By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
With interest in outdoor experiences at America’s iconic parks and landmarks at an all-time high, ExploreBetter.com is sharing tips to help set visitors up for a great experience. The travel planning tips are culled from the experience of ExploreBetter.com’s publisher, Delaware North, a longtime national park concessionaire and partner in the stewardship of many of the country’s cherished outdoor destinations.
“ExploreBetter.com is a lifestyle platform that can make extraordinary outdoor adventures more accessible to first-time and even experienced outdoor enthusiasts. As part of our mission, we want to help encourage and restore responsible and sustainable visitation to National Parks and other iconic destinations. We can do that by sharing our insider knowledge developed from years of working with these amazing places,” said Andy Grinsfelder, vice president of sales and marketing for Delaware North’s parks and resorts division.
ExploreBetter.com editors offer these top tips for better outdoor and National Park experiences:
Plan Your Route—With many National Parks, such as Yosemite, implementing new reservation systems, visitors must do their research before just showing up. A helpful resource is the National Parks “Plan Your Vacation Like A Park Ranger” program. When individual reservations are full, visitors should consider guided tours for access to the parks (https://www.explorebetter.com/experiences/guided-tours/)
“If you’ve left planning to the last minute and reservations aren’t available, you can still enjoy a day in the park by participating in a group excursion,” says Grinsfelder. “Tour buses, such as Tenaya Lodge’s open-air Yosemite Tours, don’t operate under the reservation system for individual cars and are often more enjoyable because visitors don’t have to worry about navigating the roads and parking, plus you have access to an area expert through the guide.”
Time it Right—Arrive early to reap the benefits of more available parking and fewer crowds and explore on a weekday instead of a weekend. Consider visiting more popular parks in the off-season, when parks are quieter and often equally stunning. With international visitation significantly down due to the pandemic, places like the Grand Canyon are anticipated to be less crowded in the coming months, creating an opportunity for U.S. travelers now.
Spend the Night—National Parks and outdoor destinations are often best appreciated when visitors can slow down and immerse themselves in the experience. “You don’t have to camp to be part of the outdoor experience,” says Grinsfelder. “The Explorer Cabins in Yosemite and Yellowstone are great for families, provide plenty of privacy and have front door access to the forest and natural world.”
Explore Less Visited Parks— While Yellowstone, Yosemite and Niagara are phenomenal, there are hundreds of lesser-known parks with spectacular scenery, recreation and wildlife. For instance, Olympic National Park in the Pacific Northwest has a breathtaking setting that includes a temperate rainforest, tide pools and a hot spring. Another is Estes Park, which is located at a popular entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park and offers hikes, waterfalls, boating and much more.
Be Ready to Unplug— Given their remote locations and attractions, visitors should not expect cell phone service, so advance planning may be necessary. The National Park Service launched a mobile app in April which can be downloaded before arrival and used without cellular or Wi-Fi access for self-guided tours, trail maps and travelogues for over 400 National Parks. Most lodges in the National Parks offer Wi-Fi access, so visitors can stop in if their desperate to share photos from their explorations.
ExploreBetter.com is an online lifestyle platform that can simplify travel planning and make extraordinary outdoor adventures more accessible to first-time and even experienced National Park and other outdoor enthusiasts. The site shares trip-planning destination insights, accommodations, activities and inspiration featuring Grand Canyon, Olympic, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Shenandoah, Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks as well as New York’s Niagara Falls and Saratoga Spa State Parks. In addition to crowd-pleasing activities such as guided tours and other sightseeing suggestions, ExploreBetter.com is also the place for inside tips on active adventures like rock climbing, fishing and stargazing as well as romantic, wellness-oriented and even pet-friendly activities.
Delaware North Parks and Resorts operates lodging, food, beverage and retail services, recreational activities, and educational programming at destinations in North America, Australia and New Zealand. This includes lodging in and near many iconic national and state parks, including Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Shenandoah, Sequoia & Kings Canyon and Olympic national parks and Niagara Falls State Park, as well as at cultural attractions such as Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (https://www.delawarenorth.com/divisions/parks).
For more tips, tricks and insider information, visit www.ExploreBetter.com.
New Camping Opportunities Along New York’s Canals
Through a new partnership between the New York Power Authority, New York State Canal Corporation and Tentrr, the state is opening more hassle-free campsites alongside New York’s Canals this summer. As part of Governor Cuomo’s Reimagine the Canals initiative and the recently announced “On the Canals” excursions program, Tentrr created four fully-outfitted campsites for visitors to reserve, most within a short distance of a free “On the Canals” excursion opportunity.
