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Shackleton’s 1914 Adventure in Antarctica Recreated by A Puppet Troupe

Combine marionettes with live music composed by the Kronos Quartet and you get a smaller-than-life reenactment of Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 trans-Antarctic expedition. Called 69 Degrees South: The Shackleton Project, the play is created by the puppet theater company, Phantom Limb, and will be shown at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts on Saturday, March 13 at 8 pm. It will attempt to recreate the true story of Shackleton and his brave men trapped in an ice floe for 497 days, a remarkable story of survival that lends itself well to an intriguing night with puppets.
 

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Top 5 Paddling Spots, Niobrara River, Nebraska




Canoeing and Nebraska may bring to mind images of portaging through cornfields past cows and combines. But avid Midwestern paddlers know there’s a gem in the rough and it’s called the Niobrara River. A coveted Cornhusker secret, the Niobrara is arguably the prettiest prairie run in the States. A 30-mile, three-day jaunt from Valentine’s Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge to the take-out at Rocky Ford is a smooth ride on a wide and shallow river between sandstone cliffs. Along the way, there is excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Scattered groups of bison


 

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Family Fun with the Trustees of Reservations: Central Massachusetts

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has declared June the “Great Outdoors Month,” hoping to inspire people to get away from their screens and experience the majesty of the state. Hit any of the Trustees 110-plus locales and you’ll walk away happy you made the effort. This is certainly true of today’s itinerary, which includes several hidden gems in central Massachusetts that few people outside that region know about. 


If you’re heading from the eastern part of the state, reacquaint yourself with the Old Manse in Concord. Built in 1770 for the Reverend William Emerson, the three-story house is best known as the place where grandson Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote his book, Nature. The daily Children’s Tour of Old Manse includes a sing-along at the 1865 Steinway. The grounds are a good place to picnic before walking to the Minute Man National Historical Park next door. Also note that similar to Naumkeag, which I talked about in yesterday’s Berkshires post, Old Manse will be having their own Free Fun Friday on July 3rd. Events include a kid friendly tour, music on the lawn, guided landscape tours, and more.

From Concord head west along Route 2 to Leominster, home to the 157-acre Doyle Community Park. Walk through woodlands, open fields, meadows, formal gardens, and parklands on some 3 ½ miles of easy trails that lead to the former estate of the Pierce family. Better yet, visit the park with picnic basket and blanket in tow the night of July 10 (5:30 pm to 8 pm) to hear a family music concert. 

Continue along Route 2 west and then veer north and less than 45 minutes later, you’ll arrive one of my top 5 favorite Trustees sites, Tully Lake Campground. By all means, plan on spending at least one night if not longer to experience the beauty of this placid lake and stunning nearby waterfalls. Many Trustees members bring their own kayaks to paddle to the sandy isles. But don’t fret because they also offers kayak rentals and stand-up paddleboarding lessons. Rangers guide paddlers to see beavers and teach kids how to fish. Hiking trails lead to majestic Doane’s Falls, where Lawrence Brook tumbles over a series of ledges before it reaches Tully Lake. Also don’t forget to bring mountain bikes, since there’s a great 7-mile loop around Long Pond.


Another mistakenly overlooked Trustees site, Chesterfield Gorge, is a 90-minute drive to the southeast. Here, the East Branch of the Westfield River drops dramatically through rock walls that are close to 70 feet high. Below the gorge, fly fishermen are usually seen casting their lines into the riffles in hopes of hooking a trout. Take deep breaths of sweet pine as you walk through the thick forest on the East Branch Trail. This 7-mile long dirt road is open to both hikers and mountain bikers who can ride through neighboring Gilbert Bliss State Forest.

Nearby Cummington, the home to poet William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), is your final stop on this jaunt through central Mass. Bryant, as he documents so well in his poetry, always preferred country life to city life and would spend all of his summers here until his death. Look out at the meadows, forest, and Berkshire foothills and you realize little has changed thanks to conservation efforts. It’s still a slice of bucolic heaven, one that’s best observed with a picnic lunch made by the Old Creamery, just down the road. A big Bryant Day Celebration is planned for July 18th, from 10 am to 4 pm. Civil War re-enactors will be on hand to offer cooking demos, singing by the Hilltown Choral Society and The Ne’er Do Wells, plus children’s activities like creating period crafts. Sounds like a country hoedown that Bryant would have enjoyed. 
 
