Adventure Travel
Chapter 22 : Adventure Travel
- Close And Cheap
Adventure travel is becoming more popular all the time. It
can be very expensive, though, and even a bit too dangerous for
some of us. It doesn't have to either, though. Here are a few
ideas for small adventures you can afford. They are followed
by a definition of adventure that will help you add your own
to the list.
Try treasure hunting. Rent or buy a metal detector and spend
a relaxing but interesting weekend finding coins, jewelry and
who-knows-what in the sand at the beach. No beach nearby? Look
up the historical records for your town, to see where old picnic
grounds were. Treasure hunters regularly find old coins at places
like these.
Take climbing lessons. Whether this is on Mount Ranier in
Washington, or Mount Washington in New Hampshire, it's sure to
be an adventure. At least it will be more exciting than my trip
up a local sledding hill with my ice-axe and crampons.
Travel form monastery to monastery. Make it a spiritual adventure
or just relax. Most monasteries take in visitors, and usually
have reasonably priced accommodations. The Buddhist ones in particular
are most often in beautiful places.
Do a hot springs tour. This is for those who live in the west.
Get a guide to hot springs or copy directions off the internet.
Bring swimming suits (optional at some, for the more adventurous),
towels and a cooler full of refreshments. Want more adventure?
Seek out the ones that you have to hike into the wilderness to
find.
The Cheapest Adventure Travel
Find and summit the highest peak in your state. This might
be less-than-adventurous in some states, but it will at least
be an excuse to get outside and get some good exercise. Be sure
to bring your camera for the summit shot. You might try the highest
point in the next state over for your next adventure trip.
Investigate and find the nearest hidden swimming holes. The best
ones are ones that require a hike to get to. Watch for people
heading down a trail with swimsuits and a cooler. Nobody hikes
in swimsuit and drags a cooler into the woods, unless there is
water involved.
Play Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Locate the nearest river that
is large enough and has some public forest. Then build a raft
from dead trees and float downstream for a day. We usually started
by hiking upstream for an hour or more, so we could float back
to the car.
A vagabond trip. Pack enough clothing and snacks for several
days and just start driving, with no destination in mind. Who
knows where you'll end up, and what you'll discover. Pack a tent
or camp in your car to keep it really affordable.
That last one is a classic adventure trip in my book. Adventure
is any activity you engage in that is new to you and doesn't
have a predictable outcome. It doesn't need to be dangerous to
be interesting and fun, and could even include a trip to the
nearest large city for a weekend tour of the nightclubs. Of course,
depending on the places you choose, this could be fairly dangerous
adventure travel.
Life is either a great adventure or nothing. - Helen
Keller
Continue with Chapter 23 here: Lost
Luggage
Note: This chapter on adventure travel was part of
the e-book Travel Secrets. Now all chapters are free on
this site. See the homepage (the link is at the bottom of this
page) for a list of all chapters and links to them.
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