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Glorious News: National Park Week

By on April 18, 2012 in Adventure Travel, Arizona, California, Family Travel, South Dakota, Wyoming

The Grand Canyon. Photo by Tobias Alt

 

I write a lot about the National Parks on this site. One of the reasons I started blogging about the U.S. is to encourage travelers to get excited about the beautiful destinations right in their own backyard. I’m always surprised by how few National Parks the people I meet have visited—they are the country’s most incredible places, and thanks to the size of the U.S., they are wildly diverse. I got to see many of them myself as kid during summer road trips with my family. I have a vivid memory of looking out over the Grand Canyon with my parents and brother, and feeling a true sense of awe for the first time in my life. It’s a trip I recommend every family take and there’s no better time for it. This Saturday marks the beginning of National Park Week, when over 100 parks that usually charge admission will be free to visitors. To help plan your trip, check out Mapquest’s brand new guides to the parks with photos, video, and all the info you’ll need to get started. And, if you like the handiness of mobile technology, check out Chimani’s national park apps, which they’re giving away free downloads of this week.

Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite parks (and here’s a link to the complete list of parks). What are some of your favorites?

Leigh Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

 

Joshua Tree National Park in California. Photo by Jarek Tuszynski

 

Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Photo by Jonathan Zander

 

Mount Rushmore in South Dakota

 

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Glorious Getaway: Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North

By on April 17, 2012 in Arizona, Family Travel, Romantic Vacations, Trips with Friends

It’s sort of a shame that we don’t continue the “Spring Break” tradition into adulthood. I don’t mean that we should all pack our bags and head back to Panama City (margaritas should be served out of a pitcher, not a squirt gun), but building in a few days out of the year solely dedicated to relaxing and catching up with friends in a scenic setting is a pretty wonderful concept.

I’ve been reminiscing about a trip I took a few years back with my girlfriends to one of my favorite springtime destinations: Scottsdale, Arizona. We checked into the Four Seasons Resort at Troon North, a perfect home base for an “adult” spring break. It was an incredibly relaxing three days, most of which were spent catching up with one another around the pool (below). When we did motivate out of our lounge chairs, we took advantage of some of the resort’s onsite activities, like wine tasting at Talavera Restaurant and treating ourselves to massages at the lovely spa. A few of us even got up early one day for a sunrise hike up nearby Pinnacle Peak. I came back home after the trip feeling totally refreshed and recharged and, best of all, better connected with the women closest to me—time well spent in my book.

What are some of your favorite spring break spots for grown-ups?

My friends and I enjoy some poolside margaritas

 

View from the lobby

 

Inside one of the property’s “casitas”

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From Our Travels Around the World Wide Web

By on March 29, 2012 in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah

Denver Art Museum

 

• YSL: The Retrospective launches at Denver Art Museum

• How to look/act/live like a local in San Francisco from HNTBAT

• Four spring bike riding escapes in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah from Outside

• 45 places to travel to this year from The New York Times

• The latest and greatest in hotel amenities from CN Traveler

• 10 gorgeous wild flower hikes from Coastal Living

• The top Easter egg hunts across the country from Budget Travel

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The Glorious Bucket List: Rafting Through the Grand Canyon

By on March 27, 2012 in Adventure Travel, Arizona, Family Travel, Glorious Bucket List, Trips with Friends

What: An unforgettable journey through the belly of the Grand Canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world

Why: The rush of rafting through whitewater, majestic limestone cliffs, cactus gardens, visits to Native American ruins, canyon hikes.

How: Since 1969, rafting outfit O.A.R.S. has been operating guided, non-motorized trips down the Colorado River. Guests can choose from two types of vessels: an inflatable raft which offers a bit more give over rapids and travels more quickly through the water, or hard-hulled dories, which make for a more up-and-down experience through whitewater and go at a more leisurely pace through the canyon. Trips range in length from 4 days to 18-19 days, but on each visitors can expect to spend 3-5 hours aboard the boat, and the rest of the time hiking around the canyon, eating, or hanging out at camp. For first timers, we like the 5 day Whitmore Wash to Lake Mead trip, which also includes an afternoon of horseback riding, ATVing, of hiking at Bar 10 Ranch and a scenic helicopter ride into the Canyon.

all photos via O.A.R.S.

 

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