For the second year, Oregon literary nonprofit Fishtrap teams up with Winding Waters River Expeditions to offer an adventure in writing on the Snake River in Hells Canyon. From August 26-31, 2010, Writing On the River floats members of a wilderness workshop through a classroom setting much larger than most students are used to. The visual aids are impressive, stretching for miles inside the deepest gorge in North America. Participants in the course will explore Hells Canyon, along with their writing craft, for five days on the Snake River with Montana author and film producer Annick Smith. Work will concentrate on connections among ‘Memory, Place and Story,’ in a canyon rich with all three. Play takes care of itself, as getting to your next classroom or campsite may involve running a series of whitewater rapids with a guide, paddling a kayak or hiking a rim of the canyon.

The trip includes catered meals closer to fine dining than what you might expect from an outdoor kitchen. Winding Waters River Expeditions of Joseph, Oregon, provides all camping and river equipment, along with experienced guides, a spotless safety record and transportation once you reach the town of Joseph.

Annick Smith brings a wide range of expertise to the course, as an accomplished memoir writer, essayist, editor and film producer. She is the author of the memoir Homestead, a collection of essays, In This We Are Native, and a history of the tallgrass prairies, Big Bluestem. She was co-editor with William Kittredge of the Montana anthology The Last Best Place, and her work has appeared in Story, Outside,
Orion, Audubon, Travel & Leisure, and the NY Times Traveler.

Smith was executive producer of the film Heartland, and co-producer of A River Runs Through It, directed by Robert Redford. Her documentary credits include The Real People, a public television series about seven tribes in the Inland Northwest, and a portrait of poet Richard Hugo, Kicking the Loose Gravel Home. She has taught creative writing at the University of Montana as well as numerous writing workshops and conferences.

Writing On the River is sponsored by Fishtrap, the literary non-profit in northeast Oregon promoting “clear thinking and good writing in and about the West.” Cost for the trip is $1295 for adults, $1170 for children. A portion of the cost ($150) is a tax-deductible contribution to Fishtrap. For registration or more information, visit www.fishtrap.org or call (541) 426-3623. Winding Waters River Expeditions also has details at www.windingwatersrafting.com.

Woody was so smitten, in fact, that he made this laid back area his new home. He eventually combined his passion for flying with his thirst for creativity by joining Honolulu Soaring at Dillingham Airfield in 2002. Woody became president and co-owner two years later of the company better known as The Original Glider Rides.

Since 1970, The Original Glider Rides has combined the thrill of soaring with the natural beauty of Oahu’s North Shore via scenic air tours and flight training. Woody noted that what sets these engine-free gliders apart from other aircraft is the in-flight silence.

“It’s one of the safest forms of aviation available to the recreational passenger simply because there are so few mechanical parts in a sailplane,” said Woody. “There are no noisy engines and no giant blades whining. It’s just the quiet air whispering over the wings of the aircraft.”

So setting my apprehensions on the back burner, I finally braved up last year and took off with Woody to see the North Shore from a different perspective. I’m so hooked with every aspect of gliding that I’ve been up several more times since.

Those of us who have experienced this magic multiple times are clear on one very important thing. This is a rare rush that’s completely different with each encounter.

I have to chalk up my flight last week as the best one yet, thanks to the timing at the tail end of whale season. It always pumps my adrenaline as the tow plane lifts us from the ground into the wild blue wonder. Once we’re at the right elevation, Woody hits the release and we’re on our own.

It was a pristine day where we glided along the Waianae Mountain Range beyond Kaena Point and caught an amazing Leeward Oahu view that crept up the coast from Yokohama to Makaha and beyond. And then there were the whales, frolicking offshore as if to get in their last hurrah before returning north for the summer.

According to Woody, gliding is a flying purist’s dream. And the area’s northeast tradewinds create some of the best drafts in the world. Visibility from the cockpit is far superior from any other aircraft since every seat is a window seat. And safety reigns supreme. Children as young as three can fly, while many guests are over 70 years old.

The Original Glider Rides offers 10-minute Scenic flights for $79 single and $128 double, 15-minute hands-on Mini Lessons for $115 and 15-minute Acrobatic Flights for $165 single. Flights up to 60 minutes can be booked, and a combination of all three of the above can also be arranged at a starting rate of $185 for 15 minutes.

