|

Follow Rue Mapp And Her Adventures in Big Sur

Rue Mapp simply wanted to share her love of the outdoors with other people in her demographic, an African American woman living in the inner city. So two years ago, the 40 year-old Oakland resident started a blog called OutdoorAfro.com. Sharing her love of camping, hiking, fishing, rock climbing, and rafting, she has accumulated quite a following, including the White House, who invited Mapp to participate in the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors. Now Mapp’s hitting the road again. From October 21st to the 23rd, she’ll be heading south with her family on Route 1 to hike in the Big Sur region. She plans to shoot video, tweet, and blog about her experience, so be sure to join in on the inspirational fun.
 

Similar Posts

|

Bike to Madaket Beach, Nantucket, Massachusetts

Bike trails on Nantucket branch off in every direction, like the spokes on a wheel. My favorite ride, especially in the spring, is the 6-mile jaunt from town to Madaket Beach. Head out on Cliff Road. You’ll quickly meet up with the Cliff Trail as you pass the rolling meadows and red-winged blackbirds at Tupancy Links conservation land. Merge with the Madaket Trail and you might be greeted by flittering goldfinches and osprey peering out from their oversized nests. When the trail becomes sandy and you can hear the pounding surf, you know you’re getting close. On the westernmost part of the island, the beach slopes down to the crashing waves. All around you is water, as if you’re stepping off land into the great abyss. If you don’t have the energy to do the return trip, the Wave bus runs until 11:20 pm and has a front rack for two bikes. 

 
Spend the night at the Century House on Cliff Road and general manager, Otilia, will have a bike from Nantucket Bike Shop waiting for you. An avid biker, Otilia will also direct you on other routes to Brant Point and Sankaty Head lighthouses. Rooms, including full breakfast, start at $175. 
 
|

The Ludlow Hotel to Open on the Lower East Side in June

After feasting on my favorite pastrami and rye in Manhattan, at Katz’s Deli, or downing the herring and lox at the century-old Russ and Daughters, I’m happy to know that I now have a place to nap nearby at The Ludlow Hotel. The location couldn’t be better for checking out downtown. A stone’s throw from Houston Street and an easy walk to the East Village, Little Italy, and Chinatown, the lodging will open in June and features 184 and 20 suites. Sean MacPherson, Ira Drukier, and Richard Born are the powerhouse trifecta behind the new property. Drukier and Born are responsible for NYC’s successful Pod Hotels, The Greenwich Hotel, and the Mercer Hotel, among many others. MacPherson is co-owner of The Marlton, The Bowery Hotel, The Jane Hotel, and The Maritime Hotel. Don’t miss the chance to stroll though the Lower East Side, where my grandfather, Sam Rieger, worked during the Depression selling shoes on Delancey Street. Take one of the tours at the Tenement Museum, grab a sour dill from the Pickle Guy at the corner of Essex and Grant, and then check out my favorite candy store in the world, Economy Candy (108 Rivington Street). An incredible variety of candy, including favorites from my childhood, like Mike and Ike’s. 
 
|

Northeast Kingdom’s Wildflower Inn for Sale

I first met Mary and Jim O’Reilly, owners of Vermont’s Wildflower Inn, in 1995 while doing research for my first book, Outside Magazine’s Adventure Guide to New England. As soon as I saw their property rising high above the barns and fields of Darling Hill on the East Burke/Lyndonville border, I was smitten. This was the authentic Vermont I was yearning for, soon to be the home to the world-class mountain biking network called the Kingdom Trails. Jim and Mary were well on their way to having 8 children, but this was before my two kids were born. Soon enough, however, Jake, Melanie, and my wife, Lisa, were returning to the Wildflower Inn to cross-country ski, ski nearby Burke Mountain, take sleigh rides, bike the glorious singletrack trails, hike to the summit of Mt. Hor overlooking the deep waters of picturesque Lake Willoughby, and simply relax on the grounds with all the animals. 
 
The Wildflower Inn is a unique property that caters to families and I helped spread the word, writing about Jim and Mary for The Boston Globe, Yankee Magazine, Men’s Journal, Outside Magazine, and many other publications. Now I receive word that the couple are ready to call it quits after giving their all for close to 35 years. While I’m sad to see them leave, I’m excited about the opportunity for another young couple to take the reins of this special place. John A. Beal of V/T Commercial is assisting Jim and Mary with the sale of the inn, restaurant, and property. Please contact him at 802-864-2000 x11 or jb@vtcommercial.com to discuss the details of the listing. 
 
|

Stormproof Waterproof Matches are Ideal for Camping

We’ve all been there before. You pack your matches in a nice dry plastic Ziploc bag, only to tip the canoe or spill the canteen and realize that even plastic bags can get damp. You reach for those matches that night to start a fire and the wet stick falls to pieces in your hand. That’s why I was excited to try Stormproof Matches, which the company states work when wet. So I bought a kit, kept the matches outdoors all last week in Boston where it pretty much rained every day. Then took out one of the long matchsticks and lit it easily. The flame also lasts a good ten seconds, about the time it takes me to light my 20-year-old Coleman Burner. The kit comes with a waterproof case and three strikers and can be purchased on Amazon for about $6.
 

|

Adventure in Halong Bay, Vietnam

A World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is known for its limestone karsts that jut up from sea making this one of the most striking cruise destinations in the world. But if you read my recent article in The Boston Globe, you’d know that any place that has cruises now offers adventure. Emeraude Classic Cruises has teamed with Slo Pony Adventures, owned by an American duo, to offer a three-day, two-night cruise in Halong Bay. Sure, you’ll get to sit back and marvel at the spectacle with gin and tonic in hand. That’s a reward for the daily dose of adventure that includes sea kayaking, rock climbing, and trekking through Butterfly Valley in the National Park to find waterfalls hidden in the lush terrain.
 

|

Boothbay Harbor’s Linekin Bay Under New Ownership

For the first time in its 106-year history, Linekin Bay Resort will have new owners. I first visited the resort in 2012 with my family, penning a story for The Boston Globe after a memorable weekend. Located on one of the many inlets that form the landscape of midcoast Maine, Linekin Bay has one of the finest locales in New England to sail and sea kayak. Spend your day with the family boating, hiking with a naturalist, and swimming. Then dine communal style on Maine specialties like a lobster clambake and blueberry pie in the main lodge. The new owners, both local Mainers, have already begun to rehab the aging buildings, creating 14 new rooms in the new Linwood Lodge. They still aim to retain the rustic charm of this classic retreat, the only all-inclusive sailing resort in the Northeast. 

 

Leave a Reply