How to Tour the White House
The White House, Washington, D.C. (Photodisc)
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is not only home to President Obama and the first family but the hub of all political activity taking place in America right now. Tickets to see the guts of George Washington's brainchild (coincidentally he was the only president never to live in it) are almost as illusive as scoring front-row seats to the Super Bowl. But with a bit of persistence (read: annoyance) the 132-room executive mansion is yours to explore (read: self-guide yourself through about a quarter of it with a high level of security keeping a close eye). The first step to the big house is to be willing to plan your trip to the Nation's Capital around your White House tour; the best way to get tickets is to have flexible visiting dates. With a date in mind, contact your Member of Congress to request tickets. It is best to do this as far in advance as possible, though they only accept requests six months prior to your travel date. The response time is sometimes slow, so follow up with your Congress member with emails and phone calls. Persistence pays off. Tours are regularly only booked for groups of ten or more, though encourage your Congress member to pair you with other small groups during you initial email. The tours are free of charge but not spared from being subjected to last-minute cancellations.
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February 08, 2010
Ring of Fire: The Coastal Challenge Continues
Editor's note: Ty Stevens continues to report from Costa Rica as he conquers the Coastal Challenge.
With the towering slopes of Volcano Arenal, an active volcano in northwestern Costa Rica, within striking distance, the Coastal Challenge racers had no idea what they were about to get themselves into on stage one of the six-day adventure race throug Costa Rica's lush countryside. Elevation alone was a big challenge, with a total of 4,100 feet of change.
Setting off from the city of La Fortuna, the racers and I left the safety of the city, the comfort of the cafés, and warmth of the cobblestone streets to trek through some very unforgiving and at times harsh landscape.
Pura Vida. This is what life is all about. Risk and reward.
The risk, blisters from wet shoes, sprains, strains, or broken bones from rocks and roots sticking out in steep inclines and declines. The reward, finishing each day and waking with the ability to run another.
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February 05, 2010
The BC Powder Highway: Day 2-3
Valhalla Snowcat Guide and co-founder Martin cuts into one of the region's tighter chutes (Nathan Borchelt)
The Powder Highway continues to look more gray than white. I ask locals whether these conditions are typical and everyone offers an apologetic shrug and says something about to the effect that the only thing predictable about the weather is that it ain’t predictable. But every time, I see a thought bubble floating over the local’s head, reading: “El Nino, that bastard.”
Indeed, the weather pattern that has triggered epic snowfall in Tahoe, Utah, and Jackson Hole has turned British Columbia into their version of an Indian summer. They’re trucking in snow to Whistler for the Olympics, and my aunt and uncle, who live three hours from Nelson (where I’m now staying) are calling the Winter Games the spring Olympics.
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WiFi Coming to Southwest Airlines
SOUTHWEST: You are now free to surf around the cabin (Allan Ferguson/Wikipedia)
Those of us who frequently travel on Southwest Airlines have been waiting patiently (or in my case, not so patiently) for the company to get going on its WiFi plan. Well, the wait is over, almost. The airline reports that it has inked a deal with a provider and will begin installing WiFi on planes in the coming months. The entire fleet of planes should be wired by early 2012. No word yet on the cost to connect, except that it will cost to connect. Bummer? Kind of. But it perhaps means that we'll all be spared constant Tweets and Facebook updates from the air.
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Top Ten Things to Do in Vancouver, British Columbia
(courtesy, VANOC/COVAN)
From skiing Whistler to touring a winery, Vancouver's city-outdoors contrast offers a range of activities for any type of traveler. If in town for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics, check out these Vancouver attractions to cap your British Columbia experience.
2) Visit Granville Island Market
1) Spend Time at Whistler Village
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February 04, 2010
The BC Powder Highway: Day 1
Red Mountain's two-person lift, which runs the same line as the first lift in the resort, and in all of Western Canada (Nathan Borchelt)
As Vancouver and Whistler/Blackcomb gear up for the worldwide attention of the 2010 Winter Olympics later this month, I’m out to explore some of the less-publicized parts of the province by carving through the Kootenay Valley.
Landing in Spokane, Washington, however, isn’t exactly the winter wonderland you’d expect on the Powder Highway. But soon the urban sprawl of fast-food joints, strip clubs, and a shuttered Circuit City gave way to the Columbia River basin via I-395, and once you cross over the border into Canada, the mood becomes chilly—in the best of ways.
First stop, the small gold-mining town of Rossland.
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Vail! Beaver Creek! Minturn?
TRAIL TO MINTURN: Ride the party bus back to Vail after dropping-in to Minturn (Gerry Wingenbach)
You want the facts on Vail and her rich, wicked little sister Beaver Creek? You like baseball-like statistics? Go ahead. Knock yourself out. The walloping numbers are all there on Away.com's ski-resort guides.
Here’s what I know from experience. The runs at Vail are a bit long for my Park City legs. The back bowls are as far-reaching as the Sea of Tranquility, and almost as unknowing. There are too many lifts to name, so Vail simply numbers them. The ski-in village is a gorgeous Austrian knockoff, right down to the covered bridge. The resort is way up in the heavy snows of Colorado, which is about all a skier or border really needs to know.
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February 03, 2010
Amazon Adventure: Kayaking for a Cause
HOME AWAY FROM HOME: The winding path of the Amazon River (courtesy, Brand X)
The Amazon River and its surrounding jungle can be a seemingly inhospitable place—with anacondas, piranhas, and electric eels being just a few of the characters you might meet along the way. But for 26-year-old Helen Skelton, the Amazon River is her home of choice for the next several weeks as she attempts to be the first woman to kayak the river.
Helen is a cast-member of the BBC kids television show Blue Peter, and she is hoping to use her notoriety and adventurous spirit to raise money for Sport Relief, a charity organization that aids the poor and homeless in the UK and abroad. Helen is no stranger to major accomplishments; in April 2009, she became only the second woman to finish the 78-mile Namibia Ultra Marathon.
Helen has paddled about 600 miles so far, and you can follow her the rest of the way on the 2,010-mile journey down the Amazon via her almost-daily blog, complete with interactive map. Also check out Away.com's Brazil Travel Guide for your own travel ideas in this amazing country.
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February 02, 2010
Record Rainfall Promises Spectacular Spring Wildflowers in Death Valley
LIFE IN DEATH: Desert gold in Death Valley National Park (courtesy, Xanterra Parks & Resorts)
Officials in Death Valley National Park are predicting a bumper wildflower season this spring following record rainfall in the California park. Torrential downpours throughout the state at the end of January, plus higher than average accumulation throughout the year, has locals readying for a colorful show of spring blooms. "Because of the rain last week, everyone who lives and works here in Death Valley is optimistic that we will at least have a better-than-average show this year," says Phil Dickinson, sales and marketing director at Death Valley's historic Furnace Creek Resort.
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February 01, 2010
News Alert: Yellowstone Earthquakes
Over the last two weeks, pint-sized earthquakes have been shaking up Yellowstone National Park. Scientists are on alert though the quake zone, around ten miles away from Old Faithful, appears to be more of a cause for curiosity rather than a potential natural disaster. More than 100 tiny earthquakes have been occurring per day and as of Sunday, there have been 1,608 quakes since they began on January 17. The quakes are taking place in an area where no major roads or buildings are around and the park is relatively empty during the winter months, but with the events in Haiti still fresh in our minds, the capabilities of such a natural phenomenon is not being taken lightly.
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