Title: Adventure Travel Tours: A Day on the Trail Word Count: 757 Summary: An adventure travel vacation is a great way to explore your world. Join a group of fun people who share your interests as we go on a day hike in the Alps. Enjoy a little taste of Switzerland. Keywords: adventure, travel, vacation, tour, hiking, Switzerland, mountain Article Body: An adventure travel vacation is a great way to explore your world. Join a group of fun people who share your interests as we go on a day hike in the Alps. Enjoy a little taste of Switzerland. <b>Up, Up, and Away</b> After consuming a hearty breakfast, we depart for the trailhead. It's close to our conveniently located inn, so we take a leisurely stroll - greeting friendly locals and shopkeepers along the way. We board a bright red cable car that whisks us soaring above the valley to a far away peak. One of your companions excitedly nudges you, "Look, marmots!". We gaze at a trio of cuddly creatures staring back at us from the rockface - so close we feel we could reach out and touch them. We disembark at a solid rock and timber mountain station - now peaceful, this station hosts a clattering mass of skiers during the winter season. <b>Clean Mountain Air and Emerald Lakes</b> Breathing in the fresh mountain air, we set out on our trail. Carpets of wildflowers surround us. Gentle cows graze the alpine grasses - serenading us with a cheerful tinkle of bells. Hiking here is so refreshing. A meandering path leads us through hillocks of glacial moraine, now cloaked in a splendid green, to the edge of a startlingly beautiful emerald lake. The nearby mountains reflect on its surface. We make a brief stop to admire this natural jewel. Some of our group rambles around the tiny lake - others lay back and enjoy the serenity. <b>Hiking Amongst Towering Peaks</b> Our trail continues along a high mountain valley bordered by towering snow-capped peaks. Beautiful Alpenroses form a lovely rolling heath. We tramp across a small snowfield - its coolness underfoot contrasts with the glorious warmth of the alpine sun. We spy a cairn ahead with the familiar red-and-white trail marking painted on one of its rocks. Rounding a corner we spot our lunchtime destination in the distance - a solid Berghaus growing out of the surrounding rocks. <b>Lunching on the Sonnenterrasse</b> As we settle ourselves on a rustic, sun-drenched Sonnenterrasse, a tantalizing smell of frying onions and sausages greets us. Lunch is hearty mountain fare - plates heaped with Rosti mit Spiegeleier und Speck (a wonderfully golden, crispy fried potato pancake with egg and bacon) - served by a flaxen-haired girl in a traditional, powdery-blue farmer's smock. We wash down our delicious lunch with bottles of local beer and gaze out across a massive glacier winding its way down between two peaks and glistening in the sunlight. <b>Stunning Views</b> Well sated, we regain our trail and soon find ourselves breaking out onto a sloping hillside - affording us stunning views of the valley far below. We see a tiny hamlet across the valley, its sun-burned houses and barns surround a central church spire. A massive mountain rears up behind this peaceful scene. Slowly dropping down a gentle path, we enter a straggle of dwarf pine. We're greeted by a pungent fragrance that reminds us of the cleanliness of this wonderful habitat. The afternoon sun is gaining strength and it's a perfect time for us to enter the cool loaminess of the lower forest. We follow the edge of a cascading glacier-fed creek - its frostiness refreshes the air around us. <b>Warm Sun and the Smell of Hay</b> We clatter across an ancient wooden bridge - its surface well worn by generations of cows being driven to Alpine meadows. In the lower pastures, local farmers are harvesting the hay with large wooden rakes. A comforting, sun-rich smell of dried grasses greets us. <b>Off to the Konditorei</b> The relaxing smell of hay and the warmth of the sun has put us into a peaceful, lazy mood. We beeline to the nearest Konditorei to debate our biggest decision of the day - is it to be the daintily glazed apricot torte, the decadent chocolate mousse with lashings of whipped cream, or the traditional (and oh so tasty) Engadiner Nusstorte. We relax in a cozy nook and relieve today's experiences. <b>Relaxing Back at the Inn</b> We amble back to our welcoming inn - a great time for relaxed exploration of the local shops. Back at the inn, some members catch up on reading in the inn's glorious wood-paneled library - others send postcards or nap in the warm afternoon sun. Later, we'll watch as the sun paints the mountains with golden color. An adventure travel vacation in Switzerland is a fantastic experience. Tomorrow, we set off on another lovely adventure.