Austin-Lehman Adventures Names EllenBarone.com Top 10 Travel Blog

WE WIN, YOU WIN!

 EllenBarone.com Readers Eligible to Win a Trip for TWO on the Austin-Lehman Adventure of Your Choice.

Award-winning tour operator Austin-Lehman Adventures, the active travel company setting adventure tours standards in The Americas, Europe, Africa and beyond, recently named EllenBarone.com one of its Top 10 Travel Blogs. Winners were selected based on blog readability, unique content, honesty, integrity, accompanying content such as video and photos, useful links and posting frequency.

As recognition for excellence, EllenBarone.com readers have the opportunity to win a trip for two on any Austin-Lehman Adventure of their choice*! Options include cycling tours, hiking trips, multi-sport adventures, family adventures and rafting trips (82 different itineraries spanning 28 countries worldwide). *Terms and conditions apply.

The promotion will run through 11:59PM, May 19, 2011, with winners announced the next day (May 20, 2011) on Austin-Lehman Adventures‚ blog.

Enter to Win at: http://www.austinlehman.com/blog-giveaway-pages-508.php. 

“These bloggers are truly the best in the blogosphere, providing beautifully written travel posts that highlight their expert knowledge, undeniable passion, cultural insight and unique, personal experiences,” said Dan Austin, founder and owner. “Each blog provides the most fascinating, up-to-date content on travel tips, destinations, active travel, family adventures and the everyday life of a traveler. These blogs are imaginative, fun, original and poignant; reaching to the heart of what traveling is all about: discovery, adventure and finding yourself.

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JOIN ME For A Photo-Themed Walking Vacation in England

For eight days, from June 5 - 12, 2011, join me and The Wayfarers for a photo-themed walking vacation across the dramatic open spaces of Dartmoor and Exmoor in the South West of England. Together we’ll walk meadow-paths and narrow lanes, crossing rivers and passing through thatched hamlets, stopping for hearty pub lunches and a traditional Devon Cream Tea, meeting the locals and enjoying first-class accommodations.

I’ll be on the trail to answer your questions and offer practical advice on how to return home with memorable vacation photographs that will have your friends and family feeling like they went along for the fun! 

For walk highlights, pricing and other trip details, visit www.TheWayfarers.com.

IRRESISTIBLE INTERNET YOU: Low Cost Ways to Build Your Online Brand and Get Your Message Out

Does the pace of technology feel overwhelming? Don’t know beans about Facebook, Twitter, or Linked-in? Discover how to market yourself, your products and services by making the most of easy, low-cost Internet tools. Learn how to leave a trail of digital bread crumbs and build your brand online in an easy-to-understand format.

If you’re ready to dip a toe into New Media, join me from 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturday February 26, 2011, and learn how to build your online brand. 

I’m thrilled to be bringing what I’ve discovered (and enjoy!) about social media and online marketing to the new Sanctuary on the River: Inspired Living Center in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

In this fun and interactive one-day seminar, I’ll be sharing how to:

FIND the online resources to build a platform for your business. 

FREE up time by synchronizing your communication streams.

UNSTICK your fear of technology.

ENERGIZE yourself to do the platform building, marketing, and sales parts of getting your message out. 

DRIVE traffic to your Web site.

SELL your products and services. 

This workshop is intended for small business owners, writers, photographers, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone curious about web sites, Internet marketing and other online promotional tools. Do you know someone who would enjoy this class? TELL A FRIEND!

Saturday February 26, 2011. 10 AM to 4 PM. $105.00 per person. Optional gourmet box lunch; $7. Sanctuary on the River, 207 Eagle Drive, Ruidoso, New Mexico. For information and registration call 575-630-1111 or visit www.SanctuaryOnTheRiver.com.

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Join Me On A Photo-themed Yacht Adventure In Baja California

Wildlife, whales and wonder make Mexico’s Sea of Cortés an ideal location for a photography expedition.

