ET African Journeys Mama Hope Fund-Raising Trek up Mount Kilimanjaro Features Gourmet Feast by Chef Pierre Thiam at World’s Highest Pop-up Restaurant

African safari and tour provider ET African Journeys has partnered with Mama Hope, a non-profit organization that invests in projects that bring food, security, clean water, education and health care to African communities in need, to offer the Mama Hope Kilimanjaro Expedition, a hike to benefit Moshi, Tanzania’s St. Timothy’s School. Departing on Tuesday, July 30th, this one-of-a-kind trek up Africa’s highest mountain boasts an amenity that no other tour provider offers: a gourmet feast prepared by world-renowned African Chef Pierre Thiam at the world’s highest-altitude pop-up restaurant. Chef Thiam will open the temporary restaurant at a base camp at 12,500 feet above sea level exclusively to celebrate the fund-raising climb. After summiting Mount Kilimanjaro via the scenic Machame route, climbers will descend to the base camp restaurant to dine on Chef Thiam’s specially-prepared African regional cuisine, while enjoying views of the surrounding forests and grasslands.

Following the hike, travelers will spend two days volunteering at St. Timothy’s School, a school and children’s home built by Mama Hope and partnering organization, The Tanzania Children Concern, to educate Tanzanian orphans. Mama Hope’s community-centered development approach enabled St. Timothy’s to employ over 600 workers from the local community in the construction of the school.

“We are now focused on funding the construction of a boarding house on the St. Timothy’s compound, which will give the region’s orphans a home as well as an education,” said Mama Hope founder Nyla Rodgers. “This trip is a wonderful way to get Americans to come to Africa and get involved with a very worthy cause.”

“Adventurers who want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro don’t typically need much enticing, but this trip offers so much more than the satisfaction of the climb,” added ET African Journeys Vice President of Business Development Gilad Goren, who conceived of the trip concept with Rodgers. “It’s a chance to raise funds for a great cause, volunteer at a school and meet the children they are helping and, as an added perk, enjoy possibly the most unique dining experience of their lives, forgoing trail mix for a gourmet meal prepared by Chef Thiam.”

The Mama Hope Kilimanjaro Expedition is available for $3,500, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting St. Timothy’s School. Price includes lodging, Kilimanjaro climb and gourmet meal. For more information, call 800-662-5406 or visit www.etafricanjourneys.com/mamahope.

Mama Hope works in close partnership with local African organizations to connect them with the resources required to transform their own communities. The organization’s projects are managed for and by partner communities themselves to ensure sustainability. With a mission to fund the completion of schools, health clinics, children’s centers, clean water systems and food security projects.

ET African Journeys is a joint venture by Ethiopian Airlines and Group IST to create exciting, original, thematic, educational and cultural travel programs to Ethiopia and beyond. Working with the most experienced providers in the region, ET African Journeys is able to offer a diverse range of quality tour products at competitive prices to both the individual traveler and the group organizer. Ethiopian Airlines is the only non-stop service between the East Coast of the United States and the East Coast of Africa and is one of the largest and most modern air carriers on the African continent.

Follow in the Footsteps of Hudson River School Painters along Scenic Hiking Trails in New York’s Catskill Mountains

This summer, take an artistic hiking trip through the Catskill Mountains and discover the scenic vistas that inspired America’s first distinctive artistic style, the Hudson River School of Art.

From the front steps of the founding father’s home in Catskill, now the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, the Hudson River School of Art Trail winds along the pristine river valleys and mountain peaks that captivated Cole and his contemporaries. At each of the first eight sites along the Hudson Valley section of the Art Trail, a special metal plaque with a rubbing medallion has been installed, allowing visitors to do a pencil rubbing as a keepsake. The Art Trail includes sites in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, with the final site due for installation in Yellowstone National Park later this year.

Hudson River School painters captivated the world in the early-to-mid-1800s with their fierce desire to preserve America’s wild places and raise awareness through art of the fragile balance between nature and civilization. Cole and his contemporaries captured the wild, breathtaking beauty of America’s untouched forests, mountains and rivers, laying the foundation for what would become our National Parks.

Awaken to Adventure along the Hudson River School Art Trail and see Kaaterskill Falls, the highest cascading waterfall in New York State, gaze across the Hudson River Valley from the lofty perch that was once the Catskill Mountain House, and stop at North-South Lake and Sunset Rock. There are 15 Art Trail sites in the Hudson River Valley, and many of the hiking trails offer easy-to-moderate conditions, though some require skill and should only be attempted by experienced hikers. Special markers are located at key sites so visitors know which artist stopped to paint at that site.

