This is a quaint town with seemingly perfect summer weather (June to September can see 100 bluebird days in a row, with temps in the eighties and nineties), a 1950s five-and-dime facade, and a hardcore endurance sports scene. Set on the north end of a 30-mile-long lake offering 200-plus miles of protected shoreline, Coeur d’Alene hosts an Ironman, its biggest event all year. Road cyclists from all over come to ride the 112-mile, up-and-down route to Hayden Lake, while mountain bikers head for the extensive trail network in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. “Lance Armstrong told me this was the best mountain biking he had ever seen,” said Michael Radovan, a local triathlete and salesman.
NUMBERS: Small homes within walking distance of the lake start at $165K.
INTEL: You can rent your place out for more than double the usual weekly rate during June’s Ironman.
ACCESS: Seattle and Portland are five-to-six-hour drives; Spokane is 35 minutes west.

Vacation Homes: Shasta Cascade Region, California

Trinity River, California

California's Class V Trinity River

This vast wilderness playground is perhaps the most overlooked adventure destination in the lower 48. Hard to understand why. The 30,000 square miles contain alpine peaks, serious whitewater, glaciers, and even volcanoes. The main attractions are 14,162-foot Mount Shasta, with excellent skiing and winter mountaineering, and the Klam颅ath River, which has more than 100 miles of navigable rapids as well as exceptional steelhead and trout fishing.
NUMBERS: A cabin on ten wooded acres can be had for $150K. Full-featured homes on 40 acres start around $250K.
INTEL: Siskiyou County has plenty of affordable options within an easy drive of Shasta and the Klamath.
ACCESS: Sacramento (south), Reno, Nevada (east), and Eugene, Oregon (north), are the nearest airports. Each puts you within four hours of the Shasta Cascade region.

Vacation Homes: Ely, Minnesota

The gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which includes thousands of lakes and more than 1,500 miles of canoe routes. The main drag, East Sheridan Street, is lined with outfitters, gear retailers, and eateries. But Ely has a countercultural flair and is famed for its music festivals, wacky Internet radio stations, and eclectic 3,500 residents, including polar explorer Will Steger.
NUMBERS: This is cabin country. Small waterfront places can be had for $200K.
INTEL: Grand Marais, an alternative option three hours east, offers access to both the Boundary Waters and Lake Superior, but prices run about $50K higher than in Ely.
ACCESS: Two hours north of the Duluth airport, four-plus from the Twin Cities.

Vacation Homes: Big Sky, Montana

No, Big Sky is not the billionaire’s Montana. OK, so Ted Turner has a ranch in the area, and two exclusive communities, the Yellowstone Club and Spanish Peaks, are also here. But Big Sky itself is a tiny (pop. 2,200), old-school skiers’ destination with a base area sporting 1970s condos and nothing remotely resembling a “village.” There are never crowds on the slopes, and a $94 combo lift ticket includes access to adjacent resort Moonlight Basin and the largest contiguous ski area in the U.S., with Jackson Hole聳worthy extreme terrain on Lone Peak. When the snow melts, runoff feeds nearby trout-choked rivers, including the blue-ribbon Gallatin.
NUMBERS: Slopeside condos fetch $100K聳$300K. Walking-distance condos start at $80K.
INTEL: The best values are on the mountain, but the really cheap stuff is around the nordic center, seven miles east.
ACCESS: One hour southwest of Bozeman.

Vacation Homes: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Cape Cod

The Cape has 560 miles of coastline, much of it protected national seashore, and the hundred-plus beaches face the open Atlantic (surfing), windy Nantucket Sound (sailing), and shallow, protected Cape Cod Bay (kayaking). Fishing can be fantastic on all sides, and there’s glorious (if flat) road biking. And, yes, there’s a lot of mini golf. But the 15 towns on this twisting peninsula offer a much less tacky version of the coastal Americana found from Atlantic City to Myrtle Beach.
NUMBERS: Highly variable depending on location, but you can now find simple ranch homes starting at $250K.
INTEL: Two places to find bargains: inland (prices drop just blocks off the water) and close in to the mainland.
ACCESS: The Cape starts about 60 miles from Boston.

Vacation Homes: Lake Placid Region, New York

The Northeast’s best hiking? Check. Sweet road and mountain biking? Check. Alpine and nordic skiing? Check. But you come mostly for the water聴not just Placid itself but 3,000 other lakes, plus thousands of miles of rivers and streams (some offering Class V rapids). The town of Lake Placid sits in the middle of six-million-acre Adirondack Park, one of the largest protected public areas in the lower 48. Canoeing and kayaking are huge here, and larger lakes allow motorized watercraft. If your vacation fantasy includes a vintage mahogany runabout, welcome home.
NUMBERS: Waterfront homes on the region’s smaller lakes start at $500K, small cottages and in-town condos at $200K.
INTEL: “Prices on surrounding lakes are a third less than Lake Placid,” says Robert Politi, town supervisor and a realtor with Merrill L. Thomas.
ACCESS: About two hours from the Albany, New York, and Burlington, Vermont, airports; five hours from New York City.

