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Tags: Naked Travel / Nude Travel / Active Travel / Hiking / Nature / Germany Travel / → All Tags

German Naturists Pretty Psyched About New Nude Hiking Trail

It seems like we're doing a naked travel or nude hiking post every few weeks now, with today's story courtesy of the 11 mile naturist hiking trail opening up in Germany. The eagerly anticipated path goes from Dankerode to the Wippertal dam along the Harz mountain range in central Germany.

Apparently enthusiasts have been lighting up naturist chat rooms over it for months. The Reuters writeup was very specific on this: "Naturist chat rooms."

So scientists believe we started wearing clothes some time between 100,000 and 500,000 years ago. Do you know why our grunting ancestors decided to cover themselves with animal pelts? Because they realized that dirt is dirty. It must have been a radical insight at the time—"hey, all this sticky stuff doesn't get on my skin if I cover myself, and I even feel warmer"—but nevertheless they were able to apply their chimp-like analytical skills to the problem and crack that nut. Not so much with these hippies.

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Tags: Costa Rica Field Trip / Corcovado National Park / Hiking / Camping / → All Tags

How to Hike Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park

All this week, Lost Girl Amanda Pressner will be bringing us reports from her recent trip to Costa Rica with her entire family. Any questions about traveling to Costa Rica or family-oriented activities to do while you're there? Let us know.

While the list of natural wonders in Costa Rica is practically endless, few are more revered by the locals (and industrious tourists) than the Osa Peninsula. Located in the far Southwestern portion of the country, the Osa is the home of Corcovado National Park, a dense swathe of jungle that National Geographic once dubbed “the most biologically intense place on earth.” The place is absolutely teaming with wildlife of all shapes and varieties, and contains a greater variety of birds, insects, trees and mammals per square kilometer than almost anywhere else in the world.

Thanks to Costa Rica’s commitment to protecting its most valuable natural resources, primary rainforests once slashed and burned in Osa to make way for pastureland and farming back in the 70s have almost completely returned as secondary forest—and so have a multitude of species that were headed for extinction.

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Tags: Adventure Travel / Hiking / Italy Travel / South Tirol Windsurfing / The Dolomites / → All Tags

Italy's South Tirol is Like an Outdoor Playground for Athletes

Travelers usually head to Italy to carbo-load on lip-smacking cuisine and swish tasty wines, to visit ancient sites like the Pantheon and the Colosseum, or to see amazing art like Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. But sporty types in the know venture north to the South Tirol, or Südtirol, a region that identifies more with its German roots than its Italian ones (you’ll hear most people speaking Deutsch and see signs in both Italian and German).

The South Tirol’s mountainous location—with the Alps towering overhead—makes it a prime spot for skiers and snowboarders in the cold months, with Swiss-like chalets dotted all over the area to complete the experience. In the warmer months, mountain climbers and hikers hit the slopes. You’ll also see many Nordic walkers taking to the trails. They are easy to spot; Nordic walkers hike at a brisk pace while carrying what looks like ski poles.

Originally designed as a cardiovascular summer training exercise for cross-country skiers, Nordic walking works your upper body while you hike. The sport, which is popular in Germany and Finland, is appropriate for all fitness levels.

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Tags: Appalachian Trail / Hiking / Active Travel / Mark Sanford / Outdoor Travel / → All Tags

The Sanford Affair Reminds America that the Appalachian Trail is Awesome

Of the 9,827 current news stories on Google News that mention the Appalachian Trail, 9,792 of them, or 99.64%, are related to South Carolina governor Mark Sanford. The governor had been missing from his office for several days, and reporters were told by his staff that Sanford was walking on the Appalachian Trail to clear his head for a few days, putting him out of reach of cell phone coverage. This turned out to be untrue. Sanford was actually in Buenos Aires tending to an illicit love affair, but the news serves as a nice reminder that Appalachian Trail season is once again upon us, and if you've never stepped foot on the trail, this might be the year to do it. (I guess it also tells us that some family-values advocates are hypocrites, but I prefer to focus on the Appalachian Trail).

