If you think Maine is all about the coast, you need to venture inland and discover the lakes, rivers, woods, and peaks that define the region between Bethel and Millinocket. Not only does this region rival the coast for natural beauty, it's also wildlife rich. You won't see a puffin, but your chances of spotting a moose are high.

Making that easy is the new Maine Woods Discovery program, a collaborative venture by Alpine resorts Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Saddleback Maine; the rustic lodges and nature-based programs of the Appalachian Mountain Club and Maine Huts & Trails; and rafting and recreation outfitters Northern Outdoors, and New England Outdoor Center.

These entities have put together seven one- to three-day packages, each combining accommodations with activities and some meals, with rates beginning at $75 per person. Packages include geocaching, hiking, biking, paddling, rock-hounding, and craft-making. Read on for details.

FULL ENTRY

If your favorite tweets come from feathered creatures, the Maine Birding Trail is for you.

Along with this spring’s official launch of the online trail, there’s a just-published companion guidebook, Maine Birding Trail (Down East Books, 2009) by Bob Duchesne, a Maine state representative, avid birder, and Maine Audubon guide who founded and has worked on the trail website since 2003. Duchesne says the project will continually change as birding sites are upgraded or protected according to the need for habitat protection. It’s his labor of love, developed in collaboration with Maine state government, Maine Audubon, and local birders.

The book identifies more than 260 accessible sites, dozens of other locations that are not part of the official trail and additional bird-watching venues in nearby Campobello and Grand Manan islands in Canada.

The book is not a guide to birds. In fact, there are no photos, no flight pattern charts or any of the other usual birding tools. It’s a travel guide to places throughout Maine from the southern beaches to Aroostook County, identifying which species you’re likely to see where. Chapters correspond to Maine’s official tourism regions rather than habitat zones.

In addition to driving directions and local maps, Duchesne gives visitors a heads-up on terrain. In Washington County, a Down East locale of undeveloped lakes where he says the tiny village of Grand Lake Stream has been the center of a robust hunting and fishing tradition since the 19th century, traditional sporting camps and lodges are marvelous places. Nearby, “the Little Mayberry Cove Trail begins at the outlet dam and follows the shoreline for 2 ½ miles through mature hemlock forest. Black-throated Blue Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers, and Eastern Wood-Peewees are common among the many songbirds found along the trail.” The Pocumcus Lake Trail is good for Ruffed Grouse and “judging by the abundance of moose droppings, it’s also a pretty good corridor for wildlife in the thick woods.”

Posted by Janet Mendelsohn, Globe correspondent

As reliable as sunrise, pilgrims making their way to Santiago de Compostela line the roads of northern Spain in the morning. For one thing, most pilgrimage hostels make them leave by 8 a.m., which is only shortly after dawn. On an early morning run ourselves, we stopped in a roadside bar for a bite, only to find it filled with cheery walkers exchanging tips on backpacks and pack frames and comparing footwear. They represented half a dozen countries among them, yet the lingua franca was not French or (more appropriately) Spanish, but English — as spoken on TV and in the movies. Come se dice "blister?''

Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

Photo by Patricia Harris for the Boston Globe

While I have a crush on most berries, there is none more flexible and satisfying than a ripe strawberry. Perhaps I am a bit biased having grown up among countless strawberry picking fields, with a mom and grandmother making the sweetest jams, and the makings for shortcake were always at an arm's reach. June in New England is strawberry picking month, and festivals celebrating the fruit can be found all over. This Saturday, June 20, is Canterbury Shaker Village's 1st Annual Strawberry Jamboree.

Celebrating the onset of summer and the village’s longtime love for strawberries, the jamboree is an open mic musical jam session featuring TJ Wheeler and Patrick “Hatrack” Gallagher, where visitors can sign up to play or simply enjoy the music. A Strawberry Bake-Off with Professional and Home Chef divisions will fill the air with some more sweet music. Visitors can also shop for fun and unique products, take home strawberries and strawberry plants, and enjoy the many children’s activities.

Tickets are $17 for adults, $8 for children ages 6-17, and children 5 and under visit free. In keeping with the times, there is also a $42 family rate. Check online to register for bake-off and other details, or call 603-783-9511.

We got our first family dog ever in September. Not long after, I became a dog freak. At least an Eva Freak [our dog's name]. Now I pay particular attention to anything dog. This Saturday's event in Provincetown has caught my eye, and seems like a terrific event for any expert or novice runner, that happens to stay active with their own Evas. Dog Run Dog is in its 4th year, and provides a 5K or 10K race circuit for dogs and their people. Dog Running, the generic term for Canicross, is quickly becoming both a popular recreational and competitive sport. Requiring very little training, Canicross is easy for anyone to start.

Dog Run Dog is Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. In its 4th year, the race is held in conjuntion with the Carrie A. Seaman Animal Shelter and Pilgrim Bark Park. This event is professionally timed and the top three teams are awarded the coveted Dog Bowl. Call 1-802-356-4444 for info or check online.

Photo courtesy Dog Run Dog

Pirates are not just for kids apparently. The New England Pirate Faire in Gloucester, Mass., this weekend, June 20-21, proves it. Buccaneers and Jack Sparrows will deluge Gloucester in this two-day festival of all things Pirate.

The New England Pirate Faire features a cast of over 100 actors and musicians, putting on a production to make you feel like you're an extra in the Pirates of the Caribbean. The Tortuga Marketplace will be set up for vendors to offer their pirate goods to visitors. All pirates need be on hand from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day. Admission for adults is $12; children pay $8. For details look online or call 781-346-102.

Photo credit Pastimes

A really fun travel site is The Lost Girls, a blog by three twenty-somethings from New York who quit their jobs to make a yearlong, round-the-world jaunt. Besides cataloging their own trip, they sometimes invite others to blog, and this one comes from Hannah Dorland who offers these tips on trips with a Significant Other of the Mars persuasion:

1. Two people equals two mouths. A few granola bars, jiffy pop, grapes, and turkey jerky just don't cut it. Besides, men seem to get ravinous towards evening... I think the bear that snuck into our campsite in the middle of the night was in a better mood than my guy.

2. Extra body heat in the tent does NOT mean that two sleeping bags aren't necessary. It's Minnesota. Even in the summer the nights get chilly, and as nice as cuddling may be it's no substitute for proper sleeping bags and/or blankets!

3. Being comfortable is key. When I backpack alone, I wear high-waisted baggy pants with tightly cinched belts, hiking boots, a bandana, and a sleeveless mens tee-shirt. This time, I wanted to look pretty and instead ended up chafing after 12 miles because my low-waisted jeans conflicted with my backpack waist strap.

4. Just because he offers to carry things, it doesn't mean he actually should. Chivalry is nice and all, but the heavy pack was mine, specifically purchased to fit my tiny 5'3" frame, and his upper back was SORE the next morning.

5. Three person rafts are meant for three people, not two people and two giant backpacks. Remember that packs can often weight as much as a small child, so count them as one! I ended up sitting on top of the two packs and paddling at an awkward angle... guess we should have rented a canoe!

Photo by iStockphoto.com

I always think of Spain with bulls, not cows, so the green rolling hills of dairy country in Cantabria came as a real surprise. As I walked the uphill road from Santillana del Mar to the Altamira cave museum, these Holsteins came bounding over to the fence. I couldn’t help but think that I’d stumbled into a Woody Jackson landscape of west-central Vermont — except for the 12th century Romanesque country church in the valley below and the 20,000-year-old paintings in the caves of the surrounding mountains.

Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

Photo by Patricia Harris for the Boston Globe

To prepare for the cookout, Dad sits with the English-Italian dictionary to figure out the first thing he’d like to say upon meeting our gregarious host, Guido: "You are my brother from another mother.''

Guido, my pal Francesco’s uncle, was born with the gift of making whoever he’s with feel like they’re two peas in a pod, and this day was no different. He lent me his daughter’s scooter the first time I lived here, and though I only have what the French would call notions of Italian, language never seems to be a barrier when talking with him.

My parents came to Sicily on vacation to learn about the Motherland and our family history here – Dad’s maternal grandparents emigrated from the tiny town of Altavilla Milicia in the early 1900s – and being together in the place where our ancestors were from is a potent emotional experience connecting us with the past and each other.

Guido’s wife Pina and Francesco’s mother make a feast that includes roasted peppers, sautéed mushrooms and grilled meat a go-go and I’ve smuggled an entire jamón Ibérico – black hoof and all – through customs as a gift from our family to theirs.

Today, however, food (very tasty food at that) was simply a way to bring us together, and I’d trade every amazing Sicilian restaurant meal for this one feast.
Being made to feel like family can be as important as finding the real one.

**********************

Globe travel correspondent Joe Ray writes his own blog, Eating The Motherland and contributes to the English language version of Simon Says! the French food and lifestyle blog run by French food critic Francois Simon.

Photo by Joe Ray for The Boston Globe

At a time when the Commonwealth is planning to close several state parks and swimming areas and raise parking fees at beaches and other recreational sites, Uncle Sam, who is getting quite a bit a practice at this bailout stuff, is reaching out to you.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has announced that the feds will waive entrance fees at
147 national parks and monuments for three summer weekends: June
20-21 (Think cheap Dad's Day outing), July 18-19 and Aug. 15-16.

According to the Associated Press, 147 US parks and monuments charge fees of $3-$25 and nation's 244 other parks already are free. There about about 20 parks and sites in Massachusetts; of that number the ones that normally charge include: Adams National Historical Park, Cape Cod National Seashore, John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site, and Longfellow National Historic Site. Here's a link to a national map and list.

It's spring, and the fish are biting. The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance in co-operation with Trout Unlimited are hoping to hook families on fishing with a free Family Fishing Festival on Saturday, May 30.

The festival will be held at the Grand Summit Hotel Pond at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine, from 9 am to 2 pm, rain or shine.

For those new to the sport, free casting workshops and fly-tying instruction will be available throughout the day. Instruction will include both spin casting and fly casting for older youth and parents.

No need to bring equipment, Maine’s Hooked on Fishing—Not on Drugs Program will supply complimentary rods and reels for festival use.

Get this: the Grand Summit Pond will be stocked with trout courtesy of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and participants can take home any catches.

There's even swag: Each young angler will receive a mini-tackle box complete with bobber, sinkers and hook courtesy of the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance. Kids can learn how to tie flies with materials provided by Trout Unlimited and fibers from Sunday River Alpacas. Families participating in the event will be eligible for door prizes from local outfitters and businesses.

Of course, food, too: an outdoor barbecue will feed tired anglers.

Can't make it to Bethel? The weekend of May 30-31 is a free fishing weekend throughout Maine. Resident and Non-resident freshwater fishing licenses are waived each day.

For those families wishing to stay overnight and fish or canoe the Androscoggin River on Sunday, special family packages are available for the weekend at local lodging establishments. Check with the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce.

In the market for a ski resort?

No real surprise, as it was bound to happen sooner or later, but embattled American International Group is finally putting Stowe up for sale, according to the Burlington Free Press.

AIG spokesman Peter Tulupman confirmed that the company is indeed looking for a buyer for the Vermont resort.

There is no estimate on when the sale will occur, but the Free Press estimates the resort is worth at least as much at Killington, which sold for $85 million in 2007.

AIG has owned Stowe since 1988.

Marriott is offering active, reserve, and military personnel a deal at 26 Marriott golf courses across the country. With Fairway Furloughs, members of the armed forces with a valid military ID card get discounted green fees/carts, ranging from $29-$69 after 3 p.m. any day of the week, year round. Tee times can be made up to three days in advance.

"In this country, we have hundreds of thousands of active, reserve, and retired military personnel who play golf, and we can't think of a better way to reward their unmatched dedication,'' said Bill Nault, vice president, Marriott Golf.

The complete list of participating courses includes: Camelback Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Desert Springs Golf Resort, Palm Desert, Calif.; Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami, Fla.; Grande Pines Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Grande Vista Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Hawk's Landing Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Renaissance Vinoy Resort, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Shadow Ridge Golf Club, Palm Desert, Calif.; Starr Pass Golf Club, Tucson, Ariz.; The Rookery at Marco, Naples, Fla.; Wildfire Golf Club, Phoenix, Ariz.; Cattails Golf Club, Kingsport, Tenn.; Griffin Gate Golf Club, Lexington, Ky.; Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, Lihue, Hawaii; Stone Mountain Golf Club, Stone Mountain, Ga.; Crane's Landing Golf Club, Lincolnshire, Ill.; Westfields Golf Club, Clifton, Va.; and Willow Crest Golf Club, Oak Brook, Ill.

For more information on the program, visit here.

We’d always heard that Extremadura, Spain’s western province that nestles up against Portugal, was a dry and dusty land that only grew paprika peppers and conquistadors. But it’s spring here, and the storks are ubiquitous. Every deserted church in the countryside is covered with their big twiggy nests, and the arches of the 2,000-year-old aqueduct outside Mérida are topped with storks standing on one leg like seagulls on abandoned shorefront piers. Every so often, a downy-headed chick pokes up its head above the nest—and the adult pushes it back down to safety.

