugged coastline where pillow lava and sea stacks dominate the shoreline; then moving on to the rich marine wonderland of Bonne Bay and a landlocked lake before accomplishing a summit (http://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/newfoundland-multisport/).

Haida Gwaii Kayak Adventure in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site is a fully outfitted eight-day camping (on beaches) and kayaking expedition at $2,795 CAD per person that includes camping gear, all meals, Zodiac transportation, park pass and the expertise of two certified kayak guides.

This National Marine Conservation Area of Canada is north of Vancouver, BC. Here paddlers drift through Haida First Nation waterways, passing ancient totem poles. Black bears mosey among towering trees; sea lions and seals flop at the water’s edge. “You are one with the water. The silence is heavy and heavenly,” said Haddow, adding that water, wildlife and the spirit of the First Nation combine to create a spiritual quest.

Routes south and north begin in Sandspit on Moresby Island (serviced by air from Vancouver). Southern route departure is set for Aug. 20-27, 2018. Northern Route departures are Aug. 21-28, 2017, and Aug. 27- Sept. 3, 2018 (http://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/haida-gwaii-british-columbia/).

Vancouver Island Multi-Sport Adventure in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a fully outfitted, eight-day camping, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, surfing and hiking adventure. The $2,895 CAD per person rate includes services of two female guides, three nights camping, four nights inn accommodation, all meals, ground transportation, scheduled activities (and all gear), half-day surfing and paddling lessons, four-day sea kayak expedition to Vargas Island in Clayoquot Sound and guided coastal hikes.

Guests meet at Tofino Ecolodge on Vancouver Island, accessed by ferry or air shuttle from Victoria or Nanaimo, BC. From here the Wild Pacific Trail and the Pacific Ocean become both playgrounds and challenges, as does a three-night camping/four-day backcountry kayaking trip to experience the old growth forests and First Nation spirits of Clayoquot Sound, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve off the west coast of Vancouver Island (http://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/vancouver-island/).

Founded in 1991, Wild Women Expeditions is one of the world’s largest women-only travel companies. Its initial focus was on canoeing on remote Ontario waters. Through an unwavering focus on Canada, one of the wildest, most pristine countries in the world, Wild Women Expeditions became Canadian experts in a pioneering niche that introduced small groups of women into wilderness settings. Even though the company now hosts guests all over the world, it retains a national focus with more trips and more women-only, backcountry camping adventures in Canada than any other women’s travel company.

 

For further information, https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/.

 

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, Cultural Travel, ecotourism

Wildland Adventures Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Opportunity to Win Trips to Thailand and Cambodia

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Wildland Adventures is offering a series of trip giveaways, the first being a trip for two to Thailand and Cambodia.

SEATTLE, WA – To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Wildland Adventures is offering a series of trip giveaways, the first being a trip for two to Thailand and Cambodia. The online contest is underway and concludes at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 3, 2017.

Interested travelers may enter the Wildland Adventures Thailand & Cambodia Trip Giveaway by visiting the company website at http://wildtripgiveaway.com/ and completing and submitting the online entry form. Additional entries can be earned by referring friends or by visiting a number of social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram as explained on the contest page.

“Thanks to our intrepid travelers, we continue to expand our global community. What better way to express our gratitude and celebrate 30 years of ‘Going Wild’ than to give away a trip to Thailand & Cambodia, welcoming two lucky winners into our family of adventure travelers,” Kurt and Anne Kutay, Directors

Joining this birthday bash are two highly respected travel partners. The winning duo will be outfitted with a load of travel gear from Eagle Creek and prAna. Included from Eagle Creek are two Expanse Carry-Ons and two Expanse Flatbed 29” luggage pieces. prAna will donate four items of prAna travel clothing to each person.

The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), of which Wildland Adventures is a charter member, is also helping promote this festivity through their consumer website www.adventure.travel. Adventure.Travel showcases the best adventure companies and stories inspiring travelers to explore the world in a passionate and responsible way.

