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/2008/8/8/72341/75644

There's no doubt that we're fans of all the new buses that have been popping up lately. But instead of using them simply for transportation, why not use them for a vacation? That's the idea behind Adventure Bus, a company that tours great national parks and other scenic sites across the US in tricked out coaches.

The big see-it-all trip is the two-week Best of the National Parks Adventure Tour. You'll start from Salt Lake City and return there upon completing your adventure, hiking, rafting, swimming and climbing your way through the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Jackson Hole and many others. It starts at $1,495 per person and includes most meals and admission to all the parks.

If sitting in a cramped bus isn't your idea of an ideal vacation, no worries here. These rides have been totally redesigned as a lounge on wheels. There are pillows, couches and every night the seating is transformed into "bus beds" so you can catch some shuteye while you cruise on to your next destination.

Related Stories:
· Adventure Bus [Official Site]
· Bus Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: rmarzec78]]]> kjb 2008-08-08T13:00:07-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/27/122915/298 The environmental movement in the United States can trace its roots to the country's many national parks, so it makes sense that the parks should employ the latest and greatest environmental technology. To that end, Michigan's Grand Haven State Park recently unveiled the first of many eco-friendly campground restrooms, a water- and energy-efficient structure designed to lesson the impact on the earth while helping people appreciate its beauty.

As the AP points out, the restroom has a host of conservation features, from timer-controlled showers and low-flow toilets to a collection of solar panels on the roof that help power the ventilation system. Natural light illuminates indoor areas during the day, while motion-detectors ensure that artificial lights are only used when needed.

This great leap forward in park restroom technology couldn't come at a better time, as record-high gas prices and economic uncertainty have many travelers eying cheaper vacation options like hiking and camping close to home. And it's hard to do better than Grand Haven State Park, a 48-acre triangle on the shores of Lake Michigan and the Grand River with white sand beaches, hiking trails, and a nifty lighthouse. So sally forth to Michigan for your eco-friendly summer vacation, and embrace the future of earth-friendly camping.

Related Stories:
· Campground Restrooms Becoming Ecologically Correct [AP via Yahoo! News]
· Grand Haven State Park [Official Site]
· National Parks Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: AP]]]> Victor Ozols 2008-07-27T12:30:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/21/223522/643

Jill Nawrocki is a volunteer in Namibia, a travel blog star and a former Jaunted contributing editor. Is there anything this girl can't do? This week, she's sharing with us her adventures in the southwest African nation.]]> jnaw 2008-07-24T12:30:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/23/114310/754

Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska usually doesn't let visitors drive themselves around park roads, instead offering bus service to transport people through the tundra in search of grizzly bears, moose, sheep and views of Mt. McKinley. But park concessioner Doyon/Aramark realized that by using hybrid busses instead of the diesel models currently in service, they could both cut fuel costs and go a little bit more green.

Park officials are trying out one hybrid this summer to see how it compares to the current fleet of 110 diesel busses. The diesel-electric ride uses up to 70 percent less fuel than those currently in use, thereby lowering carbon, nitrogen and particulate emissions. As an added bonus, the hybrids are far quieter than their diesel counterparts.

Here's hoping the hybrids catch on and take a little attention away from another notable bus in Alaska.

Related Stories:
· Denali National Park & Preserve [Official Site]
· Alaska National Park Tests Hybrid [AP, via]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: -just-jen-]]]> pbb 2008-07-23T11:45:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/18/10398/8812

Stephen Colbert was right! Two campgrounds near Yellowstone National Park have been closed at the height of tourist season after a bear attacked a camper Thursday morning.

The bear, believed to be a grizzly, entered a tent at the Soda Butte campground at the park's northeastern end and bit and scratched a man. It is not known whether he was camping alone or how old he was, but it appeared his food was stored correctly (a common draw to hungry animals in and near the park).

The National Park Service said the bear returned to the scene of the crime later on Thursday, proving that bears are not actually that smart.

Related Stories:
· Grizzly Crawls into Bed with Montana Camper [Great Falls Tribune]
· Scary Alaska Travel: Bear Mauls Teenage Girl [Jaunted]
· When Animals Attack coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: tut99]]]> egw 2008-07-18T11:15:19-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/14/83311/2898

For the American traveling abroad, being confronted with unfavorable exchange rates can feel like death by a thousand paper cuts. Every ticket purchased is a chance to do still more unsavory math. So any way to save a little of your vacation bankroll without packing PB&Js or panhandling on a foreign subway looks like an attractive option.

If your trip to the UK this summer includes country houses or landscaped gardens, consider joining the Royal Oak Foundation, a National Trust-affiliated nonprofit supporting hundreds of properties in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Your $55 membership doesn't cover major tourist traps like the Tower of London or the Eye, but it can get you in free to Roman baths, wacky museums (like the Museum of Childhood) and manors like Cliveden (pictured). If you're just passing through Britain, it might not be worth it, but for extended trips it'll make you feel like an aristocrat visiting "your" private garden.

Related Stories:
· In and Around London [Royal Oak Foundation]
· The UK's Scariest Roller Coaster [Jaunted]
· Natioinal Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: sheldonash]]]> egw 2008-07-14T09:32:11-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/