Vacation Homes: Islamorada, Florida

Not only the best fishing in the Keys, but an honest fishing-and-boating-village aesthetic, with roadside stands that have been pretty much unchanged for decades. You can cast near-shore flats for bonefish and tarpon or troll open waters for wahoo, yellowtail, and mahi-mahi. There’s also wilderness kayaking in lush mangrove forests, great windsurfing and kitesurfing, and arguably our best domestic scuba, in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, 20 miles north.
NUMBERS: You can get a maintenance-friendly condo off the water, with strong rental-revenue potential, for less than $150,000.
INTEL: Islamorada is both a village and an island group, not a single key, with four “major” islands. The farther you get from town, the more off the grid you’ll feel.
ACCESS: About 90 minutes from Miami’s airport, 45 minutes farther to Fort Lauderdale.

Vacation Homes: East Bench of Salt Lake City, Utah

A true metropolitan city with a year-round mountain playground and arguably the best resort powder skiing in the world. But with abundant hedge trimmers and bike-riding paper boys, this isn’t everyone’s idea of a ski town. Think split-level suburban ranches with big ol’ garages聴which is to say it’s perfect for families or entourages. The East Bench district starts at the base of Little and Big Cottonwood canyons, eight miles from Alta/Snowbird and just a tad more to Solitude and Brighton. “You’re on the slopes in 20 minutes,” says Scott Beck, CEO of the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, “but instead of hot wings afterwards, there’s opera, Jazz games, and gourmet restaurants.”
NUMBERS: 4颅5-bedroom homes for $275K聳$500K. Condos from under $200K.
INTEL: Salt Lake’s real-estate slide came late, so the bargain sale is in full swing: East Bench medians are off 6聳12 percent from December 2008.
ACCESS: 20 minutes southeast of Salt Lake City’s airport.

Vacation Homes: Southwest Colorado

If your favorite gear includes avalanche beacons or fat tires, this is your place. While the four counties of Montezuma, Dolores, La Plata, and San Juan make up a tiny slice of the state, they’re packed with some of its best adventures: guided backcountry skiing at Silverton, backcountry ski touring along the San Juan Hut System, and epic mountain biking all over. “My friends in Moab come here to ride,” says Chris Strouthopoulos, a Durango resident and an assistant professor at San Juan College, in Farmington, New Mexico. “That says a lot.” Second-home options range from modern houses on the periphery of larger towns to true ranches reached by dusty dirt roads. Still, you’re never far from outposts like Durango, Telluride, and Montrose.
NUMBERS: Three-bedroom places on 40 to 100 acres start at $500K; rustic homes on smaller lots abound at $200K-plus.
INTEL: The best deals, biggest acreages, and most seclusion are in western Montezuma and Dolores counties, near the Utah state line.
ACCESS: Durango (south) and Montrose (north) both have decent small airports that put you within two hours of most of the region.

Vacation Homes: South Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada

Tahoe offers a rare combination of omnipresent sunshine (three out of four days) and some of the nation’s deepest annual snowfalls (40-plus feet). There’s also exceptional road and mountain biking and, of course, watersports. The trade-off for buying on the affordable South Shore? A strip of minor-league casinos and no real community spirit. But change is coming. A prime 12-acre lakefront parcel of tacky motels was just razed to make way for a parklike village project, and three LEED-certified residential developments are under way. Meanwhile, California’s largest ski resort, Heavenly Mountain, poured half a billion dollars into improvements. “The South Shore is reinventing itself,” says realtor Elaine Casteleyn, of Exclusively Lake Tahoe.
NUMBERS: Entry-level homes on the California side begin at $200K. Nevada prices run about 25 percent more, but property taxes are low.
INTEL: There are great deals in Tahoe Keys, a water-centric development with canals leading to the lake.
ACCESS: Sixty miles west of Reno, 3.5 hours east of San Francisco.

Vacation Homes: Buy or Rent?

The Dilemma

There’s no easy answer聴until now. Respond to these questions honestly and the numbers won’t lie.

How many weeks per year will you realistically be there?

Less than three (聳2)
Three to four (+1)
Four-plus (+3)
A season (+4)

Will you rent out your vacation home when not in use?

Yes (+2)
No (0)
Of course聴that’s why I’m doing this (聳3)

How long do you see yourself owning this property?

Until I can trade up (聳3)
Maybe five to ten years (0)
I’m gonna retire there (+4)
It will go to my children (+5)

When spending big money, you:

Break out in hives (聳2)
Lose a little sleep (0)
Feel like a god! (+3)

Which best describes a dream week at your new pad?

