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Spring Thaw Means It’s Time to Dust Off the Kayaks

It hit 60 degrees in Boston today and tomorrow could break a record with highs in the upper 60s. You know what that means. The spring thaw is almost upon us, the time of year that whitewater enthusiasts hit the rivers for both kayaking and rafting thrills. If you want a good list of rivers to run, check out my article for AMC Outdoors. I divulged coveted paddling routes from Maine to Maryland. Not just rivers for the intrepid, but quietwater paddling on placid pond and lakes for all ages.  

 

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Go Play!

On May 27th, the Boston Globe will debut the redesign of its new travel section. I’ve been asked to write a weekly column called “Go Play!” where I’ll take a detailed look at one hike, one bike ride, one mountain climb, one beach stroll, one sea kayaking jaunt, or one river paddle. It’s often what I write about in this blog, so thank you for being my soundboard and helping me hone the concept! Next week, I’ll be blogging live from San Antonio. I usually don’t like to write live from location, because any work takes away from your enjoyment of the locale. That’s why tweeting works so beautifully. On a trip, I’d much rather spend 30 seconds on a tweet than 30 minutes on a blog. But I’ll give it a go and see what happens. Enjoy the weekend, and yes, go play!

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MLK Ski Resort Deals at Liftopia

With most regions in the country getting snow this week, MLK Weekend is turning out to be a great time to carve those perfect turns. Don’t be foolish and wait until the last minute to purchase your lift tickets. Check out Liftopia, the largest online marketplace for discounted lift tickets. Some of the many deals on the site this week include a three-day lift ticket at Jay Peak starting at $125, a 42% savings compared to walk-up window rates. In upstate New York, three-day lift tickets at Gore Mountain start at $128, a 45% savings. Out West, at Colorado’s Copper Mountain, three-day lift tickets start at $194. Taos is also offered, with a three-day lift ticket that start at $182 (26% savings). Check it out and have a great weekend! I’ll be back on Tuesday. 

 
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Peru, Caribbean Retreats, and Grand Velas in October ActiveTravels Newsletter

My recent travels to Peru was all the inspriation I needed to pen this month’s main feature in the ActiveTravels Newsletter. We’ve also listed some of our all-time favorite places to go with the family when the temperatures drop to help you start planning now for colder times ahead. Lastly, we talk about the recent renovations at Samoset Rockland, Maine, and a great promotion from Grand Velas resort properties in Mexico. Please have a look! 
 
Have a fantastic weekend and stay active! 
 
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Bhutan or Bust

One of the biggest trends in travel right now is the increasingly popular multisport trip. Head off to a country and then try as many activities as possible, from hiking, to biking, to whitewater rafting. This has proven to be a huge success in places like Costa Rica which has a great mix of mountains, rivers, and ocean. Now Uma Paro in Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is entering into the mix. From July 6-13 and August 31-September 6, they are offering a weeklong adventure featuring rafting, biking, archery, and fly-fishing. The bike ride sounds like an incredible thrill. Guests are dropped off at the top of Chele La at 12,500 feet, Bhutan’s highest road pass. After taking in the magnificent views towards Mt. Jhomolhari standing at a mere 24,000 feet, you enjoy a 22-mile downhill run all the way back to Paro. You’ll also get to do a morning Puja (pilgrimage) to a local monastery.
 

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Cruising California’s Redwood Coast

Five hours north of San Francisco on Hwy 101, you reach Humboldt County, otherwise known as California’s Redwood Coast. While more than 4 million people visit Yosemite National Park each year, only 600,000 make it to Redwood National Park annually to see the world’s tallest tree, a 379-foot coastal redwood. Indeed, this is the undiscovered Californian coast, where you can drive through the largest intact old-growth redwood forest, Avenue of the Giants, with relatively little traffic, hike almost 80 miles of wilderness shoreline on the Lost Coast, stroll the perfectly preserved Victorian village of Ferndale, and walk through the luxuriant moss-covered walls of Fern Canyon. Once known only for its cash crop, marijuana, Humboldt County is now known for its vineyards and claims to have the greatest number of artists per capita in all of California, the reason why author John Villani picked Eureka number one in his book, “The 100 Best Art Towns in America.” This region of the country has been on my wish list for quite some time, so I’m excited to be reporting live this week from Humboldt County. Please follow my every move on this blog and from my tweets @ActiveTravels.

 
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Top 5 Beaches in New England to Be Active: Bike to Briggs Beach, Little Compton, Rhode Island

South of Route 195 and the gritty mill towns of Fall River and New Bedford lies countryside so fertile you’ll feel like you’re in Vermont. Stretching from Dartmouth, Massachusetts, to Little Compton, Rhode Island, the area is known as the Heritage Farm Coast. It has the sunniest and most temperate climate in New England and thus the longest growing season. Dairy farms, corn fields, even vineyards, border the Sakonnet River as it washes into the Atlantic. Add the crescent of sand at Briggs Beach and you have the perfect country and coast ride. For a good 20-mile loop, take Route 77 south from Tiverton Four Corners to Sakonnet Point and return on backcountry roads past the village green of Little Compton.
 

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