Largest urban park in the contiguous U.S.A planned for Chicago

by Elizabeth Seward on

The Green Urbanist recently reported plans for the constructing of the largest urban park in the contiguous United States. Claiming Chicago as its home, this park project is reported to have $17 million in backing from the state of Illinois. The project aims to convert 140,000 acres of both under-used and post-industrial land into a public recreation zone. These acres lay along Chicago‘s southern rim. The working title for this park? The Millennium Reserve.

In an effort to preserve the Lake Calumet area, the Illinois Governor, Pat Quinn, is hoping to add private funding to the project. The Millennium Reserve, if followed through with, will create hundreds of jobs and boost the local economy. While I love the idea of making use of land that is no longer in use, I hope the plan includes keeping at least a few of those charming post-industrial buildings around. I can imagine them now, gleaming from their renovations and welcoming park visitors with maps, information, and restrooms while stilling nodding to the area’s past as a historical token immersed in the to-be beautiful terrain.

Adventure Vacation Guide 2012: Belize

by Elizabeth Seward on

Belize is the only country in Central America with English as the official language. The small country, measuring 180 miles long and 68 miles wide, is a popular vacation destination for tourists whose native language is English. But Belize is good for much more than just lounging in white sand while watching the shimmering teal waves roll in and out while drinks, ordered in English, are replenished. Behind the luxurious resorts and relaxing vacation packages, Belize is an adventure destination.

With the lowest population density in Central America and, simultaneously, the highest growth rate in the region, 2012 is the year to visit Belize–it’s still spacious and remote in most places, but it doesn’t appear as though this quality will serve Belize permanently. People everywhere are beginning to now catch onto what natives have always known–Belize is not only gorgeous, rich in history, and filled with Mayan cultural treasures, but the small country packs in a big punch with adventure and thrill-seekers. Inexpensive and lush, the untainted waters and landscapes await you.Explore Belizean caves littered with Mayan ruins. The ATM Cave, near the city of San Ignacio, boasts still-in-tact skeletons and pieces of once-blood-holding pottery from Mayan sacrifices; these were offerings to the gods during times of desperate drought. But there’s a catch to seeing something as rare as these remnants–you have to get to them first. Getting through ATM cave is no easy feat. You must first hike through thick rainforest terrain for an hour before facing the cave’s entrance, which is a waterway. The only way in, and out, is to swim through the chilly water in the pitch-black, damp cave with your headlamp serving as your only guiding light. After you’ve made it in and out of the water portions of the cave, relatively challenging climbs and tight squeezes await you as you journey through this spooky cavern.

Zip-line through the forests surrounding this cave and many others while you’re inland. Stop to observe wild jaguars if you can while in the Jaguar Paw area. While at Jaguar Paw, take the opportunity to go for a tubing trip through a cave. Hike through thick and challenging terrain and cool off via waterfall rappelling. Scuba dive down into the famous-for-a-reason Great Blue Hole, a submarine sinkhole that measures 984 feet across and 407 feet deep. Widely regarded as one of the best diving spots in the world, the aerial shots of this gaping Caribbean hole will make your heart skip a beat (just Google it). If diving is too much of a commitment for you, spend your time a bit more leisurely and follow a shining school of fish while snorkeling. Weave around the shoreline and throughout the inland rivers by kayak or go kayak sailing into the rising sun. Spend your time doing daily yoga at one of the country’s yoga retreats or yoga-friendly resorts, fully immersed in a tranquil environment, or test your boundaries with a sky diving, parasailing, base-jumping, or bungee jumping excursion.

Whether your on a shoestring budget or looking to spend your hard-earned money on all of the finest adventures Belize has to offer, you’ll find a sweat-inducing, adrenaline-spiking experience in Belize that suits your wallet and lifestyle. With a landscape like the Belize landscape, adventure waits outside your door with free admission to the mountains and beaches. And with organized companies like the ones you can find in Belize with minimal research, sky’s the limit for your guided adventure in this small, but incredibly rich, Caribbean country.

