Yellowstone offers unique multi-day tours this summer

by Kraig Becker on

Today marks the final day of National Parks Week, during which time visitors received free entry into each of the parks in the U.S. system. But if you found that the week went by way too fast, and you didn’t have time to visit one of parks to celebrate, than perhaps it is time to start planning your own vacation to one of the iconic destinations for the summer ahead. With that idea in mind, Xanterra Parks & Resorts is hoping that they can lure you to Yellowstone with a trio of multi-day tours designed to entice travelers of all types.

All three of the tours include four or five nights stay in the park, meals, transportation through Yellowstone, complete with an experienced and knowledgeable guide, and a variety of adventurous activities to help visitors to get the most out of their stay.

The three tours include the Couples Adventure Package which offers five nights at the Old Faithful Inn, and a host of guided hikes throughout the park. The Classic Yellowstone offering is four nights in length, with stays at a variety of inns, and features a scenic cruise on Lake Yellowstone along with comprehensive driving tours of the diverse regions of the park, including the wildlife rich Lamar Valley. And the Total Yellowstone Tour, which gives visitors the whole experience, includes a cruise on the lake, a tour of the Mammoth Terraces on horseback, a ride on a stagecoach, and a visit to some of the more unique regions of the world’s first national park. That tour is spread out over five days and stays in a variety of inns as well.

Each of these tours is available beginning in June and running weekly through October. The itineraries are specially designed to give visitors a thorough look at one of the most spectacular wilderness settings in the world, complete with snow capped peaks, abundant wildlife, and unique geological wonders that are unlike anything else on Earth.

Personally, I’m a huge fan of Yellowstone, and think that it offers the quintessential national park experience. The scenery there is breathtaking and the diversity of the animals that live in the park is unmatched anywhere else in the lower 48 states. It is a perfect setting for hikers, backpackers, families, and nearly every other type of traveler as well. It is simply a magical place for anyone who enjoys the outdoors.

National Geographic Traveler announces 2011 Tours of a Lifetime

by Kraig Becker on

National Geographic Traveler magazine has announced its annual list of their picks for Tours of a Lifetime, selecting 50 fantastic journeys to the far flung corners of the globe. For each of the past six years, Traveler has examined thousands of tours in a variety of categories, including volunteer vacations, family friendly trips, small-ship voyages, and adventure travel. From all of those itineraries, they’ve narrow down their choices to this select group, which represent the absolute best in travel, offering amazing cultural experiences, unique activities, and a commitment to sustainability.

On their website, Traveler has broken down the selected tours into six regions of the world, including Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, North America, and Oceania. By clicking on one of those options, readers are presented with the magazine’s recommendations for the very best tours operating in that area, complete with a brief description, links to the tour operator’s website, and price, which can vary wildly depending on the destination and options.

Amongst the selections for this year’s Tours of a Lifetime are Serengeti bush treks, whitewater paddling in Siberia, and a journey deep into the interior of Guyana. There is a journey along the Inca Trail on horseback and cycling tours of Italy and France, as well an expedition to the South Pole on skis. In short, there is a little something for everyone, depending on their interests and budget.

Since all of these trips are researched and vetted by National Geographic, you can rest assured that all of the tour operators are not only legitimate, but also top tier. These trips were specifically selected because they offer something that is a little out of the norm. Something unique that you can’t generally get anywhere else. I’m pretty sure, even if you think you’ve been everywhere and done everything, you’ll still find something to appeal to you on this list.

[Photo credit: Christian Heeb, laif/Redux]

Video of the day: The Mountain, El Teide, Spain

by Elizabeth Seward on

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

This video by Terje Sorgjerd, called “The Mountain”, came into my Tumblr feed yesterday. I’ve watched it several times since that first breathtaking viewing and I’m still in awe. This time lapse video was filmed on El Teide–Spain‘s highest mountain. The mountain is reportedly one of the best places in the world to view the stars and the Teide Observatories call the mountain home.

The video was shot between April 4th-11th, 2011. Sorgjerd is a landscape photographer from Norway and, according the video’s Vimeo description, didn’t spend much time sleeping during this week-long shoot. With stunning views of the stars, the trees, and even a sandstorm that rolled through during the shoot, watching this video is an easy way to brighten your day in just a few minutes.

Video: Arcade Fire at Coachella

by Elizabeth Seward on

Music festivals are one of the best ways to spend your sweet summer time. Although we’re still a ways off from the official launch of summer, many music fans consider Coachella the beginning of summer… or, at least, the beginning of summer festivals. As the season of love via live music swings fuller into gear, I’ll help you navigate as many music festivals as I can. But for now, lets talk about Coachella.

Coachella is one of the bigger USA music festivals each year and it’s safe to say that the festival acts as a vacation destination for people across the globe. With 225,000 attendees last year, this year’s festival had a whole lot of hype leading up to its launch. Coachella just wrapped up last night and in case you haven’t heard, it seems as though there might have been some desert-style drama at the event, both good and bad.

Kanye West slammed the event and other event performers. Cee Lo Green showed up late and blamed the festival for his tardiness. But on a more positive energy note, Arcade Fire illuminated their audience with a set you can check out in the video above.

Good travel apps, just in time for summer

by Chris Owen on

Planning that summer vacation, road trip or trek? Some new apps for your smart phone might be just what you need to help those summer vacation plans work out for the best.

Window Seat is one of the coolest new ones. After loading your flight plan just before take off, Window Seat alerts you of stuff below as you fly. This one is an offline, inflight map that uses predictive technology which knows the location of all commercial flights in the contiguous U.S. based the assigned route and airtime.
Coming up, IBM is working on a system that predicts traffic that has not happened yet. Destined to show up in an app Designed for commuters, the Smart Traveler app is being tested in California.

“In a technology advance that will ultimately help drivers around the world avoid rush hour traffic jams, IBM Research has developed a new predictive modeling tool that will allow drivers to quickly access personalized travel recommendations to help them avoid congestion, and save time and fuel” IBM said in a press release.

For example, IBM monitors incoming 911 calls, tagging the originating location via GPS then considering the effect of all those fire trucks, police cars and ambulances on traffic.

“By actively capturing and analyzing the massive amount of data already being collected, we’re blending the automated learning of travel routes with state-of-the-art traffic prediction of those routes to give travelers timely information that can help them make decisions about the best way to get to their destination” added IBM.

Finally, My Campmate is a great app for anyone hiking, fishing, camping or just someone who gets lost a lot. In the middle of nowhere, tired of fabulous food cooked in the wilderness and just want to find a grocery store? My Campmate finds it for you, drops a pin in it’s map and off you go.

Users can also compile a group of “Mates” they travel with often, split the cost of the trip with the touch of one button or locate yourself in relation to your campsite. No need to leave a trail of breadcrumbs anymore.

Flickr photo by Lars Plougman

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