Rock Climbing Wall

Eco-friendly And Trendy Designs For Modern Hotels

With green living becoming more than just a matter of principle but rather, a lifestyle, people are trying to find ways to take their ideology on the road. One way they are doing this, is by lodging in eco friendly hotels.
Because of the new demand for more environmentally friendly travel accommodations, businesses are taking heed. In fact, most have always tried to maintain a careful balance of technological innovation and a healthy respect for nature.
For instance, a handful of mainstream hotels use biodegradable materials such as organic detergents, for cleaning. Others put salt in their pools as opposed to chlorine or invest in fluorescent light bulbs. Still others donate some portion of their profits towards ongoing conservation efforts.
Going a Step Further
Although these measures are fantastic, eco friendly hotel builders could do even more by keeping green designs in mind when constructing their hotels. They may find that, in the end, the process is economically feasible and more inviting than they would have initially thought.
Some commercial architectural trends that lend to the green scene include:
- The use of solar panels – many of the more noteworthy green hotels have already begun to use solar and lunar panels to lower energy costs and output. This power may even heat their water supply providing an added level of eco consciousness.
- Creative use of local vegetation — green foliage can be used to shade the surroundings and add a natural cooling agent to the hotel. A few hotels have taken this to new extremes allowing ivy and other creeping vegetation to climb the walls of their abodes. This also invites animals, like birds, to the area, adding a unique element to the design.
- Geodesic domes – green hotels with ceilings in the shape of geodesic domes can provide a greater distribution of warmth of cooling, especially when they are made with eco friendly materials like drift or harvested wood or organically manufactured cement.
- Timber cabins – timber cabins have a cozy rustic feel but can mimic many modern conveniences. They can, for example, build beautifully designed stone fireplaces and pump water in from local natural reservoirs.
- Open air Bungalows – eco friendly hotels in rainy climates can take advantage of nature’s surplus by building roofing systems that collect rain water for use by visiting guests. Creative designs can help harness the local temperatures, which is regulated via solar and/or lunar panels as well.
- Adobe and Rock salt abodes: As rustic as it gets, these desert dwellings are surprisingly temperate and romantic. The structures are often lit with candles and oil lamps with large, open windows that capture day and nighttime breezes.
Indeed, Canadian conservationists can travel with ease knowing that there are a number of places where they can visit where they can continue to observe environmentally sound practices.
Look into Your Options
Before you take your trip, be sure to do your homework and look into the various green hotels that are located in the area you plan to visit. With a little effort, you should not only find eco friendly hotels but those that are budget friendly as well.

A Weekend in Barcelona

In December 2005 my girlfriend and I took a weekend’s city break in Barcelona in eastern Spain. At the time of booking our choice of destination was a toss up between Barcelona, Paris and Rome, none of which either of us had ever been to. For no particular reason, Barcelona came out on top and I’m very glad it did as we both had a fantastic time. This article is a brief summary of our weekend.

Having just moved into a new house, we didn’t have a very big budget to spend on this holiday so we found ourselves a couple of cheap flights to Barcelona, a low cost hotel near the city centre and bought the first guide book we could find. The weather when we touched down could probably best be described as abysmal but this didn’t dampen our spirits.

After finding our way to our hotel and dumping our bags, our first port of call was the nearest metro station (the metro is Barcelona’s equivalent of the London underground and is a great way to get around). We bought a three day unlimited pass for roughly €14 (£9.60) and hopped on a distinctly punctual and un-crowded train bound for La Sagrada Familia. If I were to recommend just one sight to see in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia would be it. Gaudi devoted 40 years of his life to the design and construction of this extremely elaborate cathedral and building is still ongoing today. From the ground the building is extremely impressive and its spires each reach to a height of 300 feet with plans to extend this even further.

We paid €8 each to gain access to the cathedral and museums. Although an elevator is available inside the cathedral to take visitors to the top of the spires (at an additional cost) we chose to walk up the 400 plus steps to see the view from the top. The staircase is narrow and steep and I would only recommend the climb for those with strong legs and a head for heights! The climb was definitely worthwhile both for the views across the city and for the balconies along the way where you can stop at take a close up look at some of the hundreds of intricate carvings that decorate the exterior. We also took a walk around the museum and enjoyed the scale models and early photographs of the construction.

After some lunch we took a walk along La Rambla, the main street in Barcelona, towards the marina. Along the way you will see a great variety of stalls selling all sorts of goods from souvenirs to live birds. There is also a good deal of performance artists and street entertainers to watch which kept us amused for a couple of hours. We finished the day with tapas at a small restaurant before retiring for the evening.

The following morning, at my insistence, we took the metro to Collblanc to take a tour round the famous Nou Camp, home to Barcelona football club and renowned as one of the world’s greatest football stadiums. After wandering around outside the stadium for about half an hour trying to work out how to get in, we found the ticket office and paid €11 euros each for the tour. The stadium is vast and as a football fan it was a great experience to walk through the player’s tunnel and stand on the pitch side. The tour took us through the behind scenes areas of the stadium including the away changing room, the commentary gantry and the chapel that was installed to allow the religious players to pray before games.