[flickr image via jayhem]

Ten big travel adventures for 2012

by Kraig Becker on

A new year always brings new possibilities, particularly in the realm of travel. With 2012 now officially underway, it is time to start plotting our adventures for the year ahead. This year, rather than share yet another top ten list of adventure travel destinations, we thought it would be fun to recommend some highly specific adventures instead. These are unique journeys that will take you to the very ends of the Earth and deliver a travel experience that simply can’t be easily found elsewhere.

Visit Yellowstone in Winter
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most breathtakingly scenic destinations in all of North America, and well worth a visit any time of the year. But in the heart of winter, it takes on a whole new level of beauty and wonder. With fewer than 100,000 visitors during the colder months, the park offers plenty of solitude as well, making it the perfect winter wonderland for those looking for a true wilderness adventure in the snow. Cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and wildlife spotting are amongst the best activities, and Austin Lehman Adventures offers fantastic itineraries that provide all of that and much more.

Explore Botswana’s Okavango Delta By Canoe
Botswana is home to the Okavango Delta, which is formed when waters from the Okavango River empty into the flat-lands near the base of the Kalahari Desert. The result is a fertile piece of swampland that attracts all manner of African wildlife, including elephants, zebras, giraffes, lions, and much more. The best way to explore that expanse of wetlands is in a traditional dugout canoe, which puts you in very close proximity with those amazing animals. National Geographic Expeditions has a unique itinerary that allows travelers to do just that, while learning to track game with the famed Kalahari Bushmen and wander the Makgadikgadi salt flats on horseback. This is truly an amazing, once in a lifetime, journey to the very heart of Africa.

Cycle The Silk Road
Stretching across Europe and Asia, the Silk Road was once one of the most important trading routes in the entire world. Today it serves as the dramatic and historic backdrop for one of the longest, and most epic, annual cycling trips that any adventure traveler could ever ask for. The Silk Route Tour, which is designed by the team behind the amazing Tour d’Afrique, stretches from Shanghai to Istanbul, covering a distance of more than 7450 miles and requiring 129 days to complete. This year’s route takes riders into Iran for the first time and will test their legs on Tajikistan’s Pamir Highway, which rises above 15,000 feet. Don’t have time to commit to the full tour? Then ride any combination of the individual legs instead.Climb A Himalayan Peak
Standing 23,494 feet in height, Pumori is a Himalayan peak that often serves as a tune-up climb for mountaineers hoping to move on to bigger challenges such as Everest. Located in the Khumbu Region of Nepal, Pumori also happens to be a great challenge for those who want to experience a major alpine expedition in the most spectacular mountain chain on the planet. Peak Freaks, one of the top Himalayan guide services in world, offers an excellent, fully featured, 34-day climb up the mountains South Ridge, which requires no high altitude experience, although some technical skills with crampons and ice axes are a must.

Go Gorilla Spotting in Rwanda
The mountain gorilla is one of the most elusive and endangered animals on the planet, and because of this, their remote habitats have been designated as nature preserves and sanctuaries throughout Africa. One of the best places to spot them is in Rwanda, where adventure travel and eco-tourism have helped directly fund the preservation of these gentle creatures. Visitors to the Virunga Volcanoes National Park must hike for miles through dense forests just to catch a glimpse of the gorillas, but those who have made the journey report that it is a magical experience unlike any other. Adventure travel specialists Abercrombie & Kent can help make that experience a reality for wildlife lovers who want a very personal encounter with these amazing primates.

Trek The Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan
In the remote northeast corner of Afghanistan there is a narrow strip of land known as the Wakhan Corridor. The region once served as a buffer zone between the British and Russian Empires, but today it is a wilderness that rarely sees outside visitors. Trekking through that valley is akin to stepping back in time, as there are few modern amenities to be found. What is in abundance however are scenic mountain vistas, tiny villages populated by local herdsman, and rugged trekking routes that are amongst the most remote on the planet. Few travel companies organize expeditions to the region, although Wild Frontiers out of the U.K. does have plans to lead two excursions – one 20 days in length, the other 30 – into the Corridor this year.

