Panoramic Photos of Glacier NP

by Erik Olsen on

We’re always interested in panoramic photographs here. And over time,
we’ve posted about some great sites. But I was just clicking around in search of some new shots of wild, outdoor
places, and I came across this old government site
containing some gorgeous black and white shots from Glacier National Park. For instance, look at
this series from Altyn Ridge Fire Lookout. Amazing.
Beautiful.

There is a veritable smorgasbord of shots here, which were apparently done back in the early 1900s for a survey of the
region. But like so many classic photos that were taken for technical reasons (the old Peyser & Patzig photos of
the Chrysler Building come to mind), these have a quality of art to them that vastly transcends their utilitarian
purpose. You can browse the photos using this handy
map.

Related links:

World Panoramic Event

Interesting Panoramics

Nyberg’s Full Screen Panos

Photo of the Day: (9/06/05) Channel Islands

by Erik Olsen on

Folks, today I am departing a wee bit from convention and am
posting my own photo as POTD. I know,
sounds a bit self-serving, but hey, I hope you don’t mind. I’m actually an
avid photographer, even if I’ve not posted much to Flickr. I’ve kind of
kept the Gadling Flickr area as a place for readers to use, but I
decided to add some stuff anyway.

This photo was taken at the Channel Islands about a week and a half ago. I was there, as
I wrote yesterday, for a bachelor party for a buddy of
mine. A great place to do such a thing BTW. The photo here was taken during a hike over the top of the Santa Cruz
island, the largest of the group. That’s one of the guys who came along, Tom Morrell from Santa Cruz. Good
dude.

Fit4Life Tour

by Kelly Amabile on

The September issue of Hooked on the Outdoors magazine is
dedicated to health and fitness. As part of their push to educate folks on the benefits of outdoor activities, they are
lead sponsor of the Fit4Life tour that is currently making its way
around the country.

The goal of the tour is to educate consumers about the value of “gateway activities” like biking, paddling, hiking,
running and camping. The benefits of nutrition, health and fitness are emphasized to promote active lifestyles.
The tour was at the Minnesota State Fair this past weekend and is headed to Syracuse next. Additional cities the
tour will hit this month include Boston and Williamsport, PA, before heading to Tennessee, Florida and
Georgia in October and November.

The Places to Play section of the tour website lists suggested outdoor
activities in major cities across the US and provides links to camp and park websites. Additionally, Hooked on the
Outdoors magazine runs related content in their latest
issue, including a list of 48 active outdoor vacations that offer ways to “…maintain your existing routine in a
new setting.” Suggested vacations include cruising the Poconos by mountain bike, paddling the Great Lakes, camping in a
castle in Banff, Alberta or kayaking in California.

Globe Trekker

by Kelly Amabile on

I caught Globe Trekker’s
Beijing City Guide
episode on public television last night. This was unfortunately the first time I have seen anything from
the Globe Trekker series, although
I’ve heard lots of great talk about it. Now I’m officially hooked and need to get my hands on the local schedule for my
station.

Host Megan McCormick did an excellent job of mentioning and visiting the best sites in the city, and did a Great
Wall hike with a local guide that was educational and fun to watch. I enjoyed learning about the popular kite
flying in Tiananmen Square and watching how Peking duck is prepared. What I liked best about the show was
how Megan interacted with the locals. She always said hello in Chinese and respected those she met with a
friendliness that was refreshing. She went out of her way to say hello and speak with those that lived and worked in
the city, setting an inspiring and excellent example for all travelers.

The Globe Trekker site has lots of good stuff, including info on
all their episodes and
specials, a
shop where you can purchase
DVDs
of the show and albums of the music used in
each episode. I like the listening post where you can hear the songs online, and review the
track listings with information about the
artists/music they use. If you are not familiar with this program, do check out the website or show when you have some
time — I don’t think the trekkers will disappoint.

Please Pamper Me

by Erik Olsen on

Ellen Uzelac writes for the
Baltimore
Sun that she thinks it might be time to reconsider the idea of taking guided tours. Long anathema to travelers who
want to do their own thing their own way, guided trips or “escorted travel” may be growing in appeal.

 

The reason, she says, is that these trips often employ experts who can show you things or talk about places in a way
that takes you far beyond what you’d get with a tour book. You can also make lots of friends who, presumably, have
similar interests as you do. And that contrary to the noti0n that tour companies cater to fogies who prefer sitting in
a bus and snapping photos from the window, many tour companies are also introducing packages built around the demands
of a more athletic and active lifestyle – heli-hiking, rock climbing and whitewater rafting, among them.

 

OK, I’m convinced.