Planning the trip of your dreams
August 9, 2011
BY STEVE WINSTON
Sometimes we put off the trip – or the experience – of our dreams. It’s too far. We’re too busy. It’s too expensive. It requires too much planning. It’s not a good time. We’re too old (not!!). But there’s a reason you think of it as the trip of your dreams … because it’s something you’ve wanted to do for a long time. And because it’s different than anything you’ve ever done before. And because, darn it, your life just won’t be complete until you do it! Today, because of the Internet, it’s easy to plan the trip of your dreams … and easy to find a company that’ll take you on it. And none of the above excuses will be accepted! Here are a few dream trip/experiences I’ve enjoyed … which will stay with me as long as I live.
BALLOONING THE RIO GRANDE GORGE As I stand at the top of the Rio Grande Gorge outside Taos, New Mexico, I peer down into a 900-foot tunnel of sandstone-brown with a thin string of blue/green – the Rio Grande – at the bottom. And I know this will be the most special hot-air balloon ride of my life.
I was going up with Ed Smith, the Chief Pilot/Owner of Pueblo Balloon Company in Taos. As we lift off, Ed pulls one rope, slackens another, and adjusts the burner that fires up into the cavernous multi-colored balloon blotting out the sky overhead. Downward we drift, as the Gorge narrows around us. Hawks circle overhead. We see a couple of jack rabbits on a ledge, reminiscent of those gigantic rabbits in the sci-fi movies of the fifties … because they’re two or three times the size of a regular rabbit.
Suddenly the water seems to rise up to meet us. And then we bounce right into it. As we skim along the surface for twenty or thirty seconds, nearly a thousand feet deep inside this enormous crack in the Earth, I’m thinking that it doesn’t get much better than this. But it does. As Ed lifts us up out of the water, we both notice a very interested onlooker. It’s a bobcat, perched on a nearby ledge, looking down on the goings-on below. As we glide up past him, I look directly into his fascinating eyes. And as we rise back over the top of the Gorge, I can see beyond into the thousands of square miles of high-desert and distant purple-haze mountains and black volcanic rock.
I’ve ballooned many other times since that day. But I still think about that ride into the Rio Grande Gorge every day. All you have to do is call Ed Smith to make it happen. He’ll pick you up. He’ll drop you off. And he’ll treat you to a champagne toast after you land.
Helpful Links: www.puebloballoon.com; www.taoschamber.com/Visitor-Info
BAGGING A 14’er Colorado’s blessed with 54 sky-piercing peaks of 14,000 feet or higher. They’re called 14’ers by the locals. Pretty much every able-bodied Coloradan has “bagged” (in the local parlance) at least one – and a few hardy souls have climbed all of them! But, when an out-of-stater “bags” one, locals sometimes hear about it. And if that out-of-stater is in his/her fifties … it’s even better! I live in the flatlands of Florida. But I head for the mountains whenever possible. And I’ve done a couple of 14’ers … in my fifties. If you’re in moderately-good shape – you don’t have to be an athlete – I can recommend a great one for you. It’s Mount Sherman (14,036 feet), not far from the beautiful town of Vail (www.visitvailvalley.com).
Vail is a European village tucked into the American Rockies, with a clock tower and streets lined with fashionable boutiques, restaurants, and galleries (and a police force which, at one time, drove not Chevys or Fords … but Saabs!). On the way to Mount Sherman, you’ll pass through Leadville, which doesn’t seem all that far removed from its 1890s heyday as a mining center.
Mount Sherman’s easier than most other 14’ers, because you start higher, at about 12,000 feet. As you get closer to the summit, you’re above the tree line. You’ll see snow (yes, even in summer). You’ll also see playful little marmots, squirrel-like animals that live only at these altitudes. And if you sit down and put out a few raisins on a rock a foot or two in front of you, the marmots will dart out and grab it, and then run back to a place under the rocks to eat it. Then they’ll come out for more.
The views in any direction are magnificent. And if you reach the summit, you’ll see vistas that will – literally – take your breath away. And you’ll have a feeling of pride and accomplishment that will last the rest of your life. You don’t have to go it alone, either. A local company called Trail Wise Guides has a great program for people who want to hike 14’ers (www.trailwiseguides.com). And they take a lot of middle-aged folks!
BARGING IN BURGUNDY As you watch the first rays of the sun tinge the hills of Burgundy, you’ll think you’re in Paradise. You’re cruising leisurely along a system of canals built four centuries ago. In those days it served as a highway for moving people and goods between isolated villages. But today these canals are plied by beautifully-restored barges hosting anywhere from to 8-24 people, bringing them to corners of France that most tourists never see.
This is a postcard France, of walled, Medieval towns; of old stone chateaux; of countryside shaded in an artist’s palette of greens and yellows and browns, interspersed with dense forest and hundreds of lakes and rivers; of majestic, ominous castles atop steep cliffs; of thousand-year-old abbeys; and of tiny wineries whose owners will gladly share their products. It’s a France where old men fishing on the canal banks will wave as you glide by. And it’s a France where every lock-keeper’s cottage seems to have the requisite painted windowsills (windows thrown open), grandma in a chair out front, a dog that yelps at the approach of the barge, small children playing, and a table groaning with food on the canal banks at lunchtime.
The décor on the barges ranges from Country French to pure luxury. And the cuisine is memorable, with creative young chefs just out of Paris cooking schools, who pick up their wines, cheeses, and produce at marketplaces along the way. There are walking paths along each canal, and with a decent-paced walk you can keep right up with the barge. Barges generally have bicycles, as well, so you can get off the beaten path. And there are daily expeditions – if you choose – to nearby towns. The cruise is capped by The Captain’s Dinner, a six- or seven-course candlelit affair that can last for hours, as guests linger over wine-and-cheese desserts, swapping stories of the memories they’ve collected. You’ll glow in the warmth of the experience for years to come.
Helpful Links: www.circacruises.com; www.bargesinfrance.com; www.burgundy-canal.com
Some Questions to Consider: Larger barge or small one? Priced moderately, intermediately, or luxuriously? Want to stop at chateaux? Markets? Villages? Castles? Wineries? Interested in a themed cruise? Converted old river boat or newer luxury boat? Pre- or post- packages including Paris? Casual atmosphere? Or more formal? Which company offers the most appealing excursions to you? Is it a priority to be with other middle-aged people? One week? Two weeks? Or longer? Summer, when it’s costlier? Or shoulder-season, when it’s not? Be sure to check reviews on the Web!
Steve Winston (www.stevewinston.com) has written/contributed to 17 books, and his articles appear in major media all over the world.