What’s the greenest way to fly?

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Lifestyle Activities     airborne experiences, bucket list, learn to, scenic flights

Such is the worry about the environment, everyone’s looking to cut emissions and watch their carbon footprints. The so-called gas-guzzlers – vehicles that use lots of fuel – have come under real scrutiny of late, and the airlines have also been put in the spotlight.

A jumbo jet creates a lot of carbon dioxide. Now, whether or not you believe this causes global warming is not really relevant – although it clearly is a lot of emissions.

That said, sometimes there really is no other way to travel than to fly; it’s the quickest and probably the safest form of modern travel we have – how else are you going to get to that meeting read more

NASCAR: It’s kinda like your car…

Robb Y    Driving Experiences    

Before NASCAR there was nothing, well nothing at a national level. Racing in the US was fragmented and there were no guarantees of winnings for drivers.

It took the initiative of Bill France to pull together 35 of the top racing personalities from across the country. After just four days, a new group was formed intent on setting the standards for stock car racing in the US. In 1948, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was born. read more

Cruising our great waterways

Robb Y    Food & Wine, Water Sports     city cruises, city tours, dinner cruise

“Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink,” goes the saying. True perhaps if you are adrift at sea, but on a lunch cruise there’s wine, fine food, fantastic views and all the (bottled) water you could ever drink!

The US has so many natural waterways, its little surprise that cruising around them is a popular pastime.

Across the country, the major rivers wind between states. They flow from mountain plateaus, through deltas teeming with wildlife, and to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, as well as into the Gulf of Mexico. read more

Up, up, up and away

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Tours & Attractions     flying, flying lessons, learn to

Helicopters can land just about everywhere, that’s their trick. Instead of needing a runway, a helicopter pilot can make do with a football pitch, or in cases of emergency, a street corner.

With helicopters it’s all about lift: vertical lift. Thanks to their spinning rotors, helicopters push air down, which in turn forces them up into the air.

It’s this that has made them so versatile. They make fantastic emergency vehicles, and can transport people and supplies to the remotest of places. read more

‘Saddle up’

Robb Y    Lifestyle Activities, Outdoor Activities     horse riding, learn to

A 4×4 is perhaps the ultimate cross-country vehicle: it can go just about anywhere. That said, long before the motor vehicle was invented, we managed to cross miles of inhospitable terrain, ford swollen rivers and climb the steepest of gradients. How? We trusted our travels to horses.

They played an integral part in the creation of the United States; from the mail service to the armed services, our equine companions have done us proud.

The horse and its rider are symbolic of our search into the West read more

The art of the glassblower

Robb Y    Lifestyle Activities     glassblowing, learn to, life lessons

To reach the highest standard of glass blowing takes years. After all, it is an age-old skill and it requires a very special touch.

It’s thanks to the special characteristics of glass that we have so many beautiful objects; glass has no set melting point but gradually changes as temperature rises.

It wasn’t until the late 19th century that any form of technology was utilized to form glass. Until then, glass was formed only by the hands of master craftspersons, using just the air from their own lungs. read more