During the time of year when many people begin staying inside more and making holiday plans, the great outdoors still beckons adventurous souls into the chilly air or to destinations where warmer weather prevails. Get your thrills far from the crowds at these off-the-beaten-path destinations, ranging from glaciers in Iceland to a barrier reef in the Bahamas and various locales in between.
Credit: Jeremy Koreski
Credit: Jeremy Koreski
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Between November and March, powerful seasonal storms create enormous white-crested waves that pummel the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. They are so mesmerizing to witness that storm watching has become a tourist draw. The trend started in the 1990s in the town of Tofino, where the Wickaninnish Inn was built on a wind-swept rocky outcropping specifically for seeing the awesome power and fury of Mother Nature from a safe promontory. The inn offers a Storm Watchers Package Nov. 1-March 31 that includes three nights’ accommodations, a wine and cheese plate upon arrival, brunch each day and Wickaninnish-branded swag such as oilskin caps. All guests are provided with rain gear, including rubber boots, and given safety information for proper storm watching. Those who don’t want to brave the elements can still see the grandeur of the storms from the cozy comfort of their rooms or seated near a fireplace at the inn’s restaurant offering panoramic views.
Wickaninnish Inn. $540 and up during storm season. 500 Osprey Lane, Tofino, Vancouver Island. 800-333-4604, www.wickinn.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Mountain City
Peak fall color occurs in the mountains of North Georgia between mid-October and early November, a time when hikers love to hit the trails of Georgia’s mountainous state parks. But after all the traffic eases on the region’s roads and footpaths and all the leaves have fallen, there’s a secret season for hikers, one where long-range mountain views are visible through the trees, unlike other times of the year. One of the best state parks for late fall and early winter trail-hounds looking for scenic views is Black Rock Mountain State Park, straddling the Eastern Continental Divide above Mountain City. Here, it’s possible to see peaks in four states at spots along 11 miles of trails. The challenging 7.2-mile James E. Edmond Backcountry Trail summits Lookoff Mountain, with primitive camping allowed at four sites. The moderate 2.2-mile Tennessee Rock Trail leads to Black Rock Mountain’s summit. The easy 1-mile Black Rock Lake Trail loops around an unspoiled 17-acre lake, a hidden gem in a lower section of the park that most visitors overlook on their way to the top.
Black Rock Mountain State Park. $5 parking fee, $20 and up camping, $225 per night mountaintop cottages. 3085 Black Rock Mountain Parkway, Mountain City. 800-864-7275, gastateparks.org/BlackRockMountain.
Cannonville, Utah
Amateur astronomers, astrophiles and those who are “sky curious” can delight at the wonders of the cosmos at Clear Sky Resorts: Bryce Canyon, an 80-acre property founded by Atlanta native Hal Feinberg that specializes in astro-tourism. Located near the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park in the high desert of southern Utah (there’s also a Clear Sky location near the Grand Canyon), guests “glamp” in glass geodesic “sky domes” and take stargazing tours of the universe. The Stargazing Experience, offered nightly, is a one-hour program with an expert guide using a high-powered telescope to peer at galaxies, nebulae and other celestial wonders light-years away from this dark-sky spot. There’s plenty to do during the daylight hours, too, such as horseback riding, hiking and yoga sessions. Dine and drink on-site at Sky Nova ($11 and up) inside a nearly 30-foot high dome with panoramic views of the surrounding canyon landscape.
Clear Sky Resorts: Bryce Canyon. $469 and up. 855 UT-12, Cannonville, Utah. 888-704-4445, brycecanyon.clearskyresorts.com.
Credit: Reuben Krabbe
Credit: Reuben Krabbe
Banff National Park, Alberta
If you’re itching to hit the slopes before winter arrives, head to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, where three high-elevation ski resorts — Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise and Mt. Norquay — typically open in November, earlier than most North American resorts. The resorts are located within an hour’s drive of each other inside park boundaries and are operated by the same company — SkiBig3 — so you can experience all on one lift ticket. OnTheSnow.com ranks Lake Louise and Banff Sunshine as the No. 1 and No. 2 resorts in Canada, respectively, and Mt. Norquay at No. 6. The rankings are based on terrain for all skill levels, ski schools, nearby lodging options and variety of apres ski activities. Customizable vacation packages are available through SkiBig3 that include lodging, rentals, lessons, airport transportation and shuttle service between resorts.
