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Nova Scotia Week: Stand Up Paddleboarding at White Point Beach Resort

With its stunning seascape, sheltered coves, and vast array of sealife and birdlife, Nova Scotia is blessed with some of the best sea kayaking imaginable. I had the good fortune to sea kayak in Cape Breton on my last trip and will be kayaking Lobster Bay from Ye Olde Argyle Lodge tomorrow afternoon. Before that jaunt, however, I wanted to try a sport growing in popularity in the province, stand up paddleboarding. The classic summer retreat, White Point Beach Resort, is best known for the Atlantic Ocean surf that crashes ashore on the 1-kilometer long stretch of beach. Just inside the beach is Doggett’s Pond, a freshwater lake that’s ideally suited for SUP. I ventured out on the water with Glenn Parlee, owner of Liverpool Adventure Outfitters. Glenn’s been in the outdoor recreation business since 1985, taking full advantage of his spectacular locale to take folks biking along the shores of Liverpool, canoeing in the Mersey River, sea kayaking to one of the many desolate off-shore islands, and hiking In Kejimkujik National Park. Yesterday, we skirted the shoreline of Dockett Pond as he showed me some draw strokes, J strokes and sweeps to better guide the sturdy boards. We spent about an hour out on the lake by our lonesome watching a line of ducks swim by our side. The scenery was enchanting, the fragrant pines and paddling invigorating. 

 

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Travel with Richard Bangs and Mountain Travel Sobek to North Korea

It doesn’t surprise me that Richard Bangs is leading the first adventure tour of North Korea, September 21-29, 2012. After all, it was Bangs who led the first tour to the People’s Republic of China back in 1977. He was also the man behind the first American tour to Libya in 2004. Best known as co-founder of Sobek Expeditions, Bangs almost single handedly put the sport of white water rafting on the map. Sobek was the first outfitter to descend Chile’s Bio Bio River and Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River, now considered classics. In 1991, Sobek merged with Mountain Travel to form one of the premier adventure travel companies in the world. 
 
Bangs will co-lead the upcoming trip with his long-time friend, C. J. Wheeler, one of the very few people who have traveled in North Korea before. With a special permit, MTS has been awarded exclusive space for 24 travelers to participate in this intriguing jaunt.  Once in Pyongyang, you’ll travel by private charter to Mount Baekdu, a stunning volcano near the Chinese border that few westerners have seen. Then it’s on to Mount Chilbo, one of North Korea’s most remote and scenic areas, and Kaesim Buddhist Temple, built in 826. For a finale, you’ll witness the Arirang Mass Games at May Day Stadium. The London Guardian calls the Mass Games “the greatest, strangest, most awe-inspiring political spectacle on earth.” 100,000 performers in every color of the rainbow move in perfectly choreographed unison.
 
While we’re on the subject of Richard Bangs, you should check out his five-part series on western Ireland, complete with video, at Huffington Post. 
 
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5 Adventures on a Shoestring, Mountain Biking Across the Malay Peninsula

It took more than two years to design and build a 205-mile mountain biking trek that crosses Thailand’s Malay Peninsula. But now that it’s complete, fat wheelers are calling it some of the best riding in Southeast Asia. Starting in Surat Thani, you bike through jungle, rubber and palm plantations, and small villages from the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand. Leaving the masses behind, you’ll get a chance to see the real Thailand on a weeklong trek offered by Thai Cycle. There’s also a shorter 5-day ride that gets you halfway across, zipping up and down numerous singletracks along the way. Cost for the 7-day trip starts at $817 per person, including food, guides, lodging, camping, and bikes. Don’t forget your Camelbak. 

 
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Seeing Toronto’s Neighborhoods by Bike

One of my favorite excursions lately is to get an overview of a city on a guided bike tour. In a short amount of time, you can see a good chunk of the city, learn about the history of the locale, visit intriguing buildings and public art only a local would know, ask for a list of recommended restaurants, and yes, get a decent workout. In the past two months, I had great rides in Reykjavik and Portland, Maine. So when I heard that Toronto Bicycle Tours was still offering their 4-hour, 10-mile “Heart of Downtown” ride in mid-October, I was in.

 
It was crisp, sunny autumn day when I met my guide, Terrence Eta, got adjusted to my hybrid bike, and threw on my helmet. He started with an overview of the city’s British heritage at stately Osgoode Hall, one of the oldest buildings in the city, built in 1832. Then it was on to the urban plaza, Nathan Phillips Square to view the new and old city hall, and Eaton Center, the busiest mall in Canada. We cruised into Old Town, known for its distinctive yellow brick, to stop at the circa-1903 King Eddy hotel, now the Omni King Edward Hotel. Terrence mentioned that in 1964, the Beatles stayed here on their first trip to Toronto. It also caused another commotion that year when Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton rented a suite together–while married to other spouses. 
 
A short pedal led to the Financial District and skyscrapers designed by starchitects I.M. Pei and Mies van der Rohe. Then we cruised past the St. Lawrence Market, named the number one food market in North America by National Geographic (try the classic peameal bacon sandwich at Carousel Bakery) and into the Distillery District. In the 1870s, this was the largest distillery of whisky in North America. Today it’s home to microbreweries like the local favorite, Mill Street, art galleries, restaurants, and the beloved chocolatier, Soma. Next stop was Sugar Beach on the Lake Ontario shoreline, named for its proximity to the massive Redpath sugar refinery. 
 
