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Chatham Bars Inn Introduces New Fly-Fishing School

Wanna catch stripers on the fly? In comfort, no less! Cape Cod’s Chatham Bars Inn has teamed up with Orvis to open the only saltwater fly-fishing school in Massachusetts. Open to both guests of the resort and the general public, Chatham Bars Inn will offer one-day ($279) and two-day schools ($489) on select dates from May through October 2019. Schools will be led by an endorsed Orvis instructor and go over fly casting techniques, how to tie essential knots, how to choose your gear and tackle, striper feeding habits, proper fly selection, and how to read water, currents, and tides. One-day school dates are May 25, June 1, July 27 and August 3. Two-day school dates are June 15-16, June 29-30, July 13-14, August 19-20, September 13-14 and October 5-6. 

 

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5 Adventures on a Shoestring, Biking in Brittany

There’s no longer a need to deplete your life savings when selecting a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. You simply have to look beyond the convenience of contacting big name American outfitters who charge exorbitant prices for their worldwide trips (often in excess of $1,000 per day, excluding airfare). Instead, book your journey with highly reputable local outfitters whose sole specialty is their native country.  This way, you eliminate the middleman and pocket the huge savings. All five of the outfitters I’ll blog about this week will give you a far more in-depth look at their homeland than any American guide could possibly do, at a fraction of the cost. First stop, Brittany.

 
Kate and Geoff Husband were two British teachers who spent most of their holidays biking in northern France. Eventually, their vacations became their profession when they opened Breton Bikes Cycling Holidays in 1989 in the small town of Pontivy. Based smack in the middle of Brittany, the northwestern section of France that juts out into the Atlantic, Breton Bikes offer one and two-week self-guided tours to some of the Husband’s favorite haunts. With small rural towns, exquisite coastline views, and very few tough climbs (the highest point in Brittany is just over 1,000 feet), this region of France is ideal for biking. Price of one-week tours including rooms at small B&Bs, breakfast, routes, bikes, and full backup in case you get a flat starts at a mere 685 Euros. If you prefer to camp, the cost plummets to 285 Euros (excluding food). The Husbands supply all equipment necessary. 
 
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Run the Alps All of August

With a fantastic network of trail and huts, and a long history and appreciation of running, Switzerland is a trail runner’s dream. Mountain runners have been weaving their way along alp paths for decades, and are practically exalted here. Few people know these trails better than Doug Mayer, founder of Run the Alps. Mayer wrote me last week, claiming he has designed his most epic trip yet, a month-long adventure in the Alps. The includes a guided run along Switzerland’s remarkable Hardergrat, a trail run along the route of the Tour du Mont-Blanc, and through the Swiss Berner Oberland. You’ll also go behind the scenes at two of the greatest trail races in the world, Sierre-Zinal and the UTMB, and, of course, spend necessary R&R time at classic mountain spas. No wonder Mayer is calling this the greatest trail running vacation ever. 

 
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New Brunswick Week—A Day of Adventure in St. Andrews

You know it’s a special day when you spot a bald eagle sea kayaking in the morning and then go biking with a kilt on in the afternoon. It was a perfect morning to go out kayaking with Eastern Outdoors, even with the slight wind we had in the beginning. I followed my guide Jess as we circumnavigated Navy Island, the massive fir-studded isle that sits just across St. Andrews in Passamaquoddy Bay. We passed lobster boats picking up their traps, a herring weir whose posts were coated with seaweed, and numerous cormorants flying overhead. As we turned the corner and started heading back I spotted a bird with a white head. It didn’t move and Jess thought it was just a piece of driftwood. Then as we drew close the graceful bald eagle took flight, gliding effortlessly with its wide wingspan. Jess mentioned that her favorite time to paddle was during high tide because you can kayak straight to the storefront. Unfortunately, we were smack dab in the middle of low tide, a 20-foot tidal difference, and had to walk the kayaks the length of a football field to get back to the kayak shop.
 
After lunch of salmon banh mi at the snazzy new Braxton’s Pub at the Algonquin Resort, I high-stepped it over to one of my favorite spots in the entire province, Kingsbrae Garden. In fact, in 2010, I named it one of my Top 5 Destinations of the year. After revisiting the garden, I don’t regret my decision one bit. The mix of whimsy and beauty make it an enchanting outing for all ages. This time of year, the rhododendrons and irises are all in bloom. I love the Scents & Sensitivity Garden, where you can rub the soft velvety lambs ear and smell the sweet lemon scented geranium. Other highlights are the alpacas, including a one-month old, and the Sculpture Garden, a juried show each year that features the rising artistic talent in Canada. 
 
Then it was time to bike, Scottish-style, with Kurt Gumushel. An elementary school gym teacher by day, Kurt runs Off Kilter Bike at nights and in summer. Kurt’s dad moved to Canada in the 60s from Turkey and set up shop in St. Andrews as a tailor. It wasn’t long before he was making kilts for the locals and developed a reputation as a master kilt maker. A few years ago, he designed a kilt for some of the local mountain bikers and Off Kilter Bike was born. Kurt tossed me a kilt to wear and we were off. First we biked along the shoreline of Chamcook Lake on a wide level doubletrack. Then Kurt took me downtown to try the Van Horne Heritage Trail, a sweet ride though forest and along saltwater marsh. One km of the ride is freshly paved, a mere week old, so it was fun to try. Since Kurt grew up here, he knows everything about the history, architecture, and people of St. Andrews. He’s happy to design half or full-day rides based on your interest, be it serious off-road biking or a chilled ride on roads through town to learn about the architecture. 
 
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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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Montreal Celebrates 375th Anniversary With 175 Events in 2017

Canada will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Confederation in 2017 so I’m sure to post many more blogs on the yearlong festivities. First up is Montreal, which is also celebrating its 375th anniversary next year. To commemorate the occasion, they are hosting over 175 events, including a nightly multi-media show set on the St. Lawrence this summer. If it’s anything like the multi-media event I witnessed in Quebec City to celebrate their 400th birthday, it will be one of the best events you’ll see in 2017. Other highlights include the mesmerizing “Walk of the Giants” from France’s Royal de Luxe street theater company, the premiere of a new opera based on Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and an exhibition at Montreal’s Museum of Contemporary Art inspired by the songwriting of Leonard Cohen. If you need a place to hang your hat, consider Hotel William Gray, a new luxury hotel that opened in July overlooking the Place Jacques-Cartier. 

 
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Tauck Tours Announces Partnership with Ken Burns

Ken Burns, the documentarian known for his PBS series on the “Civil War,” “Baseball,” and “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” has just teamed up with Tauck World Discovery to create tours based on his documentaries. Burns will also create a series of short films to help supplement the itineraries, which are located throughout the US. Tauck, who has been bringing guests to the National Parks since 1926 and currently has 12 parks on its itinerary, seems like a perfect fit for Burns’ wealth of history. Stuck on a bus between sites, you might as well learn everything you need to know about the creation of Yellowstone National Park before you arrive. The first tour starts in 2011.
 

2 Comments

  1. Hi. Interested in your fly fishing school for 8/3.

    Wondering if there is availability and do you actually go fishing? Throughout the day?

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