Banff National Park. $155 and up lift tickets. SkiBig3 Banff Adventure Hub, 114 Banff Ave. Banff, Alberta, Canada. 844-754-2443, www.skibig3.com.
New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia
New River Gorge National Park, America’s newest and 63rd national park, invites thrill seekers to BASE jump (free-fall jumping from a fixed point with a parachute) off the 876-foot high New River Gorge Bridge the third Saturday of each October. Bridge Day (Oct. 18, free, $5 cash shuttle service to the site) bills itself as “one of the largest extreme sports events in the world” and is designated as the only day of the year BASE jumping is legal at the site. Only trained jumpers are allowed, and they must preregister for a chance to jump. More accessible but still thrilling, a temporary zip line will be set up for careening 700 feet down from the bridge’s catwalk, no experience required. Beyond Bridge Day, visitors can cross the gorge on the catwalk year-round with a guide. This experience provides one-of-a-kind views of the gorge with nothing between your feet and the river below but the 24-inch-wide beam you’re walking on.
Bridge Walk. $79 and up. 57 Fayette Mine Road, Glen Jean, West Virginia. 304-574-1300, bridgewalk.com.
Andros Island, Bahamas
Divers come to Andros Island for easy access to the 190-mile-long Andros Barrier Reef, the world’s third-largest barrier reef system. It’s known for its healthy coral formations, abundant marine life and for having year-round clear waters with an underwater visibility range of up to 200 feet. Kamalame Cay, a family-run all-inclusive resort on a 97-acre private island along the Andros coastline, reopens Oct. 23 with a variety of diving experiences for all skill levels. For beginners, the Discover Scuba Diving Experience ($110 and up) starts with training sessions in the resort pool. Certified divers can head straight to the reef a mile offshore on excursions ($265 and up) led by experienced staff who know the best dive spots. Full certification courses are also available ($775 and up). If you’re not into donning all the gear required for scuba diving, try the Discover Freediving course ($199) to learn breath-holding techniques and experience the meditative allure of freediving.
Kamalame Cay. $628 and up. Great Barrier Reef, Andros, 800-790-7971, www.kamalame.com.
Credit: Arctic Adventures
Credit: Arctic Adventures
Sólheimajökull Glacier, Iceland
Glacier tourism is a thing in Iceland where international visitors come to explore the Arctic country’s outflow glaciers and their ice caves, crevasses and labyrinths, all of which change from season to season because of shifting ice. One of the most accessible ice tongues in Iceland is Sólheimajökull Glacier, 100 miles from Reykjavík. In early September, longtime Icelandic tour company Arctic Adventures announced it had discovered a new opening to the Azure Ice Cave, which had been previously inaccessible, and it has begun offering small-group tours. Getting to the cave requires hiking 2.5 miles across the glacier. Once there, you’ll have plenty of time for exploring the cave’s passages, illuminated through smooth-as-glass walls glowing in shades of blue and aquamarine. For safety reasons, no one under 12 is allowed. Wear warm, waterproof clothes and sturdy hiking boots; all other necessary safety and ice-climbing equipment is provided. The company offers many other types of glacier tours, including one of an ice labyrinth on Vatnajökull Glacier.
Arctic Adventures Azure Ice Cave Tour. $155 and up. +354 562 7000, adventures.is.
Credit: Visit Florida
Credit: Visit Florida
Marco Island, Florida
When it’s chilly in Atlanta, that’s high season on Marco Island, the southernmost developed island along Florida’s Gulf Coast at the top of the Ten Thousand Islands chain, a protected national wildlife refuge and part of Everglades National Park. It’s a great time to take an ecotour on CraigCat boats, mini catamarans that seat two people and can easily navigate the shallows around the islands. Guided tours are available through Kool Cat Eco Tours ($135, koolcatecotours.com) and Backwater Adventure ($110 and up, backwateradventure.com). Both companies let patrons pilot the watercraft while a guide leads the way in a separate boat. Expect to see a variety of marine life and wildlife such as dolphins, manatees, wintering waterfowl, shorebirds and bald eagles. First-timers to Marco should begin their visit with a stop at the Marco Island Historical Museum, a de facto welcome center with well-curated exhibits that explore the island’s fascinating history from the time of the indigenous Calusa tribe up to the modern era.
Marco Island Historical Museum. Free. 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island, Florida. 239-252-1440, colliermuseums.com.
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