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2010-2011 OTHGI Summer/Adventure Trips will be posted soon!

Caribbean Sail & Active Adventure / January 1 - 8, 2011
Great Smoky Mountains Easy Adventure / May 3 - 10, 2011
Raft the Grand Canyon / May 17 - 24, 2011
"Midnight Sun" Active Adventure, Norway-Sweden / July 24 - Aug 1, 2011
Williamsburg Golf / September 27 - October 4, 2011
Bike & Barge Provence, France / October 15 - 23, 2011

Caribbean Sail & Active Adventure / January 1 - 8, 2011

Start the New Year off in style with a relaxing Easy Adventure of biking & sailing in the Spanish Virgin Islands. With a sparse population, wild uncrowded beaches and crystal clear waters, the islands of Culebra and Vieques offer the perfect venue for this adventure.

No passports needed!

This adventure begins in San Juan, Puerto Rico. With hundreds of direct, affordable flights from the USA , the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport serves as a hub for many Caribbean destinations.

The first night of the New Year will be spent at the Hotel Milano, described as "a little jewel in the heart of Old San Juan". After breakfast the next morning and a tour of Old San Juan, a private motor coach will transport the group to the Fajardo Ferry for the 19 miles boat ride to Isla de Culebra where you will be met by your hosts, Captains Rick and Karen Miles, who will welcome you aboard the Wanderbird yacht for the start of our sailing adventure.

The 90' Wanderbird is a classic North Sea fishing trawler built to rigorous Dutch standards. Lovingly restored and refitted by Rick & Karen, the vessel maintains the charm of an earlier era with all the modern equipment to ensure your safety and comfort. Each of the cozy six cabins has its own bathroom and accommodates 2 people. All meals are prepared with the freshest of natural ingredients with breads and pastries made from scratch daily.

We plan to spend 2 days biking on Culebra and 3 days on the larger island of Vieques. Each morning you'll come ashore via a skiff where our French guide, Eric will greet you with your bike ready to ride. A support van will follow the group on each ride, which will be an average of 5 - 15 miles per day. The terrain varies from easy flats along the electric blue waters of the Caribbean to rather challenging as the road takes us up and over the spine of the islands. After biking each day, there will be plenty of time to explore the flora and fauna of these magical islands.

This trip is limited to 12 lucky members so you will want to sign up right away to reserve your place!

Trip Includes

Price $2499
double occupancy only
Limit - 12 people

Airport:
Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, San Juan, PR (SJU)

Level of Difficulty: ranging from 1 to 3 depending on the day; level flat along the coast and some hills with rather steep grades at times. As in all adventure trips, prior physical conditioning will enhance your overall experience.
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Great Smoky Mountains Easy Adventure / May 3 - 10, 2011

Breathtaking beauty, lush forests, plunging waterfalls and 520,976 acres to explore - a hiker's paradise for sure. The Cherokee called these mountains shaconage, meaning "blue, like smoke". The bluish mist, which clings to the mountainsides and fills the valleys, gives the Great Smoky Mountains National Park its name and remains one of its most distinctive features. Among the oldest mountains in the world, the park's abundance and variety of plant and animal life have earned a designation as an International Biosphere Reserve from the United Nations.

Your Trip Host will greet the group at the McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville, TN with our private passenger van. The group will then head to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a blissful week of exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The week will include hikes to different areas of the park; with over 800 miles of maintained trails, there will be plenty of options to explore. You are sure to enjoy spending some time at the Tuckaleechee Caverns which are estimated to be 20-30 million years old and considered the "greatest site under the Smokies". With a year-round constant temperature of 58°F, air from the caverns is piped up to help cool the above ground visitor's center in the warmer months.

May is the perfect month to visit the Great Smoky Mountains and what better way to enhance this time of year than a guided Spring Wildflower Walk with naturalists from A Walk in the Woods. This is an easy 3 hour walk that incorporates a "stroll back in time" with a magnificent display of spring wildflowers and the insights and narration of one of the foremost nature guides in the area.

Cades Cove was once a small mountain community settled by the original pioneer families to this area and has become the largest open-air museum in the entire Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The original home sites, farms, churches and businesses have been preserved to look much as they did in the 1800's and will give you a true sense of life here in an earlier era. Other highlights of the week include a visit to the 1.4 million gallon Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, a Mountain Arts & Crafts Tour, and a Dinner & Show at Dolly Parton's world famous Dixie Stampede. You will also have an opportunity to fly like a bird on a guided journey through the trees on a zip- line - a thrilling experience not to be missed!

