Hike/Explore Berber Villages of Morocco - April 27-May 8, 2012

Our 12 day journey will start in Marrakech, where we will begin with a guided visit of the medina.  Matt Butler from Adventurebug will guide this entire journey.  After the introduction of medina, we will have time to wander on our own.  After Marrakech, we will venture to smaller Berber villages.

Our 3-day trek, subset of the whole journey, in the High Atlas Mountains will include villages like Imlil and other Berber villages situated within the range containing Mt. Toubkal.   We will be following the old shepherd trails that are generations old.   Hiking in the Atlas will be on moderate terrain about 5 hours/day on foot.  This will not be strenuous or climbing any peaks.  The temperature in the Atlas will be 60-70 degrees F max and will cool down in the evening to 50 degrees F.

We then start the desert half of the trip.   This is far more relaxed with site seeing and light walking around easy terrain.  At this time of the year, the desert is still cool around 70-80 degrees F and we avoid mid-day sun whenever possible.  We will stop famous village of Ait Benhaddou before we stop at Quarzazate.  We will also visit the spectacular Todra Gorge and pass Tazzarine and K'nob before heading back to Marrakech.  From there, we will fly home.

Please register early because plane tickets can be expensive.

You do not need a Visa for Morocco if your stay is less than 90 days and your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. 




Cost of trip is $1895 excluding airfare.  After February 17, 2012 the cost of the trip is $2095.

Included in Cost of Trip
•    11 nights accommodation (Riads, Hotels, Tent night (optional) and Gite homes)
•    Meals provided as indicated in itinerary
•    Transport = via private mini bus with driver(s) – maximum 2 for this holiday
•    Return ‘group’ airport transfers Marrakech (individual transfers at separate cost)
•    All guiding, travel & activities led by Adventurebug and local Moroccan counterparts
•    All equipment, including sleeping bags and any camping / eating materials
•    Entrance fees during Marrakech tour (Mosque visit) and Ait Benhaddou historic site
•    Guided Medina Tour of Marrakech with local guide
•    All taxes and service fees 


Not Included in Cost of Trip
•    Roundtrip airfare from U.S. to Marrakech and back home
•    Your personal transportation to your U.S. departure airport
•    Private Taxi Transfer (Marrakech Airport to Hotel / 3 per taxi) = approximately $3-5 USD/person

•    Optional Camel hire, approximately $30 USD
•    Optional Berber HAMMAM bath house, approximately $5 USD


•    Personal expenses (telephone and laundry)
•    Insurance – health and travel / cancellation / loss of baggage
•    Some optional fees such as: Hammam bath houses; local museums and mosques on journey; Berber ‘fantasias shows’; and ‘other’ Kasbah homes in the desert that are open for viewing (normally about 1 dollar / person).
•    Coffee, drinks and snacks at rest stops/cafes during driving portions of the journey
•    Drinks (wine, soft drinks, bottled water, etc.), at meals
•    Passport with room entry/exit stamps (at lease 3 pages) and at least 3 months validity remaining

* Please note, it is custom to tip the Moroccan guides and any Moroccan services that you have been satisfied with. These tips are not included in the holiday price. This includes local guides, drivers, camel’teers’, mule’teers’, team cook, etc.

Application
Prospectus/Itinerary

RECOMMENDED READING

Fodor's Morocco, 4th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides)

Frommer's Morocco (Frommer's Complete)

The Rough Guide to Morocco 9 (Rough Guides)

Moroccan Arabic: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

Culture Shock! Morocco: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

Flavors of Morocco: Delicious Recipes from North Africa

Hike Canadian Rockies; Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper -Jun 16 - 24, 2012

Mountain lakes will be thawed and we will enjoy the brilliant turquoise color of their water.  Tourism will not have peaked yet!

We will enjoy all the comforts of home in the town of Banff and the village of Lake Louise, but we also will step out into the wilderness and the home of some of North America's wildest creatures, including Big Horn Sheep, Deer, Elk, Caribou, Grizzly bears, Caribou, Coyotes, Wolves and Mountain Lions. 

Hikes will include and introduction hike to Tunnel Mountain Path which has phenomenal vistas, Big Beehive to see Lake Louise, and Cirque Lake, which is hidden a short distance from the Icefields Parkway, the worlds most stunning roadway.

There are a total of eight lodging nights at hotels.  We will be staying nights 1 and 2 in Banff, nights 3, 4, and 5 in the Lake Louise area, nights 6 and 7 in the Athabasca area heading back to Banff for night 8. 

Yes, a passport is required!

COST $1,685 excluding airfare if you sign up before April 16, two months before the trip. If
you sign up after April 16, 2012; the cost of the trip is $1,885.

