Unique Internet Camping Resource Expands Rapidly

EDMONTON, Alberta, March 31, 2005 -- In three short years Great Camping Spots has become one of the largest databases of North American campgrounds on the Internet, in particular boasting exceptional lists in Michigan, Florida, Arizona, British Columbia and Alberta. A special emphasis has been camping for snowbirds in the popular Yuma, Arizona, area. During this relatively short time RV owners and backwoods tenters alike have utilized an extensive campground directory and found inspiring articles, forums, resource links, events calendars, and more!

Dedicated to enhancing the experience of campers, Great Camping Spots' belief is that camping is one of the best avenues to enjoy two of life's greatest gifts: the gift of relationships and the gift of the great outdoors. They've adopted the allegory that life, not unlike camping, is a journey - a journey of living life less in safe places and a bit more on the edge. The aim at GCS, therefore, is to help families get the most out of their camping trip and to encourage their personal journey.

What people are saying about GreatCampingSpots.com:

" ... You will find a useful, entertaining and informative resource, on an easy to navigate and pleasantly designed site." -Keith Harris, Newsmedianews.com

" ... The first place campers should bookmark on the web!"
-Jim Daniels, JDD Publishing

" ... As one member of a family of camping aficionados (and the one who often does the research on where we'll be spending our next camping vacation!), I can't recommend GreatCampingSpots.com enough ... A pleasure to navigate."
-Brenda Wollenberg, Health and Lifestyles Writer

Great Camping Spots' Canadian office is located in Edmonton, Alberta. This unique province is one of the world's most scenic areas, where majestic mountains, lush woodlands, expansive prairies and desert-like badlands exist all-in-one. The U.S. office is also set in the picturesque backdrop of Mesquite, Nevada. From these locations GCS is glad to serve and support campers from all over North America through http://www.GreatCampingSpots.com.

Contact:

Jim Alseth, Managing Editor
Great Camping Spots Inc.
Tel: 780-481-4372
info@greatcampingspots.com
http://www.greatcampingspots.com

Teacher In Space Candidate Completes Proficiency Flight

RENO, Nev., March 31, 2005 -- For pilot Bob Ray, it was a routine proficiency flight, but for teacher Pam Leestma, it was the flight of a lifetime and the first step toward realizing her lifelong dream of traveling into space.

Ray and Leestma, a 30-year-veteran teacher from Valley Christian Elementary School in Bellflower, California, took off from Reno Stead Field at 12:15 pm in a two-seat MiG-21UM supersonic jet trainer owned and operated by commercial spaceflight company X-Rocket, LLC. Leestma was selected as a spaceflight candidate in X-Rocket's Teacher in Space program.

The former Czech Air Force MiG-21UM, now dubbed Maching Bird 1, is one of the highest performance civilian aircraft in the US and the first step in X-Rocket's plan to open space to all Americans. Leestma's flight was no tourist ride, like the MiG flights sold to American tourists in Russia. "During today's flight, Pam filled important crew functions," said pilot Bob Ray, "including helping to monitor instruments and perform traffic watch."

For Pam Leestma, today's flight seems only natural. Her cousin, David Leestma, is a NASA Shuttle astronaut, and she has had a long-time fascination with spaceflight. "This is the adventure of a lifetime," Leestma said. "To see God's Earth from such a vantage point makes me think of the teachers who inspired engineers, scientists, and mathematicians to achieve things such as this. I hope to continue to inspire the next generation to find their dreams, achieve them, and make a difference in our world."

"X-Rocket's Teacher in Space program will help teachers like Pam Leestma realize their dreams," said company president Edward Wright. X-Rocket plans to operate a fleet of suborbital aerospace trainers that will serve multiple functions, from advanced test pilot training to adventure tourism experiences to Teacher in Space flights. The company's motto is "Spaceflight for the rest of us."