Safari Quest, Sea of Cortez, ©Ellen Barone.Join me and my husband, Hank, aboard American Safari Cruises’ 22-passenger Safari Quest, March 19 - 26, 2011, for a photography-themed cruise and learn tips and techniques as you capture images of cactus, whales and dolphins, sea birds and the remarkable scenery of the islands.

Trip Highlights:

• By luxury yacht, kayak, motorized inflatable boat and on foot, encounter flora and fauna that are found nowhere else in the world.
• In this World Heritage biosphere reserve, experience pods of dolphins numbering in the thousands and view many whale species including the largest living being on earth — the blue whale.
• Enjoy exclusive cultural experiences including a visit to tiny Isla Coyote where fishermen and their families live in the only permanent settlement in the islands.
• Along the way enjoy snorkeling with juvenile sea lions and myriad forms of sea life, a burro ride into the arroyos, and plenty of time for kayaking, sailing, water skiing and beachcombing.

 View photo gallery  

Click here to learn more.

FYI: There is a $500 per person value added savings in place that applied to bookings under deposit before January 14, 2011. TELL A FRIEND!

For more information contact American Safari Cruises toll free at (888) 862-8881, or visit them at www.AmericanSafariCruises.com

Meet SkyMama, Stacey Marcus

Introducing the Newest Member of the EllenBarone.com travel family: ‘SkyMama’ Stacey Marcus.

ELLENBARONE.COM INTRODUCES NEW SKYMAMA TRAVEL BLOG: 

SkyMama, Stacey MarcusWith humor and insight on how to go global with (and without) teenage daughters, a golf-addicted husband and her beloved bichon, travel and lifestyle writer, Stacey Marcus, brings her travel tips on a galaxy of places to enjoy, with or without your family, to EllenBarone.com.

THE BACKSTORY:

Once upon a time Stacey blew on a dandelion and wished she would meet the man of her dreams, get married and raise a family. Lucky for her the magic worked and she was blessed with all the above. She adores her family but like most candid women, sometimes she wishes she could just fly away and relish in the wonder of her own identity perfumed with the scent of her own ideas and interests.

Thus was the genesis of SkyMama, a magic carpet to travel out of the everyday world into new places where the sky truly is the limit.

I first met Stacey a few years ago during a visit to Los Cabos. I loved her humor, graciousness and intelligence immediately and couldn’t be more thrilled to host her tips, insights and travels at EllenBarone.com.

Check back often and watch SkyMama grow!

Bon voyage,

Ellen

VANISHED: A New Novel by Hank Barone

With the holidays fast approaching, I wanted to share the release of my husband’s newest novel, VANISHED, now available at HankBarone.com. 

The story of fifteen-year-old Jake Brandon, alone, desperate and on the run from kidnappers in the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico, is filled with pulse-pounding action, right down to its final, treacherous twist.

Although the book is categorized as ‘young adult fiction’, I think you’ll find it to be an action/adventure tale that both teens, and adults, will enjoy. To read the first chapter, click here. I hope you’ll be hooked!

For the past few years Hank has turned his passion and pen to writing fiction, with three adventure novels completed, two published and another in the works.

If you’d like to support his efforts, here are a few simple ways you can help.

Buy, or download, VANISHED right now at HankBarone.com

Share this with anyone you think would be interested and ask them to forward it on, as well.

Contact your local bookseller and public or school library and request that they order a copy.

If you read it, I encourage you to return and tell Hank what you think. You can post your comments at HankBarone.com or send him your thoughts directly.

Let’s help make VANISHED a new best seller! TELL A FRIEND!

With gratitude and enthusiasm,

Ellen



Meet Another Ellen: Director of Women-Only Heli-Hiking Vacations

I first learned the Spanish word ‘tocaya’, the feminine form for two people having the same name, more than a decade ago while living in Mexico. I thought it was lovely that they had a unique word to honor the special bond of a shared name. So when I was introduced to Canadian Mountain Holiday’s heli-hiking host, Ellen Slaughter, in the Bugaboos this past summer on a Bodacious Girlfriend Getaway, I knew that I had met an extraordinary tocaya.