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Spicer Mansion to Debut in Mystic in May

Conveniently located halfway between Boston and New York on the I-95 corridor, Mystic has always been a popular stopover to see the beluga whales at the Mystic Aquarium and the former whaling vessels at the Mystic Seaport, a re-creation of a 19th-century seaside village. Then there’s B.F. Clyde’s, the oldest steam powered cider mill in America, Mystic Pizza, and Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream, where homemade ice cream has been served at the same site for over a century. Lodging, however, has always been geared toward families, not adults who crave a bit more sophistication. That will change on May 4 when management of the acclaimed Relais & Chateau property, Ocean House, and Weekapaug Inn in nearby Rhode Island open the Spicer Mansion. A landmark since 1853, the building will return to its Victorian splendor. Expect the same level of service that one finds at the Ocean House, afternoon tea in the grand salon, cocktails at Room No. 9 Speakeasy, and a new restaurant that will offer a seasonal six-course tasting menu. Guests at the Spicer Mansion also gain access to the other two properties and their beaches and spa facilities. 

 
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In 2015, Create a Travel Portfolio

Want the perfect New Year’s resolution? Design a travel portfolio with your travel consultant comparable to the long-term financial plan you have with a financial advisor. This idea comes from my friend Susan Farewell, owner of FarewellTravels.com, and it’s a brilliant one. I’ve been a professional travel writer since 1990 and I still haven’t stepped foot in Russia, Vietnam, Egypt, or China. So if you’re saving all your longer travels for retirement, you’re dreaming. You’ll also have to deal with declining physical health. When my father was 80, he visited Athens and told me that half the people on his trip couldn’t make the 20-minute walk up the hill to see the Parthenon. So don’t just think of your next winter trip to Florida, Mexico, or the Caribbean. Consider creating a 3 to 5 year portfolio that outlines when exactly you’re going to hit the big ones on your bucket list—India, South Africa, Bali, Thailand, Spain, Turkey, Australia, and Argentina to name a few. Travelers who plan well in advance have much better odds of visiting these far-flung locales. 

 

Incredibly Grateful for the Referrals to ActiveTravels

A Toast to Our Members at ActiveTravelsAs I prepared for this interview with NBC Boston News on Sunday night, I was in a good mood having just had the best week at ActiveTravels since the beginning of this hellish pandemic a year ago. Our bookings last week included a Switzerland multisport trip with Backroads in August, a family getaway to Costa Rica to celebrate a college graduation in May, and a much-needed wellness retreat to the new Miraval property in the Berkshires in April. When I realized that all three of these bookings were with new clients that were referred to us by our loyal ActiveTravels member base, I was even more elated. As we bounce back from a year of PPP loans and little business, I’m entirely grateful knowing that we’re not starting from square one again. Many of you have been with us since the start of ActiveTravels almost a decade ago. We can’t thank you enough for your support over the years and trusting us with your travels! Please continue to spread the word to your friends. It can only help to jumpstart the business after a year in hibernation.

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A Must-Stop at Philly’s Magic Gardens

I finally made it to Isaiah Zagar’s monumental mosaic masterpiece, the Magic Gardens, on my latest visit to Philadelphia two weeks ago. Spanning half a block on South Street (between 10th and 11th Streets), Zagar started working on these vacant lots in 1994. Using folk art, found objects like bicycle tires, colorful glass bottles, and thousands of handmade tiles and glittering mirrors, Zagar created one of the most unique public artworks in America. Stroll in and out of the stairwells looking at the dramatic colors, reflections, and figurative works. You’ll be thankful that the neighborhood stood up for Zagar and his work once the landlord of the property found out what he had done and wanted to dismantle the massive sculpture in 2002. The nonprofit is now used for mosaic workshops, community outreach, and talks with the 79-year-old artist. Magic Gardens is open to the public Wednesdays through Mondays 11 am to 6 pm; cost is $10 for adults, $8 for students. 

 

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