Included in Cost of Trip
•    All ground transportation starting at Calgary airport and ending at Calgary airport
•    Eight breakfasts, seven lunches and seven dinners as on itinerary
•    Accommodations for eight nights at Banff, Lake Louise and Athabasca hotels


Not Included in Cost of Trip
•    Round-trip plane ticket from home to Calgary and back
•    Transportation from home to airport
•    Travel insurance (recommend to have your own travel insurance)
•    Personal expenses (telephone, laundry, alcoholic drinks)

•    Anything else not mentioned on itinerary

Application

Prospectus/Itinerary

RECOMMENDED READING

Moon Canadian Rockies: Including Banff & Jasper National Parks (Moon Handbooks) 

Destination Canadian Rockies 

Serenity Moments: Canadian Rocky Mountains Relaxation [BLU-RAY Disc] 

Tent Camp at Sugarloaf and Ann Arbor Street Art Fair - July 20-22, 2012

The 2012 World Famous Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is the 18th through 21st, so let's make a weekend of it.  Get out of work early on Friday or better yet, take the day off and head over to Sugarloaf Lake Campground for a great afternoon and fabulous evening around the campfire.  We'll have pot-luck Friday night.  After breakfast on Saturday and a morning walking the nearby trails, we're off to the Street Art Fair where we can spend the afternoon and evening. Of course, if you don't want to do the Street Art Fair, there are probably others that want to hike or paddle the area, so you're not alone.

We can hang around Sugarloaf Lake on Sunday where we can paddle, swim, hike and beach.

$32 will give you two nights of camping with your own tent, sleeping bag and mattress and two breakfasts with cowboy coffee.  Food for two sack lunches along with s'mores by the campfire. Please bring firewood.

RECOMMENDED READING

Five-Star Trails: Ann Arbor and Detroit: Your Guide to the Area's Most Beautiful Hikes

Ann Arbor Travel Guide

Historic Photos of Ann Arbor

Camping at Sleeping Bear Dunes - Aug. 19-24, 2012

Here we go with a 5-day tent camping
trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  What a great place to spend nearly a week at.  One of the most beautiful places on earth.  All kinds of things we can do!  Kayaking, tubing, bicycling, hiking, beaching, swimming and loads of fun!

$105 covers 5 nights camping, 5 breakfasts including cowboy coffee, and 5 dinners, s'mores and many hours of laughing by the campfire. Please bring some firewood!

Bring your own tent, sleeping bag and mattress and what ever you need for comfort for a few nights, along with recreation materials such as bikes, kayaks and jokes!  You'll need to bring your own lunches with your own cooler for lunch stuff.  We're in a group campsite, so there's room for 25 of the most fun people.

Some of our activities may include:

Bike Pierce Stocking Scenic drive

Canoe, Kayak and Tube down the Platte River

Hike Alligator Hill

Pedal the Lakeshore with the Rangers



RECOMMENDED READING AND ARTWORK

The Legend of Sleeping Bear

Soaring and Gliding: The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Area

Views from the Sleeping Bear: Photographs of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Canvas Print / Canvas Art

Hiking in Big Bend National Park - A Texas Gem - Oct. 27 - Nov. 3, 2012

This fabulous trip will be 8 days/7 nights.  We will be hiking on this 800,000-acre national park in Texas that contains three basic surroundings: desert, river and mountains!

This will allow us to take in the park’s huge diversity and visit three ecosystems from mountain peaks to desert springs and river trails, dividing the desert trekking and mountain hiking by floating the Rio Grande River.

Big Bend National Park encompasses the largest protected area of the Chihuahuan Desert in the United States.   This national park is located in southwestern Texas on the Mexican border.  The Rio Grande River forms its southern boundary, and it's the only park in the United States that contains a complete mountain range - the Chisos Mountain.

We will meet at El Paso International airport in Texas and drive to Van Horn for our first night.  Then awake the next morning to hike in Van Horn before our drive to Big Bend National Park.

Big Bend National Park encompasses the largest protected area of the Chihuahuan Desert in the United States.   This national park is located in southwestern Texas on the Mexican border.  The Rio Grande River forms its southern boundary, and it's the only park in the United States that contains a complete mountain range - the Chisos Mountain. 

 

One of the major appeals of Big Bend National Park is one of the United States’ biggest outdoor parks, but relative to its size it has a small annual visitation.  It offers great solitude and peace and quiet in a natural surrounding.  Elevations range from 1,800 feet at the eastern end of Boquillas Canyon to 7,825 feet atop Emory Peak in the Chisos Mountains. These elevation changes produce an exceptional variety of plants, animals, and scenic vistas.

Total cost: $1150 doesn't include airfare.  Estimated airfare $500-$700.

After 8/6/2012 the cost is $1350.

Included in the price:
• Texas ground transportation
• Park admissions
• Emergency evacuation insurance
• All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
• Hotel/Motel accommodations (double occupancy, private bath)


Not included in price:
• Transportation from home to and from El Paso Airport
• Alcoholic beverages
• Optional Tours
• Transportation other than with the group

RECOMMENDED READING

Hiking Big Bend National Park, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series) 

Texas Big Bend: A Photographic Adventure from the Pecos to the Rio Grande

Big Bend National Park, TX - Trails Illustrated Map



RECOMMENDED APPAREL


Kwik Tek Dry Pak Multi-Purpose Case (Clear, 6-Inch x 9-Inch)

Harbinger Adventure Series KCR Short Finger Kayak, Canoe, and Raft Glove (Large, Black)

Swiss Gear Adjustable Telescoping Hiking Pole (Red)

Stylish Internal Frame Backpack Camping Hiking Gear Red

Swiss Gear Oasis Technical 2-Liter Hydration Pack (Grey/Black/Red/White) 

Natural and Man-made Wonders of the Isthmus of Panama - Feb. 16-24, 2012

On this nine day adventure we will investigate one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken.  We will visit the world-famous Panama Canal and tour the Miraflores Locks.  Our guide will give us canal information in between canal broadcasted information.

