Outside magazine’s inaugural ‘Travel Awards’ winners

by Laurel Miller on

With twenty-three categories and every continent up for consideration, the competition is fierce, but today Outside magazine released its picks for its new Outside Travel Awards. The winners include everything from travel companies and locales to cameras, suitcases, hotels, and apps, road-tested by those in the know (you know, those people).

Amongst the chosen is Seattle-based Mountain Madness, a mountain adventure guide service and mountaineering school, for its new Tsum Valley trek in Nepal, named “Best Trip in the Himalayas.” Known in sacred Buddhist texts as the “Hidden Valley of Happiness,” the Tsum Valley lies on the edge of the more visited Manaslu Conservation Area, which opened just three years ago to tourism.

Best travel company Geographic Expeditions (GeoEx) has “consistently taken travelers to the most remote regions of the world, from Everest’s north side to Patagonia’s glaciers to the far reaches of Papua New Guinea. This year its trailblazing new terrain with a 27-day trek to the north face of K2 ($11,450).” Bonus: “the price of every GeoEx trip includes medical assistance and evacuation coverage from Global Rescue and medical-expense insurance through Travel Guard.” Not too shabby.

Also making the list: Myanmar is the “Best New Frontier;” Canon Powershot G-12 makes the “Best Camera;” the “Best New Adventure Lodge” is the Singular, outside of Puerto Natales, Patagonia, Chile; and the “Best Eco-Lodge” is the architectural marvel, The Mashpi in Ecuador.

[Photo credit: Flickr user tarotastic]

Cheese festival season has sprung: the best in the West

by Laurel Miller on

Spring, as they say, has sprung. In farmstead and artisan cheese parlance, that means pastures are currently abound with calves, lambs, and kids (of the goat variety), and the first milk of the season is in. That’s why March is the kickoff month for cheese festivals, especially on the West Coast because of its more mild climate. The following just happen to be some of the nation’s best.

8th Annual Oregon Cheese Festival, March 17
Hosted by the Oregon Cheese Guild and Rogue Creamery, this much-loved event features dozens of cheese, beer, and wine makers. General admission is minimal, the sampling is free, and the vibe is laid-back. The festival is held at Rogue Creamery in Central Point, just outside of Ashland in southern Oregon. It possesses the vibe of a giant farmers market, with all of the vendors gathered beneath a giant tent. Events include a “Meet the Cheesemakers” dinner (held the night before), seminars, and tastings, including chocolate and cider.California Artisan Cheese Festival (CACF), March 24-25
What better place for a California cheese festival than wine country? CACF is held every March in Petaluma (located in Sonoma County, about 40 minutes north of San Francisco) and draws over 2,000 attendees who come to taste cheeses from the West Coast, Pacific Northwest, and Rockies. Sign up now to get in on local creamery tours, special lunches, and educational seminars.

On April 7, the inaugural Washington Artisan Cheesemakers Festival will take place in Seattle. In addition to cheesemakers from across the state, expect Washington food artisans, craft beer and cider producers, and winemakers. The event is a benefit for the Cascade Harvest Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to local food security.

Can’t make the festival circuit? Try taking a class at The Cheese School of San Francisco, which is focused solely on classes and tasting events for professionals and caseophiles alike. With an ongoing curriculum of classes taught by industry professionals, offerings may include everything from “Mozzarella Making” and “Craft Brews & Artisan Beers,” to “Sheep & Syrah” and “Springtime Cheeses and Loire Valley Wines.” This is the place geek out on dairy.

Admittedly, this video isn’t from a cheesemaker in the western U.S.; it comes from renown Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont. But it’s an excellent short clip on how cheese goes from cow to cheese case. Should you be fortunate enough to find Harbison at your local cheese shop, I strongly recommend you pounce upon it, because it’s simply dreamy.



[Photo credit: Kate Arding]

Travel Smarter 2012: Tips for improving your train travel

by Melanie Renzulli on

The railroad is the oldest, commercial mass transport of the modern age, predating the car and the airplane by at least 100 years. So how can train travel be smarter in 2012?

For starters, “the train takes less time total than all the preliminaries of air travel,” says Margaret King, who regularly opts to take the train to New York City, DC, and Boston from her home in Philadelphia. “I can take plenty of luggage, with no extra fees; I can easily work aboard the train; [and there are] no security hassles.”

From smartphone apps to help you plan and book your travel to a new crop of high-speed trains, train services across the globe have upgraded to appeal to frustrated air travelers and entice would-be drivers from their cars. Let’s take a look at all the ways traveling by train is smarter in 2012.