Ellen is the inspiration behind CMH’s women-only travel programs. And as the entrepreneurial mother of three, a wife of 32-years, and the super fit, über high energy CMH marketing maven, she is, in my book, the ultimate Bodacious Babe. When she’s not leaping mountains in a single bound, Ellen can be found at home in Calgary, Alberta. 

In a recent interview, I had the chance to chat with the travel-addicted Bodacious host, mom, wife and lover of life, sharing stories, advice and insights into the appeal of girlfriend getaways.

Learn about how Ellen stays busy taking women for a walk on the wild side in the full interview now online at Canadian Mountain Holiday’s ADVENTURE BLOG 

JOIN ME & THE WAYFARERS IN ENGLAND FOR A WALK THROUGH THE COTSWOLDS

I’m thrilled to be joining The Wayfarers for a photo-themed walking vacation through the Cotswolds, one of England’s prettiest regions. For six days, from May 22- 28, 2011, we’ll walk along historic footpaths, Roman roads and winding lanes through picture-perfect villages, meeting locals and enjoying first-class accommodations and gourmet meals.

I’ll be on the trail to answer your questions and offer practical advice on how to return home with memorable vacation photographs that will have your friends and family feeling like they went along for the fun! 

To learn more, click to play my YouTube video invitation below.

For walk highlights and other trip details, visit www.TheWayfarers.com.

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WE'RE GIVING AWAY FREE BOOKS ON ELLENBARONE.COM SISTER SITE YOURLIFEISATRIP.COM

A WIN-WIN SITUATION:

Everyone loves to WIN, and YourLifeIsATrip.com wants to bring the WINNER’S smile to your face. From November 11-21, 2010, EllenBarone.com sister site YourLifeIsATrip.com will be GIVING AWAY one of our author’s books each day.

From the jungle tribes of Papua New Guinea and buying art in a Mexican prison to internal voyages of self-discovery and the digital world of storytelling, the featured books have subjects as diverse as the authors themselves.

All you have to do to win is sign up to receive the FREE YourLifeisATrip.com newsletter, ‘like’ us on facebook, or become a new twitter follower, and you’re automatically in the random drawing.

Daily winners will be announced on YourLifeIsATrip.com, on our facebook and twitter accounts, and at the close of the contest.

If you enjoy YourLifeisaTrip.com, we encourage you to use the links below to share the contest on your facebook page, give us a shout out on twitter, link, blink and a free book can be yours. Good luck!!

Enter to Win!

*Contest ends Sunday November 21, 2010.

YOURLIFEISATRIP.COM BOOK GIVEAWAY SCHEDULE:

November 11, 2010: Morning Light by Nancy King

November 12, 2010: Life Is A Trip: The transformative magic of travel by Judith Fein.

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YourLifeIsATrip.com Co-founder, Judith Fein, Releases New Book

This month, over at our sister site YourLifeIsATrip.com, we’re continuing the recent award celebrations with the exciting release of co-founder and editor Judith Fein’s new book, LIFE IS A TRIP: The transformational magic of travel.

People have been asking Judie for years when she was going to write a book about her experiences as a travel journalist. Her answer was always the same, “when the time is right.” The time was finally right.

In LIFE IS A TRIP, Judie takes readers on l4 exotic adventures where she learns from other cultures new and transformative approaches to family discord, death, success, fear, faith, forgiveness and overcoming trauma. It is a mesmerizing read for all who love to travel whether they are sitting in armchairs or hitting the road. Judie’s wish is that it will inspire you to have the kinds of cultural adventures that can transform your own life - either across the world or across town from where you live.

