Visit Yellowstone Offseason

by Kraig Becker on

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most popular destinations in the U.S., welcoming nearly 3 million visitors per year. Most of those come during the summer months, when the weather is consistently beautiful, and the travel season is in full swing. But this article suggests that we should go now, to beat the crowds, and enjoy springtime in the Northern Rockies, where no matter what time of the year it is, Old Faithful erupts, whether anyone is watching or not.

The Park covers more than 2.2 million acres, spreading out across Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. It was first established back in 1872, and is home to hundreds of species of birds and animals, including sixty distinct species of mammals, such as elk, moose, bison, wolves, and bear. Yellowstone also contains diverse terrain, with rivers, lakes, canyons, and mountains dominating the landcsape.

Of course, all of these natural wonders are also what attracts the large summer crowds, which makes visiting the park in the offseason such a popular idea for outdoor enthusiasts. For instance, even though it is spring, and temperatures are on the rise, there is still plenty of snow in the high country, allowing for some late season skiing or snow shoeing. At lower altitudes, the trails are now open, granting access to much of the park, and since the crowds haven’t arrived yet, there is plenty of solitude as well.

The article offers some excellent links to websites that cover Yellowstone from top to bottom and have plenty of great tips on how to maximize your visit, including the best places to stay, both inside and out of the park. Beat the rush in Yellowstone. Go before Memorial Day weekend, to have the park mostly to yourself.

Photo of the Day (3.29.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

As luck would have it I’m currently tramping around New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park. All the majestic outdoor scenery and beautiful vistas have me in a particularly “natural” frame of mind. Exactly the reason I chose Flickr user Tina Hsu’s shot for today’s selection. Tina took this photo near Sedona, Arizona. I love the reddish rocky outcroppings and the perspective, framed nicely by a nearly cloudless blue sky.

Have any fantastic travel photos of some beautiful outdoor scenery? Or perhaps just the local botanic gardens? Why not share them with us by adding them to the Gadling pool on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (07.13.08)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Doesn’t this look blissful? Flickr user Bernard-SD took this shot at Yosemite National Park. Summer is one of the best but also the most crowded times at our country’s national parks, so it’s refreshing to see a great nature shot with nary a human to clutter the view.

Bernard’s photo is great not only for the scenery but also because it’s nicely framed. I like how the lone hiking path cuts across the foreground, winding off into unknown. The tree on the right is also a nice counterpoint to the gorgeous waterfall on the upper left. Just imagine yourself hiking down this peaceful path, the vista of the park’s mountains looming in the distance.

Have a great travel photo you’d like to share with the world here on Gadling? Add it to our Gadling pool on Flickr and we might pick it as our Photo of the Day.

Dragon tourism. Yes, DRAGON tourism.

by Abha Malpani on

I’ve always had a strange desire to be in a Jurassic Park film. The last time I was at Universal Studios, I remember seeing the dinosaurs in an utter state of awe as I imagined how life would have been if these creatures still existed.

Dragons on the other hand, I’ve only read about in story books and would never have imagined that there are 2,500 of them walking freely on Indonesia’s Komodo Island. Yes my friends, there are humongous carnivorous lizards — some that are 10-feet long — walking at their own liberty, on our planet!

17,000 people visited Komodo National Park last year, a number not too high perhaps only because of the lack of tourist facilities on the island. (I imagine if you are visiting an island with dragons, the more tourist facilities around, the higher your likelihood of visiting, no?). As for me, my explorer spirit doesn’t include being dragon-fearless: I’d jump out of my skin and run for my life if I ever encountered one.

Also, according to National Wildlife Magazine, the thick saliva of the dragon is known to kill the animals it bites and some researchers are risking their lives to find out what is in the saliva that kills other animals, and not the beast itself. They think that perhaps it’s saliva has strong immunity properties or some natural antibodies in it’s blood that could be harnessed for human health.

The wonders of nature often leave me speechless.

The most remote (and beautiful) corner of Costa Rica

by Iva Skoch on

If you want to experience Costa Rica for its natural parks and avoid beautiful-but-touristy places (such as Quepos) head over to Osa Peninsula, home of Corcovado National Park, which is the largest park in the country (and much of Central America). I was just there in November and would recommend it to anybody who is looking for adventure travel. November is a good time to go, too, because it is the end of their rainy season but not quite their high season yet. You will end up doing a lot of trekking–both in jungle and on the beach–so plan accordingly and bring a lot of sunscreen.

We took a local flight on Sansa from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez and rented a 4X4 car from there. You can also take a “colectivo” shuttle bus (cheaply) or a taxi (expensively). It is about a three hour drive to Carate. This is where “the road ended” and we hiked 3 miles on the beach to the eco lodge. The beaches are amazing and so are most of the eco lodges. Still, the key here is modest: tents, simple meals and lots of scenery. Anyone looking to get “eco-pampered” with a massage in the sunset should probably go to Quepos instead.

Costa Rica is a beautiful country that has so much to offer to different types of travelers. Don’t get discouraged just because your neighbor told you it is getting touristy. There are still real gems to find in Costa Rica.

###

Also: Check out the story + gallery (below) of Gadling blogger Jerry Guo catching bats in Costa Rica.

%Gallery-14442%