We finished our visit with a trip around the museum, where trophies and pictures of Barcelona’s many successes are displayed. The photo of myself next to the European cup still hangs on the wall of my lounge. Although we didn’t get to watch a game as there wasn’t a home match being played the weekend we were there, it was still an extremely enjoyable and worthwhile excursion.

The afternoon was spent with a walk around the marina and a visit to L’Aquarium, a sea life centre with more than 450 different species of marine life. The entrance fee set us back €15.50. Many of the aquatic creatures were quite unusual and enjoyable to watch but the highlight of L’Aquarium for us was the underwater tunnel. This is an 80 metre long passage beneath an enormous tank, with sharks, rays and other fish swimming inches above your head.

Our last evening was spent eating Mexican food and drinking cocktails in a small, modern and trendy Mexican restaurant called Margarita Blue followed by several more drinks in the Hard Rock Café (how shamelessly touristy) and then on to Razzmatazz, a huge nightclub famous for live music. Needless to say, drinking late into the night didn’t make for the most enjoyable of flights home the next morning!

Climbing the Rockies of Breckenridge

Standing on the highest peak of the mountain you just spent hours climbing; braving the wilderness and dangers a typical mountain has will make anybody proud and happy. There is a feeling of satisfaction and pleasure when you’re seeing the view you worked very hard for, you just appreciate nature more, you don’t want to leave, you just want to stay there forever, of course you can’t, that’s why you keep doing it. That is why I think avid mountain climbers, hikers and skiers like what they do. But there are still ways to heighten your experience a little bit more, take a closer look within and under the mountain and do some rock climbing.

Climbing the exciting cliffs of the mountains in Breckenridge, Colorado for example can take a lot of physical exertion for anybody. But for any dedicated person and the rewards of course, it’s all about the experience. Breckenridge is a great destination for seasoned climbers and beginners as well. Rock climbing is not for the feeble. But a lot of practice and dedication can go a very long way. Well of course a few tips could help too.

Now don’t just go and attempt to climb the first boulder you come across if I had you all excited with this article. If you don’t have any climbing experience at all, you are bound to just go as high as a few feet or meters if you’re lucky. Climbing can be a very difficult experience if you just go about it not learning the proper way. And by proper way, I mean inside a climbing gym supervised by professionals. Breckenridge Recreation Center has 2,500 square feet of climbing walls for you to practice in. Now that’s a lot of practice for anyone, beginner and pros alike. Easy slab routes are perfect for starters and overhanging routes are set by professionals to imitate what an experienced climber would encounter on the mountains.

Professional climbing instructors in Breckenridge Recreation Center offer climbing lessons for those who want pointers and tips. Depending on age and skill level, the classes will vary and includes technical information and practical sound advice. Classes are spent half of the day inside the climbing gym and half outdoors for the climbers to experience the real thing and practice what they have learned.

The proper know-how of a sport is always and foremost the most basic guiding principle of learning a new sport. Gaining the basic information by reading about rock climbing is an absolute necessity. Learning the terms, the safety precautions, the proper gear and how to use it, and even the climber’s lingo can help you greatly even before you begin to learn how to climb.

Use only appropriate and well fitted gear. Breckenridge Recreation Center, like most climbing gyms, rents shoes and harnesses, provide chalk bags, belaying devices and of course, expert belayers. As you get more practice and have a little bit of experience under your belt, you’ll want to purchase gear that is perfect according to your specifications. Consider your height and weight when getting the right harness, getting the right one is crucial. Have a professional, a sales clerk or someone with experience help you find the right fit. You will also need a stock of carabineers, or hooks to attach to your harness.

Chalk and a chalk bag are needed for gripping onto the rock; this will keep your clammy hands dry for a better grip. The most obvious gear you should have is a rope; it should be about 10 millimeters in diameter and about 60 meters long. In case of a fall, the rope should stretch a bit in order for it to carry the tension made by your weight. To hold your rope and hold on to it in case you fall, protection that works while you climb. Safety first. Don’t ruin a perfect day with an unnecessary mishap.

Breckenridge, Colorado is not only known for its snow covered mountains, a great ski trip destination during winter but also a place to be during summer. The mountains are exquisite for any rock climber, professional or beginner. Rock climbing is a very physically demanding sport; a very fit body, strong heart, dedication and perseverance are necessities for anybody who would and is in this sport. If heavenly and breathtaking views are not enough to lure you, Breckenridge is considered a vacationers paradise. Spas, restaurants, and if you stay long enough till Fall you might catch the ever famous Aspen trees change their color of their leaves. Ahh, yes, golden-yellow leaves cascading the mountains. Beautiful.