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To Truly Relax on a Greek Island, Head to Tilos

This time of year, late August, and my mind starts to wander to the southern Mediterranean. September and October is the ideal time to visit Greece and Turkey. Temperatures start to cool down a bit and the summer crowds have departed, returning the Mediterranean coast and islands back to their rightful owners. This week, I’m going to delve into some of my favorite Turkish and Greek locales. First stop, Tilos.

Tilos is an island where the locals, still unaccustomed to tourists, greet you as if you lived there your whole life. A place where one picks fresh figs off the tree and finds deserted medieval castles that request no admission fee. Tilos lies approximately 65 kilometers due east of Rhodes and 40 kilometers due south of Kos in the Dodecanese Islands. With a population of only 300 people, the island has a surprising number of readily available accommodations and restaurants, one of which makes some of the best Greek food I’ve ever tasted. Most of the tourist facilities line the sleepy port of Livadia, a town where the lone baker knows you on a first-name basis shortly after you arrive and a restaurateur gives you a free bottle of his favorite wine when you depart. Stay at the aptly named Dream Island on the beach at Livadia. Spacious rooms and patios overlook the sea. A family-run restaurant named Sofia’s is the gourmet dining choice in town. The restaurant is named after Sofia Economou, the matriarch and gracious hostess. Her husband does the cooking and his specialties include fried pumpkin with potato garlic dip, aubergine with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, and the leanest and juiciest souvlaki we tasted in Greece.  Ferries leave from Rhodes to Tilos every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, returning Wednesday and Friday.
 

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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Still a Classic Retreat in the Canadian Rockies

Staying at the classic Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge was like being placed in an advertisement for Canada. The rustic log cabins, adorned with the latest comforts and technology including an indoor kit to make s’mores in the fireplace, overlooked Lake Beauvert and the jagged snowtopped ridge of Mount Edith Covell, which reflected off the clear as gin water. For the two days that we spent here, all of our adventures took place on the grounds. My wife and daughter went horseback riding while Jake and I mountain biked through a forest of lodgepole pines, white spruce, trembling aspens, and Douglas firs, spotting osprey atop their sprawling nest, the lone loon gliding over a pristine lake, and more than our fair share of elk. We walked around the shoreline, staring in awe at the towering peaks, before paddling on the chilled water. Having had our full of adventure after a week of rock climbing, rafting, hiking, biking, canoeing, and horseback riding, we spent the last day simply lounging in the heated pool. A perfect way to end our week of active travels in the Canadian Rockies.
 

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Hike from Moraine Lake to Consolation Lake, Banff National Park

It was no surprise that the parking lot at Moraine Lake was filled with buses, RVs, and cars stopping to take a look at one of the most majestic sights in the Canadian Rockies. The exquisite turquoise waters of this glacial lake are dwarfed by a crown of thorny peaks. The waters became bluer as the sun rose above the tall Engelmann spruce trees and bounced off the placid lake. What was astonishing is that once we took off on one of the trails from Moraine Lake, we passed few other hikers. According to park rangers, 90 percent of the people who visit Banff don’t go more than 2 kilometers off the main road. That’s exactly why we were going three kilometers to have a picnic at Consolation Lake. We walked atop a carpet of moss shaded by the tall trees. Soon, we made it to the quiet waters of Consolation Lake, backed by a hanging glacier that my son said looked like “a fluffernutter sandwich.” We jumped from boulder to boulder until we were at the edge of the lake and dug into our sandwiches. If this is called Consolation Lake, I’d like to know what the grand prize is!
 

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Rafting the Kananaskis River with Rainbow Riders

Riding the Class III rapids of the Kananaskis River surrounded by the towering peaks of the Canadian Rockies is a favorite 2-hour family jaunt in these parts. It’s a rip-roaring ride on glacial-fed waters that will definitely cool you down when splashed. They call that a Canadian Kiss in these parts. I was enjoying that Canadian Kiss wholeheartedly while surfing on a rapid, the waters pouring over me. In fact, I was having such a great time that I didn’t notice my son was tossed out of the raft next to me. Suddenly I hear my wife scream, “Jake, Jake” and a rope being tossed to him by our guide, Cory. Lying on his back, we pulled him into the raft by his life jacket. A decade from now, those snowcapped peaks of Alberta will be a distant memory. But I’ll remember vividly my wife screaming her head off and seeing my son ride the rapids outside of the raft. Those are genuine travel memories.
 

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Rock Climbing in Kananaskis Country with Yamnuska Moutaineering

Less than an hour outside of Calgary, you reach the U-shaped valley of Kananaskis, the tumultuous river of the same name that beckons whitewater rafters and kayakers, and the snowcapped jagged peaks of the Canadian Rockies that’s ripe with hiking and rock climbing opportunities. Albertans have no qualms about letting the masses rush by on their way to Banff, Lake Louise, and the Icefields Parkway up to Jasper. This is their mountain playground and what a spectacular spit of scenery it is.

On a family vacation with Austin Lehman Adventures several weeks ago, we hooked up Dave Stark, a highly respected guide at Yamnuska Mountaineering. So well-respected, in fact, that on the steep trail up to the rock face on Mt. Yamnuska, a man smacked Dave on the chest while passing and said, “Have fun up there, Dave.” Moments later, the soft-spoken guide told me that guy was the first Canadian to ever climb Everest back in 1982.

