Best spots for an autumn hike

by Kraig Becker on

With fall officially upon us, cooler weather has begun to set in, and the green leaves of summer have given way to the bright reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn. For many, this is the best time of the year to head out on a trail for a long hike and to take in this annual color show. Hear are some recommendations for the best places to witness nature’s color palette on display.

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park
The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is one of the most popular in the U.S., pulling in nearly 10 million visitors per year. But in the fall, the crowds begin to thin out, just in time for the leaves to start changing colors. With over 800 miles of trails to explore, there are no lack of great hikes in this park. Be sure to check out the higher elevation trails, such as Sugarland Mountain and Gregory Bald, which offer stunning views throughout October and into November. With sugar and red maples, hickory trees, and scarlet oaks, you’ll have plenty of eye candy to take in.

Allegheny National Forest
Located in northwest Pennsylvania, the Allegheny National Forest is a bit of a hidden gem and mostly unknown outside of the region, which generally translates to smaller crowds. Each fall the half million acres of oaks, poplars, and white ash trees show off a brilliant range of colors to those lucky enough to experience them. While there are miles of trails to choose from, perhaps the best of the best is the Hickory Creek Wilderness Trail, which is 11 miles in length, and cuts through the heart of the forest itself.
Pisgah National Forest
Leaf lovers in North Carolina have plenty to see when they hit the trail in Pisgah National Forest, found not far from Asheville. With the southern Appalachian Mountains as a backdrop, the forest becomes spectacularly colorful in late October, making all of the trails a good bet for a day hike. Take a stroll up Mt. Mitchell, which at 6089 feet in height, offers views that will take your breath away for more reason than one. But when you get to the top, the view is worth the effort.

Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Oregon offers up spectacular scenery all year round, but come fall, the maple trees turn to gold and standout brilliantly against the stark cliff faces. The Gorge has a number of beautiful waterfalls as well, which add even more of allure of a hike through the area. Check out the Multnomah Falls loop trail, which is only about a mile and a half in length, but gains more than 600 feet of altitude along the way. The trail gives hikers a great view of the Gorge, and passes right by one of the most scenic waterfalls in the entire country.

Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula remains a great wilderness escape and one of the best places in the country to enjoy fall foliage. The Escarpment Trail in Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park is amongst the best hikes in the Midwest, and while it is just 4.3 miles in length, it provides spectacular views of the surrounding forest which ring the Lake of the Clouds. In the fall, the hills are ablaze with reds, oranges, and yellows that are just too good to miss.

There you have it. Just a sampling of some of the best fall hikes throughout the U.S. What’s your favorite fall hike? is there a hidden gem that you’d like to share? Leave a comment and tell us all about it!

International visitor spending down 20%, misses $10bn mark

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Visitors to the United States from other countries spent a mere $9.6 billion in July, down almost 24% year-over-year, according to data from the Department of Transportation. Currency exchange rates continue to make a recession even more … ummm … recessed(?) for the travel business. So, we’re looking at nine consecutive months in which tourists from overseas just aren’t plunking down the cash they did last year.

The price paid to travel – called “passenger fare receipts” – plunged 26% from July 2008 to July 2009, with only $2.1 billion spent to get from Point A to Point B and back. This is the lowest level reached for passenger fare receipts in two years. Travel receipts – i.e. the purchase of travel-related goods and services – amounted to $7.5 billion for the month. This is the cash spent on food, lodging, entertainment gifts, and it’s down 23% year-over-year.

The fact that July was the ninth month in which international tourist spending fell masks an even greater problem: this trend has been gaining momentum. In November 2008, foreign visitor spending was off 4% from November 2007. By January 2009, the year-over-year change fell to -6% and -10% in February. May, June and July all posted travel export declines of worse than 20%.

For the year so far, travel exports (same thing as spending by foreign visitors) has reached $69.2 billion – a decline of 17% relative to the same period last year. What’s this mean? People visiting the United States have spent $13.9 billion less than they did last year.

