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Tag: Outdoor Travel View All Tags

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Rare Fall Foliage Alert: Southern California Sees Some Color In Julian

September 25, 2009 at 8:40 AM | by Jennifer Kester | 0 Comments


See? Fall colors do exist in SoCal.

You'd be hard-pressed to find golds and reds in the palm trees during the fall in Southern California, but head one hour northeast of San Diego and you'll see plenty of leaves turning in Julian, a small old mining town.

Julian sits among the Laguna Mountains—at an elevation of 4,200 feet—making it a picturesque place to check out the foliage. It's among the few places in San Diego County that has a winter, spring, summer and fall. But Southern Californians are starved to see something other than greenery and to get some cool air, so they tend to pack the town this time of the year, which can make it seem less rustic and more touristy. You'll avoid crowds if you go during the week.

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Fall Foliage Travel: 4x4 Through A Lithuanian Forest

September 23, 2009 at 4:33 PM | by JetSetCD | 1 Comment

Typically when you think of quaint villages and local charm surrounded by autumn colors, your mind fixates on the East Coast. But banish the thought, since Lithuania totally kicks butt in all of those departments.

The capital Vilnius has an old town city centre that is also a UNESCO heritage site, and from here you can grab excursions to the south of the country and its forests full of fresh air, like Dzukija National park or Grutas Park, the latter of which is peppered with statues of Soviet political figures—bring your fancy camera for these. But our highest recommendation goes to 4x4 off-roading through the forests.

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Michigan Budget Cuts May Cut Out Fall Foliage Hotlines

September 23, 2009 at 10:28 AM | by kjb | 3 Comments

Remember when Michigan was spending all that money on their new travel campaign? Well, they may have spent too much on it, because money is starting to run out for other stuff. First, AAA Michigan had to shut down their annual fall color hotline due to budget cuts. Thankfully, Travel Michigan has picked up the slack, but they are facing their own budget deficit come October 1, so they might have to shut down their foliage hotline as well.

People may just be forced to drive around aimlessly and do their own research to find the best spots. However, the spokeswoman for the state’s tourism group thinks that Travel Michigan will be able to keep the hotline running. Unless there’s a total state shutdown, she thinks things will be safe from the axe.

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Jaunted's Five Favorite Canadian Hot Spots For Fall Foliage

Where: Canada
September 22, 2009 at 4:03 PM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

Now that we're a mere week away from the start of October, it's time to head out on leaf-peeping vacations and weekend trips to take advantage of the fiery colors which erupt in forests around the continent.

We've already given you a pretty good idea of some United States and overseas options with our Fall Foliage series, but there's just as much—if not more—color above the border. Just remember to bring your passport along, as we countdown our Five Favorite Canadian Hot Spots For Fall Foliage:

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Fall Foliage Travel: Skip Central Park For London's Hampstead Heath

September 18, 2009 at 12:20 PM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

Reap the benefits of the slow airline of fall by hopping a cheaper ticket across the pond to London. We're not kidding; a friend just booked a weekend trip to London on Virgin Atlantic after seeing that it was just as expensive as some flights between Chicago and NYC.

If you are similarly spontaneous, or just thirsty for a good pub with some fall foliage outside, we recommend heading to London's Hampstead Heath area, like their version of NYC's Central Park. Here, you'll not only get a view of trees turning during the fall colors peak of late October through early November, but also—atop London's highest point, Parliament Hill—you'll have a view over the whole city.

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There's Fall Foliage To Be Found On The West Coast Too

September 17, 2009 at 5:03 PM | by JetSetCD | 1 Comment

Think that all the east coasters and Parisiennes get to have all the leaf-peeping fun? Think again, because even the leaves in California have to change, and there's no better excuse for a daytrip than catching the color along the dramatic Big Sur Highway, also known as Highway 1.

As California's answer to Italy's Amalfi Coast, Big Sur is like a true scenic road trip, complete with steep rocky cliffs, impressive span bridges, blue water, and lots of greenery. Drives like this warrant the extra daily amount you'd spend on renting a convertible versus another Ford Focus.

