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5 Top Travel Ideas for Westworld Fans

Are you a White Hat or a Black Hat?

Has Westworld made your inner cowboy rise up? Do you wish you could break your loop and enter the world of the Wild West? Well grab the reigns because we've curated a list of 5 perfect Westworld inspired travel ideas.

Guests who travel to the fictional Westworld theme park can fulfill their every desire, true to the historical nature of the raucous wild west. There’s the classic saloon with various ladies of the night, the intense poker games going on, the whiskey, the tinny piano (which, fun fact, plays modern rock tunes - how many did you find?), and of course the gun slinging horseback chases and standoffs.

While Westworld seems eerily like something our current technology might not be too far off from providing, today there are already many ways you can travel to feel as though you’re a part of the Wild West.

Maybe you'll hop on horseback at a ranch or raft down a remote river. Grab a ticket on a steam engine. Spend a few days hiking through unparalled nature. Read on to discover how you can travel to fulfill your Westworld fantasies:

1. Go to a Dude Ranch

At a Dude Ranch, you will experience many of the activities and landscapes that make the Old West so alluring. You’ll learn to handle a lasso, shoot bow and arrows, and of course do lots and lots of horseback riding. Main destinations for dude ranches in the US include: Colorado, Montana, California, and Wyoming. See all Dude Ranch tours, and see below for some top choices:

Raft and Ranch: Ultimate Western Vacation with ROW

On this western themed tour through Idaho with ROW Adventures, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of a classic Spaghetti Western. Take in the culture of the Nez Perce tribe at the historical park in Spalding, stay in log cabins, and enjoy nighttime campfires. On a rafting trip along the Salmon River, you’ll traverse through some of the most remote parts of the American West.

All Inclusive Ranch Vacations

Get to work alongside real cowboys on a real ranch, herding cattle and riding horses every day. But it’s not all hard work - go kayaking and canoeing, hike in the Wyoming wilderness, or spend a day flyfishing against a stunningly beautiful and classically Western backdrop.

Montana Dude Ranch Adventure

Under the famous bright blue and expansive Montana sky, ride horses to your hearts content, and take in the beautiful countryside. Watch exciting demonstrations of cowboy skills like roping and penning. Enjoy live music outdoors by the campfire and feel the outside world slowly drift away.

2. Take a Train Journey across the US

Train travel is intrinsically linked to the American West. The railway system in the United States was only implemented in the mid 1800s - around the time when travel west was reaching its most intense spike.

Gold in California, the lush Oregon forest discovered by Lewis and Clark, the homesteading spurred on by pioneers like legendary Davy Crockett - the list goes on. Those who could afford rail travel were saved from having to battle the extreme elements, and harsh conditions that came with covered wagon travel. See All Train Travel Tour in the US

3. Take a drive along the California coast

Ok, so there isn’t much coast to be seen in Westworld, but California is unique in that it is the furthest west pioneers could venture, and therefore holds a special place for fans of the Old West.

Driving from the southernmost border, near San Diego, you'll pass through such pivotal and historic milestones as Los Angeles, San Francisco, stunning wine country, and gold country in Eureka. As you reach the wild coastal beauty of Oregon, you'll get a profound sense of the Western expansion, manifest destiny spirit.

When there’s no further to go than the ocean, one begins to see the tremendous stamina it took, and how elated those explorers must have felt to reach this point. See All Tours in California

4. Visit a National Park

If anything could help harken back to the days of wild and untamed nature, it’s any one of the 417 national parks in the United States.

The national park system, which was instigated by Teddy Roosevelt at the turn of the century, is one of America's crowning jewels. Go on a digital detox for the experience of long hikes, rock climbing, rafting, horseback riding, and camping. See All United States National Park Tours

Here are some top choices:

Yosemite National Park, California

Waterfalls, mountains, and stunning views for days, Yosemite is the best of the best of the far West. Pristine, clear air, and miles upon miles of wilderness make this the perfect destination to get away from it all.

Combine an old fashioned sense of wonder and travel as the socialites of the late 19th century did with a stay in the Majestic lodge. With its old fashioned dining room and enormous fireplace, you’ll feel like a cowboy enjoying the finer things in life after a long, arduous journey.

Death Valley National Park, California

Arid, expansive, and dry, this national park is desert through and through - it's the hottest, driest, and lowest park in the United States. A strange beauty nonetheless can be found among the harsh landscape. This is a true look at the hard conditions that faced many cowboys on their adventures.