The Trip Giveaway winner and guest will have time to build their excitement over the Thailand & Cambodia Trip where travel may be scheduled from Aug, 30, 2017 to May 31, 2018. Upon arrival in Bangkok (flights not included), a Wildland Adventures guide will meet them at the airport and help settle them in to the first of several boutique hotels they’ll enjoy enroute.

The sights of old and new Bangkok reveal themselves while bicycling through the city and then cruising by boat the Chao Phraya River, virtually the city’s lifeline. After absorbing Bangkok’s cultural treasures comes a visit by car and long tail boat to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya dating to the 15th century. Moving from ancient history to tropical jungle reveals one of Asia’s largest intact monsoon forests, home to several hundred wild elephants, as well as tiger, leopard, Asiatic black bear, sambar deer, gibbon, macaque, and several species of hornbill.

Although the pleasures of Thailand are far from exhausted, this tour next brings guests to theThai-Cambodian border and on to Siem Reap’s Angkor Archeological Park, visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking and one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia, if not in the world. Stretching over some 400 square kilometers, the park contains the magnificent remains (think Angkor Wat) of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. In the course of a bike ride along the Siem Reap River are children waving in small villages where cyclists see palm wine and sugar production, basket weaving and rice farming before transferring to the airport for the flight home.

The Kutays three decades ago birthed a new travel concept they call The Wild Style. This means consciously choosing to travel deeper, not farther; to experience a world that craves our understanding and compassion rather than our judgement; to visit communities that seek to welcome us rather than entertain us.

“Today we feel at home in the pivotal global movement to build inter-personal, inter-cultural and environmental bonds among the people and the places we travel,” said Kurt Kutay. “Over the course of our 30-year journey, we have held firm to a truth that travel may be the most important path to a growing global community which sustains – rather than degrades — life on earth. We do this not between nations but through conscientious individuals and communities who care about Mother Earth, economic inequities and social injustices.”

For additional details on Wildland’s 30th Anniversary see https://ww2.wildland.com/30th-anniversary

For more information on these and all of Wildland Adventures’ worldwide offerings, availability and reservations call 1-800-345-4453 or email [email protected]. Visit http://www.wildland.com/.

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, horseback riding adventures, women-only travel

Wild Women Expeditions Features Mongolia by Horseback in 2018

“Wild Women Expeditions is all about women and wilderness and wild. Our horseback riding program in Mongolia, encapsulates our vision that women can move from their own comfort zones, take risks and begin to direct themselves in new and liberated ways.”

CORNER BROOK, NL, CANADA – Wild Women Expeditions, already offering more active travel departures for women only, including the most women-only adventures on horseback, than any other tour company in the world, is featuring five departures for a horseback adventure into Mongolia in 2018.

The Orkhon Valley Horseback Adventure, a 14-day itinerary into Mongolia is priced at $2,295 per person; however, because the program is so popular, only June 3-16 and Aug. 12-25 departures still have space available.

“Wild Women Expeditions is all about women and wilderness and wild. Our horseback riding program in Mongolia, where we ride 12km to 40km daily for up to six hours, encapsulates our vision that women can move from their own comfort zones, take risks and begin to direct themselves in new and liberated ways – in just a few days,” said Jennifer Haddow, Owner of Wild Women Expeditions. “Our Mongolia programs, in addition to making this country accessible, are affordable in an expensive country that many women only dream of visiting – until now.”

In the 12th and 13th centuries, Genghis Kahn reigned supreme here, gathering horses and men sufficient to create the Mongol empire that extended far beyond the borders of present-day Mongolia. A violent world was punctuated by the silence and peace of Tibetan temples, a dichotomy still to be sensed while visiting national parks and settling into yurts in the Orkhon Valley, the summer camp of nomads and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A homestay family shares the life of nomadic breeders: milking the animals, preparing dairy products, cutting wood, playing with children and living in yurts. As most honored guests, visitors assist in preparing a Mongolian barbecue that features a goat or sheep slaughtered for the occasion.

As landscapes shift from forests to grassy plains to desert and sand dunes, riders explore assorted ecologies of the lush Orkhon Valley, mountains, steppes and waterfalls, as well as the mini Gobi Desert.