My next flight? With Woody’s encouragement, I’m considering the ultimate aerobatic ride with a gusty Loop-D-Loop maneuver. The brave strap on a parachute, climb into an aerobatic glider and hold on tight for the ride of their life.

Woody explained that this one covers it all. “We can pull G’s, float in zero gravity, do a Loop-D-Loop, roll wing-tip to wing-tip, draw clover leafs in the sky, pull straight up vertically into a hammer-head stall, and then fall off into a vertical dive — straight down,” he said as my enthusiasm wavered.

Woody topped off his description with that fact that at two positive G’s, wing-overs are the mellowest maneuvers on the entire aerobatic ride. As an afterthought, I may rethink this.

In the end, the flight is actually tailored to the passenger’s comfort level. Your pilot can perform nonstop no-holds-barred aerobatics or take a more gentle approach, performing one maneuver at a time to check your nerves and willingness for more before continuing.

Even if opting for the same mellow flight every time, I’m always certain I will always be safe and the flight will unfold to new thrills. How can it miss when I’m soaking in a bird’s eye view of Oahu’s gorgeous North Shore?

For more information on the Original Glider Rides or to book a flight, visit www.honolulusoaring.com or call 808-637-0207.

A freelance writer based between Honolulu and San Diego, Dawna specializes in destinations and adventures in the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico, the South Pacific and Western United States. Her stories have appeared in publications that include The New York Times, Global Traveler USA, San Francisco Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Smart Meetings, Family Fun, Hemispheres, Outside and Travel Agent Magazine. She is a frequent contributor to TravelAge West, a bi-weekly magazine targeting retail travel agents and wholesalers in the Western United States. An avid marathon runner and photographer, Dawna is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers. Visit www.dawnarobertson.com

In September, my friend Martin came to visit me from England anxious to try such an adventure out for himself as well. Our only obligation was to get him to Salt Lake City so he could catch a train to Seattle, a city he had been anxious to visit. Salt Lake City was not the reason for our travels though, this trip was about the journey and not the destination. Our aim was to see what we found on the road in between our starting point of Oklahoma City and there, and to see how our differing cultural perspectives illuminated the sights and experiences along the way.

The first discovery? Americans mix sweet and salty. Yes, it was quite a shock to Martin that we are utterly flippant about eating a breakfast of pancakes with bacon and eggs, an unheard of practice in Europe, though, as he confessed, a pleasing concoction. Throughout the entire trip he was surprised again and again by the sheer size of American meals, from the mountain of country food we were served at the My Way Café in Seiling Oklahoma to the generously portioned burgers at The Mason Jar in Colorado Springs, and he was stunned to learn that free refills on coffee is standard practice in America. I couldn’t help but enjoy his shock at this, recalling my own frustration at the way European restaurants make you pay for a new soda or coffee every time you run out.

After the miracle of free refills, he seemed most taken by the politeness of Americans. “Everyone here is so friendly,” he would exclaim again and again. The tourist information center in my namesake of Breckenridge, Colorado booked a room for us at a ski lodge with a great off-season rate when we stopped in to try to find a book on Breckenridge history. Another tourist information center in Grand Junction gave us free fruit. Every waitress who served us along the way was a model of kindness. Total strangers would start conversations with us wherever we went, a cultural taboo in Europe. In hikes through the mountains, everyone we passed on the trails would give us a “good morning.” He said no one in Europe would ever do that, though I could recall a mountain hike I went on in France where every passerby greeted me with a friendly “bonjour,” but I’m sure every American would like to know that we can at least keep pace with the French on politeness. I, jaded on American politeness by eight years in retail, found myself warming up once again to the courtesy of my fellow countrymen.

Martin’s other great revelation may seem an obvious one, but it is a profound one. The American landscape is diverse. It provided no end of amazement to him that in the morning we would find ourselves driving through the plains of Oklahoma and in the evening be among the extinct volcanoes of northeast New Mexico, then the following morning running alongside the front range of the Rockies. He asked me one day on the trip, “Is there any other country on earth that has the geographic diversity of America?” I had to think for a couple of minutes before I answered, “China?” I don’t know if there is another country that contains more types of landscape than America, but as we moved from the mountains of central Colorado to the canyons of the western part of the state, to the deserts of Utah and the geographic splendor of Arches National Park, we didn’t feel the answer mattered all that much. With his enthusiasm I found myself proud of the fact that with nothing more than a car at your disposal you could put so many of these realms into your grasp. He told me as well that Europeans are often critical of America’s car-central culture, but that traveling through the countryside put our love of automobiles into perspective for him.