A quick stop below the CN Tower to peer up at the intrepid Edge Walkers, before we circled the Rogers Centre, home to the Toronto Blue Jays, and cruised along John Street to Grange Park. This is one of the special spots in the city, where you’ll find budding photographers snapping pictures of the backside of the Art Gallery of Ontario, with Frank Gehry’s signature staircase jutting out of the building, and the storied “Tabletop” building to the right. Then we checked off Chinatown at the corner of Spadina and Dundas, the vintage stores and coffee shops at Kensington Market, and the ethnic restaurants that line Baldwin Village. Few know the city better that Terrence who grew up here and went to the University of Toronto, and it showed. Highly recommended! 
 
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Adventures in Oregon, Biking through Eugene

The Eugene/Springfield area of Oregon is blessed with three of the state’s scenic bikeways, including the 38-mile Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway, which visits seven covered bridges, including the only remaining covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi River. If you want more of a casual ride, simply rent a bike at Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life in downtown Eugene and pedal around the serene University of Oregon campus and on bike trails in the public parks that border the Willamette River. We followed local Molly Blancett as she led us on bike lanes through the city, stopping at the 5th Street Public Market to show us one of her favorite restaurants in town, the French bistro, Marche. Eugene has weathered the latest recession and is now bouncing back with a slew of new restaurants, bars, and boutique shops in town. 

 
Leading the resurgence is a number of microbreweries. There are now 13 breweries serving a thirsty population of 160,000, including Falling Sky Brewery, where we chose to have lunch. Brewmaster Scott Sieber is making some tasty hand crafted beer like the Slam Dunkelweizen, a German wheat ale with hints of cloves and bananas in the finish. Or sample the Bavarian lager, Maibock, smoother than most bocks you’ve tried. Eugene’s soft water and the variety of hops found in Oregon are the reason it’s becoming a must-stop for beer lovers. 
 
After lunch, we biked through the campus, making a mandatory stop at Hayward Field, the track-and-field stadium that has produced such renowned runners as Steve Prefontaine, Galen Rupp, and Alberto Salazar. We crossed over the Willamette River on a bike bridge to visit the 54,000-seat Oregon Ducks football stadium, before stopping for heavenly ice cream at Chocolate Decadence and another cup of strong drip coffee at the 5th Street Beanery. The perfect ending to a perfect day. Thanks Molly!
 
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Lapa Rios Signs 900-Acre Conservation Easement

At the southernmost coast of that ecotourism hub, Costa Rica, a 1040-acre rainforest called the Lapa Rios preserve perches over the Pacific Ocean, offering the best of both worlds. You can spend the morning hiking along the Carbonera River to a pristine waterfall, accompanied by four types of monkeys, macaws, and those rainbow-colored toucans. In the afternoon, sea kayak in the ocean around Matapalo Point or surf the Golfo Dulce. The 16 open-air bungalows and main lodge of the Lapa Rios Ecolodge are no tent-in-the-woods accommodation. Hardwood floors, bamboo walls, and a vaulted thatched roof ceiling provide plenty of space and privacy. Other luxuries include soft mosquito netting over the queen-sized bed and a secluded garden shower.  
 
Former Peace Corp volunteers Karen and John Lewis built the retreat in 1990 as a way to save hundreds of acres of rainforest from farming. The owners have just signed a conservation easement that protects over 900 acres of land surrounding Lapa Rios in perpetuity. It prohibits all extractive activities, such as mining, forestry and hunting, as well as further building expansion, even putting a cap on trail construction. At the same time the easement encourages both scientific and educational activities on the reserve. All those monkeys and birds that wake you up in the morning are a tribute to their brilliant success. 
 
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Top 5 Fall Foliage Picks in New England, Paddling a North Woods River in Maine

It’s supposed to reach 90 degrees today in Boston, but my mind is already thinking ahead to fall foliage. The dry hot summer will lead to an earlier than usual foliage. Though we did get much needed rain in New England this past week, so trees that were wilting should be happier. This week, I’m delving into my favorite activities during the height of fall foliage.

12 years ago, I was hired to write a story about paddling the Allagash River for Men’s Journal magazine. It was late September, when the leaves on trees were yellow, orange, and crimson and the normally taciturn moose was in heat and was as talkative as Bullwinkle. There were no mosquitoes, no black flies, no humans, except our little group who paddled over 5 days up the narrow river corridor. Last year, I was fortunate to return to Maine’s North Woods in autumn, this time on assignment for Sierra magazine. I was in the capable hands of registered Maine guide, Kevin Slater, who with his wife, Polly, run Mahoosuc Guide Service. We spotted moose, bear, a barred owl, and once again we had the river, this time the West Branch of the Penobscot, to ourselves. There’s something about being on a lengthy Maine river in autumn, when the crowds are gone, and you have this serene scene of water, the pine-studded campgrounds, and mountains hovering in the background. It seeps into your skin and I yearn to be back there each fall.
 

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