Photo courtesy Backroads
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Web Exclusive…
Out-of-the-Ordinary Vacations
By Randy B. Hecht, November 2005
Need some fresh ideas for your next escape? Whether you’re considering a foray abroad or closer to home, you’ll want to scope out these alternative travel ideas before you start making plans.
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Alaskan adventure
You've probably never imagined cruising Alaska on a vessel that can
accommodate your family pet, car, or even RV. But that's precisely how you
can travel the Inside Passage via the ferries in the Alaska Marine Highway
System. If you've got a sense of adventure and like the idea of island
hopping at your own pace, and you don't mind foregoing extravagant midnight
buffets and onboard casinos, the low-frills ferry system—essentially an
oceanic equivalent of a commuter train—offers an affordable and
interesting alternative to the luxury cruise lines.
Booking for the summer high season begins as early as November. Off-season
reservations begin in August, and passengers age 65 or older get a 50 percent
discount on fares for all trips between Alaskan cities during the fall, winter,
or spring.
Boarding in the Lower 48 or Canada is at either Bellingham, Washington, or
Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and ports of call in the Inside Passage
include Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Haines, Skagway, and
others. In addition, ships make twice-monthly runs across the Gulf of Alaska to
Whittier, which take two days to complete. Accommodation options include
recliner chairs and a variety of cabins.
AARP: Discounts on Airfare, Cruises and Car Rentals
AARP members save on airfare, cruises, car rentals, hotels and lodging, vacations and tours. Joining AARP online is fast, easy and only $12.50/year.
Although the summer months are the most popular time for ferry travel,
"We have a lot of Alaskan-type activities that take over in the
off-season," says Barbara Fairbanks, traffic manager for the entire ferry
system. "Haines has an eagle festival; they have ski events…In
April there's a [week-long] garnet festival in Wrangell…There are
music festivals, folk festivals, a lot of winter activities. Typically for us
Alaskans, summertime is our work time and winter is our play time, when we have
time to actually get out and do things." Summer, however, affords better
opportunities for other shore excursions, such as whale watching, kayaking, or
rafting, Fairbanks says.
For more information, including schedules and fares, or to make
reservations, go to www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs or call
800-642-0066.
Meet the neighbors—worldwide
Like the idea of connecting with the locals? Consider becoming a member of
US Servas, part of an international federation with 15,000 members in about 130
countries around the globe (and U.S. members in almost all 50 states).
Affiliated with the United Nations, the organization has no advocacy role on
the world stage but promotes peace through person-to-person international
contact.
Here's how it works: members, who go through an application and
screening process, participate in Servas as travelers and/or as hosts who
invite guests to stay in their homes for up to two nights. Day hosting is
another option, as is offering an extended stay to visitors. Guests and hosts
negotiate the terms of the stay to ensure their compatibility for the visit and
to make sure there will be no misunderstandings regarding dietary requirements,
smoking restrictions, pet allergies, and so on.
"You get to choose the people that look very interesting to you, and
you know the languages they speak, where they've traveled, where
they've lived abroad, how to get to their house by public transportation,
if they'll pick you up at the airport," says board member Mary Jane
Mikuriya. "You walk in the door, you show the letter of introduction, and
it's like you've been friends all your life." It's a wonderful
opportunity to experience how others live, and get to know a place from an
insider's perspective.
The membership fee for international travelers is $85 a year. The average
age of U.S. hosts is 55.
For further details and application packets, go to www.usservas.org or call 212-267-0252.
In the active camp
Some organizations promote peace. Backroads (formerly Backroads Bicycle
Touring) promotes peace and quiet…under a starry sky, in
"deluxe" campsites equipped with their own cooking and cleanup crews.
Outings take place in such U.S. and Canadian national parks as Acadia, Banff
and Jasper, Bryce Canyon, Death Valley, Denali, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand
Teton, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion.
Trip leaders erect and break down the tents, do all the cooking and
cleaning, and take care of moving luggage between campsites. By the time you
arrive at a new location, it's already set up. Tents are equipped with
inflatable mattresses; bathroom facilities are close by; and in most cases hot
showers are available.
Daytime activities may include a variety of excursions on hiking or biking
trails, kayaking, or rafting, and there's always a van available for
participants in need of a pick-me-up along the way. On the trails, social
groups tend to form around who is moving at the same pace, and in the evening
there's socializing around the campsite.
Some tours are designated for single/solo travel. There also are family
trips, some of which may include multiple generations or grandparent-grandchild
participants. Backroads also offers active tours—both in the United
States and abroad—that offer accommodations at inns and hotels and
feature upscale dining. According to a company spokesperson, its tours attract
people in the 40- to 60-year-old range; the camping demographic dips a bit more
into the 30s but still attracts participants in their 50s and 60s.
To learn about upcoming trips, order a print catalog, or make reservations,
go to www.backroads.com or call
800-462-2848.
Old stones fans
Want to travel back in time? The Archaeological Conservancy has been
sponsoring tours of ancient sites in the Americas for 20 years. Most of the
travel takes place within the United States, but there are also trips to
Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Peru.
Itineraries mix visits to archaeological sites with non-archaeological
attractions, such as folkloric dance and music performances, drop-ins at the
homes and workshops of indigenous artisans, and local shopping. Some evenings
may feature a lecture or slide presentation, and geology, botany, or other
fields of study are introduced where appropriate.
Interest in archaeology is necessary for tour participants, but specialized
knowledge is not, says Mark Michel, president of the not-for-profit group.
"We send out a book and ask them to read it before they come, [along with]
quite an extensive reading list that they can follow up on if they want
to."
In general, the physical demands of the trips are moderate, but participants
should be in good health and able to walk a reasonable distance and climb
stairs. Those who have had or are prone to altitude sickness should consult
with their doctors before signing up for a tour. A few excursions may involve
greater exertion. "In Mesa Verde, to visit the cliff palace you have to be
able to climb some ladders," Michel notes. However, "the main thing
is walking. We like people to be able to walk well for at least a mile at a
time."
A portion of each tour's price is a tax-deductible contribution that
will make you both a member of the Conservancy and a subscriber to its
quarterly magazine, American Archaeology.
Obtain information about upcoming tours at www.americanarcheology.com or by
calling 505-266-1540.
Save the planet
Finally, you might want to consider not just traveling the earth, but
helping to save the terrain you're visiting. That's the idea behind the
not-for-profit Earthwatch, which brings teams to locations throughout the world
to contribute to projects in progress, tied to such fields as biodiversity,
conservation, archaeology, cultural diversity, endangered ecosystems, and world
health.
Have an interest in underwater conservation? You might join scuba or snorkel
teams in the Seychelles, Thailand, the Bahamas, or elsewhere. If the kid in you
never outgrew the pleasures of a good dig in the dirt, you might enjoy
assisting in the recovery of fossils and prehistoric stone technology from the
Leakey site in Tanzania's Olduvai Gorge. On the other hand, you could turn
your attention to the modern world by participating in a maternal and child
health care project in Southern India's Tamil Nadu. If you're more of a
culture buff, you can get involved with documenting the architecture, history,
and folklore of China's Dang Jia Shan Village (Shaanxi Province), whose
inhabitants are being relocated to allow the area to be reforested, or journey
to Russia's Smolensk, Briansk, and Volgograd provinces, where you'll
help create an audio and visual record of the folk music traditions that almost
disappeared during seven decades of Soviet rule.
The organization can offer information about the levels of physical fitness
required and other medical considerations to be weighed in connection with the
trips that most interest you.
Go to www.earthwatch.org or call
800-776-0188 for details about expeditions in more than 40 countries.
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