Adventure On Your Next Vacation?
If you're tired of dragging your kids to theme parks every summer vacation, maybe it's time for a travel adventure.
Mike Roberts, the senior editor from Outside Magazine, visits The Early Show to talk about the wild vacation ideas that are sure to excite everybody in your family.
Wyoming - Safari and Wildlife Expeditions
Trip: A four-day safari through the Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. Biologist guides take you in safari-style vehicles to watch black bears and bison. You'll also hike to see wolves, grizzlies, moose and elk. You can ride horses, fish, and hike.
These four-day tours explore the abundant wildlife and natural wonders of both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, which offer the highest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states. You will have the opportunity to see many large mammals, birds and the astounding landscape they inhabit.
Price: The cost of this four-day tour is $1,695 per person based on double occupancy. Price includes the expertise of a biologist, hotel accommodations for four nights, meals, snacks and beverages, all gratuities, round-trip transportation from Jackson in a safari-style vehicle, use of optics and all entrance fees. Naturalists also bring along animal pelts and other educational tools for children.
Children are half price with two paying adults.
Half-day and full-day trips, with no lodging, are available for those looking for a less expensive trip or those with less time to spend. For more information, visit www.wildlifeexpeditions.org.
Minnesota - Boundary Waters - Ely River Point Outfitting Co.
Trip: Six-day canoe camping trip with a wildlife guide. The trip is designed to incorporate the adventure of paddling the Boundary Waters with the joy of learning more about the elusive timber wolf. Late summer and into September are the perfect time to hear wolves, as the wolf pups are just learning how to howl.
Time will also be available for swimming (August only), hiking, fishing, sightseeing, photography, and just plain relaxing. Hundreds of lakes dot this vast wilderness, so many that some are yet to be named. There will also be opportunities to view moose, loons, beaver, otter, bald eagles, and a multitude of other birds.
This trip is for beginners through intermediate levels, so it is perfect for families.
Price: $895 per person, with children discounted by 50 percent. Includes: One night lodging at River Point on Saturday night prior to the canoe trip; breakfast the morning of the start of the canoe trip; showers before and after the canoe trip; 6-day complete outfitting with the Comfort Plus Package, kevlar canoes and food; USFS Permit and user fees, or Canadian permit fee; and guide's expertise. For more information, visit www.elyoutfitters.com.
Baja - Whale Migration - Baja Expeditions
Trip: Six-night trip on an 80-foot cruiser through the Sea of Cortez, where you will see the great 100-foot blue whales.
Also you're likely to encounter delightful schools of dolphin and up to six other species of whale, including humpback, sperm, finback, minke, pilot and orca.
Scheduled as well are daily land excursions to the remote desert islands that will reveal Galapagos-like diversity and abundance. Watch Heerman's gulls, egrets and red-bill tropic birds nesting or feeding in the mangrove-lined estuaries and rocky shorelines. Snorkel and discover fish from brilliantly colored scissor tail damselfish to silverstrip chromis.
You'll have opportunities to kayak, snorkel with the playful sea lions or hike to a mangrove estuary.
The motor vessel "Don Jose" was designed and built in 1978 especially for Baja Expeditions. Marine wildlife viewing onboard is at its best as the second and third decks of the boat are high above the water, enabling passengers to look down upon the whales, dolphins, mantas and whale sharks. There is a library and learning videos geared for children on board.
It has the capacity for 16 passengers in 7 above-deck air-conditioned cabins with sinks, changing areas, storage closets, and adjacent showers. Included in the package are: crew of 6 including a naturalist for whale watching and nature cruises, and a divemaster for scuba diving expeditions; all meals and beverages; skiffs to take you ashore or to dive sites; VHS video system and natural history library; and kayaks.
Price: 6-night trip starts at $1,695 per person and includes all accommodations, bedding, airport transfers, permit and usage fees, meals, alcohol, filtered water, naturalist guide, all gear (snorkel, kayaks, etc.). Kids 12 years and younger receive a 20 percent discount. For more information, visit www.bajaex.com
Alaska - By Land And Sea - Sierra Club Outings
Trip: 7-day immersion in Kachemak Bay's temperate rainforest and world-class fishing waters. Hike, kayak, and mountain bike through the rainforest and along the bay.
Kachemak Bay is in south-central Alaska, about five hours driving distance south of Anchorage. The trip is based at a lodge on the south side of the bay. The land and waterways around the lodge contain abundant wildlife, including seals, sea lions, sea otters, salmon, bears, bald eagles, and other birds.
At the lodge, activities include nature-based arts and crafts, a conservation role-playing exercise, and three workshops on geology, nature watercolors, and nature photography.
This lodge trip is for families with children aged 10 and older. The trip has been scheduled in late June, just after school lets out, to take advantage of the best summer weather on Kachemak Bay.
Breakfasts and dinners will be prepared by the lodge staff. You will pack lunches every morning from a selection of items provided by the trip leaders.
The lodge features individual canvas-wall tents with mattresses for each family and a central dining/living room for meals (and activities in the event of inclement weather). The lodge has two indoor hot water showers and two outhouses. Both the tents and the main lodge building are well above the beach in the rainforest, and have scenic views over Kachemak Bay. Trip members are asked to bring their own sleeping bags or sheets.
Due to the variety of activities, this trip can be as easy or as strenuous as each trip member desires. The hikes and sea kayak trips range from short 2-3 hour routes to strenuous options that take up the full day.
Price: $1,395 per person, kids (must be at least 10 years old) are $1,295. Includes all lodging, meals and gear. Water taxis from Homer, Alaska, to the lodge and back. For more information, visit