FALL WALKING VACATIONS FROM FROM MAINE TO NEW MEXICO

 FROM MAINE BLUEBERRIES TO NEW MEXICO BURRITOS, THE WAYFARERS’ FALL WALKING VACATIONS PAIR REGIONAL CULINARY WONDERS WITH FIRST-CLASS FITNESS

End-of-Summer Special:  Join Photographer and Photojournalist Ellen Barone on September 12-17 New Mexico Walk

Newport, Rhode Island, July 2010 -- Want to incorporate exercise into a vacation routine without giving up time to tour, explore or travel?  Eager to sample the regional culinary diversity of the U.S. without gaining an ounce? The Wayfarers’ Walking Vacations offer a stress-free way to pair fitness and food exploration, allowing travelers maintain their fitness focus while sampling everything from chilies to chalupas, blueberries to burritos.  This year’s U.S. Walks feature in-depth exploration of several noteworthy National Parks, offering close-to-home opportunities to experience the country’s geographic and culinary diversity without losing one step of a fitness routine. http://www.thewayfarers.com/Our-Walks/Americas/ 

“The United States has incredibly beautiful and varied national parks,” notes Michael West, founder of The Wayfarers.  “The best way to truly appreciate their distinct attributes is to walk through them, allowing time to admire, experience, and soak up the sights at each turn.  If you’re on a tour bus, you’re sedentary and, worse, you’ll only catch a glimpse of the surrounding beauty. We want you to experience the adventure of these areas on a different level, tasting the flavors of each region and staying toned while you do it.”

Five Walks covering three U.S. destinations are offered this fall: Maine, Utah, and New Mexico.  On the New Mexico Walk from September 12-17, well-known photojournalist Ellen Barone will join the Walk, sharing her insights, knowledge, and passion for digital storytelling. The Walks are among The Wayfarers’ 85 diverse Walks through 14 countries in 2010, including England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

Walks are rated from easy to challenging, based on miles covered per day and type of terrain traversed.  Wayfarers’ walkers share a passion for the outdoors, a love of camaraderie and culinary discovery, and a desire to maintain fitness as a way of life.

New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment – September 12-17 and October 10-15

On this six-day/five-night trek, the Wayfarers will explore the enchanting New Mexico landscape that inspired acclaimed artist Georgia O’Keefe. From the art-centric streets of Santa Fe to the ancient cliff dwellings and petroglyphs of the Bandelier National Monument, walkers will explore a setting of changing rock formations, mountain ranges, and beautiful forests under dramatic skies. Culinary highlights include dinner with a local artist and gourmet chef, who will prepare a Southwestern feast, plus an evening wine tasting, and a lunch in a converted 17^th-century adobe mansion.  Walkers will also tour O’Keefe’s home and hike along a juniper and pinion pine route through Frijoles Canyon to the Rio Grande.  Walkers cover 5-7 miles per day, with elevation gains of 300-500 feet and altitudes of up to 7000 feet.  The walk is priced $2595 per person, based on double occupancy.

Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion – September 26 – October 2

The most energetic of the U.S. walks with elevation gains of up to 1,000 feet, the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion itinerary traces a path through the stomping grounds of Butch Cassidy and Billy the Kid, exploring the Wild West’s awe-inspiring canyons, cliffs, forests and lakes on this seven-day/six-night journey. Highlights include stops along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, the Fairyland Canyon, Bryce Canyon and the Widforss and Watchman Trails, all rigorous treks guaranteed to work off hearty pre-hike breakfasts and rustic picnic lunches, plus a hike to view the waterfalls at Zion’s gorgeous Emerald Pools. A farewell dinner at the Spotted Dog Café in Zion Canyon and lunch in the old Western movie town of Kanab round out the culinary glimpse into canyon country. Walkers cover 5-7 miles per day.  The walk is priced at $2795 per person, based on double occupancy. 

The Coast of Maine: Camden and Acadia – September 19-24 and October 3-8

In between dining on meals of Maine lobster, clams, and blueberries, Wayfarers walkers will encounter the myriad trails of car-free, artist-haven Monhegan Island and the beautiful town of Camden, where mountains flank Penobscot Bay in a quintessential Maine village.  Visitors will also hike through unspoiled Acadia National Park, along trails like Great Head or the Pemetic Mountain Loop leading to soaring views of Cadillac Mountain; Somes Harbor, the only fjord in the United States; and majestic Southwest Harbor on this six-day/five-night trek.  Highlights include a sunset cruise aboard a schooner, a tour of a lighthouse museum and lunch at the Jordan Pond House, a landmark for more than a century and the home o
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