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Adventures in Oregon: First Stop, Hood River

The winds on the Columbia River Gorge were far too strong for stand-up paddleboarding when we arrived on its shores. According to friend Kirby Neumann-Rae, Editor of the Hood River News, the winds were “nukin.” That didn’t stop the windsurfers and kiteboarders from hitting the water and the air in this wind tunnel that separates Oregon from Washington. Neumann-Rae soon led my brother and me on a drive away from the river to the fertile valley backed by the snowcapped peaks of Mount Hood and Mount Adams. Called the Fruit Loop, a 35-mile drive leads to pear orchards, fields of lavender, alpaca farms, farm stands, wineries, and an emerging hard cider scene. This is not the cloyingly sweet beverage you’re accustomed to drinking. We made three stop at HR ciderworks, Fox-Tail Cider, and Hood Valley Hard Cider, and were surprised that the drink tasted more like dry sparkling wine than apple juice. It was crisp, refreshing, and could easily be paired with the Chinook salmon and steelhead trout the region is known for. Sample the cider on the back deck picnic tables of the Solera Brewpub in Parkdale and you’ll be mesmerized by the spectacular view of Mount Hood.  

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Jay Peak’s New Indoor Waterpark a Blast

In the last couple years, Jay Peak, in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont has grown leaps and bounds with the opening of the Tram Haus Lodge, the new Hotel Jay, and adjacent indoor waterpark, the Pump House. I didn’t realize what a state-of-the-art waterpark they were talking about until I checked it out with my family for the first time on Friday night. It’s immense, about the size of an airplane hangar, with a lazy river snaking around the perimeter. There’s a retractable roof, long bar on the second floor, large video screen to watch sporting events, and a slew of rides. This includes La Chute, a free fall, where you plummet through a loop and can reach speeds of up to 50 mph in five seconds. The Double Barrel is a wave to try your hand at surfing and boogie boarding. There’s also a big hot tub where I rested after skiing on Saturday. Since it opened in December, there have been more people in the waterpark on weekends than skiing the slopes. After experiencing blustery winds and below-zero temperatures on the mountain on Sunday, I believe it. 
 
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The Taconic Introduces Adult Summer Camps

The latest addition to Kimpton Hotels in New England, the Taconic in Manchester, Vermont, has just announced an adults-only summer camp that takes full advantage of its locale. Offered during two sessions, June 23-26 and August 25-28, adults can participate in such activities as a guided hike in the Battenkill Valley, kayaking and tubing down the Battenkill River, a glassblowing class at Manchester Hot Glass, kite-making and flying at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, afternoon escapes to secret swimming holes in the area, a picnic lunch at Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, and yoga on Taconic’s expansive lawn. Since this is an adults-oriented summer camp, also expect s’mores, scotch, and sing-alongs by the campfire. Your camp counselor will even deliver bugle wake-up calls and “lights out” warnings. The cost to attend Camp Taconic is $1,400 for one person or $2,100 per couple, which includes accommodations for 3 nights and all meals and activities.

 
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Book Rooms Now For Next Summer’s Fête des Vignerons in Vevey, Switzerland

I had the pleasure of having lunch last week with PR Maven, Gayle Conran, and Cindy Maghenzani, head of communications for Switzerland’s Lake Geneva Region. They reminded me that next summer, from July 26 to August 11, 2019, the Fête des Vignerons or Winegrower’s Festival returns to the glorious lakeside town of Vevey, located between Lausanne and Montreux. Why is this significant? Because the event only occurs once every 20 years! Join singers, dancers, wine experts, and loads of other performers for the extravaganza. It would be wise to book rooms now to ensure you have a place to stay. Grand Hotel du Lac, the property Lisa and I stayed on our last visit is a great choice, especially since it’s celebrating its 150th birthday, as Everett Potter reports in his latest column for Forbes. While in Vevey, visit the relatively new Chaplin’s World, where Charlie Chaplin spent his last years, and the majestic Chillon Castle, always a must-see sight when I’m in the area. 