We will take a minibus to the Chagres National Park and then take a dugout motorist canoe to an Emberá indigenous village.   We will be greeted with music from the villagers.  Our overnight stay will give us the opportunity to experience Emberá traditions, culture, dances and religion while we explore a variety of rainforest habitats, looking for wild life including monkeys, colorful birds, and two species of sloth.

For two days, we play Robinson Crusoe and stay on a San Blas Island, Isla Kuanidup, a tiny island in the Caribbean Sea.  Swimming and snorkeling in crystal clear water, viewing bird life, walking in the tropical jungles and visiting the Kuna Indians are an option.

We will experience the best of Panama’s bio diversity by hiking in a cloud forest, stopping at the best biological reserve in the world managed by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on Barro Colorado Island.  Barro Colorado Island alone is home to 115 mammal species, including 72 species of bats, 5 species of monkeys, agoutis, tapirs, coatimundis, sloths and peccaries. Its botanical wealth is similarly impressive: more than 1,200 plant species can be found on the Island.

Best of all, we will be there for Panama's Carnival which runs from February 18-22, 2012!!  Four days preceding Ash Wednesday.

This adventure will introduce you to amazing wonders that are the Isthmus of Panama!

Trip cost is $2475 includes airfare.  If you register after 1/1/2012, the trip cost is $2675.

Included in Cost of Trip

• Round-trip airfare from home to Panama City

• English/Spanish speaking multi-lingual guide

• 8 nights Accommodations and all meals

• Land transport as on itinerary

• All activity fees and guides

• All airport transfers in Panama
• Snorkeling on San Blas Islands


• Expedition boat tour to search for wildlife
• Round-trip airfare from Panama City to Playón Chico

Not Included in Cost of Trip
• Travel insurance (recommend to have your own travel insurance)
• Personal expenses (telephone, laundry, alcoholic drinks)
• Passport with room for at least 3 mos validity remaining
• Panama exit tax of $20
• Anything else not mentioned on itinerary
• Gratuities for Panamanian guides, (~$30)

Application
Itinerary/Prospectus

RECOMMENDED READING

A Visit to Barro Colorado

The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 

Lonely Planet Panama (Country Guide) 

The Birds of Panama: A Field Guide (Zona Tropical Publication)

Barro Colorado Island: A behind the scenes look at the science and scientists of the island

Tropical Forest Ecology: A View from Barro Colorado Island 

Hike Through Mystifying Sedona I - Oct 29-Nov 5, 2011

Soak in the vortex powers as we hike for six days among the Red Rocks of Sedona!  We will all meet in Phoenix and drive in our vans to Sedona, where the spectacular scenery and dramatic red rock formations and cliffs will offer an amazing experience.   Walk among the ruins of Palatki or possibly the ruins of Walnut Canyon and Wupatki, both a slightly different experience.  We won't want to miss Montezuma's Well, a very special and

relaxing place to soak our tired feet in the warm mineral water stream that comes from the well and then an easy hike down.
 

We will visit Coconino National Forest and Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness to hike paths that meander lazily between canyon walls.  Hiking a wide valley surrounded on three sides by high red cliffs is a way to describe Secret Canyon.  It is split by many deep, hidden canyons, usually with a maintained footpath at least part of the way upstream.  Some other canyons for us to see are Long Canyon and Secret Mountain.  Average elevation gains from 0-1000 feet with treks of 5-6 hours a day.   Amongst our hikes, we will leave time for visiting the town before we head back to Phoenix to leave for home.

 

Total cost: $1890 includes airfare.

After 9/8 the cost is $2090 and late sign-ups may also have to pay more because of increased airfare.

Included in the price:
• Transportation to and from home airport to Phoenix, Arizona
• Arizona ground transportation
• Park admissions
• Emergency evacuation insurance
• All breakfasts, most lunches, and dinners
• Hotel/Motel accommodations (double occupancy, private bath, outdoor pool)


Not included in price:
• Airport fees for additional luggage
• Airport departure tax if any
• Alcoholic beverages
• Optional Tours
• Transportation other than with the group

Application
Prospectus/Itinerary

RECOMMENDED READING

Sedona's Top 10 Hikes 
Great Sedona Hikes: The 50 Greatest Hikes in Sedona, Arizona 
Sedona Trails Map

RECOMMENDED APPAREL

Vasque Men's Clarion GTX Hiking Boot,Brown/Green,10 M US 
Patagonia Midweight Hiking Crew Sock Fraternal Stripe: Natural, XL 
Wigwam Men's Merino Wool Comfort Hiker Crew Length Sock, Charcoal, LG 
Bobster Road Hog II Prescription Ready Sunglasses,BRH2001-Black