Archive for the ‘activities’ Category

Yoga in Hotels — Ommm

February 22nd
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
activities news

Another Monday morning, another body part sore from my weekend adventures.  (This time it was mountain biking racing instead of snowboarding.)  Once again I’ll be headed to yoga class this afternoon to help work out the kinks. And I won’t be alone. Yoga has become so popular that even travelers aren’t content to leave their yoga practice at home. According to a recent article in the New York Times, yoga is becoming so mainstream that, “like Wi-Fi, on-demand movies and fitness centers, yoga is becoming an amenity many hotels and resorts just can’t do without.”

The article states that yoga classes are no longer offered exclusively at resorts and spas, but also at conventional hotel chains. You are as likely to find a yoga session offered at Salt Lake City hotels these days as at fancy San Jose del Cabo resorts.  According to the article, the hotels see yoga as a way to help the bottom line. While the widespread offering of yoga in hotels may be a new trend, there are some chains that deserve kudos for getting the ball rolling, or maybe I should say, “downwalk dog walking”, earlier than others.

Kimpton Hotels

Kimpton was the first chain hotel to offer in-room wellness and yoga. The idea was to make it easier for guests to maintain the practices that keep them calm and serene, even while traveling. Most of their hotels offer special yoga tote bags for guests that include yoga props, mats, and straps. Combine those with an on-demand video yoga class and you might not even need the famous complementary Kimpton wine hour in the evening.
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Searching for B.C.’s Mythical Beasts – Sasquatch and Ogopogo

February 15th
2010
by Robin Bruns Worona
posted in:
activities destinations events and festivals family outdoor adventure

Here we are, just four days in to the Olympics and we’ve already been through so much. The media blitz has been intense, starting with horrible tragedy, then quickly moving on to fanfare and fashion. There’s been protests, some truly amazing video art involving whales , and even a tight pant controversy. I think there’s even been a bit of athletic competition in there somewhere. Of course, there’s also been loads of press about visiting beautiful Vancouver, Whistler, British Columbia, even Canada as a whole. Where to stay, what to do. I was especially struck by the report Tom Brokaw did Friday night. It was informative, yes, but still kind of reminded me of those reports we used to basically copy out of the World Book Encyclopedia when we were kids. But I guess that’s about the level of knowledge most people have about our neighbor to the north. After all, did you know that we import more petroleum from Canada than from any other country?

Naturally, I can’t resist adding my two cents. British Columbia is indeed a lovely part of the world and after another 13 days of coverage, I’d be surprised if you didn’t have a desire to check it out for yourself. And by then you’re sure to know all about Vancouver’s Gastown and Chinatown. You’ll be able to map out a great public transit tour , compile a list of hidden gems, and figure out which whale watching trip is right for you. You’ll be reading local blogs (there are some great ones) and publications. But will you remember to take a second look at all your photos before you delete them just in case there’s a surprise lurking in the background? In fact, why not plan a little sidetrip or two in search of two of British Columbia’s mythical beasts—Sasquatch and Ogopogo?

It was the cutesy Olympic mascots that reminded me of the rich animal mythology in this part of Canada. I won’t get into it here, you can check out the site for their, uh, inventive bios. But basically, they are based in part on some of the beliefs and myths of the West Coast First Nations. While there are countless creatures you could investigate, why not start with two of the best documented? It just so happens that Sasquatch and Ogopogo have great taste location-wise, so really, it’s a win-win.
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Kidtopia at Keystone Resort

February 11th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
U.S. West activities destinations events and festivals family outdoor adventure

Now that all the Superbowl hype and fanfare is behind us, the buzz is building around another epic sporting event. That is of course the 2010 Winter Olympics, which will get underway tomorrow.  The big news today is the injured shin of designated Olympic darling Lindsey Vonn. I’m sure that the marketing machine at NBC will be able to find another big story to hype – be it Shaun White and his Double McTwist 1280 Whitesnake or perpetual Bad Boy Bode Miller and his, well, perpetual bad boy-ness.

Should the Olympics inspire any pint-sized skiers you might have at home, President’s Day Weekend is a great time to take the family and hit the slopes. A Colorado ski vacation might be just the ticket to grooming your ski grommet into being a future Olympian. Just think, book an Aspen hotel today, and you could be buying a ticket to host-country finalists France, Germany, or South Korea in 2018.

Children’s sports experts agree that one of the keys to instilling a love of any exercise instruction in kids is to keep it fun. If it’s wintertime snow fun you seek, look no further than Colorado’s Keystone Resort this weekend, where Keystone Kidtopia, a festival designed just for kids, will be in full swing.
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Costa Rica Girl Power

February 8th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America activities beaches destinations outdoor adventure

With most of the votes in yesterday’s presidential election counted, it looks as if Costa Rica has elected its first women president by a landslide. Laura Chinchilla, a protégé of Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias,  has received roughly 47% of the vote, about 22 percentage points more than her closest rival.

Costa Rica, the most stable country in Latin America, has long been a popular destination for adventure-seeking travelers. San Jose hotels are full of people on their way to explore the jungles, volcanoes, rivers, and beaches of this amazingly diverse country. In honor of the country’s new president, and girl power in general, here are some great Costa Rica vacations for women only. (Costa Rica is not the first Latin American country to elect a female president by the way — Nicaragua, Panama, Chile, and Argentina have elected women leaders before.)

