Vacations are crucial when it comes to your health and happiness. Not only have vacations proven to boost work productivity, but they also reduce stress and lower blood pressure.
As our reliance on technology continues to grow, you may feel constantly attached to your devices. While we may need these gadgets to do our work and stay in touch with loved ones, our online activities can often be detrimental to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. According to 2017 data from the American Psychological Association, nearly one-fifth of Americans identify the use of technology as a very or somewhat significant source of stress. But that same report found that around 65% of Americans somewhat or strongly agree that taking a digital detox or periodically unplugging from technology is important for their mental health.
11 Vacations Where You Can Disconnect And Change Your Life
By Laura Begley Bloom
Transformative Travel: I look at how travel can change lives.
It's no secret that people are addicted to their digital devices. According toPew Research Center, as smartphones and other mobile devices have become more widespread, 26% of American adults now report that they go online “almost constantly,” up from 21% in 2015. And a report published by the Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg says the average American spends a whopping 23.6 hours online each week.
In response, a number of travel companies are trying to help guests reclaim their lives outside of their devices by offering innovative ways to escape the digital rat race.
"Ironically, as connected as we are in the social media age, we are completely disconnected," says travel guru Jack Ezon, managing partner at Embark, a new luxury lifestyle and travel planning business that he's about to launch.
Ezon calls this one of the big trends of 2018 in his annual trend report, pointing out that travel presents an opportunity for people to put their fast-paced “connected” world behind them and build true, deep connections that you just can’t get from a Facebook feed or Instagram Live videos. Ezon says there's a new yearning for disconnecting, including "a desire for road trips and trips that offer a real connection to the land."
The travel agency Protravel International also says that disconnecting is one of the five emerging trends in luxury travel. “I’m seeing more and more clients looking to travel to disconnect from technology and the news cycle," says Marvelys Capote, an agent with Protravel International New York.
Recently, Capote sent four women to Holbox Island in Mexico, so that they could "get off the grid and connect with nature."Holbox is a remote island two hours northwest of Cancun with limited Wi-Fi. "My clients stayed at CasaSandra, a boutique hotel without televisions, went bird-watching, fishing, swimming with whale sharks, ate great seafood and came back rejuvenated.”
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has done research into the topic of reconnecting by disconnecting, too. According to a 2017 report, physical and mental health are key motivators for travelers seeking adventure travel experiences — and, according to the ATTA, travelers are increasingly prioritizing this when making travel-related decisions by seeking out wellness trips, as well as opportunities to unplug.
"Almost everyone I know knows someone who is on a device too much," says Casey Hanisko, president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association. "People are craving the idea of reconnecting. Remarkably, adventure experiences can awaken something in us all and remind us that making memories doesn't always happen with a phone in your hand."
Looking to take your own digital detox? From charming cottages to wellness retreats to urban getaways, here are 10 ways to unplug on your next vacation.
Vacation opportunities can present themselves at unexpected times. This is especially true when you thought you wouldn't be able to swing a vacation this summer.
ROOMS WITH A VIEW
Looking for a new meeting space? Change your outlook.
BY ROGER GORDON
WE MAY BE BIASED, but we think the Northwest is one of the most beautiful regions on earth. From coastline and mountains to lakes and glaciers, the scenic wonders are natural eye candy. Want to use some of that picture-postcard setting as a backdrop for your next meeting or event? Here are a few venues to consider.
Summer is officially here and families across the U.S. are packing up to head out on their next big family vacation. Many families enjoy vacations because it lets them spend time together. But if you're not careful, your dream vacation can quickly turn into a nightmare.
The state of Alaska has a lot to offer. In fact, Alaska has more than 75 parks, preserves, monuments, refuges, national forests, and historical sites.
It's no wonder that Alaska welcomed almost 2 million visitors in only five months during 2016. Vacationers can relax and enjoy the great outdoors like nowhere else.