Spending every minute possible outside (聳1)
Cooking big meals and chilling on the deck (+1)
Planting tomatoes and chopping wood (+2)
Framing out the new barn (+4)

Your favorite outdoor gear:

Fits in your daypack (0)
Requires special handling at the airport (+1)
Barely fits in your garage (+3)

What your score means:


6 or under: You should rent

7聳10: You could go either way

11聳17: Time to apply for that pre-approved mortgage

18-plus: This is your third home, isn’t it?

Vacation Homes: Real Estate Tips

Buyer be wise.

[HOMEWORK]

and : For-sale listing, price estimates, and sales histories, plus community statistics, including population, median prices, and recent activity. (Note: Both can be incredibly useful or frustratingly out of date, depending on location.)
: Profiles of popular second-home communities, with links to multiple brokers.
: Site of the National Association of Realtors; offers a wide range of information and tools.
: Local and national mortgage rates, plus tons of financing advice and information.
: Reality check, please.
: Ranks individual addresses and communities based on their walkability.
: The “street view” option lets you virtually drive around, though it can be limited in rural areas.

[STRATEGY]

A coach for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in the 1990s, David Baldinger Jr. has also been a realtor in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, since 1993. As a top performer at Steamboat Village Brokers, he sells property in a prime second-home market that’s enjoying an $18 million urban-renewal project despite the economic downturn. Here, his prescription for buyers anywhere.

1. Pick Your Spot

Multiple visits is the single most important thing. Get the whole family there in different seasons and weather. Ask yourself, Is it easy to get here? Do I know anyone who owns here? Will I really like it?

2. Pick Your Agent

You want a broker with at least three to five years’ local experience who both lists and sells properties, plus multiple references you can talk to. And get someone in your own age group who understands your needs.

3. Know Your Limit

Have a preliminary conversation with a lender. The most disappointing thing is shopping way above your price range without knowing it.

4. Develop Good Taste

Establishing your own criteria is harder than you think. Everyone does research online, but you can’t appreciate distances or views or features or neighborhoods until you touch them. In a mountain town, everyone thinks they want ski-in/ski-out, but they end up saying, “You mean if I walk two blocks, I can get a garage?”

5. Go All In

Buy the best house you can afford within your budget. Those are the ones that hold value. Don’t buy the “really good deal”; buy the home you like. Chances are the next buyer will like it, too.

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The Classic

Powder Skiing

Once you experience Alta's powder, you too will be an Altaholic

ALTA SKI AREA, Utah: Not only does Alta get twice as much snow as less blessed resorts聴it averages 500 inches聴but its flakes are also lighter and drier. Maybe that’s why nearly 80 percent of Alta’s skiers return each year to the resort’s old-school lodges.

The Ride
KIRKWOOD MOUNTAIN RESORT, California: They measure storms in feet, not inches, at this low-key Tahoe resort. New this year is Burton’s Powder Progression Program, the first U.S. school that teaches boarders how to ride knee-deep powder.

The Secret
KICKING HORSE MOUNTAIN RESORT, British Columbia: It’s the anti-Whistler: no crowds, virtually no nightlife, and no wet snow. But the gondola system, which rises 3,800 vertical feet, might very well be North America’s single best lift.

The Exception
JAY PEAK RESORT, Vermont: Because it sits just south of the Canadian border, Jay receives an average of six feet of snow a month in winter, nearly twice as much as any other Eastern resort. Plus it boasts some of state’s longest, rowdiest runs.

The Mystery
MT. BAKER SKI AREA, Washington: The Pineapple Express (a subtropical jet stream) can be cruel to Northwest resorts. But when cooler temps prevail, it can be glorious: Last year, Baker received almost 350 inches before Christmas.

Classics

Total Package
PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT, Utah: Award-winning terrain parks, impressive (and unsung) big-mountain terrain, and, thanks to the town’s lax attitude, the best nightlife in the state. Tip: Fly in early, bring your boarding pass to the ticket window, and ski for free the day you arrive.

Supersize
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB, British Columbia: With 8,000 acres of terrain and 33 feet of snow per year, this B.C. mainstay is the epitome of big-mountain skiing. The annual Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival (April 11 to 20) is the biggest snow-sports party on the planet.

High Variety
VAIL, Colorado: Vail’s 5,000 acres of trails have something for everyone, from immaculately groomed cruisers to famed powder-filled back bowls. Nightlife is equally diverse, with everything from five-star dining to Mardi Gras聳like mayhem at the season-ending CarniVail (Feb. 3聳5).

Historic
TELLURIDE SKI RESORT, Colorado: Sandwiched among the jagged San Juan Mountains, this tiny, surprisingly hip old mining town boasts as many restaurants per block as Manhattan. But unlike in the Big Apple, there’s a gondola that accesses 3,500 feet of vertical just a few steps from your hotel’s front door.

