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Spotting Puffins at Machias Seal Island, Maine

Near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, Machias Seal Island is a tiny unspoiled sanctuary for a number of Maine’s most noted marine bird species. You can visit the island via a charter boat operating out of Cutler or Jonesport, Maine. An hour later you disembark onto a small low-lying island. Hundreds of plump birds whiz over your heads searching the waters for breakfast. Some have hooded black heads that look like Batman’s disguise. These are the razorbill auks. Others have eyes the size of a parrot with beaks dotted red, black, and yellow. This is the bird everyone is excited to see, the Atlantic puffin. 

Weather permitting, you can climb atop the seaweed-slick rocks and see puffins two to three feet away. The eastern part of the island is covered with Arctic terns. The razorbill auks might look like superheroes, but it is the aggressive tern that keeps predators like seagulls away from the eggs of all the island’s birds. Paths lead to four blinds where you can set up shop and watch the puffins return to feed their young. 
 

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Maker’s Mark Turns 60

Later this this month, an installation by iconic glass artist Dale Chihuly will be seen on display at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of producing their bourbon. If you’ve never been to Loretto to tour the distillery and drive the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, now would be the time. All of the 1880s buildings on the 650-acre Maker’s Mark property have been restored. The company has also worked with others in the industry to establish a 130-mile driving trail of “bourbon landmarks” through central Kentucky, a mere 45 minute drive from Louisville, to showcase where the drink was developed. The trail takes visitors to Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam, and seven other distilleries, as well as the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. To sample a variety of the latest stock, head to a local favorite, the bar at the the Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace in Bardstown.

 
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Go Camping in June and Receive Discounts

President Obama has proclaimed June to be National Great Outdoors Month. Building on Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, the idea is to get kids and their families off the couch, away from computer screens and into the Great Outdoors. America’s private campground operators are helping promote this effort with nature oriented family activities. Campgrounds affiliated with GoCampingAmerica.com are offering 20 percent discounts on camping June 1st through 25th. Coleman is also offering 15% off all their merchandise during the month.

If you think campers are sticking solely to RVs and tents, you’d be wrong. All across the country, campgrounds are building cabins to accommodate the growing number of requests. And these aren’t little shacks either. The six cabins at West Glacier KOA in Montana near Glacier National Park feature full bath, kitchens, and an outdoor deck with barbecue. Many campgrounds also feature nightly entertainment, like live music.
 

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Hotel Commonwealth’s $50 Million Makeover

When Hotel Commonwealth first made its debut a dozen years ago, it transformed Kenmore Square into a culinary destination, anchored by Eastern Standard, the restaurant I brought my son after his high school graduation. Just as beloved is the hotel’s second restaurant, Island Creek, which includes oyster farmer, Skip Bennett, as one of its owners. Sandwiched by these two heavyweights, it’s no surprise that Hotel Commonwealth slipped under the radar. That will change during the course of this year. A $50 million renovation has already doubled the lobby size, making it far more spacious and contemporary. The hotel has also added three signature suites. The Terrier Suite caters to alums or parents of nearby Boston University. The Rathskeller Suite includes pianos, guitars, and photos from Boston’s version of CBGB’s, the Rathskeller, which once stood on this plot of land. The Loft, with its tall ceilings and contemporary art provided by BU MFA students is my favorite of three. Next up is a Fenway Park Suite that will overlook the Green Monster at Fenway Park, a 5-minute walk from the hotel. This is part of a major expansion set to be complete in November that will add 96 rooms in an adjoining building. Not surprising when you consider Hotel Commonwealth’s locale, within easy walking distance to Fenway Park, the MFA, and Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, and some of Boston’s finest restaurants right outside your door. 

