Here we are in the new year of 2012 and Old Man Winter

  has been hiding the snow from most of the ski resorts in the nation. Many skiers, snowboarders and outdoor winter enthusiasts are wondering where o where has all the snow gone!

So what is a person to do if they are looking to strap on that new Christmas gear and hit some slopes knowing that most of the nation is experiencing record warm temperatures and low snowfall? Perhaps consider more than just snow amounts.

For instance Deer Valley Resort boasts the ability to backup natural snowfall with state-of-the-art snowmaking equipment and:

5 years in a row voted #1 ski resort in North America by the readers of SKI Magazine

First class service reminiscent of a five star hotel including

• Gourmet dining
• Customized lodging
• Lift ticket, lessons and rental packages
• Award winning ski school
• Luxurious amenities such as ski valets, on-site childcare and 3 elegant day lodges

A great resource to check before you go is On the Snow with

• Current snow and surface conditions
• Live webcams
• Trail maps
• Guest reviews

With recreation, dining options, equipment rentals and lessons all taken care of, it’s time to think about where to settle down to share your adventures with friends after a great day on the slopes. Customize your Deer Valley Resort rentals with options to accommodate

• Private Condos/Townhomes
• Private Home
• Drive, walk or shuttle to lifts
• 2-6 Bedrooms
• Economy to Deluxe pricepoints

 Now that everything is planned, you’ll just need to focus on getting old man Winter to give up his stash of snow!

Marco Island is a mere six miles in length and just four miles wide, but this little slice of heaven is not easily forgotten. In fact, if fishing, boating, and kayaking are three of your favorite words, it is likely that your first visit to the Island will become the first of many. While you visit – check out the wide variety of Marco Island Vacation Rentals on the island, you’re sure to find one within walking-distance of your charter office or marina.

The convenience factor itself is amazing. Imagine never being more than a mile or two from your condo or hotel, yet just moments away from some of the best fly fishing in the world. The lukewarm gulf temperatures of the backwater bay provide the perfect home for tarpon, snook, spanish mackerel, sea trout, and mangrove snapper. Secluded fishing holes are not hard to find, even during tourist season, since most of the visitors take their fishing offshore. Guided backwater fishing excursions are easy to find, or simply rent a canoe or kayak and set off exploring.

Charter boats can take you offshore, for either full or half day fishing trips. Grouper, barracuda, amberjack, cobia, and king mackerel are a few of the trophies you may have the good fortune to hook. Your boat captain will take you to the best fishing holes.

Once you’ve had your fill of fishing – is that even possible? – you can experience a completely different type of boating adventure. How about taking a three hour ride on a 155 foot catamaran that will deliver you to Key West for the day? Getting there is truly half the fun when you are riding on one of these luxurious watercrafts. Fully air conditioned and equipped with big screen TVs, satellite television and a full bar, this is traveling in style. After swimming with the dolphins or enjoying the historical sights of Key West, you’ll be safely returned to Marco Island. That’s a lot of paradise to handle, all in one vacation. Now you are beginning to see why Marco Island has the ability to become an annual family getaway.

Did I mention the dinner sunset boat trips, the superb shelling, or the fact that there are over 50 top rated restaurants and over 100 retail shops on the island? Marco Island – all the comforts of home and the ability to catch a 200 lb fish right in your back yard. That’s what I call a vacation. How about you?

The same mountain that provides world-class skiing also offers some amazing mountain biking in addition to an alpine slide, ziprider, alpine coaster, a climbing wall and more!  For the less adventurous traveler, there is also the option of a scenic chairlift ride, hiking, and mini golf.  Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort, and The Canyons Resort  all offer a little something for everyone in the summer.

When planning your vacation, be sure to check out some of the amazing Park City vacation rentals.  Amazing mountain condos and private homes that command high rates in the winter are often offered for a fraction of the price throughout the summer months!

