Ellen Barone

Island Vacations – Easy on the Pocketbook

See a National Wildlife Refuge

 
 
When vacationers think of islands, many envision far-off and expensive destinations.  Yet, the National Wildlife Refuge System – a network of public lands that spans about 97 million acres – offers a range of island destinations.  From Alaska’s remotest islands in the Arctic Ocean to the subtropical “Spanish Virgin Islands” of Puerto Rico – as well as others scattered across the country — the Refuge System’s islands provide essential habitat for a vast array of birds and other wildlife.  They offer enhancement to visitors who venture off the beaten path to experience them.  The National Wildlife Refuge System is composed of 548 national wildlife refuges, with at least one in every state.
 
Ohio River Islands Refuge, Pennsylvania
It’s only 35 miles from Pittsburgh, but a world apart.  Phillis Island, in Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, is a popular stopping place for recreational boaters to picnic on the sandy beach, fish for bass or simply watch the river go by.  In fall, hunters pursue waterfowl or archery hunt for deer that swim to the island.
 
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge stretches 362 miles of the upper Ohio River, from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, with 22 scattered islands and three mainland properties.  While most of the islands are accessible only by boat, Middle Island, near St. Marys, WV, has a bridge with road access.  This is the most commonly visited island in the refuge, and the largest at 235 acres.
 
The refuge, created in 1990, aims to “protect the Wild Ohio” by conserving habitat for migratory birds, freshwater mussels and other wildlife along the river.  “The Ohio River has been regarded as a resource for industry, not so much a resource for wildlife.  Now we see it has multiple dimensions,” says Visitor Services Manager Janet Butler. The Clean Water Act of 1972 improved the Ohio River’s water quality, reviving wildlife populations on and along the river, and making it more appealing for recreation, she says.
 
The islands of Ohio River Islands Refuge are among thousands within the National Wildlife Refuge System.  For more information about the Ohio River Islands Refuge see http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=51660

Here is a sampling of some of the Refuge System’s other island jewels:

Oregon’s Spectacular Coast

From nearly every viewpoint on the Oregon coast, colossal rocks jut out of the Pacific Ocean creating postcard images.  These rocks are protected as part of Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.  The refuge includes 1,854 rocks, reefs and islands and two headland areas spanning 320 miles of the Oregon coast.
 
From April to August, the rocks and islands are covered with birds. The majority of Oregon’s estimated 1.2 million seabirds, including 13 different species, breed on the refuge.  “They pack on any available space during breeding season,” says Visitor Services Manager Dawn Grafe. Seals and sea lions also use the rocks as “haulout” sites for resting and pupping.  Simpson Reef near Charleston frequently hosts 6,000 seals and sea lions.
 
The birds and marine mammals found on the offshore rocks, reefs and islands are extremely susceptible to human disturbance, so the rocks are closed to the public year-round.  But visitors get phenomenal views of the refuge and its wildlife from many state parks and other open spaces along the mainland.  Mainland sites with viewing decks overlooking seabird colonies include Ecola State Park, Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Heceta Head State Scenic Viewpoint, and Harris Beach State Park.  Coquille Point, a unit of Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, is also open to visitors.
 
One unit of the Oregon Island Refuge that is open to visitors is Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge, where people can see one of the few remaining stands of coastal old growth forest in Oregon and the state’s largest Sitka spruce, estimated to be 700 to 800 years old.  Visit Cape Meares Refuge between April and June each year, and see the fastest animal in the world – the peregrine falcon – raising chicks along the rocky headland.  A pair of peregrine falcons has nested on the refuge since 1987.  Hikers can enjoy several trails that wind through the headland and old-growth forest.
 
Also open to visitors is Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, the best known island of Oregon Islands Refuge, which juts 235-foot out into the ocean.  At low tide, visitors can nearly walk up to it and explore nearby tidepools while tufted puffins fly overhead.  Spotting scopes are available so visitors can get close-up views of the puffins.
 
For more about Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, see: http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/oregonislands/index.htm.
 

Click to read more ...

When skiers imagine ecstasy, they think of great expanses of fresh white powder snow, no lift lines, and long joyous rides.  With an area almost half the size of Switzerland and reserved for no more than 400 skiers, CMH, the world’s first and most skilled Heli-Skiing operation, offers this sort of nirvana to strong intermediate and advanced skiers.  Guests frequently remark that the experience was “even better than sex!”  On that premise, CMH has launched its fun — and frisky — new marketing campaign, “Do you remember your first time? Click below to get started:

For more information, visit www.canadianmountainholidays.com

Source: Geoffrey Weill Associates

For those who can’t wait for winter and the exhilarating sports of the season,  Bar Harbor, Maine beckons.  In the deep of winter, crags and cliffs lure the hardiest adventure-seekers.  Granite mountain faces and seaside cliffs have a different kind of beauty in the deep of winter and are even more challenging to conquer when covered in ice.

Click to read more ...

Latin America offers endless opportunities to get off the beaten path, experience exotic landscapes and cultures in active, adventurous and exciting ways.

Aventouras specializes in active and unusual trips such as a multi-day camping and hiking trip through the jungle of northern Guatemala to reach the spectacular Mayan ruins of Tikal, sea kayaking the highest navigable lake in the world in Peru to reach a remote island community, or snorkeling among the islands of the indigenous San Blas archipelago of the Caribbean in Panama. Other activities include biking trails and roads in parts of the Sacred Valley of the Incas that most tourists never see, climbing an active volcano in Guatemala, and flying through the canopy on zip lines in Costa Rica and Panama.

Click to read more ...

Cruceros Australis of Santiago, Chile has officially opened their 2008-2009 season, offering expedition cruises to some of the most beautiful and rarely explored regions of the world. Travel to Tierra del Fuego in Southern Argentina and sail the Strait of Magellan and the Beagle Channel to see some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery and wildlife. Cruises run September through April each year with three night or four night one-way itineraries, or combine them into a seven night round trip cruise.

Click to read more ...

Brown is the new black and Kangaroo Island is the new Galapagos.  Trek Travel is offering a new, luxury Australian trip starting with a New Year’s Eve celebration in Sydney, Australia overlooking the famous Harbour Bridge at midnight, followed by a unique ride through South Australia culminating on Kangaroo Island – an untouched island with expansive native bushland, diverse wildlife and pristine beaches. The trip, which is open to anyone who is moderately fit, consists of nine days of wine tasting, culture, great food, nature, urban exploration and of course cycling.

Click to read more ...