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Take the Ski Bus from Quebec City to Le Massif

When I last skied Le Massif and penned a story on the mountain for The Boston Globe, I took a train from Montmorency Falls, just outside Quebec City. I learned last night at a Quebec press event in Boston that the train no longer runs in winter. However, you can still take the Ski Bus, which picks you up at your hotel in Quebec City and drops you off at Mont-Saint-Anne and Le Massif. Skiing down the trails of Le Massif, overlooking the expanse of the St. Lawrence Seaway, you feel like you’re going to plunge straight into the water. Le Massif also offers guests the rare chance to go rodeling or luging down a 7.5-kilometer trail on the northern face of the mountain. The exhilarating two-hour trip starts with a snowcat ride to the top of the trail, where you’re handed a small sled. Then you start cruising downhill, curving around banks, and sweeping over hills, all with that same glorious view of the St. Lawrence. It’s a blast! 

 
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. The 60th anniversary takes place from January 30 to February 15, 2015. Sled down an ice chute, view the impressive ice castle, made from 1600 blocks of ice, eat maple syrup on snow, and see some of the major events like Le Grande Virée, a dogsled race that cruises through the heart of the historic Old City. Combined with the skiing at Le Massif, it’s the ideal to experience of the joie de vivre of this French-speaking city. 
 
I’m off to see my son’s jazz band perform at his college, then spending Thanksgiving week with family. I’ll be back on December 1st.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving! 
 

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FarewellTravels Now Offers Savings

Before you book your next jaunt, check out the savings on my friend, Susan Farewell’s website, FarewellTravels. You can save $500 on sea kayaking jaunts to Baja, $800 off the cost of a sailing trip along the spectacular Dalmatian Coast in Croatia, starting in Dubrovnik, and discounts at inns and resorts in northern Vermont, Maine, and the Greek Islands. Just trying to save you a few bucks!
 

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Salt Lake City’s Emerging 9th and 9th Neighborhood

Gone are the days when you couldn’t get a drink in Salt Lake City and nothing was open on Sunday. Liquor laws were relaxed in 2009, attracting outdoor lovers and artists to the city. Many newcomers have congregated in a neighborhood known for its indie vibe, 9th and 9th. Near the intersection of 900 East and 900 South, pedestrian-friendly streets lead to one-of-a-kind shops housed in Victorian homes. They include Orchid Dynasty, a purveyor of orchids and bonsai trees, and the eclectic furniture store, Hip and Humble run by two sisters. Around the corner is one of the top restaurants in the city, Pago, where locally sourced grains, roots, and protein are elevated to new heights of haute cuisine. Nearby, Mazza offers traditional Middle Eastern cuisine from scratch. I’m headed to Salt Lake City tomorrow to pen stories on the 9th and 9th neighborhood for National Geographic Traveler and The Washington Post, along with articles on ethnic food for The Boston Globe and hotel reviews for FamilyVacationCritic.com. I’ll be back on Monday. Have a great week and to all you March Madness enthusiasts, Go Blue!
 
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Ko Olina Resort Week—Spa and Fitness

A good massage is like a good entrée. One taste and you know whether the dish is sublime (like the blackened ahi tuna at Roy’s Ko Olina the other night). One touch by my masseuse, Jacki, at the JW Marriott Ihilani Spa and I knew I was in experienced hands. I like deep tissue and her pressure was spot on, not too painful that I cry out in agony and not too soft that it would be soothing but useless. After traveling around Oahu yesterday to dine on dim sum in Honolulu (Tai Pan was excellent), hiking Diamond Head for those exquisite vistas of Waikiki Beach, and then dining at that ultimate surfer restaurant, Duke’s, I was happy to stay put and have someone dig into me. The Ihilani Spa also offers the traditional Hawaiian LomiLomi massage that uses kneading strokes to release and relax muscles. Afterwards, I took full advantage of the men’s locker room to take deep breaths of eucalyptus in the steam room and shower, walking out refreshed. 
 
While I was getting my deep tissue massage, my daughter, Melanie, was receiving a facial next door at Aulani’s teen spa, Painted Sky. They massaged her neck and scalp, cleansed her face, and let her take advantage of the yogurt bar on the way out. Aulani features the only Disney-owned spa, Laniwai, with close to 150 spa therapies including signature treatments that use Hawaii produce like the sweet-smelling plumeria or rich and creamy coconut milk. Before or after the treatment, you can choose to relax in the shaded private garden, where you can even order food. 
 
All the Ko Olina Resort properties feature state-of-the-art fitness rooms, including free weights and the latest cardio machines. Also expect to find special rooms for spinning class at Aulani, three tennis courts with mountain views atop the JW Marriott Ihilani Spa, morning yoga on the lawn, and a great boardwalk along the 4 lagoons that leads all the way to the Ko Olina Marina, perfect for a jog or walk.
 
 
 
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Win a Spot on a Biosphere Expeditions Trip

All you have to do is tell Biosphere Expeditions a little bit about yourself and what you can contribute to one of their projects and you could be one of two lucky buggers who win a free one or two-week jaunt with the volunteer-oriented wildlife conservation organization. What exactly do these expeditions entail? How about photographing whales, dolphins, and loggerhead turtles off the shores of the Azores to help monitor their migration patterns in the Atlantic, tracking jaguars and pumas in the Brazilian bush, or finding the elusive Arabian leopard in the desert and mountains of Oman. Deadline for entry is November 1, 2010, and you can submit either a 300-word essay or a 1-minute video clip.
 

Travel to Martinique this January with Yogaway Retreats

Guest Post by Amy Perry Basseches

If you are thinking how much you’ll miss summer weather come January, consider heading to Martinique, January 13-20, 2019, for a week of sun, fun, yoga, beaches, snorkeling, good food, and great company. Nonstop flights from JFK and Providence on Norwegian Air are cheap (less than $300 RT). ActiveTravels’ friend Checka Antifonario of Yogaway Retreats is organizing a group which will stay at L’Impératrice Village Résidence Hôtelière in Les Trois Ilets, on the southwestern coast of the island. Still part of France, Martinique is located in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The Cultureist wrote an article last year, "5 Reasons Why Martinique Should Be On Your Bucket List," highlighting the fresh fish, beaches, rum, adventure, and Mount Pelee on the island. Throw in yoga with an instructor we know and love and you’ll have a memorable winter escape. I plan on going and hope to see you there!
 
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Top 5 Travels of 2010, Biking Shark Valley, The Everglades, Florida

Another great day ride, this one an hour outside of Miami. Drive west on the Tamiami Trail (Highway 41) and you’ll reach the Shark Valley Visitor Center at the northern tip of Everglades National Park. Rent bikes from the rangers and get ready for one of the most exhilarating 15-mile loops of your life. More than likely, it will take you an hour to bike that first mile. That’s because you’ll want to stop every 20 yards or so to get another photograph of an alligator sleeping in the tall grass, large turtles sunbathing on rocks, and the extraordinary amount of birdlife that call the canal next to the bike trail home. Anhingas dry their wings on the branches of the gumbo limbo tree, wood storks, white whooping cranes, and the long-legged great blue heron stand tall in the shallow water, while pink roseate spoonbills fly over the royal palms. This ride is ideal for any budding wildlife photographer.

(Photo credit: Lisa Leavitt)
 

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