You may want to center your trip around one of the many festivals that Park City is famous for.  Here is some information on a few of the area’s most popular summer events:

• Park City Food and Wine Classic [July 9-12] -An “Epicurean Extravaganza” featuring master winemakers, amazing chefs, and an impressive guest list!  This delectable event is a must if you love food, wine, and good company!
• Fidelity Jazz Festival [August 21-23] -An annual festival featuring amazing musicians.  In addition to nightly performances, this festival features daily workshops and clinics for budding musicians.
• Deer Valley Music Festival -A variety of musical styles to suit all tastes and ages!
• Park City Farmer’s Market -Held every Wednesday between June and October from noon to seven pm at The Canyons Cabriolet parking lot.
• Park Silly Sunday Market -An eco-friendly open market and street festival.  Every Sunday from mid-June through September.
• Fourth of July Celebrations -There are a variety of celebrations surrounding Independence day! Starting with the July 3rd celebration at The Canyons Resort, finishing up with activities and fireworks at Park City’s Traditional Independence Day Celebration and The Flying Ace All-Stars Show at The Utah Olympic Park.

What are you waiting for? Start planning your Park City getaway today!

Images Courtesy ArtBrom

Just one look at the fantastically wind and water sculpted shapes of Goblin Valley in south central Utah explains how it got it’s name, but as you approach, you only see the rocks sticking up above the landscape and not the very weird valley hidden below them. In fact, it’s so well hidden that it wasn’t discovered until 3 cowboys stumbled upon it while looking for their cattle.

You’ll find Goblin Valley State Park 6-7 miles west of the road between Green River and Hanksville, Utah, 30 miles south of I-70 Exit 149 on the way to Lake Powell. Just look for the signs. There’s a small, but nice improved campground, with drinking water and modern rest rooms with hot showers. The best sites are hidden in coves among the rocks. The road leading to the park is paved, so it’s no trouble getting there.

There’s a visitor’s center, 3 marked trails and free Ranger-led interpretive programs, but the true thrill is being able to wander through the rock formations at will, exploring the maze of thousands of grotesque sandstone creatures and climbing over, around and even through them. Because it’s literally in the middle of nowhere, you’ll see skies crowded with stars. A full moon walk among the hoodoos is an experience you’ll never forget.

While mountain biking, dirt biking and ATV riding is not permitted within the park itself, the surrounding area offers hundreds of miles of good dirt trails for these activities. The summer sun is relentless in the high desert, so Autumn is without a doubt the best time to visit.

If you’re a distance runner, check out the Goblin Valley Ultra Marathon held each year in late October. It could just be the most breathtaking race you’ve ever run.

Non-campers can stay in Green River, Utah,  about a 45 minute drive from the park. You won’t find anything fancy or charming there, but the Robbers Roost is a clean and friendly place to spend the night.

With a name like the Devils Garden, you probably think it doesn’t sound like a very good place to camp, but boy are you wrong. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever pitched my tent. Unless you’re backpacking or 4 wheeling waaaaay off road, it’s the only camping area you can legally use within Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. It’s also the only developed camping area in one of our most visited National Parks.

Even as such, the campsites are very large and it’s easy to pitch your tent well away from the road and other campers. They offer sites to accommodate RV’s of all sizes and have several campsites available for large groups. There aren’t any showers, but there are flush toilets, running water and drinking water and sinks for washing dishes.

The campground is well staffed with friendly, caring hosts who keep the place nearly spotless. Firewood is available for sale and rangers run evening programs in an incredible natural amphitheatre tucked in the folds of rock.

There are several trails emanating from the campground. Most of them take you to an arch or two and tend to be some of the least crowded trails in the park. Devils Garden campground is 18 miles into the park along winding two lane roads, so stock up on what you need in town before you head up there. It’s very close to some of the best natural attractions in Arches, like the Fiery Furnace, Delicate Arch and the almost embarassingly arch rich Devils Garden that gives the camping area its name.