“Here where wild meets wild, you feel the contradictions of this place taking root within you. It brings to life the quiet, contemplative space in your heart – the glorious scenery, and sacred temples inviting you to seek inward. But what you find inside isn’t still, but rather vibrant and loud. As you cross large swaths of black lava, you feel your own inner rumblings, as alive as the volcanic earth upon which you ride. Someone has come upon their trusty steed to save you. And it is you,” added Haddow.

In advance of venturing on horseback into the wilderness, guests spend arrival day and evening in Ulaanbaatar, the capital, visiting the country’s most important museum and listening to khoomi (also known as Tuvan throat singing), a vocal technique that elevates the human voice to an other-worldly instrument unique to this region.

For horse lovers, Mongolia is a dream, noted Haddow. “We visit Khustai National Park, where conservation efforts include the reintegration of the Przewalski’s horse, Takhi (spirit or spiritual in Mongolian), a symbol of Mongolian national heritage and considered the world’s only genuine wild horse. These beasts also protect the forest steppe ecosystem. In 1945 there were only 12 breeding takhi in the world.“

Wild Women Expeditions tours also offers a window into “some inspiring community development initiatives, such as visiting the Mongolian Quilting Centre. This is a non-profit association, whose purpose is to give unemployed and poor women, originally taken away from prostitution, and instead learn sewing skills to generate income for their families,” she said.

Another Wild Women Expeditions trip in Mongolia, Marvels of Mongolia, offers 14 days at $2,895 per person, mixing trekking with camel and horseback riding across grasslands and villages that may well owe their existence to the comings and goings of the fearless Genghis Kahn as he carved out what we know today as the Silk Road.

Wild Women Expeditions also hosts horseback riding trips in…

  • Iceland — Golden Circle Riding Adventure, nine days at $3,295 per person; Women & Girls Golden Circle Riding Adventure, seven days at $1,995 per person; Hekla Volcano Riding Adventure, nine days at $3,295 per person
  • British Columbia —  Chilcotin Cowgirl Riding Adventure, eight days at $3,495CAD per person
  • Argentina – Patagonia Pack Horse Adventure, 11 days at $3,395 per person
  • Chile – Torres del Paine Multisport Adventure, 10 days at $4,795 per person
  • Ireland – Connemara Riding Adventure, seven days at $3,295 per person.

Founded in 1991, Wild Women Expeditions is one of the world’s largest women-only travel companies. Its initial focus was on canoeing on remote Ontario waters. Through an unwavering focus on Canada, one of the wildest, most pristine countries in the world, Wild Women Expeditions became Canadian experts in a pioneering niche that introduced small groups of women into wilderness settings. Even though the company now hosts guests all over the world, it retains a national focus with more trips and more women-only, backcountry camping adventures in Canada than any other women’s travel company.

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Active Travel, bike trips, cycling trips, family-friendly adventures, Responsible Travel

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s 2017 Sojourn To Cycle the Great Allegheny Passage

Biking the Great Allegheny Passage rail-trail, Confluence to Adelaide, PA on Rails-to-Trails’ Sojourn © 2017 Karen Rubin/ goingplacesfarandnear.com

by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

There’s still availability to join the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s 2017 Pennsylvania Sojourn, June 18-23, a six-day cycling trip exploring two dedicated trails—the legendary Great Allegheny Passage and beautiful Montour Trail – a total of some 150 miles of biking.

The organization’s main fund-raiser of the year, you get to experience Pennsylvania’s famous scenic wilderness, charming towns, beautiful tunnels, iconic sites and can’t-miss destinations.

The fully supported rail-trail adventure vacation, operated by Wilderness Voyageurs, offers great food (breakfast and dinner), hot showers, flexible scheduling (you ride at your own pace), fun evening activities, optional trips and experiences—and the added benefit of supporting America’s trails.

The trip is June 18-23, and costs $720/adult, $620/child. You have the option of bringing your own tent, renting tent service through Comfy Campers (extremely handy), or booking nearby bed-and-breakfast accommodations.

The tour highlights include optional climbs to the highest mountain in the state, Mt. Davis and the Eastern Continental Divide, the Mason-Dixon Line and Big Savage Tunnel.