 
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Paddle Maine’s Allagash River this September

Mention the Allagash River to a canoeist and his eyes suddenly become moist and dreamy as he inevitably responds, “Yeah, I’d like to go there someday.” The river has somehow attained legendary stature. Perhaps it’s the way the blue streak of water slips off the map of America’s northern fringes, remote and isolated, hundreds of miles from the nearest metropolis. Or maybe it’s the legacy of writer, philosopher, and inveterate traveler Henry David Thoreau, who ventured down the waterway a mere 155 years ago, waxing lyrically about the last great frontier in the East in his book, The Maine Woods. Whatever the reason, the 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway continues to lure 10,000-plus paddlers to its shores every summer, turning farfetched dreams into reality. Paddle the Allagash in September like I did and you’ll be treated to moose in heat, fall foliage colors, and no bugs. Go with a trusted guide like Mahoosuc Guide Service, who led me down the West Branch of the Penobscot River for this Sierra Magazine story. They still have openings on their September 24-29 trip, $1250 per person all-inclusive. 

 

Top Travel Days of 2025, Eye to Eye with Polar Bears in Churchill, Manitoba

It was 7:30 am and still dark outside when our group of 16 entered the polar bear rover, a massive bus on monster truck sized wheels built specifically for driving atop the arctic tundra. Then the yellowish-red sun started to rise on the horizon and we stopped to get our first of many majestic photos that day. Within an hour we would spot our first polar bear strutting along in the distance and as everyone scurried to grab their long lenses, I was regretting my decision of solely bringing along my iPhone 16 Pro. Yet, all it took was another hour of anticipation before my trusty smart phone zoomed in on a polar bear sleeping blissfully on a bed of kelp. We stayed on him for a long while, until he woke from his nap and walked directly to our vehicle. If I could bottle the enthusiasm in that rover as this huge mammal waddled over to us, it would be like uncorking champagne. People were snapping photos like paparazzi chasing Princess Di. And yes, my iPhone performed brilliantly in that situation creating both photos and video that I’ll always cherish.

We were on Day Two of the 6-Day Polar Bear Adventure offered by Natural Habitat Adventures. Upon our arrival, we dropped our bags off in the Churchill Motel and soon were on a 4-hour night ride with dinner on the tundra. We would spot the rare gyrfalcon, only found in the Nordic locales, zipping by us along with a northern harrier hawk. But we only had faint sightings of polar bears long in the distance. The next day, that would change dramatically as we not only encountered our sleepy bear up close and personal, but mothers and their cubs walking and playing in the marshy terrain, dotted with the occasion black and white spruce tree.

Our guide, Giulia, taught us everything we ever wanted to know about the polar bear, including the latest number in these parts, around 600 to 700 polar bears. We were also blessed with a wonderful driver, Derek, a 5th-generation Chuchillian, who could spot a polar bear long before anyone else. I have to admit that it was a rather sedentary trip for me, spending a good deal of time in the polar bear rover. So when Giulia walked around with pen and paper asking people to write something about their experience, I penned this poem:

My Bum is Numb
I shift my weight around from left side to right
Uncomfortably squirming, shifting and fidgeting to try to make it right.
Every bump shakes my bladder, makes me want to pee, try not to drink more coffee to increase the agony.
I’d be counting steps if I were home or biking with some Peloton babe, instead I sit here and bide my time, try not to go insane.
But once I see that glimpse of fur, my body jumps to stare, no longer obsessing about petty inaction or my increasingly rotund rear.
As the white bear takes shape, my heart accelerates and my mind finally becomes still, a magical encounter that might be gone in an instant, but will take years to distill.
Then I sit back down, ready to endure another bump, knowing full well that the best things in life comes with the occasional thump.

It’s been so much fun to relive my travels of 2025 with you! Look forward to sharing more of my adventures with ActiveTravels in 2026, starting with a flight to Kenya to go on safari with the family a week from today.

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Going for a Hike? Bring Your Mojo!

I’m already planning a mountain climb next month in New Hampshire before the black flies arrive. In my trusty daypack will be a tasty new snack bar created by Clif Bar called MOJO. My family has already sampled Cranberry Almond, Wild Blueberry Almond, and Coconut Almond Peanut. All were devoured almost instantaneously. I’m eager to try the dark chocolate selections, Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond. The bars are made with organic whole nuts, organic fruit, and chunks of organic dark chocolate. They’re also gluten-free, under 200 calories, and the ideal source of fiber. Especially when hiking to the summit of Mount Chocorua. 
 

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