East Meets West
KILLINGTON RESORT, Vermont: In terms of reliable nightlife (100 bars and restaurants) and variety of terrain, the East Coast’s largest resort (1,200 acres spread out over seven hills) can’t be beat. No new snow? No problem. The mountain has one of the most extensive snowmaking systems in the world.

Snowboarding

High Variety
COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colorado: Can one resort have it all? Copper makes a strong case. Carve groomers, hop on the snowcat that accesses Tucker Mountain’s wide-open bowls and chutes, or take a lap through the Catalyst Terrain Park聴all in one morning.

Park & Pipe
BRECKENRIDGE, Colorado: With a dedication to maintaining one of the best pipes in North America, Breck has established itself as a perennial favorite among the jibber crowd. This year, the resort adds a new park progression system on Peak 8.

Powder
BRIGHTON, Utah: Easy access (it’s an hour from the Salt Lake City airport), mellow crowds, and 500 inches of great snow annually are three good reasons to hit this resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. But it makes our must-go list because of its diversity, from three linked top-to-bottom terrain parks to sidecountry access with cliff drops and chute squeezes.

All-Mountain
NORTHSTAR-AT-TAHOE, California: Thanks to runs like The Stash, a top-to-bottom tree run, all-mountain freeriders can hone skills on natural jibs, bounce down a pillow line, or clear a road gap at this 2,490-acre resort near Truckee. .

Legend
STRATTON MOUNTAIN, Vermont: This historic hill is home to snowboarding’s marquee event, the U.S. Open, and served as the proving grounds for the first Burton snowboard. The reason on both counts? It’s a boarder’s paradise, thanks to few traverses and the best terrain park in the Northeast.

Backcountry Skiing

DIY
SILVERTON MOUNTAIN, Colorado: With its wall-tent base lodge, lone double lift, and seriously badass big mountain, this “resort” is the scruffy soul of North American skiing. Early and late season, experienced skiers can now opt to go self-guided for just $49.

Cat Power
BALDFACE LODGE, British Columbia: There are dozens of cat-skiing operations in the province, but those in the know head to Baldface for its combination of wickedly steep and vast (36,000 acres) terrain and gourmet cuisine.

Powder Hunters
SUN VALLEY HELI-SKI GUIDES, Idaho: If there’s fresh snow out there, these guys will find it: Their 750-square-mile playground includes three mountain ranges. Packages include unlimited vertical feet daily. Tip: Fly standby for just $625 day (normal rate is $925).

Get Schooled
JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT, Wyoming: Hire one of the resort’s guides ($235 a day) and sample the chutes and bowls just outside the resort’s boundaries, or sign up for the Grand Slam smorgasbord, a four-day package that includes heli-skiing, cat skiing, touring, and freeskiing ($1,895).

High Variety
PURCELL MOUNTAIN LODGE, British Columbia: Mixed group of nordic and downhill skiers? This helicopter-accessed eco-lodge has something for everyone, from snowshoeing to guided backcountry tours.

Nordic Skiing

Set a personal best or take in the scenery at these top nordic races and resorts.

Royal Gorge, California: Snow dumps by the foot on Donner Pass, near Tahoe, where you’ll find over 9,000 acres of skiable terrain. The resort’s Ice Lakes Lodge now has free wireless to go with the trailside location.

Soldier Hollow, Utah: Got a pro and a newbie in the party? You’ll find trails for everyone at this lodge, site of the nordic events for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Stowe Derby, Vermont: This fast and fun 16K race starts at the top of an alpine hill and ends in downtown Stowe. February 17;

Crested Butte Alley Loop, Colorado: Ski the town’s streets and alleys in this high-altitude classic. February 2;

Trapp Family Lodge, Vermont: Yes, that Trapp family. It may be in New England, but the lodge and impeccably groomed trails are straight out of Austria.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Colorado: Gently rolling terrain surrounded by the Rockies makes this a skier’s paradise.

Ice Climbing

Ice Climbing

Ice Climbing

From parks to peaks, here’s where to find vertical ice near you.

Ouray, Colorado: Ouray Ice Park is home to the country’s preeminent ice festival; this winter’s is scheduled for January 9 to 13.

Mount Washington, New Hampshire: No surprise that the mountain with record cold temperatures is a good bet for ice. Get pointers from the local International Mountain Climbing School, or join others for the Mount Washington Valley Ice Festival in February.

Hyalite Canyon, Montana: South of Bozeman, Hyalite Creek seeps into steep crags and drips down sheer faces, creating ice routes from beginner to pro level.

