Need to getaway?

Here are a few places that will get you away from it all.....Far, far away from it all.

Forest Fire Lookout Cabin Rentals
Locations in CA, ID, MT, WA, OR, WY, CO, BC

Rates, accessibility and locations vary.

Season & Amenities: Variable

Contacts: www.ffla.org

Wild Cat Cabin
Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, NV

$188 wkd. From south Lake Tahoe, east on US 50, left onto NV 28 at Spooner Junction, right into the Spooner Lake day use area.

Hike 2.5 miles on North Canyon Forest Road

Season & Amenities: Year-round, propane stove, kitchenware, woodstove, water

Contacts: 888-858-8844, www.flumetrail.com

McGuire Mountain Lookout
Kootenai National Forest, MT

$20/nt. From Eureka, take FR 3656 to FR 854. Turn right on FR 494 (Gut Creek Road) and drive 18 miles to the trailhead.

Hike 2.3 miles on the McGuire Mountain Trail

Season & Amenities: May through early November, two single bed platforms, woodstove

Contacts: (406) 296-2536, www.fs.fed.us/r1/kootenai/recreation

Corbin Cabin
Shenandoah National Park, VA

$18/weeknight $28/wkd night From I-66, take US 211 west to Skyline Drive and park at mile 37

Hike 1.5 miles on the Corbin Cabin Cutoff Trail

Season & Amenities: year-round, fireplace, cookware, upstairs loft and bunkhouse

Contacts: (703) 242-0693 www.patc.net

Meadow Creek Cabin
Nex Perce National Forest, ID

$25/night From Us 12 in Lowell, turn south at mile marker 97. After 20 miles, turn right onto the bridge and continue to Slim's Camp.

Hike 14 miles on MEadow Creek Trail #726

Season & Amenities: May 15 to September 15, four single beds and two cots, woodstove with firewood, running tap (bring filter), kitchenware

Contacts: (208) 926-4258 www.fs.fed.us/r1/nezperce

Falls Brook Yurt
Adirondack Park, NY

$65/night From I-87, take exit 26 to US 9. In Olmstedville, turn right onto Morse Memorial Highway, then right onto O'Neil Road, and right onto John Brennan Road. The Trailhead is .2 mile down.

Hike .6 mile through a white birch stand

Season & Amenities: Year-round, stove, kitchen hardware and canoe

Contacts: (518) 761-6187 www.fallsbrookyurts.com

Pearsoll Peak Lookout
Siskiyou National Forest, OR

Free. From Selma, take US 199 south. Turn right on Onion Camp Road (FR4201) and park at Onion Camp.

Hike 6 miles on the Kalmiopsis Rim Trail

Season & Amenities: June 15 through September 30, bed, footstool and two chairs

Contacts: (541) 592-4000 www.fs.fed.us/r6/siskiyou

Crooked Chute Cabin
Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

From $31/night, Take Hwy 17 to Pembroke. Turn left on CR 28, then right on Barron Canyon Road. Park at kilometer 57.

Hike 7.4 miles on the Crooked Chute logging road or full-day paddle.

Season & Amenities: Late April to Thanksgiving weekend, woodstove, four bunk beds, table and chairs

Contacts: (705) 633-5572 www.algonquinpark.on.ca

North Fork Canadian Yurt
Colorado State Forest, CO

From $55/night, From the main Colorado State Froest entrance west of Gould on CO 14, drive 8.5 miles to the end of CR 41

Hike 1.1 mile over gentile terrain

Season & Amenities: Year-round, two bunk beds, foldout table, chairs, burner-stove, wood-burning stove with firewood

Contacts: (970) 482-9411 www.neversummernordic.com

Yellow Mule Cabin
Gallatin National Forest, MT

$20/night, From US 191 in Big Sky, turn right on Buck Creek Ridge Road and follow it to the end

Hike the 8 mile Buck Creek Ridge Trail #10 on a 1,000 foot elevation gain

Season & Amenities: June through October, possible snow early in the season

Contacts: (406) 522-2520 www.fs.fed.us/r1/gallatin

Information is correct as of September 2004. Please consult with the places direct for current information.

AllStays.com, online since 2000 and based in Arizona (US), lists all kinds of lodging, from primitive campgrounds and RV Parks to luxury and haunted hotels and spa resorts. AllStays also links directly to official websites to make sure you have the real scoop on the latest and most accurate information.

Passion for yoga?

Take a vacation that comes back with you...and not just on a credit card bill.

Whether you've been doing yoga for years or just began recently, the time to go deeper may be here. Whether you teach others in a local class or practice alone in your own living space, you can take it higher. You can make it a vacation that you can take home with you. A yoga retreat vacation works from the inside out. And the wonderful feeling lasts longer. The return airport trek and the first visit with your boss can't take it away from you.

