Adventure Awaits - adventures by AdventureLink

Top 10 Things to do in Seattle

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0100

(Photo Courtesy of 'joiseyshowaa' on Flickr)

Seattle has always been on my list of places to visit, but for some reason or another I never make it up there. Last summer it was because I had already driven a lot during the summer (2000 miles in 3 weeks), so I wanted to rest—and this year I didn’t have the money to go all the way up there. However, the upside to this is that I now have more time to plan an awesome trip! In the wintertime, Washington offers great skiing, and for the really adventurous, Whistler, Canada is not far for those looking for even better conditions. In the spring and summer the hiking and the natural wonders of the state draw in thousands of visitors each year—not to mention the city itself is supposed to be one of the most amazing in the country. With a huge art and music scene, fresh food, gorgeous landscape, and wildlife offerings around the city, it’s a wonder Seattle is not talked about, and traveled to more frequently. Here is my personal Top 10 list of things I would like to do on my visit to Seattle.

(Photo Courtesy of 'Bjørn Giesenbauer' on Flickr)

1. Washington to San Juan Islands

So this trip doesn't focus on Seattle exactly, but it's in the vicinity, and it ranked as the second top place to visit in the travel issue of The New York Times in 2011. Let's be honest, being second in this case is pretty darn good. Plus, if there's one thing we can learn from Hawaii, The Galapagos, Fiji, and the Bahamas, it's that islands are never a bad call for a vacation. The islands offer great whale watching, a variety of plants and trees, other wildlife native to the area like seals, and great cuisine. You can kayak in the sound, trek the islands, hike Mt. Constitution, and still eat like a king or queen at the end of the day—It's the type of place that provides nature when you want it, and creature comforts when you don't.

(Photo Courtesy of 'Ken Lund' on Flickr)

2. Northern Rockies Hike

This trek begins with about a day and a half stay in Seattle, allowing you to explore on your own, then takes you on a tour of the Rockies over a period of 15 days all the way down to San Francisco. I have a buddy of mine that spent an entire semester before college hiking the Sierra Nevada Mountains and he said he wouldn't trade the experience for anything, so I can imagine that this is even more amazing.

(Photo Courtesy of 'RJL20' on Flickr)

3. Seattle Cycling Tour

This is a nice way to get some endorphines pumping, while also seeing all the sights of the city. The 3 hour ride offers a speedy way to zip about while also being face to face with the people of Seattle. It's not super intensive or long, so you get a nice look at the city and still have time later to go back and explore more if you wish. It offers more flexibility as a day trip than many of the others.

(Photo Courtesy of ingridtaylor on Flickr)

4. Seattle Sea Kayaking

Sea Kayaking is one of the best beach pastimes—nothing but you, the ocean, and the wildlife. Because the area is so good for whale watching, I wouldn't be surprised to see some fish, seals, and maybe even something larger. The ocean is so relaxing that you'll soon feel right at home as you glide by many of the sights that are visible from the water.

(Photo Courtesy of 'jamesonf' on Flickr)

5. Woodinville Wineries Tour

Washington is known for its organic foods and amazing natural environment—both of these facts mean that it's a place to taste wines. This tour covers 1 or 2 large wineries as well as 3 or 4 smaller ones in Woodinville, which has become the wine country of Washington. The 5 hour tour is enough to whet your appetite without overtiring you.

(Photo Courtesy of 'xmatt' on Flickr)

6. Seattle Food and Cultural Tour

I'm a complete foodie. I love food more than air. I check www.foodporndaily.com frequently and I dream about having my own restaurant just so I can have amazing food at my fingertips. So when I saw this trip featuring delectable foods that also lets you wander about the city, I was sold. Imagine, wandering through the city with your friends giddy from the good company, the great food, and the amazing sights—this sounds like one of the greatest opportunities around.

(Photo Courtesy of 'jeffwilcox' on Flickr)

7. Seattle Brews and Views

There are about 82 breweries in Washington, and many of them lie in downtown Seattle. Spend about 5 hours touring the city seeing the sights and tasting the unique output of all these microbreweries. Because there are so many breweries, and because many of them release a limited product, the places visited each time will vary, but what won’t vary is the effect this trip will have on your palate. Never again will you be able to taste mainstream beer in the same way. Come expand your palate and your friends on this trip!

(Photo Courtesy of 'Minette Layne' on Flickr)

8. Birding Trip, Early September

After seeing Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson battle it out in the 2012 flick ‘The Big Year’ birding has officially made my bucket list. Something about the way Steve Martin described it made me want to partake in this unique pastime. In the movie, the three of them battle it out to be the top birder in the world by seeing the most species of birds in one years’ time. In reality, fishing is more about being in nature than it is about catching fish—birding is no different, which is why it sounds so interesting. Nothing to do but ponder as you gaze at some of the best birds in the Pacific Northwest.