The Thomas Cole National Historic Site is open Wednesday to Sunday each week, from May through October. Guided tours of Cole’s house and studio are offered for a fee, though visitors are welcome to tour the grounds, visitor center and gift shop free of charge. For more information about the Art Trail and visiting the Great Northern Catskills of Greene County’s cultural and artistic heritage sites, visit www.greatnortherncatskills.com.

About Greene County:

Greene County is located in the Great Northern Catskill Mountains and the verdant Hudson River Valley.  The region is home to five of the 10 highest Catskill Peaks and the Catskill State Park and is known as the nation’s first wilderness. Greene County is renowned as the home of Thomas Cole’s Hudson River School and the inspiration for Washington Irving’s literary legend, Rip Van Winkle, and was named in honor of American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. This 705,500 acre wilderness offers abundant year-round outdoor recreation and unique cultural events.  Learn more about Catskills packages and events at www.GreatNorthernCatskills.com.

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NYS’ 9th Annual Adirondack Boreal Birding Festival to be held June 7-9

The 9th Annual Adirondack Boreal Birding Festival kicks off in the heart of New York’s Adirondack Park on June 7 with three days of guided hikes, lectures and driving safaris.

At the center of the Hamilton County festival are 17 birding walks and driving safaris dispersed throughout the county over three days.  All the outings are free and are led by established birding guides. The festival will also feature a Saturday, June 8 program with international birding expert Dr. Bruce Beehler. His first book, “Birdlife of the Adirondacks,” propelled him into a career that has spanned the globe.

Beehler made headlines when he discovered two birds in New Guinea previously believed to be non-existent, and has worked on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, Conservation International and the U.S. Department of State.

“As soon as the 2013 festival schedule went up on the website, we started to get calls to register,” states Dean Nervik, tourism specialist with the county Department of Planning, Tourism and Community Development, and organizer of the festival.

Dr. Beehler will also join several of the guided birding excursions, but even organizers don’t know which ones he’ll select. Boreal birds are birds that nest and breed in northern forests and include black-backed woodpeckers, gray jays, a variety of warblers and water fowl.

“Since boreal birds can’t be found in Texas and a lot of other parts of this country, we generally attract a lot of out-of-state attendees to the festival,” Nervik said. The festival was developed to take advantage of the region’s unique wildlife and attract out-of-area visitors to the county during a shoulder season, he added.

The first registrant for the 9th Annual Adirondack Boreal Birding Festival comes from Texas. She plans to stay in Long Lake for the June 7th through 9th event in Hamilton County.

Advance registration is required for birding excursions and groups are kept small to insure that breeding species may be observed.

For a complete schedule of Adirondack Boreal Birding Festival events, visit www.Adirondackbirds.com or call 518 548-3076.

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Contest Encourages Visitors to Follow in the Footsteps of Hudson River School Painters in the Catskill Mountains

The Thomas Cole National Historic Site and the Olana State Historic Site has launched the Hudson River School Art Trail contest featuring an artistic hiking trail that follows in the footsteps of America’s premier landscape painters, and ends with the chance to win a weekend getaway to the Catskill Mountains.

The Hudson River School Art Trail features over 20 locations spanning the Hudson River Valley Region and New England. At each of the first eight sites along the Hudson Valley section of the Art Trail, a special metal plaque with a rubbing medallion has been installed, allowing visitors to do a pencil rubbing as a keepsake.

The contest encourages visitors to complete all eight rubbings in either their own notebook or in the official Art Trail Passport, which is available for purchase at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site and Olana State Historic Site.  Upon completion, participants simply present the completed series of rubbings to representatives at the Visitor Center for either the Thomas Cole or Olana Historic Sites by November 3, 2013 to receive an official certificate of completion. The first 20 people to complete all eight rubbings and present them at one of the two visitor centers will receive a free copy of the newly released second edition of the Hudson River School Guidebook. Participants who complete the eight rubbings will also be entered in a special grand prize drawing for a chance to win a weekend getaway to the Catskills.

Each metal plaque features a QR code that can be scanned by smartphones for more information and a rubbing medallion with a drawing of the view in raised relief so that participants can easily capture the scene by placing a piece of paper over the design and rubbing it with pencil, crayon or charcoal. For more information about the Art Trail locations, directions, itinerary suggestions and more, visit www.hudsonriverschool.org. See offers.hudsonriverschool.org for complete contest information.