The third-day is a layover with an opportunity to choose an excursion – visiting Fallingwater  (a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright); visiting Kentuck Knob (also designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) or taking a rafting trip, either Lower Yough Class 3 rafting trip or Middle Yough Class 1-2 rafting trip 

Get more information and the day-by-day itinerary https://www.railstotrails.org/experience-trails/sojourns/2017-ride/

The annual RTC Sojourn is not just a great way to experience these trails, but also are powerful “trail-building tools” that highlight the significant impact of long-distance trail routes on America’s communities. Participants explore communities and attractions along the way (from the picturesque to the historic), take advantage of open trails and draw attention to gaps in would-be trail systems that, if completed, could result in substantial benefits (economic, health, social, environmental and much more) for their local regions.

For example, the Pennsylvania Sojourn will call attention to a major project, the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition. A collaboration of more than 100 organizations, and led by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the National Park Service and RTC, the project would link 1,400 miles of multiuse trails, stretching across 48 counties in four states – Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and New York. It would stimulate the regional economy through outdoor tourism and small business investment, and create social equity and new health connections for underserved communities across the project footprint.

The sojourns serve to unite a selection of trails for a short period of time, serving as “dry runs” designed to benchmark—through real-world examples and user surveys how trail-system improvements could increase local bikeability and walkability.

Over the past 15 years, Sojourns have helped influence the creation and/or growth of multiple regional trail alliances through demonstrating the significant boost to local economies generated by the sojourn participants in just a few days – a small reflection over what can be achieved when programs are established.

RTC compiles economic impact data on the combined spending on food, supplies, rentals, equipment and other sojourn-related services, which is shared with local hosts to inspire future trail building and enhancements.

The 2014 sojourn’s positive economic impact to the region was $211,000.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy helps communities meet their own challenges toward trail development, with expertise and assistance obtaining funding and design; and advocates with lawmakers at local, state and federal levels for policies and funding programs that make trail development and walking/biking infrastructure possible. The organizations promotes trails – awarding Trail of the Year, for example – forges partnerships, and is the nation’s foremost nonprofit advocate for rail-trails, working to create and protect the legal structures that make them possible.

The sojourns are designed for all ages and skill levels—from the young to the young-at-heart, aficionados to first-timers, families to freewheelers!

To book the 2017 Sojourn, https://wilderness-voyageurs.com/bike-tours/rails-to-trails-conservancy-sojourn.

Learn more about Rails-to-Trails Conservancy at www.railstotrails.org.

See:

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Takes Cyclists on Sojourn on Great Allegheny Passage

 

Rails-to-Trails’ Great Allegheny Passage Bike Tour Side Trip into Dunbar Brings Surprise Encounter with TrumpWorld

 

Pennsylvania’s Industrial Past Highlights Day 3 on Rails-to-Trails Sojourn on Great Allegheny Passage

 

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, travel apps

New Mobile App Adventure Junky Enables Adventurers to Book Trips, Compete for ‘Earth’s #1 Adventure Junky’

Adventure Junky mobile app allows users to interact with other intrepid travelers, book sustainable tours, research thousands of adventures, submit photos/videos/trips, and compete for the title of “Earth’s #1 Adventure Junky.”

(Sydney, Australia) — Adventure Junky, a NEW smartphone app designed for adventure travelers, is the result of three years of research and development and the ambitious goal to reinterpret the way the world travels. Adventure Junky allows users to interact with other intrepid travelers, book sustainable tours, research thousands of adventures, submit photos/videos/trips, and compete for the title of “Earth’s #1 Adventure Junky.”

Adventure Junky has established a set of guidelines, with help from the Adventure Travel Trade Association, by which adventures are selected to appear on app. In simple terms, adventures must be ’high’ on experience and ‘low’ on impact if they are to make the cut. By turning sustainable travel into a game, Adventure Junky aims to ensure sustainability is a new standard in travel.

The game aspects of Adventure Junky (points, patches, and leaderboards) tap directly into the Millennial’s competitive spirit. It also harnesses their love of sharing life experiences online and invites them to become co-creators of the game. Over half of the 1,000+ adventures added to the app during the late 2016 testing phase were user-generated.

