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Lake George Week, Adventures on Land

Most parents gauge the growth of their children by their height. I gauge the growth of my two kids by how far they can go on a treetop obstacle course called Adirondack Extreme. Located on the hillside outside of Bolton Landing, the course is set 10 to 50 feet off the grounds, amidst the tall pines and maples hidden in the forest. After a brief introductory talk on safety, you hook into harnesses and tackle five different courses, each a bit more challenging than the next. Along the way, you’ll climb rope ladders, walk across suspended bridges, and as a finale, zipline side-by-side. 
 
The waters of Lake George easily seduce, but there’s a slew of activity on the shores of the lake that are also worth checking out. You can climb Prospect, Buck, and Thomas Mountains, and be rewarded with exceptional vistas of the Adirondacks. Yesterday, I took a short hike around the forest and fields at Up Yonda Farm. I strolled past a sugarhouse and small butterfly garden before hiking uphill on a short climb through a mixed forest of birches, maples, and white pine. Eventually, I arrived at a clearing and another glorious view of Lake George.  
 
At night, everyone heads to Lake George Village, packed with T-shirt and fudge shops, video arcades, haunted houses, a requisite water park, and my personal favorite, Goony Golf, a miniature golf course crowded with huge fairy tale characters. My summer is not complete if I don’t get to play one round of Goony Golf. 
 

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The Lowdown on Extra Virgin Olive Oil

With concerns over mislabeling and outright fraud, extra virgin olive oil isn’t looking so virginal these days. Even New York Times is getting in on the joke with a recent slide show suggesting that “Made in Italy” EVOO is actually made from Spanish, Portuguese, and Tunisian olives. So when I heard that Italian wine and olive oil expert, Bill Marsano, was going to be in Boston to talk about the controversy, I jumped at the opportunity to question him. Last Thursday, Marsano spoke at the Seaport Hotel’s spanking new Action Kitchen as part of the Flavor Your Life Campaign, which seeks to promote the benefits of cooking with EVOO. 

 
Yes, Marsano, said there are many blended extra virgin olive oils on the market that are not nearly as healthy as a singular farm or village hand pressing its own olives. He mentioned a fortified village in Tuscany, Volpaia, whose olive oil is high on his list, along with most olive oil coming out of the region of Puglia on the Italian boot. But he noted you don’t have to pay an exorbitant amount for genuine Italian EVOO. Marsano showed me a bottle of Belluci Premium, found at Costco, where on the back of the bottle is a QR code. Scan the code with a smart phone and you can trace each bottle back to its origin and the Italian olive grove it came from.
 
Marsano also gave us several important tips. Never buy pomace extra virgin olive oil, produced with the help of a large amount of chemicals. Also your olive oil has a shelf life of about 4 months once opened and always store in a shaded spot away from heat. You cannot detect rancid oil from smell. Rancid oil has a nutty taste. Good olive oil has a silky smooth texture with a bit of spice at the end. Hope this helps the next time you hit the grocery store. 
 
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Rafting the Classic North American Rivers—The Middle Fork of the Salmon River

May is the start of the whitewater rafting season in North America, and since I’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries lately about the best multi-day rafting trips on the continent, I’m going to review the classics this week. First up, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. 

 
One of the original rivers in the 1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and a centerpiece of Idaho’s 2.2 million acre River of No Return Wilderness, the Salmon River deserves its reputation as one of the premier whitewater runs in North America. Especially the Middle Fork which boasts more than a hundred rapids in as many miles. What this means is a rip-roaring ride through narrow canyon walls, with glimpses of bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain elk on the shores and eagles and ospreys flying overhead. Once you reach land, you can hike up side canyons, soak in natural hot springs, fish to your heart’s content, or use the time to gather your thoughts.
 
Outfitters have gone overboard in the past five years attracting clientele to the Middle Fork, featuring wine dinners with a Sonoma County sommelier or learning about travel writing with two pros in the business, Tim Cahill or Michael Shapiro. One outfitter hired a clown to entertain the kids at night. So whatever your interest, there’s a specialty tour for you. 
 
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Ski Red, British Columbia

Due to its remote locale and the fact that Whistler overshadows all the other exceptional mountains in BC, you might not have heard of Red. But take my word for it, you will. A new quad chairlift will start running this winter off Grey Mountain, adding 22 new runs and a whopping 1,000 acres of skiing placing Red at pretty much the same scale as Breckenridge and Jackson Hole. But size doesn’t necessarily matter when it comes to skiing this beaut. Close to 7,000 feet high and rarely another skier in view, you’re certain you were planted on Red by helicopter or cat. You can ski the entire mountain, front and back, with exceptional intermediate and advanced terrain off the Motherlode Chair. Red’s claim to fame, however, is all the backcountry trails that weave through the trees on neighboring Mount Roberts and Grey. And those 360-degree views from the top. Sweet! 
 
