Articles tagged “adventure travel”

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Book A Rare Stay At Bearpaw High Sierra Camp In Sequoia National Park

by Kraig Becker on

The Bearpaw High Sierra Camp, located inside Sequoia National Park, is one of the toughest accommodations to book in the entire park system. Typically reservations open in January and sell out completely in a matter of just a few hours. But this year a legal issue regarding permits delayed the opening of the camp and now that that issue has been resolved there are rare open dates for August and September.

Bearpaw is a unique and scenic destination that is unlike any other campsite you’ve experienced. It sits at an altitude of 7800 feet and overlooks the Great Western Divide, a mountain range in the Sierra Nevada that separates King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Park. Getting to the site requires an 11.5-mile hike through secluded California backcountry that rewards guests with a private and peaceful setting upon arrival.

The camp features six tent cabins, each furnished with two twin beds, and room for three, provided one of the campers is willing to sleep on the floor. A separate shower house provides modern bathroom facilities including flush toilets and hot showers, which are always welcome at the end of a long hike. Both breakfast and dinner are included in the room rate as well, ensuring visitors don’t go hungry while staying at the camp.

Legal issues arose earlier this year over permits that allow the use of pack-mules within national parks. The animals are used to shuttle supplies, such as food and water, to the remote location where Bearpaw is located. The camp couldn’t open until the situation was resolved, but now that permits have been issued, resupply of the camp can take place. That means that no one could book a reservation to stay in the camp until now. As a result, a camp that is traditionally very difficult to book and stay in now has some openings for the months ahead. This is a great opportunity for travelers to experience Bearpaw and all that it has to offer.

For more information or to book your stay, visit VisitSequoia.com or call 866-449-4902.

Shapinsay: Visiting A Wee Scottish Island

by Sean McLachlan on


No trip to Orkney is complete without seeing some of the smaller islands. They offer plenty of natural and historic sights as well as peaceful solitude.

Little Shapinsay can be seen from the main harbor at Kirkwall, but visitors often overlook it. Even though it only measures six miles long at its longest and has only about 300 residents, it’s served by a regular car ferry from Kirkwall. My family and I noticed that the locals getting on board at Kirkwall harbor were loaded down with groceries. Apparently there aren’t many shopping opportunities on Shapinsay.

The boat pulled out of Kirkwall and passed some old gun emplacements on the Point of Carness. Orkney was a major base during the two World Wars and there are plenty of remains from that time. We also saw a tiny island called Thieves Holm. Local folklore says thieves and witches were banished here. It’s not too far from the Mainland, but with the water so chilly I doubt anyone could have made the swim. Then we pulled out into The String, the exit from Kirkwall Bay, and felt like we were in the open sea, with clean air blowing on our faces and seagulls wheeling overhead.

%Gallery-161148%Twenty-five minutes later we pulled into Shapinsay harbor. Like most of the islands up here, it’s been inhabited since prehistoric times. There are a couple of megalithic standing stones, including one called the Odin Stone, like the one that used to be near the Standing Stones of Stenness. There’s also an Iron Age broch built by the Picts.

It seems, though, that Shapinsay was mostly a sleepy place inhabited by farmers and fishermen. That all changed in the late 1700s when the Balfour family decided to build an elegant estate on the island. The first step was to build Balfour village for all the workmen, and then work began in earnest on a grand home that looks like a castle. Balfour Castle is now a hotel and a good spot if you want to splash out on a quiet retreat.

And quiet it is. Even in the center of town all we heard is the wind, birdsong and the distant drone of a tractor. After a minute even the tractor cut off. We had a quick coffee at The Smithy, a little cafe/restaurant/pub (you have to multitask when you’re one of the only businesses on the island) and headed out for a coastal hike.

For me, the biggest attraction of Scotland is the countryside, and Shapinsay certainly didn’t disappoint. After a gloomy northern morning, the weather had turned gloriously clear and warm. We chose a five-mile loop hike along the shoreline and through some woods behind Balfour Castle. My 6-year-old son is an experienced hiker and can manage five miles over easy terrain. Of course, when hiking with children make sure you give them a steady supply of water and snacks!