Posted by Patricia Harris & David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

Photo by David Lyon for the Boston Globe

As sure as budding flowers are a sign of spring in Westerly, R.I., so is the bobbing of 20,000 yellow rubber ducks on the Pawcatuck River, in the name of fun and some serious fund-raising.
The 11th annual Rubber Duck Race, hosted by the Greater Westerly-Pawcatuck Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled for April 25, an event that last year raised $80,000 for area nonprofits and schools, said Heather Donnellan, events manager for the chamber.
Each duck is bar-coded. Everyone buying a $5 ticket gets a certificate proclaiming them sponsor of a duck.
The race kicks off at 2 p.m. in this town near the Connecticut border when a pay loader dumps the ducks into the river from the Pawcatuck Bridge, to the screams of thousands of onlookers, Donnellan said. From there, the ducks bump and bob downstream a half mile where the winner is plucked from the water at Donahue Park in Pawcatuck, Conn.
Grand prize is a trip for four to Disney World in Florida or $2,500 cash. There are more than 90 prizes in all, the rest being donated gift certificates to area retailers and restaurants.
Festivities kick off at noon at Donahue Park off Mechanic Street and include face painting, a rock-climbing wall, moon walk, and duck games. Duck sponsorships are available at westerlychamber.org and will be available race day up to 15 minutes before the 2 p.m. start. A separate corporate race is held at 1 p.m. with 150 ducks sold for $150 each, for a $1,500 prize, Donnellan said.
And as you may have guessed, the event is held rain or shine.
‘‘Ducks like both,’’ Donnellan said.

Posted by Paul E. Kandarian, Globe correspondent

westerlychamber.org, 401-596-7761.
PAUL E. KANDARIAN

If you've always wanted to be one of those dysfunctional travelers who navigate the globe on "The Amazing Race,'' here's your chance. The CBS reality TV show is holding open casting calls in Holyoke on March 14 and in Burlington, Vt., on March 19. Two-person teams will be videotaped in two-to-three-minute auditions on a first-come, first-served basis. The tapes will be sent to CBS for screening (no network officials will be at the auditions so don't get too excited). Team members must be at least 21, have valid driver's licenses or photo ID cards, fill out application forms, bring passports, and meet a host of eligibility requirements. The Massachusetts casting call, held by Springfield affiliate CBS 3, is from 1-4 p.m. at the Bernie's store at 250 Whiting Farms Road in Holyoke. The Vermont casting call, held by WCAX-TV, is from 3-6 p.m. at University Mall at 155 Dorset St. in South Burlington. Bon voyage!

Too broke to pay for a lift ticket? Want to win a season's pass to one of Maine's best secrets? Try Randonnee. Saturday, that's tomorrow, folks, Saddleback is hosting the Mountain Challenge. The route traces the Rangeley, Maine, ski area's boundaries. It covers more than seven miles and rises 18,000 feet, taking in terrain ranging from beginner blues to Saddleback's gnarliest black. Competitors will race up the mountain on Hudson's Highway to America using ski mountaineering equipment (metal edges required), then jockey for position as they traverse the area's summit ridge before descending double-black Muleskinner.
First prize is a season's pass for the 2009-2010; second prize is pair of Black Diamond adjustable poles; third prize is SmartWool accessories. No lift ticket is required, but the entry fee is $25, which icludes a tee shirt and spaghetti dinner. Advance registration isn't required, but more information and online registration is available at www.SaddlebackMaine.com.

Posted by Hilary Nangle, Globe correspondent

Remember what your mom used to say: It's all fun and games until someone puts an eye out? Well, the folks at Peak Races in Pittsfield, Vt., (near Killington ski area) have upped the ante. The third annual Death Race will be held June 13 -- here's some advance notice since you will need some time to prepare -- physically and mentally. The course consists of 10 miles of obstacles that must be tackled in order to continue the race. The tasks might include splitting wood, digging tunnels, hiking through a river, chiseling marble, or mucking out sheep stalls. There's a good chance that barbed wire is involved. This is the third year of the race. Last year, only eight of 50 contestants completed the whole course. A prize of $1,000 goes to the first five people who finish in less than 24 hours. To prepare, Peak Races is offering a cheery-sounding Death Camp from May 1-3. This is for serious athletes and includes 30 hours of "extremely painful and grueling" training. Previous winners of the Death Race will speak and give advice. (Yes, they lived to tell about it!) Death Camp, which costs $200, includes lodging, a Saturday-night dinner, plus events and lectures. Are you tough enough?

Vancouver, British Columbia, launched its one-year countdown to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games last week with a concert headlined by Grammy award-winner Sarah McLachlan, and it plans to hold many more special events throughout the year. (The Olympic Winter Games officially begin on February 12, 2010, with the Paraolympic Winter Games starting on March 12.)
From now through March 21, the city’s Cultural Olympiad 2009 celebration offers hundreds of free and ticketed events, including photo exhibits, dance and circus performances, concerts featuring artists from across Canada and beyond (any fans of Australian cult band The Necks?), and stage productions like the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s creative rendition of Peter Pan.
If you happen to be in the city this weekend (Feb. 19-22), head to the Winterruption festival on Granville Island, where you can forget about your below-freezing blues and enjoy free music, theater, film, visual arts, and culinary events. As of this week, you can also tour the new Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre, which will be the venue for Canada’s other most popular ice sport: curling.
Go to Vancouver2010.com for more info on all things Olympic-related.

On Grenada’s west coast, Molinere Bay was a sanctuary for marine life and divers until Hurricane Ivan ravaged the reef. Now the underwater sculptures of UK artist Jason de Caires Taylor attract fish and people once more.
The site located below Molinere Point is a 10-minute boat ride from the capital St. George’s or about two miles by road. Here, Taylor’s sculptures made of concrete are sprinkled casually around the bay in shallow water to about 30 feet. Because they’re unmarked, snorkelers discover them as naturally as they would a patch of coral, swimming into "Vicissitudes,'' a human circle made from casts of children from different ethnic backgrounds; or the apparition of "La Diablesse,'' a she-devil of Caribbean folklore, whose corpse-like face hides under a life-like wide-brimmed hat.
Posted by Patricia Borns, Globe correspondent

Photo of "Vicissitudes'' by Jason de Caires Taylor for The Boston Globe

Boston’s blockbuster New England Spring Flower Show might be on hiatus this year, but backyard warriors can still get a fix of spring in the middle of winter. Everything is coming up roses — at least figuratively — starting Thursday when the Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show takes over the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence for four days.
With a ‘‘Gardens of the World’’ theme, this 16th annual edition aims to satisfy both the craving for spring and a longing to escape to exotic locales. The display gardeners might be New Englanders, but their exhibits show how it’s done in places like the south of France, Italy’s Tuscany region, Spain, and even the Australian outback.
Lectures and demonstrations (some repeating daily) include both the pragmatic and the poetic. Dig into the details of selecting roses for a New England garden, or hear one of our favorite horticultural entertainers, Roger Swain, hold forth on ‘‘If You Can Eat It, Grow It.’’ More than 200 vendors are also expected to be on hand, hawking everything from obscure garden tools to bird baths, fountains, and garden furniture. Why not dream of swinging in a hammock with a glass of lemonade or putting your feet up in the jasmine-scented night air?
The show is open Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday till 6. General admission $17, seniors $15, children ages 6-12 $7.
(2009 Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show)

Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe correspondent

I'll say it now: I'm probably never going to make it to the peak of Mount Everest. And, truth be told, neither are you. That's why you should check out this 360-degree photo on the Web page of John Baez, a mathematical physicist at the University of California at Riverside. Very cool.

Attitash ski resort in Barlett, N.H., is saluting men and women serving in the armed forces with free lift tickets for active duty and retired military personnel and discounted tickets for their families Feb. 7-8 (valid IDs required -see the website for details). There will be a flag parade Saturday starting at the top of Attitash that includes the Marine Corps Honor Guard and ends with the National Anthem at the base area. Military personnel biographies will be exhibited in the resort’s lodges on both days. At each display, guests will be invited to write messages in journals, which will be sent to the respective soldiers. Non-military guests, who are encouraged to bring flags to participate in the parade, can get $10 of a lift ticket by bringing three approved donations to be sent to soldiers overseas. (Check this list of approved items.) In addition, Attitash Grand Summit Hotel is offering military personnel a 25 percent discount on slopeside lodging this weekend. Call 800-223-7669 for details.

Last October, I wrote a story about getting dirty and sweaty on a Barbados vacation where we joined locals exploring little-seen parts of the island on some of the free outings offered by the Barbados National Trust. Now Morris Greenidge, a private Barbadian guide, author and steel-pan music teacher, is leading themed walks engaging a little more brain and less brawn, exploring the island’s melting pot of religions, Amerindian trails, slave history and architecture.
An intellectually curious, articulate former career journalist, Greenidge recently launched a walk in the capitol Bridgetown featuring its melting pot of religions, from two mosques and a Jewish synagogue to Freemansonry and Hindi influences and some dozen Christian faiths. The urban crawls fill a void especially for cruise ship passengers seeking rewarding alternative ground tours.
On Greenridge's upcoming walking schedule:
Feb, 29: Holetown, the original settlement site
March 14 and 21: Bridgetown
April 4, and 11: Bridgetown religious tour
The walks cost $10/per person and groups are limited to twenty. Greenidge also offers custom tours on Wednesdays or Saturdays with 14 days’ notice. For tour times, meeting places and bookings, call his 24/7 cell, 246- 230-7799.
Posted by Patricia Borns, Globe Correspondent

An ancient synagogue in Bridgetown

If you thought Wildcat Mountain’s $9 lift ticket was a sweet deal last Friday, you might want to try and find a way to Mad River Glen tomorrow.

To celebrate the mountain’s 60th anniversary, Mad River Glen is offering lift tickets at the original 1949 price of $3.50. A high of only 19 degrees is predicted in Waitsfield, but at that price, there’s not much more to lose.

This offer, of course, is not applicable for boarders.

Ever since I read "My Lead Dog Was a Lesbian: Mushing Across Alaska in the Iditarod -- the World's Most Grueling Race" (the book is better than the title, by the way) I have been fascinated with dog sledding. If you're itching to be pulled along by friendly Siberian huskies from the Arctic Paws dog sled team, learn the art and history of mushing, and take a turn at controlling the team on a short ride, Stone Hill Center in Williamstown is hosting Family Day, an afternoon of dog sledding, snowshoeing, snow sculpting, and sledding on Jan. 25 from 12:30-3:30. There will be a campfire and hot chocolate - and hopefully, snow. (Lack of snow will cancel the event; check online or call 413-458-2303 to confirm.) All the activities and admission to art galleries are free. Stone Hill Center, which opened in June, is part of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. It houses art galleries and the Williamstown Art Conservation Center.

It doesn't get better than this: Lift tickets will cost $9 this Friday at Wildcat Mountain in Jackson, N.H., The special price celebrates 51 years of lift-serviced skiing and 75 years since the Wildcat Trail was first developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Why $9? Because that's what it cost back in 1958 for 10 gondola rides. There will be plenty of apres-ski events this weekend (DJs, chili, music, and giveaways) and you can upgrade your ticket before 3:30 p.m. for the next day for $39. For a video update on current conditions, (15 inches of new snow fell this past weekend) check out Wildcat's blog.

Snowboarding started as a backyard sport — kids riding these Snurfer-type/skateboard-type boards over homemade jumps and through the trees. Almost 30 years later, The Stash, an all-natural terrain park at Killington that was designed by riders at Burton Snowboards, brings the sport full circle.

Being an old-school skier (translation: I like to keep my skis on the snow), I generally avoid terrain parks. Just watching the riders slide on the street-style metal rails makes me cringe. “Doesn’t it trash your skis’ (or snowboard’s) edges?” I ask. It’s a question mostly answered by shrugs.

In The Stash, the rails are mostly made of friendlier materials — natural materials, such as birch trees and other logs. Even the trash cans are carved from wood. This past week, a rail that arches maybe eight feet off the ground and carved into a dragon from Oregon timber was installed. One snowboarder tentatively slid a couple of feet up it, then jumped off laughing and swearing.

There are five such parks in the world: in addition to Killington, Burton built Stashes at resorts in California (Northstar-at-Tahoe), France, New Zealand, and Austria.

Killington’s Stash winds through the woods for about a half-mile, and the only time I cringed was when a rider lost his balance on a stonewall rail and landed on his backside on the polished concrete top.

Features that made me say "wow" were a jibbable wooden fence, a Sequoia-sized log rail, and the Sugar Shack (minus any maple syrup), where riders were sliding down a stair rail. The day before, some of the Burton-sponsored riders were flying over the shack, I was told. (OK, that would make me cringe too.)

"It's really creative," said Stowe rider Nils Mindnich, 14, who's competed since he was six and is now sponsored by Burton and Red Bull. "It looks like no one had to build much even though it took an immense amount of effort to make. It looks really natural."

Asked whether some of the features were intimidating, Jaron Van Meter, 20, a snowboarder from Rome, N.Y., confessed yes. But he still liked how well all the features were sculpted, the natural feeling of the park, and the "cool atmosphere."

So cool, in fat, that even someone as uncool as me had fun skiing through the trees and watching the riders play.

Posted By Peggy Shinn, Globe Correspondent

New England's ski areas want you -- badly. It's not too hard to find good midweek, two-fer, or half-day deals. But with the price of full-day adult lift tickets costing anywhere between $45-$89 on weekends, something's got to give. Enter Liftopia.com. Buy discounted lift tickets online at up to a dozen or so New England ski areas. For instance, a lift ticket for Jan. 25 (a Sunday) at Wildcat Mountain is regularly $65, but on Liftopia it's $28.99. (If you're good at planning ahead, click on "Flexible Dates" for an overview of prices throughout the ski season.)
So what's the catch? Your name will be given to the ski resort. When you pick up your tickets you must bring along a printout of your Liftopia comfirmation receipt and a show a photo ID. And, the tickets are nonrefundable -- they get your money even if you back out. But with this season's bounty of snow, it may be worth it to get a good deal.

Believe it or not, there is plenty of opportunity to rejoice in the thick white blanket covering New England in the winter,...without knowing how to ski. To live here, is to love the outdoors, and all it's beauty season after season. Get outdoors to see the landscape change into its winter clothes, and maybe, just maybe you'll learn to welcome the season that so many curse.

1. Snow tubing - Cranmore Mountain, North Conway, N.H.
While skiing is their forte, their snow tubing is a huge draw in their Arctic Blast Park. Offering seven lanes of fast fun, there won't be much sitting around. With 2 lifts, snowmaking and night time lights, there is plenty of opportunity to go. All ages are welcome. Children 42 inches and taller may ride solo; little ones may ride with an adult. Two hour ticket is $22. If this is a hit, then purchase a season-long tubing pass for unlimited slippin’ and slidin’ all winter long for $99 per person. [Photo courtesy of Cranmore Mountain]

2. Winter birding - Plum Island, Newburyport, Mass.
Yeah, so you don't even have to break a sweat to enjoy the season outdoors. Birding is for all ages, and all people. All you need to do is observe, appreciate, and identify our winged creatures that were not frightened into migrating south. On Plum Island, veteran birders host birding weekends for both the novice and the expert. In the winter you may spot a snow goose, mute swan, Great black-backed gull, snowy owl or red-bellied woodpecker. And if you haven't seen the dunes in the snow, I suggest you go and at least take in the landscape, letting the others identify all winged creatures for you! [Photo courtesy of Newburyport Chamber of Commerce]

3. Snowmobiling - Alpine Adventures, Lincoln, N.H.
No, you don't need to know how to ride, you don't need to know where you're going and you certainly can bring the kids! Alpine Adventures offers rentals, guided tours, and expert advice on how to make the most of your experience. Alpine Adventures has been touring Franconia Notch State Park and the White Mountain National Forest under special use permits for 12 years. Many guests return each year for family events, a quiet couples outing or group adventure. There are 3 different tours available, and prices range from $69-$134 per person. They'll also help you with lodging packages and other events taking place during your visit, so you can continue with your fun all weekend long. [Photo courtesy Kimberly Sherman]

FULL ENTRY

Ever wonder what it would be like to go on vacation with Ellen DeGeneres and her significant other, Portia de Rossi? Ellen offered viewers this look at the couple's holiday trip to sunny Bora Bora. It's really quite comforting to discover that celebrity vacation footage, even in beautiful and exotic locales, is just as boring as everyone else's.

Under the stars in the Algerian Sahara, our guides make bread in the sand.
One kneads dough in a mixing bowl while another prepares the fire. When the cinders are ready, Salah moves them to the side, and creates a saucer-shaped crater in the sand into which goes the flat round of dough. The whole thing is covered with the cinders and left to cook.
Half an hour later, they again move the cinders and lo, the bread.
Curiously, the sand doesn’t really stick – there’s a thickness to the crust that doesn’t allow it to grab and any little bits disappear with a quick rinse of water.
We’re so far from the rest of the world that at night, there’s no light pollution. Warm bread under the stars.

**********************

Globe travel correspondent Joe Ray writes his own blog, Eating The Motherland and contributes to the English language version of Simon Says! the French food and lifestyle blog run by French food critic Francois Simon.

Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence is ringing in the new year with free admission on New Year's Day. If you can't make it Jan. 1, the zoo is offering half-price admission from Jan. 2-Feb. 28. That's $6 for adults, $4 for seniors 62 and over, and $3 for children ages 3-12 (under 3 are free). Why go to the zoo in winter? The zoo says cold-hardy animals like snow leopards, penguins, bison, seals, and moon bears may be more active. For less hardy visitors, there's always the indoor exhibits at the African Pavilion and the Tropical America and Australasia buildings.

Amid the slumping economy, another travel deal.
OAT, which specializes in adventure itineraries for the over-50 traveler, is halting single supplement fees for all land tours and some small ship cruises for 2009. To get this deal travel must be booked by Jan. 31 and is limited by availability.
Still for single travelers, this is a big deal as it can amount to savings of hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the trip.
According to USA Today's Cruise blog, this is part of a larger plan to market to a key audience segment: single women.
An executive of the Boston tour operator that said that single women account for 70 percent of the firm's business, up from 50 percent a few years ago, and that this year OAT expects about 47,000 women customers.
In fact, the company says that it plans to launch a women's only line of vacations soon. So stay tuned.

Move over, Rockefeller Center. There’s a new ice rink in town.
On Nov. 22, the American Museum of Natural History unveils “The Polar Rink,” just in time for the holiday season in New York City. Built on the Arthur Ross Terrace, the rink is a first for the 140-year-old Upper West Side landmark that starred in the hit movie “Night at the Museum.”
Overlooking Theodore Roosevelt Park and the museum’s Rose Center for Earth and Space, the synthetic ice rink accommodates 200 skaters at a time. A 17-foot tall, stainless steel polar bear sculpture functions as the welcoming mascot at center ice.
Skating hours are Sunday-Thursday noon-8 p.m., Friday, Saturday and holidays 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tickets for a 1-hour skate are $10, students and seniors $9, ages 3-12 $8. For more information, visit www.amnh.org or call 212-769-5200. The museum is at Central Park West and 79th St. in Manhattan. The rink will be open through Feb. 28.

By Jan Shepherd, Globe Correspondent

Photo courtesy of American Museum of Natural History/D. Finnin

Face it, when you think about classic Cowboys-versus-Indians movies, Monument Valley is the scene — thanks to actor John Wayne and director John Ford — that comes to mind. And when it comes to booking a room in Monument Valley, Utah, it's all about the view.

Don't miss out: Plan on staying at The View, which is slated to open on Dec. 31. The new hotel, which edges a canyon rim, is the only lodging within the boundaries of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. It lives up to its name, delivering mesmerizing and jaw-dropping sunset views over Monument Valley's iconic rock formations, the setting for so many classic Westerns.

The closest alternative lodging is Gouldings, a historic lodge and trading post that's just over 5 miles distant. It, too, provides sweeping sunset views of the monument-peppered desert made famous by director John Ford and actor John Wayne, but Goulding's views are less in your face. What Gouldings has is a museum on the property that celebrates the historic trading post and its role in bringing Hollywood to Monument Valley and a small theater that screens John Wayne flicks nightly.

The benefits of staying at The View include staying at a tribal property, being within the park, and views that are far less distant than those at Gouldings. But for fans of the Johns, Wayne and Ford, Gouldings can't be beat.

Either way, you can't go wrong. Prices are reasonable, especially this time of year, and the food available in the restaurants is abundant and good, but not fancy. If you visit, be sure to sample a Navajo taco, a yummy concoction made with fry bread topped with spiced beef, lettuce, tomato, and cheese.

Can't get enough of synthetic ice? New York's American Museum of Natural History is opening an outdoor skating rink (the first in its 140-year history) on Nov. 22. Skaters at the Polar Rink, which will be able to accommodate up to 200 people during a one-hour skating period, will glide on the fake ice around a 17-foot-tall stainless steel polar bear decorated with lights and pine boughs. Since this is a museum, surrounding the rink will be facts about polar bears and the Earth's polar regions, as well as tips on how to be environmentally friendly. The rink's hours will be Monday-Thursday 12 p.m.- 8 p.m., Friday 12-11, Saturday and holidays 11-11, Sunday 11-8. Tickets will be $10 (inlcuding skate rental) for adults, $9 for seniors and students, and $8 for children ages 3-12. The rink will remain open through Feb. 28, 2009.

Always wanted to cruise Norway? Hurtigruten is now offering a deal to let you do it at a pretty good discount. This from the folks at The New York Times:

Hurtigruten is running a two-for-one sale on its 12-day sailings between now and Dec. 14 for bookings made through Nov. 30. Featuring stops at the university town of Trondheim, the Lofoten archipelago, and Alesund, a city known for its Art Nouveau architecture, the cruise usually has starting rates of $2,299 per person, but that price will instead be applied to two people (who must stay in the same room). The same discount is good for the six- and seven-day itineraries, which have starting rates of $1,299 (per couple). All cruises leave from Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city.

If someone asked you where you went on vacation, how cool would it be to answer, "I went on an Icelandic monster truck safari." The folks at Iceland Experience, a division of The Great Canadian Travel Company, certainly know how to market a tour. Their four day-three night "safari" is an escorted tour in a specially modified Land Rover Defender with 38-inch tires. A professional driver will pick you up at the airport in this "super jeep" and whisk you away across Iceland's wild terrain. The stops include the fishing village of Grindavik, dinner at a lobster restaurant in Stokkseyri, Icleland's "Golden Circle" (Gullfoss waterfall, the Geysir hot springs area, and Thingvellir National Park), the glacier valley of Thorsmork, Reykjavik, and the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon. You'll get a chance to get behind the wheel and drive the monster truck yourself a few times on a special track, on mountain roads, and down the black basaltic sand near Skogafoss waterfall. There are departures through April, and the price (based on double occupancy; airfare not included) begins at $3,169 per person.

(Photos by Jesse Mosston)

Columbus Day weekend is usually the peak of foliage season in New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley, and this year Mother Nature is doing her best to cooperate. Marti Mayne, spokeswoman for the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce in North Conway, tells us that as of Thursday, vistas from Pinkham and Crawford notches to North Conway are alive with reds, yellows, and oranges. Mount Washington even has a fresh blanket of snow on it, providing a frosty backdrop. The Mount Washington Observatory's weather forecast calls for sunny to partly sunny days through Sunday, and a partly cloudy day on Monday - perfect weather in which to ramble. Before you go, check out an interactive foliage map for prime leaf peeping.

The movie "The Lord of the Rings" was filmed in dozens of locations throughout New Zealand. Rivendell, that bucolic hideaway and home of the elves, was shot about 45 minutes north of Wellington in Kaitoke Regional Park, a 2,860 hectare park in the foothills of the Tararua Ranges just off State Highway 2. Once in the park, you won't find the movie set anymore, which was built into the steep hills, thickly-covered with bush, and forests of rata, rimu and beech trees. But you can imagine it, and walk around, exploring the park with a guide from a company like Wellington Rover, or on your own. Or go for a lengthy hike. The Hutt River gorge runs through it all, and can be crossed on a swinging footbridge. Just don't forget your action figures
.
*************************************************
Posted by Globe correspondent Ethan Gilsdorf who is traveling in New Zealand to research his book "Escape Artists."

Let’s hear it for Wachusett Mountain for wisely predicting long before the first flakes fall that skiers and snowboarders might be tightening their purse strings this winter amid an uncertain economy. To help ease our pain, the Princeton ski area is offering:

Incentives for those who carpool: If you buy four lift tickets for the same day online, you’ll get free parking (that’s $12).
Early discounted price for a season pass: You can buy a pass at last year’s rate through Oct. 29.
Discounts for college students: Wachusett’s UPass has the same benefits as the Bronze Century Pass, which goes for $209.
Deals on lessons: One-day with rentals, lesson, and lower-mountain lift ticket is $74; two days, $124; three days, $199.
Health plan reimbursement: Fallon Community Health Plan members can use their $300 family fitness reimbursement toward lifts, lessons, and season passes.
‘‘Three-Peat’’ cards: For $99 you get three days of skiing (the days don’t have to be consecutive) anytime during the season. The card can be reloaded after the three days are used.

Vacations may be put on hold as Wall Street trembles and high gas prices keep consumers at home. But for those still looking to get away, "lean and green" may be the mantra.
That's one conclusion of a survey of more than 3,000 US travelers from TripAdvisor LLC of Newton, which operates such branded travel websites as airfarewatchdog.com and smartertravel.com.
Many of the survey's respondents said they plan to go hiking or engage in an outdoor activity in a national park, and 11 percent of respondents said they are "likely to participate in an extreme sports activity," up from 8 percent a year ago, TripAdvisor said.
(The photo above this story was taken from smartertravel.com, where people are invited to post pictures from their vacations. According to the website, this photo was taken by Heather Wade, and it shows Bryan Nay bungee-jumping off Bob's Peak in Queenstown, New Zealand.)
No word yet on how many folks qualify as "extreme and green" vacationers, but green thinking is now part of many travel plan decisions.
"Thirty-four percent of US respondents said they will visit an environmentally-friendly hotel or resort in the coming year," up from 30 percent in a previous survey, TripAdvisor said. "Thirty-two percent of those surveyed said they will be more environmentally conscious in their travel decisions this year than they were the year before. Last year, 26 percent said they would be more environmentally conscious."
TripAdvisor's press release included a statement from Michele Perry, a company vice president.
"An emerging trend," she said, "is travelers getting greener."
Posted by Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Driving north from Wellington was a surprise: no major 4-lane Interstates exist in New Zealand. The major north-south routes are mostly two lane roads. Whadya know ... Here I pull over to the side of the road, take a rest stop and try to figure out where I am and where to go next --- and I take in a good breath of the scenery too.

