Adventure Travel for Women of All Ages
Immerse yourself in learning about our first National Park: the geology, ecology, and wildlife are all fascinating. Our small group (7)
will have the exclusive services of an expert naturalist from the Yellowstone Association Institute. While we have an itinerary, we can change it any time to pursue new interests or visit topics in greater depth. We follow this with 3 days of easy riding on well-trained and sure-footed horses. Our destination? Hot springs! The perfect place to relax. No special fitness or experience required. If Yellowstone is on your life list, we think this is the way to do it. Click here for a detailed description.
Trips with Early Bird Discounts Expiring
by March 15
by March 15
Almost Heaven, West Virginia (1/3)
Enchanted Spring: Exploring New Mexico (1/6)
Bulgaria's Mountains and Monasteries (1/7)
Sea Kayaking Grecian Isles (1/15)
Backpacking the AT: An Intro to Lightweight Backpacking (2/9)
Backpacking the AT, Section by Section (2/17)
Boundary Waters Retreat (2/24)
Living the Cowgirl Life (2/25)
Hiking the Swiss Alps (3/1)
Trekking in Incan Footsteps (our trip to Machu Picchu)(3/8)
New Year: The Carrot and the Stick
Lots of people make a New Year's Resolution to get in shape. But like me, you probably don't relish "working out". So how do you stick to it? Have a real goal, something you want to do that you really need to be fit for. The only time in my life that I was able to follow a rigorous exercise program was before the summer I worked for Outward Bound, knowing I would be the same age as the mothers of the kids I would be leading. If there is one of our trips you really want to do, don't wait until you've gotten in shape for it. Let us know what you do now for exercise and we'll tell you what you need to do to get ready for the trip. With a specific goal (the carrot) and a real deadline (the stick), motivating yourself to follow your exercise plans will be much easier.
Blog relaunched
My last attempt at a blog was truly pitiful. This next effort will be both easier to sustain and, we hope, more useful for you. Three times a week we will add a tip that is useful to women who love active travel. Our blog will include tips on travel, gear, nutrition, fitness and/or health, as well as occasional longer pieces, and will have contributions from Deb and other guides, as well as me. Check it out at http://adventuresingoodcompany.blogspot.com.
Book of interest
On our Relative Fun at Harpers Ferry trip last year (our trip for girls 12-15 and the important women in their lives), Carol, who had been to Bhutan, suggested I read Blessings of Bhutan by Russ and Blyth Carpenter in preparation for our trip there this October. What a completely charming book! It's written as a series of "sketches", short essays about different aspects of Bhutanese life and culture that are delightful to read. The authors are keenly aware of themselves as Westerners, which means that they are acutely conscious of the differences in Bhutanese life experiences and ways of thinking and can help us understand them. The book has helped correct some of the assumptions I didn't even know I had about what a country that is devoutly Buddhist would be like. And I think the end result is that I will see Bhutan more clearly. I can't wait! If you can't join us, read this book anyway. (For those of you who have never heard of Bhutan, it is a small landlocked Himalayan country right next to Nepal, whose king talks about "gross domestic happiness" as an important measure.)
Website of interest
OK, so you're frantically trying to hunt down the cheapest airfare available and you finally get a great fare but it's on an airline you never heard of. Are they safe? Is their quality decent? Now there's a website that keeps you from flying blind: www.airlinequality.com evaluates every single airline, gives star ratings for a wide variety of characteristics (everything from check-in to cabin seat comfort to meals), and also has a forum for customer comments. The site also rate airports. If you're thinking of flying on an airline for the first time, this site is a valuable resource.
Affordable international travel: Bulgaria's Mountains and Monasteries
Bulgaria? Where is that anyway? (Answer: just below Romania and next to the Black Sea but I couldn't have told you that two years ago).There are lots of reasons to go there: fantastic mountain hiking; a fascinating culture that is in the midst of transition and still a mix of old and new; delicious food with organically grown vegetables; the opportunity to learn about life behind the Iron Curtain and what the transition has meant to the citizens. And this is the year to go: Bulgaria's entry into the EU will mean higher prices; plus it has yet to achieve the "hot new destination' lure that is definitely in its future. Please join us as we explore Bulgaria's Mountains and Monasteries.As you can tell, we are continuing to experiment with the newsletter, trying for something that can be read fairly quickly and is visually appealing, as well as interesting to read. Let us know what you think. And January is when we start planning for 2008 so let us know if there is any trip you think we should consider. You would be surprised at how many trips start with a suggestion from someone who has traveled with us.
We are in the middle of making some improvements to our web site that we hope will make it easier for you to find the information we're looking for. First, we've added specific activity pages with links from the home page. For an example, check out the hiking page. Second we're clarified the rating page. Its a challenge to figure out how to assign accurate ratings for our trips and always feel free to call us if you're unsure. Third we're in the process of changing the format for our trip descriptions. Click here for an example from of our Havasu trip. We'll also be adding lots more content to our resource section, new recipes, and new links; reorganizing the affiliates section, adding more pictures etc.
Contact us at 1-877-439-4042 or email info@adventuresingoodcompany.com