A true year-round outdoor playground is a place called Mammoth Lakes, CA. The scenery is stunning any time of year and there are so many options for adventurous travelers!

Mammoth Lakes is a fairly compact town at the base of Mammoth Mountain Resort which means getting around town can be done fairly easily. There is a free shuttle system throughout town that runs year-round and efficiently transports guests from town to areas such as the Main Lodge, which is the jumping off point for the summer shuttle to Devil’s Postpile National Monument and Reds Meadow, or over to Twin Lakes and other lakes beyond for fishing, hiking, and more outdoor pursuits. And, of course, in winter, a shuttle ride is offered to both alpine and cross country ski areas.

While in Mammoth Lakes last week, I made it a point to check out The Village Lodge, which is part of the Mammoth Mountain Resort properties. While the condos are all individually owned, the Resort manages most of the condos as vacation rentals. That means you have access to these spacious and comfortable condos, can stay in one of the best locations in town, and enjoy the many amenities at the Lodge!
 
The Village Lodge is in the heart of the Village at the base of Mammoth Mountain. In the winter, the gondola runs right out of the village and gets you onto the mountain!

There are 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom condos available, all with full kitchens. The number of bathrooms in each unit matches the number of bedrooms. Perfect for each room getting their own bathroom!

Aside from having one of the best locations in town for access to the mountain as well as the restaurants and shopping in the Village itself, The Village Lodge offers many other amenities for a total vacation experience with family and friends.

Movies are available from the front desk for you to enjoy in the media room!

Exercise rooms with adjoining outdoor, covered hot tub and an arcade room!

After you've had an exciting day outdoors, you can come back and relax in the cozy fireside lounge or grab a s'mores kit from the front desk and roast up some marshmallows at the outdoor fire pits!

Of course, there's a pool! A year-round heated pool and a large hot tub in the pool area. There are also two other hot tubs on property, making it easy to find one closest to your condo building.

The Village Lodge staff, particularly the front desk concierge Monica, are super friendly and eager to make your stay at Mammoth a true pleasure! 

Spring break, 2018, and we packed up the van and headed down Hwy 395 for some backcountry ski touring, the kids' first ski touring trip!
I love the drive on Hwy 395 - incredible views of snow-covered peaks, idyllic ranches, canyons, rivers, and lakes.
We camped near Virginia Lakes, halfway between Bridgeport and Mono Lake. After settling into our home-away-from-home and taking care of dinner, we now had some quality family time to spend together!

We brought two games with us and it worked brilliantly! A deck of cards and BANAGRAMS.
The kids played the classic Go Fish card game while the parents were busy with camp set up. And, they were also able to play their own version of Banagrams. Kids excited to spell words correctly - love it! OK, so there were a few imperfections, but, they were still excited about spelling.

Banagrams also serve as handy chips for a cut-throat game of poker!
Bonus! You can play poker and spell words at the same time! We anted up words such as "rage", "deer", and "cash".

Another successful aspect of the trip was a "for real" ski tour with the kids! Our intrepid leader found a wonderfully wind-protected gully and we kept the pace appropriate for our some-what novice backcountry skiers. A few gummy bears helped the spirits soar. At the top of the saddle, we took in the views, transitioned quickly, and smiled all the way down in the lovely spring corn snow!

Is there more to Panama than the Panama Canal? Why, yes. Yes there is!

Panama is for adventure seekers. Panama is for sun lovers. And, as the latest Visit Panama campaign states: Panama, for explorers, not for tourists!

I am spending time learning all about adventure travel options in Panama and Panama has climbed to the top of my Bucket List! Why? Because I want to hike in a cloud forest, spot sloth and brilliantly colored birds in a jungle. I want to play in the waves at an uncrowded Caribbean AND Pacific beach all in the same vacation. There are over 5 million acres of protected lands in the National Parks, including National Marine Parks. Bring on the hiking and snorkeling! And, how about some sea kayaking from island to island? 

Fun facts about Panama:

• The only place in the world where you can watch the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic, from the same spot!
• Panama City is the only capital with a rain forest within its city limits
• English is widely spoken in Panama
• Panama has more bird species than North America and Canada combined
• The highest spot in Panama is at the top of Volcán Barú, at 11,397 feet
• Beaches in Panama are public property, beach camping anyone?

Next step - learning about more ecotourism companies that combine Panama culture, hiking and water adventure into one incredible vacation - Stay tuned!

I am a Travel Agent who helps active families and groups experience the most amazing adventure vacations in mountains around the world.
I find those hidden gems to fulfill your adventuring dreams and take care of the details so you can spend your time playing and relaxing.

I offer complimentary Adventure Exploration Sessions to talk about your adventure vacation ideas and see if we're a good match to work together on your next adventure. The Adventure Exploration Sessions are over the phone and take 15-30 minutes. Would you like to schedule a session?​

The Road to Hana, except this is the view as seen FROM Hana! And, Doug from Facebook recognized this road right away! The Road to Hana is one of many beautiful and exciting ways to keep you busy on the island of Maui.
Maui has so many amazing beaches, including red sand and black sand varieties on the Road to Hana, with the best snorkeling from shore. Want to snorkel with green sea turtles? Take a trip to Maui!

Costa Rica! No one guessed this destination. Hmmm. 
Costa Rica has so much to offer for adventurers and is a fantastic place for a family vacation! Spend time at the volcano and then head for the beach for days of relaxing and exploring nearby National Parks for sloth and monkey viewing.

Barcelona, Spain! Jeanette correctly identified the location. Busy plazas, abundant cafes, and the famous architecture of Gaudi are highlights of this exciting city.

This is Gooseberry Falls at Gooseberry Falls State Park in Minnesota. It is the most popular state park in the state and emblematic of the incredible waterfalls along the north shore of Lake Superior! For more  information about Gooseberry Falls State Park, including maps and other nearby waterfalls, follow this link.

This is a photo of the Dubrovnik City Walls in Dubrovnik, Croatia! Did you know you can rent a castle for your stay in Croatia? Now, wouldn't that be exciting!
​Croatia also has one of the most beautiful parks if you love waterfalls or simply amazing natural beauty - Plitvice National Park. Plitvice is also one of the oldest national parks in Southeast Europe and has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage register.

Brooks River, Katmai National Park in Alaska! Check out Explore.org for a live webcam of the bears at Brooks River. Here's a link to the live cam highlights where you can watch a couple of bears having a snack while lounging in the river. I also enjoy just listening to the bird and water sounds - ahhhh!

Now is the perfect time for you to be thinking about and booking your winter adventure travel! Best availability, best early-bird rates.

It's Finland! So many adventures await in the winter in Finland - ice hotels, dog sledding, xc skiing, and you can even visit Santa's workshop!