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Adventure Travel
Spectacular Scenery + Awesome Adventure = Thrilling Vacations
by Jan Gerner
 Lajitas, Texas
The Lajitas International Airport (89TE) serves the elegant Lajitas Resort, which is situated between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park on the Rio Grande. Along with a variety of adventure sports, the 25,000-acre private estate offers luxurious accommodations, gourmet restaurants, mountains, desert, the Rio Grande, and Henry Clay IV, the town's beer-drinking goat who also happens to be the mayor of Lajitas.
Whether you explore by foot, bike, horse, ATV, raft or canoe, spectacular sights await you. Red Rock Outfitters will have you canoeing or rafting the legendary Rio Grande.
Choose to run the river for a few hours or a few weeks. Camping along the river's edge gives you ample opportunity to explore this remote wilderness.
Big Bend National Park is the only park encompassing an entire mountain range. Climb the high trails of the Chisos Mountains and you will be able to see the peaks of Mexico. Be sure to keep your eyes open for mountain lions and Mexican black bears. Hardcore hikers may want to try one of the primitive routes. These old routes and trails were in use from the 1800s to the 1940s.
Before undertaking this adventure, you should consult with park rangers and make sure you have the right equipment.
Little traffic and 100 miles of paved roads and 160 miles of dirt roads make biking in Big Bend a great way to see the sights. But be aware, summer biking can be a challenge. Be prepared for the heat. This means lots of water and pacing yourself. This vast and varied adventure destination is a year round favorite for those who love the great outdoors.
Prudent bikers will consider hiring a guide who will be able to get you into areas you may not otherwise have safe access to.
Kanab, Utah
Land at the Kanab Municipal Airport (KKNB) and the friendly folks at Parry Lodge will pick you up for the three-mile ride. This is "Little Hollywood" of the Old West.
In 1924, Deadwood Coach, starring Tom Mix was filmed here and since then, many classic westerns have followed. The guest register at the lodge reads like a Hollywood Who's Who.
This historic hotel is open from March to December and is centrally located amid some of the country's most amazing natural wonders.
You are 90 minutes from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, 70 minutes from Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell, 45 minutes from Zion National Park, 30 minutes from Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, and 20 minutes from one of America's newest national monuments, the Grand Staircase Escalante.
The hiking routes here are rugged and remote. Extreme temperatures, flash floods, lightning, scorpions, rattlesnakes, and quicksand are a few of the hazards to watch for. Hiking through this maze of canyons, cliffs, plateaus, and petrified dunes is a challenge for the hardiest of hikers and backpackers.
Throughout the 1.9 million acres you can expect slip-rock slopes (slippery when wet, crumbly when dry), pot holes filled with water, areas that may require wading or swimming, and slot canyons, some just ten inches wide, some 100 feet deep. Hikers can check with the visitor centers to find a trail geared to their skill level.
If all this sounds a bit too adventurous, personalized tours can be arranged through Dreamland Safari Tours. These four-wheel drive adventures are tempered for your abilities and time. Meanwhile, back at the Lodge, there's still plenty to do. Visit the nearby Moqui Cave to see artifacts from the ancient Anasazi Indians, dinosaur tracks, fossils, and fluorescent minerals.
Western movie buffs can immerse themselves in movie history. Visit the Old Barn Theatre and you can see some of the many westerns filmed in the area. This stable turned movie theatre once housed Trigger, Silver, and Scout when their famous riders were in town.
Movie Trivia: Roy Rogers rode Trigger. The Lone Ranger rode Silver and Tonto rode Scout.
 San Juan Islands, Washington
Arrive by land or sea at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Fly into Friday Harbor Airport (KFHR) and rent a car or hire a cab for the two-mile trip to Friday Harbor House. Seaplanes can be accommodated in the Friday Harbor Seaplane Base (W33). Contact the Harbor Master for reservations.
Friday Harbor House sits on a bluff overlooking the harbor and seaplane base. Walk the hill, rent a car, or hire a cab to get you to this 23-room inn. Amenities include an award-winning restaurant, complimentary gourmet continental breakfast, and oversized whirlpool tubs in each room. These come in handy when your adventures take a toll on your body.
If whale watching in sea kayaks is high on your list of adventures, this is the place for you. From May to September, there is an abundance of sea life to observe as you glide through the bays, straits, inlets, and coves of the San Juan Islands. These pristine waterways are a paddler's paradise.
Kayak for a day or several days. A number of outfitters offer overnight camping trips with nightly stops on heavily forested, undeveloped islands only accessible by boat. For those who want to get far from the crowds, try kayaking from a mother ship.
Three pods of Orcas are year round residents here so your chances of seeing these magnificent creatures cavorting through the waters are good. In addition to killer whales, you may spot minke whales, eagles soaring overhead, and otters, seals, and porpoise at play.
On land, hikers, bikers, and horseback riders have access to miles of country trails that twist through ancient forests and along pebbly beaches where you can peer into tide-pools teeming with life. Whether you pedal, paddle, hike, or horseback ride, you are sure to feel a connection to nature in this incredibly beautiful environment.
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