riding

Luxury Equestrian Tours Around the World

Horseback riding is a more popular hobby than some may realize, with 20 million Americans considering themselves riders and 12 million taking it fairly seriously by riding at least once per week. With that many interested, equestrian-based luxury vacations are getting better and better all the time. From Micato Horseback Safaris in Africa where you can play polo and spot zebra to Cross Country International's Chateau-to-Chateau Trail in France featuring leisurely rides through the countryside with stops for wine and massages -- there's something for every taste and in every area of the world.

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Tags: equestrian, horse, horses, journey, journeys, luxury, riding, tour, tours

"Run from Reality" with Preferred Boutique

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Some days I know I'd like to run from reality, don't we all sometimes? Preferred Boutique is banking on it with their newest set of adventure-themed packages geared towards getting away from it all. It's a given that most vacation and resort packages want that "escape reality" feeling, but they don't all imply the adventure that "running" from reality does. And the "Run from Reality" package name is backed up with the thrill of tandem paragliding, whitewater rafting, or (for those who want a calmer adventure) horseback riding. Starting at two nights minimum, the getaways are available now until the end of August this year.

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Tags: adventure, escape, get away, GetAway, horseback, journeys, paragliding, Preferred Boutique, PreferredBoutique, rafting, riding, Run from Reality, RunFromReality, travel, vacation, whitewater

Outdoor Adventures at the Turning Stone Resort

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

The Lodge at Turning Stone Resort is unveiling several new getaway packages that cater to the outdoor enthusiast. Whatever your fancy, whether by air, by sea, or by land, you can experience the same elegance and service Turning Stone is known for -- but with a dash of adventure. From golf and horseback riding (lessons included) to river fishing and hot air ballooning, you may not be able to choose just one. You may even want to opt for a spa package instead and spend a few days being pampered at the Skana Spa.

Put me down for one of each, please.

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Tags: horseback riding, HorsebackRiding, hot air balloon, hot air ballooning, HotAirBalloon, HotAirBallooning, New York, NewYork, resort, riding, spa, Turning Stone, Turning Stone Resort, TurningStone, TurningStoneResort

Forbes' Most Expensive Cowboy Boots

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Shoes

Cowboy boots are great footware. They are comfortable, easy to wear and can be flashy or understated in style. As Forbes magazine points out, they also make noise when you walk in them, which is a nice bonus. Because cowboy boots are typically made of leather - whether suede, alligator or ostrich - a pair will last for a long time, making them worth a sizable investment. The question that the Forbes list of the most expensive cowboy boots attempts to answer is just how sizable that investment can get.

The most expensive boots are never going to be sitting on a shelf at a store or in the back room of a fashion designer. They are going to be custom measured and made, with materials and patterns hand-selected by the boot wearer, at the hands of someone who has been in the business for a lifetime. In some cases, the boot making business will stretch back over multiple generations in one family. The most expensive pair, according to the magazine, was a Tres Outlaws pair, sold for $75,000 - though most of the companies below start their custom lines at below the $1,000 mark.

The Forbes list included Custom Boots by Michael Anthony, Sorrel Custom Boots, Wheeler Boots, Little's Boots, Tex Robin Boots, Rocket Buster, Tres Outlaws, Stallion Boot and Belt Company, Paul Bond Boots, T.O. Stanley Boots. The boots can take more than a year to complete, since makers will track down the perfect materials for every pair. The Wheeler's custom Super Bowl boots, pictured, cost $17,000.