Smartphone Apps
Name any national railway and there’s likely an app that helps you find train schedules, get arrival and departure updates, and book seats. If you’re traveling to Europe, you can download apps for the particularly country you may be visiting or get the free Rail Europe app. Though far from perfect (e.g., tickets purchased through the app are sent via email as an e-ticket or, given enough lead time, mailed, rather than existing digitally within the app itself), the Rail Europe app gives you information on timetables, stations, and more for 35 European countries. Amtrak has a similar app (also free) that includes a panel for Guest Rewards, a loyalty program that lets regular rail travelers earn points towards free trips. Round-the-world trekkers, particularly those that intend to city-hop, would do well to download AllSubway HD ($0.99), a database of more than 130 city subway maps.Improved Rail Travel Using Social Media and the Web
Twitter is the social media platform of choice for travelers who need quick answers on rail information, particularly interruptions in service on municipal rail lines. Transitpal, a service available to riders of the Caltrain in the San Francisco Bay Area, monitors tweets to determine delays, police activity, and schedule changes. A companion app to the Transitpal service is set to launch in spring 2012 and the concept, says developer and Google alum Frederick Vallaeys, could easily be applied to rail lines in other cities.

As for using the web to improve the rail travel experience, look to Hipmunk, which became in fall 2011 the first online travel agent to integrate Amtrak searches. Hipmunk now displays train schedules and fares alongside airline timetables and fares, giving passengers, particularly those on the East Coast, where Amtrak service is strong, “greater flexibility and pricing power when considering routes.” Sadly, Amtrak fares are not included in Hipmunk’s smartphone app.

High-Speed Rail and Express Trains
Investing in high-speed rail infrastructure has become a priority on the local, state, regional, and federal level as they see that more consumers are willing to pay a bit extra for faster connections. Countries currently at work on high-speed rail networks include Turkey, China, Italy, and Russia. China’s newest express line, which connects Beijing to Shanghai in just over five hours, opened in June 2011. NTV, the first private bullet train operator in Italy, is set to begin service of its Italo fast trains in spring 2012. A point of interest: the private, high-speed rail line has the backing of Italian leather goods mogul Diego delle Valle, among other investors, and a 20 percent stake by SNCF, the French National Rail Service.

Russia has two relatively new high-speed trains between Moscow and St. Petersburg and St. Petersburg and Helsinki, Finland, but Russian Railways is currently at work on a line that will connect Moscow with Sochi, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Turkey’s famous Haydarpaşa Train Station, the terminus on the Asian side of Istanbul closed in January 2012 for restoration so that Turkish State Railways (TCDD) could complete its construction of the high-speed link between Ankara, the capital, and Istanbul, as well as the Marmaray Tunnel, a controversial and ambitious project that will create an underground rail link between Europe and Asia by digging a tunnel below the Bosphorus.

On-Board Amenities
In a bid to compete with and outdo airlines and bus companies, railways have been upgrading on-board amenities, such as offering Wi-Fi and unique dining menus. Amtrak launched free Wi-Fi on 12 East Coast routes and three California routes in fall 2011, thereby bringing the percentage of Wi-Fi-equipped fleet to 75 percent. (Note: Hipmunk, mentioned above, automatically provides info on Wi-Fi trains in its search.)

Meanwhile, rail passengers on board the Canadian, the VIA Rail train that connects Toronto to Vancouver, can look forward to a revamped dining menu. VIA recently enlisted the talents of eight chefs in a Top Chef-style cook-off. The 2012 Menu Creation Challenge saw the chefs create 72 gourmet dishes for menu consideration.

[flickr image via krikit]

What will you do if the Mayan calendar is correct?

by Jessica Festa on
Lately, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the end of the Mayan calendar and 2012 marking the end of the world, as we know it. To help gain some insight, the people over at First Choice have created this infographic to give everyone a fun visual of where and how one could spend their last year on Earth. The group polled over 2,000 United Kingdom locals as well as some top travel bloggers. While 51% of participants said they would spend time with family, 22% said they’d want to see the world. How would you respond?

If you’re having trouble viewing the infographic, you can click here to see a larger version.

The 2012 Bucket List was created by First Choice – The Home of All Inclusive

10 free things to do in Dublin, Ireland

by Jessica Festa on

With the big St. Patrick’s Day festival in Dublin, Ireland, coming up it’s likely that people traveling to Dublin in the near future should expect to bring lots of extra cash. Although you may need to splurge on food and festivities, there are ways to help you save money on other aspects of your trip. To help Dublin travelers make their trips as budget-friendly as possible, here are ten free things to do in the city.

