In the Mountains

The whole experience was tremendous. My own most enduring memories,are of the guides, porters and cooks who took us up there. Whilst I were struggling up with day packs, the porters and cooks were racing up carrying our main packs, together with tents, food and water. By the time we reached camp they had already pitched the tents and prepared a meal. In addition, as we entered the campsite, they greeted us with an African song and dance routine! This was followed by a sit-down meal that was always well presented and palatable (if only I had an appetite). How the cooks managed to prepare spicy chicken and chips at 4,600 meters remains a mystery to me.

Souvenirs: If you are like me and like to get a few souvenirs from your trip, I recommend getting things in Moshi rather than getting them in Arusha if you have the option. Smaller town, easier to navagate, a little more tourist friendly. The Tanzania soccer jerseys are pretty cool if you are looking for a gift for a boy.

I found my biggest enemy on summit day was not the altitude, but the almost unbearable cold. I have spent a lot of time in the cold and grew up in it. I know how to layer and what to wear. But this was a whole new level of cold to me. Take in to account, of course, your personal build and your track record with cold, but I would say plan for colder than you think.

This was an awesome trip and probably the highlight of my trip to Africa. The views, not only at the summit but along the whole trip were simply amazing. The culture of the mountain is so friendly and encouraging as well. As porters pass you, because this mountain is nothing to them, they are almost always positive and remind you to keep going. And I gotta say, reaching the top of a mountain is pretty great.

Been here twice. Love this place. Beautiful.

Maine... so, so LOVELY!

See Egg Rock Light, (Acadia Loop Road, south of Bar Harbor.). This 1875 lighthouse is located on a barren ledge in the middle of Frenchman Bay, east of Mount Desert Island. It can be viewed from the Acadia NP Loop Road.

In the park Lodging options The only lodging available in the park is found in our campgrounds and Wilderness Cabins. The Kīpahulu Area has a drive-up campground available, while the Summit Area has a drive-up campground and is your access point to the trails leading to our Wilderness campgrounds and Wilderness cabins. Kula provides the closest hotels and bed-and-breakfast lodging to the Summit Area. The nearest to the Kīpahulu Area is in the Hāna area. Please contact the Maui Visitor Bureau for more information on the lodging available outside of Haleakalā National Park.

We drove up to Haleakala to see the sunrise and can easily say that it was the best thing we did on Maui. It is so beautiful and amazing to see the world awaken

It's a long day getting to Haleakala but worth it. I've hiked into the crater and done the bike ride down to the beach - both well worth it.

I was there with my parents when I was young, have to go there with my girlfriend now =)

This National Park is the closest to me, so have been there many times. I always see something new, and never tire of its beauty. Of course, fall is when it is in all its glory.

So lovely! While there I could hear the old folk song... in my head! Was sort of sad in a way.

you can get your nature fix here and then roll out to the wineries and bed and breakfasts then head back to the city all in one day

lots of deer and even bear!

Since the number of trek permits is limited to 500 per day (about 200 tourists and 300 trekking staff) it is important to book well in advance. The trek permits are issued on a first-come-first-served basis up until all the permits have been sold out. In the low season (December & January) there are some days when there are still permits available 4 or 5 days in advance, but in the high season (May to September) it is recommended that you book at least 4 months in advance to guarantee a place. We would actually recommend making a reservation 5 or 6 months ahead. You can check out how many permits are left on our webpage Inca Trail trek permit availability. If the Inca Trail is already fully booked on the departure date that you require you can always consider one of the Alternative Inca Trail Treks

This TRULY is God's country! The gorgeous seascapes, the thickly ferned rain forests, huge, HUGE trees, Hurricane Ridge, The depth of the color GREEN...ALL AMAZING and beautiful. I would return in a heart beat to this most awesome region. My only regret was not to have planned for more time when there.

Elk and Eagles galore

Many, many, times over my childhood years !!!

Beautiful park.

LOVED this. We spend a wonderful time at a motel on the Blue Ridge Parkway... Could not decide if we wanted to stay there because it was bit expensive but then we learned that dinner and breafast were included! The lady who signed us in said her husband were right then busy fishing for trout for dinner! Wow! Dinner was amazing! The trout outstanding and then the chef (owner) came by with a pan with trout and asked if we wanted more!!! Later we were served a wonderful fruit pie for desert and again, the chef came buy and asked if we wanted anotherp piece! And the view in the photo above, was our view from our little cabin and the flankets were turned down with chocolates on the pillow! So, yes, the trip and amazing scenery, Gatlanberg, Tennessee in general, the mountains and all were breath-taking but our little motel put the cherry on top. Wish I can remember the name of it???

