August 11, 2011 “We’re all rechargeable!” contends outdoor adventure writer Robert Earle Howells. And nothing recharges the body and soul like a weekend of outdoor adventuring.

That’s the spirit of Howells’s new iPhone/iPad app, Adventure Weekends West ($2.99), published by Sutro Media and available in the iTunes Store.

In Adventure Weekends West, Howells steers his readers to adventures within a few hours’ drive (most are much closer) of major metropolitan areas in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Howells, former editor at large of National Geographic Adventure magazine and correspondent for Outside magazine, has been adventuring in the West for more than 30 years.

Getaways range from a bald eagle viewing river float to a climb of Mount Olympus . . . from paddling with sea otters in Morro Bay to hiking to a luxury backwoods camp in Sequoia National Monument . . . from treehouse lodges in Oregon and British Columbia to a yurt stay in Big Sur.

“I chose these adventure for their ‘rechargeable’ nature,” says Howells. “I like to think that any one of them delivers the restorative spirit of a two-week vacation.” Every entry is accompanied by a slide show and videos, so the app is a multimedia experience that is as entertaining as it is inspiring.

Among the dozens of activities covered in Adventure Weekends West are:

• River Rafting
•  Day Hiking
•  Fly-fishing
• Rock Climbing
• Surfing
• Backcountry Skiing
• Sandboarding
• Storm Watching
• Kayaking
• Wildlife Viewing
•  Mountain Biking
• Road Riding
• Backpacking
• Camping
• Kiteboarding
• Scuba Diving
•  Telemarking
• Caving
• Pedal Kayaking

Off-the-radar inns, lodges, and campgrounds, including Google maps to each destination, round out the offerings. Viewers can customize their view of the app to sort it by activity or location.

To download Adventure Weekends West, go to:

http://sutromedia.com/apps/Adventure_Weekends_West