|

Top 5 Adventures in Florida, Bike Ding Darling National Refuge

The best way to see the alligators and amazing birdlife at “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island is on two wheels. This way you can slow down and see birds hidden in trees that you would miss if you zipped by in a car. Get here early before it gets too hot to catch the wildlife at its most active. Then make your way over to the beaches at low tide. Sanibel is one of the finest spots on the Florida coast to find pristine seashells, especially during the months of 
February, March, and April. You might return back to your hotel room with sand dollars, whelks, even a conch shell, but realize that taking live shells is strictly prohibited. 
 
I’m off the next two weeks on a much needed break. I’ll be back the week of January 4th with my 5 Favorite Travel Days of 2015.
 
Have a Happy, Healthy, and Active New Year!

Similar Posts

|

Celebrate the 200th Anniversary of The Brothers Grimm by Driving the German Fairy Tale Route

Throughout Germany this summer, the country will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the first publication by The Brothers Grimm. There will be concerts, festivals, and readings happening in more than 50 towns and cities, but the best way to truly appreciate the legend of the Brothers Grimm is to drive the Fairy Tale Route. Starting in Hanau, 13 miles east of Frankfurt, you drive 370 miles, ending in Bremen. Spend a week to see the historic town of Steinau, where Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm grew up, and now home to the Museum of the Brothers Grimm. Take a stroll in the deep forest of the Schwalm Region, the setting for Little Red Riding Hood’s misadventure with that big bad wolf. From one of the towers at the medieval castle of Trendelburg, Rapunzel let down her long blonde hair. Even more impressive is the 650-year old Castle Sababurg, where Sleeping Beauty slept for 100 years before that fateful kiss from the prince. In Hamlin, you can visit the Rat Catcher’s House, the same rat catcher in the Pied Piper who lured away all those gullible young children. Then there’s the city of Bremen, home to those shrewd Bremen town musicians, animals who outsmarted the thieves. Be sure to have a copy of the Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales while driving in the car. 
 
|

Climb Mount Monadnock

Climbing the broad-shouldered peak Henry David Thoreau called a “sublime mass,” Mt. Monadnock, is a rite of passage for many New England children. Just over the border of Massachusetts in southern New Hampshire, Monadnock is less than a two-hour drive from Boston. Its accessibility and locale, smack dab in the center of New England, has made it one of the two most popular mountain ascents in the world going toe-to-toe with Japan’s Mount Fuji. 

 
Early May, when the black flies have yet to arrive, is the ideal time to bag this 3,165-foot peak. Head up the White Dot trail, one of the steepest ascents, but also one that rewards with you with incredible vistas in a very short time. Above treeline, the forest recedes to form open ledges covered with low-lying shrubs like mountain cranberry bushes. This gives you ample opportunity to rest and peer down at the soft blanket of treetops, small towns with their requisite white steeples, a smattering of lakes and ponds, and farms that fan out to anonymous ridges. Soon you’ll reach the summit, where Thoreau watched in dismay as his fellow mid-19th century trampers inscribed their names in rock. You can still spot names like “T.S. Spaulding, 1853” clearly etched in the stone. 
 
|

A Great Deal on Captiva Island Condo in December

Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches 

Since I was a teenager, I’ve been spending a week every December on Captiva Island, Florida, at South Seas Island Resort. It all started when my parents made a sailing stop for the night at the South Seas Marina, thereupon setting into motion an annual multi-generational week. This year, 15 family members (ranging in age from my 20-year-old daughter to my 90-year-old mother) will gather.  
 
Captiva and nearby Sanibel Islands have a lot to offer. They are easy to get to (from Fort Myers / RSW airport), and from the Islands’ website: "Enjoy 15 miles of unspoiled beaches, 25 miles of bike paths, 50 types of fish, 230 types of birds, 250 kinds of shells and 0 stop lights." It’s true. The miles of white sand beaches, and activities like beach yoga, biking, kayaking, water sports, and shelling lead to activity-filled days, gorgeous sunsets, and starry nights. 
 
South Seas features regular hotel rooms and condos with kitchens to stock with groceries from nearby Bailey’s. Off property, you can venture to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge to see the alligators and egrets, visit a farmers’ markets, buy lots of fresh seafood, and head to the Bubble Room or Sunshine Seafood Cafe for dinner. 
 