"Yoga retreats are awaiting you around the world," says Adam Longfellow of AllStays.com. "We have compiled a list of some highly recommended ones all over the globe. (/yoga/yoga-retreats.htm) You can stay in a variety of places in the U.S. or wander to Bali or Costa Rica or India." You may want to just stay a few days to get away and get refreshed. Or you may choose to stay a few weeks to return to your world at another level. To enjoy a full vacation, think about yoga retreats that focus on your mind and spirituality. Some give you plenty of free time and a location that bodes well for sight-seeing or doing absolutely nothing at all. The choice is yours.

If you are concerned about costs, there are yoga retreats for most budgets. You can spend fifty dollars a day and you can spend thousands. The yoga itself can be the center of your time or just a framework for a vacation. Any combination you choose, you will come back in better shape. Both mind and body.

Personal recommendations of a yoga retreat are always best, but if you can't find those in your network of friends, you can browse online and do some research. You may get a feeling from the website, the text and the photos. An unprofessional website or one that gives a negative feeling probably isn't going to represent a yoga retreat that is for you.

You also need to know what you looking to get out of it. Do you want more isolation with a reclusive and intense program? Or do you want to just have fun while learning more about yoga?

Location should factor in your choice. If you don't like the sun, a Mexican yoga retreat probably isn't for you. If humidity makes you uncomfortable, a Caribbean yoga retreat isn't for you. You may choose to go into the mountains instead. And of course, if you don't like the cold or snow, stay out of the mountains.

Whatever your choice, prepare for an intense yet playful vacation. Prepare to be relaxed and be re-energized. Prepare yourself for a yoga retreat.

AllStays.com, online since 2000 and based in Arizona (US), lists all kinds of lodging, from primitive campgrounds and RV Parks to luxury and haunted hotels and spa resorts. AllStays also links directly to official websites to make sure you have the real scoop on the latest and most accurate information.

Need a romantic spark ?

Lodging that provides special attention so you can pay attention to your special person.

Anytime of year is a great time for romance but February is the month with it marked on the calendar. Lovers, spouses and family face the pressure to search for a great gift. Candy goes quickly and flowers pass on so you may want to go for long lasting memories of a bed and breakfast instead.

AllStays.com, a leading online worldwide bed & breakfast directory ( /BandB/bandb.htm ) has all the listings you need to find the perfect B & B. Whether you want one near you in North America, the hills of Italy, the south of France, or just one that provides that special service, AllStays.com has the place for you.

People searching for the perfect gift for their special person are pleased to find accommodations with romantic touches such as in room Jacuzzis, candlelight dinners, breakfast in bed and wonderful service. From old fashioned New England inns and wonderful romantic bungalows to California wine country inns and secluded villas in Tuscany, B&Bs may offer just the thing to spark or re-ignite the passion in a relationship.

Innkeepers take pride in providing service to each guest that a 3,000 room luxury resort has a hard time accomplishing. You may be one of only a few guests, or even the only pampered guests in locations that cater to one room lodging. They are willing to go the extra mile to make your bed and breakfast stay memorable and special for Valentine's Day or any other time of the year.

Valentine's Day is one the most popular for bed & breakfasts, according to Adam Longfellow of AllStays.com. "They propose marriage, get married, renew wedding vows or just create special memories they can cherish forever. Some people only think about bed and breakfasts for Valentine's Day so there is a rush in reservations. But they really are good for getaways and special occasions all year. Fall colors or spring exploring. They are in big cities, near great attractions as well as in the middle of nowhere. And sometimes you want to go to the middle of nowhere."

Skip the wedding planners and work with a bed and breakfast to make your day special. Many innkeepers will go out of their way to help you create memories. And many have a long history of experiences to help your special moment be the best it can be. They may be a witness, a matron of honor, a best man, a photographer, or even a justice of the peace.

Bed and breakfasts are found at all levels of service. You can be left alone or pampered. You can be in modern luxury or a simple room from a hundred years ago. If you want to share your time with someone from the past, you can even find haunted bed & breakfasts. ( /Special/haunted.htm )

AllStays.com is a bit different in that it links directly to tens of thousands bed & breakfast websites around the world. They do not block the inns contact information or try to be a middle person where a message can get mistaken or misplaced. The information is accurate from the innkeeper and not stale or waiting to be updated from long ago. "We believe your special moment is between you and the innkeeper. We help you and then get out of the way and let you find the perfect place for a weekend of gourmet dinners, breakfasts in bed, roses, truffles and canopy beds.

AllStays.com, online since 2000 and based in Arizona (US), lists all kinds of lodging, from primitive campgrounds and RV Parks to luxury and haunted hotels and spa resorts. AllStays also links directly to official websites to make sure you have the real scoop on the latest and most accurate information.

As we planned a trip through the Rocky Mountains on the Amtrak California Zephyr route from San Francisco to Chicago, we noticed that they changed the route this summer. From July 8 to August 10, on Sunday through Wednesday (as of this writing on June 20, it has changed at least once already) they are going up to Wyoming and across plains and wide open spaces. This is quite a bit different than the Rocky Mountains and the Moffat Tunnel.

We only found this notice on their California Zephyr schedule PDF file and we thought it should be more noted on their route pages. If you were booking this trip based on the great scenery, you would be highly disappointed. So we have to hold off on our trip for now.