Online travel auctions gives bidders chance for trip of dreams: this Homer company offers adventure trips that are environment friendly.

• Author: Jackinsky, McKibben
• Position: Generous Adventures Travel Auctions

Generous Adventures Travel Auctions founder and director, Sally Oberstein (fourth from left), takes a time out with the staff at GATA's world headquarters in Homer. With her are donation coordinators (left to right) Breana Hardin and Carrie Spates; Dorle Scholz, who is respectfully referred to as the "payroll goddess;" and assistant director Jody Rose.

When it comes to online travel auctions, everybody wins with Generous Adventures Travel Auctions, owned and operated by Sally Oberstein of Homer. Guided by a desire to make the world a better place, Oberstein unrolls a world-sized welcome mat for adventure-minded travelers, significantly boosts the marketing efforts of destination providers and sends sizeable donations to carefully selected organizations. And judging from the pleased smile on Oberstein's face, her everybody-wins equation is working well.

Flip through the five categories of offerings at and lodging, outdoor adventures, nature and wildlife, exotic destinations, and special interests--and you will be tempted to bid on such destinations as an eco-friendly bungalow on a nature reserve in Zanzibar, where a warm, tropical ocean laps at your toes, and the meals, snorkel gear and guided tours are all part of the package.

If something a little cooler and just a tad more rugged is what you have in mind, consider wrapping up in an afghan within the walls of a hand-crafted log cabin in the Canadian Rockies, while wolves serenade in the distance and expert outdoorsmen stand ready to introduce you to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Not adventuresome enough? Then how about paragliding through Australian skies for a down-under view of country and shore? Or maybe seven days with mountain guides in New Zealand's towering Southern Alps, building your mountaineering skills in the same place Sir Edmund Hillary trained for his historic summit of Mount Everest.

Rather rub shoulders with wildlife? No problem. You just might have the winning bid to visit the Elephant Management Centre in Juala Gandah, Pahang, where you can feed, ride or even bathe an elephant in one of Malaysia's many streams. Or, if soaking up some culture is more in line with your adventurous streak, toy a walking tour of Florence, Italy, or an afternoon with friends in Paris.

The offers remain on the Web site for seven to eight months, which gives time to strategically plan a bid, as well as stay updated on the competition once you throw your name into the hat.

The travel...