Hike and Bike Easter Island
Speaking of remote destinations, they don’t come much more remote than Easter Island. Famous for the mysterious moai statues that proliferate the landscape, the South Pacific island is an intriguing mix of history and outdoor adventure. For those looking to visit the place for themselves, G Adventures offers an affordable option that features full and half-day cycling excursions and day hikes to visit some of the more famous locations where the stone faces that Easter Island is known for are in abundance.

Dive The Maldives
For more than 45 years, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, has been teaching travelers how to scuba dive. But the organization also offers a host of diving trips to some of the most exotic destinations on the planet. For example, the PADI itinerary to the Maldives take divers on a cruise through the beautiful island nation, where the waters offer visibility in excess of 100 feet and encounters with sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and scores of other marine animals.

Experience Mongolia’s Gobi Desert
Mongolia’s Gobi Desert has long held an undeniable allure to the adventure traveler, and what better way to take in its wonders than by traveling overland through those remote landscapes. Intrepid Travel has a new itinerary for 2012 that sends travelers on a three-week long odyssey over towering sand dunes, past ancient ruins, and through lush, open steppe lands. Accommodations range from traditional Mongolian Yurts to rugged bush camps. This is the ultimate road trip through a part of the world that few outsiders are lucky enough to ever see.

Ski To The South Pole
If you’re a well heeled adventure traveler looking for the ultimate escape, a last degree journey to the South Pole may just be fit the bill. The expedition begins in Antarctica at 89°S and covers the final 60 miles to the Pole on cross country skis. It isn’t an easy journey however, as you’ll be pulling your food and gear behind you in a sled, while battling fierce winds, subzero temperatures, and occasional whiteout conditions. If this sounds like your particular brand of suffering, than Adventure Consultants has a 17-day itinerary that you’ll probably love. Just don’t let the sticker shock scare you.

Good luck in your 2012 adventures, where ever they may take you.

[Photo credits: Pumori – Philip Ling; Easter Island – Aurbina both via WikiMedia]

Adventure vacation Guide 2012: Ecuador

by Laurel Miller on

Most Norteamericanos are hard-pressed to locate Ecuador on the map. Those familiar with this South American country the size of Colorado usually associate it with the (admittedly) spectacular Galapagos Islands. Yet Ecuador has so much more offer besides the Galapagos, and 2012 is the year to get your hardcore on. Why? Because the country’s adventure travel industry is blowing up–but it’s still affordable, especially if you opt for independent travel or book certain activities through domestic outfitters or U.S. travel companies that work directly with Ecuadorean guides.

Whatever your recreational interests, budget, or experience, odds are Ecuador has it: mountaineering, glacier climbing, and volcano bagging; trekking on foot or horseback; Class III to VI whitewater kayaking and rafting; sea kayaking, scuba diving, and snorkeling; surfing; remote jungle lodges and endemic wildlife, and agritourism. Need more convincing? Ecuador’s adventure tourism increasingly has an emphasis on sustainability. When it comes to protecting its fragile ecosystem and indigenous communities, Ecuador has become quite progressive for a developing nation, which hasn’t always been the case.

If you like a cultural or culinary component to your travels, there’s that, too. You can opt for an active, educational trip to indigenous-owned and -operated Amazonian eco-lodges, or play in the Pacific regions, which retain a strong Afro-Ecuadorean influence.

Agritourism is also hot in Ecuador, most notably at centuries-old haciendas, although there are also coffee and cacao plantation tours. Ecuadorean food is a diverse melding of indigenous and outside ethnic influences that’s regionally influenced: be sure to patronize markets, roadside restaurants, and street food stalls for some of the most memorable eats.

[flickr image via Rinaldo W]

Island of adventure: Brac, Croatia

by Jessica Festa on

We’re almost into a new year, so what better time to start planning for some new trips? While there are some great adventure destinations out there that have proven to be well-worth the journey, there are still some lesser known regions that have a lot to offer. One of these is the Island of Brac in Croatia, a region full of outdoor and adrenaline-pumping activities.

Hike up, or mountain bike down, the tallest peak in the Adriatic Islands

Standing at about 2,553 feet high is Vidova Gora, also known as Vitus Mount. From the top, you will be able to have an unobstructed view of beaches, mountain slopes, and some of the Dalmatia Islands. The trek consists of various terrain; at one point it may be rocky and steep while at other times the trail is low and sandy. The most popular hike on the island is from Vidova Gore to Blaca Hermitage.

