Ten Destinations Under $1,000

by Erik Olsen on

I don’t know if we can call these “cash-strapped times”. I suppose it depends on your station in life and whether you are a CEO of a major corporation who just got a $250 million bonus even though your company’s stock is down. But for most of us, the idea of taking a trip and not having to take out a second mortgage is rather savory.

I have been doing some shopping around for plane tickets to Europe this summer and — whoa — it is hard to find ANYTHING for under $1,000. And that’s JUST FOR AIRFARE! So what are we middle-class folks to do? Well, you’ll have to get your own fact-checkers on board to look into the deals here, but its coming from good ol USA Today, so you can probably be sure the stuff is accurate.

Here in this article they offer a solid list of rather impressive adventures for under $1000. Per person that is. What kind of stuff do they suggest? A road trip to the next state? Nope. Better than that. There are trips here to Chile and the Torres del Paine (a favorite of mine), Utah (for biking), Belize (for diving) and Tuscany (for eating and shooting photos). Could you really imagine that you could get to for under a grand? Me neither. That’s why it’s important to note that many of these trips don’t include airfare. And more, many of them (like the excursion) are timed for winter, which right now seems way too far off, especially for those of us trying to make up our razadooks what to do this summer.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of May 28

by Adrienne Wilson on

You’ve probably been wondering what camp grounds we’ve been hiding away at with it being so quiet at times, but mind you we’re out there dirtying up the soles of our finest trekking shoes and reading blog after blog/paper after paper to bring you worldly goodies. So if you’ve missed them by chance here’s your opportunity to catch up with this week’s Gadling Take Five.

5. Dining in Newport, Kentucky – Hofbräuhaus:
I wouldn’t normally place a restaurant review in the Take Five, but this one seems worth a second mention. If you’re traveling anywhere around the Cincinnati, OH/Kentucky border, you’ll want to swing by the Hofbräahaus for incredible German fare and entertainment. Bring your entire posse.

4. Houseboating in the Emerald City:
Erik does a brief tid-bit on the splendors of houseboating in Seattle’s Lake Union area as mentioned in a Washington Post piece. If you’re on a search for alternative living situations this looks like a very cool one to consider. It’s like a vacation home that’s always home.

3. European Rock Festivals:
Like Neil, who blogs on how much he hates missing good European Rock Festivals, I too dislike knowing I’ve missed something incredibly rockin’ or that poor travel planning was the reason behind it. Thankfully Neil points out a great piece from the New York Times on the major European festivals so we can mark them on our calendars between museum visits.

2. Nesting of the Giant Leatherback Turtles, Grand Riviere, Trinidad:
Nature and wildlife lovers should stop whatever they’re doing right now to visit Karen’s Hidden Gems piece on the giant Leatherback turtles in Grand Riviere, Trinidad. With all the time I spent in TnT on my last two visits, I never had the chance to check out the turtles and it appears they’re a real treat. Don’t miss them on your own travels.

1. Ignoring the Critically Sick on Everest:
This post really stings and looking at the comments we can see how tough a decision it must be to leave someone dying on Everest. Erik discovered the story of a 34-year-old British climber who was critically sick, passed by 40 or so climbers and left to die in the Seattle Times. Ugh! If you’ve ever thought of climbing Everest you may want to read this piece – not to scare you, but to give you a little something extra to consider.

Ignoring the Critically Sick on Everest

by Erik Olsen on

The effort to climb Everest takes much more than physical exertion. It also requires a lot of preparation and money. Peak fees to scale the tallest mountain in the world can run you more than $50,000. So is it a surprise that for some who climb the mountain, the site of an ailing person would get no more than just a glance? The fate of a British climber who died as other climbers passed him is an interesting case of how brutal and competitive climbing Everest can be.

Take a look at this piece at the Seattle Times that examines the fate of David Sharp, a 34 year-old British climber who, says the piece, sat in a stultified state as 40 or so climbers  haled themselves past him, some of whom had to be aware how badly off he was.  Says the piece, “the few who stopped to check on him – and at least one team did give him oxygen – said he was so near death there was nothing that could be done.”

Unfathomable callousness or reasonable behavior?

Following Scott’s Footsteps

by Erik Olsen on

History buffs, particularly those with an Antarctic bent, all know the tale of Sir Robert Falcon Scott’s epic walk to the South Pole. It was, in a word, gnarly. And no one has really duplicated the feat, that is of making the trek to the South Pole and back.

Well, Ben Saunders, said to be “one of today’s most exciting and successful polar athletes” (or so says his site), is attempting a rather amazing feat starting this October. Ben and his team will manhaul 400 pound sleds from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, some 1,800 miles. Wow.

We’ll try our best to keep an eye on the team as they gear up and get ready. But for now, check out their site and if you feel like it, kick in $100 to “buy a mile”.

Sir Edmund Hillary Blasts Climbers Who Failed to Assist Dying Man

by Karen Walrond on

Erik Olsen told use yesterday of the three climbers who died on Everest recently — and Sir Edmund Hillary, the first climber to summit Everest, had strong words to say about it.

Sir Hillary today said that he was shocked that dozens of other climbers left a British mountaineer, David Sharp, to die while on their own treks on the mountain.  Apparently more than 40 other climbers are thought to have seen Sharp as he lay dying of oxygen deficiency.

“Human life is far more important than just getting to the top of a mountain,” said Hillary in an interview with the New Zealand press.