There’s More to HikeBikeTravel Than Just A Travel Blog

January 13, 2012

I started my website with the express idea of researching, traveling and writing travel adventure guides. I had planned to sell them, get rich, retire. But that was before I knew anything about the internet – let alone the world of travel blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Stumble Upon and other stuff that a lot of people with real jobs don’t think about, know about or even care about for that matter.

Most of my readers really have no idea about the wealth of information available on my HikeBikeTravel website.

Hence the reason for today’s blog.

For starters, let me tell you about the adventure guides. There are 21 of them, all free and downloadable covering the following:

Banff Jasper front page Theres More to HikeBikeTravel Than Just A Travel Blog

Canada: Hiking the West Coast Trail, Biking the Cabot Trail, Biking the Gulf Islands, Niagara Area Bike Guide, Biking the Eastern Townships, Biking and wine tasting from Victoria to Cowichan Bay

United States: Biking and Visiting California Wine Country, Hiking the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska, BC and the Yukon, Biking and Visiting Tucson and Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, Hiking the Rim to Rim to Rim Trail of the Grand Canyon, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, biking the San Juan Islands in Washington

Europe: Hiking the Dingle Way in Ireland, Hiking the Kerry Way in Ireland, Biking and Visiting Connemara in western Ireland and Hiking the West Highland Way in Scotland.

And no – you don’t have to be some hard core, heavy duty athlete to do these trips. Some in fact you could drive and still benefit from the info in the guide.

Then there is a Travel Resources page with a wealth of information and links including:

  • Useful travel related websites for packing, currency exchange and world electric guides as examples.
  • Want to know what airports you can sleep in – you’ll find it here.
  • Are you a boomer? There are guides to fellow boomer travel bloggers.
  • Love train travel. Check out the links.
  • What type of accommodation do you like? House-sitting?  Home exchange? Free? Work exchange? B&B’s? You’ll find it all here.
  • Links to airline bookings – yes, they’re here too.
  • Travel forums where you can ask questions and get answers from real people. Also here. Though don’t hesitate to ask me too.
  • And budget related links are coming.

Looking for a travel adventure company – ones that offers hiking, biking, kayaking or a combination of adventures? Over 50 are listed.

Then there are newsletters - with travel finds and information that you don’t find on my blogs. The goal for 2012 is to offer them every 4-6 weeks. Links are there for the previous four.

And also book lists from the last 5 years – where perhaps you can get some ideas for a book to take on your next trip.

As you can see, there is a lot more to HikeBikeTravel than just my blog!

I’ve got a few new ideas too – though I need your feedback?

  • Would you be interested in getting travel advice from me on a particular matter of interest to you? I’ve though about starting up an ASK LEIGH column and I’d get you the answers you’re looking for?
  • Any interest in sharing your travel photos in a monthly contest?

And PLEASE, two things that really help – are comments, the more the better, and Facebook Likes. 

I need your help to grow and to try and make a token living out of this. And if you’re in a particularly generous mood please consider a Paypal donation to offset my website guy and keep the whole ball rolling.

Thank you for hearing me out.

Leigh McAdam
HikeBikeTravel
Bellagio 0145 Theres More to HikeBikeTravel Than Just A Travel Blog

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Miscellaneous travel tips | 10 Comments 

5 ways to connect to your loved ones while you are abroad

November 25, 2011

Connecting to your loved ones from across the world isn’t a big deal these days. While you are traveling, working or studying in another country, there is so much that you would like to share with your family and friends.

Here are 5 ways to connect to your loved ones while you are abroad.

Mail Gifts

gift 5 ways to connect to your loved ones while you are abroad

Send a gift

If you want to make your family feel special then pick the best gifts from the new country and send them across. The feeling of joy on receiving the gifts is immeasurable. For few moments they would certainly be speechless and then they might dance with joy. It is always thoughtful to make your loved ones smile from miles. You can also send a note along conveying your message and assuring them that you are safe and sound.

