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Congratulations to Felicity Aston

In early December I wrote about the 33 year-old British adventurer Felicity Aston and her attempt to become the first woman to ski alone across Antarctica. Well, she not only completed the 1,084-mile trek from Leverett Glacier to Hercules Inlet, she finished three days earlier than planned. “When I saw the coastal mountains that marked my end point, I literally just stopped in my tracks and bawled my eyes out,” Aston tweeted. Hauling two sleds in often fierce headwinds, Aston pushed on in solitude for 59 days. Well done! You’ve earned a steady diet of Yorkshire pudding upon your return home. 
 

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New Guided Tour To New England’s Islands

If you want to visit New England this summer but prefer to leave the driving to someone else, consider the latest offering from Northeast Unlimited Tours, a highly recommended tour operator in the region. The weeklong tour starts Saturday, August 26 from Boston before making stops in Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, and Newport. Don’t worry. This is not one of those bus tours where each night is at a different lodging. You’ll spend three nights at the Red Jacket Beach Resort on the Cape, taking ferries daily to the Vineyard and Nantucket. In Rhode Island, you’ll stay in Newport at the Newport Harbor Hotel, taking the ferry over to Block Island for the day. Cost is $1,999 per person, double occupancy, including all lodging, transport, guides, ferries, dinners, and breakfasts. If interested, please contact ActiveTravels. 
 
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Designer of New York’s High Line Hired to Create Miami’s Underline

Last week it was announced that James Corner Field Operations, the firm known for designing the popular High Line linear park in Manhattan, as the master planner for Miami’s proposed Underline. The Underline would be a 10-mile corridor underneath the Metrorail from the Miami River to Dadeland South. It would have space for pedestrians and bike riders. It’s a wonderful concept. Many of these elevated railways and roadways severed communities and split up cities. Instead of paying for a decade-long billion-dollar project like the Big Dig here in Boston to convert the roadway underground, simply make the space underneath usable. If successful, be on the lookout for more Underlines in the future. 

 
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Maine Huts & Trails Week: The Many Surprises Along the Route

On my multisport adventure this week visiting all four of the Maine Huts, I kept a running commentary in my notebook on the many surprises I found along the way. 

Huts Are Much More Comfortable Than You Imagine—From the cherry wood tables to the floor to ceiling windows to screened-in porches, these are the latest version of the hut-to-hut wilderness experience. Lisa and I had our own private room at each hut, the chance to shower every day, and my personal favorite, an opportunity to toast our accomplishment with an excellent list of Maine microbrews like Allagash White or Baxter Stowaway IPA. 
 
Huts Are Located Next to Stunning Viewpoints—It’s only a 2-minute walk from Stratton Brook Hut to a glorious vista overlooking the 4,000-foot peaks of the Bigelow Range. At Poplar Stream, you stroll down a hill 10 minutes to reach a waterfall nestled in the deep forest. I won’t soon forget the sunset over Flagstaff Lake, a 5-minute walk from the hut. Finally, everyone should see the mighty Grand Falls once in his or her lifetime, a mere 10-minute walk from the Grand Falls Hut.
 
Meals are Far Better Than Expected—As the 5th grade teacher from Florida said to me after finishing her dinner at the Grand Falls Hut, “I’d come here just for the food!” Dinners included chicken with a boysenberry sauce, braised beef stew, a pasta primavera made with quinoa, all served with fresh local greens. Desserts were also tasty, like blueberry cobbler or lemon squares. For breakfast, we had strawberry pancakes with real Maine maple syrup, eggs with corned beef hash, freshly made biscuits with local jam, yogurt, and granola. They also supply tuna salad, chicken salad, or homemade hummus to pack sandwiches for lunch. So there’s no need to bring food on the trip.
 
They Transport Packs to the Next Hut—I have no problem backpacking or throwing my pack into a canoe, but mountain biking with a full pack is not fun. That’s why I loved their daily transport, which shipped my sleeping bag, clothes, and bathroom stuff. 
 
