GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of July 30

by Adrienne Wilson on

What a week! Not that all weeks aren’t a little something special here at Gadling, but you know. Maybe you don’t know? Maybe you missed all of our goodies this week? Maybe you missed only a few? Tsk-tsk. Well here’s a few to review:

5. Builda Yurt:
Of all things seen on Gadling – why would I point to this Builda Yurt blurb? Because I agree with Erik. Because Yurts are cool. Besides it’s a fun plug on the Yurt craze and if you’ve been paying attention you’d know that the holidays are just around the corner. Is a Yurt on your wish list? Should be.

4. Balkan Odyssey Part 16: Ulcinj, Montenegro:
Gotta love how Neil keeps every detail coming from his last adventure to the Balkans. He started with Albania and has worked his way into Montenegro with this post. More specifically, he describes the waiting-to-be-discovered beach resort that is Ulcinj. If you have to ask why – then you need to check out this excellent piece. The pictures are phenomenal.

3. Top Haunted Hikes:
Reading about some of our National Park’s top haunted trails really spooked me out. I wouldn’t want to imagine what walking the path of one on a dark starry night (lost, without a map, and a coyote’s howl) in the distance would be like. Spine-tingling indeed. Yosemite, Big Bend and Grand Canyon are all there. See what other parks made the haunted list.

2. Transparent Kayak:
See-through canoe-kayak, yeah – insanely awesome. Erik points out a fine piece equipment in the gear world and though it ain’t too cheap makes you want to start saving for one. Seats two people and it is really transparent. Check it out.

1. Havasupai:
With this one you almost wish Neil didn’t go running his trap about how grand the Havasupai Canyon located about 40 miles from the Grand Canyon is, but at the same time you’ve somehow placed it high on your list of destinations to go. If it sounds too hot for you to trek to these days, then you obviously weren’t put onto the cool blue Havasu Creek. Miss this piece again and that’s just your loss pal.

Top Haunted Hikes

by Adrienne Wilson on

Go on and laugh when I tell you this, but horror is not my movie-watching genre of choice and the Blair Witch Project seriously scared the chicken-poop out of me, so when I read this piece about haunted hiking I could just feel the hairs-raising on my neck by imagining the sound of every snapping twig in a forest. In other words -psssh, yeah right. Count me out, hold me, and if I somehow manage to venture out just promise not to leave me behind. I kid you not, I’m the kind of person that will push a small child into the hands of a scary ghoul, goblin, ghost or U.F.O if I ever had an encounter with the paranormal. I’m that much of a wuss. No shame.

Anywho, let’s talk more spooky stuff. If you’re planning way ahead of the game for Halloween travel, you’re in luck because Andrea Lankford’s Haunted Hikes, Spine-Tingling Tales and Trails from North America’s National Parks is available for purchase and to read over campfires. According to the author she doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she goes on to say things like such:

“…People disappear. People die. People kill. Bad things happen. Something lingers. Death leaves it’s mark on the landscape.”

A knack for story-telling or telling the truth? I guess that is for the curious National Parks traveler to find out and it is my hope that very curiosity won’t kill… Well, no time for clichés, USA Today talks about the author’s new book and highlights some of the spookiest hikes around. Big Bend National Park, Yosemite National Park, Virgin Islands National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway and Grand Canyon National Park are only a few that make the list. If you’d like to know why they’re haunted and the rest, you’ll need to check out the book or USA Today.

Share the Experience Photo Contest

by Adrienne Wilson on


Fans and frequent visitors to America’s federal recreational lands should be excited to learn about the Share the Experience Photo Contest underway right now. If you’ve ever been blown away by the natural beauty of various landscapes our nation has to offer chances are you’ve probably taken a snapshot or two. So don’t be shy – share your photos for the world to see and maybe win a couple of cool prizes. The prizes aren’t too shabby either.

Grand prize winner gets their photo featured on the 2008 “Federal Recreational Lands Pass,” receives a Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, 5-day, 4-night trip for four including airfare to a federal recreation area of the winner’s choice, a CASIO Exilim Zoom Camera; and a one-year Federal Recreational Lands Pass. Contest ends on December 31, 2006 so act now and make sure to check out their official rules.

Photo of the Day (7/15/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


When I found out I was going to be staying in Yucca Valley, CA, a town only a stone’s throw away from the popular Joshua Tree National Park, I didn’t know what to expect. Having heard of Joshua Tree in the past I knew it would be kind of a big deal, but wasn’t sure why. It didn’t take long to discover the dual desert park’s jaw-dropping dramatic landscapes. Incredible rock formations, never-ending rows of unique Joshua Trees and sunsets so warm and soft make a visit to the park a MUST. Beyond all that there is to see, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the park is its undisturbed silence and calm. With all that being said, today’s photo comes from my own files. It’s nothing close to spectacular. You’ll have to head to the park for yourself if you want more, but in the meantime you can check out more of my own Joshua Tree shots by clicking here.

National Park Woes

by Erik Olsen on

Keeping up on our posts about the National Parks and their current state, I’d like to direct your attention to a piece at the Washington Post about how difficult it may be to experience the parks this summer. Due to budget shortfalls and an (alleged) lack of commitment to keep the parks up to date, our parks system, says a group of retired park employees, will offer fewer park rangers available to respond to emergencies, fewer law enforcement officials patrolling, and fewer rangers giving interpretive walks and answering questions. The article examines a detailed study of 37 of the nation’s parks that was put out by a nonprofit coalition that “found almost without exception that parks are operating well below the established standards for service and for resource and visitor protection.” So take this into consideratin as you plan the week-long excursion to Yellowstone with the family.