6 Summer Vacation Ideas for Adventure Travelers

When it comes to adventurous vacation ideas, one of my most trusted insiders is Nancy Harrison, founding partner of Adventure Media. Offering a blend of expertise, connections, and good value, Nancy and her team specialize in introducing travelers to some of the best adventure travel experiences the world has to offer.

When I read through this hand-selected list of summer travel ideas that Nancy sent along recently, I was ready to pack my bags. I hope it inspires you to do the same. 

1. Explore the Sights, Sounds, and Tastes of China On An Authentic Cultural Family Vacation

Experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of China with your family this summer on this new Smithsonian Family Adventure by family travel experts, Thomson Family Adventures. From cosmopolitan cities to rural villages, this exclusive family adventure takes travelers to see authentic China, a land that’s in transition between ancient and modern. As with all of Thomson’s tours, children have the opportunity to meet a pen pal while on the trip … Thomson Family Adventures

2. Celebrate Summer With Your Family On A Rafting Trip Down The Wild & Scenic Rogue River

There’s nothing quite like spending long summer days in the great outdoors while breathing in the fresh air of summer and spending time with loved ones. Venture outside to Southern Oregon’s historic Rogue River for some rough and tumble fun on a whitewater rafting vacation that includes riverside camping… Rogue Wilderness Adventures

Click to read more ...

Summer Vacation - Six Good Reasons to Go

Are you planning to forfeit your hard earned vacation days this summer, even though you desperately need a break? Times are tough, you say, this is no time to be thinking about travel. WRONG.

Think back over the last five years of your life. What immediately stands out? Wasn’t it that trip to Yosemite, the cooking school in Italy, the wild flowers in early spring in Provence or the kind merchant whose hand drawn map helped you find your way when you got lost in Bangkok?

Now, more than ever, you deserve a vacation. Here’s why…

1. Doctor’s Orders: Studies confirm what any traveler already knows: vacations are good for your health. Among the documented health benefits of leisure activities are a diminished risk of disease, an enhanced immune system, reduced obesity, and increased life expectancy.

In addition, roughly one-third of employed U.S. adults (34%) reported feeling better about their job and feeling more productive upon returning from vacation, according to Expedia.com’s 2010 International Vacation Deprivation Survey. Take that, Mr. Scrooge.

2. The News Not Fit To Print: Thanks to a daily barrage of gloom-and-doom news headlines, one could easily conclude that life stinks, people are rotten and the world outside your door is unsafe. However, when I scan my database of travel memories, I see a world where kindness is the rule –not the exception.

Click to read more ...

CANADA BY TRAIN: PLan for an Unforgettable Summer Vacation with VIA Rail

VIA Rail Canada offers a variety of extraordinary summer adventures. 

Marvel at the thousands of beluga whales that swim up Churchill River in Northern Manitoba or watch the dramatic rise and fall of the mighty tides of the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. VIA Rail’s summer packages allow travelers to truly discover Canada, filled with exciting adventures and limitless potential for unforgettable memories. 
 
Please see below some spectacular trail tours offered by Via Rail Canada:

A Thousand Islands Cruises
From May through October, discover historic Kingston and the Thousand Islands. Located where Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands meet, historic Kingston exquisitely combines the allure of a small town with all the amenities and sophistication of an urban centre. This package includes: roundtrip rail on VIA Rail Canada from any city of choice; overnight accommodations in Kingston; a luncheon cruise along the Thousand Islands; and, a Kingston trolley tour. To book this package or for more information, please contact International Weekend Tours at (800) 422-2294 or visit VIA’s train package website at www.trainpackages.ca.  Starting rate for this package is approx. USD$264 based on double occupancy.

A Churchill Summer Explorer
For a seven-day six-night tour offered in July or August, depart any Sunday or Tuesday from Winnipeg, Manitoba and travel by VIA Rail Canada to the shores of Hudson Bay and the Town of Churchill.

Click to read more ...

Yellowstone Association Institute Summer Family Programs Provide Educational Experiences for Every Age

YELLOWSTONE ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE FAMILY PROGRAMS ALLOW FAMILIES TO LEARN – AND LAUGH – TOGETHER

The non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute (YAI) believes you are never too young or old to learn. That’s why the organization includes among its extensive educational programs numerous experiences that are perfect for family groups.

Two programs are a particularly good fit for families: the multi-day “Yellowstone for Families” Lodging & Learning program and a stay at the Yellowstone Overlook with Private Tours. With both the Lodging & Learning program and Private Tours, participants are led by a YAI naturalist-guide who specializes in educating visitors about the world’s first national park – its geological mysteries, abundant wildlife and fascinating and sometimes befuddling human history. Naturalist-guides personalize their programs for the particular needs and interests of each group, so even very young visitors can begin to foster an appreciation for the natural and historic world of Yellowstone.