The Hudson River School Art Trail Contest is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Hudson River Art Trail:

The Hudson River Art Trail project maps the sites where America’s premier landscape painters stopped to capture the wild, untamed landscape of the young country’s vast wilderness. The views from these sites appear in famous landscape paintings, and the mobile website at www.hudsonriverschool.org enables people to compare the painted and actual views.

There are 18 sites in the Hudson Valley, two in New Hampshire and one in Massachusetts with sites planned as far away as Wyoming.

The Art Trail begins at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in the village of Catskill, which is fitting because Cole is credited as the father of the Hudson River School. Cole’s former home is now the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, located just two miles from Olana State Historic Site, the former home of Cole’s friend and fellow painter Frederic Church.

Olana is the second stop on the trail, and one of the partners in administering the 2013 art trail contest along with the Greene County Tourism Department and the Columbia County Tourism Department. For more information about the Hudson River Art School Trail, visit www.hudsonriverschool.org.

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New Life Hiking Spa Opens in Green Mountains of Vermont for its 35th Season

New Life Hiking Spa in Killington, Vermont in the Green Mountains has just opened for its 35th season, through the last weekend in September.

Founded by Jimmy LeSage, M.S., in 1978, New Life has become one of North America’s most recognized spa vacations.

“I came up with the idea of New Life after attending a six week yoga retreat in Val Morin, Canada in 1977”, states Mr. LeSage. He went on to say, “I had been living and working in Vermont for a few years after graduating with a degree in education from Florida State University and took the opportunity to use a ski hotel in the summers for my idea in 1978.”

The first 12 years of New Life Hiking Spa were spent in Stratton Mountain, Vermont and the program consisted of hiking, yoga, aerobics and healthy food. In 1990, he moved New Life to the newly opened Inn of the Six Mountains in Killington, Vermont where it remains today. In the early 90’s Mr. LeSage also received his Master’s Degree in Counseling and studied nutrition at Harvard University, which he uses for lectures and individual counseling sessions for guests wanting to learn how to deal with stress and obtaining or maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

SpaFinders, which is the world’s largest resource for the spa industry, has selected New Life Hiking Spa as one of the 25 Pioneer Spas which have shaped the spa industry as we know it today. New Life is consistently picked as one of the top ten spas in the world by SpaFinder’s Reader’s Choice Awards for hiking, solo travel, weight loss, affordability and fitness classes. In addition, in 2011, Jimmy LeSage, M.S. was chosen as one of the world’s top ten best spa managers.

In recent years, New Life Hiking Spa has been recognized as a top destination for weight loss and a healthy vacation. Since 2005, New Life has been selected as a top ten fitness vacation by MSNBC, and a top weight loss spa by Shape Magazine and Health Magazine. “In the past decade, there has been a major focus on healthy vacations and weight loss spas due to America’s expanding waistlines and reality TV programs that focus on losing weight. We have always been about health, hiking, whole foods and stress reduction since we opened our doors in 1978, but now there is a major focus in the media on the subject”, said Mr. LeSage.

For the 19 weeks a year New Life Hiking Spa is open, approximately 600 guests from all over the world come to visit New Life in the Green Mountains of Vermont. New Life Hiking Spa averages approximately 40 guests per week and employs an average of 35 people each season. Massage therapists, chefs, office staff, hike leaders and fitness instructors make New Life a caring and comfortable vacation where guests at any fitness level feel at ease coming alone or with a friend or partner.

Currently, New Life is in the summer edition of Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England and NewsMax Magazine, both on newsstands now. New Life Hiking Spa was chosen in Yankee Magazine as the 2012 Editor’s Choice for “Best Place to Rejuvenate” and in NewsMax Magazine for “Best Singles Vacations”.

Guests at New Life Hiking Spa experience rejuvenation with an all-inclusive spa vacation. New Life offers mini-getaways of three to four days, healthy “Jump Start” packages of 5-10 days and an 11 night or longer Weight Loss Retreat. Prices range from $249-$219 per night and include a private room with a private bath, three nutritious meals per day, healthy snacks, guided hikes along the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail (three levels offered per day), yoga classes, fitness classes, water aerobics in a heated indoor pool, cooking demos, healthy eating lectures, and one massage is included for every three night stay.

