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By Janet Lunder Hanafin Our family camping trips used to be the best part of summer. We hiked and rode horses; dipped our feet, and sometimes other body parts, in mountain streams; explored coastal islands in sea kayaks; and actually enjoyed getting drenched while shooting the rapids in a rubber raft. At night we ducked into our tent, crawled into chilly sleeping bags and told bear stories. The time has come, though, when we’re sometimes stiff even getting out of our personally adjusted sleep number bed, and the thought of a night on the ground, even with a self inflating air mattress between our hips and Mother Nature’s extra firm foundation, has lost its appeal. And, let’s face it, the willing pre-adolescents who set up the tent, scouted out dry logs, lugged a pail of water, washed dishes in a bucket, and then packed everything back in the car the next morning have moved to their own campsites. When the commute to work or a Vikings game entails a traffic jam on I-94 and spiraling up a parking ramp looking for the open space that was promised by a machine commanding, “Take the ticket!” and a long wait in the Cub checkout line is only the beginning of making dinner, it’s time to escape to the wilderness. A golden eagle soaring on wind currents between sheer canyon walls, crystal pools where a wily brown trout teases your hook, the melodic soughing of a lazy breeze through pine boughs, and shooting stars that look like bottle rockets in an inky sky will restore your good nature as well as your soul. But if you’ve reached the stage where “roughing it” seems like more trouble than it is worth, there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy the best that nature can offer and leave the cooking, the navigating, the clean-up, and even the bear stories to somebody else. If the wild west has always intrigued you, consider a few days at a guest or “dude” ranch. Most guest ranches offer horseback riding, of course, and many will fit an overnight pack trip into your scheduled stay, so, if you really want to sleep on the ground again, you’ll have the opportunity. Many ranches list a variety of activities including fishing, swimming, trail rides, hiking, and even a trip into town for shopping. Depending on the locale and the time of your visit, you might be able to experience a day of river rafting, a rodeo, or a cattle drive. The majority of dude ranches are found in the western states, but an Internet search or a call to your favorite travel agent will unearth horsey adventures from Arizona to Montana, California to Alaska, Hawaii, and even Georgia. Dude ranches generally book fewer than 50 guests at a time, and often you will find multiple age groups. If spending the week with only grown-ups is important to you, look for ranches that schedule special weeks for adults. On the other hand, a guest ranch may be the perfect place for a vacation with multiple generations of the family. Many facilities include children’s programs to give parents, and grandparents, some time alone to relax in the hot tub or play a round of golf. Ranches that invite guests may have premiered the “all inclusive” concept, because three meals a day, plus snacks, are included, and guests are free to relax or play as they want. Once your busy day ends with star gazing far away from city lights, you’ll be more than ready for a real bed, with no worries about whether the tent will leak. Both relaxing and exhilarating, sea kayaking brings adventure to a new level, water level. This sport is not the Olympic style rush of maneuvering a flimsy looking craft through twists and turns of a raging water course, but rather of leisurely paddling while keeping an eye out for the sea creatures who share the environment. While most sea kayak expeditions entail camping, more and more outfitters offer at least a couple of trips that bring guests from one seaside bed and breakfast or inn to another. After a day of watching orcas cavort, coming nose to nose with a friendly dolphin, or whipping your camera out in time to snap a photo of a mischievous sea otter munching on her crustacean lunch, you’ll beach your kayak and head for a tasty dinner, a hot shower, and a cozy night’s sleep in a four-poster bed. Most guided excursions are small, with a maximum of eight to ten paddlers plus a guide or two. Some sea kayak/bed and breakfast tours stay at one location and make day trips onto the water, while others paddle from one inn to another over the course of several days. Outfitters for “on the move” kayakers often transport their guests’ luggage from one lodging to another by van during the day. At least one company goes a step further and brings the bed and breakfast along in the form of a mother ship. The ship anchors in a secluded cove or other safe harbor and guests can explore the coast by kayak with a guide during the day and return to the ship for meals and the night. Sea kayaking has become popular almost everywhere there are natural coastlines and tranquil inland waterways. Those who love tropical locations can venture to secluded areas of the Caribbean or Hawaii. The San Juan Islands of Washington State and the barrier islands and waterways of North Carolina offer spectacular yet intimate glimpses of nature. For a long distance adventure, check out a bed and breakfast sea kayak trip that includes rafting and mountain biking in Patagonia, Chile. For those who want to combine communing with nature with thrills and excitement, white water rafting is hard to beat. Most rivers alternate stretches of tranquil water with rapids, so you need not worry about hours of bouncing over rocks and down waterfalls while hanging on for dear life. Many adventure companies have well structured trips that include overnight camping in small tents where guests do sleep on fairly comfortable air mattresses, but sanitary facilities are called either “natural” or “primitive.” This is the ultimate getaway, and if you can lower and raise yourself from the ground and scramble up a riverbank without too much difficulty, camping only adds to the adventure. If enjoying your trip means that you really want to sleep in a bed, several outfitters offer inn to inn tours in Colorado, Idaho and Montana. Some companies structure small group excursions which include rafting, mountain biking (all downhill), and horseback riding with overnight stays in local bed and breakfasts. The trips are always accompanied by experienced guides and, since the groups are small, days can easily accommodate the interests of the participants. Some folks may want to explore local art galleries in the evening; others may opt for a few hands of bridge to end the afternoon and a campfire sing along before bed. Adventure travel “is not Disney World,” one guide said. There are elements of risk, but any reputable company strives first of all for safety. You should be in reasonably good health and able to get in and out of boats or on and off a horse with, perhaps, a little boost. And be prepared: if you want modern conveniences while you’re roughing it, the price tag is not going to sound like a bargain. But an adventure in the wilderness, where cell phones are all but useless and the daily news doesn¹t matter, can become your memorable experience of a lifetime. DUDE RANCHES Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch Elk Mountain Ranch SEA KAYAKING Expeditions Chile H2Outfitters Northern Lights Expeditions Outdoor Odysseys RIVER RAFTING Row Adventures Wilderness Aware Rafting
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Roughing it Easy