Just because summer is winding down doesn't mean you have to give up on the outdoors. For September and even October, Acadia National Park in Maine has a lot to offer, including stunning scenery and cooler temperatures.

We like the idea of the park's "Step-On" Tours, which allow you to just jump on a bus as rangers navigate the 27-mile Park Loop Road system. The tours start at $50 an hour and most last at least three hours. True, it's not exactly a deal, but at least your guide knows what she's doing!

There are also a few other tours that involve a little more exercise. The two-hour Beaver Trek runs through September and October and is all about the little critters. Meanwhile the Carriage Road Ramble is the ideal opportunity to take in the fall colors. You'll learn about the native flora and fauna and what each brings to the party at the park. Each tour runs about two hours and both cost $100.

Related Stories:
· Acadia National Park-Ranger-Led Group Tours [Official Site]
· Active Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: post406]]]> kjb 2008-08-28T13:00:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/22/1359/99307

It's hardly shocking that as gas prices rise, more commuters are looking to public transit options they may not have considered earlier. But the Amtrak train leading in gains may surprise you: It's not the soup-to-nuts Northeast Regional or the posh Acela trains, but the Downeaster, the Portland-to-Boston route which picked up 947 extra passengers a day over last year.

We're pleased that we may have reached the tipping point for new public transportation options to be developed nationwide, although the initial result will just be more crowding. (A Midwestern friend of Jaunted says the Milwaukee-Chicago "Hiawatha" service is in dire need of another car per trip, as workers used to driving the 90 miles kick back on the train instead.)

Related Stories:
· Amtrak's Downeaster Ridership up 28 Percent [AP, via Yahoo]
· The Downeaster [Official Site]
· Amtrak coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: herzogbr]]]> egw 2008-07-22T13:50:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/21/131619/886

Just when you thought it was safe to strap yourself into a big, double-chambered plastic ball and roll down a ski slope with no means of controlling your descent, the dangerous side of Zorbing rears its nefarious head. Sun Journal reporter Rebekah Metzler was enjoying one of the perks of her job by previewing the Lost Valley Ski Area's soon-to-open 240-acre Zorbing park.

All was going well as she and a photographer were rolling down a grassy ski run--until their Zorb "bounced off a hay-encased post, went airborne and landed hard several seconds later," fracturing Metzler's back.

There are several measures designed to keep Zorbs from going off-course, and proper air pressure is the key to avoiding the pachinko-style caroms, but the mishap is pretty scary nonetheless. It's easy to feel invincible when you're strapped into a cushioned, womb-like bubble, but apparently that's still not enough to protect Zorbers from rare cases of extremely bad luck. There's probably just a millimeter's difference between "broken back" and "most awesome Zorbing run ever." Still, we'd do it in a heartbeat.

Related Stories:
· Lost Valley Ski Area [Official Site]
· Fun Ride Turns into Painful Experience [Sun Journal]
· Zorbing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Sun Journal]]]> Victor Ozols 2008-06-21T13:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/14/131156/887

Hibernation time is over! Maine's Acadia National Park reopens its central Park Loop Road tomorrow for the official season. The road, built by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. as a set of carriage trails criss-crossing the preserve, takes visitors throughout the park, which is located primarily on Mount Desert Island.

The only national park in New England is heavily traveled during the summer months but it's a great place to hike in spring, before the hordes arrive. Use of a camp site is just ten dollars a night.

Need some gear and driving up? Swing by the 24-hour L.L. Bean store in Freeport.

Related Stories:
· Acadia National Park [Official Site]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]
· Spring Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: dbking]]]> egw 2008-04-14T15:05:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/3/16/21430/9553

Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepard on "Grey's Anatomy") was in Maine recently to preside over the opening of the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing, opened in honor of his mother, an ovarian cancer survivor.

Dempsey is a Lewiston native and as such will probably make an appearance at the Great Falls Balloon Festival in August. (His hometown is about 35 miles from Portland.) Wonder if Dr. Grey is a balloon fan... we sure are.

Related Stories:
· Patrick Dempsey Acts Like a Tough Guy at LAX [Jaunted]
· Oscar Movies Map: "That's How You Know" He's A Killer [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: time.com]]]> egw 2008-03-17T09:00:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/7/16/152545/573

Honky-tonk beach towns like Old Orchard Beach are on travel's endangered list. The nearly extinct American beach towns can be easily identified in the wild -- these towns are located directly on a beach, cook fried dough, employ C-list musicians, offer carnival style rides, give away large stuffed prizes, and are usually ghost towns October - April.

Despite their lack of external charm, these towns have an incredible ability to evoke childhood memories in many people.

No, global warming has nothing to do with wiping out these towns, this is all about money. While some honky-tonk beach towns are cherished by their residents, and have achieved historic status and protection of some sort, many of these towns referred to pejoratively as "white trash towns" are suffering an onslaught of condo developers who are selling residents on "upscaling" their not-always-so-beloved beach towns.

This month, we are taking a look at America's best honky-tonk beach towns and mapping them for you. If you want to visit, you better hurry, many of them may not exist in a couple years.

America's Honky-Tonk Beach Town Map :: Old Orchard Beach Story]]> markj 2007-07-16T15:52:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/6/27/101353/594

Speaking of Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to join President George Bush at the Walker's Point compound in Kennebunkport Maine this weekend for a little summer vacation.

The Bush-Putin summit is an attempt to strengthen relations between the U.S. and Russia, away from their normal entourages.

Sit down, no necktie, sit in a beautiful house overlooking the sea and talk frankly without a lot of strangers and note takers, people that have separate agendas handing you notes and all of that.

So says President Bush. Well, lucky for the President, we have some suggestions for Kennebunkport friendship encouraging activities. ]]> markj 2007-06-27T10:15:00-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/