Posted by Ethan Gilsdorf, Globe correspondent

I spent a day exploring the mini-film empire of Peter Jackson -- the modest but now famous complex of studios, post-production houses and special effects companies. Affectionately called "Wellywood," the facilities are all located on the Miramar peninsula just outside of Wellington. Best known among them are Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, the folks behind creating creatures, costumes and props for "Lord of the Rings," the Narnia films, and others. There's also a newly opened gift shop right near the Weta complex, called the Weta Cave, where fanboys and fangirls can buy figurines and swords and capes, and watch a behind-the-scenes video of Weta magic. As for glimpses into real filmmaking, as you'll see, I was not entirely successful gaining access. But nonetheless, here's a sneak peek at what I could weasel my way into.
Posted by Ethan Gilsdorf, Globe Correspondent

Wellington is a windy city. At least it is now, in September, the start of their spring. And drizzly. The city, set into steep hillsides that drop into the sea, reminds me of San Francisco: mostly wooden homes, lush greenery, and a funky rather than corporate feel. Not that there aren’t high rises and business people running about. But as one person told me, “Auckland is the rat race. Wellington is courteous and friendly.” Bars and cafes line Cuba Street.
It’s also the nation’s capital, the center for arts and generally the creative hub of the country. The national museum, Te Papa, in hunkered down here by the waterfront. On the Miramar peninsula, out by the airport, is where you’ll find New Zealand’s film making facilities, Stone Street Studios and Weta Workshop and Weta Digital. More on that later.
But as I said, it’s windy. I met a Swede today who said, “Have you been to Chicago? I think this place is windier.” In a tour bus that took me and my group past Miramar to Breaker Bay, we saw a surfer who seemed to be having a hard time making it back to shore. Our driver called the police, who called the coast guard. Apparently, the guy made it back to shore. He turned out to be a snorkeler.

It’s fall. It’s got to be done. Get thee to a corn maze! If you’re anything like me, expect a small anxiety attack at imagining yourself hopelessly trapped at closing time. Just have faith that a child will lead you out, if you can keep up. Call ahead for hours and dates of operation — many are open through October, weather permitting. Here’s a small sampling:

Davis Farmland and Mega Maze
145 Redstone Hill, Sterling
978-422-8888
The mother of all corn mazes, with bridges. This year’s theme: the Olympic Games.

Ward’s Berry Farm
614 South Main Street, Sharon
781-784-6939
The huge hay pyramid kids can climb is as popular as the corn maze.

Honey Pot Hill Orchards
144 Sudbury Road, Stow
978-562-5666
A hedge (not corn) maze.

Parlee’s Farm
135 Pine Hill Road, Chelmsford
978-256-2859
Maze open on weekends only. Call for dates of ‘haunted’ flashlight nights in October through the 7-acre labryinth.

Sauchuk Farm
53 Palmer Road (Route 58), Plympton
781-585-1522
Roaming guides will help you not get lost. Afterwards, there's free face-painting for the kids.

New Hampshire ski areas spent about $10 million over the summer spiffing up their alpine and cross-country skiing operations, according to Ski New Hampshire, the statewide association of ski resorts and lodging properties. That's about half as much as the 38 resorts spent last summer on things like new trails, chair lifts, grooming, and snow-making equipment, but "it shows the continuing effort of the ski areas of New Hampshire to provide a high-caliber product for their guests," said spokesman Karl Stone. "A lot of it involves moves to snow-making equipment that's more environmentally friendly and requires lower amounts of energy. A lot of the groomers are being switched over to biodiesel."
Posted by Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

This trip certainly qualifies as “adventure travel,” in the most exciting sense of the word: a quest to fly the first floatplanes ever to reach the Magnetic North Pole.
On Aug. 2, pilots Mark Schoening and Doug DeVries of Seattle departed for a 10,000-mile circumnavigation of Canada via the famed Northwest Passage. The team is flying venerable de Havilland Beaver seaplanes. Midway through the passage, they planned to turn north in an attempt to reach the Magnetic North Pole... you can see how they are faring at the duo’s website. To quote their site: “The High Arctic, the Northwest Passage, de Havilland Beavers, and polar bears, does it get any better than this?”
Equipped with “straight floats,” the Beavers provide access to thousands of remote Arctic lakes only reachable by floatplane or foot. As romantic as this may sound, from a practical standpoint, all of the fuel and supplies must be procured at villages and ports with water access. Except for occasional supply stops in more civilized areas, the team is experiencing the natural Arctic first-hand as they land and camp at remote lakes and ocean inlets. Follow their daily blog, see photos, and track their course on the website. You can also get updates delivered via e-mail.
A film crew which includes Oscar-nominated director of photography, Eric Thierman, is filming the venture in high-definition. The team intends to make a documentary film about the journey though a rugged and fascinating part of our planet.

My mother can barely stand to be in the same room as me after I cook with garlic. When a recipe calls for two cloves, I use eight. When the recipe calls for six cloves, I might throw in two whole bulbs. I love garlic and that's true for fresh herbs that bust with flavor. Apparently I am not alone. Bennington, Vt. holds its 13th Annual Southern Vermont Garlic and Herb festival August 30-31.

Never had garlic ice cream? How about garlic jelly? Come experience area restaurants as they rendezvous under one tent and get cooking with a large variety of garlic-inspired dishes from their respective menus. Garlic bulbs of every variety will be available to sample and purchase. Kids will be entertained with a slew of children's games and activities such as a hay maze, face painting, giant inflatables, and hair braiding. There's even garlic golf. Live music plays in the backdrop all festival long as well.

Boston's Antique and Classic Boat Festival comes to Salem this weekend, Aug. 23-24. Touring vessels and meeting skippers and their crew bring the sea to life as you explore vintage motor yachts, 1920s-era mahogany runabouts, sloops, sharpies and more. Some captains and crew sport vintage attire, while others take the time to set period displays and floral arrangements aboard their vessels. Boat owners are excited to share their boat's history, and their own personal experiences too. The purpose of the festival is to encourage owners to keep up such treasured old craft, for if they don't bother, then maritime heritage is lost. Along with the boats, visitors get artists, crafters, live music and a ceremonial Blessing of the Fleet to round out their day. Cost is a $5 donation while children under 12 are free.

There's nothing better than a 6-year-old trying to figure out our mixed-up language. And this question about 'meese' we got last weekend as we camped quite north in New Hampshire, where signs about braking for moose are for real, and the kids stare out the windows with unblinking eyes expecting to see a real life Bullwinkle.

Anyway, this weekend, Aug. 22-24, is Colebrook, N.H.'s 17th annual North Country Moose Festival. Several towns combine efforts to bring you the best of auto shows, food, crafters, entertainers and more, all while celebrating the animal that locals see as often as the neighbor's dog. Come participate in the auctions, raffles, photography contest, and take a guided moose tour even, as you explore New Hampshire's gorgeous North Country.

So for about a year now I've had this (borderline unrealistic) fantasy about traveling through the US and Canada while living out of my Jeep. And wouldn't this car camper serve that trip perfectly?
Produced by the California-based company Ursa Minor Vehicles, the pop-up sleeper called Ecamper, sleeps two and costs a cool $4,300 (more if you want the color to match your car, have your radio wired up into it, and for roof racks to be added.)
According to the website, the Ecamper is currently only compatible with the Honda Element. Looks like my Jeep will just have to wait.

[A bike trail on Martha's Vineyard / Photo Credit: Nicole Cammorata]

I love Martha's Vineyard — the beaches, the seafood, the island charm. But if I'm not careful, it can wear out my wallet faster than you can say "Land 'ho." So on a recent trip with my best friend (and up-for-anything travel buddy extraordinaire) Karla, we tried a new approach. To keep costs to a minimum, we ditched the car on the mainland, loaded all our gear for the weekend on our bikes, and bunked under the stars at the Martha's Vineyard Family Campground in Vineyard Haven.

We biked our way up island from Vineyard Haven to Menemsha (about 14 miles), spent the day at the beach, later grabbed takeout from the nearby Home Port Restaurant, and ate seaside as the sun set. Scores of others also dined on the beach and we sang along to a man strumming some golden oldies on his guitar just a few feet away. We heard rumors that the crowds applaud the end of the sunset, but during our trip the sky was cloudy, and we lost the sun before it got to the horizon. Once it was dark, we hitched a ride back to the campground on the island-wide bus (complete with bike racks!)

Biking with our gear proved to be an exhilarating experience. Were we top-heavy and a bit unsteady at times? Sure. Would I do an encore biking/camping trip on the island? Absolutely. Once we got going it was easy to adjust to the weight on the bikes. The only times we were completely loaded up was on our way from the ferry to the campground (about 2 miles) and then at the end of the weekend on the way back to the ferry. Packing all our gear on our bikes and opting to camp rather than stay somewhere pricier made the trip feel more like an adventure — one that I look forward to doing again.

A lot happens in the backcountry during five days, particularly when you bring 8 people together to work on a trail crew.
I tried to capture much of it in a story that appeared last weekend in The Boston Globe Travel section. And Dina Rudick, Globe photographer, has more in a series of videos and photo galleries you can find here.

Plenty didn't make it though, so here is another short video:

And a few snippets of dialogue. You imagine the context of the conversations:

"The whole sky just turns into a hotel ice machine. It's so bizarre."

---

"The Corral Bar is great, but you can get beat up. The Bottoms Up Brewery is safe, but you'll never drink, because the waitresses have amnesia."

---

"It sits up on the bench. Follows that bench a long way."

---

"Every kind of aquatic species does the opposite of what you want 'em to do. If you want to flow out, they'd swim upstream."

---

"When it's rainy, gray and crappy, that's when you say, 'man, this weather is Baltic'."

---

"I guarantee if Dick Cheney were going in there fishing, they'd have that cleared out."

---

"Gargoyles. Lightning in the form of the anarchy symbol. It just didn't look good."

---

"There's a bar in Butte called the Pisser's Palace."

---

"Heard something, and I thought it was the wind whistling through my rifle strap. And I look up, and there's about 1,000 sandhill cranes, struggling against the wind."

---

"I did shoot up a microwave with an AK-47 once."

---

"If you get hungry and eat a second one of these, you should be able to know the future or something. If you eat that much sodium."

They provide oxygen, reduce carbon dioxide, and help prevent erosion. They give us wood, paper, shade, shelter, and something pretty to look at. And we cut them down. Time to go out on a limb and learn some treeology, a word coined for the study of trees and how to enjoy them.
Tyler Arboretum in Media, Pa., is exhibiting one-of-a-kind tree houses designed and built by local artisans in a show called "Totally Terrific Treehouses." Architects, builders, students, and artists created 16 imaginative structures aimed at exploring those big green things that we most always take for granted.
There’s a metal house, a house with bells hanging through the roof that visitors are encouraged to ring, elevated boardwalks, a full-size replica of Henry David Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond, a treehouse shaped like an igloo, and a human-scale birdhouse.
What are you waiting for? Go climb a tree. The exhibit runs through Sept. 28.

No, this just isn't any old Hot Air Balloon Fest...this is the Hillsborough Balloon Festival and Fair! While the show-stoppers tend to be the gorgeous inflatables rising above the mountains, this event has so much to offer, it seems likely you won't be able to fit it all in. There will be fireworks, a 5K, carnival midway, live music and entertainment, tractor pulls, mud bogs, and artist's fair, despite the large balloons filling the skies.

So, you want to take a ride but are afraid...no problem. Alternative Number 1 is to try out Tethering. When a balloon tethers, it is secured to the earth so it will return to the spot from which it took off. Accompanied by the pilot, you will "go up" about 50 feet then come back to the ground. The cost is $10 per person to go up for approximately 5 minutes. Or you can choose Alternative Number 2: Night Glow. A Night Glow isn't a ride, but it is one heck of a show. Once fully inflated, the propane burner is adjusted so as to create a white flame that illuminates the balloon and makes it glow. The night glow is free too. See, no flying needed for full enjoyment.

The festival runs July 10-13 with the 2008 theme of "Celebrating Family & Friends"...easy to achieve in such atmosphere. Parking donation is $5 but general admission is free with extra fees charged for certain events [you can't ride in a balloon without a cool $175]. Leave Fifi at home as absolutely no pets of any kind are allowed on the fairgrounds. Balloon liftoffs and nightglow events are subject to weather conditions, and in the event of rain-out Saturday, fireworks will be rescheduled for Sunday with the festival remaining open until 10 PM.

This summer, Iceland’s hot. Iceland Experience has a travel package timed to coincide with the July 11 Hollywood premiere of a movie starring Brendan Fraser based on Jules Verne’s novel, ‘‘Journey to the Center of the Earth.’’ Iceland Experience is quick to point out that while its fly-drive tour will not really take you to the center of the earth, it will bring you to the starting point for the adventure that took Verne’s travelers deep into the earth (Snaefellsjokull Glacier ). There are daily departures year-round. Starting at $909 per person, the package includes:

• Three nights’ lodging (with breakfast) in Reykjavik
• Four nights lodging (with breakfast) in the countryside
• Five-day vehicle rental with unlimited mileage

You may not see many celebrities, but you will see lots of geothermal activity. Stops include Sellfoss, in the center of hot springs and waterfalls; Gulfoss, Iceland’s most famous waterfall; and the Geysir, an erupting hot spring.

Besides celebrating a movie premiere, things are really hopping in Reykjavik. The Gay Pride Parade is Aug 7-10 ; Reykjavik Cultural Night is Aug. 23; and the Reykjavik Marathon also is Aug. 23. Tourists in the know will pick up a Reykjavik Tourist Card, which provides admission to all the thermal pools in the capital, city buses, the National Museum, the Reykjavik Zoo, and more. It comes in increments of 24, 48, or 72 hours and costs about $20-$39.

