Gore-Tex is a company that makes outdoor adventure clothes and accessories. Even better for someone with sore feet in the summer, Gore-Tex makes really comfortable walking shoes - great for summer sandals, hiking, and walking tour vacations - due to their patented technology of breathable, waterproof fabric. This fabric is found in Merrill, Ecco, Clark's, and Timberland shoes (as well as some others). To highlight the comfort of their footwear, the company joined with the Adventure Travel Trade Association to suggest the Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations. These are summer vacation ideas for people who take luxury adventure vacations and appreciate the value of an incredibly comfortable pair of shoes.
Top 10 Summer Adventure Travel Destinations
Australia: It's a big place with lots of adventure travel opportunities, as well as more civilized shopping adventures in Sydney and Melbourne. Australia also has some of the best new luxury spas in the world, to treat those overused feet well.
Brazil: Hike in the rain forest here while you still can! For a more relaxed summer vacation, the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema are famously beautiful. Speaking of Ipanema, Rio de Janiero is pretty wild any time of year. The intrepid traveler can round out a summer vacation here with any number of activities.
British Columbia: Many travelers' favorite airport hotel is in Vancouver - from there, outdoor adventure lovers can head straight to Vancouver proper, Victoria, or Granville Island. The whales are up in BC during the summer; those, and other migratory sea mammals are a thrill to see.
California: Even Los Angeles has terrific hiking locales, despite its urban "strip mall" reputation. Along the Central Coast, Santa Barbara is a top pick for a mix of adventure travel and luxury vacations. Check out Lake Tahoe, San Francisco (and its surrounding area), and Napa Valley, for a balance of outdoor adventure luxury travel.
France: Ah, Paris! Talk about your walking tour summer vacation. Three of the world's best art museums are in Paris, of course, but France also has walkable forests in Fontainebleau, great biking in the Pyrenees, Provence, and - it goes without saying - much more. A summer vacation in France would be amazing.
Madagascar: There are some really weird creatures endemic to Madagascar, like chameleons, lemurs, and the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. You'll really need those hiking boots to explore Montagne d'Ambre National Park in Madagascar, and the Malagasy people - native to the island - could really use those tourism dollars.
Nepal: It's all - or mostly - about Kathmandu here. And for most of us, it's quite a trip! The actual travel process is part of the adventure. Once there, the historic places like Boudhanath Stupa (home of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal) are popular tourist destinations.
New York: Sure, visiting New York City in the summer is like spending time in a dog's mouth, but it is still a famous walking city, and still on Gore-Tex and ATTA's Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations. Upstate New York is a different story, though; the Adirondacks are among my favorite low-stress mountain ranges for soft adventure travel, and Saratoga Springs is a hub of arts and culture. The Hudson Valley and Niagara Falls are also well-known summer vacation spots.
Norway: Really? Norway? Well, ATTA points out that this is International Polar Year, so Norway is a great destination for leisure and adventure travelers. It must be on the top summer destinations because it's too dark and meloncholy there in the winter. There are unbelievable waterfalls and fjords to explore. For soft adventure and a luxury trip, a Hurtigruten cruise ship can take travelers along the coast of Norway.
Booking.com
Switzerland: Adventurers can hike during their summer vacations, right up the Alps, and hang-glide back down. Less intrepid types should be happy touring Basel, Geneva or Zurich.
Top 10 Summer Adventure Travel Destinations
Australia: It's a big place with lots of adventure travel opportunities, as well as more civilized shopping adventures in Sydney and Melbourne. Australia also has some of the best new luxury spas in the world, to treat those overused feet well.
Brazil: Hike in the rain forest here while you still can! For a more relaxed summer vacation, the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema are famously beautiful. Speaking of Ipanema, Rio de Janiero is pretty wild any time of year. The intrepid traveler can round out a summer vacation here with any number of activities.
British Columbia: Many travelers' favorite airport hotel is in Vancouver - from there, outdoor adventure lovers can head straight to Vancouver proper, Victoria, or Granville Island. The whales are up in BC during the summer; those, and other migratory sea mammals are a thrill to see.
California: Even Los Angeles has terrific hiking locales, despite its urban "strip mall" reputation. Along the Central Coast, Santa Barbara is a top pick for a mix of adventure travel and luxury vacations. Check out Lake Tahoe, San Francisco (and its surrounding area), and Napa Valley, for a balance of outdoor adventure luxury travel.
France: Ah, Paris! Talk about your walking tour summer vacation. Three of the world's best art museums are in Paris, of course, but France also has walkable forests in Fontainebleau, great biking in the Pyrenees, Provence, and - it goes without saying - much more. A summer vacation in France would be amazing.
Madagascar: There are some really weird creatures endemic to Madagascar, like chameleons, lemurs, and the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. You'll really need those hiking boots to explore Montagne d'Ambre National Park in Madagascar, and the Malagasy people - native to the island - could really use those tourism dollars.
Nepal: It's all - or mostly - about Kathmandu here. And for most of us, it's quite a trip! The actual travel process is part of the adventure. Once there, the historic places like Boudhanath Stupa (home of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal) are popular tourist destinations.
New York: Sure, visiting New York City in the summer is like spending time in a dog's mouth, but it is still a famous walking city, and still on Gore-Tex and ATTA's Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations. Upstate New York is a different story, though; the Adirondacks are among my favorite low-stress mountain ranges for soft adventure travel, and Saratoga Springs is a hub of arts and culture. The Hudson Valley and Niagara Falls are also well-known summer vacation spots.
Norway: Really? Norway? Well, ATTA points out that this is International Polar Year, so Norway is a great destination for leisure and adventure travelers. It must be on the top summer destinations because it's too dark and meloncholy there in the winter. There are unbelievable waterfalls and fjords to explore. For soft adventure and a luxury trip, a Hurtigruten cruise ship can take travelers along the coast of Norway.
Booking.com
Switzerland: Adventurers can hike during their summer vacations, right up the Alps, and hang-glide back down. Less intrepid types should be happy touring Basel, Geneva or Zurich.
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