Costa Rica Surfing Chicas:  Want to learn to hang ten without the pressure of a bunch of guys telling you what to do or monitoring your progress? You can try one of the women-only sessions offered by Del Mar surf camps. With programs in two locations, one on the central Pacific coast in Jaco, and other north of there in Nosara, Del Mar offers something for everyone. While learning or improving your surfing skills are the main goals, other camp offerings include yoga, hikes, massage, and time for relaxation.
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Say No To Post Game Blues: Visit The Pro Football Hall of Fame

February 5th
2010
by Robin Bruns Worona
posted in:
U.S. Midwest activities family

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you know that the big game is this weekend. Whether you’re a Saints fan, a Colts fan, an ad fan, or even just a snack fan, chances are you’ll end up watching at least part of it. At the very least it’s an excuse to spend the whole day on the couch, right? Unfortunately, come Monday, some of you may suffer a sort of post Super Bowl depression. How will you make it through the long months before football starts up again? Why, plan a trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, of course! It’s conveniently located in Canton, Ohio making it a relatively easy trip from several cities including Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Columbus. So hop on that plane, train or automobile, get yourself a cozy hotel room and immerse yourself in the game.
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Ski and Yoga Retreats

February 1st
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
U.S. West activities destinations outdoor adventure

After a weekend ski vacation spent riding the slopes at Arizona Snowbowl in Flagstaff, I woke up stiff and sore this morning. An evening yoga class is definitely on my agenda today. That got me thinking of how pleasant it would be to combine a ski weekend with a yoga retreat. Instead of heading back to my Flagstaff hotel and hitting the sheets after a day of skiing, I could unwind with an evening session of downward dog and namaste.

Well, it turns out that I am not the only one with that idea. There are a number of outfitters that have created ski and yoga retreats in some of the West’s most scenic spots. Here are a couple of groups to check out if carving and chaturanga sound like an appealing combination:

Big Sky Yoga Retreats:  Montana’s expansive Big Sky Country is the perfect place to immerse yourself in a combination of outdoor fitness and yoga. Big Sky Yoga Retreats, proposing to put a little “yeehaw” in your Namaste, offers a variety of packages throughout the season to help you discover the peace that comes from practicing yoga and being connected to nature. As they put it, there is a lot of space in Montana – space for your body to strengthen and relax, for your mind to free itself of harried urban mindsets, and for your creativity to blossom. (more…)

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Chase the Winter Blues Away at Portland’s ChocolateFest

January 27th
2010
by Robin Bruns Worona
posted in:
U.S. Pacific Northwest activities events and festivals food

Is it just me or does it seem a little gloomy lately? Everywhere. Cold, wet, dreary, that time of year when you start thinking about Mexican beach vacations and quick Miami getaways. Hey, I’m definitely not knocking fun in the sun, but you know what really always makes me feel better? Chocolate. Beats a sunburn in my book, any day. And it just so happens that the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon is hosting ChocolateFest this weekend. It’s the perfect excuse to take advantage of the current great deals on Portland hotels and head up to the City of Roses for a long weekend. If nothing else, think of it as a pre-Valentine’s Day tasting event.
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Racing Down Atlanta’s Snow Mountain

January 27th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast activities destinations outdoor adventure

We got a taste of snow a couple of weeks ago here in Atlanta. But it was nothing quite like this. An accumulation of snow might be commonplace up north, but south of the Mason Dixon Line, this kind of sight is rare. Which is why everyone loves Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain Park. There’s not a snowball’s chance in a very hot place that you won’t have a great time here.

Typically, the large jutting piece of granite is clearly visible as you approach the park. As Georgia’s most visited attraction, it’s a sight many tourists see as they leave their Atlanta hotels and make their way across I-20. But this cool January morning was full of gathering clouds that would bring a downpour on the region later in the evening, and made things so foggy, you couldn’t even see Stone Mountain when entering the park. Despite the cloudy haze, the mood was anything but—we were all excited about the adventure that awaited us.
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Night Skiing in Colorado

January 21st
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
U.S. West activities destinations

Night skiing in the United States is nothing new, some small local mountains have been lighting their slopes at night for the last 20 years, but an increasing number of ski areas are trying to lure people on ski vacations by offering evening sessions. Telluride, located in the southwestern part of Colorado, is the latest resort to open a terrain park to nocturnal schussers and boarders.

I personally think one of the best things about a day on the slopes is the après-ski beer in the lodge and subsequent dunk in the hot tub at my Telluride hotel, but there are plenty of others who want to play in the white stuff long into the night. For those people, Telluride’s newly lit terrain park will be a popular option. The park includes jumps, rails, and a Superpipe for those who want to catch really big air. The park is open 4p to 7pm every Thursday through Sunday during the winter, with night sessions costing $25 per person.

If you won’t be in Telluride any time soon, here are some other options for evening ski thrills in Colorado:
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Ice Fishing for Art in Minnesota

January 19th
2010
by Robin Bruns Worona
posted in:
U.S. Midwest activities events and festivals family outdoor adventure

Ice fishing. Personally, I don’t get it. Sure, I understand why it originated. Food. In winter. But these days? I’m inclined to agree with Jerry that it’s some sort of desperate macho escapist ritual. I mean, I’m all for hanging out with buddies and tossing back a few beers, but out on the middle of a frozen lake? Is that really necessary?

Well, perhaps I’m thinking about it all wrong. Maybe if you live in a place where a big lake completely freezes over it’s something to be celebrated rather then avoided. Afterall, you can’t spend all winter indoors, right? At least that’s what a group of artists in Minnesota have got me thinking.

They’ve gone to Medicine Lake in Plymouth, Minnesota and reinvented the ice fishing hut, creating a community of art shanties. So if you’re looking for a bit of a cultural challenge on your next vacation, why not check it out? Just be sure to have an extra cozy hotel room to go back to. With temperatures of just 14 degrees as I write this, you’ll need it!
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