14 Feb
Vancouver Tours Blog

7 Great Places to Go Skiing or Snowboarding

There’s nothing like hitting fresh snow at the onset of winter. Keen skiers and snowboarders are always looking for the next skiing challenge. We scour the globe for the best skiing locations. Whether it’s Europe, America or somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere, we’ve got you covered. Travel Insurance will have you covered too.

St Moritz, Switzerland

This winter sport mecca in Switzerland caters to a variety of cold weather visitors. It offers plenty of downhill runs as well loads of cross country skiing terrain. It really is a centre of winter sports, and has hosted numerous winter sporting events, including the Winter Olympics twice. Those not wanting to don the skis can take advantage of the many mountain walking trails.

Lillehammer, Norway

Norway hosted the Winter Olympics back in 1994. This is the town that made it all possible. It’s the place for serious cross country skiers, but downhill skiers are also catered for. This pretty area is steeped in history, having been inhabited since the Norwegian Iron Age.

Whistler-Blackcomb, Canada

Located north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, this is the biggest and arguably the best North American ski resort. When Whistler and Blackcomb merged over a decade ago, a gondola began to move skiers between the peaks of these two mountains. Great pictures from the 2010 Winter Olympics have shown what this resort has to offer, and up to 2 million visitors take up the chance to visit each year.

Niseko, Japan

Situated on Japan’s most northern island, Hokkaido, sits Niseko, itself a sister city of St Moritz. Niseko receives huge dumps of powder soft snow, making it attractive to board riders. There are actually 6 skiing areas in the region, which can be accessed on a single pass.

Southern Hemisphere Skiing

Those living in the northern hemisphere are well catered for as far as skiing and snowboarding are concerned. Ample resorts are often conveniently accessed by train in Europe, and North America also offers a range of ski locations. For those that want to get their fix in the off season, what are the options? How about a trip down to the Southern Hemisphere?

Valle Nevado, Chile

Valle Nevado is in the great Andes mountain range, and having only been founded in 1988, is pretty modern. Apart from the variety of skiing options in this large and varied park, the location is pretty convenient, being only 46 kilometres west of Chile’s capital and largest city, Santiago.

Wanaka, New Zealand

Originally settled due to the 19th century gold rush, it’s now a snow rush that brings visitors to Wanaka. It has arguably the best lift access in New Zealand, and is a less commercialised option that rival Queenstown. The natural beauty of the area means that outdoor summer activities are also popular.

These great skiing and snowboarding locations allow the enthusiast to follow their pursuit almost year round. While snow cover can vary from year to year, the best places are invariably good. Cheap Travel Insurance will cover you for standard issues while on holiday. For skiers and snowboarders, check that your insurance covers the facets of your snow trip that you require.

Source by Mark T James

31 Dec
Vancouver Tours Blog

Diesel Watches: The History of a Great Watch

Diesel watches are known far and wide for being desirable items of jewellery, and if you would like to get one for yourself then you will not be disappointed. Here is a quick overview of the history of this famous watch to give you a better idea about the timepiece you are buying.

Company Origins

Diesel’s story goes back to 1978 when the company was founded by Renzo Rosso in Italy. At this point, Diesel watches had not come into existence, and the company instead focused on clothing.

At first, Diesel remained a fairly small and unknown brand, at least on a global scale. It is hard to imagine that seeing as now it is one of the biggest fashion brands in the world, but for over a decade this was how it remained. In fact, the Diesel brand only began to start to get international recognition in the early 1990s.

Marketing Strategy

The company’s international marketing strategy was formed in 1991, and you could say that this was the year that things really started to change for the company and it began to build a reputation whereby Diesel watches are now known all around the world.

Five years later, Diesel opened its first premium store in New York on Lexington Avenue. At the same time, Diesel was beginning to see some much larger sales in America, and the company brand was really starting to take off across the world.

Focus on Youthful Image

Diesel has always focused on targeting its products towards a younger, trendier audience. This is also true of Diesel watches, which accompany the clothing line and are sold as lifestyle products.

One of the main figures responsible for this successful strategy is Wilbert Das who joined the company in 1988. He overseas all creative decisions, including its licensed collections consisting of jewellery and Diesel watches.

Continuing to Innovate

Diesel has proved itself to be an innovative and stylish brand, and Diesel watches are now popular all around the world for their style and quality. After proving itself over two decades to be a genuine innovator, we can expect the company to go on creating ever-more exciting watch models and other apparel for many years to come.

Conclusion

Enjoy Your Historic Watch

Diesel watches are excellent timepieces, and when you buy your own you will be acquiring a watch which is famous all over the world. Now you know a bit more about the history of the watch, you can buy your own with confidence knowing that you are getting a truly historic watch.

Source by Martyn Bramley

29 Jul
Vancouver Tours Blog

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Most Visited Park in the United States

The most visited National Park in the United States National Park system is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park located between Tennessee and North Carolina. This world renowned park has some of the most diverse plant and animal life and is well known for the magnificence of its ancient mountains range.

There is so much to do in the park you could spend a whole vacation and still not exhaust all the possibilities. It’s a great vacation destination for all ages and has something to offer everyone who visits. This year the park will celebrate its 75th anniversary as a National park.

With over 800 miles of maintained trails Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker’s Utopia. There are trails for every skill level from a casual afternoon stroll to a serious back country camping experience. Hikers of all skill and fitness levels will find the perfect trail to explore. Hiking is certainly not the only activity you can partake in as there is also camping, biking, fishing, and horseback riding amongst other things. And, if you aren’t feeling like a hike to the crest of a mountain or catching the big one, you can merely sit and take in the marvelous mountain sunsets the park has to offer.

Another great activity at the park is auto tours. An auto tour will bring you to fantastic panoramic vistas, rushing mountain streams and will open your eyes to some of the cool weathered historic buildings in and around the park. An auto tour through The Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be a fun and exciting event. While you are out there enjoying your auto tour, stop and take in one of the 11 picnic sites set up to provide you with all the scenery needed to enjoy your food with a view. Maybe you’ll be able to enjoy some of the wildlife that resides in the park. Just don’t feed the bears!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be an experience your whole family will remember for years and years to come. Once you arrive you may never want to leave! One tip to keep in mind when planning your visit is to remember to bring climate appropriate clothes. The weather in the park can change frequently and quite often does especially when driving or hiking to higher altitudes, so bring along some warm clothing and always feel free to call for weather updates before arrival. Have fun and enjoy all the Great Smoky Mountains have to offer.

Source by Alan LeStourgeon