REVIEWS: “From irreverence, reverence. That’s the magic of Judith Fein’s writing. Her unconventional view of the world and her grand sense of curiosity open doors to new adventures and understanding, allowing us to look deeply into the differences that keep the word fascinating and the similarities that keep us unified. “Life Is a Trip” is a journey of the heart, soul and mind, and we are much the better for it.”

- Catharine M. Hamm, Travel Editor, Los Angeles Times

Read what others have to say >>>

LET’S MAKE JUDIE’S BOOK A BESTSELLER!

Here are a few simple ways you can help make that happen.

1. Buy, or download, LIFE IS A TRIP right now at the YourLifeIsATrip.com TRIP SHOP powered by Amazon.
2. Share this with everyone you know and ask them to forward it on, as well. You can use the links below to print, e-mail or share this journal posting with your favorite online community.
3. Call your local bookseller and public or school library and request that they order a copy.

Together in 2009, Judie and I created YourLifeIsATrip.com as a place for writers to tell their stories about the transformational magic of travel. Now, with the release of LIFE IS A TRIP, Judie takes the dream one step further. I couldn’t be more excited!

I encourage you to visit us at YourLifeIsATrip.com, order and read the book and tell Judie what you think. You can post your comments on the website or send Judie your thoughts directly. 

With great enthusiasm,

Ellen

PS: Head’s up soon for my husband Hank’s newest action/adventure novel, VANISHED. Read the first chapter free, at HankBarone.com. 

Join Me & The Wayfarers On A New Mexico Walk in September

Pack up your hiking boots, your appetite for world-renowned cuisine, your sense of adventure and your camera and join me in New Mexico. 

For six-days in September, I will join a walk in New Mexico with The Wayfarers, the premier walking vacation company since 1984 and personal favorite. From September 12 - 17, 2010, we’ll be walking through some of the most inspiring landscapes on the planet during this magical walk through Georgia O’Keefe country. 

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EllenBarone.com Sister Site YourLifeIsATrip.com Wins SATW Writing Awards

I’m breaking out the bubbly! Our sister site, YourLifeIsATrip.com, was recently honored with two first-place writing awards from the Western Chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). The group travel blog won Gold awards in both the Travel Blog and Revenue Producing Website categories.

Being a cockeyed optimist, I co-founded YourLifeIsATrip.com - together with travel journalist Judith Fein - in 2009 at the height of cutbacks, layoffs, bailouts, and belt-tightening, with the belief that there is no division between your travels, your life, your soul, your wellbeing, your relationships, your money, your work, your play. Different voices. Different subjects. All related by the common theme life as a trip.

Today, thanks to an assemblage of 65+ contributors, the site continues to experience rapid growth on the new reader and new subscriber fronts. What a treat it is to see the site and our writers acknowledged by our peers in this way!

One of the benefits of becoming a EllenBarone.com subscriber is complimentary access to the powerful storytelling at YourLifeIsATrip.com. So, you may already be familiar with the award-winning writing going on over there. But I invite you to take a closer look, browse, connect, read, comment, write, inspire, dream, entertain and join the fun as we travel through the trip of life together. We love hearing what you think so please leave comments- they make all the contributors smile. And if you enjoy YourLifeisaTrip.com, tell your friends! 

Visit us now at www.YourLifeIsATrip.com

Dear Google: Thank You!

I’m a huge fan of the Internet. I’ve fallen head over heels in cyber love with information a click away, instant access to global news and world perspectives, blogs on everything from zen living to nomadic wandering delivered daily to my inbox thanks to RSS - really simple syndication- feeds. 

For the past decade, passion alone has fueled this website. In place of business plans and growth stragegies, I’ve followed the joy of sharing. I love little more than posting my favorite travel experiences, budget-friendly steals + deals,  news from companies I believe in, and gear and gadgets that help me - and you - travel smarter, easier and more often. No SEO seminars. No IT team. No PR firm. No marketing department. Just ME, having a lot of fun and YOU reading what I have to say. 

