We’re traveling to ski resorts in the western U.S. trying to decipher which will provide the best vacation experience for skiers and snowboarders like you.  Along the way we’re interviewing locals, taking photos of local skiers and boarders tearing up their hometown hill, and using everything we learn from the locals to create these micro guides. This guide comes in video and written form. Both can be found below.

The video above contains lots of useful information, but, if you want to carry have this information on the hill where it will really come in handy, bookmark this guide on your phone.

Jackson Hole Micro Guide Part 1: The Hill

Whenever I show up at a hill, I never know where to go. The map doesn’t tell you enough. So, we’re created annotated maps of each hill explaining the terrain, so that you know where to go. Here’s our annotated map of Jackson Hole.

DOWNLOAD A FULL-SIZED VERSION OF THE MAP TO YOUR DESKTOP OR PHONE (1.3mb)

Here are the highlights:

For the Hardcore:

The tram is your best friend. It will carry you up 4,139 feet of steep powder-laden expert-only terrain in less than 10 minutes.

It’s glorious.

From the top of the tram you can access the infamous Corbet’s Couloir (known as the most extreme in-bounds run in North America), numerous steeps, cliffs, and bowl, and 3000+ acres of backcountry.

If excitement is what you’re looking for, you’ll never need another lift.

For the Park Rats:

Jackson Hole has one superpipe and four terrain parks, including two Burton Stash Parks. They may not all be open at all times and they vary in terrain and style, so it’s best to either ask a liftie for the lowdown or grab a map and go check them out to see which one you like best.

For the Groomer Cruisers:

It used to be that you’d spend most of your day on the Bridger Gondola, but Jackson Hole recently installed the Caspar Quad Chair, which opened up a whole new range of intermediate terrain. If you like the blue squares, you’ll want to spend your day exploring the areas around these two lifts.

For the Snowplowers:

If you’re a beginner, the areas around the Eagle’s Rest and Teewinot chairlifts are perfect for you. Basically all the runs are green circles, so you won’t accidentally end up on a steep pitch if you make a wrong turn, and you’ll never be far from the warmth of the lodge.

**Bonus Tip**

Liftopia sometimes carries lift tickets for Jackson Hole at a significant discount. Check their Jackson Hole page for cheap tickets.

Jackson Hole Micro Guide Part II: Where to Eat

The following restaurants came highly recommended by locals in Jackson Hole:

ON THE HILL / TETON VILLAGE

Osteria

A very classy and relaxed little Italian bistro with a warm atmosphere and wine bar.

3335 Village Drive, Teton Village, WY 83025

(307) 739-4100

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Mangy Moose

A western saloon with electric decor, good prices, and locally sources fare.

3295 Village Drive, Teton Village, WY

(307) 733-4913

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Village Cafe (known locally as ‘VC’)

Great value on the hill with espresso, pizza by the slice, soup, and sandwiches.

3275 McCollister Drive, Teton Village, WY

(307) 732-2233

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IN JACKSON

Upscale

Rendevous Bistro

Quirky takes on traditional dishes in a upscale casual atmosphere. Extremely busy. Reservations strongly recommended.

380 S US Highway 89, Jackson, WY

(307) 733-5010

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Trio

A locally-owned casual American bistro. Very popular with locals.

45 South Glenwood Street, Jackson, WY

(307) 734-8038

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The Gunbarrel

A western style eatery known for succulent steak and exotic game dishes.

862 West Broadway, Jackson, WY

(307) 733-3287

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Casual

The Snake River Brewpub

Sometimes referred to as Jackson’s “living room”, this brewery serves excellent locally-made brews and pub fare.

265 South Millward Street, Jackson, WY

(307) 739-2337

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The Q Brewpub

Eclectic decor and a passionate brewmaster make this brewpub a one-of-a-kind experience. A must see for beer lovers.

2550 Moose Wilson Road, Wilson, WY

(307) 739-0700

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Pinky G’s Pizza

Pizza by the pie and by the slice. Loved by locals.

50 West Broadway, Jackson, WY

(307) 734-7465

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Jackson Hole Micro Guide Part III: What to do Off the Hill

Jackson Hole is an outdoors-lovers paradise for everyone from the ultra-hardcore spam-eating dirtbag to the vacationing family with young children. Here are some of the most highly-recommended activities around Jackson categorized by the degree of discomfort or physical exertion required.

SWEATING AND CURSING

Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding

The Jackson Hole ski area offers access to over 3000 acres of backcountry, and that’s before you even get far from the mountain. Possibilities here are limitless.

Find your limits with one of Jackson Hole’s official backcountry guides.

Ice climbing

The area around Jackson has been referred to as “one of the riches ice-climbing treasures in the continental United States. With programs for everyone from beginners to serious peak baggers, Jackson Hole Mountain Guides can show you the ropes.

A GOOD DAY’S WORK

Snowmobiling

Wyoming is world-renowned among snowmobile enthusiasts. Find out why on one of the many day, half-day, and mulit-day tours offered by Togwotee Snomobile Adventures.

Dogsledding

An honoured tradition of snowbound country. Learn about, and experience, local history on a dogsled tour with the award-winning Iditarod Sled Dog Tours.

