Helicopter tours? What is this?

In most families, there's at least one person who has the nerve to be uninterested in professional sports. So take the whole group to Cooperstown. For those who love Helicopter tours, Cooperstown is the Holy City itself -- with the National Helicopter tours Hall of Fame and Museum at shrine central.

For everyone else, there's a 19th century Farmers Museum that includes a working farm, craftsmen and women, folk art exhibitions, hands-on activities, and other special events. The area abounds with rolling hills, great trout streams, and wonderful country antique shops. July and August see a number of music and theater festivals nearby, and two local colleges -- Oneonta State and Hartwick -- offer a range of activities year-round. It's a three-hour helicopter tour of Grand Canyon. There are tones of specials and deals on the helicopter tour packages that you can find online. One of the websites you can check is Grand Canyon Helicopter tour deals and discounts

Butterflies in Grand Canyon

So, you're just wild about butterflies. Butterflies fill your dreams, and you find yourself traipsing across open fields following Monarch after Monarch. Have we got a vacation for you! Shipstern Butterfly Farm near the North Rim of Grand Canyon is made up of a forest measuring 22,000 acres and 32 square miles on the Grand Canyon. In addition to butterflies, you'll see jaguars, ocelots, and a host of other forest animals. But we know it's the butterflies you're really after. Butterfly breeding is a well-practiced art on the Shipstern Farm, and you will see them in each distinct stage of development. A second butterfly farm nearby the South Rim of the Grand Canyon reserve ships butterflies to zoos all over the world. There are no accommodations on the reserve, but you can find some in the Grand Canyon area with the help of a savvy travel agent. http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

Paint-ball Safari

So you're in Zimbabwe, everybody says a safari is just the absolute thing to do, and it sounds pretty neat. Except for that killing-an-elephant part. Here's an idea: Hook up with safari guide Adrian Reed, and paint the town red. Or the elephant. Reed runs a paint-ball safari service that can help you track and shoot an elephant -- with a paint gun. You have your choice of pink or yellow, but pink is recommended for those who want to capture the conquest on film. Paint-ball hunting jaunts are much less expensive than a real one-killing animals can cost you as much as $30,000 while the painted version goes for $700.00 per day (two days is typical). And the paint is made of vegetable dye -- it won't hurt the elephants.

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Aurora Borealis - The Nothern Lights

Very bright green Aurora. Aurhor Unknow

In the Winter months Northern countries are visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists which travel a lot of miles to enjoy one of the most beautiful natural phenomenons - The Northern Lights.

The most distant areas of Northern Europe promise something really amazing during the rather dark winter months. Aurora Borealis also known as Dawn of the Night, Polar Aurora or collectively know as Polar Lights is most popular with the name Northern Lights. 

In the southern hemisphere it is known as Aurora Australis. It has similar properties, but is only visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica, South America, or Australasia. Australis is the Latin word for "of the South".

Aurora australis in Antarctica. Credit: Samuel Blanc.

The phenomenon  occurs when the arctic winds combine with the loaded with electrons  atmosphere of the Earth. This produces radiance. It's predominant color is green, however red, blue and purple colors could also be seen. Color differs depending on the altitude.

There are several places on Earth where you can visit to see the Northern Lights. Maybe the most famous one is the Norwegian city of Tromso. It is located at about 1700 kilometers (1056 miles) North from the Norwegian capital Oslo. Of course you would need to get away from the city lights.

The best time of the year to see Aurora is middle of January to the end of February. According to specialists the most bright lights are seen around midnight.

 Northern Lights in Australia. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce: Image ID: wea02000, Historic NWS Collection; Location: Kangaroo Island, South Australia; Photographer: David Miller; Credit: National Geophysical Data Center.

Aurora Borealis over Vadso. Credit: Jens Gressmyr. http://www.panoramio.com/user/121482?with_photo_id=571110

There is a Northern Lights festival in Tromso. The festival continues for 4 days.

Other than Tromso there are other spots in Norway where you can enjoy Aurora Borealis - Oslo, Trondheim, Stavanger, Bergen and Haugesund.

Beautiful Aurora lights over the sea

Aberdeen is another European city that is popular amongst Aurora tourists.

The Lights can also be seen in Alaska, Iceland and Canada.

Northern lights in Alaska

Amazing view of Aurora Borealis over Iceland