If there's one thing Alaska is known for, it's the state's beautiful wildlife in the form of national parks, preserves, and forests. In fact, more than half (52%) of Alaska's acreage is made up of wilderness.
It's for this reason that Alaska is the hot spot destination for those looking for the ultimate nature vacations the U.S. has to offer. But what exactly can you do to explore the local wildlife while on an authentic Alaska vacation?
It's a good idea to be prepared for any vacation, but especially a luxury Alaska vacation filled with daily excursions into nature. Alaska is a state filled with awe-inspiring wilderness and adventure that you'll want to be dressed and prepared for so you won't miss a minute.
That being said, you'll want to bring some of the following essential items before you head off to one of America's most extreme, but extremely wonderful, climates.
Alaskans are passionate about all things 'wild Alaska salmon'. And we hold a special place in our hearts for wild Alaska salmon skin. We dream about it. We feature it in our art, fashion and food. We use it out of utility. We write songs about it.
So why does the average person not love salmon skin? Also, what can we do to prevent our sacred, wild Alaska salmon skin from ending up in the landfill?
This is our favorite salmon cake recipe with a twist!
Instead of canned salmon, start with a whole filet of raw, wild Alaska sockeye salmon. Plus... use the skin of the salmon in the mix for added binding power, moisture and delicious flavor! Enjoy.
A stay at Stillpoint Lodge is all about nature... the boat trip across the bay, the trees, the ocean, the fishing, moutain scenery, flying through fjords, wildlife encounters by kayak, the garden and the flowers and the food... but we happen to have some pretty amazing facilities, too. The unique beauty and stunning architecture of Stillpoint Lodge can only truly be appreciated in person... to see such a sizeable and detailed structure in this remote, boat-in only location is quite remarkable.
But now with new innovative technologies and software rendering capabilities, Glenn Aronwits of GA Panorams of Anchorage, Alaska was able to create an astounding 3D virtual tour. Perhaps it will entice more of our cyber-visitors to come visit in person and experience Stillpoint Lodge for themselves.
The 3D scanning and imaging is done with a special infrared camera placed in various locations throughout each building. It creates an accurate, life-like, interactive image that is unlike traditional “virtual walk-through” technology... this is a fully immersive experience. Navigate the whole lodge and all of our cabins in first-person as if you were walking right through each space, seeing it as it is in real life. Zoom out to see the whole scan at once and get a feel for the layout. View the 3D scans from above to get an accurate feel for the dimensions, layout and floorplan.
Alaskan Lodge Shifts Focus from Retreats to Adventure
Stillpoint Lodge is Alaska's perfect escape; a unique combination of adventure, leisure and culture on the edge of a serene wilderness. Just a short trip across breathtaking Kachemak Bay, past towering mountain fjords, you’ll find this rustic yet refined boutique resort lodge nestled by the sea. A quick getaway from Homer and easily accessible from anywhere in the world, the majestic, fairytale-like village of Halibut Cove is Alaska's premier destination for small group events and incentives of up to 27 guests. If your group is searching for the raw and unspoiled theater of the wild, yet still wishes for the luxuries of civilization, Halibut Cove is the place for you.
Join Mark Edward Harris and special guest Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Nick Ut for the ultimate Alaska photography workshop hosted by Midnight Son Tours and Stillpoint Lodge.
This Destination Alaska workshop explores how to create fine art travel photography – images that go far beyond the “I was here” photograph. Photographers will learn how to create beautiful landscape and wildlife images, as well as powerful environmental portraits and photo essays – pictures that tell a story – in America’s 49th state.
Kachemak Bay is home to many amazing, energetic and ambitious people, and the multi-talented Michael and Maddie O'Laire are no exception. Michael has helped build Stillpoint and is a commercial salmon fisherman in the summer. Maddie's delicious salmon blog has captured attention all over the world as she distributes Mike's wild-caught, healthy, sustainable salmon from Alaska.
It’s a pleasure to have Maddie guest posting on our blog. Be sure to check out Maddie's recipe for Spicy Wild Alaska Salmon Poke
