Alabama Adventure theme park offers Father’s Day deal: $50 per carload

by Leigh Caldwell on

It’s one week until Father’s Day. Have you made plans with your dad?

The folks at Alabama Adventure near Birmingham suggest a day at the theme park. After all, what says, “I love you, Dad” more than screaming in his ear during a ride on the Rampage wooden roller coaster or digging your fingernails in his arm while being catapulted 185 feet in the air on the Space Shot?

Next Sunday, June 20, Alabama Adventure is offering a great deal for dad’s day: $50 admission for a carload. Now, they’re limiting that “carload” to six people, so don’t even think about sneaking the neighbor kids in in your trunk.

Still, that works out to $8.33 per person — less than a trip to the movies and way less than the general admission price of $29.99.

Alabama Adventure will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Father’s Day.

Swiss town offers “bike hotels”

by Sean McLachlan on

Switzerland is a mountainbiker’s dream. There are hundreds of miles of trails, beautiful scenery, and a generally bike-friendly culture.

One town has decided to get even friendlier. Gstaad, in the Berne canton, has organized “bike hotels” to specifically care for cyclists’ needs. Ten hotels in the scheme now offer repairs, maps, tours, staff who are knowledgeable about routes, even laundry services so you don’t have to smell like bad cheese at dinner. The hotels are in Gstaad and its satellite towns, and it’s possible to create an itinerary and stay in several. Gstaad itself doesn’t allow vehicle traffic, making it even more bike friendly.

Gstaad is a popular destination for skiing, and local officials hope to boost tourism revenues in the summer by encouraging more cyclists to visit.

Image courtesy Gstaad Tourism.

Off the beaten path: Road trip to a rarely visited National Park

by Gadling Staff on

The big national parks are popular for a reason, but here are 10 other national parks and forests you may not have visited, and some fun activities to do while you are there. Consider one of these off-the-beaten-path parks for your summer round-trip:

Acadia National Park is a beautiful piece of the Maine coastline. Bring your alarm clock so you can wake early and hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain just before dawn. From this spot, you’ll be the first person to see the sun rise over the US!

The White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire has some of the most rugged hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Mount Washington is located here and has the highest recorded winds on the planet. Take the train to the top and check out the buildings that are literally chained down so they don’t blow away!

While the Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park, few travelers leave their car. Take a few days to hike the Appalachian Trail here. It bisects the park and delineates Tennessee from North Carolina. See if you can count the 100 tree varieties found in the region.

The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, has the tallest sand dunes in the nation (Star Dune is over 750 feet). Bring your old skis or snowboard and spend a day sand-boarding!

The Bridger-Teton National Forest, in Wyoming, includes the Wind River Range. Don’t forget your fishing pole or your backpack. The high alpine lakes are home to world-class trout fishing and humans rarely venture to these parts.

In southwest New Mexico, the Gila National Forest encompasses the Gila Wilderness. The Gila was the first place to receive a Wilderness designation and for good reason. The hiking is epic and varies from high alpine forest to deep desert canyons. Be respectful, but look for the abandoned cave dwellings that you can still explore!

Dinosaur National Monument is in both Colorado and Utah. This area is famous for the hundreds of dinosaur skeletons excavated here. Raft the Green River on the “Gates of Ladore” stretch. It takes you through the confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers and into the monument. The white water is exciting and the views are spectacular.

Arches National Park, located in southern Utah, boasts the greatest concentration of natural arches in the world. Bring your running shoes to do a short trail run in Devils Garden.

Also located in southern Utah, Bryce National Park is a chimneyed deep canyon. Travel via burro to the bottom of the canyon for a unique experience you are sure to remember!

Redwood National Park, located in northern California, has the tallest trees on the planet. Either bring your bike or a convertible because you will want to look up to this humbling experience.

This summer take a road trip and explore some National Parks and Forests. It is a great way to stretch your legs and see something new in the U.S.

