MI CENTRAL TRAVEL “If you’re looking for a vacation spot that is a bit different, then the book “The Top 100 Most Beautiful Rustic Vacations of North America,” by “Dusty Dave” Johnson, may be just the place to start. The book details, as the title states, the top 100 vacation spots that are off the beaten path and, through the use of photos, offers a chance for readers to dream a bit while they survey the available options. “I tried to make this a book that would appeal to everyone who loves the outdoors or are looking for something a bit different when it comes to a vacation,” Johnson, er, Dusty Dave said from his office in Telluride, Colo. “For me it is a logical extension of my Web site. It offers those interested the chance to sit and either take the first steps in planning a trip or just to be arm-chair adventurers.” In the book you will find listings on trips that range from horse packing adventures in Canada to dude ranches that offer the highest levels of service. On the high end of things you will find the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, in Jasper, Alberta, where prices range from $200 to $900 a person per night and where guests can enjoy year-round activities ranging from biking, hiking and golf, to snowshoeing and skiing. On the lower-priced end travelers will find Turn Stone Log Cabins in Otto, N.C., where a rustic cabin can be had for $150 a night per couple and you can hike, fish or canoe in the Appalachian Mountains. With the wide variety of locations profiled, all of which Dusty Dave visited and photographed, the question begging to be asked is, Which was the most memorable? “It is hard to nail down a single location,” Johnson said. “It really depends upon what you are looking for. For me it was a trip in Banff National Park in Canada, where we horse packed for five days. I am a very experienced rider, but what I liked was that the pace was set so even a beginner could take part in the trip. We camped for five days and in that time we never saw another person. It was very remote and beautiful.” One recommendation Johnson does make is that everyone should take the time to visit a “dude ranch.” “When it comes to taking a vacation for the entire family there is no beating a dude ranch,” Johnson said. “No longer are they only keyed in on offering riding or other traditional activities. The competition for vacation dollars is very intense and the ranches have changed to draw more customers by offering a much wider variety of activities.” In the ranches profiled in his book, you will find things to do for each member of the family, especially the children. “All of the ranches offer activities for the children that will keep them busy most of the day having a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “What this does is offer the parents truly time to relax. Even though there is a lot to do for mom and dad they only have to do as much as they want. If they want to go canoeing, fly fishing or hiking they can. But if sitting and reading a book on the front porch of a beautiful rustic cabin is what they need, they can do that, too.” The best part of the book is that by offering such a wide variety of location and price ranges, a rustic vacation is available to nearly everyone. - Lawrence DiVizio