More information can be found online at New Life Hiking Spa’s Website: http://www.newlifehikingspa.com or http://www.WeightLossSpa.com.

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New Life Hiking Spa Celebrates Upcoming 35th Summer in Vermont with a $350 Discount on the Opening Day Weight Loss Retreat

New Life Hiking Spa, a nationally recognized affordable spa for men and women located in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont since 1978, known for its exhilarating hiking program, a world renowned weight loss retreat, delicious healthy meals and a comfortable atmosphere, is taking reservations for its 2012 season, May 17-September 30.

Founded in 1978 as a healthy hiking and spa vacation by Jimmy LeSage, M.S., New Life Hiking Spa offers the chance to experience the peace of the outdoors in a down-to-earth, country inn environment. The resort hosts approximately 600 visitors each year from around the globe.

To mark the occasion of the 35th Summer Anniversary, New Life is offering a $350 discount off the first 11 night Weight Loss Retreat of the year (May 17 – 28) for double occupancy. That is a total price of $1,949 (plus service and tax) per person for the entire 11 nights.

In addition, early booking specials are also available for $20 a night discount on any length of stay from May 17th – September 15th or $300 off the total price of an 11 night Weight Loss Retreat for the following dates: May 17-28, May 29-June 9, June 29-July 10, July 10 – 21, any 11 nights during the month of August or September 1-12.

Reservations must take place by February 10, 2012 to receive the discounted rates. Discounts cannot be combined.

“We are excited to be celebrating our 35th Summer in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont” stated Jimmy LeSage, founder and director. “We have been one of the spa industry’s best values since we began in 1978 and we are pleased to continue to offer a fabulous destination spa vacation at an affordable price with superior service. For the 19 weeks we are open, there is simply no better place to go hiking than New Life Hiking Spa in Killington, Vermont. The weather and views are fantastic, we have an experienced staff, fabulous fitness and wellness classes and tasty spa cuisine!” he went on to say.

New Life Hiking Spa’s prices are all inclusive. The nightly rate includes a room with a private bath, three healthy meals a day, fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks, one basic massage for each 3 night stay, all fitness programming, daily guided hikes (three levels offered per day), cooking demos, lectures and evening activities. Regular nightly rates start at $209 per night and vary based on length of stay and occupancy.

In January of 2010 & 2011, New Life Hiking Spa was selected as one of the top 10 fitness vacations in the world by MSNBC. New Life Hiking Spa was selected by Shape Magazine as “one of the eight best weight loss spas”, and by Health Magazine as “one of four great weight loss spas”. For Six years in a row (2006-2011) New Life has won Best for Going Solo, Best for Hiking and Best for Affordability by SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Awards. In addition, Jimmy LeSage was also voted as one of the top ten Spa Managers in the world in 2011 by SpaFinder Reader’s Choice Awards.

More information can be found online at New Life Hiking Spa’s Website: http://www.newlifehikingspa.com or a three minute video can be seen at http://www.VermontSpa.com.

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Wayfarers, Famed for Walking Tours, Introduces Colorado Snowshoeing Holiday

If you can walk, you can snowshoe. Known for its walking tours, the Wayfarer’s new "Walk on Snow In Colorado" trek is a four-day/three-night, calorie-blasting journey that includes accommodations at the historic (and haunted) Stanley Hotel © 2011 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

“If you can walk, you can snowshoe,” say legions of snowshoeing enthusiasts. The sport’s easy learning curve is the inspiration behind The Wayfarer’s new “Walk on Snow in Colorado” trek, a four-day/three-night, calorie-blasting journey that includes accommodations at the historic (and haunted) Stanley Hotel made famous by Stephen King’s The Shining, all meals, and a 25-minute massage or reflexology treatment.

Scheduled March 18-21, 2012, the Colorado Snowshoe Walk is priced $1295 per person, based on double occupancy, and also includes the hotel’s famed ghost tour, entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park and snowshoe rental.

Once requisite gear for fur traders, the snowshoe is increasingly considered a winter work-out essential by snow-loving sports enthusiasts. The Wayfarers’ Walk will average two to three miles per day, depending on depth of snow and other terrain conditions. In between, participants will enjoy shopping and lunch in the charming town of Estes Park, a spa treatment at the Stanley’s Parlour Spa, and healthy regional fare in the hotel’s relaxed and luxurious Cascades Restaurant.

