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AMC Buys Baker Mountain in Landmark Conservation Deal

If you’ve ever had the chance to stay at the circa-1873 Little Lyford Lodge in Maine’s North Woods, a gem of a property now run by the Appalachian Mountain Club, you’ve no doubt walked to the shores of Little Lyford Pond to paddle, fish, and spot moose slurping the water. Then you peer back and spot one of the 100-Mile Wilderness Trail’s signature peaks, 3,521-foot Baker Mountain. In a wonderful conservation deal announced last week, the AMC has acquired Baker Mountain and an additional 4,311 acres abutting the Katahdin Iron Works property.

 
“Baker Mountain was surrounded by conservation lands, but the Baker Mountain tract itself was not protected. It was ‘the hole in the doughnut,’ and with this purchase, AMC and its conservation partner, The Nature Conservancy, have ensured that this ecologically significant land will be protected,” said AMC Senior Vice President Walter Graff. The AMC will be providing pedestrian access to the Baker Mountain tract and will also be involved in habitat protection and sustainable forestry. The transactions now bring AMC’s land holdings in the 100-Mile Wilderness region to some 70,000 acres. To read about AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative, please see my story in The Boston Globe. 
 

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Six Nights in Beijing Including Air from America and 4-Star Lodging, $799

Now and then I get deals that come across my desk that are absurdly low. If I didn’t have the responsibility of being a father of a 15 and 13 year-old, I’d probably be on the next flight. China Spree is offering an 8-day trip to Beijing this winter that costs a mere $799, including nonstop flight on Air China from San Fran, 6 nights lodging at the Huabin International, six breakfast buffets, three lunches, and three guided tours of the city. The price increases to $849 if you’re flying out of LAX, $1129 if you’re flying out of JFK. Add another 100 bucks if you want to split your time between Beijing and Shanghai. Add another $500 for additional meals, transport, and government taxes and you’re spending a total of $1300 to see the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the alleys and courtyard houses of Old Beijing. That’s less than the amount one pays to spend a week at a hotel in Dominican Republic in winter, including flight.
 

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Veteran Travel Writer Everett Potter Leads UK Walking Tour

What do you get when you combine one of the most majestic locales in the UK with a gifted travel writer known for his insatiable curiosity and an outfitter keen on guiding visitors away from the typical tourist fare? A truly memorable trip! Everett Potter has teamed with Wayfarers to lead an 8-day hike through the English countryside in Devon County. You’ll explore the farms and historic hamlets of Dartmoor and Exmoor, the backdrop for Sherlock Holmes’s adventures in “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” grab a boat up the River Dart to Greenway, Agatha Christie’s summer home, and visit Castle Drogo, said to be the last castle built in the country. You’ll also walk some 12 to 14 miles a day, stay at country inns, and grab lunch at pubs that have been serving bitter since the times of Shakespeare. Dates are September 26-October 3 and the price is $3795 per person, including all accommodations, meals, and transport in the UK.
 

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Snorkeling with Honu at the Fairmont Orchid

I love the location of the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island. You’re only 30 minutes north of Kona International Airport, 30 minutes west of the rolling green slopes and cattle country of Waimea, and another 40 minutes south of the art gallery town of Hawi on the North Kohala Coast. Needless to say, it’s a great place to cruise to sample the myriad of terrain on Hawaii. When you return to the resort, you’ll be treated to one of the finest lagoons in the state, where the sand slopes gently to a cove sheltered by lava rock. Simply grab snorkel gear at the activity shack and wade into the soothing waters. Lisa and I swam with the colorful triggerfish to a reef where two large honu (green sea turtles) were feeding on the kelp, then gently grooming each other by rubbing barnacles off their shells. A mesmerizing sight that probably happens daily at the Fairmont Orchid. 
 
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Fiesta Time in San Antonio

In 1891, the city of San Antonio held a single parade to honor Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and the other heroes of the Alamo and the battle of San Jacinto. Fiesta has since grown into a 10-day event starting today that features live music, art fairs, and a slew of parades including The Texas Cavaliers River Parade. I had the good fortune of going to Fiesta in 2012. As soon as my flight landed, I took a taxi to Market Square, the largest mercado north of Mexico to take in the festivities with the crowds. There were bands playing, churros cooking, and a frenzied crowd dancing and drinking margaritas under the hot sun. I made my way to Mi Tierra, a beloved Mexican restaurant on the square since 1941, found a seat next to the mariachi band and ordered enchiladas with a sweet and spicy mole sauce. One bite and I was happy to be back in town. Stay in my favorite neighborhood in the city, The Pearl. Home to the San Antonio branch of the Culinary Institute of America, James Beard award-winning restaurants, and a chic boutique hotel built from the remnants of the Pearl Brewery called Hotel Emma. The hotel is featuring a Viva Fiesta package that includes a half bottle of Moët & Chandon, smoked salmon toast with avocado and caviar, and two Hotel Emma Fiesta medals upon arrival. 

 
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Holiday Gift Idea No. 1—The Wojo Wallet

When the temperature hit 60 degrees on Sunday, I decided to go for one last bike ride in 2014. I always bring my license on any of my adventures, just in case I slip down the crevice of a mountain on a hike or a text-sending teenager on a bike ride flattens me. I hate taking a thick wallet, so when I found out about the Wojo Wallet, I quickly snagged one. The thin neoprene sleeve is sweat and waterproof, so it actually floats on water. No wonder, it’s already a big hit with surfers, fishermen, and people hanging on the beach who want to go for a swim and don’t trust leaving their wallet behind. I love it because it’s thin enough to hold my credit cards, license, key, and cash when I’m out for a ride. Cost is $12.95. Add $2 if you want to add your college colors. 

 
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Driving to Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood

Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches

With expert local advice, we set our GPS for Vista House in Corbett for long vista views along the river. Then we followed the Old Historic Columbia River Hwy to Latourell Falls, Multnomah Falls, and, eventually, to Cascade Locks for brunch. We met friends at the very local Bridgeside Restaurant and had a yummy salmon chowder. The Bridge of the Gods is right there, but we didn’t go over it. We also missed the Bonneville Dam with apparently very interesting salmon and sturgeon viewing. Instead, off to Hood River we went, then up to Mt. Hood and the historic Timberline Lodge for drinks and handcrafted ales while watching the skiers, in mid-May. Life is rough! Rising 11,239 feet (3,426 meters), Mt. Hood is the highest peak in Oregon, and the second most climbed mountain in the world. At the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the mountain was an active volcano and is now considered “sleeping.” I had been to Portland before, but to truly appreciate Oregon, you have to leave the city limits. 

 

 

 

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