MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, National Parks, Outdoors Travel, Uncategorized

Utah’s Moab Adventure Center Extends Healing Adventures in Red Rock Country Through Year’s End

October 16, 2020 MoralCompass

*Moab Adventure Center is continuing to offer its adventures into such extraordinary places as Arches National Park through the end of the year.*

MOAB, UT – The hiss of deflating rafts will soon mingle with sighs of relief this fall in Moab, Utah, America’s red rock playground.

Why sighs of relief?

Because this recreational community that is vested in sharing outdoor recreation with people from around the world is so far emerging from pandemic 2020 intact and highly functioning.

“We (the community) were closed as of March 17 and into the start of our busiest time of year. But we’re bouncing back, slowly at the beginning, but now visitation has started to pick up,” reports Elaine Gizler, Moab Area Travel Council Executive Director. “We had a decent summer.” In early fall the Council began a marketing campaign to woo potential drive-market visitors from a 600-mile radius in Colorado and Utah.

Brandon, Lake, CMO of the Moab Adventure Center, notes that their experience earlier this year mirrors that of the greater Moab community. Activities were shuttered for most of the spring and only resumed once safety protocols were in place in May. But despite a foreshortened season, this company reports a robust outcome. After re-opening its doors early summer, Moab Adventure Center has served over 20,000 avid adventurers on day trips and overnights.

“We feel so fortunate that our proactive plans, combined with the community efforts throughout Moab have allowed so many people to come and experience the breathtaking backcountry of south central Utah,” mentions Lake. “This summer has been extraordinary. I have never seen people so excited so share outdoor adventures. I believe it has been a healing process for many.”

Going forward into the fall, Moab Adventure Center’s staff is poised to offer small group, guided explorations of Arches National Park and surrounding areas through 2020 and beyond. Effective COVID protocols that have been in place since the spring will continue into the future as needed. While many will squeeze in one more float on the Colorado River before rafting trips wrap up at the end of October, the following adventures continue on through November and some even into December (weather pending).

Arches National Park offers the benefits of comfortable temperatures and often fewer crowds in the later months of fall. Tours run year-round. Other popular autumn tours that can be mixed and matched through November include:

Ultimate Zip Line Adventure is a 2.5-hour outing departing mornings and afternoons. Guests glide over the sandstone fins and gaps above Moab with a series of zip line cables and bridges. The per person rate is $134.
Horseback Afternoon Trail Ride spans 1.5 hours packed with the sights and sounds of the West and surrounded by 2,000-foot towering red rock cliffs enroute to Castle Rock. The per person rate is $100.
Moab Canyoneering Adventure offers morning and afternoon departures spanning five hours for a canyoneering introduction, with two rappels: 90 feet into a hidden chasm, and 120 feet off a giant rock arch, all the while following a winding canyon stream out to the Colorado River. The per person rate is $107.
Moab Rock Climbing also has morning and afternoon departures for a five-hour program that’s perfect for beginning climbers, kids, or gym climbers. The per person rate is $107.

Tried-and-true practices that were instituted for guests and staff when COVID 19 first hit will continue throughout the fall and beyond as needed. These measures include smaller groups, taking temperatures, conducting a questionnaire about health symptoms, requiring that guests and staff wear masks while in an enclosed vehicle and requesting that everyone social distance, among others. See: https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/covid-19

For information and reservations call 435-259-7019 or 866-904-1163 or visit: https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/.

Moab Adventure Center is at the epicenter of nature-themed adventure, promising activities that include rafting, jet boating, stand up paddle boarding, hiking, mountain biking and hot air ballooning. Hummer safaris, rock climbing, canyoneering and horseback riding are popular. Many of these activities are conducted with guides, an arrangement that helps preclude the kind of damage to the land that can happen when uneducated visitors venture into areas where they shouldn’t be. Guides help people understand where they can move through back country with the least impact possible.

Moab Adventure Center is a division of Western River Expeditions (http://www.westernriver.com/) an adventure travel company headquartered in Salt Lake City, with operations and offices in Moab and Fredonia, AZ. The company is the largest single tour provider in Moab, Utah. The Moab Adventure Center is located at 225 South Main St., Moab, UT 84532. The center also has a 2,000-square-foot retail space selling adventure related gear, clothing, maps and souvenirs.

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Conservation, Environmental Activism, Outdoors Travel, Responsible Travel, Uncategorized

Ikon Pass Collaborates with American Forests to Plant 22,500 Trees

October 14, 2020 MoralCompass

Copper Mountain, Colorado one of the iconic mountain destinations in the Ikon Pass network. Ikon Pass, from the Alterra Mountain Company, is joining forces with American Forests for Shred for Sustainability, a program that invites Ikon Pass holders to help create healthy and resilient forests throughout North America. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

DENVER, CO– Ikon Pass is joining forces with American Forests for Shred for Sustainability, a program that invites Ikon Pass holders to help create healthy and resilient forests throughout North America.

