|
Page 4 of 4
7. Vineyard Walk
Sonoma, California
While Sonoma may be a household name, there are still quality vineyards and wineries to be discovered. The only reasonable way to see this off-the-radar part of wine country is by tying up the walking shoes and strolling the vineyards with the producers themselves.
Days What’s unusual about Sonoma County is its diversity, from the cool coast to the arid inland. Walks between wineries such as Murphy-Goode, Sausal, and Alexander Valley end with private tastings. For an even fresher view of wine country, opt for a hike in Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve and a morning canoe ride on the Russian River.
Nights An average night might unfold something like this: Dine on lamb with cabernet sauce at a sleekly designed wine-country restaurant like Taverna Santi, in Geyserville, take an easy constitutional around the vineyards next door, then retire to one of 38 rooms in the Geyserville Inn, offering cozy fireplaces and balconies with countryside views.
Best moment Learning the finer points of cabernet and pinot noir varietals during a private tour with Saralee Kunde, who cultivates 16 wine and 17 table-grape varieties on six Sonoma vineyards. From $1,900 for a guided five-day itinerary; sonomavineyardwalks.com
8. Trail of the Red Deer
Black Forest, Germany
Germans are no slouches when it comes to walking, perhaps in part because of the high-quality trails in their homeland. The 70-mile Trail of the Red Deer loop through the Black Forest is one of the finest. Not only does it travel through farmland, lake country, and thick forests, but it’s also dotted with elegant rustic hotels a day’s walk apart.
Days Walks are moderate, between seven and 14 hilly miles each day, which means trekkers move fast through the bucolic backdrop. But there’s ample reason to slow down: Between shocks of thick conifer forest lie deep-blue glacial lakes, moors, and lookout points over the whole lot. Take an hour to investigate Freudenstadt’s market square, lined with sidewalk cafés for a mid-afternoon coffee.
Nights Robust German cuisine is ideal fuel for trekking, and the region is replete with specialties: Black Forest cake or Black Forest ham, for example. Lodges feature steep, gabled roofs; cozy fireplaces; and medicinal spas with curious European features (tepidarium, anyone?). Inside, trekkers congregate at the bar around pints of local pilsner.
Best moment The first taste of the smoked trout, a regional specialty, during a leisurely lunch at Fischerstube, in the village of Obertal. $890 for a supported seven-night itinerary; worldwalks.com
9. El Camino de Santiago
Spain
Since the Middle Ages, Christians from queens to farmers have traveled the 450-plus-mile Camino de Santiago de Compostela route across northern Spain to St. James’s tomb in Santiago. Today, the UNESCO World Heritage route draws pilgrims from as far as Latin America and Japan, including many trekkers. Ticking off the last 60 miles may be the best way to see the thatched-roof villages, ancient monasteries, and wine country of northern Spain.
Days A day of walking can range between 10 and 15 miles, but with stops at Roman excavations, towering stone castles, and 12th-century churches, it will take well longer than a similar hike in the wilderness. Between these diversions lie stands of eucalyptus, patchwork vineyards, and—God bless Spain—bars and cafés that beckon for lazy lunches.
Nights Good hospitality is a tradition on the pilgrimage route, and travelers are often welcomed by farmers, who keep immaculate stone cottages and cook regional specialties like suckling lamb in a clay pot. The route rambles through towns with majestic paradors, which offer luxe lodging in 15th-century castles, and the El Bierzo wine region.
Best moment Standing alone in Navarra’s Iglesia de Santa María de Eunate and contemplating the faith that led millions to travel this route. $5,250 for a guided 11-day itinerary from Madrid; saranjan.com
10. Rogue River National Recreation Trail
Oregon
On the Rogue River, the restorative effect of wilderness solitude is amplified by the comfort of five riverside lodges, built in the early 1900s and accessible only by foot or raft. A 44-mile trail, originally constructed by miners, connects them all by lush second-growth forests.
Days In spring, temperatures hover in the seventies, and wildflowers like Oregon iris, columbine, and Indian paintbrush damn near take over the Douglas fir forests. On a four-day journey, each day’s walk ranges from seven to 15 miles but tends downhill, loosely following the clamorous river through wilderness alive with deer, bears, and eagles.
Nights Evenings are social at the river’s main lodges, made cozy by roaring fires and spirits carried in by rafts. Despite their remoteness, the lodges serve decidedly hearty meals, featuring top sirloin, seafood, organic produce, and bread baked fresh by the innkeepers. Look skyward en route to a private cabin; with only kerosene lamps to light the night, the sky is as dark—and salty—as the ocean, some 26 miles away.
Best moment Watching black bears hunt for fish during the chinook runs. $900 for a four-day raft-supported itinerary; wildrogue.com
11. Turquoise Coast
Turkey
The lunarlike landscapes of Cappadocia practically embody Turkey, but heading south to the Turquoise Coast reveals the country’s wilder side. The best way to travel the arid paths that ply these rough, mountainous shores is by pulling up anchor on a gulet (a two-masted pine or teak sailboat) and walking from cove to cove.
Days From the ship, the stark, rugged shore may seem unvaryingly pristine. But walking uncovers the area’s history as the crossroads of two continents, with Lycian tombs, Greek and Roman ruins, and ancient fishing villages among the riches you’ll find.
Nights Meals of local bass, crab, and Turkish dishes like dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) taste even better when taken on the deck of a gulet in a salty breeze and the drowsy light of sunset. Below, private cabins are palatial by sailing standards.
Best moment Nothing is more refreshing post-hike than diving into a bay and swimming through baby-blue waters to your waiting vessel—except, perhaps, the crisp Efes beer that follows. From $4,500 for an eight-day itinerary from Uchisar, Turkey; backroads.com
12. Travesía Salar de Uyuni
Chile and Bolivia
Those who know deserts know tha
t the only way to grasp them is by looking closely—and patiently. A seven-day traverse of the Bolivian and Chilean altiplanos to the Uyuni salt flats, the world’s largest and highest, offers such a look. Amid the stark landscape of iridescent white earth and boiling geysers, trekkers wander through shepherd villages preserved in the amber of another century.
Days The first thing travelers will notice about the altiplanos is the elevation—walks typically range from 10,000 to 14,000 feet. The second is the steadfastly sunny weather, which highlights the desert skies’ immensity. While Explora’s off-road vehicles ferry supplies between the four camps, trekkers meet Bolivian nomads, spot hawks and the occasional puma, and marvel at geothermal fields that spit colored mud.
Nights The enormity of the salt flats, fringed by mountains and
volcanoes, is best pondered at day’s end, while sitting in a camp chair with a glass of Chilean Carménère. A chef prepares open-air meals with seafood flown in from the coast. Stay overnight in ancient stone-and-straw homes refinished with local textiles and hardwood flooring.
Best moment Happening on 2,000 Andean flamingos on Red Lake, one of numerous lagoons on the Chilean altiplano. $5,970 for an 11-day itinerary; explora.com
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 Next > End >>
|
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form