EASY AS PIE

Elk Reserve Sleigh Ride

Just outside of Jackson is the National Elk Refuge. Bundle up the family and take a wildlife viewing sleigh tour. Tickets are available from the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center in Jackson.

Snowshoeing

Snowshoing is like a walk in the park — a beautiful snowy Teton-backed park. It’s also nice and easy on the wallet. Snowshoe rentals about in Jackson. Several options can be found here.

Looking for more local recommendations for places to eat and things to do around Jackson Hole? Then I recommend you check out AFAR’s user-created suggestions for Jackson. I use them while traveling, and contribute some myself.

The post Jackson Hole Micro Guide appeared first on XpatMatt.

Australia Location

Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is located in the Southern Hemisphere and includes the main island of Australia, as well as numerous smaller islands, the best known of which is Tasmania. Located in the South Pacific, Australia is bounded by the Coral Sea to the northeast, Tasman Sea to the southeast, Great Australian Bight to the south, Indian Ocean to the west, and Timor Sea to the north.

Major Cities in Australia

The largest and best known cities in Australia include Canberra, the capital, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, and Perth.

Geography of Australia

At 7.6 million square kilometres, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, the smallest continent, and has about 34,000 kilometres of coastline. It’s often referred to as the “island continent” and sometimes the “Earth’s largest island” even though Australia is technically not an island.

Australia sits atop the Indo-Australian Plate. Since it’s so big, Australia has a wide variety of landscapes and climactic zones. Australia’s best-known geographic feature is the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world, which is located off the country’s northeast coast and extends over 2000 kilometres. You’ve likely seen pictures of an enormous flat rock that rises out of an Australian plain. They actually have several, one of which is Mount Augustus, the largest monolith in the world, which is located near the West Coast. The tallest peak on the mainland is 2,228 m Mount Kosciuszko in New South Wales, but the tallest in the country is Mount McClintock in the Australian Antarctic Territory at 3.492 m.

The northeast of the country is home to subtropical rain forests, and the southeast is comprised largely of mountain ranges. In the middle is a really big desert. Anyone who has seen Crocodile Dundee knows about Australia’s vast wild outback, which is mostly semi-arid desertish landscape. And, of course, there are lots of nice beaches.

Australia Weather and Climate

Since it’s so enormous, and surrounded by ocean, Australia has different climates in different places. They include equatorial, tropical, subtropical, desert, grassland, and temperate. To get a better idea of how Australia’s climactic zones are arranged check out this climate map.

Australia Description

Tourism makes up a significant part of the Australian economy (about 2.5%) and in 2010-11 the country received 5.9 million short-term visitors. Considering the size of the country, though, it’s not exactly what you’d call jam-packed.

Australia is a geographic wonder with tons of unique outdoors opportunities. The country is home to twelve UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites including the Australian Fossil Mammal Sites, Fraser Island, the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef, the Greater Blue Mountains Area, Heard and McDonald Islands, the Lord Howe Island Group, Macquarie Island, the Ningaloo Coast, Purnululu National Park, Shark Bay, Western Australia, and the Wet Tropics of Queensland.

The Great Barrier Reef is, of course, epic for snorkelling and scuba diving. Fraser Island, just off the East Coast is the largest sand island in the world and home to hoof of the world’s perched freshwater dune lakes. The Gondwana Rainforests in the east contain a cornucopia of rare and threatened species. The Heard and McDonald islands, just 1,700 km from Antarctica is one of the few places on earth where the unique ecosystem is completely intact and free of alien plants and animals. The Ningaloo Coast has an enormous network of underground caves and is also a gathering place for whale sharks and sea turtles. This list could go on and on.

Adventure activity recommendations

Australia Highlights

It’s hard to pick just a few highlights from this diverse country. But a few exceptional outings include:
• Sandboarding in the Pinnacles Desert near Perth is a great way to experience the desert without getting bored.
• Surfing anywhere in the country.
• The Grampian Mountains northwest of Melbourne offer hiking and climbing for enthusiasts of all levels.
• I don’t even know if I need to tell you that scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef should be on everybody’s list.

Australia Outdoor Adventure Activities

• Surfing
• Stand-up paddle boarding
• Scuba diving (wreck, reef, cave)
• Snorkeling
• Surfing (all levels)
• Sailing
• Kitesurfing
• Windsurfing
• Parasailing
• Paragliding
• Hang gliding
• Sky diving
• Bungee jumping
• Hot air ballooning
• Whitewater rafting
• Kayaking (river and lake)
• Hydrospeed/riverboarding
• Canoeing
• Caving and spelunking
• Hiking/trekking (all levels)
• Via Ferrata
• Canyoning
• Coasteering
• Ziplining
• Rock climbing (all levels)
• Ice climbing
• Abseiling/rappelling
• Mountain Biking (novice to expert)
• Horseback Riding
• Skiing and snowboarding
• Sandboarding
• Cross-country skiing

Travel Insurance

Get a travel insurance quote here

Australia Photos

[nggallery id=62]

Images (in order) courtesy ,drubuntu, University of Denver, nosha, Tooley, monkeyc.net, Michael Dawes, steve caddy, boobook48, Luca Zappa,Kenski1970, richard ling, and kelvin_luffs on Flickr.