It is also popular to mountain bike down the peak, which offers a thrilling way to see the scenery. Moreover, the island of Brac itself has a extensively developed network of white roads and single tracks for mountain biking. The paths have virtually no traffic, and the natural scenery of pine woods, olive fields, and secluded beaches combined with the mix of easy and challenging terrain makes this one picturesque adventure. For guided hikes and bike rides, contact Aldura Sport.Scuba dive underwater caves

Brac is home to some excellent scuba diving, especially because the island receives such little rainfall, making for very clear visibility. One great place is Lucica Cave, located in the biggest cove on the island on Brac’s southeast coast. The entrance to the cave is near the exit of the cove, about 10 feet underwater. Once you enter the aquatic cave, the average depth you will experience is about 58 feet, although at times it goes as deep as 134.5 feet. Once inside, you will be amazed at the expansiveness of the cave, as well as the size of the fish. If you’d like to take a diving course or go with a guide in Brac, some reputable operators include Amber Dive Center and Nautic Center Bol.

Windsurf or Kiteboard in the channel between Brac and Hvar Island

Make your way over to Bol on Brac Island and experience the ideal place for windsurfing. The channel between Brac Island and Hvar Island is well-known for its maestral winds that cause stable weather conditions that are perfect for windsurfing. The winds in this area are also stronger than anywhere else on the island, with mild winds in the morning, perfect for getting your practice in. Kiteboarding, water skiing, wake boarding, and para-sailing are also popular in this area. If you’re interested in windsurfing lessons, contact Aldura Sport. For kiteboarding, contact YellowCat Kiteboarding.

Rock climb in the Lozisca region

In Brac, there are over 100 rock climbing routes of varying intensities for visitors to enjoy. The climbing area in Lozisca, a village located in a simple stone glade, is the perfect place for beginner and intermediate climbers due to its variety of available routes. You can get to the village easily from the nearby areas of Sutivan and Supetar. Climbs in this area give participants great views of the the diverse landscape as rolling hills, green valleys, and shimmering water can be seen all at once. For a map of the routes with their intensity grades, click here. One popular tour company for this climb is Aldura Sport, who will give you 3 hours of climbing as well as a lesson to make sure you are prepared.

Sea kayak in an ideal location

The Island of Brac is a premier location for sea kayaking for people of all levels, mostly because of its predictability in terms of winds and currents. It is also very safe, as no matter where you are a beach is only 10 minutes away by kayak. The island also enjoys many areas with little tourism so the water and land can be enjoyed in a truly natural setting. For a more challenging kayaking adventure, the nearby islands of Hvar and Šolta are just few hours of paddling away.

Try the island’s popular sport of stand up paddle surfing

Stand up paddle surfing (SUP), which is a form of surfing that allows for increased visibility, can be done anywhere on Brac Island. One very natural route is Sutivan-Bobovišća. Begin at Sutivan and go along the northwest shore, paddling along a construction-free area of small pebble beaches with almost no boat traffic. For a longer, more challenging route, go all the way to Bobovišća, a town rich in cultural history.

Channel your inner circus performer and try slacklining

First introduced to Croatia during their annual extreme sports festival (see below), Slacklining has become a favorite adventure sport on Brac Island. Think of it as walking a tightrope, as participants walk on a flat nylon rope that is attached to two points. According to Eti Ljubetic Steka of Aldura Sport, one of the major adventure sports companies of Brac, “We usually do
it during the break of climbing sessions or after them during dinner time. For example, after climbing or biking, we take our groups to an authentic shepherd’s village for a traditional dinner, a lamb meal, and while waiting for the dinner we set up a slackline park in the village among the trees and have some fun.”

Attend the annual extreme sports festival, Vanka Regule, in July

For a week every July in Sutivan on Brac Island, peole flock from all over the world to attend the extreme sports festival, Vanka Regule. Since 1999, free climbing, trail running, sea kayaking, mountain biking, free diving, dry tooling, and more are enjoyed by attendees. Along with doing and watching active sports, there is a film festival to go along with the theme.