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The Debut of the Trapp Family Lodge Bierhall

I caught up with Sam von Trapp at the Boston Ski Show and he was really excited about the opening of his new bierhall at Stowe’s Trapp Family Lodge. He’s been brewing award-winning Austrian-style lagers since 2010 but now you have a chance to swig a pint at large communal tables while being served lunch and dinner items from the wood-fired grill. The bierhall is located right on the cross-country ski trail network (and mountain biking network come spring). I can think of no better way to reward yourself after a good sweat than having a cool freshly made lager. Look forward to checking it out this winter! 

 
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Luberon, Provence at its Finest

Guest Post and Photo by Jessica Bloom Galen
 
The approach into the hilltop villages of the Luberon was unforgettable. The winding "two-way" streets barely held our Renault convertible – it’s hard to imagine how two cars could pass simultaneously. We were rewarded for our faith in the GPS (highly recommended) and ambiguous road signs with a view of Gordes, an absolutely breathtaking village out of a picture book. It is one of the more touristy villages in the area so I recommend selecting accommodations in a more remote section of Luberon.
 
We stayed at Le Phebus and Spa, a rustic and charming inn on a street that had almost nothing else on it, in a town called Joucas. Our room was in a free-standing unit about 100 feet from the lobby, complete with a small balcony to look out on the grounds where we ate our breakfast of coffee, bread, meats, and cheese every day. Like many hotels in the area, Le Phebus’ restaurant is graced with a locally renowned chef who creates over-the-top gastronomic experiences every day. The tasting menu we had our first night there was filled with unusual and challenging offerings, like the sheep sweetbread croquettes and smoked mackerel accompanied by thin strips of octopus. The meal was heightened with the truly exceptional wine pairings, which we requested from the sommelier.
 
Which brings us to one of the true delights of the Luberon trip: the wine. It was a completely different experience of wine than we ever had before. We drove around just looking for signs to vineyards and tastings, known locally as "degustation" (as soon as you find one, pick up a guide to find the rest) as the hotel had been unable to provide much guidance. Our favorite by far was the Domaine de Tara, where a hilariously snarky guide with surprisingly good English led us through his delicious selections.
 
Another favorite stop was the Maison de la Truffe (truffle house). It hosts a small museum with artistic renderings of truffles through the ages, as well as some unexpected history of the fungus and its role in global commerce. They also have a beautiful courtyard where they serve delightful dishes featuring truffles (prosciutto, brie, fois gras) which, when paired with a glass of local rosé, formed one of the trip’s most iconic meals. On your way out through the gift shop, make sure to sample the truffle aperitif, a liqueur used locally in a sparkling wine cocktail, like an earthy kir royale. We also greatly enjoyed stumbling upon a few olive oil producers.
 
The populated towns like Gordes and Apt are nice to walk around for a bit, but to be honest, the really special part of the trip was letting the roads and our whims dictate what we saw and experienced. 
In short, here are out tips for a trip to the hilltop villages of Luberon:
 
• Select an adorable inn with a restaurant you won’t mind eating at more than once.
• Have a car, with a GPS.
• Just drive around, and be ready to stop short whenever you see a sign for a degustation (tasting).
 
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A Memorable Tapas Crawl in Madrid

We met Marcy Forman, co-owner of Valesa Cultural Services, one of our preferred ground operators for clients headed to Spain, at the lobby of our hotel, Gran Hotel Inglés. Marcy has lived in Madrid for over 20 years and one of her favorite things to do is bring friends on an authentic Madrid tapas crawl. We started at Casa Toni, known for its crispy lamb tripe, an older specialty that’s hard to find in town these days. After downing the tender meat, we strolled around the corner to my favorite stop of the night, Casa del Abuelo, known for their tasty garlic shrimp. The dish comes out sizzling with a hefty chunk of bread, and is best paired with a short glass of sweet wine. Then it was off to La Campana, known for its fried calamari served in a large bun, bocadillo style. Next stop, the splashy Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid’s main public market, serving everything your heart desires, from acorn-fed Iberian ham to razor clams to fried croquettes, all washed down with sangria or cerveza. Our final stop was Chocolateria San Gines, in operation since 1894 and known for only one item, fresh out of the oven churros. Order a half-dozen, thin or fat, and it’s served with a steaming hot coffee cup of chocolate that many customers drink after dipping the churros. Sublime! We had so much fun with Marcy that we took our daughter, Melanie, on the exact same tour the next night. 

 

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