Ideal for both first-time and long-term snowshoers, the snowshoe walk pairs a leisurely exploration of the Rocky Mountain’s wintry white scenery with opportunities to unwind in one of the country’s most historic hotels. The 103-year-old Stanley Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America.

About The Wayfarers

Named by National Geographic Traveler as purveyor of one of the “50 Tours of a Lifetime,” and by National Geographic Adventure as one of the “Best Hiking Companies,” The Wayfarers offers an eco-sensitive “walking” holiday of both culture and fitness in 14 countries with 46 itineraries and 80 departure dates. Walks cover Northern Ireland, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Switzerland, Italy, France, New Zealand, Alaska, Colorado and Southwest USA, and a barging/walk combination in Burgundy. Now in its 29^th year, The Wayfarers offers exclusive entrees into homes and gardens otherwise closed to the public, graceful accommodations, outstanding cuisine, and meetings with local residents. Walks are from 6-13 days and are rated on a five-level challenge scale. The Wayfarers is also a member of Trusted Adventures, www.trustedadventures.com, dedicated to the highest standards of small-group travel and to giving back to places visited.

Contact Wayfarers at www.thewayfarers.com. 800-249-4620.

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Dominica’s Waitukubuli National Travel to Preview Aug. 29 – First Hiking Trail to Encompass Entire Island

Roseau, Dominica – Discover Dominica Authority and the Waitukubuli National Trail Project (WNTP) will announce the official opening for the first two segments of the Waitukubuli National Trail at their Summer Adventure and Hike Event, Sunday, August 29.

Once completed, the Waitukubuli National Trail (WNT) will be the first and only walking trail that traverses the entire Caribbean island. The trail will run from the south to the north, with a distance of 115 miles. It will be divided into 14 different segments with levels varying from easy family hikes to longer and more challenging hikes. Each trail will offer breathtaking views of Dominica’s unspoiled nature, pristine waterfalls and lush rainforests.

The event will highlight on-going work of the WNTP, feature a series of activities including hiking events for children and adults, the unveiling of the first billboard promoting the WNTP and will end with a closing ceremony by the WNTP Project Management Unit.  The closing ceremony will be concluded with entertainment from Fanatik Band and Club DVD Sounds.

“With the Waitukubuli National Trail being the first hiking trail to cover an entire Caribbean island, promoting the trail will become one of the key marketing tactics we utilize to attract hikers from around the world,” comments Colin Piper, CEO/Director of Tourism at Discover Dominica Authority. “The trail was created to showcase the natural beauty and lush rainforests of our island, with this event designed to give visitors a better understanding of the WNTP.”

Activities will begin at 10 am and all races will be held on Segments 4 and 5 of the WNT, covering the community of Sylvania and the Emerald Pool. Following the competitions, activities will be held within Sylvania.

Known as “the Nature Island” and located between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean, the independent nation of Dominica (pronounced “dom-in-eek-a”) is the largest and most mountainous of the Windward Islands, encompassing an area of nearly 290 square miles. Of volcanic origins with mountains reaching heights of nearly 5,000 feet, rainforests that are considered among the last true oceanic rainforests in the world, more than 365 rivers, waterfalls the second largest Boiling Lake in the world and pristine coral reefs, Dominica’s natural diversity is truly unique. Dominica is also home to the last remaining settlement of Indigenous People of the Caribbean – The Carib Indians.

A place where man and nature live in harmony, adventurers and nature lovers alike will revel in the Island’s eco-tourism options which include scuba diving, snorkeling, mountain biking, kayaking, horseback riding, nature tours, hiking/trekking, whale, dolphin and bird watching, sailing and fishing.

Dominica continues to be recognized for its attributes and responsible tourism efforts, including being the first country in the world to receive Benchmarking designation from the prestigious eco-tourism organization Green Globe 21. National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destination ranked the island as the top sustainable island in the Caribbean and among the top ten in the world. Dominica was recognized by Islands Magazine and was included in its 2007 Blue List for being a leader in responsible tourism and ensuring an environmentally and culturally sound island for future generations. Travel + Leisure also announced Dominica as one of the most compelling destinations to visit in their 100 Greatest Trips 2008 edition. Most recently, Dominica was recognized as the 2^nd most “pure island” in the world in the April/May 2010 issue of Islands Magazine.

For more information on Dominica, contact Discover Dominica Authority at 866-522-4057. Or, visit Dominica’s official website: www.discoverdominica.com or follow Dominica on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.