Articles tagged “adventure travel”

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Outside TV coming to a resort near you in 2010

by Kraig Becker on

Outside Magazine has been a trusted name for adventure travelers and outdoor enthusiasts for years, offering gear reviews, profiles of explorers and athletes, as well as plenty of travel, survival, and health tips too. Now, the iconic magazine has joined forces with the Resort Sports Network, and the new partners have announced the launch of the Outside Television Network in June of 2010.

RSN is currently considered the top television network for delivering content to top vacation destinations across the U.S. It’s seen in 110 destinations throughout the country, with an annual viewership that exceeds 61 million people. Despite those numbers however, the network will undergo a complete rebranding before summer 2010, and will relaunch with the Outside brand front and center on June 1st.

This joint venture looks to have benefits for both Outside and RSN. In an era when many print mags, such as National Geographic Adventure, are shutting their doors, Outside is expanding into new media and taking their brand in new directions. RSN, on the other hand, gets access to a ton of great editorial content and will undergo a major face lift that will give it more name recognition with the markets they are looking to pursue.

So, when traveling next summer, keep your eyes peeled for this new network. It may have some great suggestions on how to make the most of your trip, or at least help you pass the time while you’re at the resort.

Take a tour of the known Universe

by Kraig Becker on

Ever ponder your place in the Universe? Asked the question “What’s out there?” Then this video is definitely for you. It was created for the Hayden Planetarium, located in New York City, and shows the entire known Universe, to scale. Be warned though, it can be quite a humbling experience.

The video begins by hovering over the Himalaya, the tallest mountains on Earth. Soon, the camera begins to rise, upward into orbit, and beyond. Before you know it, the solar system is but a speck, and then things really start to get interesting. By the time the video ends, you’ll not only get a glimpse of our place in the Universe, you’ll understand how really, really small this blue planet of ours really is. Amazing stuff.

100 year old butter discovered in Antarctica

by Kraig Becker on

Last month we reported that 100-year old whiskey was discovered buried beneath a shack, belong to Ernest Shackleton, in Antarctica, and now it seems that there might be all kinds of food sitting around on the icy continent. The New Zealand Antarctic Trust says that is has found two blocks of butter in a completely different shack that was used by a completely different South Pole explorer.

The frozen butter, believed to be the oldest in the world, was discovered on Cape Evans in a stable attached to a cabin that was once used by Robert Falcon Scott. Both buildings were mostly buried beneath a century of snow and ice until a restoration team, sponsored by the Trust, recently arrived on the scene and went to work. The team was tasked with preserving the historical site and looking for artifacts whose origins could be traced back to New Zealand. Little did they know that they’d find kiwi butter left behind by the famous British explorer on his fateful 1910-12 expedition.

Examining the labels on the butter, historians found the letters “CCCDC”, which they believe stands for “Canterbury Central Co-operative Dairy Company”. The dairy was located in Christchurch and founded sometime in the 1890’s. In that era, many Antarctic expeditions set out from New Zealand, and it was common for them to resupply with local goods before departing.

After carefully examining the two bricks, they have now been placed back where the were found inside the stable. The butter has been frozen solid for nearly a century, and the restoration team fears that if it were brought to warmer temperatures, it would soon spoil. The bricks will stay in place for another 100 years, or longer, as a reminder of an age of exploration that has long passed.

German woman kayaks solo around Australia

by Kraig Becker on

A 45-year old German woman named Freya Hoffmeister completed an eleven month odyssey on Tuesday as she paddled into the harbor at Queenscliff, Australia, finishing a successful circumnavigation of that continent by kayak. In the process, she became just the second person to complete that journey, and the first woman, while setting a new speed record as well.

Freya set out from Queenscliff, paddling counter-clockwise around the continent, last January, and returned to that point 332 days later. Of those 332 days, 245 were spent in the cockpit of her kayak, covering more than 9400 miles. Perhaps the most difficult and treacherous part of the expedition was when she paddled across the Gulf of Carpentaria, along the northern coast of Australia. That bold move shaved 680 miles off of the journey, but to achieve the crossing, Freya has to spend nearly eight days in her kayak, going so far as to even sleep there. She is just the second person to make that crossing by kayak as well.

This isn’t Freya’s first major kayak expedition, although it is by far her longest to date. Back in 2007 she spent 33 days circumnavigating Iceland, and then later kayaked around New Zealand’s South Island in 70 days, achieving a new speed record on that adventure too.

The only other person to successfully circumnavigate Australia by kayak was Paul Caffyn, a New Zealander who made the journey 27 years ago. Caffyn took 360 days on his journey, and Freya bested him by nearly a month. Upon reaching the finish line, the German kayaker said, “I promise, if anyone will paddle around Australia within the next 27 years, I’ll be at the finish line.”%Gallery-7921%

Yellowstone opens for winter visitors

by Kraig Becker on

Winter may officially still be a few days off, but that hasn’t prevented Yellowstone National Park from opening for the season. According to the National Park Service, as of yesterday, all roads are now open for travelers who want to make the oversnow journey through the park’s scenic interior.

Visitors who want to explore Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park, in this manner will have to contract with a commercial guide service. Each day, up to 318 snowmobiles and 78 coaches will be allowed to roam the groomed trails from the South Entrance to West Thumb, and on to Old Faithful, with a few more trails opening up over time. Along the way, they’ll find miles of serene, snow covered backcountry that is as engaging in the winter as it is in the warmer months.

In addition to the trails opening, the Old Faithful Visitors Center opened yesterday as well, and by Friday the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, gift shop, and restaurants. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel will follow suit on Monday, December 21st, offering more places to stay for those looking to visit the area and play in the snow.

For those who would prefer to drive through Yellowstone, there are roads open for four wheeled vehicles as well. The highway from the North Entrance and from Gardiner, Montana, through the park’s Northeast Entrance, by way of Mammoth Hot Springs and Cooke city are kept well maintained throughout the year, although winter storms can make them treacherous at times. The drive is also highly recommended and scenic as well.