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Tags: Movie Set Travel / Waterfalls / Hiking / Active Travel / → All Tags

Finding the Paradise of 'Up' A Little Closer To Home

If you haven’t made it to the local multiplex to see the new Disney-Pixar film Up, you’re missing out. In the movie, our heroes are headed to a fictional Paradise Falls in South America. Pixar filmmakers did head to Angel Falls in Venezuela to get some inspiration, but still, if your new dream is now to see Paradise Falls you might be out of luck.

Unless of course you have some time to head to Thousand Oaks, California, then you might fulfill your new need for exploration. From Los Angeles, you’ll take the 101 up the coast into Ventura County, where you’ll be ready to explore your own version of Paradise Falls. The trail lasts about three miles round-trip and there isn’t much of an elevation gain, so even coach potatoes should be good to go with this one. Just make sure to bring some water along with your milk duds, since the area is pretty dry, and the shade is limited along parts of the path.

You’ll be rewarded with views of a waterfall spilling into a large pool below. It’s not quite as big as the one in the movie, but it should still be worth the time and effort to get there. However, be careful of the local wildlife. Hikers have mentioned that rattlesnakes are big fans of this area near Wildwood Park. Pay attention and you’ll probably be safe.

Related Stories:
·Paradise Falls [LocalHikes]
·Paradise Falls [World-Of-Waterfalls]
·Hiking coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Neither Fanboy]

Tags: Mountains / Hiking / Caribbean Travel / Rebranding / → All Tags

Wise Move: Antigua Renames Highest Peak "Mount Obama"

The island of Antigua is getting into the whole rebranding thing by renaming its highest mountain after Barack Obama. As the AP points out, the unfortunately-named Boggy Peak will officially become Mount Obama Monument and National Park on August 4, 2009, a move that officials hope will bring more tourists to the Caribbean island. In addition to the name change, the mountain will get a new network of hiking trails, a museum, and educational facilities.

At 395 meters (1,319 feet), Mount Obama isn't about to supplant Everest as a destination for elite climbers, but for the rest of us, it's a perfect mid-sized mountain with sweeping views of the ocean that can be tackled in a couple of hours. It's also a good reminder that while Caribbean islands are most commonly known for their coastal areas, it's worth the effort to tear yourself away from the beach and check out the interior regions, which often contain rain forests, waterfalls, and under-appreciated mountains like this one. Smart move, Antigua.

[Photo: politicsdaily.com]

Related Stories:
· PM Spencer Sends Message to Barack Obama - Moves to Rename Boggy Peak to Mount Obama [Antigua & Barbuda]
· Antigua's Mount Obama to be National Park [AP via Yahoo! News]
· Mountain Coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: National Parks / Camping / Hiking / Great Outdoors / Utah Travel / → All Tags

The New York Times Goes Camping, Nobody Gets Hurt

In southern Utah the forecast this week calls for thunderstorms and possibly snow, but don't tell that to the New York Times travel section: Writer Tony Perrottet reminisces about last year's trip to the unmarked trails of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, little changed since John Wesley Powell and others traversed its canyons for the first time.

The sun-baked expanses peppered with friendly-enough locals are tempting even this close to spring, but the use of the word "outback" though is, for us, a little problematic: As we learned about from the end credits of "Australia," the land Down Under wasn't always so benevolent towards its aboriginal tribes -- but they managed to let them alone to the extent that they can still live on their tribal lands. Explorer Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh had a Ute Indian to guide him through America's outback; Perrottet had park rangers.

Still, the lure of hiking these deserted locales, even in a few months, makes us want to get our hiking boots on posthaste. And in this economy, camping sites on national park land may be gearing up for the best summer ever as budget-conscious Americans dig out the tents and propane grills. Any national parks (American and otherwise) you think we should check out in '09?

