By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
After being fairly blissful about travel as we went into summer with incredibly low COVID-19 rates that saw a veritable boom in travel after a year and a half of isolation, I have gone back to being more cautious about choosing travel destinations and experiences for fall. I am still looking for outdoor experiences in uncrowded, open spaces amid nature, in places which encourage wearing masks when social distancing isn’t feasible, even after being vaccinated, and I will double-check that any travel company, hotel, airline, car rental is adhering to strict COVID-19 protocols. I will also take into consideration that like-minded people will be choosing the same sort of trip.
Here are some suggestions to take advantage of Indian summer into fall:
Autumn Fun in Moab: River Rafting, Zip Lining and Hummer Tours
Moab Adventure Center, a division of Western River Expeditions, has a short list of ways to enjoy autumn in the world’s red rock playground of Moab, Utah. This region becomes an artist’s dream world when fringed by the Colorado River’s yellow cottonwoods along the Colorado River and the golden aspens of the LaSal Mountains.
Daytime temperatures in September and October cool down to around the mid-70s to mid-80s. Fewer people around after a record summer means more elbow room on every adventure in not just one but two National Parks – Arches and Canyonlands.
Also, fall rafting with lower flows reveals a rare clarity of water on the Colorado River, delighting you with surreal reflections of canyon walls punctuated with the brilliant pop of yellow from cottonwood trees.
Here are seven suggested adventures that continue through the end of November, with the exception of rafting which concludes the end of October:
Fall River Rafting Adventures are full or half days, some served up with a BBQ lunch on a world-renowned stretch of the Colorado River, winding through scenes made famous by dozens of popular movies. https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/moab-river-rafting
Horseback Adventures come with cowboy-trained quarter horses. A professional wrangler leads the way on trails made famous by John Wayne himself. Rides are three hours in the mornings and 90 minutes in the afternoons. https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/moab-horseback-riding
Hummer Tours are conducted in style and comfort aboard the world’s most serious 4×4. Spectacular backcountry opens up in the hands of professional guides who help visitors explore seldom-seen, awe-inspiring Moab overlooks. Tours are two, three and four hours including a sunset safari. https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/moab-hummer-tours
Zipline Tours are always a thrill, but how about skimming over sheer sandstone cliffs and canyons on Moab’s only zip line? The Raven’s Rim Moab zip line tour begins with a spine-tingling ride to the top of the cliff faces overlooking Moab, swooping like a bird of prey landing on each of six gaps. https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/moab-zip-line
Hot Air Ballooning can be likened to riding a magical carpet for 3.5 hours over the astounding red rock landscape of Moab. It’s an unbelievable way to experience the sights of Moab in the quiet of the early morning. https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/hot-air-balloon-rides-moab-utah
Arches National Park Tours are stunning, morning or evening. Arches National Park Tours showcase the more accessible of more than 2,000 arches, the highest concentration on the planet, after which the park is named. https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/arches-national-park-tours
Mountain Bike Tours requests a commitment of 4.5 hours to experience why Moab has become the undisputed mecca for mountain bike enthusiasts from all over the world. Whether beginner or advanced the Moab Adventure Center offers professionally guided mountain biking tours on all of Moab’s classic rides. https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/moab-mountain-biking
This extraordinary popularity of Moab means that visitors should “nail down your accommodations and your preferred guided excursions as soon as possible and certainly before you arrive in Moab,” said Cort Wright, manager of the Moab Adventure Center, the go-to outfitter for securing pre-set backcountry and national park access and tours. Moab Adventure Center specializes in all there is to do in Moab and bundles assorted activities and lodging to maximize enjoyment of Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park and the surrounding Colorado River country.
“Making reservations well in advance of arrival helps assure that we can gear up to accommodate your specific adventure requests,” Wright said. “Now is the perfect time to plan for a fall escape to Moab. Everyone loves autumn in Moab. Just about every trip operates right through the end of October and all land-based tours through mid-November.”
In fact, for early bird planners, Moab Adventure Center is offering 2022 trips at 2021 rates when booked this season. (www.moabadventurecenter.com/moab-lodging)
Moab Adventure Center is a division of Western River Expeditions (www.westernriver.com) an adventure travel company headquartered in Salt Lake City, with operations and offices in Moab and Fredonia, AZ. (Moab Adventure Center, 225 South Main St., Moab, UT 84532, 435-259-7019 or 866-904-1163, www.moabadventurecenter.com).
Exploring the Pacific Northwest by Sea
Lindblad Expeditions has a new 7-night small-ship journey, Exploring The Pacific Northwest: The Jewels of The Salish Sea, that explores the wild side of the Pacific Northwest.
The week-long wide-ranging exploration of Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands in northern Washington State is aboard National Geographic Venture.
Spend two days visiting the remote shores of the San Juan Islands, perfect for kayaking, Zodiac rides, hiking, and spotting resident orca pods; enjoy hikes and breathtaking views in Olympic National Park, a World Heritage Site; zoom in on the fascinating world of photogenic fungi on a one-of-a-kind expert-led foraging experience; visit Point Roberts, WA, a unique area which has been cut off from the rest of the world as a result of politics and the pandemic; gain a new perspective on the sea life thriving in these cool, rocky waters through the camera lens of our undersea specialist.
Lindblad adheres to rigorous COVID-19 protocols, including requiring vaccination and a negative PCR test within 3-5 days of departure (staff and crew subject to same requirements).
From $5,290 per person; airfare credit of $500 to Seattle available for the Oct. 2, 9, and 16 departures and the surcharge for solo traveler is being waived for Oct. 16.
Lindblad Expeditions, 800-397-3348, www.expeditions.com.
Atlantic Canada Now Open to Vaccinated Americans
The four provinces of Atlantic Canada have opened to fully vaccinated American travelers.
Conveniently located just north of the U.S. border of Maine, Atlantic Canada is a crowd-free, coastal region made up of the four Canadian provinces New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.
Easily accessible from the Northeast, the region offers breathtaking coastlines, fresh seafood, wide-open outdoors spaces, land and water experiences.
The border opening allows U.S. travelers to enjoy the late summer season in Atlantic Canada, which offers temperate weather, warm coastal waters, and outdoor adventure. The fall boasts colorful foliage and several world-class food and cultural festivals.
All travelers must use ArriveCAN (app or web portal) to submit their travel information. In addition to adhering to Canada’s federal travel guidelines, each province within Canada has their own set of travel restrictions and requirements to protect residents from COVID-19. (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/arrivecan.html)
For more information, visit:
New Brunswick, www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca
Nova Scotia, www.novascotia.com
Newfoundland and Labrador, www.newfoundlandlabrador.com
Prince Edward Island, www.tourismpei.com
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