Saw bear while i was here.

Again missed out because of the weather in NZ!

Want to go there! But probably won't. major knee problems :-(

Make sure you leave yourself enough time to spend at least one full day on a park tour. Spend the night and see what you didn't see the previous day.

WOW !!! What an amazing place !!!

Such a wonderful place. The beauty is abound! We saw lots of moose. Stayed in Teton Village.

Have been there countless times. Always on my 'tour guide' list when family visits. Oh, SO beautiful! One cannot help but take postcard type photos!

One of my top 5 National Parks. Beautiful, peaceful, wildlife, hiking, nature trails. Camped in Moran and woke up each day to the beautiful Teton range. Each hour and moment of the day the mountains were so beautiful and different. The storms would pass over them each afternoon and in the morning the sun would reflect upon them. Just absolutely love this part of America. Wish I could have stayed there forever!

Want to go there someday!

We recently went to Great Basin National Park and toured the Lehman Caves. It was $10 a person for the whole tour and it was worth it. We learned a lot, saw some amazing structures and enjoyed the 90 minute tour.

saw this years ago. Beautiful glaciers and the cave tour was great.

While in that general area, check out David Mountains State Park, Fort Davis, TX.

Some day...

Been here twice. First time, never saw the mountain. Last time, in May, the mountain came out, and I was in awe!! We stayed at the Paradise Inn two nights, and the mountain is beautiful from there. Can hike up towards the mountain from there. Yes, there was LOTS of snow, which made the setting that much more beautiful.

Have been to Washington and seen this from afar. Looks so lovely.

very nice- went in May LOTS of snow!

Beautiful, beautiful!

Tour some of this park in early evening. Mountains were pretty

Great place for viewing wildlife

Gorgeous drive across the mountain. This is one of my Favs!

The sweet mountain air! Went to a writer's conference there... very inspiring! Aumtum in the rockies are something one just have to do, at least once...

There are lots of people here but it is a national park, so just be prepared for that. This is of the best places to go if you want to get out in Nature with little to no planning. Just pull into one of the ranger stations and let them know what you would like to see and how strenuous hike you can do and they will give you several options. All of which will be magnificent.

What can you say, when you see these giants? They leave you speechless. Loved this place, and yes I DID hug a tree!

We camped, hiked and enjoyed the amazing scenery. A return is a must!

Huge trees!! The General Sherman is a must see while in the park and walk the trail with the house and senate and the president trees!

spectacular

quiet campground, great for star gazing

Not totally impressed and the campground needs improvement, but the boys loved wearing headlamps in the caves.

Come prepared for those un-expected early fall storms. It was 95 degrees when we started our trip to Mt Whitney from San Diego, and it snowed 16 inches at base camp. Nothing like snowballs in summer!

When it is relatively free of snow, from approximately July to October, the Mount Whitney Trail provides a non-technical, but strenuous, route to the summit of Mt. Whitney.

Wilderness permits may be reserved in advance. For more information. click here... Due to the high demand for Day Use and Overnight Mt Whitney Permits, a lottery is held for reservations. There is not a waiting list for cancelations. The space left after the lottery will be available to reserve at the end of April. For trips in May, June or July; apply on April 20, 2011 For trips in August, Sept. or October; apply April 27, 2011 Application to reserve after the lottery.

Bring bear-resistant canister: From May 25 to October 31, backpackers are required to carry a bear-resistant canister; these can be rented at the Interagency Visitors Center south of Lone Pine or the Whitney Portal Store for a nominal fee. Black bears are common along the Mount Whitney Trail. Night sightings of these bears are not unusual. When traveling at night, hikers are advised to wield a bright headlight and a shrill whistle; making many strange, loud noises will alert the bears to human presence. If possible, hikers should travel in a larger group as bears are much less likely to approach a group than a single person.

Visiting the park is recommended between late December and late February, during the southern summer. Not only is the weather more hospitable, but daylight hours are very long given the extreme southern latitude. Outside of this time frame, the weather becomes too extreme for the majority of the public, and daylight dwindles to only a few hours a day.

One of my top 3 places to ski in north america. Great big mountain and fun village to hang out in after a day on the slopes.

Wow - Whistler with its uncrowded slopes and true ski in - ski out lodging is one of the world's great ski mountains for recreational skiers and boarders. The drive from Vancouver, BC is breathtaking.

If you want a different change of pace try a snow mobile ride. It's super fun and the guides are great.