During the 1980's, NASA created its own Teacher in Space program, which was later replaced by the NASA Educator Astronaut program. Problems with the Shuttle program have prevented NASA from actually flying any teachers in space, however, and the planned replacement of the Shuttle with a Crew Exploration Vehicle will reduce the number of available flight opportunities for all NASA astronauts. Newspaper articles have spoken of possible layoffs in the NASA astronaut office, so opportunities for NASA to fly educator astronauts will remain scarce.

"This is where private enterprise can play a role," Wright said. "Suborbital vehicles now under development will carry people into space much more affordably than the Shuttle or CEV. For under twenty million dollars, we could fly 200 teachers a year, four from every state in the union. Imagine thousands of astronaut teachers in schools all across the country, within the next decade. For decades, we've told students that if they studied math and science, they could grow up to become astronauts and go into space, but in reality, kids had a better chance of growing up to become NBA basketball players. What message does that send? Suppose we could turn that around, and show kids that they have a realistic chance of going into space? How cool would that be?"

X-Rocket is currently seeking sponsors to help make that happen. Today's flight is only the beginning.

"Pam Leestma has shown that America's teachers have the 'Right Stuff.' We don't intend to let them down," said Wright.

Photos and additional information available at:
http://www.x-rocket.com/press.htm

Contact:
Edward Wright
(425) 830-3571
press@x-rocket.com

'The Sky Rider' Simon Bennett-Odlum to Attempt World-Record Parasail Ride

Septuagenarian Seeks Sponsorship of July/August Event

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., April 1, 2005 -- Not every seventy-year-old man would enjoy being tethered to a parachute and pulled behind a speeding boat from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas. But then, Simon Bennett-Odlum, known as The Sky Rider (http://www.theskyrider.us), has spent his life in pursuit of adventure. Next on his to-do list: set a world record for the longest parasail ride in distance, duration and speed.

The Sky Rider's flight is planned for late July/early August 2005. Because there currently is no official record of this type, Bennett-Odlum predicts his ride will receive a great deal of exposure on its own. "Add to that the twist that I am 70 years old, and the media and public interest will go through the roof. This is an incredible opportunity for a sponsor," he stated. "The name and logo of the event's primary sponsor will be prominently displayed on the sail and boat. And the return on this investment won't end when the record is captured: I intend to operate the sail and boat for at least two years afterwards, offering vacationers the opportunity to 'ride the sky' in a rig that set a world record - with the sponsor's name and logo still intact."

If Bennett-Odlum sounds confident, it's because he is accustomed to challenge, adventure and success. As a young man, he turned down an Oxford education in favor of a stint in the Royal Air Force. After returning to civilian life, Bennett-Odlum tried his hand at acting, debuting in "The Day They Robbed the Bank of England." He also appeared in the B-movie "Lady Ice," with Jennifer O'Neill and Donald Sutherland, and later in the cult classic "The Village of the Damned." Bennett-Odlum went on to: spend time in the deserts of Libya, clearing unexploded mines and bombs left over from WWII; start an airline offering flights from Miami and Atlanta to London; and, in 1973, found a car detailing business that is still thriving today. A lifelong sailor, Bennett-Odlum's hobbies include sailing and auto racing.

Will The Sky Rider set a world record for the longest parasail ride? If Bennett-Odlum's daring and determination are any indication, it seems likely. But either way, don't expect this septuagenarian to slow down any time soon. Those interested in learning more about The Sky Rider should visit http://www.theskyrider.us.

Contact:

Simon Bennett-Odlum
Flyin' Fool, Inc.
404-483-1714
info@theskyrider.us
http://www.theskyrider.us

Rick Drummond
770-329-8339
drummond@carewatch.com

Last Call! FR=EE! Butte, Montana Writer's Weekend . Accommodations and western hospitality provided.

"BUTTE, Montana, FROM THE INSIDE OUT"

.....We still have a few openings. Register now and don't get left behind!!!!!

FREE! Butte, Montana Writer's Weekend . Accommodations and western hospitality provided at NO CHARGE

Old Butte Historical Adventures www.oldbutte.com/writers and the people of Butte, Montana along with many area businesses are sending an invitation to you as a travel writer to come and experience "BUTTE, FROM THE INSIDE OUT".

