Tag Archives: adventure travel company

Travelers to Moab, Utah, Encouraged To Take Responsibility For Protecting Environment

Moab Adventure Center, a major tour company, addresses the ying and the yang of the popularity of Moab, Utah for travelers.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT– Taking ownership – and responsibility – for a pet, a cause or even a place comes after people feel vested in the pet, cause or place. Take a place called Moab, Utah, for example. Every year this region known as the red rock playground is a joyful discovery for thousands of first-time visitors. But as the word continues to spread about this breathtaking destination, a new set of challenges arises.
 
On one hand, it’s a blessing to local businesses and economy that this remote region of Utah along the Colorado River is so popular. On the other hand, with every sound of an ATV and even with the quieter pace of a mountain bike or step of a hiking boot comes the potential to erode the playground’s fragile infrastructure.
 
“When our guests depart the river after a rafting adventure, or hike out of a canyon after canyoneering or step off a horse after horseback riding, or float over all of this beauty in a hot air balloon, they’re forever changed. And they ‘get’ why we ask them to become stewards of this landscape,” says Brian Merrill, CEO of Western River Expeditions that guides guests through the rapids of the Colorado River. A sister company, Moab Adventure Center, arranges activities for people staying for a day or a week in or around Moab.
 
Merrill’s team is taking a lead in inviting its guests to “Do It Like a Local.” This is the Moab Area Travel Council’s engaging video campaign showing guests how to vest themselves in Moab’s future by being respectful visitors. See https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiCq99E3e2EQkpbJIq0pnAw
 
“I don’t think we have a problem of too many people, but we do have challenges on how to disperse them at certain times of day and in busy months,” says Merrill. “Our challenge is to showcase the region in the spring, fall and winter. The beauty doesn’t go away – but the crowds do.”
 
The region is expanding infrastructure to keep up with visitor demand. In 2020 an additional 500 lodging rooms are scheduled to come on line. However, since this infrastructure was approved, both city and county have created moratoriums on new nightly rentals, including turning a spare bedroom into an Airbnb. To help disperse visitors, regional and state marketing efforts are trying to divert people to a myriad of iconic sites beyond the bucket list Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.
 
“Some long-time locals want the town to go to sleep again. Others value the fact that things are going well here. Fairly recent transplants bring along a not-in-my-backyard attitude and want to shut the door behind them. I understand all these sentiments,” Merrill says. He notes that Western River Expeditions does have approval for occupancy in a building that will house up to 64 employees, helping the company retain valuable seasonal employees and reducing the demand on local housing.
 
Jason Taylor is operations manager for the company’s Utah and Moab-specific programs. His messaging to Western River Expeditions and Moab Adventure Center guests echoes that of the Moab Area Travel Council. Additional sustainable practices include giving guests who are on multi-day outings steel vacuum water bottles they can take home with them, thus eliminating plastic. Recycling and using energy-efficient tools are imbedded into the protocol, as is the importance of hiring locally.
 
In addition, a major part of what Western River Expeditions and Moab Adventure Center are doing, according to Brandon Lake, VP and Co-Founder of Moab Adventure Center, is to help guests understand how to create a low impact during their guided exploration of the area. “Guides who can teach guests how and where to hike, ride and drive in our fragile landscapes can make a major difference in reducing impact over those who explore these same areas on their own without understanding the damage they may be doing.” This is one of the many benefits to choosing a local tour company to help you experience Moab.
 
For a copy of Western River Expeditions’ 2020 catalog, questions, availability and reservations call toll-free: 866.904.1160 (Local: 801.942.6669) or visit the website at: http://www.westernriver.com/.
 
Western River Expeditions is an adventure travel company headquartered in Salt Lake City, with operations and offices in Moab, Utah and Fredonia, Arizona. Annually from March through October it escorts more people down rivers on professionally guided rafting trips in Utah, Idaho and Arizona than any other company. It is the largest licensed outfitter in the Grand Canyon.
 