There was a funny word Martin used to describe himself again and again along the way: Americophile. That is to say, he is a lover of all things American. It was a strange word to hear coming from a foreigner, with our belief that all non-Americans hate us no matter where they come from, but it was a flattering one, and I hope that in our travels I gave new meaning to the word for him.

Adam Breckenridge is a graduate of the MFA in creative writing program at Antioch University in Los Angeles and currently lives in Oklahoma City where he works on classified military documents. He has traveled much of the United States and Europe and plans on taking on the rest of the world. He also writes a film column for http://www.examiner.com/x-3282-Oklahoma-City-Film-Examiner.

DENVER (January 8, 2009) – Colorado is set to shine in 2009 and beyond. Exciting new developments are taking hold across the state, including luxury hotel openings, innovative temporary art installations, and other top attractions. Below are several highlights of these new developments. For more information visit http://www.colorado.com/.

NEW HOTELS

* Luxury’s a ‘Cottage Industry’ at The BroAdmoor. The BroAdmoor, Colorado Springs’ AAA Five-Diamond Award-winning property, will debut The BROADMOOR Cottages in May 2009. The new cottages will offer spectacular views of the 18th fairway on the resort’s East Course and majestic Cheyenne Mountain. The cottages boast high beamed ceilings, wood accented chandeliers, wood floors, and handcrafted area rugs, which compliment the natural stone fireplaces. The opulent bathrooms feature custom stone and ceramic five-fixture baths as well as heated floors. Premium surround sound systems, large flat screen televisions, and the latest in-room technology blend seamlessly into the casual and spacious design designed by TAG Galyean and Johnson David Interiors. The units include elegant window doors that open to expansive verandas adorned with oversized wicker chairs and rockers, which offer unparalleled and unobstructed mountain and golf course views. 800-634-7711; http://www.broadmoor.com/luxury-vacation-rentals.php
* In the Lap of Luxury at lumière Telluride. Telluride’s Mountain Village is home to lumière Telluride, an exclusive boutique hotel and personal mountain retreat, offering a full suite of luxury services and amenities. The lumière experience starts at check in, when you are greeted by your personal stay attendant, whose sole purpose is to cater to your every need. The ski-in/ski-out resort features suites ranging from 1-4 bedrooms and averaging 470 square-feet in size as well as a luxury hybrid SUV service, ski valet, spa, fireplaces, evening room service by La Piazza and much more. The stylish rooms are appointed with plush Egyptian cotton bed linens and all natural bath and body products by L’Occitane. www.lumierehotels.com/telluride/
* ‘Ute’ Gotta See It to Believe It. In November, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe will unveil the Sky Ute Casino Resort and Conference Center. Located in Ignacio, Colo., in the Four Corners region, the facility will feature a 140-room luxury hotel with an indoor pool and ‘lazy river,’ five restaurants, a 45,000 square foot casino filled with 550 slot machines and 20 table games, a 100-seat Bingo hall; retail stores, and the area’s only 24-lane AMF bowling center. Just steps from the casino floor hotel is a grand ballroom boasting more than 18,000 square feet. The ballroom will be able to accommodate a crowd of up to 1,800 and can also easily divide into four smaller, separate rooms to house more intimate meetings. The ballroom will host conferences, live sporting and entertainment events, and more. http://www.skyutecasino.com/