Travis Crooke is a Seed.com writer.

Free passes: Museum Day set for Sept. 25

by Amy Chen on

It’s not too early to start thinking about where you should be on Sept. 25, which happens to be the 6th annual Museum Day.

During last year’s Museum Day, an estimated 300,000 people got in free at some 1,300 museums around the country. Hosted by Smithsonian Media and sponsored by Toyota, the annual Museum Day offers a glimpse of what it’d be like if more museums in the U.S. were free — like in London, perhaps.

Though many U.S. museums offer free admission through year-round programs such as Target Free Fridays, the fact that Museum Day falls on a Saturday makes this a family-friendly (and budget-friendly) event.

Starting July 1, you can print the free museum pass from Smithsonian.com. The pass is good for two people at one of the participating museums. Though the list of registered venues hasn’t been finalized yet, confirmed museums include the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), the Adler Planetarium (Chicago), the Experience Music Project (Seattle), and the Dallas Museum of Art.

The value of the Museum Day pass depends on where you go. For example, general admission at the Museum of Fine Arts is usually $20 per adult, while entry to the Experience Music Project normally costs $15. Adult tickets at the Adler Planetarium and Dallas Museum of Art each regularly cost $10. If you’ll be traveling in late September, it’s worth trying to take advantage of these savings.

If you don’t see a museum near you, keep an eye on www.smithsonian.com/museumday for updated venues. Even if the museum charges for parking, chances are the free Museum Day pass will make this family outing less expensive than going to the movies.

Details: Starting on July 1, download your Museum Day Ticket from www.smithsonian.com/museumday. Limit one pass per household (or per e-mail address).

[Photo Credit: Amy Chen]

Three Midwest parks to cater to your summertime plans

by Gadling Staff on

The Midwest may not have the mega-parks of the National Park Service, but they’ve got something you won’t find at top tourist attractions: solitude. You won’t find huge waterfalls or towering mountains in the midwest, but then again, you also won’t have to wait in line for jockey for a camping space. You’ll find peace, quiet and an abundance of wildlife often unappreciated. If you’re looking for something a little different this summer, take a drive through America’s heartland and check out these three midwest parks:

Effigy Mounds National Monument, Harpers Ferry, Iowa
 There is a small exhibit area with a movie theater and plenty of very knowledgeable rangers in Effigy Mountains. The hiking trails that cover the area take you past American Indian mounds and deposit you on rocky outcroppings overlooking the majestic Mississippi River. Eagles, egrets, herons and hawks regularly fly the skies in this area and you might run into a few deer while you hike. The trails are moderately strenuous and some are handicap accessible. Make sure to take You must go to Firepoint, if it’s possible. On inclement days, this trail is often closed but the view is stellar. Camping is not allowed at the park, but there are many campsites in the area. Saint Croix National Scenic River, Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin
In the fall the colors of the trees along this river will take your breath away. Largely unknown, even in the area, this area offers camping, hiking and canoeing with an eye toward complete immersion in nature. I recommend starting at the beginning, at the park headquarters in St. Croix Falls. In the summer, the park gets crowded, especially on weekends, and camping space is on a first come, first serve basis. Cell phone service is dicey in the area, but that’s part of the appeal. Keep an eye out for eagles, as well as fish, deer, bats and more stars than you’ve ever seen in the night sky.

Sleeping Bear Dunes, Empire, Michigan
 Hiking in the sand is completely different from hiking trails in the forest. For starters, regular hiking boots feel like dead weight while climbing the dunes of this magnificent park. Start at the visitor center in Empire. Get a map and your bearings and head out along the scenic drive. Read all the information and follow the trails where you can. Admire the changes in the flora between the parking lot and the lakeshore. Be careful, because on really windy days, it can feel like you’re being sandblasted. There are tours available to two adjacent islands and a lighthouse (not often seen in the midwest). The park is open all year and the dunes are beautiful in every season.

Deb Montague is a Seed.com writer.