Stroll through the National Botanic Gardens

The National Botanic Gardens is home to various plants as well as serene woodland settings, lush trees, romantic bridges, and peaceful ponds that make for enjoyable scenery on a midday stroll. To help expand your knowledge of flora even further, programming that includes discussions, workshops, and films is available to the public. Furthermore, every Sunday visitors can take a free guided walking tour at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.Take a free walking tour of the city

When traveling through Europe, I swear by SANDEMAN’s NEW Europe walking tours. These tours are completely free and guides get paid in tips only. While this may seem risky, the quality of the tours is so high it really isn’t a problem for the guides. During the Dublin tour, you will learn the history of city sites in a fun and interactive way while also stopping off at a traditional English pub for lunch. If you still want more, sign up for their nightly pub crawl.

Explore Trinity College

Trinity College is not your average university college; in fact, it’s not only beautiful but historical. The college, which is the oldest in Ireland, was founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592 and features neatly manicured lawns, charming cobblestone paths, and beautiful Georgian architecture. While it’s free to walk around the campus and take photos, there is an admission fee to go see the ancient “Book of Kells” which is located in the Old Library.

Check out the street performers on Grafton

Street performing, or busking, is very popular in Dublin. If you want to increase your chances of seeing top-notch performances, head over to Grafton Street, which is the unofficial stage for street entertainment. Here you’ll be able to see everything from acoustic performers to people on stilts juggling basketballs.

Trek the Howth Coastal Path and feed the seals

At the northern tip of Dublin Bay, you will find the beautiful area of Howth Head (shown right). During a coastal walk of the region, you will be able to view Lambay Island, Ireland’s Eye, Baily Lighthouse, Howth Castle, and the Wicklow Mountains as you traverse over rugged cliff tops. Additionally, you’ll be able to feed seals once you reach Howth Harbour and stop for lunch at local pubs along the way. You can begin the hike east of Howth Village at the Balscadden Bay parking area and make your way around the Nose of Howth.

Learn some history and culture at a local museum

When visiting a city, it’s always a good idea to get a sense of the place by visiting a museum. One of Dublin’s best free museums is the National Museum of Ireland, which is actually a set of separate museums containing exhibits on archeology, history, culture, decorative arts, and more. Additionally, if you stop by the former Mariner’s Church there is the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, which allows visitors to explore the country’s maritime history. The museum is closed right now but will reopen on April 3, 2012. The Irish Jewish Museum, the National Photographic Archive, and Pearse Museum are also excellent free museums to add to your budget-friendly itinerary.

Get creative at an art museum

There are plenty of options in Dublin where you can experience high quality art for free. Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art features an array of impressionist and postimpressionist artists, with the main component being from Hugh Lane, an Irish art connoisseur who died in the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania. If you’re there April-June, you can enjoy a free summer concert series that takes place each Sunday. There is also the country’s most popular art gallery, the National Gallery of Ireland, where you can explore Irish and European art from the 14th-20th centuries. Other options for free art include the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Chester Beatty Library, and the Temple Bar Gallery and Studio.

Explore the Docklands

This is one of my favorite area’s of Dublin, especially since you don’t need to spend any money to enjoy its aesthetic features. There’s nothing like witnessing the city skyline behind the River Liffey and visitors will get the chance to take in unique art galleries, lively markets, beautiful bridges, Mayor Square, Chimney Park, Grand Canal Square, and lots of public art.

Get religious at a local church

While the more well-known churches like St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral charge an admission fee outside of mass times, there are many other beautiful and worthwhile places of worship that are free to enter. There is Saint Ann’s Church of Ireland (shown right), which incorporates an array of unique architectural styles and features memorials of well-known Dublin locals; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, where you can see a 16th-century shrine of Our Lady of Dublin along with relics of Saint Valentine; and Saint Mary’s Pro Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of the Archdiocese of Dublin.

Take in natural beauty at a Dublin park

There are many picturesque parks in Dublin where visitors can play sports, people-watch, read a book, or just lounge on a sunny day. First there is St. Stephen’s Green, with bright floral gardens, charming fountains, and various memorials honoring notable Dubliners. There’s also Phoenix Park, which was established in 1662 and is one of the “largest enclosed recreational spaces within any European capital city.” Merrion Square Park is also a worthwhile visit and features historical sculptures, beautiful gardens, and live performances.