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Inspired Experiences by Independent Collection invites guests to discover the soul of a destination through exciting and curated experiences, in partnership with independent operators.
This experience is a sightseeing Malibu tour with a nice wine tasting bonus. And yes! You will be discovering it all in a vintage 1972 VW van with its hippie vibes both inside and outside. You will meet us at Santa Monica pier where you'll be able to take cool photos with our classic hippie VW van, jump in it, and head towards wine tasting (during our morning tour we visit the wine tasting room at the end of the experience). You will be offered 4 different local wines to taste along with cheese, salami, and crackers/bread plate.
Feel yourself being lifted off the soft sand dunes and into the open sky in an introductory lesson at Dockweiler State Beach. Explore flight and learn for yourself, launching off of our 30-foot sand dune with trained and certified instructors guiding you the whole way. Learn the basics of hang gliding in this 3 to 4-hour long experience along with 2-4 more students who will learn alongside you.
Enjoy the invigorating (and romantic) thrill of a glorious Santa Barbara Beach Horseback Ride. Explore majestic mountains, dramatic ocean bluffs, and the mighty Pacific horseback riding in one of the world’s most beautiful destinations. Take a break and enjoy a light picnic with a charcuterie board and a champagne toast.
Rafts are a fun and exciting way to explore the beautiful Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary! This low-to-the-water boat is comfortable, quiet, and highly maneuverable, offering an incredible perspective of marine wildlife and beautiful coastal scenery. With a maximum of six passengers, each tour is customized to the unique desires of our guests. Captain & Naturalist Kate has been on the waters since 2001. Her enthusiasm and unique perspective as both a trained biologist and accomplished wildlife artist, and scientific illustrator at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C, will most definitely enrich your trip and make it fun!
VIP Access from the moment you arrive. The expert and naturalist guide will lead you through the Aquarium to explore the most popular exhibits and take you to exclusive areas behind the scenes to see how the magic is created. Hear animal stories, find out how they take care of more than 35,000 plants and animals. Learn how to care for a jelly, what it takes to make a home for a shark, and how they grow a living kelp forest. Meet executive director Julie Packard. She is an American ocean conservationist and philanthropist. She helped create the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the early 1980s.
Experience Miami in what could possibly be the best way ever. A professional shark research conservation team will show you the ins and out’s of shark tagging while sailing Miami’s shores. Volunteers will assist in measuring, clipping, and tagging real sharks in a safe and educational manner for the entire family! The research will help track the mating, migration, and growth of sharks all around the world.
There is nothing more relaxing than to survey the mainland from the deck of your own private yacht. Enjoy the personalized and attentive service that renting a private charter brings. Offering a variety of cruising areas, the charter is available down the east coast of Florida from West Palm Beach to Miami Beach, on to the Florida Keys, or along the western coast of Florida and even through the interior of the estate of Florida.
Enjoy a full-service PADI scuba diving excursion in Islamorada, offering daily guided scuba diving trips, scuba instruction, and private dive charters. Whether you're looking for wrecks or reefs, your private guide is of the top of dive destinations all throughout Islamorada. Experienced dive guides will take you on thrilling tours, illuminating the wonders of the deep.
Captain Brandon has fished the Florida Keys for over a dozen years. His love for fishing, and making sure his customers have a great time is unlike any other. He has fished all over the Caribbean, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans.
Fly over to Dry Tortugas National Park on a seaplane. Take off from the water, and enjoy the incredible views from above. You will land near the Dry Tortugas National Park, and explore the beautiful area for the evening. Enjoy the scenic views, explore nature, relax under the sun, and experience this gorgeous national park!
The Burnhams have spent a decade learning the intricacies of this 100-mile coral island chain, from local tides to Keys character. Six-hour daily guided tours in the Lower Florida Keys (between Marathon and Key West). The exact route will depend on the weather and paddlers' desires and abilities. Beginner, intermediate and advanced options available.
This unforgettable one-hour seaplane tour is our most thrilling aerial experience, encompassing all of the sights of our Miami Skyline Seaplane Tour as well as Key Biscayne, with its beautifully restored lighthouse and the saltwater homes in the middle of the pristine Biscayne Bay known as Stiltsville. One of the many highlights of this tour comes when we make our way back to Matheson Hammock, Coconut Grove, and the magnificent Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. As we slowly fly over crystal clear water, you’re able to see exotic marine life like red starfish, stingrays, dolphins, manatees, and sharks.