Moab Adventure Center (http://www.moabadventurecenter.com/) is a division of Western River Expeditions and the largest single tour provider in Moab, UT. Located at 225 South Main St., Moab, UT the center is a one-stop resource for a myriad of outdoor adventures. It also boasts a 2,000-square-foot retail space selling adventure related gear, clothing and souvenirs. For information and tour reservations call (435) 259-7019 or (866) 904-1163.

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Austin Adventures Adds Wilderness Glamping in Costa Rica To Growing Lineup of Upscale Multisport Tours

Costa Rica: Chiquita Glamping & Pacuare River Raft vacation is the latest of over 30 “online-only” trips featured on Austin Adventures’ award-winning website.

BILLINGS, MT –The best of all worlds, including creature comforts while glamping in the wilderness, come seamlessly together on Austin Adventures’ new 8 day/7 night Costa Rica: Chiquita Glamping & Pacuare River Raft vacation. This is the latest of over 30 “online-only” trips featured on its award-winning website: https://www.austinadventures.com/.
With its newest Costa Rica program, year-round departures are flexible and may be arranged when it best fits participant’s own schedule, on a space-available basis. The per person double rate (based on a party of four or more) is from $3,998 for the core experience. Options exist to customize the itinerary to the guests’ wishes.

This luxury trip, without a lofty price tag, brings curious travelers to a country on the forefront of land and wildlife conservation. Over 25 percent of the country has been protected by the establishment of preserves, sanctuaries, refuges, and national parks. Costa Rica also offers one of the most biodiverse places in the world, Carara National Park located in the transition zone between Costa Rica’s wet southeast and hotter, drier northwest. The adventure begins here as guests explore the river basin of the River Tárcoles, which hosts one of the largest remaining populations of wild scarlet macaws in the country.

Guests then journey by boat to Isla Chiquita Glamping Resort, far off the usual tourist track. Home for three pampered nights, each large platform tent accommodation is equipped with a king bed, day bed lounger, private shower and bathroom with double sinks, and spacious lounging deck with stunning ocean views.  From this isolated island, guests visit Curú National Wildlife Refuge with pristine beaches and abundant wildlife while gliding through the still waters of a protected bay in a kayak or on a stand-up paddleboard, watching tropical birds soar overhead. One morning guests transfer to Tortuga Island where white sands contrast with brilliant Caribbean blue waters. Snorkeling is popular here, as guests marvel at surprisingly colorful crabs and lobsters as well as vibrant tropical fish.

A local flight back to mainland beckons guests to engage in the premier whitewater rafting adventure in Costa Rica – on the Pacuare River (rated by National Geographic as one of the Top 10 river trips in the world).  Here they visit the Cabecar Indian village and meet with the largest indigenous tribe in Costa Rica. A family of the community shares traditions they have used for centuries.  After zip lining comes more rafting, leading to the deluxe, eco-sensitive Pacuare Lodge, accessible only by whitewater raft. Located at the center of a series of over 1.2 million acres of wildlife reserves, the lodge is both secluded and beautiful. Guests may opt to dine 60 feet above the forest floor in a platform built on the branches of a century-old Kapok tree. This lodge enjoys National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World status.

After two nights at the lodge and a final morning on the river, guests are transferred back to San José for a last overnight at Hotel Grano de Oro, a “Tropical Victorian” house which features a world-class restaurant. Airport transfers are offered the next morning.

For more information please see https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/costa-rica-isla-chiquita-pacuare-lodge/.

This is one of multiple programs Austin Adventures offers in Costa Rica where it has enjoyed relationships with top tourism purveyors for over 15 years.

“Costa Rica has always been our top selling international destination,” says Dan Austin, Founder and President of Austin Adventures. “We’re always on the lookout and open to what our well-established in-country contacts have to share when it comes to new, unusual and cutting-edge adventure opportunities. Together, we look for experiences away from the usual tourist track and crowds. The key is developing tour itineraries that appeal and captivate our brand of intrepid travelers.”