The sedentary rock was perfect for finding ledges you could grip with your hands or plant your feet. We threw on our harnesses as Dave went over ways to grip the rock through edging, using the inner part of the soft-soled shoes to balance, or smearing, heading straight up as you rely on the traction of the sneaker. While my son is an expert at the indoor wall climb, none of us had ever tried rock climbing before. Especially on a wall of rock that overlooks the spectacular valley below. Jake was first and climbed up the face like Spiderman. Yet, it was my 13 year-old daughter, Melanie, who really impressed me. She went up twice, doing the more challenging climb the second time. I know because I did it, barely. When I made it to the top on that first climb, I looked down and freaked out. Especially when Dave shouted to kick my legs off the rock and rappel down. After the slight hesitation, I did what he said and soon found my way back at the bottom. You really can teach an old dog a new trick. One that turns 47 years of age today.
 

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Biking Around Stanley Park, Vancouver

This past month, I had the good fortune to bike along the Lake Michigan waterfront in Chicago, alongside the Charles River in Boston and Cambridge, by the shores of the Bow River in Calgary, and around Stanley Park in Vancouver. I loved that all of these scenic rides were on bike trails, not having to worry about car traffic. Sure, I savor pastoral rides on the backcountry roads of Vermont, cruising on two wheels through the rainforest of Costa Rica, or biking past the coffee plantations on the Big Island of Hawaii. But I also enjoy riding in cities. The chance to pedal over the Brooklyn Bridge, with views of the Statue of Liberty in the background. Or heading north towards Navy Pier with the majestic Chicago skyline creating the perfect panorama It’s hard not to be impressed.

The 9 km ride around the Seawall of Stanley Park can be done in less than an hour. Yet, by the time you stop at the world-class aquarium, see the selection of totem poles, and dine on sablefish (a tender and rich Northwestern whitefish) at the classic Teahouse for lunch, the day is over. Riding under towering Douglas firs and along the rocky shoreline, you’ll also stop numerous times to take pictures of the bay. On my last ride around Stanley Park two weeks ago, we spent a good chunk of time being entertained by the sea otters at the Vancouver Aquarium. Less than 15 minutes later, we were watching river otters in the wild dining on crabs along the Seawall. Another unexpected find in a city of unexpected finds, the reason why I return to Vancouver as often as I can.
 

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Costa Rica’s Finest Resorts Offers Discount Dependent on Age

It’s one of those rare days in Boston where there’s no humidity and the breeze is blowing through my window as I crank up Yes’ “Siberian Khatru.” What could be better? How about staying at a kick-ass resort in Costa Rica, heavily discounted this fall? The six upscale eco-lodges run by Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, including two of my personal favorites, Lapa Rios and Finca Rosa Blanca, are offering a discount based on your age. That’s right. If you just hit 80, start celebrating. That’s 80 percent off the price of your room. Centurions get the room for free! The offer is valid for stays between August 28 and November 15, 2011.
 

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Top 10 Adventures Along the New England Coast

Just in case you don’t live in Boston or read the newspaper, I want to link you to an article I wrote in last Sunday’s Boston Globe on Top 10 Coastal Adventures. Included are some of my favorite jaunts in New England like biking on the Province Lands Bike Trail in P’town, sea kayaking with the osprey and harbor seals in Sheepscot Bay, Maine, and surfcasting for stripers on the Vineyard. Try one of these activities and you won’t regret it.

 

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Check Your Bank Account Even While Traveling

So there I was lounging on my patio at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge after a week of adventure in the Canadian Rockies. I’ll delve into many of my favorite locales from my trip to Western Canada next week. Any way, I was checking my email when I noticed that Bank of America contacted me, saying my funds were getting low. I had transferred money from my savings to checking account before I left, so I should have had more than enough money for the trip. When I went online at Bank of America, I saw three purchases from Stop & Shop and Exxon made in New York and New Jersey the same time I was hiking, rafting, and rock climbing my way through the Canadian Rockies! Obviously fraudulent, I called Bank of America immediately. They cancelled my Visa debit card and quickly refunded me the money that was taken by Mr. Identity Theft. Since I no longer had use of my ATM card, they also wired me money for the rest of the trip. Morale of story. Even though you’d like to leave your life behind on vacation. Sometimes it’s better to check in now and then to make sure you’re not being taken advantage of.
 

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Sea Kayak the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

South of Anchorage, the shores of the Kenai Peninsula are glacial-carved inlets where 4,000 foot peaks plummet into the waters below.  Katchemak and Tutka Bays stretch more than ten miles into the forested interior, protected from the nasty glaciers and swells of the Gulf of Alaska. Sea otters, sea lions, porpoises, eagles, and seals use these relatively calm waters as a safe haven, and now sea kayakers are following their lead.  Through the second week of September, True North Kayak Adventures out of Homer organizes three-day adventures into this fjord-like setting. You’ll spend your days paddling under 400-foot waterfalls or hiking up one of the small peaks to get an eagle’s vantage point of the landscape.  At night, you’ll camp on Yukon Island and feast on freshly caught salmon. Trips start at $495 per person, including guides, food, and tents.

I’ll be leaving today on a two-week trip to the Canadian Rockies, starting with a weeklong family adventure jaunt with my friends at Austin-Lehman Adventures. We’ll spend two additional nights in Jasper at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, before taking an overnight train on VIA Rail into Vancouver. After spending three nights in the city, we’ll take a ferry over to Salt Spring Island, a personal favorite of Seattle-based writer and BC travel guru, Eric Lucas. I’ll be back on August 8th with an update on western Canada. Enjoy these two weeks, and, as always, keep active!