Tag: Outdoor Travel

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Oh, Go Bike Down a Mountain (in California)

August 30, 2012 at 12:23 PM | by | Comments (0)

You're in California! Get out of your hotel! We yell this doubly loud at anyone staying just off the Pacific Coast Highway and triply so if you're near Santa Barbara, as we recently had a chance to go bike down a mountain in the area and, boy, was it awesome. Over one afternoon with Santa Barbara Adventure Company, we got a suntan, caught the breeze, and glided for nearly 20 miles while hardly breaking a sweat.

The biking itself begins after being driven up (bikes and all) to the the top on one of the higher peaks of the Santa Ynez Mountains. During the drive up the mountain, the guides point out scenic spots as well as evidence from a major fire that devastated the area a few years ago. We noted that many trees were still charred and black, while new plant growth flourished around it. Once we reached the peak, we got our bikes ready and set off down the mountain.

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The National Park Service's 96th Birthday Wish? An iPhone App.

August 27, 2012 at 2:05 PM | by | Comments (0)

Happy birthday to the National Park Service! Not only are they responsible for maintaining Uncle Sam’s backyard and making sure you aren't mauled by grizzlies, but they're behind the scenes working on spruce-ups to celebrate their 96th year. Sure there are some national parks older than that, but it’s been almost 100 years since the government decided to organize the parks into one big happy family.

Up first is a new mobile website—www.nationalparks.org—optimized to look great and load quickly on your phone or other device. Here they’re promising a one-stop-shop source for news, commentary, videos, photos, and pretty much everything else you’d want to know regarding each and every one of the country’s national parks. The website can also pinpoint some of the parks closest to your location, and it’ll provide the current weather and related information—so you know whether it’s safe to venture out of your RV.

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Rails to Trails to...Awesome: Michigan's Pere Marquette Bike Path

August 21, 2012 at 3:44 PM | by | Comments (0)

Our roving Midwestern reporter, Lara Zielin, files a report from somewhere in Michigan on a very cool project reusing the country's rusting transportation infrastructure:

My husband recently imagined he was a train. If I’m honest, I’ll admit I felt a little silly witnessing this. I mean, what 36-year-old with a mortgage closes his eyes and pretends he’s a choo-choo?

Except, that’s what mid-Michigan’s Pere Marquette Trail can do, especially if you’re on a bicycle and you’re speeding up as you pedal over the Salt River, the birds and frogs calling out the way they must have done before loggers and lumber barons arrived in this flat, woodsy place in the 1800s.

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Three Father's Day Trip Gifts for Your Outdoorsy Dad

June 7, 2011 at 10:30 AM | by | Comments (0)

You have less than two weeks left to get dad a Father's Day gift. Avoid going to the mall and picking out yet another tie and treat dear old pops to a vacation. We can help you out with some suggestions for some outdoorsy activities, but it's up to you to book these adventure travel packages before June 19.

Check out three adventure travel deals for dad:

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Five Golf Courses Easily Accessible to Both Fairways and Runways

June 1, 2011 at 9:50 AM | by | Comments (0)

If you’re looking for something to do between flights—and you always travel with your clubs—there might be a place convenient to both the fairways and the runways. Check out our picks for some of the best golf courses that are like only 10 miles from the airport or less:

· Colwood National Golf Club - PDX
There’s four courses that are within a short cab ride from Portland International Airport, but the easiest to access is Colwood National Golf Club. It’s so close to the airport—as well as the Air National Guard Station—that there are places where you can see the planes taxi and take off.

It’s a full 18-hole course, and this summer playing all the holes will set you back around $30. There are a lot of red-eye flights out of PDX back to the east coast—and beyond—so we recommend hitting up one of their twilight specials before heading to the airport. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays it's just $9 to play 8-holes as long as you begin after 3:00pm.

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Why You'll Need to Bring Pepper Spray on Your Next Visit to Yellowstone

May 20, 2011 at 1:22 PM | by | Comments (0)

Spring has sprung in national parks across the country, but if you’re heading out into the wilderness just remember one thing. All the critters and creatures are also excited about the warmer weather, and they’re also kind of hungry after being cooped up indoors for the entire winter.

