When kids go back to school, many adult travelers head to U.S. national parks. Depending on the location, the parks are visited by fewer people during the fall months, and temperatures are typically moderate. No matter where you go, however, there are plenty of appealing activities, as well as lodging choices for every budget.
Here are three examples of autumn-season national park adventures:
Death Valley National Park, California. Unlike most national parks, fall is just the beginning of the park’s peak season. Concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates the luxurious, 66-room Inn at Furnace Creek, which opens its doors for the season in mid-October. Xanterra also operates the year-round Ranch at Furnace Creek. The resort features three restaurants, lounge, gift stores, golf course, swimming pools and more. Activities in Death Valley include golfing at the world’s lowest golf course, horseback riding, Jeep tours, bicycling, tours of historic Scotty’s Castle, hiking and touring by car.
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".
Cities buzz with excitement and a beach escape is always fun, but there’s nothing quite as soul-soothing as getting away to the mountains. From dazzling night skies to snow-capped peaks and evergreen forests, here are five reasons to head for the mountains on your next adventure.
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".
Do you wish you could travel lighter? The secret to setting off with less, as you might imagine, is as much about what to leave out as it is what to put in.
As a professional wanderer, I know a bit about living out a suitcase. In fact, my husband, action/adventure novelist Hank Barone, and I recently packed up and set off on a yearlong romp through Latin America.
So, when the editors at The Adventure Blog asked me to share a few tips on packing for adventure, I was more than happy to accommodate. Read more: Packing Tips For the Adventure Traveler
What about you? How do you pack for adventure? Share your tips below.
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".
Should you add South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, to your Wanderlist?
(South Sudanese celebrate winning the referendum on independence)
Read what our partners at WorldNomads.com, global insurance experts, have to say on the subject in their recent article, Safety in the World’s Newest Nation - South Sudan .
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".
Nine Day Cacao and Culture Tour of Ecuador Follows Path of Gourmet Channel Documentary ‘El Cacao’ Released in May 2011
Gourmet adventure along the ‘cacao route’ is reason enough for anyone with a sweet tooth and penchant for offbeat travel to book a trip by this name through Equatortrekking to explore chocolate production in Ecuador.
by JackJelly for iStockPhoto.com“This is a must for foodies who can sample chocolate, learn how it‚s used in indigenous dishes, scrutinize its harvest and the supply chain,” says Mateo Ponce, founder of Equatortrekking. “Our travelers are always pleasantly surprised by the quality of Ecuadorian chocolate. This response inspired us to combine Ecuador’s rich chocolate history with the country’s people, landscape and culture to create this distinctively flavored tour.”
The per person rate for Gourmet Adventure in the Cacao Route is $2,430 (exclusive of air into Ecuador) for the nearly all inclusive, nine day-eight night tour. 2011 departures are June 20, July 15 and 30, Aug. 15 and 30, and Sept. 15.
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".
Discover a New Aloha with NEW American Safari Cruises in Hawaii
To celebrate American Safari Cruises’ inaguaral season in the Hawaiian Islands, a $300 per couple value-added travel credit* is being offered on Hawaii reservations made between June 1 and July 29, 2011, for travel between October 26, 2011 and May 3, 2012.
American Safari Cruises’ 36 passenger Safari Explorer is the only small-group expedition yacht offering overnight cruises in the Hawaiian Islands. Guests sail one-way on an active luxury adventure between Maui and the Big Island that includes exclusive cruise visits to Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi and Molokini.
Unstructured itineraries leave time for seeking wildlife, engaging in active adventure and exclusive cultural experiences on the following two Hawaiian itineraries:
Hawaiian Seascapes: 8 days/7nights
Hawaii’s traditional shores: 11 days/10 nights
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".