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Tour The Set of Downton Abbey

If, like me, you’re going through Downton Abbey withdrawal, now that the second season has finished, you’ll be happy to know that there is a temporary cure. Fans can not only tour Highclere Castle, the estate where the series is filmed, but you can join the property’s owners, the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, for lunch in their formal dining room and/or high tea. The opportunity is only available to private groups of four or less people and is booked through Noteworthy Events. Unfortunately, Dame Maggie Smith won’t be there holding court. Sorry, you can’t have it all. 

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Time to Party With Bonhomme at Winter Carnival

If you love Paris in the springtime, then you’ll adore Quebec City in the wintertime, where, for 17 days, the party never stops. Quebec City’s Winter Carnival is the largest in the world, attracting more than one million people. I was one of those fortunate people to arrive in this fortified city on the first day of the 2013 Winter Carnival. I spent the morning sledding down an ice chute, viewing the impressive ice castle, made from 1600 blocks of ice, eating maple syrup on snow, and playing a human game of foosball. Attached to bars with seatbelts, you slide all over the ice trying to kick the ball into the goal. But the party really started on Saturday night, when top DJs from Montreal and Toronto played a mesmerizing mix of hip-hop and electronica to a crowd of revelers outside the ice castle. Locals carry cane-like red sticks filled with a potent drink called Caribou, made of whiskey, red wine, and maple syrup, which certainly added to the dancing frenzy. When Bonhomme, the popular snowman and revered host of the festivities started to boogie, the crowd went wild.
 
This is just the start of the 58th edition of the Quebec City Winter Carnival. Still to come is Le Grande Virée, a dogsled race that cruises through the heart of the historic Old City, and the ice canoeing competition, where paddlers sprint across the turgid waters of the St. Lawrence Seaway. New this year is a video installation, where filmmakers project images onto four of the iconic buildings in town, creating a 3-D interplay. There’s also a brasserie, serving 25 microbrews from across Quebec. So if you have no plans yet for February vacation week, it might be the time to experience some joie de vivre in Quebec City. 
 
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Choice Music Cuts of 2010

Most people think the life of a travel writer is glamorous. Realistically, I’m only on the road a quarter of the year. The rest of my time is spent chained to a desk cranking out stories on my third-floor home office in solitude. To overcome my hermetic existence, I crank up the tunes. In fact, I savor music far more than literature, with most of my day listening to iTunes and Pandora. One of my favorite times of the year is when the Boston Globe music critics put out their list of top CDs. In the past, I found favorites like Passion Pit and Jamie Lidell on this list. This year, there are some strong Jazz songs like young trumpeter Erik Telford and his smoking groove, “Kinetic.” Also good is the live sax playing of the Sherman Irby Quarter. Check out the tune “Bohemia After Dark.” R&B and Electronica were pretty weak this year, though I did like “Locked Inside” from Janelle Monae’s first CD and “Low Shoulders” from the chillhouse sounds of Toro y Moi.

The strongest genre by far was hip-hop. Forgot about all the airplay Eminem, Kanye, and Drake receive. Listen to “Famous” by Curren$y, “Leaders” by Nas and Damian Marley, “Angels” from Diddy’s surprisingly good “Last Train to Paris” release, and Big Boi’s “Night Night.” However, my choice for album of the year goes to Rick Ross and his “Teflon Don.” Listen to the symphonic “Maybach Music III,” featuring my girl Erykah Badu, and just wait for Ross to come in at the end with that take-no-prisoners voice. Oh yeah, I’m ready to kick some ass.

As always, thanks for checking in. I’ll be back with my “Top 5 Adventures in 2010” on January 3rd.  Wishing You a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2011!

 

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Maine Huts & Trails Week: Day Three, Mountain Biking to the Flagstaff Hut

Charlie Woodworth didn’t take the helm of Maine Huts & Trails to sit behind a desk. He knows these trails in western Maine like the back of his hand, as he showed Lisa and me on Day Three while riding the 11 miles over to the Flagstaff Hut. We would soon learn that he also happens to be a helluva biker, taking the roots, rocks, and turns easily and offering pedaling pointers for us along the way. Much of the land we would be traversing today is part of the Penobscot Indian Reservation, including our first leg, the Sticky Trail, a technical singletrack through a forest of hemlocks.

As we rode, Charlie gave me an update on the progress of this non-profit organization. They currently have 1450 members and their dues go straight to trail maintenance. 4 of the eco-lodges have been built and they plan to continue with construction southwest of the first hut we visited, Stratton Brook Hut, towards Rangeley. Their ultimate goal is to have 12 backcountry huts over 180 miles of trails all the way north to Baxter State Park. Judging from Charlie’s passion and perseverance, along with all the enthusiastic MH&T staffers I met along the way, I have no doubt they’ll achieve that goal. 