The campground is very quiet during the day, since most people are out hiking around through the geological wonders that drew them to Moab. For many of them, especially the numerous foreign visitors, it’s a once in a lifetime trip. Since people from all over the world want to stay here, be certain to make your camp site reservations well in advance.

It’s all desert and dirt and rock until you drop down to river level. Here, world becomes refreshingly wet and cool. The water sparkles with white rapids, the banks are lined with greenery and a strand of sandy beach beckons around every bend.

You can raft the entire stretch of river from Dewey Bridge into Moab, Utah, which is close to 30 miles. There are nice developed campsites in numerous places along the road side of the river. On busy weekends, you’ll need to make a reservation to snag one of those spots. Absolutely sweet beaches for primitive camping are available on islands and along the cliff side of the river. No reservations necessary.

The Daily run, which all the local outfitters float, is by far the best one day trip. Put in at Hittle Bottom, where there are restrooms, ramps and plenty of parking. The take out, 13 miles downstream, is creatively named Take Out Beach, which also has a ramp, parking and pit toilets. Expect it to take 6-10 hours depending on water levels and how much you want to paddle and how much you want to float.

As I said, all the local Moab outfitters run this stretch. Lunch is included on day long trips and the guides will keep you entertained with river lore and water antics. The prices are very reasonable for a day’s adventure. If you’d rather do it on your own, most of the outfitters also rent an assortment of paddle and oar rafts, as well as inflatable kayaks. Expect mostly flat stretches broken up with Class I and II rapids most of the year, although a few tight bends in the river create Class IIIs during higher water.

Don’t forget your camera, but if you do, you’ll have an ironclad excuse to do it all over again!

Each year around harvest time, locals and visitors gather on the runway at the old airport to see who can hit targets with flying pumpkins launched from all kinds of weird contraptions – giant sling shots, home made catapults, air cannons and things I can’t even name. These folks put some serious time and effort into it, too. Just wait until you see the size of these things!

Since it’s also near Halloween, paricipants and spectators parade around in their best costumes for the event. There’s live music, pie eating contests (pumpkin pie, of course), crafts vendors, game booths and yummy eats.

People from all over the world visit Moab for all kinds of activities – touring the geological wonders, viewing the incredible scenery, rockhounding, hiking, biking, jeeping, rafting and rock climbing to name a few. Maybe someday they’ll realize how much fun celebrating harvest and Halloween in the red rock desert can be, too.

 All photos from the Americorps Youth Garden Project.

Yep, it’s that time of year again in Colorado. Most of our ski areas have shut down for the season. The still-cold nights are balanced by some lusciously warm afternoons. It’s the beginning of Mud Season – ur, I mean Springtime – and all us mountain folk are jonesing for the dry, warm, welcoming desert. For many of us, that means just one thing – a road trip to Moab, Utah.

Fisher Towers Hike

I declared my own personal Spring last weekend with a camping and hiking expedition to the Fisher Towers area near Castle Valley, about 20 miles east of Moab proper. Where stunning red rock formations stand majestically against the deep blue sky, you can immerse yourself in scenery that’s truly straight out of several classic westerns. This alone is worth the trip.

The hike is a moderate out and back trail with a enough rock scrambling thrown in to keep it very interesting. You may travel about 4 miles until the trail peters out on a ridge overlooking the amphitheater that contains the towers. The highlight of my trip was keeping an eye on the progress of a dozen people completing a rock climbing rite of passage by standing atop a precarious looking red tower at least 1000 feet above where I walked.

You may camp at the very base of Fisher Towers or about a mile away along the river at Lower Onion Creek. There’s shade and the Colorado River at Onion Creek, but the scenery at Fisher Towers is unparalleled. There are perhaps a dozen other campgrounds along the Colorado River Scenic Byway, as well. At the other end of the spectrum is a luxury resort. There are also numerous options for less primitive camping and hotel and motel lodging within Moab.