Arches National Park, Utah

Arches National Park looks like what the West would look like if it was a cliche of itself - like in the hundreds of western films that came out of early Hollywood. Sunburnt rock formed into arches, and classic flat topped bluffs dot an alluring, dusty, landscape.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Buffalo galore. This impressive animal was once in abundance across the plains of the US. A standard food and fur supply for the Native American plains tribes and later for the pioneers arriving en masse as they headed west.

This is America’s first national park, established in 1872 - a mere thirty years after the California Gold Rush. About 5000 Buffalo make their home in Yosemite, and they have lived in the area since prehistoric times.

5. Unique Wild West Themed Activities

There are many activities travelers through the United States can partake in for a Wild West feel. Other than the more obvious such as horseback riding and camping under the stars, there are many ways to have a western themed vacation. 

You could follow the footsteps of pioneers in an actual covered wagon, go panning for gold in California, or visit the many eerie ghost towns that dot the American frontier in Colorado, Arizona, and California. 

Another idea is to visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Wyoming. No figure more encapsulated the romanticism and excitement of the American West than Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show. 

In many ways he was the first to capitalize on the desire and allure of the west - much like Westworld does. Learn the story of the original purveyor of Wild West fantasies through various collections and exhibitions exploring his life and times.

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Fill your stocking with experiences not things

Most people have enjoyed Dr. Seuss's “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” either in book, TV special, or movie form for many years. Most nod their head along with the commentary on the way consumerism has taken over the true meaning of the holidays.

And then we all feverishly buy things for people without much meaning behind them and ignore the moral of the story.

But what is the modern moral? Don't buy gifts? Perhaps not that draconian. Perhaps it's getting behind the true spirit of gift giving and finding ways to bring meaningful joy to loved ones and strangers alike.

Perhaps, it's not, 'don't buy anything' but instead, 'don't buy just any thing.'

When you give the gift of an experience, versus a material good, the excitment you have as the giftor increases (scientifically!) and the person who receives the gift gets more  pleasure out of using it.

We’ve said it before: the gift of travel is truly a way to buy happiness.

This holiday season, your hard-earned money can go farther than ever before! Here are 15 incredible travel experiences you can give for the same price as some common gift items (flights not included.)

For $100 You Can...

Purchase an Electronic Return Putting Mat from Sharper Image - the place that makes things you don’t need. Or you could...

1. Spend 2 days exploring beautiful Lake Titicaca in Peru. Meet people who are part of an ancient culture and spend time out on the water with Intrepid Travel - From $65/person

2. Get to know local kids and families when you teach arts and crafts in Costa Rica with Give a Day Global - From $100/person

3. Go hiking on the largest volcano in Central America. Your office can be adorned with photos from this acheivement...instead of your putting green scores - From $92/person

For $500 You Can...

Purchase an Oculus virtual reality headset. Let the irony sink in. Instead of seeing far off places through a tiny window on your head...which just looks silly, let's be honest, you could:

1. Go to South America and actually feel the spray from Iguassu Falls. Also you'll be in two countries in two days. This Iguassu Falls tour with G Adventures is the perfect gift - From $399/person

2. Instead of the virtual experience, get up close and personal with the pyramids in Egypt on a tour in Cairo with Look at Egypt Tours - From $305/per person

3. YOLO. Do you want to gaze through a VR headset at the sunset over the Mediterranean from a sailboat that you’re not really on? Or see it for real on a cruise in Greece with Sail in Greece Adventures - From $397/person

For $1,000 You Can...

Pick up a “Picasso Olive Leaf Ring” from Tiffany and Co. It’s purple. And gold. And no matter how hard you try, it’s not going to go with anything other than that one outfit that you’ll only wear to your cousin’s wedding. And maybe a fancy tea party. But really, who goes to tea dressed up anymore? Instead...

1. For under $1,000 you could be camping out on the African savannah, where the only purple and gold will be in the stunning dusk colors after sunset. And a photo is forever - you'll have priceless memories to share for years to come. Consider the South Africa Discoverer tour with G Adventures - From $999/person

2. Instead of a $1000 piece of jewelry, you and a friend could visit Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand for 9 days. Angkor Trails with Intrepid - From $690/person

3. Or spend 10 days surrounded by ancient Mayan history, and relaxing on the beach after a long day of archaeological discoveries in Cancun with Tucan Travel - From $1,149/person

For $5,000 You Can...

