Witness private conservation at work during a Wild West "buffalo safari"

Not since the days depicted in Dances with Wolves have travelers to the American West enjoyed the sight of hundreds of bison roaming freely on the plains. Until now. Nigel Turner, owner of the 165-square-mile Grand Canyon Ranch at the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, has introduced wild bison to his private guest ranch. "Growing up in Manchester, England, I watched Western movies and fantasized about the Wild West," says Turner. "My lifelong dream has now come true by owning a magnificent ranch and the opportunity to introduce the buffalo back into the American wilderness. It is so gratifying to see the excited faces of visitors when they see the Buffalo in their natural habitat rather than in a zoo."

The ranch offers guests and visitors the opportunity to see the animals, which can grow to 2,000 pounds, during so-called "buffalo safaris" on horseback or horse-drawn wagon. "There is a deep emotional connection that Americans have seeing buffalo not only preserved but growing and thriving in a secluded and protected natural environment," says Turner, who welcomes the opportunity to be a steward of these endangered beasts. "The Buffalo is part of us--they are enshrined in the hopes and dreams of the Wild West, and we simply cannot allow them to be lost forever."

Online oil spill resource center provides up-to-date information for Gulf Coast destinations

Orbitz customers with plans for a beach vacation along the Florida Gulf Coast this summer can rest easier. Orbitz.com has announced its Open Beach Guarantee, developed in partnership with participating Florida hotels, which offers full refunds on standalone hotel reservations if the beach at a customer's destination is closed due to the oil spill. "The Open Beach Guarantee offers peace of mind to our travelers planning a trip to the Gulf Coast," says Barney Harford, president and CEO of Orbitz Worldwide. "While our initial focus is Florida, we are working with hotel partners to quickly extend this guarantee to other Gulf Coast beach destinations."

Under the guarantee, customers who make a standalone hotel booking at a participating property on Orbitz.com for travel between 14 June and 31 July 2010 are eligible for a full refund on their hotel stay if a government agency closes a beach within 20 miles of the property or declares it dangerous.

The Open Beach Guarantee page also serves as an online resource center for travelers seeking up-to-date information about the oil spill and its impact along the Gulf of Mexico. Travelers can find daily updates, detailed trajectory maps from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, local volunteer opportunities, and links to government and tourism websites.

A vacation retreat with golf, whitewater rafting, music festivals, and much more is just a short drive from most Northeastern cities

City dwellers from New York and Philadelphia have been escaping to the cool retreat of the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania since before 1900. With the advent of the automobile age, the Poconos became a favorite driving destination for vacationers from more distant areas of the Northeast, and beyond. This summer, the area is expected to be an especially popular tourist spot. As Americans opt for budget-conscious family trips again this year, business owners and community planners in the Poconos are gearing up to welcome them with new attractions, events, and features. Compared to 2009, the region has already seen a consecutive five-month increase in business, and the U.S. Travel Association estimates that of the "127 million U.S. active travelers, half (50%) expect to spend the same amount of money on leisure travel as they did last year, while one-quarter (25%) expect to spend more on those trips."

Folks in the tourism and recreation sectors are ready. "We are looking forward to a busy summer season," says Carl Wilgus, president of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. "Our location, 90 minutes from New York City and two hours from Philadelphia, is positioned well for a close-to-home, value-laden summer destination."

Help construct new link along the King of Trails

Do you enjoy backcountry hiking and have a few days to spare this summer? The Continental Divide Trail Alliance is seeking volunteers to help construct a new 50-mile stretch of the so-called "King of Trails" to link Mount Elbert to Monarch Pass in the Collegiate Peaks near Leadville, Colorado. Stretching 3,100 miles along the backbone of America from Canada to Mexico--and meandering through the states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico--the Continental Divide Trail accesses some of the most wild and scenic places left in the world. Established by Congress as a National Scenic Trail in 1978, it will be the most significant trail system in the world when completed.