A lot of people will be bound for Cape Cod this summer, and parents in particular might be looking for an alternative to the Wii, the Xbox, and the television. Have you thought about getting the kids onto the Internet? Kidding, kidding. An antidote to all of the above would be fresh air and a new perspective on nature, and to that end, the Mass. Audubon Society has several kayaking programs for all ages and levels of ability. The Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary in the Barnstable village of Cummaquid has some 38 guided kayak trips scheduled this summer, and the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary has 23 trips planned along the Outer Cape.
For example, Long Pasture is hosting a trip tomorrow (that’s June 28) from 9 a.m. to noon that will traverse Cape Cod’s largest barrier beach and salt marsh system, Sandy Neck. Kayakers will explore the many tidal creeks and islands of Barnstable Harbor in search of shorebirds, osprey, horseshoe crabs, and other marsh inhabitants. They will also make a landing at the Sandy Neck barrier beach, a pristine, 6-mile stretch of coastline protected by the town of Barnstable. This trip is intended for those with previous kayaking experience, yet all experience levels are welcome. The cost is $35 for Mass. Audubon members, $40 for nonmembers, and kayaks, paddles, and life vests are provided. To register or for more information, call 508-362-7475. For the first time, the Long Pasture sanctuary will also offer trips this summer to the Herring River in West Harwich and the Bass River in Dennis.
Wellfleet Bay will offer nine twilight canoe paddles across a string of interconnected ponds in Wellfleet. For more complete immersion, sign up for Wellfleet Bay’s “Coastal Ecology by Kayak” program, a four-day course that provides training for shorebird identification and analysis of coastal botany. Two sessions will run: July 30-Aug. 2 and Aug. 13-16. For more information on these programs, go to the Long Pasture or Wellfleet Bay websites and click on “program catalog” on the left side of the page.

If the mountain won't come to you... go on a three-day rock-climbing getaway in New Hampshire. REI (yes, the outdoor clothing and camping supply company) has put together a great selection of outdoor adventures, many of which are right here in New England. The rock-climbing adventure takes place at Rumney Rocks, about 8 miles outside of Plymouth, N.H., and the introductory course is perfect for those who have never before gripped a crag with a be-chalked hand. For trip dates (including women-only climbs), go to rei.com/adventures or call 800-622-2236. Posted by Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff

Rumney Rocks, a popular rock climbing site in central New Hampshire, will reopen tomorrow, Friday. The area had been closed for several days as crews fought a slow-burning but stubborn fire that scorched much of the surrounding area on Rattlesnake Mountain.

Staff at the White Mountain National Forest issued a press release today cautioning returning hikers and climbers to beware dangerous debris, snags and more in the fire area. Trail edges may be unstable and, even if the surface looks level, it could collapse under a hiker's weight.

The release outlined additional risks for climbers: Those "returning to the crags in the Orange Crush, Bonsai, Main Cliff, and Darth Vader areas should be aware that previously exiting bolts, carabineers, slings, quick draws and anchors may no longer be stable."

For updates, visit here.

Tread lightly, and have fun.

When you visit Cape Cod for that much-needed “staycation” this summer, you may grow tired of lolling on the beach and trolling for fried seafood. Why not break the monotony by making a break for Monomoy Island, where you can watch seals as they loll about and troll for food? For the 20th year, the Mass. Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is offering cruises to see the seals off the coast of Chatham. The seasonal cruises, which are guided by a naturalist, start Tuesday, June 17, and provide a close-up look at hundreds of gray seals. There are harbor seals around and about most of the time as well. These creatures can make the ordinary pastimes of resting and swimming very entertaining. The cruises are about 90 minutes long and will be held every Tuesday at 9 a.m. through Sept. 2, and every Sunday at 2 p.m. from July 6-Aug. 31. The cost is $40 for members of Mass. Audubon, $45 for nonmembers, and children 12 and under pay $5 less. Registration is required, and the trip are limited to 17 participants. Contact the wildlife sanctuary at 508-349-2615 or go here for more information.

Have you ever gotten up early to watch the sunrise? Let me rephrase that: Have you ever gotten up early to drive to the top of the highest peak in the Northeast to watch the sun come up over the Atlantic Ocean? The Mount Washington Auto Road is opening early on three Sundays this summer (June 29, Aug. 3, and Aug. 31) to allow drivers extra early access to the summit of Mount Washington. On June 29, the auto road will open at 3:30 a.m., on Aug. 3 it will open at 4 a.m., and on Aug. 31 it will open at 4:30 a.m. The regular rate applies ($20 per car and driver, $7 each additional adult, $5 for ages 5-12, and children under 4 free) as do certain vehicle restrictions. These rates include that famous bumper sticker and an audio tour on CD or cassette in English, French, or German. On a regular day, most vehicles take about 30 minutes to make the 7.6-mile ascent. Just don’t wait until the last minute to arrive. The popularity of last year’s sunrise drives showed that it may take as long as 30 minutes just to get through the Toll House at the mountain’s base. Someone once said, ‘‘We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness.’’ So what’s a little exhaust?

Not that you necessarily need a huge incentive to want to lounge on an unspoiled beach on Curaçao, an eclectic little tropical island with Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, and African influences off the north coast of Venezuela, but through November Continental Airlines is offering round trips to the island (just from Newark, sorry) starting at $378 with a $140 credit toward your vacation. Details at curacao.com.

While you're there, be sure to check out the Curaçao Ostrich Farm, one of the biggest such farms outside of Africa; the Curaçao Seaquarium, where you can snorkel or scuba dive in tanks and hand-feed stingrays, sea turtles, and sharks; and Dolphin Academy, where you can meet and swim with dolphins.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has recognized the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council in Rhode Island with a 2008 Tourism for Tomorrow Award. The awards, in association with Travelport, recognize and promote best practices in sustainable tourism development all over the world. They were presented last month in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The judges applauded Blackstone Valley and its director, Bob Billington, for their success in revitalizing the Blackstone River Valley in Rhode Island, a string of nine communities once known for polluted rivers and abandoned businesses. “Through a destination stewardship approach to tourism development, including the preservation of the area's natural, cultural and historical heritage, BVTC has succeeded in uniting a community and awakening it to its new economic potential,” judges said.

The most visible successes are the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket, Slater Mill Historic Site in Pawtucket, and the Samuel Slater Canal Boat (pictured), an English-built craft that plies the waters of the Blackstone River by day and is a floating bed-and-breakfast by night.

Here’s an entry in the “good ideas for city living” department.

Sevilla, Spain, is a tangle of narrow little alleys, one-way streets, and main thoroughfares where the drivers must take their training at the bullring. (Sound familiar?) Driving a car in Sevilla is, at best, an inconvenience, and usually much worse than that. But the city is undaunted in its efforts to make it easier to get around. The city government’s “Infrastructure for Sustainability” office sponsors a solution so obvious that even Boston could do it. The SEVICI initiative touts bicycle riding as good for the environment—and makes it irresistible by proving access to nice, solid bikes for only 5 euros a week (or 10 euros per year, if you live there). The snazzy silver and red vehicles are parked at 250 high-tech stands all over the city. Each stand has a kiosk where you can subscribe with a credit card and pick up and deposit bikes. For more details on the program (Spanish only—sorry) take a look at the website: www.sevici.es.

Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

If you haven't been training, then it may be a little late for this weekend's 7 Sisters Trail Race in Amherst. As the race website promises:

"Very scenic overlooks of the Pioneer Valley with views of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, Hampshire College and the Town of Amherst, as well as a beautiful view of the Connecticut River and Northampton to the west."

Only problem is, those views come while humping up and down very rocky terrain for 12 miles.

If you need a bit more time to get in shape, there're always the races at the Pineland Farms Trail Challenge, in New Gloucester, Maine.

Those races are bit longer, at 25 kilometers, 50 kilometers, and 50 miles. And as the web site warns: "The trails are wide and non-technical, but very hilly. Although there are no major climbs the rolling terrain is unrelenting."

Happy trails...

Last week's April school vacation was pretty ho-hum for my kids, except for a surprise my husband and I launched at the last minute to completely blow their minds. (Not all that hard to do with a 9- and a 7-year-old.) Back in November we "won" a gift certificate for a helicopter ride for four at a silent auction to benefit our local schools. We cashed it in on a warm spring day when fuel prices are sky-high, so I'm guessing we got a bargain.
We donned headphones, strapped in, and lifted off from Norwood Airport. Our pilot took us on a 1-hour tour over Boston with running commentary. (It was cool to hear him on the radio politely requesting clearance for our various buzz-overs.) We peeked into the upper levels of office buildings downtown, flew over the USS Constitution (educational, no?) and Bunker Hill (looks surprisingly small from above), and saw our reflection in the John Hancock tower (the only bumpy part -- the air up there seems to follow its own weather pattern).

FULL ENTRY

The May issue of Parents magazine has compiled of list of what it considers the 10 best US and Caribbean beach resorts for families. Lo and behold, a Cape Cod resort clocks in at number 8, competing alongside heavy hitters in Florida, Hawaii, California, and the Caribbean. The rankings are based in part on cost, quality of supervised children’s programs, variety of family activities, and quality of pool and beach areas. In order of their rankings, here's the list:
1. Sheraton Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya (Bahamas)
2. Club Med Punta Cana (Dominican Republic)
3. South Seas Island Resort (Captiva Island, Fla.)
4. Atlantis, Paradise Island (Bahamas)
5. Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (Florida)
6. Beaches Negril Resort and Spa (Jamaica)
7. Hilton Hawaiian Village (Honolulu)
8. Ocean Edge Resort & Spa (Brewster)
9.Loew’s Coronado Bay Beach Resort & Spa (San Diego)
10. Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort Casino & Spa (Puerto Rico)

Snow may have evaporated from most of New England’s neighborhoods and forest floors, but up in O Canada --- namely, at Rigaud, Québec’s Sucrerie Lavigne, about an hour west of Montreal --- you can still experience maple sugaring season, and eat yourself silly on a traditional Quebecois brunch. To a half century-old sugar shack, Jean-Paul and Claire L. Lavigne added a rambling and folksy dining hall where locals mingle with weekenders to scarf down the $20 all-you-can-eat buffet. The menu includes potatoes, beans, eggs, sausage, ham, homemade pickles --- plus some unexpected, local specialties like a custardy, eggy concoction called “omelette au lard”; pork cracklings; pea soup; squares of pork fat pate called “cretons”; and, for dessert, luscious, thick pancakes (more the consistency of crepes than pancakes) and maple sugar pie. All drenched in real maple syrup. If you’re not already bloated to bursting, waddle outside to the window where you can sample fresh sugar-on-snow taffy on a stick. There’s also horse drawn wagon rides, walking trails and sugar shack to poke into.

The calendar says it’s spring, but sometimes it’s up to you to go out and find it yourself. A good place to grab the season by the scruff of its neck is at the Garden in the Woods, the headquarters and botanic garden of the New England Wild Flower Society in Framingham. This ‘‘living museum,’’ which opens officially for the season on April 15, has more than 1,500 native plant species, along with many rare and endangered specimens. Family and children's programs coming up in May include Flower Power on May 18 (learn about flowers’ awesome powers at the height of the spring bloom) and Fairies in the Garden on May 29 (hunt for the woodland sprites among the wildflowers and build a fairy house.)

I don’t travel half as much as people think I do, especially overseas. And there are many countries I’ve yet to visit. Bhutan, for instance. Instead, I live vicariously through my Where they Went subjects, whose trips I write about every week in the Boston Globe.

One such journey was in April, when three friends from the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) spent time hiking in Peru. Marianne Page of Derry, N.H., did all the planning as part of her preparation to become an AMC leader. She’s now officially co-leading a trip to Glacier National Park in Montana this summer, which has already filled up. But her trekking and sightseeing trip in Bhutan still has openings. (If any of you have done AMC trips, I’d love to hear about them.)

FULL ENTRY

Thanks to the tanking dollar against the rising pound and Euro, accents are
plentiful on New England's slopes, from the Eastern Europeans manning the
lifts to the Brits skiing. Bretton Woods, N.H., is no exception. So, I
wasn't surprised, when I struck up a conversation on the Rosebrook Express
chair, to hear what sounded like a British accent peppering the reply to my
usual conversation opener: "Having a good day?"
I've met folks from all over and received insider tips from those chance
chairlift meetings, and I've meet folks from Newfoundland to Alaska, Bosnia
to New Zealand. But until yesterday, no one had ever replied to my "Where's
home?" question with "The Isle of Man."
Whoa -- I Googled the grade school geography files collecting dust in my
brain: Great Britain, no; Ireland, no; Scotland, close; Wales, not really.
Hmm, as familiar as I was with the name, I couldn't pinpoint it on my
inner-vision map.
"It's way out in the Irish Sea," he said. At least I was somewhat close in
my mental ramblings.
Back in my room, I Googled my computer's brain. Ahhh yes. The 227-square-mile Isle
of Man is located between England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales (roughly
midway between Liverpool, England, and Belfast, Ireland). It's a
self-governing kingdom with its own language (Manx) and currency, although
English is the spoken language and the pound is accepted. Its parliament,
called Tynwald, was founded by the Vikings 1,000 years ago. Who knew? Not
me, but I'm intrigued enough to see if I can add it to a travel itinerary
the next time I'm in the general area.
But it won't be for skiing: It doesn't have a ski resort.

Posted by Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

Is walking on Greenland’s ice cap before it melts on your life list? How about taking a musk oxen safari? Well, here’s an inconvenient truth for you: it’s not getting any colder so what are you waiting for? The Great Canadian Travel Co. has a Greenland Climate & Culture tour this summer to the country’s isolated Arctic high country. You’ll spend two nights at Hotel Umimmak in Kangerlussuaq, experience up close some of the area’s 5,000 musk oxen, stay five nights at the Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat, travel in a specially outfitted 4-wheel-drive vehicle to the ice cap, take a sled-dog tour, and take a full-day boat excursion to the Eqi glacier. Optional excursions include helicopter tours to Ilulissat glacier and a boat tour with evironmentalist David Hatch to the settlement of Ilimanaq. Departures, starting at $3,969 per person, are planned for Aug. 7 and Aug. 14.

