Trip IdeasTours
Adventure Trips
Many trip organizers specialize in only one type of activity; however, a few companies guide different kinds of active trips. (In some cases, these larger companies also act essentially as a clearinghouse or agent for smaller trip outfitters.) Be sure to sign on with a reliable outfitter; getting stuck with a shoddy operator can be disappointing, uncomfortable, and even dangerous. Some sports—white-water rafting and mountaineering, for example—have organizations that license or certify guides, and you should be sure that the guide you're with is properly accredited.
Contacts
Backroads (801 Cedar St., Berkeley, CA, 94710-1800. 510/527-1555 or 800/462-2848. www.backroads.com). The Great Canadian Adventure Co (6714 101 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6A OH7. 780/424-9034. www.adventures.ca). REI Adventures (6750 S. 228th St., Kent, WA, 98032. 800/622-2236. www.rei.com/adventures). Off the Beaten Path (7 E. Beall St., Bozeman, MT, 59715. 800/445-2995. www.offthebeatenpath.com). Sierra Club Outings (85 2nd St., San Francisco, CA, 94105. 415/977-5500. www.sierraclub.org). Trek America (Box 189, Rockaway, NJ, 07866. 973/983-1144 or 800/221-0596. www.trekamerica.com). Timberline Adventures (7975 E. Harvard, Suite J, Denver, CO, 80231. 303/759-3804 or 800/417-2453. www.timbertours.com). The World Outdoors (2840 Wilderness Pl., Suite 0, Boulder, CO, 80301. 303/413-0938 or 800/488-8483. www.theworldoutdoors.com).
Senior Tours
Those in their golden years can participate in special tours. Some of them are quite adventurous, such as Elderhostel's grandparent-grandchild river rafting cruise down Grand Canyon's Colorado River.
Contacts
Elderhostel (11 Ave. de Lafayette, Boston, MA, 02111. 877/426-8056. www.elderhostel.org). Walking The World (Box 1186, Fort Collins, CO, 80522. 970/498-0500 or 800/340-9255. www.walkingtheworld.com).
Single-Park Tours
If you want to concentrate solely on one park, contact the park directly to learn about organized tours they may have.
Glacier Park Inc. (Box 2025, Columbia Falls, MT, 59912. 406/892-2525. www.glacierparkinc.com) offers weeklong excursions specifically in Glacier and Waterton that includes meals, expert narration on rides in the vintage Ford jammers, and time for play away from the group.
Grand Canyon Tour Co. (4343 N. Rancho Dr., Ste. 230, Las Vegas, NV, 89130. 702/655-6060 or 800/222-6966. www.grandcanyontourcompany.com) provides tours of the park from Las Vegas.
The Yellowstone Association Institute (Yellowstone National Park. 307/344-2293. www.YellowstoneAssociation.org) offers guided tours and trips in Yellowstone, ranging from backcountry expeditions to "Lodging and Learning" experiences within the comfort of park lodging. Some are specifically for families.
Tours with Accessibility
Access Tours (Box 499, Victor, ID, 83455. 800/929-4811. www.accesstours.org) leads nine-day trips for people who use wheelchairs or walk slowly and can customize trips for groups of four or more.
