Walking The World

Media Releases:
1) Welcome Travel Editors and Writers - My Offer To You!
2) Worldwide Adventures are limitless for those 50 and Better!
3) Hiking Adventures Lead to a New Life by john p. gascoyne

Greetings from Walking The World!

I have often thought that if travel editors and tour operators were able to share information on a regular basis it would make both of our lives easier and more productive. At Walking The World we have an endless supply of stories about destinations near and far, and about people on vacation having a grand time. Some stories are quite extraordinary. There are cancer survivors, rediscovering life and the joy of physical accomplishments; acrophobics, making their way across a ledge; individuals who have lost a spouse and are now traveling alone for the first time. There are also "ordinary" stories; a woman in Slovenia invites the group into her garden to enjoy apples from her tree; a whale breaching suddenly next to our boat in Newfoundland; life long friendships formed after a 10 day trip to the Czech Republic. You have a need for interesting and informative travel experiences, and we need to tell your readers about the trips we offer.

My offer to you. I have extensive experience in adventure travel, be it at Outward Bound, sipping fine wine in Tuscany or following in the "Footsteps of St. James" in Spain. I have developed most of Walking The World programs myself, so I am keenly aware of the details that travelers and travel editors alike are looking for as they research a destination. I would like to offer myself as an information resource you can feel free to tap on a regular basis.

I think the Walking The World story will be an intriguing one for your many 50+ readers who love to travel. Please check this page regularly for new story ideas, or if you need specific information about a particular destination feel free to contact us. We also have a library of print quality photographs.

I look forward to exchanging ideas and information with you. You can contact me directly info@walkingtheworld.com or by phoning our office, 888-825-5056.

Sincerely,

Ward Luthi

Founder/President

Walking The World

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Worldwide adventures are limitless for hikers who are 50 and better: Walking The World® specializes in Walking Vacations for Mature Travelers

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Adventure hiking as the exclusive domain of the younger generation is a myth, according to Ward Luthi, founder of Walking The World. His company, in fact, requires you to be 50 or better before you can join them on one of their global walking adventures.

In dozens of locales, hundreds of Walking The World guests have logged thousands of miles, seeing the world from the comfort of their well-worn hiking boots. Walking The World was the first company, and continues to be the leader, in tailoring worldwide hiking trips to adventurers who are at least 50 years of age. A free 2004 global destinations catalog is available at www.walkingtheworld.com.

In the early ‘80’s, while a staff member of the President’s Commission On Americans Outdoors, Luthi had become aware of a serious void in adventure programs for mature travelers. “It became my life’s passion,” says Luthi, “to create for mature adventurers a program that combines walking with the love of travel.” With his extensive experience as a guide for Outward Bound and his livelong love of hiking, Ward launched Walking The World in 1987.

Qualifications for a trip with the company are simple: “You need only meet the age requirement, and be committed to hiking in spectacular locations with a small group of like-minded adventurers,” says Luthi.

“Oh, yes”, he adds, “it also helps if you enjoy the finest local wines and cuisine, comfortable accommodations, exciting photo possibilities and the opportunity to get to know residents of lands both far and near.”

Eighteen years later, Walking The World’s clients have experienced live volcanoes in Costa Rica and Iceland; the massive glaciers in the European Alps, Alaska, and Rocky Mountains; the spectacular coastline in Maine and Slovenia; the majestic fjords of Norway and Newfoundland; and colorful carpets of spring blooms in the deserts of the American Southwest.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Ward Luthi is available for interviews. Professional quality images are also available.

CONTACT: Walking The World, 1-888-825-5056, 970-498-0500, or email info@walkingtheworld.com.

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Hiking adventures lead to new life

By John P. Gascoyne

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For Marty of Trumbull, Connecticut, 1998 was a year of rediscovery. She learned, anew, her enjoyment of nature and her appreciation of physical conditioning. More than anything, however, it was a time of reclaiming her ability to live up to her highest potentials.

In 1993, Marty’s husband and longtime traveling companion, Bob, died. For most of the next five years, Marty just didn’t feel that, on her own, she could enjoy traveling and seeking out new adventures. In 1998, Marty took inventory of her situation and realized that she was “just sort of marking time.”

When Marty decided to shift gears in her life, she already had a good idea of where to begin. In 1994, she had attended a presentation given by Walking The World, the Colorado-based company that has been offering world-wide adventure travel to people “50 and better” for the past 18 years.

Since that first presentation, Marty has received WTW’s annual catalog. In 1998, she spent a good deal of time considering where in the world she most wanted to go. Marty finally decided upon an adventure that included exploration hikes in both Arches and Capitol Reef national parks in the extraordinary canyon country of southern Utah.

Marty says of her decision, “The trip sounded good and I liked the idea that everyone would be over 50, as I felt that I’d be compatible with the other participants in both physical ability and life situations.”

Although Marty has always been an avid walker, she followed Walking The World’s recommendation to be as well conditioned as possible before the first day of hiking. Many weeks prior to the trip, she joined a women’s strength training class. “This extra effort turned out to be a very good idea,” she recalls. While the hikes guided by WTW are not considered strenuous for most people, Marty found that the extra conditioning enhanced her overall enjoyment of that trip.

Since her first adventure with Walking The World, Marty has also traveled with them to the Galapagos Islands, Iceland, Alaska, Zion and Bryce national parks in Utah and has enjoyed a horse packing adventure in the High Sierras of Northern California.

The conditioning she underwent for the first Utah trip reawakened in Marty a passion for being physically fit all of the time. In any given week now, Marty will spend part of at least five days hiking, kayaking or working out at a local fitness center. “I don’t mind telling folks that I’m 63 years old,” she says, “especially if that information will encourage someone else to recognize that aging is not synonymous with being less active or enjoying life less.”

Marty is enthusiastic about her experiences with Walking The World. “Their guides are excellent,” she states, “and they enjoy working with novice hikers as much as with seasoned clients who have made a number of trips with them.” She particularly likes the emphasis on combining travel with healthy exercise and having local guides along who have special expertise in all aspects of the site they are exploring. “These trips are not about gift shops and quick tourist stops,” she adds, “we really learn a great deal about these beautiful places.”

Ward Luthi, founder and president of Walking The World commented on singles traveling with the company. “Sometimes people who are recently single are concerned that traveling with a group means that they will be the only single and that the rest of the party will consist of couples.” Not so, according to Luthi. “On any given trip, there will be a healthy mix of solo travelers as well as couples.” He continued, “The person who is traveling single will be given the option of individual accommodations or sharing space with another solo traveler. We have seen a number of single travelers end up planning future adventures with someone that they met on one of our trips.”

As for Marty’s future trips with Walking The World, she will return to Utah later this year, to explore Canyonlands and, for 2005, she has already decided that hiking in New Zealand with WTW will be one more great travel adventure.

Walking The World may be contacted at www.walkingtheworld.com or, toll free, at 888-825-5056. Their mailing address is P.O. Box 1186, Fort Collins, CO 80522.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Interested in sharing this story with your readers? Please contact Walking The World at info@walkingtheworld.com or, toll free, at 888-825-5056, Fax: 888-825-5056.

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