The National Parks in the area, Arches and Canyonlands, rightfully attract visitors from around the globe, but don’t let the apparent crowds keep you away. Everyone’s happy to be in the warm sunshine in an incredible place and they disperse quickly when they leave town and head out on hikes of their own.

Horseback ride or hike surrounded by classic cowboy scenery. Raft the just-wild-enough Colorado River. Relax by the sparking pool only steps from the river. Enjoy fine dining at the River Grill, which not only offers the best food and service in the Moab area, but the most scenic setting, as well.

This unique dude ranch resort combines an understated old west ambiance with the best in personal luxury. It has over 10,000 square feet of meeting space and is an absolutely perfect place for your wedding, anniversary or other luxurious romantic getaway. Once you’ve been charmed by Sorrel River Ranch, you’ll never want to leave.

One of the toughest things about visiting Moab is deciding how and where to stay. While the burg often seems like a ghost town during the day, don’t let it fool you into thinking there are a lot of vacancies. It’s only because all the visitors are out exploring. By sundown, all the restaurants are packed and it’ll be hard to find a place to sleep if you don’t have advanced reservations.

In Town

Do not believe everything you see or read on the internet, because unfortunately, a lot of the motels in downtown Moab are pretty much dumps. This does serve a demand by low budget travelers, but not everyone wants to pay $100 or more a night for a shabby room, even if they can cram 4-6 people into it. If you’re looking for a decent room, try one of the newer hotels along 191 north of town. They only cost a little more and you’ll be much happier with the facilities.

Luxury Lodging

The Gonzo Inn, just a block off of Main Street. is about your only choice for anything approaching luxury in Moab proper. It’s an oasis of style, yet has a personality that compliments the activities and attractions that brought you to the area.

Just a scenic 20 mile drive along the Colorado River Road (Highway 128) will bring you to another oasis, Sorrel River Ranch. If you’re looking for true luxury lodging in Moab, this stunning guest ranch is the place for you.

Camping

There are several absolutely huge commercial campgrounds in Moab and boy do they pack ‘em in! But if you’re an afficionado of the RV lifestyle, I guess that’s not much different than what you’d expect in any popular destination. Choose one of the several well-kept campground “resorts” with treed settings right along the river.

The spectacular Devil’s Garden campground in Arches National Park is where I take first time visitors. The setting is stunning and peaceful. Trails branch out right from the camp area and you can keep yourself busy for days without ever venturing out of it. Although you might occasionally get lucky, if you have your heart set on camping here, make a reservation well in advance.

The BLM campgrounds dispersed along the Colorado River northwest of town are another personal favorite, especially while river running. Big Bend and Hittle Bottom are the largest and busiest. There are 6-7 others that are more intimate and worth your consideration. These are a good choice if you enjoy camping, but don’t really want to be out in the wilderness or if you arrive in Moab without a reservation.

Americans and foreigners alike are drawn to it’s two enormously popular National Parks, Canyonlands and Arches. These parks preserve and celebrate the geological history of the American West. Every twist and turn surprises you with yet another strange rock formation. Not just arches, but hoodoos and goblins and fins and needles and mazes and many other things only geologists can name.

Moab isn’t really on the way to anywhere else, but it does lie only 45 scenic miles along Highway 128 from Interstate 70, which is a main east-west path through the Rockies from Denver. If you’re in the neighborhood, don’t miss Moab!

In an area with 2 geology-rich National Parks and weird rock formations waiting to startle you around every corner, it’s no surprise that the very scenic Utah State Highway 128 doesn’t get much attention in the tour books and travel guides. However, if you’re driving from I-70 south into Moab, Utah don’t miss this amazing drive. It beats the main route into Moab hands down.

Take I-70 Exit 204 towards Cisco, Utah and then turn onto Route 128. Within a few miles, you’ll begin dropping into a stunning red rock canyon that winds beneath sheer cliffs through the lush bottom lands along the Colorado River.

If you’re just along for the drive, it’s about 45 miles that you should expect to take you 60 to 75 minutes. But there are so many things to do and see along the way that you can easily spend days exploring the canyon.

