By Kasey Austin

Couples Adventure Vacations

Jack chuckles as he recalls his last vacation with Linda. As a newly dating couple, their first weeklong getaway included a map with too few details, lost hotel reservations, and forgotten picnic lunches on several occasions. Linda even had a run in with a beehive and guess who forgot to bring the first aid kit?! Jack appreciates the memories now but remembers the stresses of the critical moments on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation. Does this sound in any way familiar? Are you ready to plan the perfect getaway for you and your honey? Well, read onto discover some helpful hints on planning, preparing and playing on your next couples adventure! (more…)

By Mindy Vanderhoof

When thinking of a ‘trip of a life time’ many people think of an over the top Safari to Africa!  There are several factors that come into play while you are in the research and development part of a trip.  Below you will find a list of helpful hints to aid you in your search for the perfect African Adventure.

1. Create a list of ‘must see/do’ (animal, cultural, geographical)… The first step to planning a memorable African Adventure is to create a “must see or do list”.  Are you traveling to participate mostly in game viewing or tracking the elusive black rhino or Gorillas? Are you a thrill seeker who wants to bungee jump while you feel the spray of Victoria Falls?  Do you want to climb to the top of Table Mountain or explore the wine regions around Cape Town? Or are you looking to have cultural encounter with the Masai? Listing what you really consider your ‘Must Do’s’ is a great place to start! (more…)

Whether hiking, biking, horseback riding or river rafting, our staff and guides have done it all. Out of all the time spent atop breathtaking mountains, along stunning trails, and on untamed rivers,  there are a few places that just stand out.

Here are some of our favorite hiking trails:

Favorite Hiking Trail – For Toby Grapner choosing his favorite hiking trail was easy; “It has to be the Narrows (Utah – Bryce/Zion) for now.  Hiking in a river between 1000-foot sandstone cliffs is pretty amazing. Thinking about how the water has cut and shaped this famous slot canyon can leave you in awe of the power of nature!”

While Toby enjoyed the power of nature found in Utah, both Christy Hamill and Dan Austin looked north to our Alaska trip for their favorite hiking trails. Christy explained, “The Exit Glacier trail was challenging but I enjoyed the reward of hiking through the quietness of a cottonwood and alder forest, near waterfalls and across streams to the most amazing view of the glacier and surrounding mountains that take your breath away.” Also, on our Alaska trip, Dan chose the Crow Creek Pass for its connection to the history of Alaska gold mining with its abandoned gold mine and all of the original heavy equipment left behind.

Leading us across the Atlantic, Ron Van Dijk chose a trail on the Greek island of Santorini, from our Greece, Athens & The Cyclades Islands trip. He explained, “The views of the caldera with its steep cliffs, the blue sea down below and the white villages along the rim are stunning as they keep changing. Amazingly enough, most visitors to the island never do the walk but prefer to sit by the pool. What a waste!”

Kavya Bisz discovered her favorite trail in central Europe. She stated, “Schmittenhohe-hiking trail on the Austrian Alps to Salzburg trip, means walking between the cows, the few small trees and bushes left at the altitude, and enjoying the breathtaking view of the snow-covered mountains. It always makes my heart sing.”

Other favorites to make this long list are: Italy, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, and Lake Glacier National Park in Washington. For more, see our complete list of the world’s best hiking trails.

Everyone has favorites…favorite foods, favorite songs, favorite movies, etc. For those of us in the adventure travel industry, well, we have our favorites too. We wanted to get a peek into the vast knowledge and experience of our office staff and guides, to find out a few of their favorite things. After an extensive questionnaire, we discovered favorite hiking trails, bike rides, hotels, new trips, and much more. We found a very diverse selection of exciting and beautiful places, amazing foods, and unforgettable experiences, but a passion for travel was the one thing consistent across the board.

We’ll be posting a series of blogs over the next couple of weeks, which will break down our favorites, so keep a lookout and let us know what you think!

Of all the things there are to write about Tuscany, the light, the architecture, the cultural and historical significance, the art, I choose to write about the Gelato, my favorite of Italian experiences!  There was not a day spent in Italy when I did not find myself, at least once, hovering around a charming stand watching a cute little Italian man scraping the soft pillows of cream into a cup for me.  It never mattered the flavor, crem carmel, lampone (raspberry), cioccolato bianco (white chocolate), nocciola (hazel nut) or just plain old Vaniglia (vanilla, but everything sounds better in Italian), each was amazing in its simplicity.

Photo credit: http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/

Eating gelato is a whole body experience.  First you see it, in the long narrow metal containers, with the gentle swirl pattern on top, similar to that of a homemade birthday cake. Next comes the confusion; what am I going to order?  I don’t speak Italian… I can fake it, I can pronounce it, but I don’t always know what I am going to get (that is how I ended up loving nocciola gelato, it sounded interesting, it looked amazing, so I went for it, and I was not sorry.) Then, when they scrape it up, scrape, not scoop, it is much too soft for a scoop, and fill the little cup to the brim, all that is left is desire, they can’t get it to me fast enough.  The taste is not like the ice cream we know. The texture is different, the flavors more pronounced, the sweetness is there but not overpowering.  It rolls over the tongue, melting with your body temperature, soaking into your being.  It is my quintessential Italian experience.  Buon appetite!