March 21, 2018 How to unplug on vacation We’ve all been guilty of this: checking in at the office while on vacation.
March 21, 2018 12 incredible places for luxury camping These locations around the globe put the "glam" in "glamping."
March 21, 2018 6 places to sightsee from a Segway Got teens? Here's an exciting and green way to explore.
March 21, 2018 Winners of the National Geographic Traveler photo contest The 25th annual photo contest received more than 15,000 entries from photographers around the globe.
March 21, 2018 World's craziest zip lines Pleasures don’t come much simpler than a zip line. But something magical happens when you stretch a cable over a great span and glide—using only gravity and a harness—across a gorgeous natural landscape like a bird on the wing. Historically, zip lines were purely functional, often used to deliver goods across great distances in mountainous countries. Then, in the 1970s, researchers in Costa Rica began to realize the potential of these cables and began stringing them up through the rainforests as a way to get around more quickly and easily. It wasn’t long before they started to see the great tourism potential of their newest mode of transportation, which allows for both an adrenaline rush and a great learning experience. Enthusiasts will assure you that riding on different zip lines can be like tasting the subtle nuances in unique bottles of wine. Thanks to variables like length, height, altitude, angle and speed, each zipline has its own character. You might encounter one that’s meandering, scenic and family-friendly. Or, like a barrelling roller coaster with a one-track mind, there are others that are speed demons, rushing back to Earth at up to 100 mph. And, like in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. Once confined to tropical destinations like Central America, commercial zip lines and canopy tours made their way to America for the first time in 2002. Now you’ll find them everywhere from a slate quarry in Wales to an underground mine in Kentucky to a former Olympic stadium in Utah to an archaeological park surrounding Angkor Wat. We’ve collected some of the longest, fastest, steepest and most unique zip lines in the world—now get zipping!
March 21, 2018 How to take great photos of the night sky The sun is setting and night is beginning to fall. Many photographers are packing up their gear and heading home for the day, but Andy Austin, founder of Peak Photography of Montana, is just getting ready for the night ahead. On a moonless night the sky comes alive with a celestial show of planets, stars and constellations. Using the right photography equipment, images taken at night can be as clear and detailed as any daytime shots, often revealing much more depth and mystery. While the results are often awe-inspiring, Austin says night photography isn’t nearly as complicated as many think. To capture the stars for yourself, here’s what you will need: a camera with a manual mode, a tripod, a remote shutter (to minimize camera shake) a location with minimal light pollution, and patience. As for choosing a lens, Austin says it all depends on the look you are trying to accomplish. “Personally, I prefer to shoot with a wide angle lens, but it is possible to take great photos with a telephoto as well.” The best time to capture stars and the Milky Way is on a moonless night, but never underestimate what can also be taken while the moon is out. When photographing with the moon you will get a much better foreground, but fewer stars. To capture the best Milky Way photos aim your camera towards Scorpio (if you’re not up on your astronomy, try an app like Google Sky Map as a guide). The most photogenic parts of the Milky Way also rise and set, just like the moon. In the winter it doesn’t rise until early in the morning, making it much more difficult to photograph. In the summer it is usually visible in the Northern Hemisphere once the stars come out. It never hurts to consult meteor shower calendars to find when you can see premium showers, and which direction to position your camera towards. The next shower is July 29-30, 2013 and is the Delta Aquarids. Here are some amazing images taken by Austin and how he did them.
March 21, 2018 10 most iconic places to photograph Recently I was asked if I could name a “bucket list” of iconic places in the world for photographers. It didn’t take long. Certain places attract photographers like magnets attract iron filings; we are drawn to them without quite knowing why. Nor do we absolutely have to know. For some of us it will simply be the joy of collecting the trophy pictures we’ve always wanted to take. But for others, myself included, the exercise has something more to do with understanding both ourselves and the world. Here is my list (not terribly original, I’ll admit), with my reflections on why these places are iconic to me. I’m absolutely sure that everyone will have a different top ten. But just as going there and taking the pictures was a deeply rich experience, so too is the simple act of asking which ones—and why?
March 21, 2018 6 best travel books of spring A bushel of books have sprouted to inspire a bout of warm-weather wanderlust. There’s something here for fans of every genre: memoir, fiction, adventure, natural history, history, even poetry. But what binds each of these books together is a compelling tale and a great sense of place.
March 21, 2018 5 places to go sandboarding Love the thrill of downhill sports? Lose your woolly socks and thermal fleece and get ready for sandboarding—arguably the coolest new way to have fun on a beach or desert getaway. Kids have long been sledding down sand dunes on pieces of cardboard and plastic snow sleds. But in recent years, surfers and out-of-season snowboarders have taken it to the next level with sandboarding—riding down dunes on boards and sleds made out of a slicker material that glides on sand. Want to try sandboarding or sand sledding on your next getaway? A waxed snowboard or snow saucer will probably do. If your kids are up for serious careening, then you’ll want to rent boards and sleds made specifically for sand. While this emerging sport is a natural fit for beach destinations, some of the best places to try sandboarding and sand sledding may surprise you. (Michigan and Colorado? Who knew?) Here are five of the best dune destinations in the United States:
March 21, 2018 Best airlines for bringing sports gear You may be headed to the best biking trails, ski runs, surf breaks or golf courses in the world, but if your trip starts off with a gauntlet of extra fees and restrictions at the airport, your vacation buzz will be killed before you even hit the fresh air. It may not sound glamorous, but picking the right airline is a key part of making your trip a good one. Not all airlines, it turns out, are created equal—especially for active and outdoors sports travelers. Sure, everyone’s bummed if their bag gets lost or a bit beat up in transit. But what about a brand new, $2,000 kayak? Or your custom skis? Or your trusty touring bike? If the very item you planned your whole trip around goes missing, it’s a heckuva lot worse than a business traveler going a day without an extra suit and tie. Mishandled baggage is probably the biggest concern for active travelers, but it’s worth taking a closer look at other airline policies, too. United Airlines may offer the cheapest fare from A to B, but by the time you pay $125 extra each way to check your bag and bike—and shell out another $15 on sustenance at the airport, since United provides no free snacks en route—it may be a smarter option to pay for the pricier ticket with, say, JetBlue. And, of course, you'll have to pay careful attention to your particular sport. Most airlines, for example, will allow you to bring a surfboard for a reasonable fee ($50-75), but Qantas allows you to bring one free, as long as it's no longer than nine feet. US Airways, on the other hand, charges $200 each way. The same variations tend to apply to—in order from least restrictive to most—skis and snowboards, fishing poles, bicycles and, finally, canoes and kayaks (several airlines prohibit them altogether). In our quest to suss out the best airlines for carrying your prized gear, we looked at baggage policies—including fees and prohibited items—mishandled baggage rates and, of course, destination offerings. It's great to have great baggage policies and no fees, but if it means you can't get where you're going, then you're out of luck. We also perused forums where disgruntled passengers report their busted gear, where we discovered horror stories of ruined $700 skis and $3,000 carbon bike frames somehow snapped like twigs, and even found people who'd gone so far as to start Facebook protest pages. Delta, United and US Airways were the most common culprits, but that's partially a product of the millions of customers they serve. Either way, we dug deep to help guide you. Here, we take a look at airline policies with outdoors sports and adventure traveler in mind. Study it. It could save you cash—and your gear—on your next big travel adventure.