Get the big money item: that Ultra HD TV, where the image is so sharp it jumps off the screen. Yes you could buy one for $5,000, but you could also...

1. Take a luxury cycling tour through Burgundy with Butterfield & Robinson, tasting wine and eating delicious food along the way - From $4,995/person

2. Go hiking in Chile on a tour with Exodus, where you will cross off such bucket list items as Torres del Paine, Patagonia, and the Atacama Desert - From $4,145/person

3. Eat your way around Japan with Intrepid. Turn off the Food Network and enjoy delicious ramen, sushi, and learn to make your own soba - From $4,595/person

For $10,000 You Can...

Purchase a full size Yurt for your backyard (which let’s face it, you’ll just end up using to keep your lawn mower out of the rain. And then, you’ll have to move it in order to use the lawnmower…and that’s just impractical. Almost as impractical as having a Yurt in the first place.) But if you really are considering such a purchase, mull over these trips that you could get instead...

1. Maybe that office putting green would come in handy after all on a private Ireland Golfing Tour with Butterfield & Robinson.  - From $9,295/person

2. Look out the window to see expansive ice and snow, covered with wild penguins; instead of your St. Bernard marking his territory on your brand new Yurt. Incredible Antarctica is a place not many people get to see, but you will on a 13 day cruise with Hurtigruten - From $7,985/person

3. Stay in a Yurt. No really, on a tour through Mongolia with Cheeseman’s Ecology Safaris, you’ll have the opportunity to stay in this traditional home and appreciate the nuances of everyday life in Mongolia - From $7,900/person

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The soft African breeze picks up dirt on the savannah and the hazy late afternoon sun filters through. Through the sun dappled air, a giraffe lazily saunters into view, her distinctive tan markings matching the color tone of the ground. As the dust settles you see an elephant silhouetted in the distance.

It’s moments like these that make an African safari absolutely unforgettable. It’s the trip of a lifetime and there are few experiences that leave one so awe inspired.

If you’re planning an African Safari, you know you’ll be in for something special. Here’s our ultimate planning guide to help make your trip as incredible as possible.

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Trips to 10 Fairytale Destinations

The success of shows like Grimm and Once Upon a Time tell us one thing: people crave fairy tales. We like fantastical beings and lands, tales of bravery, heros & villains, parables in which we can see ourselves, but also feel removed from everyday life.

However, we don’t have to look too far to find fairy tale landscapes in our own world. And it doesn’t take a magic bean or ruby slippers to get there! Here are 10 Real Life Fairytale Locations, and the trips to take you there:

*waves magic wand*

1. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

A regular on lists of fairytale locations, this is the classic fairytale castle. Famously the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s castle, and the Cinderella castle at Disneyland, Neuschwanstein has been a fixture of the Bavarian landscape since 1886.

Trips to Consider: Highlights of Germany with Avalon Waterways Bavarian Castles Tour with European Castle Tours Best of Germany with Trafalgar

2. Glow Worm Cave, New Zealand

There are a few glow worm caves in New Zealand, the the main one is in Waitomo, just two hours drive south from Auckland. As you drift through you’ll feel like you’re in another world under a blanket of glowing turquoise stars.

Trips to Consider: New Zealand North Island Explorer with Intrepid Northern Discovery Including Farmstay with Trafalgar New Zealand - North Island Encompassed with G Adventures

3. Dark Hedges, Ireland

All of Ireland is worth visiting for a fairytale experience. The green hills and pastoral vibe, mixed with a feel of Celtic mysteriousness all serve to create a fairy story vibe. But if you have time to only visit one such spot, take a walk through the Dark Hedges.

Used in television shows like Game of Thrones, the forboding sounding and looking road is straight out of a dark fantasy novel.

Trips to Consider: Celtic Filmscapes, 2016 with Trafalgar Ireland's Coasts from North to South with Road Scholar Celtic Trail with Topdeck

4. Mont St. Michel, France

The inspiration for the castle in Disney's delightlful spin on the classic Repunzel, Tangled, Mont St. Michel is an eerily isolated island commune in France, with a population of 44. Its position against the sea makes for stunning photographs full of fantasy and mystery.