Springtime in the Smokies is glorious! You are sure to enjoy all this easy adventure trip has to offer with the camaraderie of your fellow OTHGI hiking enthusiasts.

Trip Includes

Price $ 3699
Single supplement $400

Airports: Arrival - Harstad/Narvik Airport - Norway Code: EVE

Departure* - Kiruna Airport - Sweden Code: KRN

* If you are interested in a Stockholm Extension, please contact the OTHGI office: 719-389-0022 or patty@othgi.com

Level of Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
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Williamsburg Golf / September 27 - October 4, 2011

Steeped in tradition of Southern hospitality and located in the heart of Virginia's Historic Triangle is the largest golf resort in Virginia and our destination for a fabulous week of golf in the cradle of our nation's history. Originally a plantation dating back to 1619, Kingsmill Resort, named after the original land owner - Richard Kingsmill, occupies over 2,900 acres along the historic James River and adjacent to present day Colonial Williamsburg. In addition to 63 holes of championship golf on four different courses, Kingsmill offers a 15-court Tennis Center, full service marina, six restaurants, state-of- the-art fitness facility and luxurious accommodations.

The week will include daily golfing on the Kingsmill course of your choice for the day. The River Course is ranked #6 in Virginia's Top Ten Course and has challenged professionals and amateurs alike for over a quarter of a century. The Arnold Palmer/ Ed Seay designed Plantation Course is sure to be a challenge for all levels of skill with its ravines, deep woods and historic landmarks from the 1736 plantation site. Ranked #10 in Virginia's Top Ten, the Woods Course is sure to be an instant favorite. This Curtis Strange/ Tom Clark designed course is a classic parkland-style layout boasting a mix of long and short holes, giving a golfer the rare opportunity to use every club in their bag. The Bray Links is a fun par-3, nine-hole course featuring excellent conditioning and outstanding views of the mighty James River. When you are not on the links, you'll have time to enjoy the unsurpassed amenities offered by this world-class resort or hop on the complimentary resort shuttle to explore the surrounding areas of historic Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens or Water Country USA. With the incredible natural beauty of this area, 15 championship golf courses and the visible foundations of our nation's history, come see for yourself why Williamsburg is considered one of the Top 25 Golfing Destinations in the World.

Trip Includes

Price $ 2,499
Single Supplement $700

Airports: Newport News/ Williamsburg Airport ( PHF) - 20 miles Richmond International Airport (RIC) - 45 miles

Amtrak: Daily service from Washington D.C. and points north.
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Bike & Barge Provence / October 15 - 23, 2011
France

Live like Kings & Queens as you travel in luxury and style on the waterways of southern France. The 127' Le Phénicien is spacious, luminous, extremely comfortable and can accommodate 18 people in 9 deluxe cabins. A crew of six , including a French Chef specializing in Provencal cuisine, will cater to your every need and provide the most relaxed and enjoyable experience imaginable.

The Provence region with its abundant sunshine, flat lands with a few hills and good quality roads and trail networks offers a true bikers paradise. The added convenience of having your luxury hotel and restaurant barge waiting to welcome you at the end of your ride will ensure the optimum biking vacation.

Our private motor coach will transfer you from the Marseille airport to a luxury hotel in Avignon. This ancient city's origins date back to 3000 BC. Known as the "walled city of the Popes", Avignon was home to several Popes during the 14th and 15th centuries and is one of Europe's most important Gothic ensembles. Because of its special cultural and physical significance, Avignon has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After breakfast on Sunday morning, you will have time to explore this intriguing city before boarding the Le Phénicien for the start of the cruise.

Following a delightful week of biking, relaxing & indulging in the beautifully prepared meals aboard our floating hotel, the group will say au revoir to the crew of the Le Phénicien in Aigues-Mortes. This splendid medieval walled city has changed little in appearance since the Middle Ages; in fact, the only industry of note is the extraction of salt from sea water which has been practiced on the same site for 2,000 years! A night at a luxury hotel in this intriguing little town will give you the time to peruse its unique shops and cafes or stroll the 1.5 km circular walk on the city's wall before our farewell night in this captivating land.

Trip Includes

Price $ 3999 double occupancy only
Limit - 18 lucky people

Airport: Marseilles Provence Airport (MRS)

Level of Difficulty: Easy
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