We recommend the Joshua Tree Rock Climbing School and Guides, located within the national park of the same name, just outside Palm Springs in southern California. With more than 4,000 climbs in a stellar setting of twisted rocks and desert foliage, it's an inspiring place to learn. Director Mark Bowling's veteran guides will teach you all about knots, anchors, and belays before you rappel on the park's famed monzogranite outcrops.
All classes are limited to six participants, and prices include equipment.
We'd like to take our two teenage daughters to Norway this summer to enjoy the midnight sun. Ideally, we're looking for a spot with hiking, biking, and very few tourists. Kate Wilson Boston, Massachusetts Head north of the arctic circle to the Lofoten Islands, with their deep fjords, grassy outcrops, and half-moon coves. Tiny Reine, a fishing village that juts out into Reinefjord, is my personal favorite spot in the 60-mile Lofoten chain. There are several great hikes nearby, including Reinebringen peak, and you can also catch a mail boat to the Lake Tennesvann trailhead.