Ikon Pass holders are encouraged to rack up their skier days at Ikon Pass destinations throughout winter 20/21 and watch their stats climb on the Ikon Pass app Leaderboard. In April 2021, the top 10 Ikon Pass holders with the most ski days from the All Season Leaderboards from each North American resort will have the chance to have 50 trees each donated in their name, totaling 22,500 trees planted throughout six forest projects. Potential Shred for Sustainability volunteer planting events will be announced in spring 2021.

“Ikon Pass is proud to collaborate with an organization such as American Forests that shares our commitment to sustainability,” said Erik Forsell, Chief Marketing Officer, Alterra Mountain Company. “We revel in the opportunity to engage the Ikon Pass community in a way that gives back to the mountains we all love.”

“We are thrilled to have the support of Ikon Pass and its pass holders who recognize that taking care of our forests is essential to a healthy environment and high-quality recreation experiences,” said Jad Daley, President and CEO of American Forests. “This commitment of support will help us reforest mountain landscapes beloved by skiers, snowboarders, and other recreationists, from Canada to California, using climate-informed tree planting techniques that will enable these forests to thrive for years to come.”

To participate, Ikon Pass holders must download the Ikon Pass app, create an account and turn on tracking each day on the mountain. The Ieaderboard tracks lifts, trails, distance, hours, vertical feet, max speed, altitude, and difficulty of trails skied themselves and against the entire Ikon Pass community. For official rules, visit www.ikonpass.com/shred-for-sustainability.

The Ikon Pass unlocks adventure with access to 44 iconic winter destinations across the Americas, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and is a collaboration of industry leaders – Alterra Mountain Company, Aspen Skiing Company, Boyne Resorts, POWDR, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, SkiBig3, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, RED Mountain, Taos Ski Valley, Windham Mountain, Zermatt, Thredbo, Mt Buller, Niseko United, Valle Nevado, and NZ Ski. Each demonstrates integrity, character and independence that is reflected in their mountains and guests.

The Ikon Pass is available now at www.ikonpass.com.

The Ikon Pass, from Alterra Mountain Company, gives skiers and riders access to mountain destinations across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. These include Aspen Snowmass, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper Mountain Resort, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, and Eldora Mountain Resort in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming; Big Sky Resort in Montana; Stratton, Sugarbush Resort, and Killington in Vermont; Windham Mountain in New York; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain in Michigan; Crystal Mountain and The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington; Mt. Bachelor in Oregon; Tremblant in Quebec and Blue Mountain in Ontario, Canada; SkiBig3 in Alberta, Canada; Revelstoke Mountain Resort, RED Mountain, and Cypress Mountain in British Columbia, Canada; Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine; Loon Mountain in New Hampshire; Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico; Deer Valley Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, Brighton Resort, Alta Ski Area, and Snowbird in Utah; Zermatt in Switzerland; Thredbo and Mt Buller in Australia; Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt Hutt in New Zealand; Niseko United in Japan, and Valle Nevado in Chile. Special offers are available at CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures, the world’s largest heli-skiing and heli-accessed hiking operation. For more information, visitwww.ikonpass.com.

American Forests has worked longer than any other national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States to conserve and restore the country’s forests. Since its founding in 1875, it has been a pathfinder for the forest conservation movement. In the early 1900s, for example, the organization rallied forest advocates to champion creation of the U.S. Forest Service. In 2018, it won a decade-long campaign persuading Congress to provide stable funding for preventing and fighting forest fires. Now it is focused on building a reforestation movement in America, from cities to large, rural landscapes. “We create healthy and resilient forests, from cities to wilderness, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building.”

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Active Travel, camping-glamping, National Parks, Outdoor travel experiences, Outdoors Travel, Road Trips, RV Vacations, Uncategorized

Tracks & Trails Booking 2021 RV Vacations to National Parks in Western U.S., Canada Thru Dec. 15, 2020

October 7, 2020 MoralCompass

Roadbear RV Camper on Route US 89 Kaibab National Forest near Jacob Lake, Arizona. RV vacations are the hottest thing in travel today. Tracks & Trails is taking new bookings for 2021 packaged RV vacations to national parks in the Western US and Canada through Dec. 15, 2020.

GRAND JUNCTION, CO– It is no mystery why RV vacations are the hottest thing going in travel today. They offer the freedom and flexibility of touring the country in a fully equipped and self-contained unit that has everything needed for a perfect vacation. It’s a personal cabin on wheels that allows exploring scenic places where hotels often don’t exist.

This is the allure of RV travel, which is especially appealing during a pandemic, reports Dan Wulfman, Founder and President of Tracks & Trails, whose specialty is packaged RV vacations to national parks in the Western U.S. and Canada.

RV travel allows friends and families to be autonomous and as private as they please while enjoying the freedom of America’s open roads. Time for lunch? Just pull off at the next scenic turnout and open the fridge. Potty stop? Easy. End the day in the natural beauty of a rustic national park campsite.

Wulfman notes that the pandemic is turning millions of non-campers into aspiring RVers, and the trend is exploding. The RV Industry Association found that 20% of US residents surveyed are more interested in RV travel than in flying, tent camping, cruises, or rental stays amid coronavirus concerns.

“But getting in an RV and setting off without a plan can be daunting for a first-timer,” says Wulfman. The insider knowledge of experts can make or break the experience, and choosing your dates 6 to 12 months in advance is now essential. Due to the growing popularity of RV vacations, Tracks & Trails is already seeing shortages of campsites and RVs for 2021.