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Take A Ski Lift To Leaf-Peeping Just Over The Border In Canada

Where: Quebec, Canada
September 16, 2009 at 2:53 PM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

This is for those of you north of the border, or who just can't swing heading to Paris for a little falling leaf action: go instead to Quebec. More specifically, grab a Greyhound bus from Montreal to the little, but heavily-touristed, ski village of Mont-Tremblant.

Peak fall colors season is in early to mid-October, so you'll be well enough ahead of the snowfalls to enjoy riding the ski lifts up and over the foliage sans snowboard and ski suit.

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Sweep The Autumn Leaves From The Graves Of Proust And Wilde In Paris

Where: Paris, France
September 15, 2009 at 3:13 PM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

Alright, alright—Paris is merveilleuse at all times of the year, but during the autumn, certain sections of the city veritably come alive with the death of the leaves. Heck, the season even inspired a Barbie doll to use a walking stick.

There are the Jardin des Tuileries, Jardin du Luxembourg, Bois de Boulogne, and of course the pathways along the Seine River for premium fall foliage peeping. But for the most unique experience, we're turning a little morbid by recommending a stroll around Père Lachaise cemetery, where the autumnal colors stand stark against the gray and black tombs of figures like Jim Morrison, Marcel Proust, and Edith Piaf.

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Fall Foliage Travel: Amtrak To True Maple Syrup In Vermont

September 14, 2009 at 2:13 PM | by JetSetCD | 1 Comment

Live in on the east coast and have a serious craving for some real, true maple syrup on your pancakes before you head out for fall foliage-spotting? There's no other option for such a weekend trip then other than Vermont, with its 50 state parks and late September fall foliage peak.

Actually, the trip to Vermont should be just as packed with red, orange and yellow scenery if you hop on Amtrak's Vermonter, which originates in Washington DC, and goes up through Delaware, New York City, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont almost to the Canadian border.

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Kate Gosselin Takes Her Plus Eight To A Wyoming Dude Ranch

September 3, 2009 at 12:24 PM | by cmb | 0 Comments

When Kate Gosselin decided to pack up her boys and get as far away as possible from the paparazzi, and her estranged husband, she headed for the Red Reflet Ranch in Ten Sleep, Wyoming.

It's not wonder she chose this remote resort, since Red Reflet Guest Ranch caters to families, like the Gosselins, and can be reserved for groups as large as 26; they could even fit the whole Dugger clan without a problem. And the ranch has plenty of activities to keep little cowboys and cowgirls busy like horseback rising, hiking, fly fishing, swimming, cattle work, mountain biking and nightly star gazing.

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The Sanford Affair Reminds America that the Appalachian Trail is Awesome

June 27, 2009 at 3:21 PM | by Victor Ozols | 1 Comment

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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Go To Lunch With A Llama In New Mexico's Mountains

June 26, 2009 at 1:02 PM | by kjb | 0 Comments

TripAdvisor recently released their members’ picks for the best tours in America. While some were pretty blah, one that really stood out to us was the opportunity to trek through the wilderness in New Mexico with llamas by your side. You don’t actually ride the llamas, but they accompany you and your group, and apparently the critters are more than happy to carry your stuff. This leaves you and your back free to enjoy nature at it’s finest. Just remember to share your water bottle with your llama friend in case he or she gets thirsty.

The tours take you into New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and all treks are at your own pace. The tour guides, and probably the llamas too, aren’t looking for a stressful journey. After you work up an appetite as you make your way through the Carson National Forest, you’ll be happy to enjoy a fresh meal. All trips serve up “Backcountry Gourmet” meals and the head guide works as a chef in the off-season—so your taste buds will be in good hands.

Tours start at just $99 if you want to experience their Take a Llama To Lunch day hike. If you’re looking to spend a couple nights in the woods, and really get in touch with your new furry buddies, 3 night tours start at $499. Just remember to bring some llama snacks with you; you probably want to get them on your good side as soon as possible.

Related Stories:
·TripAdvisor Tallies America's Top 10 Tours [Official Site]
·Wild Earth Llama Adventures [Official Site]
·Tours coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of some llamas: Big Grey Mare]