| |
Adventure Travel
Spectacular Scenery + Awesome Adventure = Thrilling Vacations
by Jan Gerner
If you enjoy a dose of adventure with your travels and don't mind getting off the beaten track, there's good news for you.
 From east to west, north to south, adventure enthusiasts can do some serious hiking, biking, rafting, kayaking, scaling, skiing, scuba diving, and exploring at fantastic destinations that are within easy reach of a GA-friendly airport.
Whatever your ability and interests, we've found a wide range of activities and unique destinations where you can get out of your comfort zone and work up a sweat. Here is a sampling of some outstanding active travel resorts that will get your adrenaline pumping and satisfy your craving for adventure.
Bar Harbor, Maine
Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (KBHB) is about 10 miles from the picturesque village of Bar Harbor and the Acadia National Park. Rental cars are available for a scenic drive to the Acadia Hotel, which is open year round. Built in 1884, this once private home offers 11 comfortable rooms in the heart of town. Restaurants, shops, the ocean, and the park are close by.
The much larger Bar Harbor Inn is open from late March to late November. The Inn offers guests an interesting history, luxurious spa, and the Reading Room Restaurant with panoramic views of Frenchman Bay.
Wherever you choose to stay, the knowledgeable staff will be able to assist you in your quest for adventure. The varied terrain of Acadia National Park means a choice of activities for those seeking thrills.
Depending on the season, you can scale a vertical granite wall, go to sea in a kayak, bike to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, (the highest on the North Atlantic seaboard), or bring your dogs for skijoring, a combination of cross country skiing and dog mushing.
Beginning adventure seekers need not be intimidated. If you've never climbed anything other than stairs and you've yet you love high places, the Acadia Mountain Guides will teach you the fine art of rock climbing.
When you need a rest from the extreme, travel the park's 50-plus miles of carriage road. Built completely by hand, the two miles of road were completed each year.
Whether you hike, bike, snowshoe, or take the narrative carriage ride, you will be treated to beautiful vistas of glacier carved lakes, waterfalls, streams, sea cliffs and rocky coasts.
 Fayette County, West Virginia
Fly into the Summersville Airport (KSXL) or the Beckley-Raleigh County Memorial Airport (KBKW) and you're 20 to 40 minutes away from world class whitewater rafting.
The Country Road Cabins in Hico, West Virginia will send a van to pick you up for approximately $25 round trip. These comfortable cabins are fully furnished, most have a fireplace, and all have a hot tub, which is perfect for a therapeutic soak after a wild and wooly day on the river.
Another excellent lodging choice is the Ponderosa Lodge Bed and Breakfast, offering ten rooms in Lookout, West Virginia. Rental cars are available for the ride from the airport. Lucy the English Bulldog will greet you at this cozy B & B, which specializes in family reunions. Breakfast is included and other meals can be arranged. If offered, don't pass on Aunt Yvonne's Famous Triple Chocolate Brownies.
Adventures Mountain River Outfitters will have you out on the water and paddling through Pure Screamin' Hell, Lost Paddle, Pillow Rock, and Heaven Help You, a few of the class IV and V rapids on the Gauley River. This is surfing West Virginia style.
After the Gauley, try the New River Gorge National River. Known as the Grand Canyon of the East, the New River is actually one of the oldest rivers in the world with massive rock cliffs rising above the rushing waters.
If you happen to be in the area the third Saturday of October and really want to get your heart pumping, you can participate in base-jumping off the New River Gorge Bridge. The 876-foot leap off this national landmark is not recommended for the faint of heart. If you'd rather be a spectator, special float trips can be arranged. Needless to say, reservations are a must.
Andros Island, Bahamas
The third longest barrier reef in the world is located about 150nm from Ft. Lauderdale and about a half mile off the east coast of Andros Island in the Bahamas. Land at Andros Town Airport aka Fresh Creek Airport (MYAF), clear customs, and the Coral Cavern Dive Resort will pick you up if you've taken one of their all inclusive dive packages. Or you can grab a cab for the 35-minute ride south.
Cabs are plentiful and a less expensive alternative to rental cars. Be sure to inquire about the resort's 10 percent discount for private pilots. The diving operation at Coral Cavern is run by Neil Watson Undersea Adventures, an organization specializing in dive vacations.
Small Hope Bay Lodge is a ten-minute cab ride from the airport and also offers all-inclusive dive packages and a 10 percent discount to pilots. Choose your resort, then choose to go shallow, medium, or deep as you explore this magnificent undersea world. Andros Island has some of the most diverse dive sites in the world.
The popular Andros Wall plunges 6,000 feet into the "Tongue of the Ocean." This 100-mile-long geological wonder, which can be seen from outer space, has many intriguing sights.
Favorite spots include the Hanging Gardens with sea whips and sponges, the Giant's Staircase with ledges dropping into the abyss, and Turnbull"s Gut where you can slip through a crevice and find yourself hovering over the "Tongue."
Cavern and bluehole diving will have you weaving in and out of tunnels and caves believed to have been formed by the last ice age. These tunnels, underwater rivers, and lunar-like landscapes honeycomb the island and surrounding sea.
Specialty dives can be arranged to match your adventure threshold. Night dives over the "Tongue" provide a spectacular bioluminescent light show. And if you've ever wanted to dive with the ocean's top predator, try the popular shark dive. You will be close to the action as the sharks feed from a frozen chum ball and hundreds of other fish sweep in to get the "crumbs." Once the sharks have departed, search around and you may find some shark teeth left behind.
|
|
|
