Travel The World - Tips From An Expert

If you've ever thought about taking a year off and traveling the world, the logistics and the sheer quantity of unknowns have probably raised your pulse a little. Just getting an around-the-world ticket seems confusing enough, without even beginning to figure out how you fill 365 days in exciting, new places or how you get to those places without completely breaking the bank.

When it comes to hiking the Appalachian Trail and other "odyssey" type expeditions - first of all, our advice is definitely: go for it! Second, the best place to start -to help overcome doubts and fears- is to talk to someone who's done it, to see that it can be done by normal people like us.

In that vein, 18 Lessons from 5 Years Around the World is a great article for getting the creative juices flowing and whetting the appetite for world travel. Helping you take it one step further, "Nomadic Matt's" website Nomadic Matt's Travel Site is a wealth of practical knowledge gained from firsthand experience.

Read up, plan up (but not too much, according to Matt), and get out and travel!

While You're In The Neighborhood - Canyon de Chelly

The Grand Canyon is one of the most well-known natural landscapes in the world, visited by almost five million people annually. Only a few hours away lies another canyon with a fascinating history and unsung beauty - Arizona's Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

Spider Rock in Arizona's Canyon de Chelly

The Four Corners region - the area of the southwest United States where the states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona meet at Four Corners Monument, is only hours from the eastern rim of the Grand Canyon National Park and has an abundance of breathtaking landscapes and national parks, but most of these incredible vistas are too often missed by visitors in their rush to get to the Grand Canyon. A beautiful crimson-and-coral hued sandstone canyon, Canyon de Chelly is one such locale.

Hong Kong's MTR - Getting Around "The Pearl of The Orient"

Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station in Hong Kong

"The Fragrant Harbor," where East meets West, the Pearl of the Orient - China's Special Administrative Region has a rich history, an intriguing modern posture, and occupies a unique position in the Asian landscape. Hong Kong is home to a booming movie industry, cosmopolitan shopping districts, an iconic skyline, and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Like an Asian version of New York City, Hong Kong is a city that never sleeps, and while all the hustle and bustle may seem overwhelming to travelers, Hong Kong consistently ranks in the top 5 best public transportation systems in the world. Consider this: over 90% of Hong Kong travel is done by mass transit every day, over 7 million people.

Winter Camping Gear - The Quick List

Therm-a-Rest's Z Lite Sol sleeping pad

Gear Junkie has just put out a guide for 'sleeping in the snow,' an article listing their 8 essential items for  cold-weather camping, to be published in this month's Scouting magazine (the magazine for Scout Leaders).

Get a look at what they say you need to fend of the chill while exploring the backcountry - Gear for 'Sleeping in the Snow' (winter camping guide)

Take special note of the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol sleeping pad with its unique heat-reflective barrier, and the Mountain Hardwear Spearhead mitts with MH's OutDry Waterproof Technology to punch through the numbing winter nip that damp gloves can give way to.

"World's Ten Best Ethical Destinations" - Your New Adventure

The world is a lot different than it was 50 years ago - travel destinations are easier to reach and information about those destinations is much easier to obtain. In addition, the prevalence of responsive consumer markets around the world means that we are able to make statements about what is important to us by how we spend our time and money, especially when it comes to travel.

Riga, Latvia's capital, decked in snow

One group that seeks to help concerned travelers make educated decisions for "ethical" travel decisions is Ethical Traveler, a non-profit that produces an annual report of their "World's Ten Best Ethical Destinations." Their report considers a combination of factors, focusing primarily on social welfare, environmental protection, and human rights.

"We urge you to visit these destinations, and explore the wonderful sights, cultures, and activities they offer," says Ethical Traveler's 2013 report, which has just come out. "Each country selected as a Best Ethical Destination also offers the opportunity to experience unspoiled natural beauty, and to interact with local peoples and cultures in a meaningful, mutually enriching way."

Travel Fitness - Succeed In Your 2013 New Year's Resolutions

Every year, on almost everyone's list of New Year's Resolutions, working out and getting fit makes the list in some form or fashion - "join a gym" "lose X pounds by June" "GO to the gym that I'm member of" etc. And yet for many, by April that Resolution has fallen by the wayside, and often the reason is travel.

Whether business travel, early vacation, a chance at world travel, or the realization that Spring Break is another 365 days away, these interruptions to your routine of hitting the gym/pounding the pavement/logging miles on the bike can become an insurmountable obstacle that derails the best hopes of a regular fitness regimen until next January 1. But they don't have to be.