Canmore, British Columbia: For natural waterfall ice, a long season, and some of the hardest multipitch routes in the world, go to Canmore. Local guides at Yamnuska Mountain 国产吃瓜黑料s can get you started.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan: There are hundreds of world-class ice routes up the frozen waterfalls that ring Lake Superior. The Sunday ice-climbing socials offered by Marquette outfitter Down Wind Sports are a great place to start.

Camping

Winter Camping

Winter Camping

Winter-camping newbie? Here are five beautiful backcountry spots.

Boundary Waters, Minnesota: Cross-country-ski three miles north across Sawbill Lake and camp on one of the many unnamed islands in this Scandinavia-like wilderness. Tip: Rent a pulk in Ely at Piragis ().

White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire: Join the hundreds of adventuresome (and often downright rowdy) skiers who make the annual pilgrimage to Tuckerman Ravine every spring. Trek in from Pinkham Notch Camp and set up your tent a half-mile from the Bowl at Hermit Lake Shelters.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado: This classic destination sees just a handful of winter visitors. Snowshoe or ski 3.5 miles from Glacier Gorge Trailhead 760 feet up to the 10,000-foot Glacier Gorge campsite, where you’ll have views of Longs Peak all to yourself.

Yosemite National Park, California: Cross-country-ski Wawona Meadow Trail until you hit Mariposa Grove. The towering sequoias here are among the largest living trees in the world.

Winter Cycling

From lunchtime quickies to official events, there’s a winter ride that’s right for you.

Boulder, Colorado: The famed Morgul-Bismarck 13.1-mile circuit is an anytime torturefest that ends with a climb up a 12 percent grade.

Seattle, Washington: This February join the Cascade Bicycle Club for the Chilly Hilly, a well-named ride (there’s 2,600 feet of climbing in 33 miles) around Bainbridge Island.

Boston, Massachusetts: The Charles River trail, a 14-mile out-and-back loop to Watertown, is our favorite.

Minneapolis, Minnesota: Frigid temps don’t deter too many folks here: Layer up and try the designated one-way Chain of Lakes trail (3 to 20 miles).

Chicago, Illinois: Whenever there’s two-plus inches of snow, a hardy crew heads out for an urban ride from Wicker Park’s Handlebar Bar and Grill ().

Tropical Getaway

Stick your toes in the sand this winter.

The Tides, Zihuatanejo, Mexico: Lush gardens, modern suites finished in traditional Mexican hues, and the mighty Pacific a few steps away. Doubles from $330;

Cayo Espanto, Belize: Six new five-star villas, but with an intact pastel Caribbean soul. Bonus: You get the bonefishing (and beach) to yourself聴it’s a private island. Doubles from $995;

The Moorings Village Resort, Islamorada, Florida: The quick fix: a long weekend at this luxe Florida Keys resort, which fronts more than a thousand feet of white-sand beach. Doubles from $250;

The Sarojin, Khao Lak, Thailand: Sea-kayak or snorkel on the Andaman Sea, or relax in your suite’s freestanding stone tub at this swanky spa and resort. Doubles from $185;

Maho Bay Camps, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands: Allergic to all-inclusives? This rustic camp’s 114 tent cottages dot the hill above a secluded white-sand beach. Propane stove, cooking utensils, and bedding provided. You bring the rest. Doubles from $80;

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Taking a class with your family or significant other can make scuba diving an even more enlightening experience. You’ve got equipment, an underwater language of hand-signals, and myriad techniques to learn, and two heads (or more) are far better than one. But more importantly, learning to dive with your family means you can help each other grasp the technical aspects of the sport, share diving experiences, and relive the spectacular scenery and thrilling sense of discovery back on dry land. While some schools cater to individuals, most offer group lessons聴ideal for a family or a couple looking for a new adventure. Sign up for a class with your crew and you’ll never want for diving partners either.

Great Barrier Reef

START CLOWNING AROUND: An Aussie aquatic creature in the Great Barrier Reef

Don’t fall prey to the misconception that you need to head to tropical waters to learn to dive聴or even need access to the ocean. To get receive certification from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), you need to undergo classroom time (either by attending class or enrolling in an at-home program), a series of closed-water dives (typically in a pool) geared toward familiarizing yourself with the equipment and procedures, and four open-water dives (held in the ocean, lake, or quarry) that test all the skills you’ve learned. The whole process can take as little as a few days or as much as months, depending on your schedule, and there are dive centers across the States that offer the program; for a list of all PADI-certified dive centers throughout the world, visit .