In Yellowstone National Park, the bears have started to come out of their dens, and they’re eager to snag a few pick-a-nick baskets or whatever us humans leave lying around the park. Officials say that loads of snow has forced the bears to stay put a little longer than usual, but they’re on the loose now and they really want a snack or two.

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Go Frolicking in the Park for Free During National Park Week

March 24, 2011 at 9:46 AM | by | Comments (0)

Outdoorsy types, get your hiking boots on and backpacks ready. National Park Week is set for April 16 to 24, giving you the chance to explore 394 national parks for free all week long. Freebies include national monuments and historic sites.

While a number of national parks are usually free, more than 100 of them charge you to enter. So you'll save the $20 car fee at Yosemite and Rocky Mountain National Park as well as the $25 vehicle fee at the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.

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San Francisco's Golden Gate Park Cracks Down on Doggies

February 1, 2011 at 12:11 PM | by | Comments (0)

Time might be limited for Fido and Fluffy at San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area, as there are some new rules kicking around that would limit canine activities at the park.

A new, too-long-to-read document—like 2,400 pages—was released earlier this month by the country’s largest urban national park dealing with all kinds of stuff, but the things that have gotten residents all worked up is the possible new leash law. Right now the area is the only national park in the country where portions of the park allow pups to do their thing free and clear, but soon everyone might be getting a less room to roam.

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Free National Park Entrance Days Start in April

January 31, 2011 at 8:43 AM | by | Comments (0)

The National Park Service really wants more and more people to check out their offerings, especially since they’ve started allowing visitors into plenty of parks for free over the last couple years.

This year is no different, as Uncle Sam is eager to invite one and all into his backyard without shelling out up to $20 or so per carload. Entrance fees will be waived on the first day of summer—that’s June 21. Things will also be free on Public Lands Day on September 24 along with Veterans Day weekend from November 11 through 13.

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'True Grit' and Matt Damon Put Granger, Texas on the Map

December 24, 2010 at 11:54 AM | by | Comments (0)

This week, Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon are bringing Westerns back with the release of their latest film, True Grit. Though parts of the movie were filmed in New Mexico, most of the shoot took place in Granger, TX which was transformed into an 1870's version of Fort Smith, Arkansas.

The rural town—with a population of only 1,400— seems like an unlikely choice for a big budget Hollywood movie, but the look and feel of Granger convinced producers that it was the right location: "We chose Granger because its appearance is close to that of a turn-of-the-century town that matched the reference photos we have for Fort Smith, Ark.," the film's location manager, Robbie Friedmann said.

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Christmas is Really for the Birds, Thanks to Audubon's Annual Bird Count

December 22, 2010 at 10:45 AM | by | Comments (0)

It’s pretty cold outside right now, and while we do enjoy the warmth of a fire, there’s plenty of outdoor action this holiday season. The Audubon Society is encouraging everyone to bring their spiked eggnog outside over the next couple of weeks, as it’s time for the annual bird count.

Things are already underway for the 111th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count—it’s the longest bird type census thing in the world—but don’t worry if you didn’t count any birds just yet.

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Winter Weather Means Show Shoe Tours and Winter Hours at National Parks Like Yellowstone

December 16, 2010 at 9:00 AM | by | Comments (0)

Snow has started to blanket much of the nation, but some of the country’s national parks are far more white than green right now. Parks like Yellowstone, Olympic, and Grand Teton are some of the best places to explore the great outdoors under a fresh blanket of snow this month, as the parks have opened their doors for winter exploration.

Since some of these parks get so much of the fluffy stuff during the winter, hours and access to the parks change during the colder months. As of yesterday, Yellowstone has opened for the winter, which means fewer roads for normal cars and more roads and access points for over-snow vehicles. Access to some of the main attractions—like Old Faithful—is now only accessible via snowmobile (this would be awesome to do) or through a snow coach operator. The park limits the amount of vehicles allowed in the park per day, so be sure to plan ahead if you want to visit this winter.

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