December 15, 2020 will be the cutoff date for new 2021 bookings.

For those savvy enough to lock in their dates for 2021 now with Tracks & Trails, the traveler’s work is done. The company’s team of expert planners handles all the arrangements that make it so challenging to organize a worry-free 7-14 day, multi-destination RV trip on your own. Travelers work with their T&T Trip Wizard to select one of the 20 carefully-crafted itineraries, decide on the right RV, and pick optional excursions that suit their tastes. The company takes care of the rest: reserving prime campsites, booking guided excursions with trusted outfitters, and preparing the comprehensive documentation which ensures things go smoothly on the road.

FEATURED 2021 ITINERARY:

Mighty 5: Utah & the Grand Canyon is a 13-night itinerary beginning and ending in Las Vegas that visits all 5 of Utah’s national parks – Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches – as well as the Grand Canyon. Each of these parks features fascinating geological formations and extensive hiking trails. Optional excursions include canyoneering, rafting, ATV riding, horseback riding, and Jeep tours. The base trip cost which includes up to 4 people ranges from $8,000 to $10,000 and is available from May 15 to October 15. See: https://tracks-trails.com/rv-trips/mighty-5-utah-and-the-grand-canyon/

Tracks & Trails created the concept of packaged national park RV vacations in 1996, providing personalized, self-drive RV trips to active couples and families from across the U.S. They help people spend quality time together outdoors while exploring North America’s most iconic National Parks and other natural wonders.

For information on availability, pricing, and itineraries for 2021 visit www.tracks-trails.com, email: [email protected], or call 1-800-247-0970.

Follow Tracks & Trails on Social Media:
Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/TracksTrails/
Instagram:     https://www.instagram.com/trackstrails/
Twitter:          https://twitter.com/trackstrails

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Active Travel, bike trips, camping-glamping, cycling trips, dude ranches, Fall travel, Hotels & Resorts, Multisport adventures, National Parks, Outdoors Travel, Uncategorized

6 Fall Vacations to Escape the Crowds

October 7, 2020 MoralCompass

Take a fall foliage road trip by RV: Blacksford is a new recreational vehicle rental business offering fully stocked Mercedes-Benz Sprinter overland adventure vehicles from Winnebago with an all-inclusive pricing model that includes unlimited miles, no generator fees, bedding, bath and kitchen supplies, free Wi-Fi, a free annual pass to national parks and 24-hour roadside assistance.

Crisp cool air, colorful foliage, and fewer travelers clogging up the highways makes fall the perfect time to take a vacation. Whether you are driving an RV across the country, exploring a national park, playing cowboy at a dude ranch, or leaf peeping by bicycle, we have rounded up six of the best autumn vacations for every type of traveler.

Fall Under the Big Sky: Fall in Big Sky, Montana, brings golden aspen and cottonwood trees, fly fishing for feisty trout and bugling elk. Hike a local trail, wade a world-class river or go on a wildlife safari in nearby Yellowstone National Park, then enjoy the hospitality and comfort of suite accommodations at The Wilson Hotel in Big Sky’s Town Center. https://thewilsonhotel.com/
Leaf Peeping by Bike: Take a two-wheeled tour beneath canopies of gold, orange and red leaves in the Green Mountains with Adventure Cycling Association. Plan your own trip on the Green Mountains Loop, riding from Burlington, Vermont, into New Hampshire and along the Connecticut River, then back across to New York and the shores of Lake Champlain. An organized tour is also available in 2021. https://www.adventurecycling.org/
RV Fall Foliage Road Trip: Blacksford is a new recreational vehicle rental business offering fully stocked Mercedes-Benz Sprinter overland adventure vehicles from Winnebago with an all-inclusive pricing model that includes unlimited miles, no generator fees, bedding, bath and kitchen supplies, free Wi-Fi, a free annual pass to national parks and 24-hour roadside assistance. https://www.blacksford.com/
Glamp Near a National Park: Just minutes from Jackson Hole, Fireside Resort offers 25 pint-sized, luxuriously outfitted tiny house rental units designed by Wheelhaus. The resort is located a stone’s throw from Grand Teton National Park and the Jackson Hole ski slopes. It is a great place to post up for a fall getaway. https://www.firesidejacksonhole.com
Play Cowboy at a Dude Ranch: Red Reflet Ranch is a 28,000-acre luxury resort and working ranch on the west slope of the Bighorn Mountains, just three hours from Yellowstone National Park. Guests stay in private chalets and enjoy family-friendly activities like horseback riding, ATVing, ziplining, swimming, hiking, fishing, shooting and feasting on farm-to-table cuisine. http://redrefletranch.com/
National Park Bicycle Tour: Escape Adventures has been leading cycling vacations through some of the most awe-inspiring natural destinations in the world since 1992. From road cyclists and mountain bikers to electric bikers, Escape Adventures offers an array of bicycle tours in iconic destinations like Yellowstone National Park, Zion National Park, the Oregon Coast, and the Grand Canyon. https://escapeadventures.com

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