Trips to Consider: Paris & Normandy with Uniworld Paris, Normandy & Loire Valley with Smartours Normandy & Brittany Family Private with Butterfield & Robinson

5. Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

This charming avenue of odd, quirky baobab trees seems like an illustration from a colorfully painted childrens book. Set against the backdrop of ecologically diverse Madagascar, the hum of wildlife is delightfully present - look out for lemurs!

Trips to Consider: The Lost Continent with Explore! Madagascan Discoverer with Exodus Madagascar Baobab Tree Trail with Intrepid

6. Hobbiton, New Zealand

In a rare instance, the movie set for Hobbiton, created for Lord of the Rings, was installed permanently, allowing fans to truly feel like they are part of the story.

Trips to Consider: Naturally New Zealand with Globus New Zealand Explorer with Explore! New Zealand - the Bay of Islands with G Adventures

7. Tulip Fields, Netherlands

The Netherlands seems to spring right from a storybook and nowhere is this more true than the famous tulip fields in Keukenhof. Bright bursts of colors, thousands of fairies' homes, ahem, tulips, and lovely old windmills dot the landscape. Take a deep breath of the flower aroma and relax into the European pace.

Trips to Consider: Holland Biking with Butterfield & Robinson Best of Holland, 2016 with Trafalgar Self-Guided Cycling Amsterdam to Bruges with Explore!

8. Colmar, France

If this lovely, small village in Northeastern France seems familiar, it’s not just you. The picturesque streets, houses, and squares seem to be straight out of Beauty and the Beast.

Though the animators used inspiration from many places, and the animated setting for Belle's "little town" is an amalgam of all of them, the base seems to be Colmar. Right down to the fountain where she describes her 'favorite part, because, you see, here’s where she meets Prince Charming!'

Trips to Consider: Legendary Rhine & Moselle with Uniworld Traditional Europe Preview, 2017 with Trafalgar Paris, Champagne & The French Countryside with Globus

9. Himeji, Japan

An UNESCO World Heritage Site, this beautiful castle in Japan's Kansai Region was built in 1333. Through its long history, it has survived wars, invasions, and undergone many restorations to ensure it remains preserved for visitors to enjoy. Many legends and folklore surround the castle, making it the perfect destination for fairytale enthusiasts!

Trips to Consider: Highlights of Japan with Explore Japan Revealed with Peregrine Adventures Land of the Rising Sun with Intrepid

10. Svalbard, Norway

Those who grew up reading The Golden Compass will delight in this real life location, after which Philip Pullman's fictional Svalbard is named. The picturesque snowscape glows with character in its small towns, and dramatic ice formations. Iceland has grown rapidly in popularity in recent years, but neighboring Norway is still being discovered by tourists. Now is the time to visit!

Trips to Consider: Svalbard Express with G Adventures Greenland to Svalbard Expedition with Hurtigruten Tromso, Bear Island, & Longyearbyen

Ready to embark on your own fairytale adventure?

Search thousands of trips on Stride to find your perfect trip.

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Why You Should Travel to the Middle East

The scents of spices coming from mazes of food stalls in Israel. The majesty and mystery of the pyramids of Egypt. Standing at the crossroads of ancient religions in Jerusalem. The centuries of stories in every grain of sand kicked up by your camel’s hooves as you ride across the dunes of Wahiba Sands in Oman. 

The Middle East is a fascinating mix of cultures, sights, smells, and sounds. Unfortunately it’s often shrouded in negative media coverage, and it can be a startling admission for a traveler to say they are planning to visit this mysterious and ancient corner of the world. 

Mark Twain famously said “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness…” And this is particularly true of regions like the Middle East.  

The more we travel and discover that others are not so different from us, the more open minded we will be, and the more this perspective can influence our world for the better.

Continue Reading...

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With the 2016 Olympics well underway, let’s take a look at the Summer Games dating back to the year 2000 to see how countries have performed in different event categories.  

We crunched all the numbers, then aggregated the medals won and sorted them into eight different categories, ranking the top five countries within each grouping. The rankings were based on participating countries’ total medal counts from each event. 

What we found will surprise you!

Find out more at www.stridetravel.com

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Most Medals Won per Capita in 2012 Olympics - Infographic

With the 2016 Summer Olympics coming up, you may not be surprised about which countries take home the most medals. The same names usually show up at the top of the list every 4 years, like the USA, China and Russia, for example.

What is surprising is the ranking of countries by the number of Olympic medals won per capita. Lots of countries are climbing up the medal count despite their smaller sizes and could be stiff competition in the upcoming Rio Olympics!

