Away.com Travel Blog

Hotel Spotlight: Saguaro Lake Ranch, Arizona

Alistair Wearmouth — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:44:02 -0800

Arizona's Saguaro Lake Ranch sits in a tranquil spot just beneath the dam that holds back ten-mile-long Saguaro Lake. Downstream, the Salt River twists beneath the striking Bulldog Cliffs and Goldfield Mountains before flexing some mild Class I muscles on its passage toward the Greater Phoenix metropolitan area. This guest ranch has been run by the same family, the Durands, for four generations, and it shows in the homey touches and hospitality in evidence throughout the riverside property. Guests sleep in simple but comfortable "ranchettes," first built to house the workers who constructed Saguaro Lake's Stewart Mountain Dam between 1928-30.

Sweden's ICEHOTEL Celebrates 20 Years

Lacy Morris — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:38:32 -0800

The ICEHOTEL in Sweden celebrates its 20 year anniversary. Thirty-nine artists have been chosen to create this winter's hotel, including two Americans from New York City. They will have two and a half weeks to transform their design from paper to a deluxe suite.

Burton Offers Free Lift Tickets and Lessons

Nathan Borchelt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:26:59 -0800

Burton offers free lift tickets and snowboard lessons with the purchase of a new snowboard.

Celebrating Soccer (and Cultural Exchange) in Africa

Lisa Costantini — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:23:40 -0800

This past month in Nigeria, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup took place. The semi-finals saw Switzerland defeat Colombia, and Nigeria beat Spain. In the end, Switzerland took home the golden trophy, winning 1-0 in the finals on Sunday, November 15 in front of a crowd of more than 60,000 screaming fans. But it wasn't just the players who were from across the globe. I interviewed a few fanatics in the international crowd to find out what brought them to this sports-mad country.

Notes from the Field: Winter Adventures in Yellowstone National Park

Notes from the Field — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:11:50 -0800

It's no secret that winter in Yellowstone National Park is a magical season; think quiet, snow-filled meadows and slopes, packs of wolves hustling across the valley floor, plus an absolute dearth of tourists. No, the secret here lies in the fact that many visitors—in winter or summer—fail to spend long enough here to appreciate the full diversity of the country's oldest park. Which is where the Yellowstone Association Institute (YAI), and more specifically its annual Field Seminar programs, comes in.

The African Renaissance Statue in Senegal

Ben Sumner — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:07:00 -0800

I've never had a first impression of a country quite like when I arrived in Senegal. Towering over the capital city of Dakar is the African Renaissance Monument, a 160-foot statue depicting a man rising triumphantly from a volcano with his outstretched arms wrapped around his wife and child. The monument, designed by a Senegalese artist but constructed by North Koreans, is a symbol of Africa's rise from centuries of intolerance and racism. It is set to be officially dedicated on December 12. Apparently, I got to Senegal a month too soon.

Hotel Spotlight: Ahwahnee, Yosemite

Alistair Wearmouth — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:05:00 -0800

The summer months draw 50 percent of Yosemite National Park's overnight visitor stays; that stat drops to less than three percent once winter rolls round. Concession lodging in the park, like the classic 123-room Ahwahnee Hotel, sees a corresponding drop in visitor nights, with overnight occupancy dropping to about a third of its summer peak throughout the park.

Notes from the Field: Track Giant Pandas in China's Sichuan Province

Notes from the Field — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:01:00 -0800

In April and October of next year, U.S.-and Beijing-based operator WildChina is offering new weeklong itineraries to showcase the key panda-conservation areas in western China's mountainous Sichuan province. Starting out from the provincial capital of Chengdu, the group tours will delve into the bamboo and rhododendron thickets in Sichuan's Wanglang Nature Reserve, home to over two dozen of the critically endangered species. With a diverse array of habitat ranging from between 7,500 and 15,000 feet in elevation, Wanglang is also home to numerous other wildlife including golden snub-nosed monkeys, leopard cats, and some 165 species of birds.

Google Announces Free WiFi for the Holidays in Select Airports

Alistair Wearmouth — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:24:36 -0800

Google announced yesterday that it's partnering with 47 airports around the U.S. to offer free WiFi to travelers during the busy holiday season, as well as on every Virgin America flight. The search-engine giant is working with Boingo, Advanced Wireless...

Ski Resort Smackdown: Defend Your Favorite!

awayblog — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:01:00 -0800

Based on a wide variety of attributes, input from an army of snow-a-holic freelance writers, and our own not-so-humble opinions, we’ve selected our top 10 ski resorts in North America (see below). But, the Web being a democratic place, we know our say isn’t the final word. So, if you think we missed one, let us know—DEFEND YOUR FAVORITE RESORT in 150 words or less and the snow enthusiast who makes the most convincing case will win over $400 worth of ski apparel from Outdoor Research.