Some might even name Chamonix in France as the greatest mountain town in the world. We might not go that far, in part by being humble enough to say we have not been to every mountain town and in part because we have an affinity for the Rocky Mountain West. But it is undeniably true Continue Reading →
Category: Hiking & Trekking
Upcoming New Tour Locations
We recently completed a survey of our alumni travelers on potential new tour locations. We asked them to rate each of 25 possible new tours as their Top Destination, Very Likely to Do, Somewhat Likely to Do, or Not Interested. The Top Locations The top locations in order were as follows: Greek Islands Hiking Adventure: Continue Reading →
The Dreamscape of Tuscany on Foot
One of the best aspects of running a tour company is getting to know small regions of the world really well. I can’t say I know all of Europe or even all of Italy, but in the areas we run tours, we get to know the paths, hotels, restaurants, people, and culture fairly intimately. In Continue Reading →
5 Wild Things About the Rogue River You Probably Didn't Know
The Rogue River in southwest Oregon originates from a mountainside spring next to Crater Lake in the Cascade Mountains. It flows just 215 miles before emptying into the Pacific Ocean in Gold Beach, Oregon. Read on to learn more about the Rogue River. 1. WILD RIDE: The Rogue drops more than one mile in elevation Continue Reading →
Are you a Ferdinand or a Heather?
On our active trips – whether it be hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing or skating – we generally like to have one guide toward the front of the pack to help steer the group, and a “sweep” guide toward the back that makes sure nobody gets left behind. This summer on our Beartooth Hiking Adventure in Continue Reading →
Top 5 Iconic Sights You’ll See In Banff
Banff, Canada’s oldest National Park, offers stunning beauty around every corner. Awe-inspiring mountain peaks, sweeping valleys, free-flowing rivers, and my personal favorite, jaw-dropping glacial lakes. Banff covers 2,564 square miles, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts over 1,000 miles of hiking trails, Canada’s longest cave system, Castleguard caves, and is home to Alberta’s Continue Reading →
Taking Travel to the Next Level: An Inspirational Adventure in Peru
This post is courtesy of Karen Preston, the Zephyr guide on our Peru Inspirational Adventure this coming September 29 – October 5. If you would like to join the tour, please register soon as Inca Trail passes sell out months in advance. Our adventure last October in Peru was the most inspirational journey I have Continue Reading →
How To Choose The Right Tour Operator for your Inca Trail Trek
There are many different levels of Inca Trail trips you can take and in general, “you get what you pay for.” But what’s right for you? You can go from bare bones trips where corners can be cut (with substandard equipment, poor food, low wages for staff, no training, etc.) to luxury trips where many Continue Reading →
In The Words of Alumni: Portugal Hiking & Wine Adventure
This is the third post in a series we are calling “In The Words of Alumni” that shares feedback about a trip directly from the travelers who were just on it. Online ratings are becoming increasingly important for small businesses like ours (see our blog post on this topic). We are happy to tell Continue Reading →
Active Yet Easy Vacations
We like to provide a range of activities on each of our tours, to accommodate all ability levels. We try to ensure that each hike or bike ride has several route options – easy, medium, and hard, when possible. But when you take a look at our itineraries overall, there are some that are more Continue Reading →