We started out by passing Balfour Village’s little pier and a crumbling old tower called The Douche, which used to be a salt water shower for the local residents. Then we tramped along the stony beach. Orkney is rich in bird life and we saw terns, seagulls, and several other types of birds I couldn’t identify. Every now and then a curious seal would pop its head out of the water and examine us. In the distance we saw a few sailboats and fishing vessels. Otherwise we saw nobody and heard nothing. That was exactly what I wanted.

After climbing a steep slope, our path cut inland and we tramped over lush fields carpeted with yellow, white and purple wildflowers. My son picked a couple for my wife to put in her hair and we headed through a little forest and ended up in the lush garden of Balfour Castle. It wasn’t long before we were back in the village, where we relaxed in the garden of the Smithy looking out over the water and doing nothing for a while except admiring a beautiful day in northern Scotland.

Orkney has plenty of islands to choose from. Do a bit of research ahead of time online and with the local tourism office and head on out. Pay careful attention to the ferry schedule, though, because on many islands the last ferry for the day leaves pretty early.

Don’t miss the rest of my series “Exploring Orkney: Scotland’s Rugged Northern Isles.”

Coming up next: “Eynhallow: Visiting Orkney’s Haunted Isle!”

Search For Amelia Earhart Turns Up Few Clues

by Kraig Becker on

A much vaunted and highly publicized search for the remains of Amelia Earhart has apparently turned up little in the way of new evidence to help solve the puzzle of the famous aviator’s ultimate fate. A team of researchers, armed with an array of high-tech gear, spent the past week searching a remote island in the South Pacific, but appear to have come up short in their quest to solve one of the most enduring mysteries of the 20th century.

We first told you about the expedition, which was spurred on by intriguing new evidence, at the beginning of the month. At that time the research team was just setting out for Nikumaroro, the tiny island that some believe may have been the final resting place for Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan. The duo went missing back in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world, leaving many to ponder their fate for the next 75 years.

This most recent search for their whereabouts cost $2.2 million and employed the use of high-definition underwater cameras and sensitive sonar in an attempt to locate Earhart’s Lockheed Electra aircraft. According to Reuters, those efforts were stymied by equipment failures and steep, rocky terrain just off the coast of Nikumaroro. The coral reefs that surround the atoll feature craggy outcroppings and severe drops, with depths ranging from 110 to 250 feet. Those natural obstructions slowed down the search process and ultimately led the search team to cut short the expedition and return to Hawaii.

The researchers say that the expedition wasn’t for nothing, however, and that they are returning home with hours of video and sonar data to pore over. While they weren’t able to identify the wreckage from what they’ve seen so far, they hope that when they get the opportunity to analyze it later they’ll be able to find some hidden clues. They’ll have to search quickly, however, as a television show about the expedition is set to air on the Discovery Channel on August 19.

The Jetovator: The Flying Water Bike That Propels Riders 30 Feet In The Air

by Jessica Festa on




From kitesurfing and surfing to cave diving, there are a lot of fun opportunities for those who want to have an adventurous water experience. The new Jetovator, however, may win the prizes for most original and most daring.

The Jetovator looks like a mix between a jet ski and a motorbike, and attaches to a giant water spray nozzle to propel riders 30 feet into the air. If you’d rather explore what’s underneath the water, the watercraft can also push you 10 feet below the surface.

According to Digital Trends, the Jetovator is simple to control, using handlebars for direction and speed. Furthermore, riders will be able to do tricks in the air, like quick turns and flips. When it’s running low on batteries, simply hook it up to a water power source to charge.

The one downside of this daring toy? Its price tag. At $9,000 for the standard model with no upgrades, experiencing this unique adventure may be difficult for some. However, if you’re looking to do something out of the ordinary, the Jetovator could be a worthwhile investment.

Would you pay $9,000 to purchase your own Jetovator?