If you’re target=ing the West Coast, consider Craig Gillespie’s Seattle Scuba School (206.374.2937; ), part of the Scuba Schools Group, which offers scuba lessons up and down the coast as well as in Maui and Florida, and can help speed up the learning process by allowing you to do the classroom instruction via at-home CD-ROM instruction. The Seattle School also offers 10% off tuition when two or more divers sign up for a certification course (reducing the price from $299 to $270 per person). Once you’ve mastered the learning materials聴such as the effects of pressure on the body聴it’s time to get in a pool. These closed-water dives introduce you to the diving equipment and safety techniques, the basics in underwater breathing, how to manage the gear in the weightlessness of water, and other skill sets. Finally you’ll spend a weekend of underwater training in western Seattle, where you might be lucky enough to spot seals or kelp beds while participating in your four open-water dives. Complete the tests associated with these, and you’re deemed certified, fee to dive anywhere in the world.

If the coastal waters off Seattle less than glamorous, consider getting your classroom and closed-water dives at home, and then jumpstart your diving adventure by completing your open-water dives by enrolling in an open-water referral class at just about any PADI resort in the world. That way, you can finish up your course diving in places such as Cozumel, Thailand or Australia, allowing you to ogle a cornucopia of strange beasts like Moorish idols, nudibrachs, and Christmas tree worms in the process. Once your four dives are complete and an instructor confirms you’ve got what it takes to dive on your own, you’ll become an officially Certified PADI Open Water Diver.

If you’re looking for warmer waters and sunnier skies from the start, head to what the readers of Scuba Diving Magazine voted their Top Beginner Diving Destination: the Florida Keys town of Islamorada. Here you’ll find Mike and Marcia, a husband-and-wife team of instructors and owners of Key Dives at Bud & Mary’s Marina (800.344.7352; ). This popular diving school offers Open Water Diving Certification for $450, or a cheaper Discover Scuba Diving Course for just $135. The latter option will allow you to experience all of the scuba techniques, as well as dive among the largest living ocean reef in the United States聴adjacent to Key Dives’ dive shop聴before the one-day class is done. It won’t certify you as an Open Water Diver, but it’s a great intro for those who might be reticent about the diving experience. And for kids already game to dive in, a PADI Junior Open Water Diving Course is available for those ages ten to 14. Key Dives offers open-water referral clases for $250.

Then there’s Hawaii. Maui’s Island Scuba and Surf School (888.606.4608; ) teaches complete open-water diving certification courses every day. But to maximize your time in Hawaii, do your classroom and closed-water lessons at home to jump ahead to the school’s referral program. That class takes just two days and is priced at $249. Once you have your certificate in hand, join Island and Surf School on dives for $82, or on trips to the renowned dive sites off the coast of Lana’i. Better yet, explore the protected and extinct volcano of Molokini on a 65-foot catamaran. These half-day dive trips begin at just $127 with scuba equipment, continental breakfast, deli lunch, and all the Jimmy Buffet music you can handle. Divers will swim among coral gardens, lava tubes, colorful reef fish, and green sea turtles, a protected reptile in U.S. waters.
聳Amy A. Clark

To learn more on how to receive your diving certification, visit “,” a guide to certification from The Away Network.

To learn more about the world’s many dive sites, browse excerpts from the Lonely Planet’s .

The post Where can a husband/wife team learn to dive? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Superior Mushing
Boundary Waters, Minnesota
Everyone knows northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is the place to practice your J-stroke. But long after the last canoe has been portaged, the lakes freeze solid to create the best mushing terrain south of Alaska. On the Beargrease Special , a January 28–February 2 trip with Ely-based White Wilderness Sled Dog 国产吃瓜黑料s, professional mushers will show you how it’s done. First, watch as the pros set off on the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, a 400-mile race along Lake Superior. While the race is on, you take the helm of a six-dog sled, geeing and hawing for 25 to 30 miles a day past moose, bald eagles, and gray wolves in Superior National Forest. At dusk, park the canines and dine on cold-weather delicacies like pork schnitzel with chipotle apple brandy sauce. Then take a quick peek at the blaze of stars—there’s no civilization for miles—before shutting up the yurt and piling on the blankets for a cozy night’s sleep. From $1,545 for the five-day trip, based on double occupancy, including lodging, food, equipment, and guides; 800-701-6238,

Caribbean Breaks

Rinc贸n, Puerto Rico

With some of the biggest swells in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico’s northwest coast is like Oahu’s North Shore—only smaller. If you’ve brought your own board—and know how to wield it—hit the break at Tres Palmas, just north of the town of Rinc贸n, where February swells can bring faces up to 30 feet. The beaches south of town tend to see smaller waves year-round. Whether you’re just getting wet or you’re a longtime surfer, Rinc贸n Surf School (787-823-0610, ) offers one-to-five-day courses with seasoned coaches. Most students stay at the nearby Rinc贸n Surf and Board Guesthouse (from $20; 787-823-0610, ), a sprawling hilltop spread with suites, private rooms, and dormitory-style bunks—plus a poolside tiki bar that serves a tasty breakfast of fresh pastries and local fruit. Or splash out at the posh Horned Dorset Primavera resort (doubles from $490, including two meals; 800-633-1857, ), where the yoga classes, massage therapists, and seafood—blackfin tuna with hibiscus sauce or grilled mahi-mahi with pesto coulis—will have you rested and ready for the next day’s lesson.

