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Getting in Shape for that Fall Biking Trip

Just in case you missed this blog last August, I’m posting it again. It’s that important! On a bike tour with Bike Vermont years ago, my brother and I watched as a guy, distracted by cows, flipped his bike over and broke his tooth. He said he hadn’t been on a bike in five years. Don’t make the same mistake. With many bikers heading out on fall foliage biking trips in the next month or two, now’s the time to get ready. Even if it’s a “No Experience Necessary” excursion, you should try the sport beforehand and be in somewhat decent shape. Don’t wait until the last minute to condition. If you plan on taking a week-long biking or walking outing, begin aerobic activity four to six weeks in advance, two to three times a week. And make sure you’re on the right trip by asking what level of fitness is required? Is this hike an obstacle course better suited for Marines, a stroll in the park, or somewhere in between? How many hours a day are we on the bike? You want to find an adventure that ideally suits your ability and prior experience in the sport. Brochures are not always accurate so it’s imperative to speak to a human being.  

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Memorable Spring Bike Rides, Vancouver’s Stanley Park

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

 
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Trustees Sites Not To Be Missed, Mytoi and Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, Martha’s Vineyard

Beach lovers headed to East Beach on Chappaquiddick have to pass the Japanese-style garden called Mytoi. Worthy of a stop, azaleas, daffodils, dogwoods, and rhododendrons line the fresh water creeks. The dirt road eventually crosses a bridge, stopping at East Beach. Walk the beach to see one of the most pristine stretches of coastline on the Atlantic. Part of the Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, this barrier beach is the best place to birdwatch on the Vineyard. Ospreys, oystercatchers, piping plovers, terns, and the occasional bald eagle nest here. To get a close up look at the birds, sign up for the guided kayak tour with the Trustees. 

 
It’s been fun to reminisce about my favorite Trustees sites in the commonwealth this week. Don’t forget that tomorrow is the kick-off of the Trustees 125th anniversary summer bash. The Great House on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, the Old Manse in Concord, and seven other historic homes will be open to the public for free for “Home Sweet Home” Historic Open House Day. Enjoy the weekend and keep active! I’m off to Ithaca to pick my son up at Cornell, back on Wednesday. 
 
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Don’t Miss the Goya Show at Museum of Fine Arts Boston

When we last saw the curatorial work of Frederick Ilchman, he was at the helm of the masterful MFA exhibition, “Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice,” on view in 2009. Ilchman showed his theatrical side by placing a Tintoretto work on the ceiling as the artist originally intended. Knowing his travels took him back and forth to his beloved Venice, I persuaded him to divulge some of his favorite restaurants and sights in the city for a Boston Globe story. The past five years, he’s been traveling back and forth to Madrid and the result is his impressive new show at the MFA on the Spanish artist Goya. Goya: Order and Disorder, is on view at the MFA through January 19, and you can read my review of the exhibition at Everett Potter’s Travel Report. The MFA is the only venue for the show and you’d be wise to get there or wait another five years for Ilchman’s next exhibition. Thankfully, Ilchman is here to stay, having recently been appointed Chair, Art of Europe at the MFA.
 
I’m off to Fort Lauderdale for the wedding of good friends, Fran Golden and David Molyneaux. Since they’re two of the top cruise writers in America, their wedding will take place on the new Regal Princess on a short voyage to the Bahamas Tomorrow, I’ll be at the naming ceremony with six of the original cast members of The Love Boat, including Gavin MacLeod (Captain Stubing), former Iowa congressman, Fred Grandy (Gopher), and my personal favorite, Bernie Kopell (Doc), who also played the villain Siegfried on “Get Smart.” I’ll be back next Tuesday. Have a great week!
 
Photo: Thirteenth Dutchess of Alba (1797, Hispanic Society of America, New York)
 
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Skywalk Saint John Set to Open This Month

While in New Brunswick several weeks back, I was fortunate to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the new skywalk set to make its debut this summer. Saint John will now be the third spot in North America to open a skywalk, in addition to the Grand Canyon and Jasper National Park. Unlike those two skywalks, which are designed as semi-circles, the Skywalk Saint John is more like a long plank extending more than 25 feet out from the building. Look down through the glass flooring and you get an exhilarating view of the cliffs, bridge, and a unique tidal shift called a reversing falls. A series of rapids in the Saint John River can be seen switching direction in the churning whirlpool below. A 10-minute film will explain this unique phenomenon caused by the tidal shifts on the nearby Bay of Fundy. Below the skywalk, the Reversing Falls restaurant offers those same glorious vistas thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. Expect freshly caught yellowfin tuna, halibut, lobster, oysters, and provisions from local farms once it opens. 

 

DuVine’s Long Weekend to the Smoky Mountains

Biking Smoky Mountains with DuVineDuVine, the Massachusetts-based biking tour operator who brought Lisa and I on a fantastic trip to Puglia, Italy, introduced shorter 4-day trips around America last year, including itineraries to Santa Barbara and Tucson. But it’s hard to top their newly revealed trip to Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, where you can bike to your heart’s content on the rolling backcountry roads and then dine and lodge each night at one of the most decorated restaurants in the country, the Relais & Chateaux property, Blackberry Farm. You’ll squeeze in 4 day of riding, averaging 25 to 30 miles per day, before rewarding yourself with a feast of southern specialties like barbecued ribs and catfish, washed down with local microbrews and Tennessee whiskey. First trip out is May 24-27, 2021. Please let ActiveTravels know which itinerary looks the best and we’ll check availability. Also be on the lookout for the next The World Is Your Oyster segment, where we interview DuVine founder, Andy Levine, and discuss his new partnership with Lindblad.

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My Favorite Small Outfitters, Bob Hicks at Gros Morne Adventures

 

In the summer of 2002, I had the pleasure of backpacking the stunning Long Range Traverse, on assignment for Backpacker magazine. Nestled within Newfoundland’s Gros Morne National Park, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its unique combination of quartzite rock and wetland terrain, the Long Range Mountains could very well be the one of the last remnants of pristine wilderness within a three-hour flight of New York and Boston. There were no manicured trails with requisite wooden signs showing us which way to go and exact mileage to get there. The Long Range Traverse is a 35 kilometer semi-circular route where topo maps and a compass are a necessity to find your way among the web of caribou paths. Indeed, caribou and moose far outnumbered the four other backpackers we saw on the four-day traverse, averaging one hiker per day. 
 
With limited amount of time, my friend and I decided to hire an outfitter, Bob Hicks, co-owner of Gros Morne Adventures. The advantage of having a guide is obviously you won’t get lost for hours, sliding knee-deep in the muck or coming out of the brush with sharp tuckamore branches nesting in your hair (tuckamore is Newfoundland’s version of the stunted balsam tree, comparable in appearance to krummholz in the Alps). You also won’t miss the slight detours from the route that lead to striking overlooks above three landlocked fjords. I’m sure you’ve seen a version of this photo on many advertisements for clothing and travel. This is a shot of Bob Hicks taken by my buddy, Jeff Katz. 

 

3 Comments

  1. This is great advice – even a casual ride through the rolling hills of Wisconsin can become grueling for someone not in shape. That’s why I will stick with the 20-mile lakefront trail in Chicago, where the only issues are the tailgaters at Soldier Field.

    And when I saw the picture on this post I had to laugh – I owned a Penny Farthing bike when I was a kid! I won it at a store raffle. No, I didn’t win the 10-speed, just the bike I was never able to ride.

    mp/m

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