Ask Susan,
Your Personal Travel Counselor
Tell me how you really feel about paddling through gorges, water-dancing around boulders and portaging log jams. How about dropping cliffs on your mountain bike or hiking knife ridgelines? I see. Perhaps you are perfectly content paddling flatwater or mountain biking old logging trails? Do you need gourmet meals? Does your exhausted body require a comfy bed? Lie back on your couch with a glass of wine and let me help you solve your trip planning problems.
I am a journalist with 14 years of experience researching and writing about travel, with special emphasis on “soft” adventure travel such as hiking, paddling, biking, camping, skiing and snowboarding. The Internet has made it infinitely easier to research and book travel, but with all the information resources out there, it’s difficult to sort through the conflicting messages and choose the right vacation. My “travel counseling” services can rescue you from the abyss.
Wildlife Conservation Areas: Abundance of Birds, Creatures Delights Patient Paddlers
As we paddled our sea kayaks unobtrusively through the reeds, twigs and shrubs of the Vermont wetland, we watched several osprey soar overhead, hover with rapidly beating wings, then dive with a splash into the water to snatch up a fish now wiggling between their talons.
During our paddle in Maquam Wildlife Management Area in the northern part of the Lake Champlain Basin, we counted five osprey nests. Over the course of several hours, it became clear that each provided a current home to a pair. We also spotted some migratory ducks, including a bufflehead meandering along the shore and a greater scaup scooting across the open water.
It was the first week of May, the weather was sunny and fairly warm, and we jumped at the chance to get out...
UClimb Announces 2008 Schedule for Intro Rock Climbing Events
If you've always thought rock climbing looks fun, UClimb could be the ticket you're looking for to introduce you to the sport. UClimb weekends allow you to learn to climb in a comfortable small-group setting with other novice climbers. Professional instructors guide you through the basics of climbing, safety and conservation.
The weekend-long adventure is an ideal introduction to the world of rock climbing. You'll learn climbing techniques, how to use climbing gear, voice commands, knot tying, belaying and etiquette. And each event takes place in areas reknown for rock climbing, as well as for spectacular scenery.
Events are scheduled in the following locations: Joshua Tree, Calif.; New River Gorge, W.V.; Donner Summit, Calif.; and Red River Gorge, Ky.
All UClimb packages include professional climbing instruction, camping on Friday and Saturday, Saturday dinner and...