Send Letters

Gone are the days when people considered letter writing as the best way to keep in touch. But if you want to give your loved ones the feeling of closeness then you can still use this method. Write to them, don’t type it. Your words or rather handwriting could make them feel happier with a thought that you managed to spend time for them.

postcard 5 ways to connect to your loved ones while you are abroad

Hand write a postcard

Pick Up the Phone

It isn’t tough anymore! With the advancement of calling services, you can enjoy the benefit of making free calls to any part of the world. So while you travel overseas and incur huge expenses, you don’t have to feel the pinch in your pockets with regard to making phone calls.

And you cannot ignore the fact that you are missing your loved ones ever since the day you left them. So imagine how would they be feeling? I am sure there are ways to make them feel at ease, and cheap international calling is a suitable way. Hence you can bridge the gap and feel closer to your family and friends.

Stay Online

computer11 5 ways to connect to your loved ones while you are abroad

Computer and phone

Just register and login to Gtalk/Video, MSN or AIM chat depending on the messenger service installed at both ends. Now you can chat all day long with your loved ones, provided you ask them to stay online at the same time. The other option is sending emails which is simple and faster. You can send your stories, jokes, pictures etc, and you can ask your family to do the same.

Upload Video & Photos

While you travel, you are experiencing a great journey of different moments. Whatever you experience is mostly new and may never return again. So capture these moments by clicking pictures or shooting videos. And the next step to this is SHARE! Just upload videos and photos on social sites so that your loved ones know about your new world.

This post is written in collaboration with Rebtel.

Photo credit: Gift, Postcard

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Miscellaneous travel tips | 5 Comments 

A Conference For Every Style of Travel Blogger

September 28, 2011

Travel bloggers are a diverse group with a shared love of travel.

Travel blogs can focus on any of the following: family, solo, group, outdoor, nature and adventure travel, wine and food, accommodations and photography and video; writing can be narrative or non narrative.

TBEX 2011 and packing 012 A Conference For Every Style of Travel Blogger

A revolving world at the Conference Center in Vancouver

There are conferences for every style of travel blogger to up their game – from conferences specifically designed for travel bloggers to those focusing on writing and photography or social media. Don’t forget the conferences that are thought provoking and serve to inspire.

Here are the conferences I’ve managed to dig up that may be helpful if you’re a travel blogger.

If you’re like me you find out about them the week before or just after the fact. Put the conference dates on your calendar now – and you’ll have another good reason to travel next year.

Travel Blogging Conferences

  • Travel Bloggers Unite They run conferences in Europe. The most recent conference was a month ago in Innsbruck, Austria. I can’t find any 2012 dates or a location yet.
  • TBEX June 15-17, 2012. Keystone, Colorado This will be the third annual conference for travel bloggers. The conference in Prague for 2011 has been cancelled but there will be a mini TBEX in London during the week of  the World Travel Market – and it won’t interfere with the Travel Blog Camp. The exact date and time has not been disclosed yet.
  • Travel Blog Camp  November 8, 2011. London, England. This is a meetup of bloggers and the UK travel industry; tickets go quickly. (I think we could use one of these one day events in Canada too.)

Writers and Photographers

  • Travel Classics Writers Conferences  October 6-9, 2011. Vancouver, British Columbia. There are two conferences per year with one in Europe and one alternating between eastern and western cities in North America. The target audience is professional travel writers and editors.
  • Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographer’s Conference  August 9-12, 2012 in Corte Madera, near San Francisco. Enjoy a mix of writing and photography workshops, panel discussions and faculty presentations. You can expect to meet an international crowd of publishers, magazine editors, photographers, travel essayists, food writers, guidebook writers, and maybe even the odd travel blogger.

Social Media

  •  Social Media Strategies for Travel February 27 -28, 2012 in San Francisco. One of the topics is forging successful partnerships with blogs and online communities.
  • Social Media Conference September 29-30, 2011 in Moscow. It’s the industry’s largest expo but it’s a tad late for most of us to even think about going to this year.
  • Blog World and New Media Expo  November 3-5, 2011 in Los Angeles Learn how to blog, podcast and use social media better.

