Gas-Saving Alternatives For Summer Travel From Concierge.com

26% of People Claim that Soaring Gas Prices are Stalling Holiday Plans

NEW YORK, May 26 -- Gas prices have risen more than 35 percent from May 2005 to May 2006. According to early estimates from the Travel Industry Association of America, 26 percent of people claim that soaring gas prices are stalling their holiday plans.

Before you let the ExxonMobils of the world keep you from hitting the road, Concierge.com, the premiere travel planning site and online home of Conde Nast Traveler, has a few gas-saving alternatives for you to consider ... a way to make your summer greener: http://www.concierge.com/ideas/globalstyle/tours/detail?id=1258

  Hoof it Over a Glacier
  * www.alpineclubofcanada.ca
  * Join Alpine Club of Canada for a week of hut-to-hut hiking in the
    Canadian Rockies backcountry. Even beginners (physically fit ones) can
    join in.
  * The huts themselves are basic A-frame structures with woodstoves and
    bunk beds.
  * Meals are mostly dehydrated ingredients and are prepared by the hikers
    as a team (and actually aren't half bad).

  Your Car Ain't Welcome
  * www.mackinacisland.org
  * Michigan's Mackinac Island is the summer colony that has been drawing
    city dwellers for centuries. Horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and
    sailboats are the main sources of transportation.
  * Fire Island in New York, Bald Head Island in North Carolina, and
    Virginia's Tangier Island all opt for leaving cars in the garage as well

  Go Where Few Have Gone Before
  * While Washington tussles over whether to open the Arctic National
    Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, go ahead and experience it now.
  * Arctic Treks and Arctic Wild specialize in week-long rugged adventures
    into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in which you'll hike, raft,
    and camp among wild caribou, musk ox, and snowy owls.
  * A tiny prop plane drops you off in the Brooks Mountain Range, where
    you'll hike along trail-free carpets of wildflowers, raft class III
    rapids, and camp among wild caribou.

  Drink 'n' Bike
  * Drinking and driving don't mix, but wine country bike tours are
    brilliant.
  * Among them is Discover Adventures, the Georgia-based operation that
    specializes in two, four, and six-day tours of the upcoming wine regions
    of North Carolina and Georgia
  * In North Carolina, the Brookstown Inn servers as the base camp for daily
    excursions out onto the rolling hills and vineyards of the Yadkin
    Valley.

  Test Your Endurance
  * www.usara.com
  * Adventure Racing, which merges several sports (usually a combination of
    biking, paddling, and trekking), has been soaring in popularity in the
    past few years, jumping from 35 annual events in 2000 to just over 350
    last year.
  * Races are held in cities around the country and vary in intensity, but
    beginners can take a stab at one of the Sprint races, which last a
    couple of hours and require teams of only two.
  * Wisconsin's Wild Adventure Summer Sprint Race on June 10, entrants will
    mountain bike, trek, and kayak through the St. Croix river valley for up
    to six hours, breaking for the occasional mystery challenge like playing
    a game of catch blindfolded. www.wildadventurerace.com

  Canoe the Northeast
  * www.northernforestcanoetrail.org
  * On June 3 the ribbons will be cut on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail,
    740 miles of historic rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. The trail has
    been divided into 13 sections allowing for various levels of endurance.
  * Camp and paddle your way through New York, Vermont, Quebec, New
    Hampshire, and Maine.
  * The trail's online maps will help you plan a paddling and camping trip
    or locate the best places to stay from basic cabins to fancy lodges.
  * Learn the history of the storied people who carved the trails before
    you.

  Ride to Work on a Horse
  * www.lazyel.com
  * The Lazy E-L Ranch, 70 miles southwest of Billings, Montana, is a cattle
    ranch.
  * This is a working vacation that may reorganize your priorities: your to-
    do list includes riding the fences, doctoring calves, and herding
    cattle.
  * The ranch disputes the notion that ranchers and conservationists can't
    get along goats are used instead of pesticide to eliminate weeds.
  * There are rooms in the lodge, but for the truly pre-industrial
    experience, ask for the riverfront cabin. There's no electricity or
    running water, only an outhouse, some cooking supplies, and a wood-
    burning stove to keep you company.

  For the complete list of pollution solutions visit www.concierge.com

Concierge.com The new Concierge.com incorporates original, interactive features on every aspect of travel; highlights from Conde Nast Traveler, re-engineered for optimum online browsing; almost 200 original, in-depth, insider guides to top destinations around the world; a "destination finder" that lets readers narrow down the perfect place for any trip; almost 10,000 photographs of hotels, destinations, landmarks, and more; a suite of interactive tools to help readers make smart travel plans; a range of travel deals targeted to specific destinations; and a powerful search function to aid navigation.

CondeNet

CondeNet is the leading creator and developer of upscale lifestyle brands online, providing enjoyable, useful services that build upon the heritage of the world's most prestigious magazines. The company publishes significant online properties in the categories of food (Epicurious.com), travel (Concierge.com), and fashion (STYLE.COM and MEN.STYLE.COM); these titles have won numerous accolades from bodies including the American Society of Magazine Editors, the James Beard Foundation, Media Industry Newsletter, and the Webby Awards. Based in New York, CondeNet is owned by Conde Nast, a privately held media company.