a guest article by B&B expert, Marti Mayne
“Aren’t you worried it’s going to be cold?” asked more than one person when I told them I was heading to Sunday River Ski Resort for a weekend of ziplining. For this acrophobe, cold temps were the least of my worries. One of the items on my “bucket list” has always been to conquer my fear of heights, and I was bound and determined to do it on this trip.
I packed my two daughters (Calli, 11, and Kim Han, 9) into the car and off we went with my husband Lincoln for a weekend adventure at Sunday River. We’re an avid skiing family, and a weekend of skiing fun combined with the novel adventure of ziplining sounded like the perfect getaway. The drive included rousing group renditions of “Zippity Do Dah” and Christmas carols on the radio; clearly, everybody was ready!
Read all about the zipline adventure on EasternSlopes.com.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Make your dream a reality in 2011 with Austin-Lehman Adventures.
A vacation in Africa evokes mystery, wonder and above all else, adventure. If you were to ask 100 people what their #1 dream vacation is, a safari in Africa would probably top the list. However, Africa is incredibly diverse and making a decision about where to go and what to do can be an overwhelming challenge.
In 2010 Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA) director, Dan Austin, spent months studying the available options in Africa. He traveled to South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana, exploring firsthand the diverse options. He met with dozens of lodge operators, did countless game drives, visited villages and got to know at least 10 different tribes. He ate Mopane Worms in Windhoek, Wart Hog in Pamwag and Eland in Katima. He hiked, drove, boated and biked his way across these 5 countries all to understand the best of the best.
Once he had a better understanding of the where, he went to work on the how and who. After talking with a dozen ground operators before leaving the states, he was very pleased to meet face-to-face with 3 of the best in all of Africa. He spent hours poring over maps and researching accommodations, all with a keen eye on value. Working hand in hand, the team worked together to come up with the following 3 diverse and exciting itineraries (see below) that highlight some of the best that Africa has to offer.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
In the 1920s, sled dogs carried mail and supplies to remote regions of Alaska along a trail now called Iditarod. Guests on an AdventureSmith Explorations’ new nine-day Iditarod and Northern Lights Tour in Alaska this winter can place bets on their favorite huskies and witness the start of the annual Iditarod dog sled race while basking under the magnificence of the Northern Lights. This 1,150-mile wilderness trek from Anchorage to the Bering Sea commemorates a heroic race against death by diphtheria in 1925 when these fabled dogs brought life-saving serum to Nome.
This new AdventureSmith Explorations Iditarod and Northern Lights Tour beginning Feb. 27, 2011 includes dog sledding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling, with stops along the way to see the Northern Lights from atop a mountain and review works-in-process at the 25-acre Ice Park where, in March, the World Ice Art Championships are held. Lodging is at several of Alaska’s finest hotels.
From Fairbanks, the arrival and departure city, and a stay at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge on the banks of the Chena River, the tour travels to Chena Hot Springs Resort to play in this winter world. Here is some the best Northern Lights viewing, especially from the vantage while soaking in a natural outdoor lake of up to 105 degrees. (The resort is also one of the leaders in harnessing geo-thermal energy from the hot springs.)
A flight to Anchorage includes lodging at the Captain Cook Hotel and an invitation to attend the Musher’s Banquet that celebrates the great achievement of the serum run that saved the lives of countless Nome children. The life and work of mushers who drive the teams will be explored, along with insights into the characteristics of sled dogs and the years of breeding and training that go into putting together a team. Mushers will describe the strategy, hardships, technical aspects and joys of life on the trail. At the banquet guests can bid at an auction for a ride with a musher as they leave the race start chute.
The ceremonial Iditarod start begins in downtown Anchorage. The #1 position is reserved in the memory of Leonhard Seppala, an immigrant from Norway who came to Alaska for the Gold Rush and became the state’s foremost hero when he did the 1925 sled run. Any of AdventureSmith Explorations’ guests who are successful bidders on the “Idita-Rider” auction will ride in the sled of a musher as they begin the race.
The per person rate begins at $2,699 (plus $98 tax) for eight nights lodging and breakfasts, two dinners, escort, private transfers, air between Anchorage and Fairbanks plus all admissions to events and lectures.
From November 1, 2010 to April 30, 2011 AdventureSmith Explorations also offers a shorter version of their Northern Lights Tour with an optional seat on the spectacular Aurora Train between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The program departs daily upon request and rates begin at $450 per person (without the train extension), or $750 with the train ride. See: http://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com/itinerarydetails.php/advid/18
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Meet K2 designers and try unreleased test skis and prototypes for the 2011-2012 season. This limited adventure from Canadian Mountain Holidays is perfect for people who love heli-skiing and testing new products.
Join CMH Heli-Skiing and K2 Skis this winter (March 12 - 19, 2011) and be among the first to test out K2’s upcoming line of 2011-12 skis. You will have access to a variety of unreleased K2 test skis during a Heli-Ski week with CMH. K2 designers will be on-hand with prototype skis, and they will gather your valued feedback on an assortment of performance metrics of each ski model you choose to take for a ride.
The designers will then take your comments back to the K2 Headquarters and fine-tune the skis with your comments in mind. Your reward for all this hard work? A free pair 2011-2012 K2 skis once they are released in the fall of 2011.
Get more Heli-Skiing details at Canadian Mountain Holidays
Source: The Adventure Collection
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Top 10 Ski Rental Home Destinations:
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
My brother and his family relocated to Sandy, UT, this year and you can bet I’m happy to have a guest room within shouting distance of some of North America’s finest ski mountains! Check out what’s new and improved at Utah’s 13 ski resorts this winter…
Utah ski resorts have been busy adding new terrain, on-mountain enhancements, luxury accommodations, programs and packages to complement the destination’s astonishing accessibility and 500 annual inches of The Greatest Snow on Earth®. Entering the 2010-11 winter season, Utah’s resorts boast some of the most significant resort improvements in the US.
NEW TERRAIN
The Canyons Resort has added new terrain to the southern end of its resort property. Iron Mountain, adjacent to Dream Peak, will open 300 acres of northwest facing terrain. Ten runs ranging from intermediate to advanced intermediate will be cut and nearly 300+ acres of naturally gladed tree skiing will be available. The new terrain brings the resort to 4,000 total skiable acres and makes it the fourth largest ski resort in the US.
Park City Mountain Resort added three new Adventure Alley runs allowing intermediates the thrill of skiing or riding through the trees. The Resort has also continued to glade Crescent Ridge, enhancing the advanced skiing experience.
Powder Mountain brings 1,000 additional acres of expert chutes and bowls to the 2,000 acres of terrain already in use by the Snowcat Powder Safari.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".