Escapees May-June 2023

Getting closer, you’ll hike right up to the toe of the stunning Exit Glacier, where you’ll experience the dense, blue ice and listen to it crackle. A month later, the Gold Rush Hangout will take you to Prince William Sound. You’ll be surrounded by some of the world’s tallest coastal mountains and the Alaskan port town of Valdez, an outdoor paradise for hikers and anglers. Valdez will be celebrating Gold Rush Days, an annual fi ve-day festival honoring the past, present and future of Valdez. Enjoy the parade, watch the Crooked Creek Pioneer Pastimes demonstration, feast on a pancake breakfast, join the bail and jail warrants, strut your stuff in the Wine Walk, run or walk the Gold Rush 5K, shop the open-air marketplace and more. More information about the Alaska Hangouts can be found on the Escapees website at https://escapees.com/ community/hangouts/

CARLSBAD CAVERNS RESTORATION HANGOUT: OCTOBER 7–14, 2023, IN CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO Be a part of the celebration honoring the volunteers at the Carlsbad Caverns. For 100 years, the National Park Service has partnered with 10,000s of volunteers to clean up the lint that over 500,000 annual visitors unknowingly leave behind. The lint comprised tiny pieces of fi bers, fabric, hair, skin cells, dust and dirt that accumulate on the trails and the cave formations. Last year our Hangout volunteers collected 49 pounds of lint. Can you imagine seeing so much lint? If not removed, this unnatural material can become cemented into cave formations as water deposits calcite over old lint deposits. The result is discoloration of natural cave surfaces and, given enough time, even damage to the delicate cave formations. Come make history as we once again partner with the National Park Service to help spruce up the place. There will also be time to explore the wonders above and below the Chihuahuan Desert, with hiking, potlucks, interactive games, breweries and camp fi res. Tickets for the Carlsbad Caverns Restoration Hangout will go on sale at 10:00 am Central time, on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Look for more detailed information about these Hangouts, along with many other wonderful Hangouts, on the Escapees website at www.escapees.com/hangouts and on social media.

BODY MIND & SPIRITS: SEPTEMBER 19 – 26, 2023, IN 1000 ISLANDS, ALEXANDRIA BAY, NEW YORK In upstate New York, along the St. Lawrence Seaway dividing the US and Canada, there are 1800 pictur esque islands known as the 1000 Islands. Clear waters, miles of shoreline, spectacular scenery, beautiful and mysterious castles, quaint historic towns and vacation tranquility have made TI a retreat haven since the Gilded Age. Coupled with the area’s beauty, this Hangout is curated to be a complete system of self-care techniques to use in your nomadic lifestyle. You’ll nurture your soul with morning yoga, restorative yoga classes in the evening, holistic workshops, water activities, sightseeing in the historic towns, visiting castles and healthy eating. Tickets for the Body Mind & Spirits 1000 Islands Hangout will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Central time, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

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May/June 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine