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Time to plan your summer vacation!
Spring is here, the baseball season has started, the income taxes will be paid in a few days (and we hope you're getting a refund)- which means it's time to plan your summer vacation. And (of course) we have some great suggestions! Below we have divided them into budget/fitness level categories.
Moderate fitness, budget > $1500:
* Magical Maine. Hike, bike, and kayak then return to new condos right on the edge of Bar Harbor. Who doesn't want to spend time in Acadia in August?
Moderate fitness, budget < $1500:
* Colorado Rockies Ramble. Have you ever wondered if John Denver knew what he was singing about? Find out on a trip designed for novice hikers and anyone who loves to spend time in the mountains.
High fitness, budget > $1500:
* Hiking the Northern Cascades. Fantastic hiking in the Alps of America! Jagged peaks, lush forests. glacier-fed streams.
* Sea Kayaking Nova Scotia. You might think Anne of Green Gables when you think Nova Scotia, but you should be thinking seafaring sailors and fisherman. There is no better way to glimpse the soul of Nova Scotia than from the cockpit of a kayak.
* Hiking Hut to Hut in British Columbia. Total solitude and a warm bed at night- how can you beat that!
High fitness, budget < $1500:
* Backpacking and Peak Bagging in the Adirondacks. Rugged trails, gorgeous cold lakes, and an amazing variety of trails in the High Peaks area of the Adirondacks.
* Backpacking in the Snowy Mountains. Our easiest backpack trip, this is perfect for beginners who want to give backpacking a try or anyone who wants to spend time in the Alpine.
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Travel insurance and Discounts
We always recommend travel insurance because it is such a drag to be dealing with something (usually an illness or accident) and also worrying about all your money going down the drain. But we also know that it isn't cheap and if you don't need it, it feels like a waste of money (just like health or any other kind of insurance).
So let me tell you what happens from this end. When someone cancels, we first look at our waiting list. Sometimes that results in the space being filled, but often people have made other plans and even a long wait list is no guarantee. So then we send out a "Discount alert" to everyone who has signed up for it (if you haven't and want to, you can sign up for the Discount alerts here).
Typically we offer the trip for half off and it is very seldom it doesn't get taken (we also post it on our Facebook Page. We then offer a credit for that amount to the person who had to cancel for any trip in the next 365 days. So what that means in practice is that it is unlikely (although not impossible) that you will lose your entire trip fee.
So that is the question you have to ask yourself when you consider travel insurance. Will you feel sick at your stomach if you lose half what you paid, or is it a gamble you're willing to take? If the answer is the first, then travel insurance is cheap for peace of mind.
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Bedbugs
If you watch the news or read popular magazines, then you know that bedbugs have hit the headlines. They're making a comeback, they're hard to get rid of, and they have a high yuck factor. So would we actually stay some place where bedbugs were reported? Well yes, we would. Here's why.
Typically people have seen bedbug reports either on TripAdvisor or on the the Bedbug Registry. The main drawback of both sources is that they are not verified, so anybody can make a report. And unfortunately there are documented cases of competitors making these reports simply to damage reputations. There have also been a couple of independent investigations of hotels with reported problems that did not verify their presence. So point 1: a report does not mean there is a problem.
When we see bedbug reports (and we would not stay any place with multiple reports whether they are verified or not), we contact the hotel and ask for their response. In a recent case it was clear that the hotel was aware and had gone to great length to deal with it appropriately. So point 2 - it's better to stay with a hotel that has acknowledged the problem and dealt with it, than one that just refuses to consider it. And the fact is that no hotel can guarantee that they don't have bedbugs. Even if that is true today, it might not be true tomorrow.
So does that mean you should give up traveling or just cast your fate to the winds? Of course you know we aren't going to recommend the first! But there are some reasonable steps you can take to minimize the risk of coming home with bedbugs.
* In hotel rooms, use luggage racks to hold your luggage when packing or unpacking rather than setting your luggage on the bed or floor.
* Check the mattress and headboard before sleeping (dark spots, stains, live bugs, small eggs or shells).
* Upon returning home, unpack directly into a washing machine and inspect your luggage carefully.
For more than you'll ever want to know about bedbugs, check out the EPA's information.
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