Explore the coast of British Columbia with Maple Leaf Adventures

by Kraig Becker on

For more than twenty years Maple Leaf Adventures has been providing unique and affordable opportunities for travelers to visit the stunning coastlines of British Columbia and southern Alaska, with a host of tours designed to offer amazing wildlife experiences while immersing travelers in the native cultures that are still prevalent in the region today.

A quick glance at Maple Leaf’s list of tours and you’ll begin to understand why they were named one of National Geographic Adventure‘s best adventure travel companies. Their trips range in length from five to eleven nights, with small groups of travelers boarding the Maple Leaf, a 92-foot long, 104 year old, wooden schooner that has been refurbished with modern amenities and outfitted to make these expedition cruises as comfortable as possible for passengers. The entire experience is enhanced further by the presence of top naturalists and historians who specialize in the B.C. and Alaskan coasts and serve as guides for the these adventures.

Eco-tourism may have become a hot topic in the travel industry over the past few years, but for Maple Leaf Adventures, it has been part of the companies philosophy since it was founded back in 1986. All of the tours have been meticulously planned to have as small of an impact on the environment as possible, and the company has championed conservation efforts along the B.C. coastline for years. In addition, Maple Leaf was instrumental in opening travel options to the Great Bear Rainforest and parts of Vancouver Island.

Personally, the thought of taking an adventure cruise along the Alaskan or B.C. coasts sounds like an amazing experience. The fact that the cruise takes place on a wooden longship that provides a sense of history, only enhances the appeal. With so many interesting options to choose from, it is difficult to recommend just one, but it’s also hard to top their voyage to the Gulf Islands, in Autumn no less. Those lucky enough to make that journey are treated to spectacular scenery, the great migration of birds heading south for winter, spawning salmon, and giant orcas, with the stunning backdrop of all the fall colors. Sounds perfect to me!

Gadlinks for Friday 7.17.09

by Brenda Yun on


There are all kinds of great travel reads to keep you occupied this weekend! Here are just a few:

‘Til Monday, have a great weekend!

More Gadlinks HERE.

Step back in time in Peru’s Ollantaytambo

by Kraig Becker on

In the heart of the Peru’s Sacred Valley, 60 miles to the northwest of Cusco, sits a city whose history dates back to before the 15th century. Ollantaytambo was built by the Emperor Pachacuti after he conquered the area, and the ruins of his ancient palace still dominate the landscape.

Today, Ollantaytambo is a destination that continues to be a draw to adventure travelers who come to Peru to trek the Inca Trail or visit Machu Picchu. The city offers access to some great trails of its own, and mountain biking, white water rafting, and rock climbing are just a few of the other activities that visitors can enjoy.

But the real draw to the city are the ancient ruins which often serve as a warm up for Machu Picchu. Many travelers make day trips to Ollantaytambo to acclimatize to the altitude, (the city sits at just over 9000 feet) and wander the cobblestone streets past the Fotress on Temple Hill and up the terraced mountainside. They take in the Temple of the Sun, which is impressive despite the fact that it was never completed, and they explore the nearby quarries where the Incans mined the stone that would be used in the construction process of the royal estate.

To find out more about Ollantaytambo, check out this article from CNN.com. The story has more details on the the items I wrote about above, as well as thoughts on where to eat while in town, where to catch the train to Machu Picchu, and more. If you’re heading to Peru, don’t miss out on this gem in the Sacred Valley.

Gadlinks for Wednesday 7.15.09

by Brenda Yun on


Joyous hump day! I’ve never looked forward to Wednesday as I have this particular week. There’s a good deel to look forward to when it comes to travel stories as well. Take these, for example.

More Gadlinks HERE.

Sierra Club launches a wiki for trails

by Kraig Becker on

Hikers, backpackers, and other outdoor enthusiasts in general now have a new tool at their disposal thanks to the Sierra Club. Late last week, the organization that has promoted outdoor adventure for more than 110 years, launched a new website called Sierra Club Trails that aims to become the online resource for the best hiking, biking, and paddling trails across the United States.

The new trails site follows the popular “wiki” model for generating content by having users contribute their knowledge and experience, and in the process, an online community is built with the idea of sharing that information. Users create an online profile and login, which gives them access to the Sierra Club’s tools for creating content on their favorite places to hike, including general information about the trail conditions, directions to the trailhead itself, and some thoughts on the difficulty level that hikers can expect. Best of all, using that wiki approach, the information can be easily edited and updated as it changes over time.

The Sierra Club is excited about building and utilizing this online community and to that end they’ve inclued some other resources to encourage hikers, mountain bikers, and paddlers to interact with one another online. They’ve built a set of forums for discussing various topics such as gear, trail food, and other outdoor hobbies. There is also a page dedicated to upcoming events, and another for sharing trail lore on a variety of subjects.

For now, Sierra Club Trails has been launched in beta format, while content is being filled in and users join the fun. But there are already a number of great trails in the wiki database, with more being added on a daily basis. You can add your favorite hiking, biking, and paddling trails by heading over to the site, createing a profile and sharing the places that are special for you.