So, imagine my pleasure this morning when on a whim I googled the words ‘travel advice vacation tips’ and discovered EllenBarone.com #2, sandwiched between two favorites - Away.com and Kayak.com - both HUGE players in the world of travel BTW. My smile spread when I noticed my hero, Condé Nast Traveler’s global blogger, Wendy Perrin, two entries down. AMAZING!

 

Thank you, Google, for making my day and getting my passion for travel ‘out there’! 

I’m more excited than ever to keep ‘playing’ with this beautiful invention, the Internet. 

See ya surfing soon,

Ellen

✓ Join the fun! Get the latest travel news, tips and reviews from EllenBarone.com and travel like a pro. Sign up here. It’s FREE. 

Ideas Anyone? The Decision to Wander - AGAIN.

For the past year, a vague sense of restlessness has been brewing in the Barone household.
 
This will not surprise those who know Hank and me. Nor is the itch to wander an unfamiliar one.
 
Nearly two decades ago we eloped during a 3-month vacation. In 1996 we packed up the Subaru and didn’t return home for more than a year. Fourteen months later, we moved 2,000-miles across the country to begin a new life. And, for the past decade we’ve divided our time between homes in Old and New Mexico.
 
So, while the decision to wander - again - might not be breaking news to outsiders, it did, at least for me, feel a bit like a bolt from the blue. As if I suddenly emerged from the rabbit hole with blinking eyes in the blinding light of a new world.
 
Perhaps it’s because life has been rather comfortable these past few years, ticking along at a creative clip, supported by good friends in an amazingly beautiful part of the world. So, why trade it for the unknown?
 
Oddly enough, it’s precisely the unknown that has us sitting up nights tossing ideas back and forth, too excited to sleep.

“What about an around-the-world cruise?” I find myself blurting out at 3AM.

“Uruguay sounds nice,” Hank says, nose buried in a South American guidebook over our morning cuppa.

“I wonder if the Four Seasons Bora Bora needs an in-house blogger,” I say, in full schemin’ and dreamin’ mode.

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Happy 2010

As 2009 unfolds into 2010, I wish you wonderful new experiences, fulfilling creative pursuits and more good than you can imagine!

I plan to begin the new year as I would any journey. To breathe in the fullness of life, observe with joy and greet the new with open arms.

Join me for the adventure!

Bon Voyage,

Ellen

Santa's Giving Out Travel Gear from December 1 - 15: Travel Bloggers' Caravan

Psst! I’ve got a secret to share. Next Tuesday, 15 travel bloggers, including EllenBarone.com, will put on their Santa hats and will give away prizes in celebration of the season.

Prizes range from hotel gift cards and overnight stays to digital cameras and noise-cancelling headphones to luggage and camera bags to travel guidebooks and DVDs.

Each day, between December 1–15, a different travel expert’s blog will be featured in this round robin event. You’ll have a chance to win one of over a dozen prizes by reading and commenting on the daily blog post.

Simply visit the Luxury Cruise Bible blog each morning to learn about the featured Caravan “stop-of-the-day” between December 1 and 15, and then enter to win.

Complete Travel Caravan Schedule

December 1: LuxuryCruiseBible.com
Lingo 16-Language Translator courtesy of Magellan’s Travel Supplies

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ExOfficio newsletter features travel tips from EllenBarone.com

Gifts under $20 bucks from ExOfficio and FREE travel tips from yours truly included. YAY!