What Not To Do In Australia

by Rachel Friedman on

On the way to Australia, somewhere over the Pacific, you lose an entire day. I don’t know where this day actually goes but the phenomenon underscores the fact that, even though they speak English and enjoy “Seinfeld” reruns as much as Americans do, you are headed to a place very, very far away. And, like any country, Australia has its own customs and quirks. To help you get along on this continent, which is also a country that is also an island, follow this guide of what not to do.

Believe tales of crazy wildlife
Only the English beat the Aussies when it comes to bullshitting with a straight face and gullible tourists make perfect targets for their tall tales. When I was 20, my first traveling companion was an Australian I made the mistake of asking about kangaroos – essentially my only reference point for her country (sophisticated traveler I was not). “Oh, they are everywhere in Sydney,” she told me. She then proceeded to explain the city’s need for “roo shooers,” men whose job it is to “shoo” the kangaroos off the Harbour Bridge each dusk and dawn. This was followed by warnings about drop bears (they perch in branches and drop onto unsuspecting tourists’ shoulders, so give trees a wide berth) and hoop snakes (who can chase you uphill). Don’t believe a word of this. Sydney and other major Australian cities are as urban and developed as any metropolis. Still, while drop bears and hoop snakes don’t exist, you might run into any number of strange and frightening creatures out in the bush.

Use the phrase “Throw Another Shrimp on the Barbie”(especially in your Australian accent you think is so good but, rest assured, is not)Paul Hogan, of “Crocodile” Dundee fame, starred in a series of Australian Tourism ads in the 1980s aimed at getting U.S. visitors to journey down under. His actual phrasing was, “I’ll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you” – barbie being short for barbeque (Australians shorten any word they can wrangle into fewer syllables) and the reference to shrimp intended to entice specifically American palettes. Because, you see, Aussies actually eat prawns, and often in ways other than barbecued.

Assume all Australians are related to convicts
Great Britain established Australia as a penal colony in 1788, ultimately sending over 50,000 criminals. The country’s convict past was once almost a taboo topic of conversation – and heaven help the tourist who attempted a joke about it – but recently this legacy has become a point of personal pride. However, that doesn’t mean all Australians, an increasingly multi-cultural country, are descended from criminals. And sure, some of the initial crew were rough and tumble sorts, but many of those brought over had committed only petty crimes. Among the first group, a 70-year-old woman who had stolen some cheese – and I hear it wasn’t even the fancy kind.

Order a drip coffee
Simply put: coffee in Australia kicks ass. It’s not just that they often serve it to you with whimsical designs etched into the milk and chocolate on top, but the seriousness with which they take the quality of their beans and artistry of their drink variations might ruin your taste for American coffee altogether. Whereas in the U.S., a cappuccino or mocha seems like a special indulgence (especially at Starbucks prices); everywhere in Oz, from dive diners to award-winning restaurants, employs a competent barista. These are no Midwestern waitresses named “Flo” ready to refill your mug with burnt beans, so don’t even think about asking.

Surf without knowing the rules
Each coastal town in Australia harbors a group of surfers who are somewhat territorial about their local beach. It’s all well and good to rock up alongside them but don’t get into the water for the first time without an etiquette lesson. Among the rules seasoned surfers know: don’t drop in on someone’s wave, don’t paddle through the middle of the line-up, don’t let go of your board, the surfer closest to the peak of the wave has the right of way. I’d also avoid using the terms “bro” and “surf’s up.” This isn’t California, dude.

Expect hot weather all year round
The same way elderly Irish can spend entire sessions at the pub discussing the rain, Australians are fixated on the sun. Visit on a day with even a hint of cloud cover and a local is likely to apologize on behalf of her country. In Sydney, especially, there is utter denial of the changing seasons. It’s easy to do when many winter mornings are sunny and 60 degrees but interspersed with these are cloudy, rainy stretches where the wind comes close to biting. Yet on these same days you’ll still spot people wearing flip-flops (call them thongs; you’re in Australia, mate) and without proper jackets. These warm weather delusions aren’t helped by “Home and Away,” one of Australia’s longest-running soap operas. It’s set in the fictional coastal town of Summer Bay where, as the name implies, it’s the same season all year round.