“Our naturalist-guides are adept at focusing their interpretive messages to the needs and interests of the group, and they have been known to get a little silly around their youngest charges, especially when they think they are beginning to turn kids on to the wonders of the park,” said Jeff Brown, education director for the Yellowstone Association. “For example, we haven’t found a kid yet who wasn’t at least a little interested in learning to identify animal scat. Children have so much fun they simply forget they are learning fundamental lessons about wildlife biology.”

Click to read more ...

5 Great Ways Families Can Get Outdoors and Stay Together This Summer

Summer arrives too quickly for most families, which is why early spring is the perfect time to plan a family vacation. With everyone overscheduled and pressed for time, this can be a vacation that gets families and kids outdoors, keeping them active and sharing adventurous pursuits. Here are five great ways for families to travel and enjoy the outdoors altogether.

photo by kk+

1. Finding Nemo in Virgin Gorda, B.V.I. - Share the wonders of the deep as you swim over shallow coral reefs off Villa Aquamare in Virgin Gorda. Lying just 20 feet from shore is an underwater world teeming with parrot fish, groupers and sea turtles. For the more adventurous, families can take out one of Aquamare’s kayaks for a safe and easy paddle to a deserted beach. www.villaaquamare.com

2. Zip and Dip in Saint Lucia - Take a ride up to the mountain peaks and zip through the lush Saint Lucian rainforest on the popular zipline, keeping an eye out for lizards, parrots and monkeys. Then plan on a family dip at your stylish digs at Cap Maison in a private roof terrace pools or Jacuzzi. www.capmaison.com.

3. Stargaze from atop a Rainforest - From your comfortable aerie 1,100 feet above the Caribbean Sea at Ladera, use the resort’s sky maps to connect the dots and find more constellations than you ever knew existed. Then get into your private plunge pool to plan the next day’s beach excursion. www.ladera.com

Click to read more ...

Treat Dad To A Five-Star Irish Father's Day At Ashford Castle

Father’s Day is quickly approaching, and Ashford Castle, arguably Ireland’s most luxurious castle hotel, is rolling out the red carpet for fathers everywhere with a special Father’s Day Package.

Ashford CastleGuests who book two consecutive nights at €385 (approximately US$543) per person during Father’s Day weekend will get a third night on the house, including breakfast. Additionally, Dad will receive one complimentary activity of his choice on Father’s Day, June 21. Perhaps he’ll fancy the rare opportunity of a falconry lesson? Or maybe an archery lesson will be in order? Dad will have plenty of activities to choose from, with other options including clay shooting, horseback riding, golf and fly fishing.

For guests who can’t make it in time for Father’s Day, Ashford Castle is also celebrating its 70th birthday and is offering a package with similar perks that is valid through December 22, 2009. In addition to receiving a third night free when two consecutive nights are booked, guests who will turn 70 this year, two guests with a combined age of 70 or couples celebrating a 70th wedding anniversary will receive a welcome bottle of champagne to toast the special occasion. This offer is priced at €770 (approximately US$1,077) for three nights.

For more information, visit: http://www.ashford.ie.

About Ashford Castle:
Ashford Castle, which dates back to 1228, is set on 350 acres of County Mayo, on the shores of Lough Corrib and the River Cong, with a spectacular backdrop of woodlands, lake, river, and mountains. It features 83 guestrooms and is renowned for a range of country sports including an equestrian center, fly fishing, an exclusive nine-hole golf course, Ireland’s first school of falconry and sporting clay shooting. Several dining rooms and bars, along with a gracious afternoon tea service, round out the amenities.

AMANRESORTS' SUMMER SAFARIS... IN JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

Binoculars? Check! Camera? Check! Sunblock? Check! Passport? Not required!

AmanganiAmangani, on the edge of Grand Teton National Park and just 60 miles from Yellowstone National Park, makes it possible to go on safari this summer without even leaving the US.

Amangani’s new Wildlife Experience, a nature safari through some of the West’s most glorious scenery, introduces guests to the array of wildlife that runs free in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. More than 300 species of birds (bald eagles, mountain bluebirds, trumpeter swans and sand hill cranes among them) and big game, such as moose, elk, bison, wolves and bears, come into view with the help of an experienced guide.

Available through August 31, 2009, the Wildlife Experience includes four nights in one of Amangani’s Superior Suites, continental breakfast each morning, airport transfers, a full-day guided expedition through the Jackson Hole Valley and onward to Yellowstone National Park (maximum four participants per vehicle) for $1,700 per person based on double occupancy. Two children under the age of twelve can stay with their parents at no charge (breakfast additional).

Click to read more ...