Whatcha doin' for dinner Friday night? Sam Hayward, James Beard award-winning chef at Portland's Fore Street, is taking a road trip to Carrabassett Valley, Maine. Nah, he's not skiing at the 'loaf; he's volunteered to prepare a five-course fund-raising dinner at the newly opened Poplar Stream hut, the first in the new Maine Huts & Trails network.

For $250, you get to work up an appetite by hiking, skiing, or snowshoeing about 2.5 uphill miles into the snowy Maine wilds , bed down (don't forget your sleeping bag) in one of the four- to 12-bunk dorms, and savor both that five-course dinner--with wine pairings--and breakfast prepared by Hayward. Space is limited. For more info and the menu go to the site; for reservations, call 877-634-8824.

After returning to civilization on Saturday, mosey over to Sugarloaf to watch the US Alpine Championships downhill race, which will feature some of the best Alpine skiers in the country, many fresh off the World Cup trail. The championships continue through March 26.

Posted by Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

If you collect places with interesting names (Truth or Consequences, N.M.; Tightsqueeze, Va.; Dunmovin, Calif. — you get the drift already) have I got the place for you: God’s Pocket, British Columbia. Sea Kayak Adventures has a sea kayak trip July 7-11 suitable for families with teens 13 and older. Stay in a rustic seven-room lodge on a remote uninhabited island in God’s Pocket Marine Provincial Park off the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Paddle by day among the network of waterways surrounding the islands that make up the park, hike into an island rainforest, spot whales, sea otters, and bald eagles, and unwind in the evening with a hot meal (featuring locally caught seafood) and a dip in the hot tub. The five-day tour is $1,699 per person and includes all kayaking gear and instruction, lodging, meals, and certified guides.

As far as cool neighborhoods go, Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown is near the top of my list. The shops, boutique hotels, restaurants, bars, and bookstores could make you forget it’s almost cherry blossom time over at the Tidal Basin. Hotel Monticello (on Thomas Jefferson Street off M Street) is a comfortable, spacious, quiet, recently renovated all-suite small hotel that offers packages for weekends of pampering, romance, or traveling with family. A deluxe king suite starts at $149 (but prices go up as the weather warms up). The Old Stone House, D.C.'s oldest known dwelling, is just up the street. Nosh on sushi, gourmet pizza, or pastry with a mean cup of cappuccino at Marvelous Market (on P Street at Wisconsin Avenue). Snack on shawarma or a falafel at George’s, King of Falafel on 28th Street off M. Next door is a great place for dinner: Zed’s Ethiopian Cuisine, where you’ll scoop up spicy chicken and beef dishes with injira, a spongy bread. A romantic dinner for two, with drinks, is around $50. If you don’t mind the 15-minute walk to the Foggy Bottom Metro station, Georgetown is a great area to stay for a weekend getaway.

If you loved Anne Gordon's polar bear story in the Globe, The Great Canadian Travel Co. has four fall trips that are sure to tempt you.

Go north to Churchill, the "Polar Bear Capital of the World,'' on three-, four-, six- and seven-day tours that range in price from $1,589 to $3,489 (Canadian).

Explore the sub-arctic on a Tundra Buggy after a flight from Winnipeg to Churchill, 650 miles north on Hudson Bay. A naturalist guide accompanies all groups.

In two days of touring, Gordon's group saw 62 bears, and as Anne reported, one so close that she could feel his breath.

“I’m tired from yesterday,” I overheard a skier say at Pico today. I looked at him, smiled and added, “And the day before, and the day before, and the day before that too.”

We were part way down a steep trail called KA (named after Pico’s first ski instructor Karl Acker) and had stopped to catch our breath. All the snow that fell last week — 27 inches, they say — lay in soft, puffy moguls beneath us. It was like skiing in Colorado without the hassle of air travel. Except I was so tired — my back in knots, my quads too sore to touch — that I probably should have stayed home. Not that I’m looking for sympathy (and my husband reminds me that I deserve none). But who can stay home when the skiing is this good?

Posted by Globe correspondent Peggy Shinn

FULL ENTRY

Panama runs long and lean east and west. It is narrowest in its middle, where the 48-mile-long canal has split the country in two for nearly a century.

Our route from the capital would stick to land, traversing the canal on a high bridge opened in 2003 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Panama's separation from Colombia. We planned then to continue on the Pan American Highway through the dry fields of Cocle and the foothills of Veraguas and down again to a valley home to parched heat and the city of David, the nation's second-largest city.

Before Essdras and I left Panama City, we stopped to pick up a friend of his who has been working as a Panama Canal pilot for 14 years. When the big cargo ships arrive at the Atlantic or Pacific side hoping to get through the canal, Essdras's friend is one of those who climbs aboard and guides the ships through. The canal is the only place in the world, apparently, where the pilot -- normally an advisory role to the captain -- takes full command of the ship.

This is a photo taken by Essdras of a ship passing through the canal's Miraflores Locks.

FULL ENTRY

Attention all slacker moms (and dads): now’s the time to start thinking about summer camp for your kids, in case you haven’t heard. Here’s an option: if the kids whine about adults not having to go to camp, why not take the bull by the horns and go with them? Hog Island Audubon Center in midcoast Maine has one-of-a-kind family camps. The center's Family Birding Adventure (June 29-July 5) focuses on bird-watching activities. Family Camp (July 6-11) is about all things outdoors, including locating Atlantic puffins, harbor seals, and bald eagle nests. The Labor Day Family Retreat (Aug. 30-Sept. 1) includes easy strolls on Hog Island, a boat cruise, and a lobster feast. Hog Island is a 330-acre island about four hours north of Boston and run by Maine Audubon, which supports wildlife conservation. And now, dear readers, a question (or three): Where do you send your kids to camp? Is it a sleep-away or day camp? Do you try different camps every year or stick with tried-and-true camps? This slacker mom wants to know.

Going somewhere this weekend? Great, while you’re there count the birds! Nothing to do this weekend? Even better, count the birds in your backyard! Today through Monday is the Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual four-day event that creates a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the country. Just keep a tally of as many birds you see at as many places as you want for at least 15 minutes. Then enter your observations at the event’s website, where you’ll find regional bird checklists, an online bird guide, a photo contest, slideshows, and bird-feeding tips. Your counting helps scientists document the complex dynamics of an extremely large and diverse animal population. Last year, participants reported 11 million birds, for a total of 616 species. Happy hunting!

So, communing with nature sounds great to you -- in theory at least. But the allure of the great outdoors pales a bit when you find the accompanying living conditions a bit too ... outdoorsy, shall we say. Perhaps the latest iteration will make you a more enthusiastic outdoors enthusiast. It’s called “glamping,” or glamour camping, and it combines the best of both worlds for those so inclined: a wilderness camp setting with deluxe comforts, such as hot showers, daily maid service, plush-top king beds, triple-sheeted linens, and gourmet cuisine. These amenities are available in what is billed as California’s newest backcountry “tent hotel,” the Sequoia High Sierra Camp. The camp is perched at 8,200 feet in Giant Sequoia National Monument in Central California, about three hours north of Los Angeles. Guests can drive their own vehicle to a trailhead, then hike an easy, well-marked 1-mile trail to the camp, or hike a moderately strenuous 12-mile route which takes an average of 8 hours, starting at neighboring Sequoia National Park. Recreation options include scenic day hikes and abundant fly fishing, with a picnic lunch. Three California-style gourmet meals prepared by an on-site chef are included in the daily rates, which are $250 per person. Operating dates for the 2008 season are June 13-Oct. 5, weather permitting. Hey, even glamour campers must occasionally bow to the elements. For more information, go here or call 866-654-2877.

Got cabin fever? Nothing like a little stargazing to snap you out of it. Sharon Friends of Conservation is hosting an astronomy night Feb. 16 at Moose Hill Farm, which is down the street from the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon. Several telescopes will be on hand. If you don’t know Orion from a hole in the ground, knowledgeable volunteers from SFOC and the South Shore Astronomical Society will field questions. Hot drinks and a warming room will be available. Dress warmly and park at Moose Hill Farm at 396 Moose Hill St. Did I mention it’s free? (If Feb. 16 is impossibly overcast, astronomy night will be Feb. 17.) Call 781-784-4625 for more information.

Maybe your legs are shot from skiing or you’re just looking for a different way to explore the mountains. Great Glen Trails in Pinkham Notch, N.H., is whisking people up the Mt. Washington Auto Road this year aboard a custom-designed SnowCoach, which is a 9-passenger van that has a unique track system instead of tires. The SnowCoach takes passengers to treeline, at about 4,000 feet, where they can enjoy expansive views of the White Mountains. Those interested in getting a workout, can snowshoe 4.5 miles back down the road. SnowCoach tours last just over an hour and run 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, weather permitting, through March. Tickets are $40 for adults, $25 for kids 5 to 12, and there’s no minimum age. Call 603-466-2333 for more info.

OK, it pains us to mention the place at the moment, but there is good reason to head for Arizona, and it has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with football (promise!!). The Patriots' desert downer notwithstanding, there is a place to get away from it all with golf, spa, nature, horseback, and family packages, all at the Rancho de los Caballeros in Wickenburg, Ariz., about an hour northwest of Phoenix in the high Sonoran Desert. Who knows? Bill Belichick may be there now, licking his wounds and plotting another assault on 19-0. Among the options at the Rancho are getaway weekends for men (one of which is titled Guys, Guns & Golf) and for women (Giddy-Up Gals and Divot Divas Diversion, the latter for women who want to work on their golf games in a relaxed setting). Weekend packages include two nights lodging and three meals a day and a variety of activities, depending on the package.
The Rancho de los Caballeros is a historic guest ranch and golf club that is celebrating 60 years as a family-owned resort, and they like to think they have the mix just right: WiFi in Western boots, cocktails by the campfire, and pedicures after team penning (for you tenderfoots, that's an Western riding pastime). Accommodations range from ranch doubles to suites with spectacular Bradshaw Mountain and desert views, and rates start at $462 a night, double occupancy, and include three meals daily and use of ranch facilities. Children 4 and under stay free. Call 800-684-5030 or go here for more information and to check on availability.

CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine -- After spending a winter day outdoors
skiing, snowshoeing or snowmobiling, it's nice to come home to a hot

meal. "Sugarloaf Cooks" provides plenty of options for preparing one.
It also dishes on plenty of good ways to start the day, from Swedish
oven pancakes to meal-in-a-muffin. Sure, there are the expected crock-
pot favorites, pastas and chiles, but these are balanced with
creative recipes ideal for entertaining, such as salmon with orange-
champagne sauce and Roquefort-stuffed tenderloin with duxelle
topping. The cookbook, published in autumn 2007, is a fundraiser for
a new library/community center for Carrabassett Valley, home of
Sugarloaf Ski Area. It's available for $15 at shops throughout the
area. It's a great souvenir for a good cause.

And speaking of Sugarloaf, mountain crews did a fabulous job grinding
up yesterday's, how-shall-I-put-this-gently, "hardpack," and turning
it into loose granular with even a few spots that approached powder,
at least on the trails I skied this morning: Tote Road, Sluice,
Spillway, Binder and Scoot. If tonight's predicted five inches
blankets that, it should be a fine weekend, indeed.

Posted by Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

The sign on the Pioneer Press newspaper vending box declares: "We've Got It. They Don't.'' In this case, "It'' is a weekly TV guide and "They'' are the StarTribune, the daily broadsheet on the other side of the river. Minneapolis and St. Paul may be the Twin Cities, but their sibling rivalry endures, particularly on the right side of the Mississippi.

St. Paul, which was incorporated in 1854, may have been first out of the womb, but Minneapolis comes earlier in the alphabet and is always mentioned first. It has more square miles and more people than St. Paul and also has the airport and three of the four professional teams.

St. Paul has the capitol, which resembles a frosted Christmas ornament when it snows. It also has the State Fair and the Winter Carnival. For local luminaries, there are F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Schulz (the Peanuts man), Herb Brooks (the Miracle on Ice coach), and Garrison Keillor.

Fitzgerald, who lived up on Summit Avenue, the city's Victorian showcase, still is a personage hereabouts. There's a dapper bronze statue of him in Rice Park and the Fitzgerald Theater around the corner features his profile on the marquee. Keillor does his Saturday broadcasts live from The Fitz. Lake Wobegon isn't anywhere near here, but there's more of a prairie flavor to St. Paul than there is in Minneapolis. Maybe it's the whiff of manure from the fairgrounds.

At the Winter Festival, you can get the revered Tater Tot hotdish, which provides enough glued-to-your-ribs carbs to get you through a weekend of ice-fishing. Hotdish will be out of season this summer, when the Republicans ("We've Got Them.They Don't.'') arrive for their convention, but word is that it freezes well.

Posted by John Powers, Globe staff

For a minute yesterday morning, I thought I was seeing the skyline of Zenith, the fictional Minnesota city where George F. Babbitt preached the gospel of `zip.' There were towers and spires, all made of crystal-clear ice, and with the sun shining above Rice Park you needed to avert your eyes to avoid the glare. Then, I noticed the Tin Man and realized that this was the Emerald City, the featured frozen concoction at the St. Paul's Winter Carnival's ice sculpture competition.