9. Photography Tour of Seattle

I’ve never heard of a trip like this before, but then again, it’s not something that would dawn on me to search for. This trip takes you around Seattle to some of the sights and teaches you about photography while you snap your shots. It has somewhat of an educational spin, which makes it especially interesting.

10. Seattle Tour

Sometimes you want an extreme adventure, and sometimes you want an adventure within certain bounds. For those of you out there who are the latter, this tour is perfect. It focuses on urban exploration, but also highlights some of the natural attributes that the city is so proud of. Your guide will relay stories of the history and geology of Seattle leaving you with a lot of information. This 2 hour tour is definitely for the more traditional, but doesn't lack excitement like other tours sometimes do.

(Photo Courtesy of 'neiljs' on Flickr)

-Richard, AdventureLink Member Since '12

Top 5 Things to do When Visiting San Francisco

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0100

(Photo Courtesy of Darwin Bell on Flickr)

As one of the most vibrant cities in California, San Francisco can be a great place to travel to in the Summer months, especially if you're in the local area. And with the heatwave that occurred recently, there's no better time to visit the city that caused Mark Twain to exclaim 'dang, this city is cool!' Ok, so maybe those weren't his exact words, but besides the climate that Twain was clearly referencing, the city features amazing food, cultural diversity, various museums and parks, an active population, natural and historical sights, and beaches that will draw you in and keep you coming back for years. Plus, it's near wine country so you can easily change your urban exploration to a rural expedition on a whim. Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH as the native Californians know it, is regarded as one of the most stunning routes in the country; it becomes a two-lane highway in northern California where it twists and turns, managing to squeeze between the ocean and the hills. This route is not recommended for travelers in a hurry, but be aware that what it lacks in speed, it more than makes up for in views. So, San Francisco is that rare place where getting there is actually part of the experience. This summer I went up to San Francisco for their famed "Bay to Breakers" 7 mile run which literally spans from the Bay to the Pacific. Yeah... it was rough, but afterword I rehydrated and refueled at an Asian Heritage Festival that happened to be going on downtown. And the summer before, I found some brand new, racing 195 skis in a thrift shop for $20. That's the best aspect of this city, you go there for one thing— like a run, or the beaches, the sights, the food— and you leave with an entirely different and unexpected experience. As you can probably tell, I could go on and on about San Francisco, but instead take a look at my suggestions for your next visit.

(Photo Courtesy of www.bluewaikiki.com on Flickr)

1. See Chinatown

If there is one thing that everyone should do in any large city in the US, it's visit the local Chinatown. The food is one of the most delectable, scrumptious, mouth-watering things I have encountered. My buddy and I once spent $40 each ordering peking duck, noodles, fried rice, dumplings, chicken, green beans, shanghai rice cakes, soup, and dessert to the horror of the waiters and the people around us, but WHEW, what a meal that was! I don't think I'll ever be as blissfully happy again. If you can find them, I recommend 'taro buns'—they're a bit of an acquired taste, but extremely delicious for dessert. Aside from the food (can you tell I'm a college student yet?), the area itself is fun to explore. There are shops everywhere willing to bargain, people bustling through the streets, and it gives visitors a glimpse of another culture transplanted. Try either the Chinatown Walking Tour, which lasts about 3 hours and features a Dim Sum Lunch after exploring the city or the Chinatown Cultural Discovery which also lasts about 3 hours, but focuses more on tasting the cuisines and exploring unique places in the city. They are both great tours, just slightly different.

(Photo Courtesy of (matt) on Flickr)

2. Wine Tasting

San Francisco is known for the varied and characteristic wineries that lay just above and below the city. The main areas for wine tastings are Napa and Sonoma, which both lay north of the city, but there are a few sprinkled around the south in areas like Santa Cruz. If you want a trip that is active and adventurous, there is an 8 hour Mountain Biking & Wine Tour combo, which features wine tastings paired with mountain biking on a single track trail that is maintained by locals. Want to see the famous beaches? Then take a look at this Winemaker Tour, which features a different, local winery every Friday while aboard the Chardonnay II for 2 hours, sipping the fine wines and enjoying the surf as you glide through the water. For you cosmopolitans out there that wish to stay in the heart of San Francisco, the Wine Bars and Cable Cars Tour lasts 5 hours and covers many wine bars in the heart of San Francisco over the course of an evening. If you want the best of both worlds—a tour of the city and a wine tasting—check out the 8 hour long, Green Dream Wine Tasting Tour—it includes a look at the city followed by a picnic lunch, as well as a trip to Sonoma, wine tastings, and even chocolate and cheese tastings.