Adventure Travel

  • Adventure Travel Trade Association October 8-11, 2012 in Lucerne, Switzerland. Attendees aren’t typically travel bloggers – rather tour operators, travel agents, accommodation and service partners. Still it would be interesting. This year’s summit in Mexico is sold out.

Miscellaneous but Very Worthwhile

  • World Travel Market November 7-10, 2011 in London, England. All members of the travel industry are represented including tourist boards, airlines, cruises, technology, online travel and more. On the Tuesday and Thursday doors open to all travel industry professionals. This is one big trade show.
  • TED Conferences Gain insight and get motivated by listening to and interacting with some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Plan ahead though – the Long Beach conference in March 2012 is sold out.
  • The International Center for Responsible Tourism,  a post graduate training and research center based at the Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK, recently put on its 5th annual conference at the end of June in Edmonton, Alberta. I haven’t found dates online yet for their 2012 conference.
  • Lady Blogger Social Online Conference February 3-5, 2012. An online conference for blogging and women involved with social media. Registration is limited to 100 participants. They’ve got an interesting  lineup of speakers including Caz Makepeace from Y Travel Blog.
  • World Domination Summit July 6-8, 2012 in Portland, Oregon. I’ve heard great things about this meetup. Thought provoking. Fun. An adventure. Looks like an interesting line-up of speakers including Jodi Ettenberg from Legal Nomads. Put your name on the wait list now.
I know this is an incomplete list so if you have recommendations to make please take a few minutes to leave a comment.
Leigh
HikeBikeTravel

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Miscellaneous travel tips | 7 Comments 

Next Page »

Latest Post

Another Free Guide – Cabot Trail Biking Tour Guide

Palm Springs, a desert resort city of 40,000 plus people, is located 100 miles east of Los Angeles and 130 miles northeast of San Diego. It is one of nine cities that make up the Coachella Valley with mountains surrounding it on all sides.

Inside Cabot Trail Biking Tour Guide you will find the following

1. Fantastic scenery, especially along the western coast of Cape Breton Highlands National Park

2. the climb in the afternoon of North Mountain rewards with excellent scenery too

Top 10 Popular Posts

  • 33 Interesting Facts About Africa33 Interesting Facts About Africa: I love trivia and I hope you enjoy these weird and wonderful tidbits - some of which I learned on my most recent trip to the African continent. 33 Interesting Facts About Africa There are 54 coun...
  • Crossing the Andes: Mendoza to Santiago by BusCrossing the Andes: Mendoza to Santiago by Bus: Crossing the Andes from Mendoza to Santiago by bus, or vice versa, is a superb way to see some stunning countryside. It's also a heck of a lot cheaper than flying. It's only going to cost you $US20-25...
  • 12 of the World’s Top Trekking Destinations12 of the World’s Top Trekking Destinations: Any serious trekker or backpacker is going to have their own version of the world's top trekking destinations. My choices are based on experience, reading, chatting with fellow hikers and what's st...
  • Travel Photo Thursday: Crowfoot Glacier, Banff National ParkTravel Photo Thursday: Crowfoot Glacier, Banff National Park: You'll find Crowfoot Glacier in Banff National Park, about 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Lake Louise. There's a good spot to photograph it from the highway though if you climb up Cirque Peak t...
  • Weird & Wonderful Facts About VancouverWeird & Wonderful Facts About Vancouver: Learning unusual facts about a city before you visit can really enhance your stay and make it more interesting. With a sharp rise in visitors to Vancouver in the summer coupled with the fact that Vanc...

View more of this category

If you're travelling to Canada, look
here for great Toronto Hotels

GREAT IDEAS FOR:-

UK Short Breaks

UK Family Holidays

UK Activity Holidays

For the many who have tired of sunloungers.
Wales. Home of proper holidays. Phrasebook
optional, sense of adventure
essential, indifference best
left at home.

Embed text goes here.
Travel Insurance
apartments
Short term accommodation WorldWide
Hiking and travelling will wear you out. Barcelona accommodation will offer you a place to rest at best prices. Further south, the broad offer in Seville accommodation will get you ready to conquer the Andalucia Moorish Trails. If you are travelling Portugal, Lisbon accommodation is what you need.
The cheapest way to travel