Check out this interactive map to find out the number medals won per capita in each competing country, and how they compare to each other.

Interesting Facts:

The top 5 countries with the highest concentration of Olympic talent in London 2012 were Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, New Zealand, and The Bahamas. 

Every country that placed in the top 5 on a per capita basis is an island country. Not to mention, out of the top 5 total medal winners, the United Kingdom ranks the highest per capita (#23) — and it’s also an island. There must be something about that sea breeze!

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From Unicorns to Dugongs, Eagles to Doves - Who Represents Your Country?

Find out here! 

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Top Tours For Hamilton Fans

We may not be able to be in the 'room where it happens', but here are 12 trips to get you closer to the man who was Alexander Hamilton.

The Caribbean

Born into poverty in The Caribbean, Hamilton's rise to the top is one that has since been mimicked by hundreds of thousands of immigrants to the United States. Of course for Hamilton there was no official United States to immigrate to - as he was instrumental in creating it.

Trips to the Caribbean

History is Happening in Manhattan, New York

Manhattan was the epicenter of change and progress during Hamilton’s time - much as it is today. Though the vibrancy of the city is the same, it would have looked far different - dirt streets, horse drawn carriages, and the most herculean feat of all: women surviving New York summer wearing heavy, wool, floor-length dresses.

Trips to New York

Thomas Jefferson’s Paris

Hamilton’s good friend, and a friend to the American Revolution was French born General Lafayette. The salon culture of Paris, which evolved and continued all the way to the turn of the century when the Steins, Hemingways, and Dali’s lived it up, was first enjoyed by Hamilton's contemporaries. In the mid 1800s, it was the Thomas Jeffersons and the Benjamin Franklin's who soaked, and contributed to, the city's offerings of philosophy, discussion, and discourse.

Trips to Paris

King George’s England

Alexander Hamilton’s story, and the wider story of the United States is intrinsically linked with England. What started as a British colony grew into a much larger, self sustaining and independently functioning entity. This of course didn’t sit well with a monarchy that had grown accustomed to having a wide reaching empire, thus leading to the American Revolution.

Trips to England

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5 Ways to Travel Like Marco Polo

Marco Polo, is full of intrigue, mystery, and excitement. Following the adventures of legendary 13th century explorer, Marco Polo, the show delves into his early life and travels. 

The experiences that created a legend out of the man. 

Marco Polo's world was one of sprawling empires, covering what is today much of the Middle East, China, and Mongolia.  

Find out 5 ways you can live out your own Marco Polo journey!

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Celebrate Shark Week!

The Top 8 Destinations to See Sharks

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5 RESPONSIBLE Ways to See Wild Tigers

www.stridetravel.com

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Cuba Then & Now: A Travel Writer Looks Back

My first visit to Cuba, in December 1987, was almost surreal, raising as many questions as it answered. 

I traveled to Havana via Mexico City to write a magazine story about the ninth annual International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, which celebrated socially conscious Latin American films and, in some cases, hard-edged films about Latin America made by non-Latinos. 

Cinema, it seemed, was one of Fidel Castro’s passions, along with cigars and long-winded speeches, and he took pride in luring all the top regional filmmakers to Havana. 

That year he had also invited a number of American filmmaking luminaries who might be sympathetic to the Revolution. Directors Oliver Stone -- lionized for films such as “Salvador,” “Platoon,” and “Scarface,” the latter about thugs in Miami’s Little Havana -- Bob Rafelson (“Five Easy Pieces,” “Black Widow”), and Arthur Penn (“Bonnie and Clyde,” Little Big Man”) had all come to speak about filmmaking, screen some films, and help satisfy their curiosity about this island nation 90 miles and an eternity away from the Florida Keys. 

Actors Raul Julia and Klaus Maria Brandauer were also on hand, as were photographer Helmut Newton, novelist and Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Márquez (a friend of Fidel’s), and other luminaries.....Read More

Read the whole article on Stride Travel

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Top Guided Tours for Star Wars Fans

Check out our list: Top Guided Tours For Star Wars Fans 

Happy May the 4th Everyone!

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Brunch is nice, Travel is better

#HonorMom this Mother’s Day by entering our Honoring Moms Through Travel contest! 

You could win $1000 travel credit on us to send your mom on her dream trip.

Enter Now

Happy Mother’s Day!

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The Top Tours for Game of Thrones Fans

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