 
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New Brunswick Week—Ending on a Good Note in Fredericton

After hearing about the Beaverbrook Art Gallery for years, it was great to finally tour the collection. Even with many of the more noteworthy works by the likes of Turner, Dali and Lucian Freud on the road in Calgary, the art museum still impresses. See the portrait of Lord Beaverbrook by Graham Sutherland, a work the wealthy press baron thought resembled a “mischievous gnome.” Nearby is Sutherland’s portrait of Beaverbrook’s good friend Winston Churchill and several paintings by Churchill himself. The highlight this summer is an exhibition by Canadian abstract landscape painter Eric Atkinson. Atkinson uses mixed media, including sand and glue, to create textural pieces like “Love You, Walk On The Beach” where the words “love you” are inscribed in the sand. Another one of his recent works, the vibrant blue “Harmony of Clouds over Huronia” showcases his newfound love of color. 
 
I had lunch at Lunar Rogue Pub, a local favorite, where the owner is one of the preeminent collectors of Scotch in the world. His latest count is 509 different types of whiskey. Thanks to his vast knowledge on the subject, Fredericton has become home to one of the foremost whiskey festivals in North America, the NB Spirits Festival which takes place in November. Along with the Brewer’s Bash in mid-July, the Highland Games in late July, and the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in September, Frederick has garnered a reputation as the Festival Capital of the Atlantic Maritimes. I caught up with David Seabrook, one of the founders of the Harvest Festival, over a tasty Picaroons Yippee IPA at the new locale of the King Street Ale House. He told me that the line-up for the 24th annual festival is one of the best yet, with the Blues Travelers, Robert Randolph, moe, Dr. John, and Buckwheat Zydeco among the 150 performers on hand for the 6-day event. 
 
Of course, I planned my trip around the Fredericton Farmers Market, recently voted one of the "Top 10 Farmers Markets in the Country" by Canadian Geographic. The Market is open every Saturday from 6am to 1pm with over 200 vendors selling produce, home baked goods, meat, maple syrup, flowers, handcrafts, jewellery and much more. I grabbed a cup of coffee and made a beeline straight to the guy selling lobster rolls. The only way to end a trip to New Brunswick! Thanks to Tourism New Brunswick for designing another memorable trip to the province!
 
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The Latest Changes at New Hampshire Ski Resorts for the Upcoming Season

The big news out of the Granite State is the opening of the first phase of the RiverWalk Resort at Loon Mountain this past June. The $30 million project is located on the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River at the base of the South Peak of Loon Mountain. Phase One of the ski-in/ski-out resort is now open, featuring 79 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units, a full-service spa, fitness center, restaurant and lounge, game room, heated all-season pool, skating rink, and personal storage lockers. Loon is celebrating its 50th anniversary this winter with events planned throughout the season, including a special anniversary weekend January 28-29. Over at Bretton Woods, their new $110 ZIP & SKI package lets you hit the slopes then soar above them on the Bretton Woods Canopy Tour. Cross-country skiers who always wanted to learn how to skate now have that opportunity at the renowned Jackson X-C. Jackson offers a $65 package that includes an all-day trail pass, skate equipment rental, and a one-hour private lesson.

 
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Samoset Unveils New Renovated Rooms and Suites

The crown jewel of Maine’s mid-coast, the 230-acre Samoset Resort in Rockland, has undergone extensive room renovations this winter. All 178 rooms and suites now have a contemporary coastal flair, thanks to the blue and white palette that livens up the décor. Samoset will also debut six new “Family Suites” this month. Each Family Suite will feature a kid’s bunkbed room, separate from the main bedroom, ideally suited for families with tweens and teens. The bunk room features amenities like board and video games and fun, educational books about Maine. The resort also features an 18-hole golf course, outdoor and indoor heated pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, health club, spa, basketball courts, and fire pits. Also nearby is my favorite breakwater to walk in the state and the James Beard-award winning restaurant, Primo. 

 

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