We said goodbye to Charlie at the Flagstaff Hut, snagged one of Megan Costello’s heavenly chocolate chip cookies, and exchanged mountain bikes for an Old Town canoe. We were surprised to find that we’d be paddling with a frog that was camping out in the canoe. Canoeing along the shores of Flagstaff Lake, the 4th largest lake in Maine, the mighty ridge of the 4,000-foot Bigelow Mountains soon came into view. Adding to the allure was a bald eagle that flew overhead. The waters were even more magical that evening when we watched a perfect orb of a reddish-orange sun set in the notch between Blanchard Mountain and Pickled Chicken Hill. Living the dream. 
 
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The Birdmen of Bocawina

Guest Blog by John Reed
 
Set in the southern Belize and surrounded by 7100 acres of lush jungle, waterfalls, and ancient Mayan sites, you’ll find Mama Noots Eco Resort. This “off the grid” style jungle lodge is home to Bocawina Adventure & Eco-Tours, site of the longest zipline in Belize, in the heart of Mayflower Bocawina National Park. And as always, getting there is half the fun.
 
The month of June in the southern part of this Central American country is in one word, wet. The diving is incredible, the lush rainforest something out of a Tarzan movie, but after 2 hours of sleep at an ancient Mayan site the night before, in a massive thunderstorm that easily reached the nearby Guatemalan border, I was convinced that by morning we would be paddling our way to Bocawina. But mysteriously, as in a dream, the rainforest was once again at peace.
 
As we groggily stepped out of the car, met our guides, and ascended to our first zipline tower, donned in harness, helmet, and gloves (the tools of the trade), the skies and my mind seemed to instantaneously clear. “Pick up your feet, keep your hand behind the pulley, and pay attention when I signal you to break, but don’t break too soon, otherwise …”, and all of a sudden I was flying through the canopy.  
 
The afternoon turned out to be one of the most exhilarating things I did in Belize, and if constant ear to ear grins and laughter are indicators of true praise, then there is no higher compliment for the experience provided by Bocawina’s fully accredited guide team. The next time you’re in Belize looking for some high flying fun, check out Bocawina in the heart of the Belizean jungle. 
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River Cruising 101

Guest Post by Lisa Leavitt 
 
Are you considering the idea of a river cruise but can’t decide? You are not alone! These smaller, more intimate, cruise lines are hugely popular right now and many people come to ActiveTravels with questions about which one to choose. Are you considering a romantic cruise with your honey but want the appropriate age range on board? Bringing your kids? Are you active or do you prefer to wine and dine your way down the river?
 
Here are some of the brands you’ve probably heard about through countless ads: Viking, Ama Waterways, Avalon, Scenic, Emerald, Tauck, Crystal and Uniworld, to name a few. All of these brands can be compared with regards to these variables:
• Which lines include shore excursions? Crystal, Scenic, Emerald, Viking and Tauck-some offer more choices than others.
• Which lines include drinks (alcoholic, specialty coffees, soda)?  Crystal, Scenic, Tauck and Uniworld
• Which lines have bikes onboard? Ama who is pairing up with active adventure company Backroads, Emerald, Scenic, Tauck and Uniworld
• Which lines are family friendly? AmaWaterways (they are now partnering with Adventures by Disney), Uniworld and Tauck. Minimum ages can be anywhere from 3 years old to 13 years old.
• What if I’m in the 21-55 year old age range? Try U by Uniworld. Their first two sleek black vessels will debut next year on European rivers and will   feature more active offerings, nightlife fun, and more affordable rates for solo travelers.
 
Once you’ve decided on the cruise line, then you need to choose the river you want to journey upon. Will it be the Danube, the Rhone, the Rhine, the Bordeaux, the Douro, or the Seine?  Here’s a quick rundown on what each river has to offer:
• Danube: Germany, Austria, and Hungary-a great first river cruise filled with storybook villages, beautiful scenery and the fascinating cities of Nuremberg, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and more
• Rhone: Southern France between Lyon and Arles-Burgundy and Provence, Roman ruins, biking, art of Van Gogh, wines, excellent food
• Rhine: Amsterdam to Basel-A very popular route to see lots of countries: Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland and many castles, UNESCO sites, riverside vineyards, and wonderful biking paths to explore
• Bordeaux: France-great for active travelers who like to hike and bike and love wines
• Douro: Portugal-If you love wines, and want less river time and more port time to explore. The Douro flows between Porto on the coast of Portugal and the Spanish border.
• Seine: Begins and ends in Paris-can see the beaches of Normandy, Monet’s Gardens, Rouen, and the shipping port of Honfleur.
• Elbe: Berlin to Prague-see the highlights of Hamburg, Wittenberg (500th birthday of the Reformation this year), Dresden, Germany and pretty little Czech towns along the way
 
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The New Trend, Renting Cabins at Campgrounds

Summer reservations are already up 8 to 9 percent at campgrounds across America, another strong sign that travelers are once again striving for affordability. But if you think those campers are sticking solely to RVs and tents, you’d be wrong. All across the country, campgrounds are building cabins to accommodate the growing number of requests. And these aren’t little shacks either. The six new cabins at West Glacier KOA in Montana near Glacier National Park feature full bath, kitchen, and an outdoor deck with barbecue. Many campgrounds also feature nightly entertainment, like live music. So the next time you need to book a room, also visit the Go Camping America site to see if there are any interesting alternatives nearby.
 

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