Lots of places hold festivals every year to celebrate their heritage, whether it be a community’s ethnic roots or a particular product for which the area is known. If you think about Idaho, potatoes likely come to mind. But the state has a long history of sheep herding. At one point in the early 1900s, sheep in Idaho reportedly outnumbered people 6-to-1. Twenty years ago, the Trailing of the Sheep Festival was born in southern Idaho’s Wood River Valley. The festival name pays homage to the annual movement of the sheep from their summer home in the mountains to winter grazing areas. This isn’t your typical two-day festival, though. It stretches five days — Oct. 5-9 this year — and typically draws more than 25,000 people. The celebration includes a culinary fest with cooking classes that focus on lamb, of course, along with a lamb barbecue and specials by restaurants in Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley. The wool fest has classes and workshops in knitting, dyeing, weaving, spinning and more. And the cultural fest features sheep shearing, artisan displays and performances by ethnic dance troupes. Oh, and not to be missed is the sheep drive down Ketchum’s main drag. Info: www.trailingofthesheep.org
Yoga above the Strip
Relaxation can be one of the benefits of yoga, but do you think you’d remain relaxed doing yoga 550 feet in the air? If you’re in Las Vegas, you can give it a shot thanks to a new offering at the High Roller, which is billed as the world’s tallest observation wheel. The High Roller has 28 glass-enclosed cabins that can hold up to 40 people. Yoga buffs can spend an hour in one of those cabins for a class with a yoga instructor. During that time, the wheel will make two rotations. Cost is $75 per person, with a minimum of four and a maximum of six in a class. (The price includes a souvenir water bottle.) Sessions are available seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and there’s a premium sunset option that costs $85. Info: 702-322-0537, http://tinyurl.com/hcf6rqs
Affordable cycle trips
Bicyclists wanting to do some riding in faraway places without doing serious damage to their wallets should take a look at several very affordable tours offered by Explore! — which specializes in budget adventure travel. The trips, most of which last eight days, explore countries such as Spain, France, the Czech Republic, the U.K. and Morocco. Prices are as low as $910 per person, double occupancy, for the Morocco package to as much as $1,200 for Loire Valley cycling in France. Those are lowest prices, of course, and they can run higher depending on date. Many of the trips have just a single departure date, however, and they’re fast approaching. Typically these vacations include lodging, some meals, a tour leader/cycle guide and use of a bike. Boosting your cost will be international airfare. Info: http://tinyurl.com/jf67ugm
Phil Marty is a freelance writer.
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