Skiing Santas invade Maine ski resort

by Kraig Becker on

Visitor to the Sunday River ski resort, located not far from Portland, Maine, received a holiday surprise when they arrived on the slopes this past weekend. The resort was holding its 11th annual “Santa Sunday” and as a result, there were 250 skiers dressed as jolly St. Nick on the slopes that day.

Each year, Sunday River holds the event to raise money for the Bethel Rotary Club, awarding two free lift tickets to the first 250 people who pre-register to take part. In turn, those registrants agree to wear the appropriate Santa garb, which include red coat, pants, hat (complete with pompom) and fluffy white beard. They must also agree to donate $10 to the cause, which is used by the Rotary Club to provide gifts for local children who come from needy families and may not have much of a Christmas otherwise. This year, Santa Sunday sold out in less than 12 minutes.

Besides playing host to a gaggle of Santas each year, Sunday River is a great ski resort that is easily accessible throughout the northeastern part of the U.S. and eastern Canada. With 132 trails spread out across 671 acres and 8 mountains, Sunday River has ski options for all skill levels and ages. Add in the fact that they can make enough snow to cover 92% of the resort, and you can bet that there will also be plenty of powder to play in. And with an abundance of the real stuff flying over the past week, conditions are great on the slopes at the moment.

Check out the video below for an idea of what Santa Sunday is all about.

[Photo credit: Sunday River]


The Gadling gift guide for the outdoor traveler

by Scott Carmichael on

In our third gift guide this season, we’ll show off some of the best gear for the traveler who loves the great outdoors, or at least for those travelers that pretend they do, because most of these gadgets will work just as well for someone who thinks of a Holiday Inn as “camping”.

Other guides in our 2010 lineup: gifts for iPhone/iPad owners and gifts for the business traveler

T-Mobile Motorola Defy

The Motorola Defy (on T-Mobile) is the first rugged 3G Android phone. This smartphone will actually survive a swim, or a drop on the ground. Its Gorillaglass screen means it won’t shatter when impacted.

Price: $99.99

Product page: T-Mobile

Gadling review

Scottevest Pack Windbreaker

Imagine a lightweight and waterproof windbreaker that folds into a package compact enough to also act as a small pillow. Now imagine that jacket with handwarmer pockets, an integrated cable management system and 17 different pockets. That is, in a nutshell, the Scottevest Pack Windbreaker.

Price: $75

Product page: Pack Windbreaker

SteriPEN Traveler

Only able to find “questionable” water? Once passed through a filter to remove particulate matter, stick the SteriPEN in your container, and lets its UV light purify it to drinkable quality.

Price: $59.95

Product page: SteriPEN

Pelican i1015 rugged Phone case

Who says enjoying the great outdoors means you can’t travel with some music? The Pelican i1015 iPhone case will let your device survive just about anything your throw at it. A pass-through headphone jack means it can stay in its case, while you enjoy your tunes.

Price:$26

Product page: Pelican

Otterbox cases

Otterbox cases provide protection in several levels – their basic case will protect against scratches, and their top of the line cases will handle water, drops and more. Best of all, the cases look great and are reasonably priced.

Price: from $19.95

Product page: Otterbox

Cannondale Jekyll bike

If you are looking for the ultimate bike for outdoors, then you won’t find anything better than the Cannondale Jekyll. This bike also has the honor of being the most expensive product in all of our gift guides, and at $4,249 it may not suit those that usually settle for the $200 bike at the local mega-mart. Its dual shocks, torsion control and carbon or alloy frame make it the ultimate in outdoor pedal power. Other models in this range start at $2,999, up to $7,999

Price: $4,249

Product page: Cannondale bikes

Gorillatorch Switchback lantern/headlamp

Gorillapod made a name for themselves with their neat flexible camera tripods, but this year they expanded their assortment with flashlights. One of the most impressive additions is the Switchback. This ultra-bright headlamp turns into a powerful lantern. Its five different LED’s can switch from a red night vision lamp to a 130 lumen floodlight.

Price: $59.95

Product page: Gorillatorch

ContourGPS

The new ContourGPS HD camera is at home in outside – but it really gets in its element when you strap it to your helmet and take it downhill, or when you try to record a really stupid stunt to show off on Youtube. But best of all, the camera also records your location, making it easy to plot your trip on a map.

Price: $349.99

Product page: ContourGPS

Goal O solar panel

Need some REAL power on the road? There are plenty of small solar power kits that promise to recharge your phone when they get a day or two of sunshine, but the Goal 0 Nomad 7m delivers 7 watts of power in 5 volts (USB) or 12 volts (DC plug). This will charge your phone just as fast as a wall outlet, assuming you get enough sun.

Price: $99.99

Product page: Goal 0

Antarctic cruise ship runs into trouble in Southern Ocean

by Kraig Becker on

Another Antarctic cruise ship ran into trouble yesterday while crossing the treacherous Drake Passage on its return voyage to Ushuaia, Argentina from the Antarctic Peninsula. The Clelia II suffered engine failure that left it adrift in the Southern Ocean for a time while the region’s notoriously bad weather pounded the vessel.

