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Coming Soon To Delaware: A National Park?

November 6, 2009 at 9:05 AM | by kjb | 2 Comments

Besides working on health care reform and extending the housing credit, members of Congress are working on another pressing issue. Those from Delaware’s congressional district are looking to get the ball rolling on the creation of the state’s first national park. We’re all for more national parks, but we’ve been through Delaware, and park isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, we hear the Delaware Water Gap is pretty nice and it’s already a National Recreation Area—too bad it's not in Delaware.

Senator Thomas Carper is the one pushing hard for the First State National Historical Park, and he wants $5 million to preserve land near New Castle and to probably build a cool gift shop. Things at the park would focus on the state’s early settlers from Europe as well as other stuff perfect for an elementary school field trip. Besides the attractions in New Castle, there will also be sites outside of town like the Old Swedes Church in Wilmington.

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A Hell of a Halloween Weekend in New York

November 1, 2009 at 3:26 PM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

Halloween is always a party in New York, but this year several forces combined to make it even wilder than usual. First of all, it happened to fall on a Saturday this year, drawing that many more people out of their apartments and into the night. Second, the Yankees played the Phillies in Game 3 of the World Series - and won! - giving the barroom crowds a grand reason to order a few ill-advised rounds of shots. And third, the New York City Marathon took place the very next morning, giving the Halloween revelers some great human drama to wake up and soothe their hangovers to. Add to that the extra hour of weekend we got because of the end of Daylight Savings Time and you've got a city with every reason to cut loose.

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New York State Welcomes The World's Longest Pedestrian Bridge

October 16, 2009 at 8:43 AM | by kjb | 2 Comments

If you need somewhere to take in the sights of autumn this weekend, then you should consider New York’s newest state park. After rotting away for decades above the Hudson River, the Poughkeepsie Bridge has been reborn. Thanks to the time and deep pockets of local businesses, investors, and dedicated volunteers, the old railroad bridge that connects Poughkeepsie with Highland reopened earlier this month to traffic. The bridge has been transformed into a 1.25-mile pedestrian bridge—that’s two and a half miles roundtrip for the mathematically challenged.

The Walkway Over The Hudson is now the longest pedestrian bridge in the world, and it is certainly something for the Hudson Valley to get excited about. The walkway is totally free and visitors are encouraged to check out the view as it crosses the water about 200 feet in the air. Bicyclists, walkers, runners, and even the eight people that still rollerblade are welcome to take a trip across the Hudson. No need to worry about things being too crowded, the bridge is over 30 feet wide as it crosses the river, so you’ll have plenty of room to set up for some photo opportunities.

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The Ski Season Is Already Underway In Colorado

October 14, 2009 at 8:58 AM | by kjb | 0 Comments

Many people are still putting the final touches on their jack-o-lanterns, but it’s already time to break out the skis from the storage unit. Winter has arrived extra early in some parts of Colorado this year. Last week a baseball playoff game was canceled due to a little snow and sleet, and the Loveland Ski Area fired up the lifts for the first time this season on October 7. It’s been cold enough and they've had the snow-making machines running at full force to get everything ready for the beginning of the season.

The resort is about 50 miles outside Denver and this is the first time they’ve opened this early in about 40 years—guess there’s no trouble with global warming up on the slopes. Unless some other ski resort sneakily opened their facility without any fanfare, Loveland is the first ski resort to open in North America this year.

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German Naturists Pretty Psyched About New Nude Hiking Trail

Where: Germany
October 8, 2009 at 4:03 PM | by Omri | 3 Comments

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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Cirque Du Soleil Founder Becomes Latest Space Tourist For A Cause

October 5, 2009 at 3:59 PM | by Omri | 0 Comments

Cirque Du Soleil founder and "I'm so rich I could go to space" mega-billionaire Guy Laliberté has—fittingly—taken off from Kazakhstan on his way to the International Space Station. Now that he's entered orbit, he's officially become the latest in a slowly increasing list of space tourists. Unlike other space tourists, though, Laliberté isn't just going for pleasure. He's bundling his trip into a broader program of environmental and anti-poverty activism.

Here's where things get a little bit dicey for us. Laliberté seems really sincere and the organization he's promoting, the One Drop Foundation that he founded, literally does the Lord's work getting water to people who don't have it. But we can see how the particular way he's chosen to highlight his cause might engender, in a certain kind of person, a potential... snideness:

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Run Through The Leaves At The Hartford Marathon

September 30, 2009 at 3:33 PM | by kjb | 0 Comments

We love taking in the sights of the season from the comfort of the car. It’s nice to get out and breath in the cool crisp air, but usually it’s best to do that when stopping for lunch or refilling our cup holder with a pumpkin spice latte. However, we do recognize that there are a large number of citizens that enjoy the fresh air that the fall season brings. That’s why we’re suggesting the ING Hartford Marathon for a solid active travel option for the autumn season.

