GADLING TAKE FIVE: Week of October 6- 12

by Jamie Rhein on

Another week already? The weather shifts have me wondering what season we’re in exactly. It was 93 degrees in Columbus on Monday. Today it’s in the mid 50s and I’ve hauled out my jacket. Pumpkins started appearing at the local grocery stores and farmers markets a few weeks ago. At Gadling, you’ve probably noticed that Halloween posts are beginning to appear. Catherine, Kelly and Martha have their thumbs squarely on the Halloween what’s happening pulse. There’s more coming as the rest of us join in. Besides Halloween, there’s a lot more on our minds.

Have a great weekend whatever the weather is like where you are.

Tips for Planning a Family Ski Vacation

by Martha Edwards on

Family ski vacation were a staple of my childhood, despite the fact that my parents didn’t particularly like to ski. Nonetheless, my brother and I terrorized the Rocky Mountains for many years — until Mom and Dad stopped footing the bill at least. Family ski vacations are a great way to bond, and a great way to get your kids (or yourself) active when it’s cold outside. They might not be super cheap, but they’re worth it, if you ask me.

We Just Got Back has some great resources for people looking to book a ski trip, and you should check it out sooner rather than later because prices just go up as the ski season nears closer. If you search around, chances are you can find a package deal that will include accommodation, ski lessons, lift passes and rentals for the whole family, but act fast.

Here are a few of my own tips for planning your ski vacation: Don’t go around the Christmas to New Years time — prices are sky-high then. Opt for a weekend in January or February, or if you can handle letting the kids miss a bit of school, go for a mid-week trip. Choose somewhere you can drive to (if possible) and consider staying in the nearest town, rather than on the hill. And try to find accommodation with a kitchenette so you can cook your own meals and pack lunches for your day on the hill — ski hill food is expensive and unhealthy.

Is This The World’s Most Southern Igloo?

by Brett Atkinson on

Normally igloos are meant to be surrounded by polar bears and Inuit fishermen drilling holes in pack ice, but that hasn’t stopped a few wacky Kiwis from building one half way up an active volcano. Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand’s North Island last erupted in 1996 and earlier this year sent a lahar of mud, rocks and water careening down its slopes. Despite the occasional natural interruption, Ruapahu features two popular skifields, and visitors for the upcoming season now have the opportunity to sleep in an authentic igloo.

Visitors will need to be quick because the icy structure will only last until spring kicks in from October. There are already two dining rooms for up to 20 mountain-side diners, and new sleeping quarters are now being added that will house up to nine people.

There’s no reviews on Trip Advisor yet, but it’s probably just a matter of time.

Story and pic via the New Zealand Herald.

Thrill-Seekers Bored, Seeking New Thrills

by Catherine Bodry on

If sky diving puts you to sleep, base jumping causes you to sign mournfully, and the thought of big-air freestyle [insert sport here] prompts a single tear, then Incredible Adventures might offer something to cheer you up.

Catering to the kind of adrenalin junkie who can’t get high off the same old junk anymore, Incredible Adventures offers the chance to fly a L-39 fighter jet with a Hollywood stunt pilot, swim with sharks, and drive a genuine race car.

You can take it to the next level and reenact your Top Gun fantasies. That just might be worth the $6,000 price-tag.

For more info on how to live dangerously, check out Forbes’ article on the best vacations for thrill-seekers, plus their slide show of some of the scarier adventures available.

Skiing in Iran?!?!

by Neil Woodburn on

Quick! What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word, Iran?

I’ll bet quite a number of things come to mind but I but not a single one involves skiing.

Cuttin’ up the slopes, in fact, is probably the last image most people have of Iran and yet the country is blessed with the marvelous Alboraz mountain range and some of this planet’s highest ski slopes.

Recently, Outside Magazine sent writer Josh Dean into the heart of this Axis of Evil (Bush’s words, not mine) to shred and make friends. Although the article itself isn’t online (August 2007), Outside Magazine has put together a short gallery of photographs from the trip taken by Alex Tehrani. Take five minutes to look it over and your impression of Iran will be forever changed.