While on a photography workshop with Marc Adamus, Alan captured this fall scene at St Mary Lake in Glacier National Park. There’s sure to be celebrating going on at the lake in 2010 when Glacier celebrates its centennial year as a national park.
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Academic Travel Abroad wants our baby boomer opinions. The travel company is searching for participants for upcoming focus groups on their new AuthentiCity programs. These 2-week journeys are designed for baby boomers who long for a more immersive and authentic travel experience by living like a local, taking language courses in context, meeting residents, learning and volunteering, etc. Here’s the scoop:
Do you live in the Washington, D.C. area and love to travel? If so, Academic Travel Abroad would like to hear from you…
Academic Travel Abroad, a 60-year old educational travel company is looking for cultural travelers to share their views in an upcoming focus group about authentic travel experiences. These focus groups will take place in centrally located Dupont Circle in DC.
A $50 Visa gift card will be awarded to each person who participates.
Please email Chase Poffenberger (CPoffenberger@academic-travel.com) to see if you qualify for the research study.
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Blessed by winter’s ample rainfall, the Arizona desert has turned into a velvety green adventurer’s playground. And, a kaleidoscope of wildflowers will soon carpet the desert floor, delighting both photographers and nature lovers alike. Baby boomers looking for a spring desert adventure wrapped in luxury will want to put Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain at the top of their “to travel” list.
Just a few miles northwest of Tucson, the Tortolita Foothills surround Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain providing an environment that’s ripe for baby boomer adventure. Over twenty miles of trails in the high Sonoran desert offer hiking for every level of fitness. Wake up to a “rise-n-shine sunrise stretch” on a moderate hike in Wild Burro Canyon. Or tackle one of the other trails, including Alamo Springs, Cochie Springs, Lower and Upper Javelina or Wild Mustang. All total, treks range from 2.5 to 9 miles, with an elevation that begins at 2,700 ft. in Wild Burro Canyon and rises to 4,100 ft. along Wild Mustang Trail.
With over 600 species of plants, the desert will take on a whole new meaning. In spring, purple lupines, gold poppies, blue larkspur or the yellow blossoms of the brittle bush color the path. Birdwatchers will have a field day catching glimpses of hummingbirds drinking from the feathery blossoms of baja fairy dusters while Harris’s hawks glide in sweeping circles overhead.
At Alamo Spring, mortar holes in the rocks provide proof that someone arrived long before you. Prehistoric people pounded mesquite logs into the holes, crushing mesquite pods in the process, so that they could harvest the seeds for a rich dietary source of protein. Of course you don’t have to hike to discover signs of pre-historic life. Ask the spa staff to point out the Hohokam petroglyphs on the boulders near the spa’s outdoor pool.
Hiking isn’t the only baby boomer adventure to be found at Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain. Mountain biking and off-road jeep excursions into the desert offer alternative means for an adrenaline rush. Looking for a cowboy experience? The hotel partners with the White Stallion Ranch to offer horseback riding adventures and ranch activities. If you’re idea of outdoor fun involves chasing a little white ball, try out the 27-hole course that Jack Nicklaus designed.
What about the luxury part of this experience? After a few hours of adventure, return to your accommodations at Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain to relax by one of the pools. Those lounge chairs sitting in the water at the infinity pool will soak away sore baby boomer muscles. Or, savor the end of the day with a glass of wine on the patio as a Native American flutist serenades you from the boulders of Wild Burrow Canyon. Later, dine at Core Kitchen and Wine Bar where Chef Joel Harrington adds flavors from the Sonoran desert to American favorites.
Have you visited Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain? Share your baby boomer experience by posting a comment. When I toured the property for a look-see, I made a mental note to book a getaway soon.
Photos courtesy Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain.
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Baby boomers, have you found yourself crammed into an airline seat recently? No wonder some of your seat mates have resorted to viewing videos on an iPhone or iTouch. Who has room to use a laptop on an airplane these days? But, holding an iPhone or iTouch for the entire flight isn’t fun either. Let me introduce you to a solution.
The idox Traveler Series is a case for an iPhone, iTouch or iPod Nano. The hard case not only provides protection, it also turns into a stand. No more holding your device for the entire flight. And, rubber feet on the bottom of the stand keep the case in place so it won’t slip on your seat tray.
The folks at idox sent me one of the silver cases (it also comes in black or pink) to try with my iTouch. Now, I’m not the most mechanically inclined, but sliding my iTouch into the case proved to be fairly easy. Although, I have to really pry the lid to open it; at least I know it’s not going to flip open when not in use.
I like the sleek look of the case, with a finish that doesn’t show fingerprints. It provides adequate protection for the iTouch except on the ends so I’ll be careful when storing it in my purse or travel backpack.
My only complaint is the price of $34.95. I’d like to see that come down a bit. However, for now, idox is offering free shippping.
Want to know what other reviewers think of the idox?
The next time I’m traveling, I’m going to download the Kindle app for iTouch. You’ll find me sitting on the plane, with my iTouch placed in the idox case, reading away — hands free.
Also, when we cruise with Regent, there are no alarm clocks in the cabin. Now that we have an idox, we’ll use our iTouch as the alarm clock.
Long time baby boomer readers, you know where this is going. To win an idox, tell me what you’ll be viewing after placing your iTouch, iPhone or ipod Nano in the case. Enter the contest by leaving your comment at the end of this post. Please include your email address for contact purposes. Contest ends on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 11:00 p.m. Arizona Mountain Standard Time. Winner will be announced as soon as possible. Remember, according to my general contest rules, the winner must be a U.S. resident and respond within 48 hours of receiving the notification email; or I chose another winner.
idox provided the idox case for iTouch for this review.
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A fascinating and energetic mix of the traditional and the very modern, Bangkok is a microcosm of Thailand and an endlessly diverting introduction to this fascinating country. The intoxicating sights and sounds of Bangkok are all around you when you stay at one of our hotels in Bangkok.
You’re never short of things to see or do in London. From theatre, musicals and museums to shopping, urban greenery and sheer monumentality, London does it bigger and better, and if you need a place to stay in the nation’s capital, Marriott has London hotels to suit you.
New York is on everyone’s travel wish-list, and if you’re looking for a place to stay when you visit the Big Apple, Marriott has dozens of New York hotels all across the city and beyond. If New York is your destination, book your New York hotel online with Marriott.
In the middle of the Nevada desert, neon-lit Las Vegas is a city like no other, and when you book your stay at one of Marriott's Las Vegas hotels, you can enjoy the full, glitzy spectacle of this 24-hour city.
From Monterrey to Cancun, you can be sure of a warm welcome and first-class service when you stay at one of Marriott's Mexico hotels. The historic home of the Aztecs, chocolate and tequila, Mexico is a vast and diverse country with something for everyone.