Each of the Canalside camping locations offers turnkey, outfitted camping facilities, allowing guests to camp in style amongst the Canals. Each site is fully equipped with all the amenities for comfortable camping including spacious canvas tents atop a raised platform, queen size memory foam mattress, solar-powered showers, picnic tables and Adirondack chairs, set up in advance of arrival.
The campsites available this summer within 15 minutes of an “On the Canals” excursion include:
Yankee Hill Getaway (Amsterdam, Town of Florida) Wedged between the Adirondack and Catskills parks in the Mohawk Valley, the Yankee Hill Getaway site lies on a thin strip of land between the original Erie Canal and the current Canal system. Three sites available.
Oak Island Vista (Waterloo) Nestled between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes along the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, the beautiful Oak Island site offers easy access to the best of the Finger Lakes Region. Five sites available.
Montezuma Canal View at Lock E-26 (Galen) Campers at Lock E-26 will wake to views of the tranquil Erie Canal and have easy access to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge and Northern Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Six sites available.
Palmyra-Macedon Getaway at Lock E-29 (Palmyra-Macedon) The Palmyra-Macedon site offers picturesque views of the Erie Canal and easy access to a whole lot of outdoor fun. Five sites available.
To book, go to https://www.tentrr.com/pages/new-york-canals.
In addition to these new campsites, Camp Rockaway is managing a glamping site at Lock C-5 on the Champlain Canal in Schuylerville through September 8th.
Through the Reimagine the Canals initiative, Governor Cuomo and the New York Power Authority committed $300 million over five years to revitalize the Erie Canal corridor as a tourism and recreation destination while simultaneously boosting economic development and improving the resiliency of Canalside communities.
15th Annual Jazz Age Lawn Party Returns to Governors Island, August 14-15
By Laurie Millman, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
One of the hottest places to be this summer is on Governor’s Island for the hot jazz of Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra, as they return for an encore of the immensely popular Jazz Age Lawn Party on August 14-15, 11am – 5pm.
The 15th annual festival is a multi-generational, friends and family affair where for a brief time you are transported back to the Roaring 20s. Attendees dress up to the nines in 1920s lawn party fashion – dapper linen suits, suspenders and straw hats; sequined and beaded flapper-style dresses, chandelier earrings and feathers in the hair, or lawn party styles with dropped waists and white satin ribbons. Many bring an elegant picnic lunch complete with fine china, silver utensils, flowers in vases, and fluted wine glasses.
As Covid-19 restrictions are becoming more relaxed, this August Lawn Party may offer dance lessons and beach beauty contents. You will be entertained with 1920s-themed, live jazz, featuring returning performers such as “Queen Esther” and her jazz trio. Local vendors will be set up around the grounds to sell vintage clothes and jewelry, pastries, photography with period effects, craft alcohol and beer, and even food trucks if you decide not to bring your own picnic basket.
Tickets are still available and need to be purchased in advance through eventbrite.com from www.jazzagelawnparty.com or directly at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/jazz-age-lawn-party-18523813336.
The Governors Island ferry (www.govisland.com/plan-your-visit/ferry) runs from Lower Manhattan (in the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street; indoor parking across the street) and from Brooklyn (Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park). Roundtrip fares are $3/adult; free for seniors, children under 12, military. There is no additional charge for bringing a bicycle (you can also rent bikes, surreys, pedal cars, and scooters on the island). All passengers ride free on departures before noon on Saturday and Sunday. The ferries, which are wheelchair accessible, now have extended service back to Manhattan until 10pm on Saturday.
Registration Opens for TD Five Boro Bike Tour, Aug. 22
Registration has just opened for the TD Five Boro Bike Tour taking place on its new date of Sunday, August 22, 2021, when 20,000 cyclists ride through New York City on 40 car-free miles (reduced from 32,000 in a normal year).
Bike rentals and lodging blocks with special discounted rates at select hotels are available for riders coming from out of town. The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is offering discounted rates for bookings through July 20.
Standard registration is $112; VIP registration is $350.
More information at www.bike.nyc/events/td-five-boro-bike-tour/faq-2021 or contact info@bike.nyc. To register, go to https://bikenewyork.enmotive.com/events/register/2021-td-five-boro-bike-tour.
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