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The Best of Connecticut Birding

Migrating shorebirds are prevalent along the Connecticut shoreline in late spring and fall. Green backed herons, yellow warblers, snowy egrets, swallows, ospreys, doves, and Canadian geese are just some of the birds sighted at the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center at Milford Point. Of the 399 species known in Connecticut, over 300 have been recorded at this 840-acre nature preserve. There’s also nesting piping plovers, least terns, American oystercatchers (rare in Connecticut), and both types of night herons. Ask about their naturalist-guided canoe trips to the Charles E. Wheeler State Wildlife Management Area, one of the few remaining wilderness areas on the Connecticut coast.
 

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Delta Toronto Opens in City’s South Core Neighborhood

When I visited Toronto in October, I took a hardhat tour of the new Delta Toronto, which made its debut this past Friday, November 27th. Smack dab in the heart of the emerging South Core neighborhood, the spacious rooms overlook Ripley’s Aquarium of Toronto and the CN Tower. I especially like the corner suites, which reward guests with exceptional views of the city. This is a great locale for families. Along with the aquarium, CN Tower, and the Toronto Railway Museum, Air Canada Centre and the Rogers Centre are all within easy walking distance. So it’s easy to take in a Maple Leafs, Raptors, or Blue Jays game while in town. 

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Climb Mount Monadnock

Climbing the broad-shouldered peak Henry David Thoreau called a “sublime mass,” Mt. Monadnock, is a rite of passage for many New England children. Just over the border of Massachusetts in southern New Hampshire, Monadnock is less than a two-hour drive from Boston. Its accessibility and locale, smack dab in the center of New England, has made it one of the two most popular mountain ascents in the world going toe-to-toe with Japan’s Mount Fuji. 

 
Early May, when the black flies have yet to arrive, is the ideal time to bag this 3,165-foot peak. Head up the White Dot trail, one of the steepest ascents, but also one that rewards with you with incredible vistas in a very short time. Above treeline, the forest recedes to form open ledges covered with low-lying shrubs like mountain cranberry bushes. This gives you ample opportunity to rest and peer down at the soft blanket of treetops, small towns with their requisite white steeples, a smattering of lakes and ponds, and farms that fan out to anonymous ridges. Soon you’ll reach the summit, where Thoreau watched in dismay as his fellow mid-19th century trampers inscribed their names in rock. You can still spot names like “T.S. Spaulding, 1853” clearly etched in the stone. 
 
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The Debut of the Trapp Family Lodge Bierhall

I caught up with Sam von Trapp at the Boston Ski Show and he was really excited about the opening of his new bierhall at Stowe’s Trapp Family Lodge. He’s been brewing award-winning Austrian-style lagers since 2010 but now you have a chance to swig a pint at large communal tables while being served lunch and dinner items from the wood-fired grill. The bierhall is located right on the cross-country ski trail network (and mountain biking network come spring). I can think of no better way to reward yourself after a good sweat than having a cool freshly made lager. Look forward to checking it out this winter! 

 
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AMC Buys Baker Mountain in Landmark Conservation Deal

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

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

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 summer and fall biking trips, 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. Websites are not always accurate so it’s imperative to speak to a human being.  

 
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The Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Is Once Again a Victorian Gem

For my recent road trip article for Chevrolet’s New Roads Magazine on Revolutionary War sites, I spent a night in Saratoga and was fortunate to stay at the recently renovated Adelphi Hotel. Growing up in upstate New York, I spent many weekends in Saratoga dancing at the Rafters, seeing concerts at SPAC, and going to the track. It’s a wonderful spot for a weekend retreat, especially now that the Adelphi Hotel has returned to its circa-1877 roots after a 5-year renovation. Walk into the lobby and you can’t help but be impressed with the Victorian era grandeur. The lobby bar, Morrissey’s, was busy, even on a Monday night and the restaurant, Blue Hen, is housed under a glass conservatory. But it’s the spacious rooms that are really impressive, replete with freestanding tubs, heated floor tiles and towel racks, and sumptuous beds. After a good night’s sleep, wake up in the morning and stroll to Sweet Mimi’s, owned by friends. You can’t go wrong with the lemon ricotta or toasted coconut pancakes.  

 

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