Adventure Junky currently partners with Tourism Board partners from Australia, Sweden, Greenland and Canada, and many of the world’s best-practice tour operators.  For more info, visit http://www.adventurejunky.com/. 

 

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, bucket list travel

This Father’s Day, Tap into His Bucket List & Give a Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure

Moonlight Basin Golf (photo by Tony Demin)

This Father’s Day, instead of the run-of-the-mill, treat Dad to once-in-a-lifetime: from shooting sporting clays in Montana to fishing in Russia, hiking in Ethiopia, cycling in South America and driving Land Rovers in Mongolia, tap into Dad’s bucket list.

  1. Fish the Remote Russian Wilderness: Ryabaga Camp on the Ponoi River is located above the Arctic Circle and accessed via a two-hour Mi-8 helicopter ride across remote Russian tundra. There, an entirely wild Atlantic salmon population thrives, and Dad will enjoy a single-occupancy cabin, gourmet food and fine wine. Frontiers International Travel arranges it all, including flights, activities and visas.
  2. Trek the Roof of Africa: Dad will spend four days hiking and camping in Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains – part of the Roof of Africa – on this trip with Adventure Life. The range has more than a dozen peaks over 12,000 feet and is home to the gelada baboon, Ethiopian wolf, walia ibex and birds of prey such as the lammergeyer. Dad will also start and end at the Simien Mountain Lodge, set on the edge of an escarpment at 10,700 feet and claiming the highest bar on the continent.
  3. Play Cowboy at a Working Ranch: Did your Dad grow up idolizing John Wayne and Clint Eastwood? At the 25,000-acre Red Reflet Ranch in Ten Sleep, Wyoming, he can ride horses, fish, shoot guns, ATV and play cowboy like his heroes. Additional activities include guided hikes, dirt bike rides and mountain biking. Gourmet dining includes ingredients from the ranch’s butcher shop, organic greenhouse and gardens. From cattle drives to branding, the true western lifestyle thrives at Red Reflet.
  4. Ride South America From Top to Tip: On TDA Global Cycling’s 8,400-mile South American Epic tour, Dad can bike from the shores of the Caribbean across the equator and south to the Beagle Channel, or one of nine shorter sections. Highlights include Colombian coffee, Volcano Alley in Ecuador, the Incan highlands of Peru, the Bolivian salt flat, Argentina’s wine country and the trans-Patagonian Carretera Austral, while rest days offer the opportunity to fly over the incredible Nazca Lines, explore Macha Picchu and more.
  5. Drive Land Rovers on the Silk Road: Since MIR Corporation’s inception in 1986, it has been creating custom overland adventures. On a self-drive tour, Dad and his friends can get behind the wheel of Land Rovers, motorcycles or even vintage automobiles and cross the rolling steppe of Mongolia, pass through the charming towns and villages of Siberia, or even travel the Silk Road. These journeys are momentous, unforgettable and limited only by one’s own imagination.
  6. Golf, Shoot and Sip Under the Big Sky: A stay-and-play package at Montana’s Moonlight Basin will give Dad and his friends a taste of life in Big Sky Country. They’ll play rounds of golf on the Jack Nicklaus-signature course at Moonlight Basin – named one of the best new courses in the country – and the Tom Weiskopf course at the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, then shoot sporting clays with Moonlight Outfitters. And in the evening, they can retire to a spacious mountain home beneath 11,166-foot Lone Peak and sip whiskey at a private, curated tasting.
  7. See the Northern Lights in Alaska: Dad will get a dose of local culture by day and photograph the Aurora Borealis under the massive Alaskan sky by night. Highlights of this Gondwana Eoctours adventure include dogsledding through snowy forests, hiking alongside a family of reindeer taking curling lessons from locals in Fairbanks soaking in the geothermal Chena Hot Springs learning to photograph the Aurora Borealis from a professional photographer snowshoeing on private land and exploring the Ice Sculpture Museum.