Ice sculptures are nothing new -- every First Night in every American city with a low Fahrenheit reading has them. But the state capitol, which has been throwing this chilblain orgy for 122 years, long since has mastered the form. This year's artistic genius is `Buzz Saw Bob' Halvorson, the Minnesota Michelangelo, who requires merely a power tool and a block of ice to make Oz by the Mississippi.

Michelangelo, who needed three years to sculpt David, has nothing on Buzz Saw Bob, who carved out Dorothy and Friends in a day or two. Shaping David out of marble is considerably easier than conjuring up the Cowardly Lion, with his looping, tufted tail, out of an oversized ice cube.

Rice Park was full of see-through tooth fairies, snowflakes and ice dancers over the weekend, and the air was growling with a dozen Stihl saws and grinders and polishers as the bundled-up artistes, chips flying, executed their visions. But the Emerald City towered over everything. The only thing missing was the Wicked Witch, who would have lasted a lot longer if she'd set up headquarters here, where nothing is going to melt until April.

Posted by John Powers, Globe staff

Feel that your life is incomplete because you have never slept in an igloo? Spirit Trail Adventures, a Canadian company, offers a mountain winter night in an igloo near Kimberley, B.C., with candlelight, hot chocolate, sleeping bags, and breakfast. The cost is about $180 US for two, or you can just have a salmon dinner in the igloo for about $90 a person.
Posted by Richard C. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

The thermometer this morning showed minus-13 degrees, but that might have included the chill from the breeze wafting off the Mississippi. A better temperature reading is how your face responds during a pre-breakfast walk, how quickly you develop that piercing "ice-cream headache'' and how rapidly the tears drawn forth by the wind freeze on your cheek. Today, it was maybe two minutes, so I'm not quibbling about minus-13. It was minus-30 last night.

I'm in town for the US Figure Skating Championships, which are being held indoors but easily could be staged on the frozen river. Not that it would deter the local folk, who think that January is a splendid time to be frolicking out of doors. The Winter Carnival, which began yesterday, runs past Groundhog Day (they'd have to thaw out the beast in a microwave here). It's been going since 1886, after a few underheated newspapermen from out East declared that the state capital was an American Siberia, "unfit for human habitation.''

Minnesotans are connoisseurs of the cold. Up on the Iron Range, where Bob Dylan lived, pucks have been known to break apart during hockey games on the lakes. No problem. Pucks are cheap and plentiful hereabouts. If you bundle up properly, you can function outdoors for hours. One man's frostbitten face is another man's rosy cheeks.

In fact, I have been colder elsewhere -- Edmonton, Lake Placid, Moscow. The Russians don't even bother asking whether the temperature is plus or minus. They assume it's minus. Tsar Nicholas said he'd let his two best generals, January and February, handle the Crimean War.

Tropical weather, though, is on the way for the Twin Cities. Tomorrow, the mercury will soar to 23 degrees and the residents will break out shorts and flip-flops. Spring is just around the corner.

Posted by John Powers, Globe staff

There's white gold in them thar hills. Rain and sleet elsewhere in New England today was glorious powder at Sugarloaf in western Maine. Although high winds closed lifts early in the day, by late morning, skiers and boarders were tracking up about eight inches of fresh snow, and by mid afternoon, the sun was peeking through the clouds. Some kids were lucky enough to have school canceled -- not a bad way
to kick off the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.

Posted by Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

Heading to North Carolina's Outer Banks? If so, this offer is for you. The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau will send you the free 145-page "Outer Banks 2008 Official Travel Guide.'' A virtual guide is available online or call them toll free at 877-629-4386.

Inside you'll find information on places to eat and stay, attractions and event, even how to get married in the area.

What's best is that the guide comes with a Getaway Card that offers reduced rates and discounts at more than 100 locations.

Something we read today recalled the great comedian John Byner. He talked about phoning the US office of a foreign airline and being greeted thusly: “Bonjour. Air France... Kin ah he’p ya?” What brought that memory on, you ask? It was a news release about the Tour de Georgia. That’s right ... the Tour de Georgia. You want some sweet tea with that?
Well, shut my mouth... Incongruous as it sounds, the Tour de Georgia is not only real, it is entering its sixth year, and the now 7-day professional team cycling event is one of the major tuneups for the Tour de France. It will be held April 21-27, and it counts Lance Armstrong (2004) and the since-banished Floyd Landis (2006) among its winners. Some of the numbers are truly eye-opening: an estimated 3 million spectators over the event’s first five years, and some $150 million in economic impact since its inception. The event cuts across some 650 miles of the Peach State, from Tybee Island to Brasstown Bald Mountain, the state’s tallest point and part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In fact, the Tour is the longest one-week stage race in the country. Fifteen pro cycling teams from around the world have been invited to participate, and many will, judging from last year’s field, which included 120 cyclists from 23 countries. There will be a team time trial at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., on the fourth day. If you are a pro cycling fan (we know a few) and can’t make it to France this summer, details on the seven race stages and recommended viewing locations are available at tourdegeorgia.com. Y’all come!

I was preparing to take a red-eye to go visit relatives for the holidays and I almost forgot to pack the crown jewel of my carry-on: a packet of Emergen-C. This powder supplement contains key vitamins and minerals (including 1,000 mg of Vitamin C) to help boost your immune system and energy level, so you can stay healthy while traveling. Since it’s in powder form, it’s easy to travel with (no worry about 3-ounce containers and Ziploc bags). If I am feeling run-down, will be crossing numerous time zones, or simply have a long travel day ahead of me, I’ll make sure I have a packet of Emergen-C, mixed with about 6 oz. of water, before I go.

This fizzy drink mix comes in orange, lemon-lime, raspberry (my favorite), tangerine, mixed berry, and other flavors. It’s available at many supermarkets and drugstores or, for one of the best prices, online at Amazon.com. You can buy individual packets or a box of 36. As they say, don’t leave home without it!

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

For years, I’ve carried a water filter and purifier with me as I’ve headed off into the wilderness or to developing countries. It’s handy and effective, but can also be bulky, heavy and finicky (it always seems to clog at the most inopportune times), not to mention time consuming to use. This year I discovered SteriPEN, a Maine-based company that makes small, lightweight water purifiers that use ultraviolet light to destroy all the critters in nonpotable water that can harm you — viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. (Incidentally, this is the same technology used in bottling plants and hospitals.)

All you do is press a button, submerge the tip of the purifier in water, and stir. The unit purifies one liter of water — the size of a large Nalgene bottle — in about 90 seconds. I’ve used my SteriPEN Adventurer (retail: $130) while on overnight backpacking trips in Hawaii, Newfoundland, and Patagonia and it hasn’t failed me yet. A separate solar case ($50) enabled me to strap the unit onto my backpack and recharge the Adventurer while I was hiking. The company also makes the SteriPEN Traveler, which is identical to the Adventurer, just a different color. I highly recommend either one, whether you want to purify stream water in the Green Mountains or the tap water from your guesthouse in Bangkok.

Posted by Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

I was beginning to think that snow isn't good for anything but shoveling,
when I got an email from the Birches Resort on Moosehead Lake (Rockwood,
Maine) about their snowmobile programs. Think New England winter sports and
you usually think of the big downhill ski resorts. But even with Big Squaw
Mountain ski area in nearby Greenville, the Moosehead region is more a land
of wide-open spaces, and this compound of cabins, cabin tents, and yurts has
come up with a much more off-the-beaten-path winter outing. Instead of a
one-horse open sleigh, you dash through the woods on an Arctic Cat
snowmobile. The three-night guided excursion starts at the Birches Resort,
journeys to cabins (with hot tubs) in Baxter State Park, then on to a
traditional lumber camp on the northern edge of Moosehead Lake before
returning to the Birches in time for lunch. The open sleigh was probably
more environmentally friendly (apart from equine methane), but I've been
told that newer snowmobiles are no longer the ear-splitting, blue-belching
beasts of old. Guided Lodge-to-Lodge Snowmobile Excursion trips start in
January. For more details visit www.birches.com or call 800-825-9453.

Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

Globe correspondent Ethan Gilsdorf has been walking from Massachusetts General Hospital to Lee, N.H., this week in memory of his mother and to raise money for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. He sent this last night.

Blog Entry 6: Day 3 report

Dec 19, 11:30pm, Dover NH

10 years ago today Sara Lynn Gilsdorf died. The idea was that my three-day, 60 mile (now looking closer to 75 mile) walk would end on this day, Dec. 19, at my mother's gravesite. That was the plan, anyway.

Day 3 began with a taxi ride back to my end-point from the day before: Merrimac, Mass. No sun. Overcast. And quiet, cold roads. First challenge: Bear Hill Road. Obviously called "hill" for a reason. 7am. Ugh. Up I went.

But I felt good -- even strong. The back-up shoes helped -- not clunky hiking boots this time, I decided, but insulated walking shoes.

I crossed into New Hampshire at 7:45. I looked at my map. I had been doing 4 miles an hour. I was on a tear -- at this rate, I'd walk an extra mile per hour than I had the first two days.

NH meant the end of suburban homes, and the beginning of farms, wood stoves, baying hounds, banging carpenters, and lots of "No Trespassing" signs. I actually saw a chicken cross the road. I kept cruising: Newton, East Kingston, the lower-left corner of Exeter. My planned route along the B&M/Amtrak rail line was stymied by the snow. I went around. That added another couple miles to my day. I pumped my arms and walked faster.

Still, I couldn't get warm until noon --- despite temps in the 20s and low 30s. My water bottle frozen over after a couple hours. Hot water at a convenience store broke through the ice. The state motto should be Live, Freeze or Die. But the Granite State is my home state, and I appeciated the modest farmhouses, auto bodies and beauty salons in doublewides, a welcome
sight after all the McMansions of Massachusetts.

Around 1:30 pm, as I marched through Brentwood, I hit "the wall."

FULL ENTRY

I've had a folding bicycle on my travel wish list for many years, and see them all over Europe, but I'd never even heard of a folding trike. I'm not quite ready for that yet, but I'm glad to know it's available. The Italian maker, Di Blasi, even makes a folding moped. Now that's innovative!

But back to the trike, what a great idea for folks who are "balance challenged," either because of age, health, or perception. Di Blasi claims that the trike, called the R34 Electric Folding Trike, folds to 12 inches in five seconds with no tools. I'd have to see that to believe it, but it sounds promising. No pollution, no parking fees, no problem!

Posted by Diane Daniel, Globe Correspondent

As a fan of all-things-Catalan, I’m thrilled and tempted by “A Food and
Fitness Vacation” (what could be better?) offered this coming spring by
Spanish Journeys. Organized by tour guide and Barcelona-trained chef-extraordinaire Teresa Parker, this trip combines hiking, biking, cava-tasting, cooking classes with a stay in a villa north of
Barcelona (close to Girona -- one of my favorite Catalan towns), and daily
Pilates classes offered by New York-based master teacher Karrie
Adamany.

Parker, a Wellfleet resident, discovered Pilates while recovering from
breast cancer last year. She’s now incorporating it in one of her
cultural and culinary tours.

“I’ve always eaten well but never been disciplined about exercise,”
says Parker.

For some reason I never seem to be able to exercise when I’m traveling
(other than walking, walking, walking) and so this seems like a great
idea. Plus, if I exercise every day I get to eat more Catalan cheese,
right?

Posted by Necee Regis, Globe Correspondent

Cambridge had just enough snowfall to cover the irresponsible behavior of
certain dog-owning neighbors when we lit out for the territories, i.e.,
Vermont, for a quick escape on behalf of the Checking In column. But as we
pushed west, the accumulation began to mount. Passing Fitchburg, we saw
snowplow drifts (boding well for Wachusett Mountain) and by the time we
started up I-91 into Vermont, the roadside piles grew higher and higher.
When we parked at our inn in Chester, Vt., nearly a foot of fluffy stuff
covered the town's wide green.

Now we know (at least we've heard) that the ski mountains have been open since mid-November, but it's not really winter until the snow's deep enough for snowshoes and cross-country skis. Sure enough, 10 minutes away from the inn, Grafton Ponds opened 15 km of groomed trails for classic Nordic and skate skiing on Saturday and turned showshoers loose on their seemingly endless fields of fresh powder.

Snow is here! (And, as our innkeeper said, rubbing her hands together,
"There's more coming on Sunday.")

Posted by David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

Consider the recent wanderings of two Massachusetts men.

The first, Andrew Skurka, of Seekonk (and Boulder, CO), prefers to undertake his odysseys on foot, for very long times. He walked more than 7,000 miles of trails from Quebec to Washington state in 2005. This year, he covered nearly that distance again while backpacking an average of 33 miles per day for 208 days straight along the Great Western Loop.

The second man, Jeff Clarke, embarked for only three days with a less daunting, but surprisingly rich goal: kayaking "the mighty Charles River."

Land. River. Months. Days. Each journey spanned the extremes of a natural world turned industrial.