ActiveTravels has a lead on a low-cost condo rental at South Seas for December 7-14 (Friday morning-Friday morning). That’s coming right up! Enjoy breathtaking views of Pine Island Sound in a remodeled 2 bedroom/2 bath unit (King bed, 2 twin beds, sofa bed in LR). There is a full kitchen and a screened porch, overlooking the pool and waterfront. If interested, let us know soon ($1600 for the week). As I write this, it’s 42 degrees and overcast in Toronto. On Captiva, it’s 81 degrees and sunny. Need I say more?
 
|

Adirondacks’ Wild Walk, The High Line of the Forest

The Adirondack Extreme Adventure Center was the first place my family ever experienced a treetop obstacle course. Set 10 to 50 feet off the grounds amidst the tall pines and maples you have the chance to climb rope ladders, jump from section to section, walk across suspended bridges, and as a finale, zipline side-by-side. The treetop course is an innovative way to get a workout and a ride at the same time, so everyone in the family is happy. But obviously this type of experience is not accessible to all so I was delighted to hear that the Adirondacks is now home to another adventure that can lead all generations to the treetops. 

 
Last July, the Wild Center at Tupper Lake opened its newest attraction, the Wild Walk. Dubbed the “High Line of the Forest,” Wild Walk gives visitors a chance to walk among the trees on a winding trail of bridges and platforms that lead from ground level to the treetops of the Adirondack forest. The experience includes a four-story twig tree house, swinging bridges, and a full-sized bald eagle’s nest at the highest point, 42 feet in the air. At Feeder Alley, slits in enclosed walls let visitors peer out into the surrounding forest, which is planted with species known to attract birds. The Wild Walk will reopen for the summer on May 27, 2016.
 
|

Adventures in Oregon, Biking through Eugene

The Eugene/Springfield area of Oregon is blessed with three of the state’s scenic bikeways, including the 38-mile Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway, which visits seven covered bridges, including the only remaining covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi River. If you want more of a casual ride, simply rent a bike at Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life in downtown Eugene and pedal around the serene University of Oregon campus and on bike trails in the public parks that border the Willamette River. We followed local Molly Blancett as she led us on bike lanes through the city, stopping at the 5th Street Public Market to show us one of her favorite restaurants in town, the French bistro, Marche. Eugene has weathered the latest recession and is now bouncing back with a slew of new restaurants, bars, and boutique shops in town. 

 
Leading the resurgence is a number of microbreweries. There are now 13 breweries serving a thirsty population of 160,000, including Falling Sky Brewery, where we chose to have lunch. Brewmaster Scott Sieber is making some tasty hand crafted beer like the Slam Dunkelweizen, a German wheat ale with hints of cloves and bananas in the finish. Or sample the Bavarian lager, Maibock, smoother than most bocks you’ve tried. Eugene’s soft water and the variety of hops found in Oregon are the reason it’s becoming a must-stop for beer lovers. 
 
After lunch, we biked through the campus, making a mandatory stop at Hayward Field, the track-and-field stadium that has produced such renowned runners as Steve Prefontaine, Galen Rupp, and Alberto Salazar. We crossed over the Willamette River on a bike bridge to visit the 54,000-seat Oregon Ducks football stadium, before stopping for heavenly ice cream at Chocolate Decadence and another cup of strong drip coffee at the 5th Street Beanery. The perfect ending to a perfect day. Thanks Molly!
 
|

Top 5 Beaches in New England to Be Active: Multisport East Beach, Rhode Island

For the hardcore jock, we’ve created your own personal triathlon. Start at the western end of East Beach, one of the wildest stretches of sand in Little Rhody. You’ll be swimming for 3.5 miles to the Charlestown Breachway. Don’t worry. This is not Cape Cod or Maine ocean water. Touched by the Gulf Stream, temps here can reach a downright balmy 70 degrees. At the Breachway, your canoe will be waiting to take you across the state’s largest coastal pond, Ninigret, to the shores of Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. Keep on paddling and don’t even think of reaching for those binocs to view the more than 250 recorded species of birds. The Refuge has more than three miles of trails to walk on, but we expect you to sprint.
 

Leave a Reply