According to this report from Gadling’s very own Jon Bowermaster, the Clelia II has 88 passengers and 77 crew members on board. All of the passengers are reportedly fine and in good health, while one crew member has suffered minor injuries in the line of duty.

The ship was spotted and passed by the National Geographic Explorer, another cruise ship, which was also making the return voyage to Ushuaia. When the crew of the Clelia II failed to respond to hails, the Explorer turned around and returned to the foundering ship to render aid if needed. After establishing communications with Clelia, the Explorer stood by for much of the day, while crew members repaired the engine and managed to get the damaged ship limping back towards South America once again.

There have been a number of high profile accidents involving passenger liners in the waters off Antarctica in the past few years. Back in 2007, the MS Explorer struck an iceberg and sank in the Southern Ocean, while just last year this very same ship, the Clelia II, ran aground and needed to be pulled off the ice by another vessel.

For now, the ship is once again under its own power and hoping to complete its return trip to Argentina where full repairs can be made. The incident just happens to underscore the dangers of traveling in the Antarctic waters, which can be treacherous in the best of times. Fortunately, it seems that the Antarctic tourism community dodged yet another potential disaster. With the poor weather conditions this situation could have been far worse and it is a miracle that no one was seriously injured.

[Photo credit: Stewart/McIntosh]

Five perks business travelers MUST have

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you’ve ever been a road warrior, you know that the following is true. Spending hours upon hours on a plane several times a week, every week of the year, even the smallest benefits can make a profound difference. It’s sad but true that happiness is measured in on-time arrivals and exit rows, but such is the nature of frequent business travel.

According to the latest Orbitz for Business / Busienss Traveler Magazine Quarterly Trend Report, what business travelers want is changing. During the recession, cost was paramount, as cash-strapped businesses put pressure on employees to keep expenses under control in a bid to protect profit margins. Now that economic conditions are changing, travel priorities are too.

Ancillary services are gaining importance, as passengers are looking for ways to be comfortable again, especially if looser travel budgets are resulting in more time on the road. According to IATA, the airline industry is likely to pull in an aggregate $8.9 billion in profits from ancillary services this year, indicating that the money is likely to come from somewhere.

Let’s take a look at the five things the white collar travel folks are beginning to crave:1. A seat in the aisle: this isn’t surprising; everyone wants the chance to stretch out, even if it means the risk of getting slammed by the beverage cart.

2. Priority access at the security line and early boarding: hey, nobody wants to wait, right?

3. Airline lounge or club access: if you’re going to be stuck in an airport, you might as well enjoy it.

4. A seat at the front of the plane: boarding isn’t the only priority – business travelers want to get off quickly, too.

5. Extra leg room in coach: sense a theme here?

Like the opportunity to keep one’s dignity while flying, baggage check didn’t make the top five. Though among the most used ancillary services for leisure travelers, it came in sixth for business travelers, likely because frequent fliers have learned to avoid checking their bags at all costs. Interestingly, the least-used ancillary services are priority standby for an alternative flight and internet access, though I expect the latter to increase as it becomes more widely available.

New Celebrity cruise ships to be bigger and have more features

by Chris Owen on

Celebrity Cruises president Dan Hanrahan announced today some big changes to their popular Solstice-class ships. As an evolution of the Solstice-class signature Lawn Club, an on-deck grass area, the line will add several new features on upcoming Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection.

Calling the new Celebrity cruise ships an “evolution of what we’re doing” Hanrahan outlined the upcoming changes.

While Celebrity Silhouette will be the same 122,000 tons as her three younger sisters, the new Celebrity Reflection will be wider, taller and weigh in at 126,000 tons with the addition of another deck of staterooms.

Among other features that will shake things up on the new ships:

  • The new Lawn Club Grill, an open-air restaurant and display kitchen will take place of the grassy area on other Solstice-class ships. A $30 charge per person will apply.
  • Continuing parent-company Royal Caribbean Internationals focus on the arts, The Art Studio allows small, intimate hands-on interaction and instruction with experts.
  • The Gathering Table will be where culinary activity becomes part of the art experience. Cabana-style private retreats called The Alcoves will offer the popular adults serenity experience for an additional charge. Picnic baskets will be available for an extra charge also.
  • Continuing the serenity focus, The Hideaway will an indoor, tree house like ambiance for casual dining.
  • Signature lounge Michael’s Club will evolve into beer tasting venue with 50 international beers with a Rascal Flats feel by day and a Kings of Leon feel at night.

Celebrity’s Solstice-class ships feature larger than normal staterooms including spa-focused AquaClass accommodations. These premium staterooms include the line’s Concierge-class amenities, priority seating in Blu, a specialty restaurant created just for AquaClass guests. Other Concierge-class amenities include priority check-in, evening hors d’ooeuvres, a menu of pillows to select from, Egyptian cotton over-sized towels, complementary shoe-shine service, use of a golf umbrella and binoculars and more.

Celebrity Cruises currently operates 10 ships world-wide sailing itineraries in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Galapagos Islands.

Flickr photo by mascardo1