Vintage Velo

Sonoma and Napa Valleys, California

Lance might rethink his retirement when he hears about Getaway 国产吃瓜黑料s’ Napa and Sonoma cycling trip—a veritable Tour de Vin ($950, including bike rental, hotels, and meals; 800-499-2453, ). Getaway 国产吃瓜黑料s has been leading bike tours in the Sonoma and Napa valleys since 1991, and they get it just right on this four-day, 156-mile sip-and-spin excursion. The ride winds north from Calistoga to the wildflower-filled meadows of Sonoma Valley—and, along the way, several flights of cabernets and zinfandels at Frank Family Vineyards. The road kicks up the Valley of the Moon to Bodega Bay, but a sampling of crisp chardonnays at Matanzas Creek Winery is the perfect reward. Day four follows the rugged Pacific coast to Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve, leaving plenty of time for a bubbly toast or two at Korbel Champagne Cellars. At trip’s end, in Healdsburg, if you haven’t had your fill—or you’re too tipsy to ride home—book a night at Les Mars Hotel (doubles, $425–$995; 877-431-1700, ), the town’s newly opened boutique inn. The 16 guest rooms have soaring ceilings, roaring fireplaces, canopy beds, and mountain views. Plus there’s a library where you can settle in with a book and—what else—a glass of vintage merlot.

Virgin Beaches

Maho Bay, St. John

Don’t rule out the U.S. Virgin Islands: While cruise ships belch a carnival of tourists onto the shores of neighboring St. Thomas, tiny St. John remains mercifully unscathed. Thank American financier Laurance Rockefeller for that: After buying up a major hunk of the island in the 1950s, he built a private resort on Caneel Bay, then donated 5,000 acres of his remaining tropical paradise, which forms the cornerstone of today’s Virgin Islands National Park. Sample the bounty—from silent, palm-studded beaches to coral reefs teeming with sea turtles and rainbow fish—on one of Arawak Expeditions’ 国产吃瓜黑料 Week packages (from $1,125, based on double occupancy, including meals, lodging, gear, and guides; 800-238-8687, ). Local guides lead kayak trips into the blue-green waters off Honeymoon Beach and Henley Cay, hiking ventures to jungled, pre-Columbian petroglyphs, and a strenuous mountain-bike ride (well, harder than lolling on the beach) to the top of 1,277-foot Bordeaux Mountain. Home base is the Maho Bay Camps eco-resort, on St. John’s north shore, where each roomy platform-tent cabin is naturally cooled by lush foliage and outfitted with twin beds and a private deck.

Rouge-Rock 国产吃瓜黑料

Sedona, Arizona

Rouge Hotel and Spa

Rooftop Terrace View

From crystal-toting vortex hunters to canvas-schlepping artists, Sedona’s three million annual pilgrims can’t be wrong: Arizona’s canyon-guarded oasis is a slice of desert inspiration. If you’re feeling more perky than pensive, Coconino National Forest’s swell of sandstone is just as good for climbing as for contemplating, and the slickrock rivals anything in Moab. After a hard session of walking meditation—some call it hiking—on sandy, juniper-lined trails, the chic Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa (from $199, based on double occupancy; 928-203-4111, ) is the perfect place to unwind even further. Opened in June, this sumptuous retreat blends Old World Mediterranean decor (brightly painted Moroccan furniture, ornate iron balconies, and ancient Tunisian vases) with 21st-century luxury (flat-screen TVs, goose-down comforters, and rain-spray showers). Work out the kinks at the full-service spa with a hot-stone massage and a reflexology session, then sink into an overstuffed leather armchair at Reds, the hotel bistro, for the house-specialty brick-oven sea bass with baby fennel.

Peaceful Valley

Yosemite National Park, California

In the summer, it’s difficult to savor Yosemite’s splendor through the throngs of sunburned tourists and snarls of metro-worthy traffic. But as soon as the snow begins to stack up, the video cameras and RVs head south with avian consistency, leaving a silent Yosemite Valley. Take in the enormous views on Yosemite Cross Country Ski School‘s one- and two-night cross-country ski trips from Badger Pass to 7,200-foot Glacier Point (one night, from $160; two nights, from $240; 209-372-8444, ). You’ll ski ten and a half miles of groomed beginner and intermediate trails through lodgepole pines and red firs, with eerily empty views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and the Sierra Nevada, before reaching the top of the granite cliff. Then bunk down at the Glacier Point Winter Lodge, a comfortable stone-and-log cabin, for a fireside meal. After dinner, slip out of the hut and patter through fresh snow with moonlit views of the valley. Sure, you’ve seen Yosemite before, but you’ve never seen it like this.

