|

ActiveTravels Joins Forces with Northern Outdoors and Maine Huts & Trails

Those of you who have followed my travel writing career know that I return to Maine’s North Woods as often as possible. All it takes is a 4-hour drive from Boston and I’m lost in a land of seemingly endless forest filled with mile-high mountains, immense lakes and too many ponds to count. The large swath of wilderness feels like a chunk of Alaska remarkably placed in our congested Northeast. I have paddled down the Allagash River, my tent almost trampled by moose in heat; white water rafted down the Class V rapid known as Cribworks on the Penboscot River; watched as a bear swam across remote Chesuncook Lake; relaxed under a waterfall on that signature canyon hike along the 100-Mile Wilderness Trail, Gulf Hagas; and mountain biked with Lisa last summer to all four newly built huts on the spectacular Maine Huts & Trails circuit. It has led to some of my favorite articles like this one for Sierra Magazine. 
 
Now I’m happy to report that ActiveTravels has joined forces with Northern Outdoors and Maine Huts & Trails to spread the word and encourage more people to follow in Thoreau’s footsteps. We have designed two itineraries, one for families, one for a guys or girls getaway to a sampling of the most stunning spots in Maine’s North Woods. Price starts at an affordable $403 per person for a 4-night stay. Do yourself a favor this summer and sample this special slice of adventure in your own backyard!
 
Also in our June/July newsletter is a tour to savor the wines and food of Portugal, excellent resorts of St John in the US Virgin Islands, and great new inns to check out in Martha’s Vineyard. I’m currently on vacation in Jamaica to celebrate my daughter’s graduation from high school, then off to Indiana University for orientation. I’ll be back on June 27th, live on location from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. In the meantime, happy travels and stay active! 
 

Similar Posts

|

Marriott Plans to Open New Hotel in Haiti

Good news out of Haiti last week when Marriott Hotels announced that they will build a new 173-room in Port-au-Prince, set to open 2014. The news was revealed by former President Bill Clinton, whose Clinton Foundation worked diligently to make this happen. The move will not only add a supposed 175 jobs, but could help to bolster a travel trade that has vanished as a result of oppressive regimes and the devastating earthquake of January 2010. Haiti shares the same island with the Dominican Republic, which certainly has its own share of poverty, but has seen incredible growth in the travel trade these past two decades, especially with the emergence of Punta Cana. Let’s hope Haiti can find its own Punta Cana in the upcoming years, one that world travelers would be happy to support.

 

|

Top 5 Adventures in Florida, Sailing the Keys

With first rate charts and other navigational aids, the Florida Keys are an ideal cruising ground for all sailors, regardless of experience. The famously warm, clear waters of the Keys are a snorkeler’s paradise—shipwrecks and coral parks are plentiful—and secluded beaches number in the hundreds. If you crave terra firma, you can always stop at Key West for a nightcap at Sloppy Joe’s, a favorite hangout of writer Ernest Hemingway.  One full day’s sail west of Key West brings you to the Dry Tortugas, home to Fort Jefferson, which dates back to Civil War days. This is a popular sailing route. If you feel like you’re off the charts, anchor at any harbor and ask the nearest boater for directions. Thankfully, yachting is no longer a sport only for the affluent. Florida Keys Bareboat Charter Company in Marathon bareboat charters a 27-foot Catalina for a cost of $899 per week (7 days/6 nights). 
 

|

Time to Go Whale Watching off Provincetown

Good news! Humpbacks have already been spotted off Stellwagen Bank. Located 7 miles north of Provincetown, Stellwagen Bank is one of the Atlantic coast’s largest feeding grounds for whales. The 18-mile long crescent-shaped bank ranges from 80 to 500 feet below the surface. Currents slam into the bank, bringing nutrient rich cold water to the surface. This attracts fish, which in turn attracts numerous species of whales from April to November—humpbacks, the larger fins, and smaller minkes. One gulp from a hungry humpback whale can take in a ton of fish.