But, in the spirit of fairness, we’re spending less when we leave the United States. American travel imports are down almost 13%. We’ve spent $8.3 billion less than we did last year. But, we still shelled out a total of $57.5 billion in “support” for the local economies we’ve visited in 2009. The United States is still sitting on an $11.7 billion trade surplus in the travel space – but the balance is $5.7 billion less favorable than it was last year.

Photo of the Day (10.4.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

What year is it? Based on a first glance at Flickr user Cazimiro’s photo, you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve been transported to some kind of “space station of the future.” The shot was actually taken inside Washington DC’s Union Station metro stop, but it feels almost otherworldly. The eerie pink glow of the lights, the blurry silhouettes of passengers and the geometric pattern on the ceiling all lend a sense of visual vertigo to the scene, making it feel at once strange yet familiar.

Want your pics considered for Gadling’s Photo of the Day? Submit your best ones here.

Roadtrip with the kids? Hooters is child friendly!

by Sean McLachlan on

No doubt about it, driving long distances with children can be a real drag–the constant potty breaks, the fighting in the back seat, and the high-pitched pleas to go to some kiddie restaurant like Chuck E. Cheese’s.

Don’t despair. You may be a parent, but you’re still in charge. Go where you want to go. Go to Hooters, even. Because Hooters, I’ve recently discovered, is child friendly.

I was driving across Missouri with my friends Rex and Caitlin and Rex’s four-year-old daughter Aly. We wanted some wings, so we stopped at Hooters just outside Columbia. You know, that Hooters, the one with the busty waitresses in skimpy costumes. Maybe I’m naive, but I thought poor little Aly would be the only kid in a room full of frat boys and lonely old men. Boy, was I wrong! Half the tables had children at them. Entire families had come out to enjoy Hooters!

And why not? Hooters has a special Kids menu, along with Hooters games and Hooters crayons. The waitresses are friendly too, and not in the same way they’re friendly to their male customers. When our waitress arrived wearing her tiny tank top and shrink-to-fit orange shorts, she immediately made Aly the center of attention.

“Are you a cheerleader?” Aly asked.

“I used to be a cheerleader,” our waitress replied. “Do you want to be a cheerleader?”

“Yeah!”

“I think you’d make a GREAT cheerleader!”

All this was said while our waitress leaned over our table showing off cleavage deeper than the Grand Canyon and sticking her rear out in a classic “spank me” pose. According to their employee handbook they’re supposed to act like that.

OK, so here we are at Hooters. There are underdressed buxom women everywhere, two dozen TVs showing sports, and hot wings on the table. What more could you ask for? While the idea of taking a child to Hooters is a bit odd, the fact is they really are kid friendly. But maybe four year-olds aren’t too discerning. When we asked Aly at the end of the meal what her favorite part was, she pointed to the nearest TV and gave us a big smile, grease dribbling down her little chin.

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Get married at Colorado’s Keystone Resort and get free season ski pass

by Katie Hammel on

Skiing couples looking to get married on a mountain should look into Keystone Resort in Colorado. Couples who host a wedding at the resort between November 30, 2009 and November 30, 2010 will receive complimentary passes for the 2010-2011 ski season.

In addition to months of free skiing, the Keystone Wedding Pass Promotion includes a free one-night resort stay with champagne and strawberries, the services of a dedicated wedding coordinator, discounted room rates for guests, and a special cake on the couple’s one year anniversary. There are several different packages to choose from. All include rental of chairs, tables, linens and serving ware, rehearsal space, and shuttle service around the resort for guests.

Multi-course dinners with open bar range from $75 to $150 per guest and there are all several venues available. Venues hold anywhere from 80 to 350 guests and include a majestic lodge overlooking the mountains or an intimate gourmet restaurant reached by gondola.

The resort opens for the season on November 6 and offers trails for skiers and snowboarders of all levels.