Articles tagged “adventure travel”

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Hatfield and McCoy Trails

by Jamie Rhein on

As the popularity of ATV riding is growing, the places where you can ride them are also expanding. Last year I found out there were ATV trails in Wayne National Forest when I was writing an article on outdoor family adventure travel in Ohio. There are other places where trails abound. One place I also just found about has an interesting story. Do the names Hatfield and McCoy ring a bell?

These are probably the most famous feuding families in the United States. The Hatfields from West Virginia and the McCoys from Kentucky got all riled up 100 years ago and fought with each other for 12 years. Basically, this involved killing and mayhem. The trail system named after them spans several counties in West Virginia and was developed as a money maker. There’re not many ways to make a bundle in the economically depressed regions of coal country. This one is working well.

From the way things are going in ATV land, the trails are a lucrative money maker. There are six trails in the 550 mile area on private land. If you’re interested in heading this way, you can check out www.trailsheaven.com.

Cyclo Ride: A Virtual Thrill

by Jamie Rhein on

Riding a cyclo in Vietnam is a bit like riding in a baby stroller if you can remember riding in a baby stroller. Except, in a cyclo, you’re moving in traffic and not safely on a sidewalk somewhere. As more and more people have cars and motorcycles in Vietnam, it’s getting harder to find places to get a cyclo ride. Although in Hanoi, there are still places where they are everywhere. At Virtual Tourist, you can find cyclo riding tips and comments from others who’ve been there. Once I stood on a street corner taking pictures of cyclos going by and the things they carried besides people. One had a coffin. I can’t imagine that cyclos will ever go totally out, and they may just be money makers from the tourist industry like they are in Singapore.

Here’s a video posted by budlake on You Tube of a cyclo ride in Hue that did make me feel like I was on a cyclo. The person holding the camera had the right idea. Just keep the camera steady and let the movement of the cyclo do the work. The result is that the viewer gets an idea of what it’s like to move in Vietnam’s traffic at a slower pace than the other vehicles passing by.

Sahara Desert Tours: Consider Morocco

by Jamie Rhein on

Recently, a group of English as a Second Language adult students I teach picked a trip in the Sahara desert as the one they would most like to take. Why? I’m not sure. Perhaps, they thought it was better than the other three choices-posts on those later.

The group read this article from the magazine Budget Travel, also on-line. According to the article, Morocco is a good place to join up with a Sahara tour. Here’s a link to company that does them. I’m including this one because it offers some interesting information on the Sahara and desert travel in Morocco. Also, here’s a well done slide show in video style with music by romodro that sets the mood and brings you to Morocco from wherever you are.

George W. Bush’s Visit to Guatemala Causes a Mayan Stir

by Jamie Rhein on

George W. Bush and Laura are in Guatemala checking out various sites there—some government, some agriculture and some tourist related.

Next week, Bush is heading to Guatemala’s archeological site, Iximche, the once capital of the Mayan kingdom Kaqchiqueles before the Spanish showed up and did a number on it in 1524. The Mayan descendents are not too pleased that Bush is coming and plan to have a Mayan priest hold a purification ceremony of the site after he leaves. I bet, though, there will be a spike in visitors now that the site is in the news.

If you want to visit the site yourself one of these days, check out Ecotourism and Adventure Specialists’ website. The company operates a variety of tours. Some of them include Mayan ruins. This is a good place to find out what interests you and what’s available. When I did a search on Iximche, a lot of what I found was articles about Bush ‘s visit. Here is an interesting blog post by Kambiz Kamrani that I found on Archeology.net. Kamrani writes a bit about this convergence of ritual and politics. The photo is from the post and is of a Mayan purification ceremony.

Rottnest Island: Experience it Yourself

by Jamie Rhein on

A few days ago, I wrote a post about cycling in Western Australia. One of the highlights was a day trip to Rottnest, Island. The island, not far from Fremantle, is a getaway destination that’s perfect for beach going, cycling (like we did) or swimming with dolphins. You can sign up for a variety of tours including bus tours and a train tour once you arrive. Since taking a ferry is the only way to get there unless you fly or take your own boat, it feels adventurous from the start.

Because private vehicles aren’t allowed, this is a cyclist’s paradise, and if walking is more your speed, there are several guided walking tour options to learn about the penal, agricultural, aboriginal and maritime history of Rottnest or about the uniqueness of the flora and fauna. This is the only place in the world where Quokkas, small marsupial animals are found in the wild.

Check out foiled’s video on YouTube for a fun, wish you were there, cycling experience. This is a round-up of what his friends and he did from taking the ferry over to a pub stop at the end of the day . This is done in a quick music video style so it’s fun to watch. He packs a lot in. By the way, if you go, bikes are rented by the day and come complete with locks and a helmet.