Australia Map

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Disclosure: If you purchase insurance, book a hostel, or purchase one of the recommended books on this page using the links provided, I will receive a small commission. I do not, however, recommend these products simply to make money. I recommend World Nomads travel insurance because I use it myself and feel that they offer a good product that suits my needs at a fair price. I recommend Hostelbookers.com because they have the cheapest booking prices that I have seen online and a large selection, and I recommend the selected books from Amazon.com because they have reputations for quality information and were up to date at the time of writing. If you have found my blog useful I hope that you will consider purchasing some of these products using the links on this page to help me to continue providing free information about adventure travel around the world.

The post Australia Adventure Travel Guide appeared first on XpatMatt.

If you’re planning on taking a trip to enjoy the wonderful outdoors, there are affordable flights to Perth that can be booked in advance with sites such as Expedia.

Place

Perth, Australia

Perth Location

Perth is located in southwest Australia between the Indian Ocean and a low escarpment called the Darling Range.

Geography of Perth

With 1.6 million people, Perth is the fourth largest city in Australia. Located on in the southwest corner of the country, Perth is bounded on the west by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and in the east by the Darling Range, a long low escarpment that runs north-south. Perth is also bisected by the Swan River. According to Bill Bryson, Perth is the most remote city on earth. There may be some truth to this statement. Perth is actually geographically closer to Jakarta than Sydney.

Perth sits on a sandy coastal plain of infertile soil. The city is measures about 90 km (56 mi) north-south, and stretches about 50 km (31 mi) inland and has two river systems, the Swan and the Canning. The city sits on relatively flat and rolling land and is known for clean, beautiful beaches.

Perth Weather and Climate

Although far from the area, Perth is said to have a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers that last from December to March and cool wet winters.

Perth receives and average of 8.8 hours of sunshine per day and receives most of its rain between May and September. The average high in the summer reaches up to 31.3°C (88.3°F) and averages lows in the winter dip down to 7.8°C (46°F) in July.

Perth Description

Despite its remote location, Perth draws a great deal of tourism, especially from backpackers and adventure seekers. Although there are no nearby mountains to speak of, the geography is exceptional for outdoors activities. The beaches and Darling Range offer great climbing. Like the rest of Australia, Perth is proximate to exceptional scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing, and kitesurfing. The nearby rivers offer great whitewater rafting and kayaking and, being near the desert, even sandboarding trips can be arranged.

Steak is always in the menu in Australia. Dining at a local steakhouse comes highly recommended.

Perth Highlights

Bullet point highlights including keywords
• Diving on Rottnest Island 18km (11 mi) west of Perth is known for its great visibility, reefs, and biodiversity.
• Surfing and kitesurfing on the beaches up and down the coast are world-class and offer something for enthusiasts of all levels.
• Sandboarding day trips can be arranged from Perth to the Pinnacles Desert, and are a great way to experience the desert.
• Hike and explore Crystal Cave in Yanchep National Park, about an hour’s drive north of Perth.

Perth Outdoor Adventure Activities

• Surfing
• Stand-up paddle boarding
• Scuba diving (wreck, reef, cave)
• Snorkeling
• Surfing (all levels)
• Sailing
• Kitesurfing
• Windsurfing
• Parasailing
• Paragliding
• Hang gliding
• Sky diving
• Bungee jumping
• Hot air ballooning
• Whitewater rafting
• Kayaking (river, lake, and ocean)
• Canoeing
• Caving and spelunking
• Hiking/trekking (all levels)
• Rock climbing (all levels)
• Abseiling/rappelling
• Mountain Biking (novice to expert)
• Horseback Riding
• Sandboarding

Travel Insurance

I like to use World Nomads. It’s not too expensive and signing up is fast and straightforward. They also have pretty good coverage for sports equipment like surf and snowboards, but it varies depending on your country of origin, so be sure double check. You can get a free quote on their website.

Perth Photos

[nggallery id=60]

Images (in order) courtesy rosswebsdale, akeii, michaelroper, maxful, Makenosound, Kate Raynes-Goldie, rksmith99, jp3g, Robin Hutton, Kenny Teo (zoompict) ,kelvin_luffs, and  Shane__Watson on Flickr.

Perth Map

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Disclosure: If you purchase insurance, book a hostel, or purchase one of the recommended books on this page using the links provided, I will receive a small commission. I do not, however, recommend these products simply to make money. I recommend World Nomads travel insurance because I use it myself and feel that they offer a good product that suits my needs at a fair price. I recommend Hostelbookers.com because they have the cheapest booking prices that I have seen online and a large selection, and I recommend the selected books from Amazon.com because they have reputations for quality information and were up to date at the time of writing. If you have found my blog useful I hope that you will consider purchasing some of these products using the links on this page to help me to continue providing free information about adventure travel around the world.

Perth Vacations

The post Perth, Australia Adventure Travel Guide appeared first on XpatMatt.