In the print version of its catalog, Austin Adventures features 65 separate destinations representing over 100 published tour options with over 40 also offered as a Family-Focused version. The website also showcases over 30 additional trips and destinations (not included in the catalog) outlining core itineraries that can be customized upon customer request. These online-only programs include, in addition to the Costa Rica vacation:
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/arizona-havasupai/
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/ireland-kerry-county/
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/ireland-family-kerry-county/
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/scotland-family-scottish-highlands/
https://www.austinadventures.com/packages/scotland-scottish-highlands/

To help plan, Austin Adventures’ 2018 catalog is available upon request. Order ONLINE or call 800-575-1540 or email [email protected]. For a full roster of 2018 trips that is frequently updated visit http://www.austinadventures.com.

 

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Chasing Epic, a New Adventure Tour Company, Reinvents Mountain Bike Vacations

Chasing Epic adventure travel company aims to raise the bar and set new standards in the mountain biking world.
Chasing Epic adventure travel company aims to raise the bar and set new standards in the mountain biking world.

BOULDER, CO – Steve Mokan is looking to change the way mountain bikers experience the best trails in the Western US.  The result is the recent launch of his new mountain bike tour company, Chasing Epic, which aims to raise the bar and set new standards in the mountain biking world. The focus is to offer intermediate and experienced riders fully all-inclusive, locally guided mountain bike trips where those in-the-know most want to bike — the American West – and when everybody has the time – over long weekends. Guests just need to be reasonably experienced and pack a helmet, shoes and appetite for epic single track adventure.
Mokan, a long-time Colorado mountain biker and a veteran of the adventure sports world, has worked with adventure travel companies, outdoor gear manufacturers, and ski resorts across the West as a professional photographer with his other venture, Switchback Photography.  Over a 10-year commercial journey he saw a glaring hole in the present mountain bike adventure travel industry.

“Participants on most mountain biking adventures today are being asked to bring too much to the table before the fun even begins,” he says. “Without proper guidance and advice it can be daunting in busy professional and family schedules to follow a checklist of pre-trip preparation, specialized gear and shipment of your own bike (or choosing from a fleet of rentals) before getting on a trail.”

He says Chasing Epic fills that gap and provides a better overall experience for people who love to ride “by anticipating guest needs then partnering with the biggest names in the bike industry to put together the most all-inclusive and rewarding mountain bike vacations in today’s marketplace.  With our trips, we take care of absolutely everything- all you have to do is show up and ride!”

Chasing Epic’s adventures include inn and hotel lodging (never camping), hearty meals, high-end demo bikes (an all-carbon demo bike fleet includes Ibis Mojo HD3s, Ibis Ripley LS 29ers, and Niner Jet 9 29ers), local guides conversant with the terrain, customized eight-week pre-trip training programs, best-in-class ride nutrition, shuttles and lift tickets, gratuities and a dedicated on-site trip leader to help control gear mashers and share the stories and laughs with a group of like-minded riders.

The destinations for these adventures are, in Colorado; Crested Butte, Durango, Fruita and Telluride, in Arizona; Sedona, and in Utah; Park City and St. George.

Unlike traditional point-A-to-point-B mountain bike tour companies, Chasing Epic stays in a single town in each destination and dedicates itineraries to daily rides that cover a variety of the most epic singletrack trails (known and unknown) in each area.

“This is possible by working with local guides who have been riding and building trails in these destinations for decades.  Each itinerary is unique, you’ll never ride the same set of trails twice with us. We also make sure we’re hitting these locations at the best time of the year: the Desert Southwest in the spring, Crested Butte and Park City in July (wildflowers), and the mountain towns in the fall for the changing aspens,” he underscores.

On pre-set scheduled trips the per person rates are $950 for three days and $1,250 for four days, regardless of location. For private, exclusive customized trips the per person rate is $1,150 for three days and $1,450 for four days based on a group of six or more.

On the premise that “the less you suffer on the climbs, the more you’ll enjoy the descents,” Mokan has engaged coaching platform companies Training Peaks and Through the Wall Training to customize individualized training programs (valued at up to $400) for eight weeks prior to departure.

He emphasizes that these trips aren’t for touring and sightseeing. “At Chasing Epic, we pride ourselves on putting together itineraries of only the best trail systems in each location, and we don’t waste time with sightseeing rides. You’ll be on singletrack from start to finish.”

Contact Chasing Epic at http://chasingepicmtb.com/ or email [email protected] or telephone 303.949.3933.

 

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