Writer Information:
http://www.oldbutte.com/writers.html

We have designated April 29, 30, and May 1 of 2005 as this years "Fr=ee Writer's Weekend". "Butte, From The Inside Out" is a gift from us to you to come and experience Butte as few people have seen it in many decades. This spring Old Butte Historical Adventures will have SEVEN MUSEUMS open to the public on our walking tours. We would like to offer members of the writer's community a preview showing. Of course we hope your WOW factor will trigger a story or two related to your Butte experience.

BUTTE, MONTANA, FYI
Butte, Montana is located midway between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, just a couple of hours from each. Butte started as many towns in the west as a mining camp. Due to the discovery of copper and the electrification of the United States by 1900 Butte had grown to be the largest city between Minneapolis and Seattle.

Butte was also one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States with emigrants from 60 different countries. Uniquely many of those ethnic groups remained close knit because most miners worked and lived within a block or two of the mine at which they were employed.

In 1900 Butte had 160 mines in operation the remnants of which today are twelve head frames and 10,000 miles of tunnels under the city and one of the worlds largest truck operated open pit mines on the city's east side. The 1923 Butte Business College catalog boasted "45 miles of electric street railways, which carry 17,000,000 passengers per year, 9,500 telephones, 42 churches, 25 public schools, 7 parochial schools, and the largest business college in the northwest." Impressive considering the city is only 4 miles from edge to edge.

Butte is the only western mining camp that became an industrial city. Along with the industrialization came big money and with that great buildings and architecture inspired by the many ethnic groups that settled here. Butte has the second largest number of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of Interior. Many of these buildings have been closed for over half a century some much longer.

Old Butte Historical Adventures has been working for several years uncovering some of these hidden treasures and developing public tours of the buildings. Many of you may have heard the segments on National Public Radio about the Rookwood Speakeasy, uncovered for the first time since 1933 in the summer of 2004. Well, we have six more time capsules to be opened to the public in 2005. These will be previewed by your group on Saturday, April 30, 2005.

Please come experience and enjoy our hospitality!

PLEASE RSVP by April 15, 2005.

For complete Information please visit our web site and select Free Writers Weekend.

Contact:
Michael Gordon
602-885-3107
info@oldbutte.com

New Zealand Company Introduces L'omo(TM) (Lotion In Motion) to United States Market

Slip, slop, slapping on the sunscreen just got a whole lot easier, thanks to a product developed with a little bit of Kiwi ingenuity.

TAMPA, Fla., April 8, 2005 -- Increasing awareness of skin cancer and the dangers of being unprotected in the sun led Auckland Company, Stingray New Zealand, to develop an applicator for applying sunscreen to that hard-to-reach spot in the middle of the back. The L'omo(TM) (short for Lotion in Motion(TM)) is a revolving roller that spreads sunscreen evenly across the back, ensuring complete coverage and better protection from the sun. Stingray New Zealand has recently opened up a sales office in Tampa, Florida and is introducing the product to distributors, retailers, dermatologists, tanning salons and other outlets where lotions and sunscreens are sold.

Stingray owner Scott Tucker says he developed the product for anyone who wants to "block the sun, not the fun" - at the beach, pool, surfing, boating, gardening, working etc - but has no one to help apply sunscreen. "The L'omo is specifically designed to be compact, convenient and COOL so that you can take it anywhere and stay protected," he says. It works for any size, age or sex and can also be used for applying self-tanning, after-sun and moisturising lotions.

"As a person who has had skin problems on my back as a result of being unprotected from the sun, I know the full value of our product," says Matt Gault, Vice President of US Sales & Operations. "Not only is the product cool and easy to use, but it will truly help people avoid having skin problems as a result of the sun's rays."

For more information on L'omo(TM) and to see a demonstration of how it works, please visit our website at http://www.lotioninmotion.com or call 813-960-1519.

For information contact:
Matt Gault
813-960-1519
matt@stingraynz.com
http://www.lotioninmotion.com