Adventure Travel - Close And Cheap
expensive, though, and even a bit too dangerous for some of us. It
doesn't have to either, though. Here are a few ideas for small
adventures you can afford. They are followed by a definition of
adventure that will help you add your own to the list.
Try treasure hunting. Rent or buy a metal detector and spend a relaxing
but interesting weekend finding coins, jewelry and who-knows-what in the
sand at the beach. No beach nearby? Look up the historical records for
your town, to see where old picnic grounds were. Treasure hunters
regularly find old coins at places like these.
Take climbing lessons. Whether this is on Mount Ranier in Washington, or
Mount Washington in New Hampshire, it's sure to be an adventure. At
least it will be more exciting than my trip up a local sledding hill
with my ice-axe and crampons.
Travel form monastery to monastery. Make it a spiritual adventure or
just relax. Most monasteries take in visitors, and usually have
reasonably priced accommodations. The Buddhist ones in particular are
most often in beautiful places.
Do a hot springs tour. This is for those who live in the west. Get a
guide to hot springs or copy directions off the internet. Bring swimming
suits (optional at some, for the more adventurous), towels and a cooler
full of refreshments. Want more adventure? Seek out the ones that you
have to hike into the wilderness to find.
<b>The Cheapest Adventure Travel</b>
Find and summit the highest peak in your state. This might be
less-than-adventurous in some states, but it will at least be an excuse
to get outside and get some good exercise. Be sure to bring your camera
for the summit shot. You might try the highest point in the next state
over for your next adventure trip.
Investigate and find the nearest hidden swimming holes. The best ones
are ones that require a hike to get to. Watch for people heading down a
trail with swimsuits and a cooler. Nobody hikes in swimsuit and drags a
cooler into the woods, unless there is water involved.
Play Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Locate the nearest river that is large
enough and has some public forest. Then build a raft from dead trees and
float downstream for a day. We usually started by hiking upstream for an
hour or more, so we could float back to the car.
A vagabond trip. Pack enough clothing and snacks for several days and
just start driving, with no destination in mind. Who knows where you'll
end up, and what you'll discover. Pack a tent or camp in your car to
keep it really affordable.
That last one is a classic adventure trip in my book. Adventure is any
activity you engage in that is new to you and doesn't have a predictable
outcome. It doesn't need to be dangerous to be interesting and fun, and
could even include a trip to the nearest large city for a weekend tour
of the nightclubs. Of course, depending on the places you choose, this
could be fairly dangerous adventure travel.