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, Africa, women-only travel

27th Annual Rallye Aicha Des Gazelles Du Maroc, Women-Only Off-Road RallyeThru Moroccan Desert Starts Mar 17

Women from around the world are participating in the 27th annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc, very possibly the only women-only off-road rallye in the world.

Women from 18 to 71 and 30 different countries distinguished by their sense of adventure are headed to the French city of Nice for the  27th annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc taking takes place between March 17 and April 1, 2017, for a woman-only off-road rallye through the Moroccan desert. Here are 5 reasons why you should add the rallye to your 2017 bucket list:

  1. AN UNMATCHED ADVENTURE

The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is a one-of-a-kind adventure, very possibly, the only international off-road Rallye race for women only.  Since 1990, it has been bringing together women between the ages of 18 and 71, from more than 30 different countries, who embark on an adventure of a lifetime from the French city of Nice on March 18, 2017 and onward to the start of the Rallye in the Moroccan desert. The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is developing a new vision of automobile competition: no speed and no GPS, just old-fashioned navigation, completely off-road.

  1. EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF AFRICA
Unmatched adventure awaits the women who take part in the 27th annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is set amid the Moroccan desert.

Morocco is the host country of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles since its inception. Gazelles in search of nature and the great outdoors will be seduced by the magnificent and varied landscapes of Morocco, with its sand dunes, Rocky Mountains, green valleys, fertile plains, arid plateaus and lush oases. The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc takes place under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who has authorized the use of the Royal Coat of Arms on the Gazelles’ vests. This is the only event that has ever been granted this honor. Many Moroccans come out to welcome and assist the competition at every step of the way, from the dunes of Merzouga to Essaouira.

  1. RACE FOR CHARITY

The Rallye respects its scenic host country and its people through the actions of the Rallye’s non-profit, Cœur de Gazelles. Attending the rallye supports the charity’s volunteers who work daily to provide the Moroccan people with sustainable aid through concrete actions. A registered non-profit organization since 2001, Coeur de Gazelles works on projects that meet the needs of Morocco’s remote populations: medical care, education, the environment and sustainable development, job training for women, improving living conditions. 

  1. AN EMPOWERING EXPERIENCE

All Rallye participants, known as “Gazelles”, leave this adventure marked forever by the experience: they push their limits, have to face themselves, far from their sometimes difficult daily lives as women; there is also a strong element of sharing and mutual aid with their teammate as well as with the other “Gazelles”. Free to choose their own route, they face a challenge every day: to study the map and the day’s geographical coordinates, analyze the risks and difficulties of the terrain and choose the shortest path. They have the choice of driving around a mountain or crossing over it, driving through the dunes or avoiding them.

  1. CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY
The 27th annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is set amid the Moroccan desert.

While the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is a return to the roots of adventure, it is also, with its satellite system for tracking the teams, on the cutting edge of technology when it comes to safety. This duality is the strength of this unusual competition. With its unique concept, the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is changing the way people view automobile use. The Rallye is also launching a new electric vehicle category in 2017, which will call its participants  “E-Gazelles”. This trailblazing Rallye already boasts an ISO 14001 Environment Management System (EMS) standard. During the recent Climate Conference, COP22 in Marrakech, it was announced that Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is the Rallye which will set the standard for future rallies around the world, based on its high environmental principles.

TO WIN THE COMPETITION

Every morning the Gazelles receive a Road Book. This document contains only the geographic coordinates or headings and distances of the day’s checkpoints and finish line. Forget about GPS, phones and other modern communication tools: using a compass, a navigational plotter and maps, they plot their route and plan their itinerary. 

The rankings are determined by calculating the extra kilometers driven (distance driven between check points minus crow flies distance) and penalty kilometers for any check points not reached. The winning team is the one that finds the greatest number of checkpoints while driving the least number of kilometers.