Historic Ramble

Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee

If history is a guide, the Natchez Trace is worth the trip. The Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes walked this 444-mile path centuries ago, famed explorer Meriwether Lewis mysteriously died while taking the route toward Washington, and thousands of ambience-seeking sojourners have completed segments of the tour since the track was named a national scenic byway in 1996. Now, after 67 years of work, the entire length of the historic trail has been preserved as the Natchez Trace Parkway, a snaking two-lane scenic drive from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. Autumn is prime time for this southern road trip, when the black gums burn red and the hickories blaze gold. Start your journey in downtown Natchez with an indulgent southern breakfast of sausage, biscuits, and grits at the 1888 Wensel House B&B (doubles from $95; 888-775-8577, ). Then hop in your car and peel back the top for a leisurely drive past antebellum homes, prehistoric ceremonial mounds, and the graves of unknown Confederate soldiers. Need to stretch your legs? Spend an extra day in an 1830s log cabin at the Ridgetop Bed & Breakfast (doubles $95; 800-377-2770), where you can hike the trails on the property’s 170 wooded acres, canoe the nearby Buffalo River, or saddle up for a horseback ride with Natchez Trace Riding Stables (931-682-3706, ).

Polynesian Bounty

Kauai, Hawaii

Though the origin of the name Kauai is hazy, some speculate that it means “season of abundance.” If so, no wonder: Hawaii’s oldest island has miles of precipitous coastline strewn with tangled forests; steep hillsides planted with coffee, squash, and pineapples; and the highest annual rainfall on the planet—5,148-foot Mount Waialeale receives an average of 460 inches a year. Austin-Lehman 国产吃瓜黑料s explores the bounty on its new Hawaiian offering, Kauai: The Garden Isle. The six-day adventure packs in everything from a rugged hike to 200-foot Hanakapiai Falls, on the Na Pali Coast, to a screaming 3,500-vertical-foot, 12-mile mountain-bike descent from Waimea Canyon to the Pacific coast. The accommodations live up to the island’s abundance: The 356-room Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club has elaborate tropical gardens, a 26,000-square-foot hibiscus-shaped pool, access to world-class surfing on Kalapaki Beach, and a spa renowned for its open-air massages overlooking Nawiliwili Bay. From $2,848, based on double occupancy, including meals; trips begin December 25, 2005, and January 1, 2006; 800-575-1540,

Island Chic

Honolulu, Hawaii

Halekulani Hotel

Halekulani Hotel

Be a movie star—or at least play one on vacation—with the definitive fashion-forward excursion to the Halekulani Hotel (doubles, $4,000; 808-931-5005, ), on Honolulu’s famed Waikiki Beach. This 88-year-old luxury resort has teamed up with fashion mogul Vera Wang to create the first designer-branded digs in Hawaii. The 2,135-square-foot Vera Wang Suite bears all the marks of an authentic label: fine-china settings in the formal dining room, silk linens in the master-bedroom suite, and antique elm furniture flown in from the South Pacific and Asia—all personally chosen by Wang, of course. The 642-square-foot lanai, a huge stretch of private deck with expansive views of Waikiki Beach and the Diamond Head volcanic crater, can second as your own private catwalk. There’s supermodel-worthy service, too: VIP passes to the symphony, museums, and the Honolulu Academy of Arts; 24-hour in-room made-to-order meals; private in-suite spa therapies; butler service; individual master surfing instruction with the hotel’s director of surfing; and a personal limo to get you to those 5 a.m. surf sessions. To the beach, Jeeves!

Deep Key Fishing

Islamorada, Florida

Cheeca Lodge and Spa

Cheeca Lodge and Spa

Islamorada—a seven-square-mile length of sand and scrub in the 1,700-island Florida Keys archipelago—gets sloshed with waves from both the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay (known to locals as “the backcountry”). The island’s waters are stuffed with a staggering 600 species of fish and the only tropical coral reef in the continental U.S. Push off from Cheeca Lodge & Spa‘s 525-foot pier—a nod to the island’s stretch geography—with the Backcountry Fishing Package ($900 per couple for three days and two nights) and cast for marlin, snapper, sailfish, and wahoo from a privately guided boat. If you’d rather swim with the fish than hook them, you can practically brush flipper to fin with angelfish, parrotfish, spotted rays, and green moray eels at Alligator Reef and Cheeca Rocks, two nearby dive sites. On the shore, the recently renovated property is just as stunning as the aquatics, with 27 beachfront acres highlighted by a spa that focuses on indigenous treatments, four waterfront restaurants (the chefs will prepare your catch-of-the-day), and 201 guest rooms and suites with oversize bathtubs, mahogany beds, and giant windows with sweeping views of the Atlantic and the resort’s 27 palm-swept acres. Doubles from $250; 800-327-2888,

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