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How Sweet It Is

I’m a creature of habit and if it happens to be a nice day this Sunday, all I want to do for Father’s Day is hit Cranes Beach in Cape Ann, pick my own strawberries just down the road, and grab a lobster roll and steamers at Woodman’s. The New England strawberries are especially ripe around Father’s Day. This year, they’ll taste even sweeter knowing that the Boston Bruins just won their first championship in 39 years! Most likely, I’m celebrating at the parade as you read this. To all my friends in BC, I feel your pain. It was only last year when the Bruins were up 3 games to nothing and had a 3 goal lead on the Philadelphia Flyers and then lost the series. So remember, there’s always next year and the Canucks certainly have the talent to pull it off. Thank you Tim Thomas and to everyone, have a great weekend!

 

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Adventures in Oregon, Rafting the Deschutes River

Phil Black was a competitive fly-fisherman, flying all across the globe to compete in fishing contests. Then he took one taste of the Deschutes, hooking the unique rainbow trout called the “redsides” and the gluttony of steelheads, and he never left central Oregon. Now Black spends his day guiding adrenalin junkies down the Deschutes whitewater with Imperial River Company. My brother Jim and I had the pleasure of his company one morning last week as we cruised a 13-mile stretch of the Class II-IV rapids. The setting was serene, with the river hemmed in by the rolling desert hills. Ospreys and great blue herons flew overhead while anglers in waders threw out their flies at water’s edge. The morning was a blur as we paddled through rapids with names like Devil’s Hole and Rodeo. At Boxcar, Phil couldn’t avoid a large hole and both Jim and I were tossed from the raft for a nice refreshing dip in the river. We popped up quickly thanks to our life jackets and Phil pulled us back in the raft. I often write that it’s the spontaneous mishaps in travel that create the most poignant memories. Getting propelled from a raft with your brother is one of those experiences I won’t soon forget. 
 
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Biking and Sailing Egypt

While we’re on the subject of intriguing tours, Beyond Boundaries Travel out of Colorado Springs has teamed with Flash Tour of Cairo to create new biking and sailing trips in Egypt. So far, there are two 8-day itineraries, one along the Red Sea, heading into the undiscovered Eastern Desert. The second seems more exciting, heading to the pyramids along the Nile River between Aswan and Luxor. Since Egypt can get pretty hot in the spring and summer months, most of the biking is done in the early morning. You’ll visit Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, and many small villages that will be stunned to see a group of bikers riding by. All of the trips are guided and van-supported if you get tired, and include all lodgings and food. Trips start at an affordable $1153 per person.

 

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Wife Carrying Championship This Weekend at Sunday River, Maine

Still no plans for Columbus Day Weekend? Head on over to the Sunday River Ski Resort in Bethel, Maine, tomorrow and watch the 11th Annual North American Wife Carrying Championship. Winners qualify for the World Wife Carrying Championship in Finland, held next July. Last year’s winner, Dave and Lacy Castro of Lewiston, Maine, beat out 46 other couples from as far away as California. Their time was a speedy 54.45 seconds. Whatever you do, have a great weekend and do something active!
 

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A Mandatory Stop at Duckfat

On every trip to Portland, Maine, the first stop is always Duckfat, a family favorite. I drive right up to the small restaurant, hungry after the 2-hour drive from Boston and not really wanting to wait the usual 30 minutes to snag a table. But then I sit down and order the heavenly shakes (this time I tried the yummy blueberry butterfat), a large order of fries with sublime truffle ketchup and the poutine (better than any in Quebec), topped with a duck egg. The salads and sandwiches are always excellent, from a pork belly grilled sandwich, to a duck salad with fresh greens. Yet, I’m always stuffed from my fries and shake, so I’m usually bagging half a sandwich to bring home. This is the one lunch spot that’s worth the wait! 

 
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Backroads to Debut Ocean Cruises Next Summer

Ever since Backroads partnered with AmaWaterways to bring families to the Danube River in 2015, the demand has far exceeded number of available berths. The chance to ride along the river on bike paths during the day though small European villages and then catch up with the cruise for cocktails, dinner, and your room for the week (no packing and unpacking) is ideally suited for all age groups. Now Backroads is bringing their active travel itineraries to the oceans. They are partnering with Lindblad, Un-Cruise, and Ponant on voyages to Alaska, Antarctica, Japan, New Zealand, the Baltic Sea, Galápagos, Iceland and more – totaling 51 departures on 14 itineraries. The bulk of the trips will debut in 2019 but they are already offering one cruise next summer on the National Geographic Explorer, a 10-day multi-sport trip to Iceland. Bike along the shore of a remote fjord on Backroads custom-designed titanium bikes, hike volcanic moonscapes and untamed islands on off-the-beaten-path excursions, and jump in a Zodiac when your naturalist spot passing whales, seals, and rugged cliffs teeming with nesting seabirds like puffins. Contact ActiveTravels for any Backroads itinerary and we’ll be more than happy to find out who already signed up for the trip and if the ages are appropriate for you and your family. 

 
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A Visit to Quebec City’s Ice Hotel

On my last day in Quebec, I took a tour of the only ice hotel in North America. Now in its 13th incarnation, the Hotel de Glace features 44 rooms and suites, a chapel that hosts around 20 weddings each winter, and a bar with incredible acoustics that was blasting a Led Zeppelin tune when I strolled in. It took more than 50 people some 4 to 6 weeks to build the structure, which opened on January 5 and will close on March 24th. Rooms are unheated. You warm up in an outdoor Jacuzzi and then go straight under the blankets for the night. I blew off that option, choosing instead to have a drink of vodka and cider served in an ice flute. Then I took a taxi back to the warm confines of my Hilton room. 
 

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