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Top 5 Adventures in Florida, Bike Ding Darling National Refuge

The best way to see the alligators and amazing birdlife at “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island is on two wheels. This way you can slow down and see birds hidden in trees that you would miss if you zipped by in a car. Get here early before it gets too hot to catch the wildlife at its most active. Then make your way over to the beaches at low tide. Sanibel is one of the finest spots on the Florida coast to find pristine seashells, especially during the months of 
February, March, and April. You might return back to your hotel room with sand dollars, whelks, even a conch shell, but realize that taking live shells is strictly prohibited. 
 
I’m off the next two weeks on a much needed break. I’ll be back the week of January 4th with my 5 Favorite Travel Days of 2015.
 
Have a Happy, Healthy, and Active New Year!

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$400 Off Airfare When You Book an Austin-Lehman Family Vacation to Europe This Summer!

After meeting Dan Austin, owner of Austin-Lehman Adventures for breakfast last week, I’m excited to tell you about a special offer for members of ActiveTravels. We will give you a voucher for $400 per traveler to be used toward airfare to Europe if you book one of Austin-Lehman’s family-friendly summer trips in France, Denmark, or Germany!

 
In 2012, Travel & Leisure awarded Austin Lehman Adventures 1st place in their World’s Best Tour Operator in the Family category. Austin-Lehman creates a perfect blend of activities on their trips to suit family members of all ages and athletic abilities. Here are the European Family Vacations Austin-Lehman is offering:
 
• Loire Valley, France—Begin in Paris, visit Versailles, and then continue on two wheels to view medieval castles, fields of swaying sunflowers and quaint French villages. The Loire is not only about the wine. Bring the kids and you’ll see a whole new side of this magnificent region.
• Normandy, France—Interested in WWII history? Head to Normandy to see the D-Day sights of Omaha Beach and bike along the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc overlooking the sea. Sleep in a 16th century chateau and feast on crepes and Camembert cheese.
• Danish Isles—Bike amidst the Danish countryside and see castles, fishing villages and all kinds of Viking lore. Experience Copenhagen and the amusements at Tivoli Gardens and bike from island to island to view the Danish Isles’ sheer cliffs and dune beaches.
• Mosel Valley, Germany—Ride along one of Europe’s most charming river valleys. Explore Germany’s fairytale castles, whimsical gardens and see ancient Roman artifacts along the way. Excellent wine and beer for the parents and tasty apple strudel for the kids.
 
Book by April 30th to take advantage of this amazing offer!
 
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Stroll Boston’s HarborWalk

With the emergence of the Seaport District, Boston is finally taking advantage of its waterfront setting. This is especially true if you use the HarborWalk, a boardwalk that snakes along the shores. Park in the lot next to the ICA building. From the grandstand behind the Museum, you can watch the planes fly into Logan Airport and tugboats glide through the harbor. The downtown skyline, best seen from this vantage point, becomes even more impressive as you make your way around the glass exterior of the Joseph J. Moakley Courthouse. Next up is the Barking Crab, a great place to grab a lobster roll and sit family-style at picnic tables. Walk across Fort Point Channel on the pedestrian-only bridge to reach Boston Harbor Hotel, and the mega-yachts that line Rowes Wharf. If the weather cooperates, you can continue along the waterfront to the New England Aquarium, Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, and the North End, where I usually reenergize with a pistachio macaroon at Mike’s Pastry. 
 
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My Top 5 Adventures in 2009, Biking the Shores of Keuka Lake

Known for its award-winning Rieslings, the Finger Lakes deserve its reputation as one of the best spots in America to go wine tasting. Yet, its resplendent beauty also lends itself well to adventure. At the southern end of Seneca Lake, we hiked alongside a handful of waterfalls in the famous gorge of Watkins Glen. The next morning, my wife and I kayaked through a cattail-laden marsh and saw countless herons, turtles, and a beaver. Talk about adventure—a 40-pound carp jumped out of the marsh and slammed against my arm as I shrieked. But my favorite part of the weeklong trip was a quiet bike ride along a peninsula that juts into Keuka Lake. Start your ride from Keuka College and follow East and West Bluff Roads as they pass the small waterfront cottages with cute names like Hide N’ Seek. There’s one killer hill on the 20-mile ride that takes you atop a bluff, before cruising downhill back to the college. Afterwards, we rewarded ourselves with a lobster roll and glass of semi-dry Riesling at Heron Hill’s outdoor café. We were fortunate to book the next two nights at the Black Sheep Inn in Hammondsport, on the northern tip of Keuka Lake. Owners Debbie Meritsky and Marc Rotman spent over 6 years refurbishing the rare octagonal-shaped house, which celebrated its 150th birthday in 2009. See my review of the wines at Everett Potter’s Travel Report.

 

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Climb Longs Peak, Colorado

Despite its forbidding East face and a summit of strewn boulders, Rocky Mountain National Park’s highest peak is climbed by hundreds in the summer months. Spend at least one night at 7,000 to 8,000 feet to adjust to the elevation and then begin this 15-mile round-trip (10 to 15 hours) hike in the wee morning hours. Starting at the East Longs Peak trailhead (9400 feet and a 90-minute drive from Denver), the first six miles is a moderate ascent through a forest of sub-alpine fir, Engelmann spruce, and what the Germans call krummholz (crooked timber). At aptly named Boulder Field (12,760 feet), the path steepens as you begin the Keyhole Route to the top. Here, the above-treeline ledges resemble a cliffside stairway, albeit without handrail. The final “Homestretch” is a scramble atop rocks as the Continental Divide and all the glorious splendor of the Rockies spread out on a carpet of green before you. Try to get off the 14,225-foot summit by noon, when summer thunderstorms often begin its daily light show on the exposed rock. Colorado Mountain School offers guided hikes up the mountain.  
 
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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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Northern Lights Viewing, Dogsledding, and Yoga Retreat in Finnish Lapland

Arctic travel and Northern Lights specialists Off the Map Travel have just announced a new winter wellness retreat in Finnish Lapland. The 4-day/3-night itinerary includes 2 nights at a glass-roofed igloo in Rovaniemi and one night in a snow room at the Arctic Snow Hotel. In the daytime, you’ll go dogsledding, take yoga classes, and experience rest and relaxation in the world’s first sauna made from snow. You’ll be enveloped by an instant cloud of steam, resulting from the contact between the sauna’s 1.5 meters-thick snow walls and the heat from the sauna’s stove. The result is a steam-room like effect with cleansing benefits for both mind and body. Then it’s off to the ice bar and your glass-roofed igloo with uninterrupted views of the Arctic night sky. Cost starts at $1606 per person based on double occupancy, and includes lodging, breakfast, activities, and airport transfers. 

 

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