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AMC Reopens Medawisla Lodge After 2-Year Renovation

If you’ve been following this blog over the years, you know I cherish the rare wilderness experience found in Maine’s northern woods. To get lost in this vast land of tall pines, 4,000-foot peaks, and far too many waterways to count, where moose tend to outnumber humans, is an unparalleled experience in the northeast. As part of the Maine Woods Initiative, which I first wrote about for Boston Globe Magazine, the Appalachian Mountain Club has certainly done their part to permanently conserve more than 75,000 acres of land and keep open three historic sporting camps. One of those camps, Medawisla Lodge and Cabins will reopen on July 1st following a major two-year reconstruction project. 

Located in a glorious spot on the shores of Second Roach Pond, Medawisla offers ample hiking, paddling, fly-fishing, wildlife watching, as well as new options for mountain biking and canoe camping. Guests will find a newly built waterfront pavilion, central lodge with water views for dining and programs, as well as nine new private cabins. Medawisla will connect to AMC’s two other Maine Wilderness Lodges, Little Lyford and Gorman Chairback, and the family-run West Branch Pond Camps, through a 130-mile trail network built and maintained by AMC. These trails are open to guests and the general public, and offer a range of lodge-to-lodge hiking and biking adventures. Reservations for AMC’s Medawisla Lodge is now open. Four-course dinner, breakfast, and trail lunch are included in most cabin rates, with linens and hot showers available. Do yourself a favor and get lost in the Maine woods this summer. 
 

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Getting in Shape for that Fall Biking Trip

Just in case you missed this blog last August, I’m posting it again. It’s that important! On a bike tour with Bike Vermont years ago, my brother and I watched as a guy, distracted by cows, flipped his bike over and broke his tooth. He said he hadn’t been on a bike in five years. Don’t make the same mistake. With many bikers heading out on fall foliage biking trips in the next month or two, now’s the time to get ready. Even if it’s a “No Experience Necessary” excursion, you should try the sport beforehand and be in somewhat decent shape. Don’t wait until the last minute to condition. If you plan on taking a week-long biking or walking outing, begin aerobic activity four to six weeks in advance, two to three times a week. And make sure you’re on the right trip by asking what level of fitness is required? Is this hike an obstacle course better suited for Marines, a stroll in the park, or somewhere in between? How many hours a day are we on the bike? You want to find an adventure that ideally suits your ability and prior experience in the sport. Brochures are not always accurate so it’s imperative to speak to a human being.  

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The Stylish New Hotel Zetta in San Francisco

The final two nights of our trip to San Francisco, we stayed in a new boutique hotel called Hotel Zetta. The location was great, within easy walking distance of the restaurants and shops at Union Square and the Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde cable car lines down to Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square. Hotel Zetta had a real sense of whimsy and originality like painting the stairwell walls with graffiti. We loved returning to the Playroom, located on the 2nd floor of the hotel, a lounge area that offers pool, ping pong, giant Jenga and multiple game consoles. The cozy bar, off the lobby, is popular with locals who come to listen to live music. Fortunately, the hipster vibe of the place did not affect the service. The front desk and doorman were excellent, even finding us a spacious town car to head back to the airport, only $5 more than a taxi. 

 
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Fairmont San Francisco, A Classic Property with Modern Comforts

It was 1907 when the first Fairmont hotel, Fairmont San Francisco, made its debut atop Nob Hill. Today, the Fairmont boasts more than 60 resorts and I’ve had the good fortune to stay in many of these world-class lodgings, including the Fairmont Masai Mara in Kenya, the Fairmont Jasper in the Canadian Rockies, and recently, the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island of Hawaii. All are excellent, but some of their more historic properties like the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City and the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC, tend to have smaller rooms. So I was surprised and delighted to step into our spacious room at the Fairmont San Francisco, which offered more than enough breathing space for our family of four. 

 
After a recent $21 million renovation, the place never looked better! The grand lobby and adjacent Laurel Court Restaurant is a wonderful welcome mat to the city of San Francisco. I also enjoyed roaming the long hallway off the lobby that has photographs of all the presidents who stayed here and documents the drafting of the UN Charter in the hotel’s Garden Room in 1945. Nearby in the Venetian Room, Tony Bennett first sang, “I Left my Heart in San Francisco.” Pets are welcome and there’s a small rooftop garden off the meeting rooms where you can roam outside. We loved jumping into taxis and riding down the steep hill, with views of the bay every which way. I’d definitely recommend the hotel to our clientele. 
 
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Kitesurfing Aruba’s Boca Grandi Beach

Spend a week on Aruba’s Palm or Eagle Beaches, like I just did with my family, and you get used to the steady breeze and the swaying palms. But this is nothing compared to what you witness on the eastern shores of the island, where winds are far more severe and the waves crash ashore, spewing foam into the air. That doesn’t deter the best kitesurfers in the world from descending on Boca Grandi Beach on the southeastern tip of the island. While cruising around Aruba, we stopped at Boca Grandi and were mesmerized by kitesurfers zipping across the bay at incredibly fast speeds, catching air for a good five seconds, and turning their boards around with the slightest of ease, while the choppy sea swirled around them. This is not a place I would learn the sport, but if you already feel comfortable kitesurfing, I would certainly make my way down to Aruba for its consistent wind. Judging from the smiles plastered on these kitesurfers’ faces, they loved every minute of it. 

 
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Broome or Bust

While traveling in Bali years ago, my brother and I met a couple from Broome, a town of 15,000 on Australia’s remote northwestern coast. They went on and on about the exquisite white beaches, rarely a soul in sight, the turquoise waters, and the local pearl farms. In fact, they made it sound so enchanting that Jim and I have a running joke that some day we’ll meet in Broome. Of course, we haven’t because it’s halfway around the world from Boston and New York, but we can still dream. You can choose to stay right on the beach in Broome at Pinctada Cable Beach Resort and Spa. Or better yet, spend three nights in Broome, and then take an 8-day cruise along the Kimberly coast to visit waterfalls, red gorges, and wilderness islands that few have seen. The Kimberly Quest II takes 18 fortunate guests on their upscale cruises along the Kimberly coast. Finish with a weekend sailing and dining in Perth and you have the West Coast of Australia covered. Some day… 
 
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Biking Across the Golden Gate Bridge

Every year as I come close to celebrating another birthday (and this year is a big one), I try to partake in an activity that confronts my fear of heights. Ziplining upside down in Costa Rica or attempting a treetop obstacle course in the Berkshires are two of my most recent examples. Since I hate driving across long bridges, I thought this would be a good time to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. My family took the Powell-Hyde Cable Car to the biking outfitter, Blazing Saddles, located near Ghirardelli Square. At 10 am daily, they lead a guided tour along San Francisco Harbor though the Marina District, taking a brief stop at the Palace of Fine Arts. Striking views of the bridge open up as you head northwest past Crissy Field to Fort Point. We biked up a short hill and were soon starting our ride in a bike line across the bridge. I was nervous at first, but my passion for biking eased my anxiety. I even stopped several times to take in the view of Alcatraz and the rising bluffs of Marin County on the opposite shores. 

 
Soon, we were sweeping downhill into the coastal community of Sausalito. We grabbed lunch at an excellent Italian sandwich shop, Venice Gourmet, and sat outside on benches near the water. Then we took the ferry from Sausalito back to San Francisco. When we returned the bikes at Blazing Saddles, we walked over to the original Ghirardelli’s for root beer floats and sundaes. The perfect end to a glorious 10-mile ride. 
 

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