 
The first trip with Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch is scheduled to go out this Saturday, when temps are supposed to be in the lower 60s. Many of these boats have naturalists on board who not only know many of the whales on a first name basis, but can list the names of their parents and children. They give an intriguing talk about the history of whales migrating up the Atlantic coast and the egregious practice of whaling that was so prominent in these parts in the mid-19th century. Naturalists also point out many of the shore birds that use the coast as an Atlantic Flyway. Rare piping plovers, least and common terns, marsh hawks, American oystercatchers (whose beaks looks like carrots), sandpipers, ospreys, even bald eagles might be spotted on these whale watching cruises. Add playful harbor seals and you have a wonderful wildlife experience. Perfect for families taking April break next week, 
 
|

Great Late Summer Savings from New England Inns and Resorts Association

While most of America is heading back to school, the northeastern part of the country can celebrate one more vacation with the family in late August before school starts after Labor Day. Many lodgings in New England offer deals the last week of August to entice families. NEIRA just sent me their latest listing including many last-minute deals. Rates at Meadowmere Resort in Ogunquit drop 30% the last week of August to $149 a night including breakfast. The Inn at Ocean’s Edge in Lincolnville, Maine, just north of Camden, is $188 a night including full gourmet breakfast starting August 25th. Or head to Newport and stay at Gilded where the mid-week rate is $229 a night. To find year-round savings with NEIRA, sign up for their Inn Crowd emails. 

 
|

A Memorable Summer Day in Toronto

Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches

When my husband Josh left for two weeks in the Middle East (Israel, Jordan, Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi), my Massachusetts-based friend Tamara came to visit. What fun we had! On a sunny Monday in late July, I enjoyed three new Toronto experiences. I walk frequently on the trails in the ravine by the Evergreen Brickworks and am always impressed by Toronto’s re-use of historical industrial buildings for public purpose. In the 1880s, at this site, a brick factory was built which didn’t close until 1984. Now the Brickworks consists of 16 heritage buildings and an adjacent public park that includes wetlands, hiking trails, and wildflower meadows. It’s one of my favorite places to take visitors, an oasis in the middle of the city – complete with a view of the CN Tower from atop a trail – and is also home to food truck festivals, children’s camps, artisan fairs, Farmers Markets, a bike rental shop, a cafe, and Canada’s first large-scale community environmental centre. What was new to me on Monday was entering the Young Welcome Centre and understanding that everything about the Brickworks is designed to be a global showcase for green urban design. Two large heritage artifacts flank the sides of the Welcome Centre: a brick press and the Foreman’s shed. It was very interesting to learn more, after working up a sweat at the former site of clay extraction for bricks. 
 
Later that day, Tamara and I took a ferry out to the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario. There are 3 boat routes–one to Ward’s Island (which we did), one to Centre Island (where families go, with a small amusement park, plus bike/canoe/kayak rentals), and one to Hanlan’s Point (gasp–a clothing optional beach). Boats leave from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street and Queen’s Quay, and there are actually 15 islands inter-connected by pathways and bridges. You can walk or bike from one end to the other (approximately 5 km from Ward’s Island to Hanlan’s Point). We enjoyed exploring, eating lunch at the Island Cafe, hitting the beach, and swimming. Two-plus years in Toronto, and I hadn’t lazily floated in my bathing suit in Lake Ontario! Check that off. I later fantasized about living on one of the islands, but there is a 20-25 year waiting list for a cottage. 
 
Lastly, at night, Tamara and I headed to Casa Loma, another first for me. Sir Henry Pellat commissioned his tremendous castle or "House on the Hill" in 1911. Sitting 460 feet above sea level, it’s quite a place: 98 rooms, 30 bathrooms, 25 fireplaces, 3 bowling alleys, a 50-metre (160-foot) shooting gallery, a temperature-controlled wine cellar capable of holding 1,700 bottles, an unfinished 18-metre (60-foot) long indoor swimming pool, and a 243-metre (800-foot) tunnel constructed 6 metres (20 feet) underground to the stables across the street. Sadly, financial troubles meant the Pellatts moved to their farm in 1924, and the City of Toronto is currently the sole owner of the site. On Monday evenings during the summer, Casa Loma hosts an award-winning singer and his seven-piece band for "Soul in the City." You get amazing views of the city, and access to the castle and beautiful gardens, while eating, drinking, and enjoying the music. By the second set, Tamara and I were able to get up close to the stage and dance until our feet hurt. "We’re gonna have a good time tonight; Let’s celebrate, it’s all right."
 
If a trip to Toronto interests you, let ActiveTravels help!
 
|

This is the Week to Go Skiing in America

As I was leaving the office on Friday, I received a flurry of press releases from ski areas across the country. Utah’s Snowbird had just received 30 inches of snow and another storm was on its way today and tomorrow. Just down the road, Park City was getting dumped on pretty heavily. Here in New England, where my yard was green until Saturday, Vermont and New Hampshire ski areas both received up to a foot of snow this past weekend. Also on Saturday, I received word that the Lake Tahoe region would receive up to three feet of snow, snowing more than an inch an hour. So if you were looking forward to calling in sick and hitting the slopes, this would be the week. Check out Liftopia to get discounted lift tickets. 

 

Leave a Reply