Wednesday, November 30, 2011

10 Vacations Where You Have To Go Low Tech

It’s hard to relax and enjoy your surroundings when your smart phone is constantly drawing you back to the virtual digital world. Some people are so addicted to their technology that they need to find a place where they are forced to detox. With an increasing number of vacation destinations advertising their high-tech capabilities, it’s getting more and more difficult to find a place where you can get unplugged. If you need to find a place to get away from your computer, phone and television, here are 10 vacations where you have to go low tech.

  1. Dry Camping in an RV – Amazingly enough, you don’t need to go to the ends of the earth to find a place with “no signal”. Traveling with an RV, especially in the deserts of America’s southwest, you can do what is called dry camping or boondocking. There are millions of acres of BLM land well out of range of cell and TV towers. There you can relax and explore, but still have all the comforts of home.
  2. Grand Canyon – If you’re just following the crowds on the rim of the Grand Canyon, you’re still going to have digital access to distract you from the spectacular view. However, if you travel deep into the bowels of the canyon, there are places like Phantom Ranch. It takes some doing to get there, but its well worth it to travelers who want to disconnect with technology and reconnect with nature.
  3. BWCA – The Boundary Waters Canoe Area on the Canadian border of Minnesota is the ultimate low tech vacation. You not only have to leave your technology behind, but also any motorized vehicles. Since everything has to be carried in, nobody wants to pack a laptop. AT&T wanted to put up a cell phone tower near the edge of the BWCA, but was prevented from doing so.
  4. Fishing – Avid fishermen know that the best way to get unplugged is to go fishing. The best lakes and rivers with the biggest and most abundant fish are in remote areas far from any digital technology. Even if the cell phone works, you can’t fish and tweet at the same time. If you try, your fishing buddy is likely to throw your phone in the lake. Water and digital technology just don’t mix.
  5. Alaska – Another U.S. destination that makes it easy to go low tech is Alaska. Most of the vast wilderness of our biggest state is impossible to populate with cell phone towers. It doesn’t take much research to find places like the Ultima Thule Lodge where you can be transfixed by the Northern Lights display instead of a video one.
  6. Canada – That’s 5 unplugged destinations and we haven’t even left the country yet. Similar to Alaska, Canada also has vest expanses of wilderness to get away from technology. You can go camping with a tent 50 miles from the nearest store or book a vacation at one of their many fly-in resorts.
  7. Mongolia – For travelers who want a more exotic location, there are very few cell phone towers in Mongolia, so it’s pretty easy to go low tech there. You won’t get any signal at the Three Camel Lodge where you can stay in a traditional felt tent used by the local nomadic herders.
  8. Anquilla – In order to take temptation away from digitally addicted travelers, the Arawak Beach Inn in Anguilla locks up their digital devices upon arrival. They don’t want Blackberries and laptops distracting their guests from the relaxing vacation this Caribbean island has to offer.
  9. Grenadines – If you need a place to get away from it all, go to Petit St. Vincent in the Grenadines. There you can hide from digital distractions and enjoy the beauty of another Caribbean paradise. Dig your toes into the white sand beaches and live the life of a hermit if you so desire.
  10. Belize – There are certainly many vacation destinations with digital access in Belize, but the Whipray Caye Lodge is on a private island and is non-wired by design. There the topic of conversation among the guests is not the latest viral video, but the catch of the day.

No HD digital display can match the beauty of nature itself. We could all use some low tech time to relax and reflect. Instead of looking for the hotel with the best free WiFi, find a place where the only blackberries around grow on bushes and are delicious to eat. Take a moment to unplug and unwind where the only things tweeting are the birds.

Taken From DSL Service Providers

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