* Luxury Developments Continue In Denver. The long-awaited Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residence Denver is set to open in early 2010. Located in the heart of Denver’s theatre district, the 45-story landmark will house 230 hotel rooms and a collection of 102 spectacular private residences in the most expensive private building ever built in Denver. The hotel will feature luxuriously-appointed guest rooms, a 24-hour signature Four Seasons restaurant, full-service spa and salon, 24-hour business center, and expansive meeting and event facilities, including a meticulously-landscaped rooftop garden terrace overlooking Colorado’s capital city. 888-877-4081; http://residences.fourseasons.com/private_residences/denver/
* Elevate Your Spirit in Crested Butte. The Inn at Crested Butte has been fully remodeled and reopened as a boutique hotel with 17 guestrooms that serve as the perfect backdrop for relaxing after a day of skiing. The property offers complimentary wine and cheese tasting and breakfast daily. 877-343-2111; www.theinnatcrestedbutte.net. Or check out the 260-room Elevation Hotel & Spa, which has completed a $25 million renovation. 800-810-SNOW; http://www.elevationhotel.com/
* Try Your Luck in Black Hawk. Ameristar Casino Black Hawk and its 33-story hotel is slated to open in 2009, building on the outstanding gaming and entertainment experience nearby the Denver metropolitan area. The casino will boast 1,600 slot and video machines, 12 blackjack tables and 14 live poker tables, along with five dining and entertainment venues. Ameristar Casino Black Hawk is open 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM daily. http://www.ameristar.com/
* It Takes a Village… Snowmass’ one billion dollar Base Village development, one of the most ambitious USGBC LEED-certified neighborhood developments in the country, welcomes several long-awaited openings for the 2008-2009 winter season. Hayden Lodge and Capitol Peak Lodge represent the first new accommodations built in Snowmass in more than 20 years. The properties boast nearly 100 residences with ski-in/ski-out access to the Elk Camp Gondola and the Village Express chairlift in addition to a location steps from the Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center, restaurants and shops. New dining options to debut this winter include Junk and Liquid Sky from the N9NE group while several new boutiques including Generations Snowmass, Snowmass Style and Performance Ski, Aspen’s premier ski clothing store, will officially open. 800-SNOWMASS; http://www.snowmassvillage.com/
* Channel Your Inner Cowboy. The Three Forks Lodge and Roaring Fork Spa, a working cattle ranch and luxury lodge and spa has opened, welcoming guests to its 200,000 acre spread along the Colorado-Wyoming border. The lodge boasts giant-beamed cathedral ceilings and European hand-carved paneling, which compliments the interior of the lodge’s 15 guest rooms. Each room is appointed with antique oriental rugs, silk-linen wallpaper, Bellisari Italian linens, Chadsworth & Haig robes and L’Occitane toiletries. Nearly all rooms in the lodge boasts views of the Little Snake River Valley. The lodge’s Oxbow dining room features gourmet cuisine prepared by executive chef Marc LeDuc. In addition to world-class fly fishing, the property boasts a 6,000-square-foot Roaring Fork Spa, complete with hot tubs, soaking pools, and four massage and treatment rooms, offering services such as the Little Snake River Stone Therapy, Sportsman’s Relief Massage, and the Catch-and-Release Body Wrap. Additional recreational activities include horseback riding, ATV tours, wildlife viewing, hiking and sport clay shooting. In the winter, guests enjoy cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, dogsledding and alpine skiing excursions to nearby Steamboat Springs. 970-583-7396; http://www.threeforksranch.com/

