Jerry Voss’ Montana photos are so amazingly
colorful, I can’t help but think there must be some photoshopping going on. That said, they are beautiful and reveal
the grandeur of the West in a way few photos do.
Looking for a Killer Surf Hotel?
So was Bill Lee. He had very exacting requirements, too. He wanted the perfect surf spot with ample opportunities for hard-core adventure junkies, but also the perfect mix of laid-backedness and good food and friendly people. So when he had trouble finding this hotel, he said fu%$ it, I’ll start my own. Which is what he did.
So after cruising the surf beaches of the Caribbean and the northern Pacific for a year or so he decided to found eXtreme Hotels. EXtreme Cabarete, Lee’s property on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, matches his ideal. It caters to adrenalin sport enthusiasts, from kite boarders, to paragliders and rock climbers.
Spring in Whistler
It’s one of my favorite places on the continent…the finest ski area around and also an excellent spot for mountain
biking and general frolic. Budget Travel has got a piece on the
virtues of Whistler in springtime, and all the kick a%$ stuff to do there, including ample wildlife viewing (no, I’m
not talking about Spring Break type wildlife).
The Story of the Alpinist
I blogged about the magazine the Alpinist before, but I had no idea what an interesting history the magazine has. In
this month’s Outside, that story is told,
and who knew it was so fascinating. The mag was started by Christian Beckwith and has the
financing of some dot com gazillionaires. Each issue of the magazine is like a collector’s item, featuring detailed
expedition stories, some as long as 10,000 words, and in-depth “mountain profiles”. As Outside puts it, the
“Alpinist is a throwback to a simpler era, one in which readers actually had time to read.” Sort of like the
New Yorker on ice.
When in Rome, Hike as the Romans Do
The NY Times runs
a piece on what to in (or nearby) Rome after you’ve scampered over the sites, had your fill of Chianti and are
ready to burn some calories. Turns out there are some fine hiking and wandering sites around the big city that are
easily accessible if you have the gumption to try to find them.