3. Tour the City

Tour the city and learn about some of its history, explore the streets, or maybe just see the sights; there is a plethora of opportunities available on our site depending on the time of day, season, activity, etc so you should definitely check it out for a full listing. That being said, here are a few that stood out to me.

If you're looking for a glimpse into San Francisco's past, then check out these three trips first. They all claim to offer a unique perspective of San Francisco in a number of different decades. The first is 20's inspired Postcard San Francisco Tour featuring an in depth 3 hour ride on a 20's inspired passenger car (a 5 hour tour that also includes Alcatraz can be located here). With a guide sporting full driving attire of the time—goggles and all—one can't help but wonder if this is Mr. Toad's wild ride! Moving from the 20's to the 40's, the very unique Fire Engine Tour plops you aboard a 30's-40's fire engine from San Francisco's past. Not only is your tour guide in full firefighting attire, but they even provide you with a costume of your own on this hour long tour of the city. Moving from the 40's to the 60's, there is the famed Magic Bus tour, which provides riders with a glimpse into the 1960's, all while touring the city juxtaposing the 60's with today's SF; Far out! Moving away from the past and into the present, for the active there is a 4 hour Golden Gate to Sausalito bike tour featuring amazing views and routes only accessible to pedestrians—providing views most other tours can't.

Now for the more traditional tourists, there is a longer, very comprehensive tour called Dylan's Famous Tour which encompasses the city, the nearby Muir Woods, Sausalito and more in 5 hours' time. It even points out homes used in movies and allows you to trek through the woods amongst the trees for an hour. However, if you're looking to just focus on the city, there is the Real San Francisco Tour, which focuses on urban exploration and urban trekking and covers all of the city in 6 hours—definitely wear some good shoes on this tour! Lastly, but not least, there are two different Segway Tours available here and here. They are both run by the same company, but one offers more in depth viewing of the wharf, while the other focuses on exploring the city.

(Photo Courtesy of Chris Willis on Flickr)

4. Drive PCH

Like I mentioned earlier, Pacific Coast Highway is in my opinion, the most gorgeous roads someone can take, and I've traveled up and down the east coast so I know my pretty roads. Some tours will likely take you down the coast, but nothing beats doing it yourself on your own time. That way, you can snap some photos and stop when you want to stop. Do it. You won't regret it. And if you do, email me here, but I'll have you know that as of now, the inbox is still empty.

5. Go to a Concert or Event/Break the Mold

Personally, I'm the type of traveller that only books my flight, and plans nothing else. As a consequence, I've missed 4 flights, a train, and had to book several motel rooms at 2 or 3 in the morning, but I have formed great friendships during those same trips as a consequence—when you have to find a place to stay for the night, you end up knocking your heads together in a way that creates lasting bonds. Now, will I continue this practice later on in life? Hell no! And I only recommend it for young people who can still be reckless and unreliable without those words having a negative connotation for them.

What I do recommend is the deeper underlying tone to these actions: Getting out of your comfort zone. I know it's trite by now, but when you do, it makes for some amazing memories. This summer, I stumbled upon some $20 skis in a thrift shop and wandered through an Asian Festival after running Bay to Breakers, and last summer I stumbled upon a Gay Pride Parade/Festival when I was in SF. And when I think back, I don't think I would have done many of those things knowing about them beforehand—they were the types of experiences made better by stumbling upon them. So what I am really getting at here is go out, meet new people, and explore. These trips are meant to aid in that process as much as possible, but nothing beats sheer curiosity and human interaction.

(Photo Courtesy of smi23le on Flickr)

AdventureLink is the key to the doorway, it's up to you whether you walk through or just peer in. I say run through it.

-Richard, Team AdventureLink Member Since '12

Top Ten Budget Adventure Trips

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0100

It's under the greatest pressures that we all have our greatest, most genuine experiences. Despite the state of the economy, it's still quite possible to travel all around the world, comfortably, for an affordable price. From as low as $30 a day, you can see Guatemala and Morocco, Peru and Kenya, Thailand, South Africa and more. Let's take a look!

1. Atlas Mountain Trek

7 Days for only $93/Day!

The Atlas Mountains stretch across the crown of Africa, from Algeria to the Atlantic. On this trip, you'll depart from Marrakech, Morocco for the wilds of the hillsides. Your guides will go at a leisurely pace, allowing you to admire the awe-inspiring landscapes around you. Your journey will take you to the shrine of Sidi Chamharouch, the supreme vistas of Mizrane Valley and the contemplative atmosphere of Tzikert Plateau. You'll even have tea with friendly local villagers in Achain, and have the chance to serve the local community with engaging projects.