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Give Others a 'Peek' at Your Perfect Day to Win $1K

One thing we liked when we checked out the Peek—a Jack Dorsey-backed travel start-up which offers curated travel activities—was the Perfect Day section, in which various celebs and tastemakers (the likes of Tory Burch, Piers Morgan, Devon Aoki and French Laundry’s Timothy Hollingsworth) all put together sample schedules for a day out in a destination of their choice.

Now, since that went down a treat, they’re opening the feature up to the little people like you and me and sweetening the deal with a $1000 site credit for the person voted the best Perfect Day curator.

The idea behind the feature is simple. It's “an online library full of the best travel tips around the world written by local experts and your friends.” You know how when friends are in town, and you write them a list of places to go? It’s like that—a spread of things to do from morning to night, plus a hotel recommendation. In fact, if you write your list up for Peek, next time someone visits, you can just send them the link, where everything will have been uploaded into a funky little map with photos (a bit reminiscent of Foursquare Lists...hmm).

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Another Year, Another Slew of Free Days at National Parks

In case you haven’t noticed, the days in 2012 are starting to get pretty limited and before you know it it’s going to be time for 2013. The National Park Service is already getting set for the calendar switch, as they just announced their freebie days for the following year. So if you still have a couple more national park visits on your bucket list, you might be able to visit for a few fewer bucks.

Up first is January 21, which corresponds with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and after that Uncle Sam is opening up his back yard for an entire week. It’s pretty much a park free-for-all during National Park Week, as the gates swing open free of charge between April 22 and April 26.

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Riot Training Tourism? Okay Then.

As has been well-documented by scientists and statisticians, travel has never been less dangerous. In both broad and specific senses that's a very good thing, since more people can travel to more places, but for dangerous travel aficionados it's becoming a problem.

As has also been well-documented by scientists and statisticians, British tourists are among the world's worst people. They throw stag parties that are by turns crude and destructive, and their outrward behavior is sometimes indistinguishable from low-level rioting. Where do you think this post is going?

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One More National Park Freebie Weekend for 2012

It seems that every few months there’s a chance to score a gratis visit to some of the country’s greatest treasures, and that chance is coming up once again. It might be getting a little cooler where you call home, but it’s probably still warm enough to enjoy one more slice of the great outdoors.

In support of Veteran’s Day the National Park Service is continuing their free entrance days this upcoming weekend, as they’re planning to swing open the gates on November 10-12. These are the last fee-free days of the year, so if you haven’t taken advantage of Uncle Sam’s generosity in the past now is the time to do so.

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Watch This Stunning Swiss Alps Time-Lapse, Then Visit the Summit Yourself

Helvetia's Dream from Alessandro Della Bella on Vimeo.

Ever flown into Switzerland's Zurich Airport? You step off the plane and the soaring windows fill only with the expanse of blue sky all around. Then you step into the terminal transfer train and, in the darkness, there's the sound of cows mooing, cow bells clanking and alpine horns tooting from the speakers.

The first bit of the video below instantly brought us back to that moment at Zurich Airport, as it also features that typical Swiss soundtrack...before jumping into a rhythm to compliment the stupendous vistas in the time-lapse.

This video. named "Helvetia's Dream," comes from Swiss photographer Alessandro Della Bella and is an ode to his homeland and the landscape in which he grew up. He obviously headed to the top of a few mountains for the shots, but we're here to tell you that you can as well, and easily.

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Your Skis Fly Free This Winter If You Fly Monarch

It’s never too early to start thinking about ski season, and that’s especially the case with November just around the corner. Sure the good flakes might not start coating those slopes until a month or two from now, but we’re thinking that there will be plenty of the white fluffy stuff to get you outdoors. The only problem with skiing is that there’s a lot of equipment to lug and things get even more inconvenient when you need to fly to the mountain. Thankfully there’s one airline over in Europe that’ll serve as a lift for your equipment, and they’ll do it for free.

Monarch Airlines out of the United Kingdom is gearing up for ski season and offering to carry your stuff under the belly of the plane without an extra fee. You do need to book your tickets between now and the end of 2012, and you’ll end up saving yourself roughly $65. They’ve even got low rates to many popular destinations, as rates start around $55 each way inclusive of taxes to spots like Friedrichshafen and Innsbruck.

