Similar Posts
A Moronic Move in Maine
Boating Cayuga Lake with Ithaca Boat Tours
We enjoyed a memorable Memorial Day Weekend with our extended family at our son’s graduation from Cornell University. On Saturday, after an inspirational speech from film director Ava DuVernay (Selma, A Wrinkle in Time, 13th) at the Convocation, Lisa made the wise move of booking a private boat tour on Cayuga Lake with Ithaca Boat Tours. We met at Ithaca’s Farmers Market, bustling on a Saturday in late May with stands selling fresh greens, flowers, local wines, cheeses, coffee, and much more. Then we boarded the pontoon boat with our stash of wine and munchies and met Captain Dave and his first mate, Jamie. They cranked up the Afro-Cuban sounds as we danced on the deck and took in the sights of the shoreline, seaside cottages with boat houses and far modern estates high above the cliffs. We learned a little about the history of Cayuga Lake, how crowds used to pack the lakeshore to watch world-class rowing races. But mostly we took in the scenery with our loved ones to celebrate Jake’s graduation. One of the many highlights of the weekend!
Urban Adventures: Raft the South Platte River, Denver
That power breakfast was far too successful and now you have a day to celebrate in a large metropolis before flying home. Maybe you reside in a big city and think the only way to enjoy the outdoors is to take a long road trip. Nonsense. Even in Manhattan, you can jump on a charter boat downtown and fish for stripers at one of the premier spots on the Atlantic Seaboard. Adventure has crept into urban areas so you can now sweat on rollerblades instead of inside the cramped hotel gym. This week, I’m going to divulge my five favorite urban adventures in the US.
This Summer, Consider Hiking New Hampshire’s Cohos Trail
Maine Schooner Mary Day Offers Six-Day Sail for Beer Lovers
Aboard an historic schooner sailing the Penobscot Bay islands of Maine’s mid-coast, modernity slows to a more languid pace. Cruising amidst the anonymous pine-topped islands, stopping at the occasional seaside village, you can’t help but relax aboard these yachts of yesteryear. Dolphins, seals, bald eagles, lighthouses and lobstermen at work are all part of the scenery. Help hoist the sails, read a good thick book, or partake in your hobby of choice. Last summer, I wrote about the popular knitting cruises aboard the circa-1927 J. & E. Riggin for The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. Now I’d like to tell you about the Camden schooner Mary Day and its inaugural six-day Maine Craft Beers and Home Brewing Cruise set for June 16-22. Passengers will have complimentary samples of Maine beers, and local brews will be paired with each evening meal (baked haddock, ham dinner, chili, chowder, roast turkey etc.). The Mary Day will make a stop at Marshall Wharf Brewing Co. in Belfast for a tour and tasting. Captain Barry King will brew and bottle a batch of his own nut brown ale during the trip, and passengers will go home with a few bottles.
Celebrate the Year of the Horse in England
With the Chinese New Year quickly approaching, England is promoting the Year of the Horse by focusing on locales where horseback riding is available. Bath’s Relais & Chateaux property, Lucknam Park, is one of the many excellent riding hotels in England. With trained horses and staff on hand to help beginners and assist experienced riders, Lucknam Park’s Equestrian Centre offers classes that cater to every level. Out of the saddle, the property also has a highly prestigious cookery school and a first class spa. Horses are also allowed on a number of beaches in the country. With permits available from The National Trust, you can gallop, trot or canter to your heart’s content across the four-mile stretch of golden sand at Dorset’s Studland Beach. Studland Stables will even bring the bubbly, so you can pop the cork over views of Old Harry Rocks and make this trip even more special.