Travel Notes: Small cruises great for adventure travel

Are you a traveler who wants an adventure vacation? You want to escape from everyday life and schedule, but not just to lie on a beach. You want a vacation that will provide an escape to a different world with learning experiences to enrich your life. Travel companies have recognized these needs and have responded.

There are cruises available on 100- to 140-passenger ships which can take you to remote Alaska shores or the Sea of Cortez in Baha, Calif., for example, whereas larger ships are limited to specific ports. These ships carry historians, naturalists and other experts who are excited about the places you will be visiting and willing to share their knowledge.

You will escape from crowds to areas that are seldom visited and enjoyed an unregimented approach to exploration. If the opportunity arises to follow brown bears along a shore line, or have an impromptu barbecue on a deserted beach, it can be done.

These specialty cruises run from eight days and up, so they can easily fit into a vacation schedule. Other destinations include the Pacific Northwest, New England and Nova Scotia, the Great Lakes, and Greenland and the path of the ancient Vikings.

A true adventure trip that has the endorsement of enthusiastic travelers of all ages is river rafting.

There are so many options and services now available that rafting/camping trips can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of experience or age.

Guides are trained in technical skills and safety, but they also are skilled at making everyone feel included, or giving privacy, and their knowledge makes your experience memorable. Often they are the cooks on your trip and meals are not even close to "grub." Big breakfasts, fresh salads and fruit, or fettuccini with shrimp, or perhaps morning coffee in your tent are standard fare. Equipment is provided dome tents with heavily cushioned pads.

The packing, unpacking, loading of boats, etc. is left to the guides so that you'll have time for campfires, sunsets, and sharing ghost stories or games with your family and friends. Destinations include Idaho, Arizona and California.

Another destination that is close, but oh, so far away, is Costa Rica. Costa Rica has an awesome variety of natural beauty, and is aware of its value. Nearly 12 percent of the country is under the protection of the national park system.

Costa Rica offers rare birds, turtles, animals, and hundreds of species of ferns and orchids. Other natural wonders include coral reefs, jungle scenery, active volcanoes, and white- and black-sand beaches.

Things to do include deep-sea fishing, horseback riding, surfing and rafting. San Jose has many interesting museums, lively markets and a consistent, spring-like climate.

Costa Rica has been a democracy since 1889, and it has enjoyed a largely peaceful history. It has a high literacy rate and enjoys a comfortable standard of living.

So, if new experiences and a departure from your everyday routine are what you need, get excited it's available!

(Linda Strait is president of House of Travel Inc., a full-service travel agency in Springfield.)