ATTRACTIONS

* Calling All Sk8ers. This fall, Colorado Springs will become the home of one of the premier, professionally-designed skate parks in the state of Colorado. Located just north of Sertich Ice Center in Memorial Park, the new skate park comprises 40,000 square feet – roughly three times the size of the current largest skate park in Colorado Springs and second largest in the state. Elements will include an obstacle street, plaza street, bowls, snake runs, and Colorado’s only pool style bowl. World-renowned skate park design firm, Team Pain, designed the new skate park. Due to the hilly terrain and the masterful skills of Team Pain, the park will present a challenge for beginners to experts. The pool style bowl alone is expected to draw riders from all around the region to Colorado Springs.The park will attract novice to expert inline skaters and bicyclists from across the state and region. http://www.experiencecoloradosprings.com/
* Pop (Up) Art. Denver’s growing arts community will welcome The Denver Community Museum, a “Pop-Up” gallery, which is designed to exist for less than a year in Riverfront Park, near downtown Denver. The project will be free and open to the public and contents for the Museum’s monthly, rotating exhibitions will be based entirely on community submissions. The DCM is organized and curated by Denver resident Jaime Kopke. There is no minimum or maximum age limit, nor is there any particular skill level required. Contributors must be residents of the Denver/Boulder area. http://www.denvercommunitymuseum.org/
* Gear Up for Winter Driving in Steamboat Springs. The Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs gives drivers the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of winter driving or try out World Rally Racing techniques on some of the coolest terrain anywhere. Whether you want to learn winter driving skills or challenge yourself on the school’s three specially-designed ice tracks, the instruction can benefit drivers of all skill levels. Each track offers elevation changes, banked and off camber turns and surface changes. The school’s instructors are driving professionals with a wide range of experience including Rally, Autocross, Touring Car, Pro Solo, Firehawk, World Challenge, Formula Ford Championship, Formula 2000, hill climbs, ice racing, vintage road racing, stock car racing, and precision driving. The 2008/2009 season runs through March. http://www.winterdrive.com/
* Fore the Love of Golf. Avid golfers can tackle the best courses in Colorado with Colorado Golf Trails, a series of all-inclusive, preplanned stay and play golf packages available throughout Colorado. The first Golf Trail, the Mile High Golf Trail, includes signature, championship golf courses such as Arrowhead, Fossil Trace, Fox Hollow, Homestead GC at Fox Hollow, Vista Ridge, Heritage Todd Creek, Riverdale Dunes, Buffalo Run and Green Valley Ranch. Two additional trails will launch before the 2009 season, featuring some of the most challenging championship courses in the state. Each trail will offer from 12-16 Packages, depending on the duration of stay, from 3-7 days, the level of hotel, and the number of rounds of golf one prefers to play, from 3-9 rounds. Groups of 4-20 players including golfing buddies, female friends, couples and business associates can participate on each trail, depending on lodging. http://www.coloradogolftrails.com/

ABOUT COLORADO

Colorado is a four-season destination offering unparalleled adventure and recreational pursuits, a thriving arts scene, a rich cultural heritage, flavorful cuisine, and renowned ski resort areas. The state’s breathtaking scenic landscape boasts natural hot springs, the headwaters of four major rivers, many peaceful lakes and reservoirs, nine national parks and monuments, and 54 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet. For more information or a copy of the Colorado Official State Vacation Guide, call 1-800-COLORADO or visit http://www.colorado.com/. Media are invited to visit the Colorado Media Room at www.COLORADO.com/mediaroom.php for story ideas, press releases/press kits as well as high-resolution, downloadable photos and video for editorial use.

Big Bear Lake, CA (January 7, 2009) – Bear Mountain Resort is proud to present pro snowboarder Simon Chamberlain’s signature event “Simon Says” this Saturday, January 10, 2009 in “The Scene.” This unique competition will kick off at 5 p.m. under the lights at Bear Mountain. Registration for the event will take place between 3 and 4 p.m. in the Boardroom. Only 80 entries will be taken so if you want to compete get there early and be prepared to kick down the 15 dollar registration fee.

The course will be set Friday night by Bear Mountain’s pro terrain park staff. “Simon will be hand picking the features for this competition Friday night so it’s anyone’s guess what will be included,” says Bear Mountain’s park development and marketing coordinator, Clayton Shoemaker. “I can guarantee that it will be sick and likely include his signature jib that we constructed last year.”

Simon Says is similar to the childhood game played on playgrounds around the country for decades. Simon will stand at the top of the course and call out tricks, then competitors will have the opportunity to match his requested trick. If the riders fail to pull the trick they will be eliminated from the competition. Prizes for winners will consist of cash and swag from thirtytwo, Nomis and Step Child.

DJ Slip Matt will be spinning tunes in the base area and the Beach Bar will be serving booze for those 21 and over. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase at the Rail View BBQ. So, come out and make a night of it.

Over the summer the resort installed two new lights that give off 6000 watts of power each making for an excellent night event venue. Snowboarders can look forward to many more nighttime events coming to Bear Mountain this year.

About BBMR – Real Snow. Real Close.
Big Bear Mountain Resorts (BBMR) includes Snow Summit and Bear Mountain ski areas, Bear Mountain Golf Course and Sierra Summit Mountain Resort in Fresno, CA. Together, BBMR has the region’s most progressive terrain parks, most dependable snow conditions, the largest full-service learning programs and a multitude of premier services – just a tank of gas away roundtrip from most areas in Southern California. For more information, please visit www.bigbearmountainresorts.com. BBMR is an equal opportunity service provider operating under a San Bernardino National Forest special use permit.