The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc may well be the only women-only off-road Rallye in the world.  Created in 1990, the event brings women between the ages of 18 and 71 from more than 30 different countries together in the Moroccan desert. Since its inception, the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles has been creating a new vision of automobile competition: no speed and no GPS, just old fashioned navigation, completely off-road: a return to the roots of Adventure. The only requirement is determination. The women who take part in this Rallye—known as Gazelles—are of all ages, social backgrounds, nationalities and levels of off-road experience. Whether in a 4×4, Crossover, Quad, truck or motorbike, they all come to take part in a unique competition: whose competitors share the values of tolerance, solidarity and determination, that respects the host country and its people through the actions of the Rallye’s non-profit, Cœur de Gazelles, and that cares about the environment: the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is the only motor Rallye in the world with ISO 14001 certification.

While the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles marks a return to the roots of adventure, it is also on the cutting edge of technology, with a satellite tracking system for optimal safety. A new vision of motor sport the pleasure lies in driving without excessive speed, and where the goal of driving the shortest possible distance is in line with our environmental commitment.

For more information, visit: http://www.Rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/

Facebook: Rallyeaichadesgazelles, Instagram: @usagazelles,  Twitter: @Rallye_Gazelles

Coeur de Gazelles, registered non-profit organization since 2001, is a group of volunteers working to provide sustainable aid to people in need through concrete actions. Coeur de Gazelles works on projects that meet the needs of Morocco’s remote populations: medical care, education, the environment and sustainable development, job training for women, improving living conditions and a desire to spread joy by distributing donations. Actions are set upon a “human scale”, working in partnership with the local population to address the source of the problem, enabling people to become agents of their own development. All donations are used for the direct benefit of the population, in collaboration with local authorities.

For more information, visit: http://www.coeurdegazelles.org/

Facebook: COEUR-DE-GAZELLES,  #CoeurDeGazelles

 

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, Arctic/Antarctic Travel, Conservation, ecotourism, Endangered Places, Environmental Activism

Hurry: 7 Places to Visit While You Still Can

See Greenland with Big Chill Adventures (photo by Mindy Cambiar).

The world’s warming climate, rising sea levels, booming development and changing political landscape have the potential to impact travel in the not-too-distant future. Here are seven trips highlighting natural wonders, wildlife and cultures to see while you still can.

  1. Antarctica: Major ices shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula have broken apart, retreated or lost volume in recent decades, and the trend continues today with a crack in the Larsen C shelf growing this year. Book a cruise with Adventure Life and use the ship as your base as you explore the peninsula on kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, mountaineering, camping and Zodiac excursions.
  2. Greenland: Greenland’s ice sheet is one of the largest contributors to sea level rise around the globe and the country experienced its highest average summer temperature on record and an early melt last year. With Big Chill Adventures, you can see calving glaciers, giant icebergs and Arctic landscapes accompanied by geologist and glaciologist Sarah Aciego and professional photographer Mindy Cambiar.
  3. Cuba: Travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba have eased recently with the first regularly scheduled flights between the countries, but the 2016 election brought several tourism-related questions. On this cruise, meet Cubans in person and see the historic architecture of Old Havana and the island’s natural wonders.
  4. Alaska: Several Canadian copper and gold mines are in operation, being explored or under review for approval, and their tailings pose a hazard in the headwaters of Alaska’s major salmon rivers. Book a trip to an Alaskan fishing lodge with Frontiers for a chance to cast for the five main species of Pacific salmon, plus trout, grayling, char and more.
  5. Rwanda: A study released this year shows that 75 percent of primate species have shrinking populations and 60 percent are threatened with extinction, with their decline being attributed to hunting, farming, ranching, logging, mining and oil drilling. Encounter some of the last remaining mountain gorillas, as well as chimpanzees and golden monkeys, on a trek in the forests of Rwanda with Gondwana Ecotours.
  6. Russia: Russia’s Lake Baikal holds about 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater – making it the largest freshwater lake by volume – but it faces threats from pollution and hydroelectric projects. With MIR Corporation, travelers can see the lake by train and boat, and also visit the Gobi Desert to the south in Mongolia.
  7. Solomon Islands: Research published last year showed that rising sea levels resulted in the disappearance of five of the Solomon Islands, while erosion on others has forced the relocation of villages. Visit secluded bays and remote beaches, snorkel coral reefs and meet villagers in the Solomons and other nearby archipelagos by booking a cruise with Adventure Life.

 

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