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A Sidelong Glance at 'Peek,' the Newest Marketplace for Travel Experiences

Peek.com. It's not NSFW, we swear, but it could be taking your money pretty soon anyhow.

Peek is the newest travel site out there with something to sell, but its focus is actually on experiences—not hotel rooms or flights or gear or anything else but the opportunity of getting out there and doing something without going through too much organizational trouble. Browse their available activities in San Francisco, San Diego, California Wine Country or Hawaii (more destinations coming soon), click-click-click-purchase and you're all set with a biplane ride or a ghost tour or a photography workshop. We'd equate it to tacking shore excursions onto a cruise, except you're not on a cruise; you're on your own trip with the desire to add some adventure.

The design of the site is clean, with a focus on juicy images. It's in the style of Jetsetter.com or Airbnb.com. We're going to be nit-picky and note that the banner image (shown above) is of a coastal town in Italy, which is not currently a Peek destination. And it goes without saying that the reason Peek is enjoying so much favorable media coverage is due somewhat to the investment of Jack Dorsey (creator of Twitter, CEO of Square).

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It's Chicago-O'Hare's Turn for Fun with an Upcoming Runway Run

Every time we hear about an airport Runway Run we’re motivated to lace up our sneakers and register for the race, and now it looks like we’re ready to potentially sprain an ankle once again. The huffing and puffing will happen to the finish line over in Chicago, as O’Hare is getting ready to open up for a 5K and a Community Day.

This year’s O'Hare 5K on the Runway and Community Day is set to start its day at 8am on October 20, and the fun will run—literally—until around 1pm. After that they’re shutting things down, as obviously there’s a need to use the airport for more pressing issues. United Airlines and the Chicago Department of Aviation are teaming up to organize things, and—warm and fuzzies warning—all proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Project.

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Cody, Wyoming: More Than Horses in the Rodeo Capital of the World

The wild, wild west. It's really not all that wild anymore. Some may constitute any place west of the Mississippi River "The West," so we are going to narrow down the large area to a small town in Wyoming named Cody. Remember this quaint little airport? It's here.

Cody is named for William Frederick Cody (whom you may know better as Buffalo Bill Cody) to honor his part in creating this town with a whole lot of character. Full of history and even more tall tales, it serves as a gateway for thousands of travelers on their way to see the wonderment of Yellowstone National Park. For those of you who might tire quickly of the bear and moose sightings, the town offers some alternatives.

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Instead of Flying, Air New Zealand Will Have You Walk Around the Country

Quick question: do you like to walk? Like, really like to walk, especially when it's around waterfalls around canyons and across awe-inspiring vistas? If you answered yes or even "maybe," then you should totally enter the newest contest from Air New Zealand.

You see, Air New Zealand has partnered with the Department of Conservation to highlight the country's nine Great Walks by sending four contest winners to walk them all, over only nine weeks.

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There's One More Runway Run To Add To Your Calendar This Fall

If you haven’t been stretching and training in preparation for the run over in New York, that’s okay. There’s still time to put in a little work before another runway run.

The Runway Run 5K will hit the tarmac at Columbia Metropolitan Airport November 17 as runners and walkers do their thing right on the grounds of the airport. You’ll start right outside some of the airplane hangers and then you’ll pretty much taxi yourself right onto the runway before turning around at the end and heading back down.

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Run on LaGuardia's Runway for the Very First Time This October

Yeah, it's an old photo, as the NWA jet gives away

It may be September 11 and you've likely read your share of negative and depressing news articles by this late in the day, but we have something a little more up beat to share, in a way that still allows you to contribute and display your allegiance at the same time: The LaGuardia Airport Runway Run.

You see, on Sunday, October 14, New York's LGA Airport will gather a slew of runners (and joggers, and walkers) at Hangar 7, for a 5k run down an actual runway. That's the fun part. The charitable part comes in when you register and pay the entrance fee for the race ($20 before Sept 21, $25 after Sept 21, $30 on-site day of), as all proceeds go to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

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