The Maine Wilderness is Closer Than You Think—Only a 4 ½-hour drive from my house in suburban Boston and I was at my first trailhead outside of Kingfield, Maine. For the next 5 days I rarely saw another person while hiking, mountain biking, or paddling. In its place was a vast wilderness with few signs of civilization. Follow the cue of the bald eagles and loons and get here. 
 
I’d like to thank Cayce Frigon at Maine Huts & Trails for helping to create a memorable 5-day itinerary, one that I hopefully passed along to readers from this week’s blogs. Enjoy the weekend and, as always, thanks for tuning in. 
 
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Adventures in New Brunswick Week—Hiking Matthews Head/Sea Kayaking the Saint John River

We woke up early today to hike a 90-minute loop in Fundy National Park to Matthews Head. Breakfast could wait! Except for a handful of bunnies and noisy chipmunks, we had the trail to ourselves. We hop-stepped it through the web of roots through a forest of tall timbers, the reward soon appearing as one stupendous vista of the coast. High atop the hills of Fundy National Park, we looked down on the jagged shoreline, rocky beaches, and boulder-strewn coves. The Bay of Fundy waters were still this early in the day. All you could hear was the lapping of the water and see the sunlight shimmering on the bay to create a magical light show. 

From Alma, we drove 90 minutes to Dominion Park in Saint John to paddle on the mouth of the Saint John River with Go Fundy Events. Our guide, Dan, escorted us past the limestone cliffs to see the earliest fossils recorded by scientists, curly-cues and concentric circles on the cliff face. As we made our way around the bend, Dan pointed out a massive eagle’s nest in a tall pine but we couldn’t find any birds. We did however, spot a large sturgeon jumping out of the water. We paddled onward to find the remains of a lime quarry dating from the 19th century, red bricks that were imported from Scotland. Then we turned the kayaks around and peered up to see the wingspan of an eagle and that distinctive white head. Soon another eagle joined him, his talons holding on to a fish, possibly a sturgeon. They flew above us for a good 10 minutes, stopping only to find a perfect perch, as we continued to paddle back into a strong headwind. It was remarkable end to a memorable day of play on the waterways of New Brunswick. 
 
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Austin Adventures Joins Forces with Life Is Good

Next week, we’ll be heading to an event in Boston to announce the launch of the new Austin Adventures partnership with Life Is Good. “Life is Good Vacations will allow us to combine our love and respect for the outdoors with Life is Good’s mission to approach each day with positivity. We will work together to design multi-sport itineraries, with activities including hiking, biking, kayaking, horseback riding and mountain top yoga, infused with expressions of gratitude and optimism,” says Austin Adventures founder, Dan Austin. I’ve traveled twice with Austin Adventures, on a family multisport to the Canadian Rockies and with Dan Austin and his daughter, Kasey, on a relatively new outing to the Broadmoor Wilderness Camps on the outskirts of Colorado Springs. Both trips were memorable. So much, in fact, that we have no qualms about placing our ActiveTravels members on any of their itineraries. They always come back with glowing reviews from their experience. But I’m excited to hear about this new venture. In 2018, Austin plans to offer six family and adult Life Is Good Vacations in Montana, Utah, the Canadian Rockies and Costa Rica. 

 
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College Tip Sheet from Boston Globe Magazine

Dropping Jake off at Cornell University this past weekend reminded me of the story I co-wrote for Boston Globe Sunday Magazine on 20 college campuses in the northeast. It’s a pretty good tip sheet on where to stay and eat and what to do when you’re in each one of these college towns, including Boston. If you plan to drop your son or daughter off this week or are going on the college tour this fall, have a look. 
 
Also, Lisa and I have designed routes in New England, the Midwest, and Southern California for ActiveTravels.com clientele heading out on the road to visit colleges with their high school sophomore, junior or senior. Our detailed Dream Day Itineraries include highlighted routes, recommended lodging, favorite restaurants, and sights not to be missed along the way that are definitely worth the slight detour. Having authored Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, and Outside Magazine travel guides to New England, and at least 800 travel stories on the northeast (including my boyhood stomping grounds of upstate New York), few know the region’s most picturesque routes better than me. 
 

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