LeClaire, Iowa, may be known as the birthplace of Buffalo Bill — there’s a museum here commemorating the hunter, actor, and national folk hero — but it’s also the self-proclaimed home to the only tug-of-war competition across the Mississippi River. I discovered this quirky fact when I stopped at this small town on the banks of the Mississippi River while on a cross-country road trip.
Each August, a 2,600-foot, 680-pound rope is strung across the mighty Mississippi between LeClaire and Port Byron, Ill., a town on the opposite bank of the river. Ten teams of 20 to 25 people each face off in three-minute competitions during the annual Tug Fest . “They barely get the rope out of the water, it’s so heavy,” one local told me.
Apparently, tug-of-war competitors start training in early July each year. Teams gather in a field outside of town and practice by pulling on a rope that’s attached to a revving tractor. That sounded painful to me, but when I asked if the competitors wear gloves, Chad Denny, the tug master, said, “No, the guys don’t like to wear gloves. They just spray an adhesive all over their hands to prevent slipping.”
According to Denny, this is the only spot along the Mississippi River that’s officially closed to boat traffic at any point during the year. You can get to LeClaire via exit 306 off Interstate 80. The Tug Fest takes place in mid-August and also features a carnival, a parade, fireworks, live music, and other events.

Posted by Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

At Crane Beach, the property managed by The Trustees of Reservations at the eastern edge of Massachusetts, there are sand and sea and darting plovers. A run through summer dunes brings slipping, slogging steps up and down open slopes.

A world away and yet only at the western side of the state, there is Field Farm, another Trustees property, home to hay fields and, in summer, strong-winged bobolinks, yellow-capped birds that travel across the equator to avoid winter winds.

At the ocean's edge, wind gusts flat and strong. In the Berkshire valley tucked beneath Mount Greylock, the state's highest peak, it does that too. But it also breaks, suddenly, into chaotic twists and turns shaped by contours of the land.

It is a striking place to go after spending time in the settled world. Over the past three days, I've driven crowded highways, passing in and out of bustling towns, stopping to watch films set in the music-filled streets of New York, the dust-blown desert of India, and the corn-fed fields of Iowa.

This morning, 12 degrees and bright sun, bobolinks long gone from Field Farm and Greylock's summit looming clearly, not the sea, I set out on a run. Snow, not sand, gave way beneath each step, as mid-morning warmth softened the surface. The "South Trail" traced a frozen pond, an open field, then ducked into woods. Tiny tracks crossed my path.

I ran another mile deeper among the leafless trees and, as at the ocean's edge, found solitude, and strength.

The writer at the summit of Mount Kearsarge.

I’ve recently realized something about myself. Though I enjoy many
kinds of physical activities — I’m fairly energetic; not a couch
potato — my tolerance for such activities lasts for about an hour. Do I
like to kayak? Sure. For about an hour. Go to the gym? An hour, max,
will do. Ditto for sailing, gardening, home improvement projects,
ice-skating, baking, bird watching, and chopping wood. (OK, so I’ve
never chopped wood. But if I did, I could do it for about an hour.)

In my world, too much of a good thing easily becomes just too much. So
it was with great delight that I learned I could hike to the top of Mount
Kearsarge (2937 feet) in Rollins State Park in New Hampshire … in about
an hour! How is that possible, you ask? Well, there’s a 3.5 mile scenic
road from the park entrance (on the south side of the mountain in the
town of Warner) that climbs up to a parking lot and picnic area. From
there, it’s a half-mile hike to the top and a vista that includes the
White Mountains, the Green Mountains, the coasts of New Hampshire and
Maine and, on a clear day, some skyscrapers in Boston, 80 miles
away.

The trail itself is rigorous: steep, rocky, and muddy in places. But so
what? It only lasts an hour! And it’s just enough of a workout to make
you feel pleased with yourself. Besides, if that 3-year-old child
and elderly woman with the cane (I’m not making this up) could get to
the summit, I thought, then I could too.

P.S. When the park is closed in winter months the Kearsarge Trail
Snails Snowmobile Club grooms the road to the picnic area, which
becomes accessible by snowmobile, snowshoe, cross-country skis, or
foot. Warning: It will take much longer than an hour to reach the
summit.

Posted by Necee Regis, Globe Correspondent

One of the ethnic groups in Iraq treated most harshly by Saddam Hussein (and promised to be most benefited by his removal) was the Marsh Arabs, whose lands Saddam had set out to destroy. In the 1950s, Wilfred Thesiger lived for months at a time in these varied marshes, which cover about 6,000 square acres in southern Iraq where the Tigris and Euphrates join above Basra, traveling from village to village by canoe, gaining acceptance as a rare European visitor, dispensing medicine and helping the sick. Four years after Thesiger’s death in 2003, Penguin Classics is reprinting “The Marsh Arabs” (256 pp., $15) and its predecessor “Arabian Sands” (400 pp., $15), which also describes Thesiger’s travels -- always on foot or by animal transport -- among people and tribes almost untouched by the modern world. Just before Thesiger left the vast, waterless “empty quarter’’ of Arabia, things changed forever. Oil was discovered.

The leaves are still falling in New England, but now’s the time to start hunting down deals to ease the cost of that family ski vacation. Here’s one that’s worth checking out: Ski.com has hooked up with United Airlines and is offering packages that include free flights (not including taxes and fees) for kids 12 and under and free lift tickets or ski and snowboard rentals at resorts including Vail, Beaver Creek, Crested Butte, Steamboat, and Jackson Hole. Just be sure to read the fine print: midweek travel and a 5-day minimum stay are required.

I was surprised to discover on a recent trip to Vegas that Sin City is actually within a five-hour drive of seven national parks. I never really equated Vegas with the great outdoors, but it turns out that it’s a good jumping-off point for trips to Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Joshua Tree, and Great Basin national parks, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
While there, I decided to escape the city and went for a hike and mountain bike ride in Red Rock Canyon, just 19 miles from Vegas. It was like stepping into another world: I hiked alongside 7,200-foot cliffs with red and yellow striations, and by fields of juniper, sage, and barrel cactus. Then I biked by petrified sandstone rocks that were 200 million years old and had “zillions” of embedded seashells. After spending time along The Strip, going to musicals and comedy shows, and listening the incessant dinging of slot machines, it was nice to focus on nothing more than the sounds of the wind, the birds, and our guide.
Escape Adventures runs guided hiking and biking trips to Red Rock Canyon and parks across the Southwest, and provides transfers to the canyon and back again from your Vegas hotel, so there’s no need to rent a car. (Rates: half- to full-day mountain biking, $99-$159; half-day hiking, $109.)

Posted by Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

You want to get away with the kids, but please dear God, not to another theme park! What about doing something a little different: walk. Country Walkers, a small-group walking tour provider based in Waterbury, Vt., has 13 new itineraries in its 2008 catalog. ‘‘Family adventures’’ include tours in Costa Rica, Montana and Wyoming, Hawaii, and Italy. Country Walkers can also plan a private trip, geared to the specific ages in your group. The average group size for most tours is 12 to 14 people, with a maximum of 18. Tours typically span six to eight days and are rated by the terrain’s degree of difficulty.

After several days of skiing in Park City, Utah, I decided to look for some non-leg-burning activities and found two real gems. At the Utah Olympic Park , just 10 minutes west of Park City, I toured the 2002 Olympic venues for the ski jump, bobsled,

luge, and skeleton competitions. My guide mentioned that it’s common to see athletes practicing on site.
The park’s Alf Engen Ski Museum chronicles Utah’s ski history and the 2002 Olympics, and if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can get a sense of what it’s like to go screaming (literally) down a bobsled track. Several times a month, visitors can go for a ride with a professional bobsled coach down The Comet, the park’s bobsled track. Two friends and I gave it a shot and hit 74 miles per hour on the way down. It’s not cheap — $200 per person, per ride —but it was worth every penny for such a unique thrill. I’ve heard they recently started a bobsled driving school, too (check out the website for updates).
For something a little more subdued, consider taking a trip to The Viking Yurt , located at 8,000 feet in the mountains above The Canyons Ski Resort. Guests catch a sleigh ride (pulled by a motorized Cat rather than horses) to the yurt — a Mongolian-style, tent-like dome made of canvas and wood — for a delicious venison dinner (vegetarians meals are also available).

Posted by Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Looking to kill a sunny weekend afternoon while feeling vaguely outdoorsy? Head to Purgatory Chasm State Reservation in Sutton. That’s what I did with the kids on a recent Saturday afternoon, mainly to test out my new GPS. And yes, it took us directly to Purgatory Road in Sutton, no questions asked.

There’s a wow factor when you first enter the chasm -- an enormous jumble of boulders, caves, and rock formations with great names: Look for Lover’s Leap, the Devil’s Coffin, and Fat Man’s Misery. The clearly marked Chasm Loop Trail will lead you through the chasm and then upward, where you can gaze down at the massive rocks. It can get somewhat crowded and the rocks can be slippery so take your time. But it’s an easy hike, the kids will love exploring the caves, and best of all, it’s free.

You'll think you're in Switzerland. At the very least, you'll have that giddy feeling that can only come from fresh air in the mountains. This summer I fell in love with the Loon Mountain Club, a resort/spa that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but will give you the escape-from-the-city therapy that you might need. It's on a hill overlooking the gondola up to Loon's peak. But get a room that looks the other way -- toward the Pemi River across the way, because the sound of that white-water river is pure, ambient bliss. Leave your window open and enjoy.
This is a modern place with all the amenities -- most rooms also have kingsize beds -- and there's the Viaggio Spa and Health Club on the premises, which offers hot-stone massages. Treat yourself to luxury without paying Canyon Ranch prices. Not that you'll need it this winter, but there's also a great outdoor swimming pool.
Plus, the on-site Seasons Restaurant will entice the palate.

Posted by Steve Morse, Globe Correspondent

On a recent “girls’ getaway” in Kauai, my friend Sarah and I discovered a local treat that became a staple of our daily diet: shaved ice. After a day hiking in the 90-degree heat in Kauai’s impressive Waimea Canyon — dubbed “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific” by Mark Twain — we stumbled upon a place called Jo-Jo’s Shave Ice in the town of Waimea on Kauai’s south shore. Here, you can get a giant pile of shaved ice on top of either vanilla or macadamia nut ice cream.
Choose three flavors of syrup to create your own shaved ice concoction or choose from 15 tried-and-true favorites, like the Picnic Special, which is made with watermelon- and pink lemonade-flavored shaved ice on top of macadamia nut ice cream. My favorite combo was a self-concocted blue raspberry-, cream soda- and passion orange-flavored shaved ice on vanilla ice cream. I’m thinking of calling it Creamy Passionberry.
Turns out Kauai is known for its shaved ice, so you’ll find shaved ice stands, shacks, and shops all over the island, but none is as good as Jo-Jo’s (trust me, we tried them all).

Posted by Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

We still don’t have a definitive answer to Freud’s famous question: What do women want? But it seems that travelers, at least, care most about germs, green tourism, and that guy in the seat next to them turning off his cell phone. And it turns out that next year, Jerba, Tunisia, is destined to the next great place.
Where do we get this stuff? TripAdvisor, the popular online community devoted to travel, just put out its annual survey of top trends. And according to their not-totally-scientific study:
Not only did 80 percent of respondents say they worry about germs, bacteria and viruses when traveling, but that they fret most about airplanes, followed by public transportation, eateries, hotels, and airports. What do they plan to do about it? Wash those hands like demons. (Over a quarter of those asked -- and you know who you are -- actually plan to travel with disinfectant and cleaning supplies.)
26 percent plan to be more environmentally conscious in their plans, particularly by hiking and biking more.
A huge majority of folks think fliers should have to shut off their mobiles, but only a bit over half think they have the right to tell a seat mate to turn off video content they deem inappropriate (Did I miss the news? Did Larry Flynt get himself an airline?).
Besides Tunisia, other possible top hot spots for world travel in Makandi Bay, Egypt, Phangnga, Thailand, Kovalam, India, and Sabaudia, Italy. In the states, folks may be heading to Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., Kitty Hawk, N.C., and Seward, Alaska.
One of the more interesting things is that about a fifth of the folks feel the need to swear their travel partners to a vow of secrecy about what happened during their trip. What happens in Lompoc stays in Lompoc?

What does it take to discourage a traveler from a destination? The US State Department tends its warnings carefully: of 28 countries on its current list, 27 have had their warnings updated this year (http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html). It is an interesting way to look at the globe, cordoning off 26 countries ranging from Cote d’Ivoire east to Timor-Leste (http://www.timor-leste.gov.tl; the world’s newest independent country -- remember Indonesia’s final attempt to subjugate East Timor all those years ago, in 1999), then looking west to the hot spots on our part of the planet, Colombia and Haiti. You can come up with a number of plagues common to most of these places and their citizens -- war, poverty, crime, illiteracy, ill health, intemperate climate, isolation, forbidding geography, the unstable earth beneath their feet -- and yet there are Americans who want to go. And are warned not to. And go anyway.

GIRDWOOD, Alaska -- As alpine enthusiasts contemplate how they'll be breaking in their equipment this season, the managers at Alaska's only ski resort hope powder-lovers will bypass the classic slopes of Whistler, Deer Valley and Aspen and head to the far north.

The Alyeska Resort, long considered a niche venue for locals and adventure skiers, is undergoing a $25 million expansion to lure larger groups of winter vacationers, families especially, to the peaks of south-central Alaska. The resort's owner, a wealthy real estate investor and self-professed ski junkie from Utah, has stoked big changes at the Girdwood institution, from new conveyor-belt lifts for beginners and snowmaking machines, to refurbished guest rooms and healthier menus.

John Byrne III, who bought the resort last year, is also negotiating with the U.S. Forest Service to build a lift that would open hundreds of acres of raw terrain in the Chugach Mountains to highly skilled off-piste skiers and snow-boarders. But the top priority, Byrne said, is making steep and rugged Mount Alyeska less daunting for novices. Intermediate runs, most on the harder side, make up about half of the 1,400 acres of groomed trail. Another 10 percent are sculpted for beginners and 37 percent are black diamonds, the most difficult. (AP)