Connecticut’s capital city is pretty sleepy after the workday ends, so it’s population will swell when thousands of runners hit the streets on October 10. There’s even still time to register, just head out to packet pick-up on October 9, and they’ll be happy to sign you up. You’ll enjoy cool weather, peak foliage, and some nice scenery as you do your best to keep your pace along the banks of the Connecticut River. Overall the course is pretty flat as well, so you might just be able to reach that personal best. After all, this marathon can get you into the Boston one if you go fast enough.

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Pumpkin Carving Is Even Better Under The Sea

September 24, 2009 at 10:33 AM | by kjb | 0 Comments

We’ve shed some light on strange Scuba spots across the globe, but we’ve never seen a strange Scuba contest before. However, that’s exactly what you’ll find if you’re headed down to the Florida Keys around Halloween this year. Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort has been running an underwater pumpkin carving contest for a few years now, and this year’s competition is set for October 25.

Divers will do their best to carve out the most creative designs while avoiding reef fish and other critters at the bottom of the sea. Contestants will get pumpkins that have already been hollowed out and are just waiting for some creative carvings. Of course there will be prizes awarded to the top three jack-o'-lanterns, so plan something good. We’re thinking that designs inspired by the ocean probably have a good chance of winning. After all nothing screams Halloween more than a spooky dolphin or ghoulish fish.

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Jam It or Slam It: My New Brazilian Cargo Truck Tarp Hat

Where: Brazil
September 19, 2009 at 1:34 PM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

So I got this new hat, and I think it's pretty neat. It's a Tarp Hat from a company called The Real Deal and it's made from the recycled tarpaulins of Brazilian cargo trucks that have traveled from the Amazon to Sao Paolo and back again. It's sturdy and has a nice wide brim, which is why I like it, as I'll take as much sun protection as I can get.

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Bike Down US Highway 1 From Key Largo To Key West During BubbaFest

September 17, 2009 at 1:08 PM | by kjb | 0 Comments

November is a tricky travel month, because the onslaught of cooler weather usually puts quite the damper on any outdoor endeavors. That’s why we say to follow millions of others and head down to Florida. We’re not going to play bridge all afternoon and then head out for the early bird special; we’re going to ride our bicycles. Thanks to retired police sergeant Bubba Barron, we have the BubbaFest Bike Tour. It’s a 200-mile cycling event from Key Largo To Key West, and you don’t have to be Lance Armstrong to do it.

Bikers are encouraged to go at their own pace and make frequent pit stops to swim, snorkel, and snooze away part of the day. The whole course over US Highway 1 is pretty flat, so if you can ride a bike and have some patience, you should have no problem pedaling the approximate 45 miles per day. If you do get a little tired, or just lazy, support vehicles follow the whole time and can give you a free ride. Things kick off on November 7 and wrap up on November 13, with a few layover days to soak in the sun.

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Find Freedom Under The Sea With A Freediving Class

September 4, 2009 at 12:59 PM | by kjb | 1 Comment

Scuba diving is definitely a great way to get in touch with your inner Flipper, but all that equipment is a drag on your freedom and anyone who has ever gone snorkeling wishes that there were a way to just have a few more seconds underwater. Well, if you decide to take a class with Performance Freediving, the dream can come true.

Instead of just seconds under the sea, you’ll now be breaking personal records of both time and depth. Some people easily hold their breath for over five minutes and can dive to over 100 feet below the surface. There’s even classes that focus on spear fishing, in case you get bored during your dive and want to hunt for some dinner.

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Texas Tubing Sounds Totally Tempting For Labor Day

September 3, 2009 at 3:14 PM | by kjb | 1 Comment

Check your calendar, because the end of summer is near! However, there’s no need to panic if you find yourself near Austin for the Labor Day weekend. Not only is Schlitterbahn, one of the country’s best water parks, just around the corner, but there’s also a pretty good tubing spot. We’ve spent a lot of time on the water this season, so we thought one more nugget would hold us over until next Memorial Day.

Canyon Lake is home of River Sports Tubes, and they are all about having fun on the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers. Just remember not to have too much fun since boozing while cruising is totally fine on this tube trip. However, if you’re going on Sunday, just wait to crack open a cool one until after noon. It’s illegal to drink in public before that—way to go Texas.

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