Take a journey on his 80ft historic “When and If” Schooner - a wooden yacht built in 1939 that has a long history in the Salem waters. On each trip, captain Seth takes the best route on the water to see an awe-inspiring sunset while navigating across the wind for an optimal experience.
Our location at the mouth of Falmouth harbor means that when we get underway, the sails go up quickly. Depending on the wind and tide, we may head west to Woods Hole; near Nobska Lighthouse are some wonderful old houses that can only be seen from the water. Beyond that are the Elizabeth Islands, the undeveloped emeralds of the New England coastline. If we are beckoned south, we’ll arrive in the vicinity of Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard, home to some magnificent antique sailing ships and 1920s summer cottages. To the east are the bluffs of Falmouth Heights and the pure beaches and nature sanctuary of Waquoit Bay. There is a short presentation on the history of the boat and the Cape and Islands followed by questions. The cash bar is always available.
Made for museum lovers and skeptics alike, our Un-Highlights tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art will show you a side of the Met you’ve never seen before! Join our renegade tour guides on a high-energy, two-hour group tour through the museum’s hallowed halls with a “tasting menu” approach as you learn the crazy true stories behind a selection of art across the Met’s massive collection. This is not your grandma’s museum tour.
The best way to see the Manhattan skyline is by waverunner. This is suited for people who do not mind rough riding, jumping over the waves of the ferry boats. No experience, needed... just guts! One of the preferred activities in the Big Apple. End the experience with a drink on the Manhattan Yacht Club, a floating barge with the greatest view in town (A dedicated wooden yacht will take you to the MYC and back).
Explore the Kings County Distillery, and tour their facilities with a knowledgeable guide. You will see each and every step of their process, and learn more about the history of booze in the United States. Start your experience with a traditional cocktail, and have a tasting of their samples after your tour. Afterward, meet up with their master distiller, and learn the basics of blending - and create your own, exclusive blend of whiskey to take home!
Join us for a private street art tour of Bushwick, an up-and-coming neighborhood in northern Brooklyn. Discover over 50 multi-colored murals in this ephemeral outdoor museum. The massive warehouses that line the streets of this neighborhood provide a perfect canvas for this diverse array of vibrant masterpieces, which include works by Ramiro, Iena Cruz, Nepo, Don Rimx, Dasic, and more. Our tour guides have an intimate knowledge of the street art and graffiti world, and they may even show you some of their own art during the journey.
A popular off-road desert riding area in east El Paso, Texas. Locals call this area Red Sands, due to its unique reddish-brown tint caused by iron oxide deposits. Red Sands is comprised of both private and public lands, featuring rolling sand dunes, hills, compact dirt trails, and more! Red Sands was under an ancient sea approximately 34 million years ago. Over time, the ancient sea disappeared and various processes of erosion created Red Sands and the beautiful surrounding areas you see today. Look long enough and you’ll find plenty of ancient fossils. Precious American Indian Artifacts, such as arrowheads, pottery, and more are scattered throughout the region.
Whether you're a new or seasoned climber, avoid the long lines and difficulty of getting in by going to Hueco Tanks with us! Our certified guide/instructor knows the park well and will take you to the best spot available for a half-day of ropes climbing or bouldering in the amazing Tanks. Bouldering tours are typically from 9 am—5 pm, depending on the season/weather conditions. We'll lead you on an energizing hike through the beautiful maze of boulders and vegetation to whatever type of adventure you seek, whether bouldering or sport-climbing—and always, the chance to see some amazing ancient rock art (pictographs) along the way.
You will be transported on this 3.5-hour Food Tour across 250+ years of history, and enjoy flavors closely connected to the Northwest DC neighborhood. The Food Tour will bring together progressive, high-end cuisine, with long-standing DC institutions. From restaurants and shops running before prohibition to swanky hotspots, this Food Tour brings together some of the best this area has to offer. We will finish up our journey by crossing the historic C&O canal and enjoying a sweet ending from a family-run bakery specializing in sweet and savory pies.
Ismail Naskai is the best private tour guide in town. He knows every shortcut and side door and makes sure that guests never wait in long lines. Naskai was the winner of “Best Tour Guide” by Washington Area Concierge Association.
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