There are numerous river-side campgrounds (this is BLM territory) and trailheads for famous hiking, mountain biking and off-roading trails, such as Negro Bill, Fisher Towers, Kokopelli and Onion Creek.

The river is navigable by small watercraft all the way down into Moab and beyond. Numerous class II and III rapids dot the “Daily” section of the river that most of the commercial outfitters run. A half or full day raft trip is an ideal way to experience the canyon, especially when the weather’s hot, hot, hot.

Okay, listen up. I’m only going to whisper this secret to you once, “Ruby Canyon and Horsethief Canyon”. This incredible float, just west of Grand Junction, Colorado is a rafting experience extrordinaire.

For 26 miles, the Colorado river slices through a dreamlike southwestern landscape of towering canyons and ageless black rock formations. Except during extreme spring run-off, the pace is lazy, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and play in the water.

No whitewater experience is necessary, but once you cast off, you’re committed to making the entire run. So, travel is self-contained and you must be prepared to deal with any problems that might arise along the way. By the time you drag yourself off the river 1-3 days later at Westwater Utah, you’ll already be planning your next trip.

If whitewater makes you wary, this is a great way to enjoy river running without suffering from adrenaline poisoning. See the BLM website for details and check with outfitters in Grand Junction or Fruita for help planning your adventure and getting set up with equipment and shuttles.

The inviting colors are sure to cheer you up. The clear aquamarine waters of the Gulf of Mexico gently lap at sugar-white sand beaches decorated with burnished sea oats, all nestled peacefully under a sapphire sky. This barrier island boasts 12 miles of pristine shoreline and traditionally makes most of the top 10 beaches lists year after year.

While Navarre isn’t everyone’s idea of a beach paradise, it is the perfect prescription for beach strollers, fisherfolk, birdwatchers and sun seekers who prefer to commune with nature rather than with hordes of vacationers. Navarre Beach State Park on the east and the Gulf Islands National Seashore on the west provide plenty of serenity and solitude even during the busiest times.

Over 40 artificial reefs in the area provide some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the US and the fishing is legendary, as well.

Some of the newest and most luxurious Florida Panhandle vacation rentals are lofty condo complexes, like Summerwind Resort and Beach Colony, situated right on the sand of Navarre Beach. Townhomes and single family homes are available, as well. Some of the older, smaller complexes offer surprisingly affordable options for your Florida family vacation.

So, when the skies turn gray and the ground is covered in white this winter, think about a colorful escape to the the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Chuck and Judy Nichols are adventurers themselves and lead many of their own trips. This is how they can give such accurate information about all of their tours on their website. Nearly every detail of the expedition I enjoyed, The Baja Islands Odyssey, was exactly as they described it.

The office staff quickly and confidently answered all my questions and helped with arrangements. Our guide, Carlos, and his crew were genuinely nice people who anticipated individual needs and took care of every little thing. Their knowledge and professionalism inspired confidence, even when the angry tail of an out-of-season hurricane whipped through.

The itinerary provided one “wow” experience after another – things I never would have done on my own, like snorkeling with sea lions and sea-kayaking at night. The food was outstanding and plentiful. I know I’m gushing, but that really is how incredible my experience was.

Join a group or organize your own posse. This travel outfit offers so many dreamy, soft adventure vacations that I still can’t decide where I want to go next, but I do know I’ll go with Nichols!

Now that you have a little history of the town, let’s take a look at what there is to do during the winter months. Skiing and snowboarding is by far the most popular, but there are many other winter activities to be enjoyed.

Which ever activity or activities you choose to participate in while you are in Park City, you are sure not to be disappointed. We have only begun to scratch the surface with the activities listed above. The best advice is to do a little planning and research before you visit, so you can make the most of your next winter adventure to Park City.

Looking for Lodging in Park City?  The choices are varied in luxury and price. Whatever you budget, you can enjoy a vacation in one of America’s premier ski resort destinations!