Related Stories:
· America’s Outback: Southern Utah [NYTimes]
· Utah coverage [Jaunted]
· Making You Feel Bad About Not Going Outside [Stuff White People Like]

[Photo: vtveen]

Tags: Jaunted Field Trips / Hiking / Table Mountain / Cape Town Cafes / → All Tags

Where To Go When You’ve Done Table Mountain

Monica Guy is joining us again this week to tell us what more there is to do in South Africa. Enjoy.

It doesn’t sound as if our last South African embed, Jill Nawrocki had such a good time on her hike up Table Mountain. And so we have to ask: why bother hiking up the thing when you can get a cable car and save yourself the legwork? Unless you’re a proper hiker and pick one of the weird back routes, you’ll only end up at exactly the same place as the sensible buggers who took the cable car – the mountain’s (excellent but expensive) panoramic café restaurant.

In the summer, the Platteklip Gorge route is Bloody Hot – take it from us. If you do fancy it, do the decent thing and get your lazy butt out of bed at 6am, ready to start at 7am. Or the sweat pouring off your forehead will make the front pages of the Cape Times. (Possible headline? "New Saltwater River Discovered on Table Mountain.")

Either way you do it, you're gonna want a place to rest and relax after you've done it. It just so happens we've got a few recommendations fo you.

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Tags: Christmas Alternatives / Hiking / National Trust / → All Tags

Over The River And Through The Woods

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, why just dream? Britain's National Trust features events all over its parks and landmarks during the holidays, for those times when cabin fever threatens to get toxic.

Using their event finder, we're pitching ourselves to Cornwall to visit Lanhydrock, the Victorian country house which is sponsoring a nature walk among its formal gardens on Christmas Eve. Forget last-minute shopping; if you come by from 11 to 4, you could win a special prize for completing the "Hidden Nature" challenge. And afterwards, there'd still be time to see some of the house's 50 rooms open to the public.

In case of inclement weather, curl up at home with a copy of the National Trust's Men At Work calendar ($11.77), featuring real Trust employees hard at work. Proceeds go to the restoration of Seaton Delaval Hall, a country house in northern England.

Related Stories:
· Summer Fun: Duck Into A Cornwall Beach [Jaunted]
· The Safest Way To Spend A Night In A Tree [Jaunted]
· Celebrate Our Men at Work [Nationaltrust.org.uk]

[Photo: ennor]

Tags: Hawaii on the Cheap / Big Island / Hawaii Travel / Hiking / → All Tags

The Big Island's Best Hikes For Lazy People

Hikes are pretty much free, so we did a bunch. However, we didn't want to spend too much of our, uh, time budget, so we chose some that were pretty short and sweet. Our primary mission was to see one cool thing and then get back to exploring elsewhere. Here are a few of our favorites:

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Tags: Hawaii on the Cheap / Oahu Travel / Hiking / Hawaii Travel / → All Tags

A Short And Sweet Hike At Manoa Falls

The upside to the global financial crisis is that forgetting your money woes in Hawaii has become incredibly cheap. Kyle Brown just got back from a budget-minded trip to the islands...

On Oahu, a short drive from Waikiki Beach will transport you to what often seems like a different world. With the famous Diamond Head crater closed for some fixing up during our visit, we were forced elsewhere to satisfy our hiking needs. We were looking for something short and sweet--with a good payoff at the end.

The trailhead to Manoa Falls is just 15 minutes from Honolulu, and it fit the bill perfectly. During our visit, there were plenty of spots to park, although we did have to surrender five bucks to someone manning the lot.

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Tags: Hiking / Active Travel / Pubs / → All Tags

Weekend in London: Escape to Hampstead

Even in London, it's nice to get out of the city for a while. Forgo the trip to Bath (and save loads on a pre-packaged bus tour or rental car) and hop on the Underground to Hampstead, just outside the city in Camden. Take the tube to the Hampstead stop, after Belsize Park, and the trip couldn't be easier.

We'll warn you that it's home to more millionaires than any other area of the country, but to most of us that just means excellent restaurants, shops and perfectly maintained streets to meander.

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