See below:

MEN’S WOMEN’S SHOES SALE 5 Easy Tips For Returning Home With Great Vacation Photographs by Travel Photojournalist, Ellen Barone 1. Keep your camera handy Some of the best images happen when you least expect them, especially when traveling through interesting or unique terrain. 2. Get focused Ask yourself what about the scene attracts you? Is it the sun-drenched vistas of ancient olive groves and terraced vineyards? Or a riot of red geraniums pushing out from balcony window boxes? Exclude anything that doesn’t capture your attention. 3. Get out there Get up early, stay out late. If you’re with a group, rather than taking the van back hang around a bit. Use any spare time to look for photographs. The additional effort discovering the place will enrich your experience. 4. Don’t be shy If you approach people with an open heart, they’ll usually be happy to have their picture made. Joke around a little. Show genuine interest in their life. At the very least, learn how to say “hello” and “May I make a photograph” in the local language. Most of all, relax and enjoy the exchange. If you feel comfortable, so will they. 5. Compose creatively Remember to shoot from different positions. Get elevated, or low. Move in close. Move right or left for a different perspective. If you can without being intrusive, put yourself right in the midst of the swirling dancers, bagpipers,  white water rapids, café kitchen, etc. And, don’t forget to look behind you. Sometimes it’s the best shot! Visit Ellen’s web site for travel tips, podcasts and more. Order at www.exofficio.com or by Phone: (800) 644-7303 M-F 7am-5pm PST

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EllenBarone.com Launches TRAVEL TASTES a new forum for foodies, Reader Reviews and Menus.

Are you a foodie? We all know that it’s often the discovery of a special restaurant, memorable meal, innovative chef, or the unexpected back-alley bistro that adds zing to great travel experiences.

Whether it’s down the street or across the globe, what gastronomic discovery is it that you just can’t stop talking about, and are urging others to try too? I invite you to SHARE IT IN THE NEW TRAVEL TASTES COMMUNITY FORUM AT ELLENBARONE.COM

Tell us about your tastes, travels, inspirations or the trends you see. Share memories, meet up for a meal, tap the insider know-how of travelers who discover the world food first. Be blunt, be honest, be generous. Best of all, join the discussion! SHARING IS EASY. Simply click the CREATE NEW POST button provided at http://ellenbarone.com/travel-tastes

Join Me In France With The Wayfarers

Come along! September 27 – October 3, 20-9 with a day or two on each end for time in Paris or kayaking on the Dordogne.

You may remember that last May I went walking with The Wayfarers in Provence, France, and wrote about my experiences for their gorgeous new 2009 brochure. You can read the full article, here.

In September, I’ll be packing my bags (and cameras) again for France and another walking trip withThe Wayfarers, this time to the historic Dordogne region.

This beautiful area is known for its river and castles and although I’m not exactly going for the prehistoric caves and 15,000 year old rock art, I WILL BE going for the quaint villages, black truffles, wine & foie gras!

This isn’t a photo-themed tour, but I’ll be shooting plenty and happy to answer your questions while we walk and talk. The walks are not too challenging and we’ll visit artists, eat outside and have time to relax in lovely country house hotels.

Not sure? Read this New York Times front page article on The Dordogne.

Currency bonus $400 off per person – net cost $3,395. Airfares are down and the dollar is UP!

Think it over and let your friends know - this trip is not limited to females.

I hope to see you in FRANCE.

CLICK HERE or call (800) 249- 4620 for walk details.

EllenBarone.com Partners With Leading Online Community DivineCaroline.com

I’m thrilled to announce a new partnership with Real Girls Media, Inc. popular online community, DivineCaroline.com, where women come together to express themselves, find answers and share life through storytelling.

As part of the agreement, DivineCaroline.com will stream weekly RSS feeds fromEllenBarone.com to the DivineCaroline.com Travel category. The weekly streams include EllenBarone.com travel steals + deals, trips + tips, gadget girl reviews, photo-of-the-month, travel podcasts, and much more.

Featuring nine different content areas where members publish their stories, chat in forums, write reviews and more, DivineCaroline.com is a community for women managing several aspects of their life.

I love the site and think you will too. Become a member and join the fun. Click here to get started today.

I look forward to getting to know you as we embark on this journey together!

Ellen

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