|

September is the Best Month to Paddle the Allagash or Penobscot Rivers in Maine

Mid-September is my favorite time of year to paddle the legendary Allagash or Penobscot Rivers in Maine’s North Woods. Mosquitoes and congestion on the rivers are gone, replaced by early foliage colors and moose standing in the shallow waters. The first week of the Maine moose hunt takes place September 23-30 in 2012. So it’s best to get here before that time, unless you like to see your moose dead, on the back of a trailer bed. Go with a reputable registered Maine guide like Mahoosuc Guide Service, who know these waterways like the back of their hand. My story on canoeing the West Branch of the Penobscot River with Mashoosuc co-owner, Kevin Slater, can be seen in the pages of Sierra Magazine. 
 

Similar Posts

|

A Good Time To Track Gorillas and Chimps in Uganda

Fed a steady diet of bleak wildlife conservation news out of Africa, especially with regard to the increase in poaching elephants in Kenya and Tanzania, I was delighted to hear the latest news out of Uganda. The last census reports a 12% increase in the gorilla population. The survey found that there are now 880 gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, up from 786 in 2010. The best way to celebrate that news is to get yourself over to Uganda and see the gorillas firsthand, an unparalleled travel experience. If you visit Bwindi in April and May, the $500 per day permit will be reduced to $350. To make the most of your time, consider Africa Adventure Consultants new 10-day Uganda Flying Safari. Eliminating many of the longer drives, the trip starts in the Kibale forest, where you spend two days viewing the chimps. Then it’s on to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you can see over 95 recorded mammal species and enjoy a boat excursion that takes you for a close-up look at the largest concentration of hippos in the world (reported to be about 30,000). Finish your safari with 2 days of gorilla trekking at Bwindi. Now that’s a memorable trip! 
 
|

Fantasy Islands Week: Fiji

Picture yourself on a South Pacific island where the hum of cars and TVs is replaced by the sounds of waves tumbling ashore and the sporadic plunk of almonds dropping from trees. Envision a private island resort catering to only 14 couples. This is Matangi Island, built with romantics in mind.  Each of the 11 thatched-roof bures is accented with Fijian tapa cloths, tribal artifacts, and a bed draped with mosquito netting. You’ll have to book months in advance if you want the three popular treehouse bures—30 feet up a la Swiss Family Robinson.  A stone’s throw away from the lodging, the beach sweeps around a bay shaded by chestnut trees and banana ferns. The surrounding waters are home to the renowned Rainbow Reef. Matangi has its own dive operation to take you out to see the kaleidoscopic coral and the abundant sea life. There’s also saltwater fly-fishing and sailing, but most visitors simply lounge on the beach watching the waters of the Tasman Strait float by as the sun passes overhead.
 
|

Abercrombie & Kent Extreme Adventures

Just the name, Abercrombie & Kent, evokes images of a mysterious Africa, a hidden continent where one goes searching deep into the bush to find gorillas and lions, only to be pampered at night in the most luxurious tents you’ve ever seen. Indeed, days of adventure and nights of utmost civilization seems to be a winning combination as A&K continues to attract such luminaries as Prince Charles, Bill Gates, and the Clintons. Not bad for a company Geoffrey Kent and his parents started on the front steps of their Nairobi, Kenya, farmhouse. New in 2011 are 15 Extreme Adventures. Drive your own 4×4 though the high dunes of the Sahara Desert in Morocco, hike on the largest glacier in Europe, Iceland’s Vatnajökull, sea kayak in Mexico’s Sea of Cortes accompanied by dolphins and whales, and climb up to the Everest base camp in Nepal. Other adventures are slated for Mali, Mongolia, Jordan, and Alaska.

(Photo by Marek Wykowski)

 

|

Quick Escape to Portsmouth

While the crowds were in Salem this past weekend to celebrate Halloween, we headed a little father up the road to Portsmouth. Stores, restaurants, and the historic streets were all decorated for today’s festivities, which includes a parade. We dropped our bags off at one of the 10 rooms at the conveniently located Ale House Inn, one of the first Lark Hotels properties to debut (they also manage the Hotel Portsmouth on the other end of town). Then took a short walk over to the Portsmouth Brewery for a pint of their pumpkin ale, rimmed with cinnamon sugar. It went down so smoothly I had to sample another one of their signature brews, the Surrender to the Flow IPA. Afterwards, we headed over to Franklin Oyster House for a selection of New Hampshire oysters, harissa-rubbed grilled shrimp, and fries cooked in duckfat. Saturday was a glorious day of sunshine and seasonally warm temps, so we walked all over town, checking out the piers at Prescott Park, the 17th-century homes at Strawberry Banke, the farmers market at City Hall (snagged the last empire apples of the season), and then strolled across Memorial Bridge into Maine for most likely our last lobster roll of the year at Warren’s (outstanding salad bar to boot). Portsmouth Restaurant Week starts November 2nd, so go check out Franklin Oyster, Portsmouth Brewery, and the James-Beard nominated Black Trumpet at a discount. 

 
|

Top 5 Bike Rides in America During Fall Foliage, Bend, Oregon

If you’re just checking in, I’m devoting this week to my favorite places to road bike during fall foliage. Autumn colors are not usually associated with the Northwest, the land of conifers. Yet, due east of Bend, aspen groves provide enough color to satisfy the local contingent of riders. It doesn’t hurt that the backdrop is the Cascade Range, with North, Middle, and South Sister Mountains rising 10,000 feet above town. A great 32-mile jaunt takes you north of Bend along Innes Market and Tumalo Roads to take in that glorious variety of terrain central Oregon is blessed with—high desert, snowcapped peaks, sparkling lakes, raging rivers, and flower-filled meadows. Start at Hutch’s Bicycle Shop in Bend (where you can rent bikes and pick up the detailed route) and head northwest on Columbia Street. Three miles in, you’ll be coasting downhill past Shevlin Park gaping in awe at the Cascade Mountains and the splash of color in the nearby forest of aspens and poplars. Pedal along the Deschutes River and then stop in Tumalo, the midpoint of the loop, to fill up your water bottles or have lunch at El Caporal. You’ll need that extra burst of energy for the steady climb back into Bend. Afterwards, don’t miss the microbrews on the patio of Crux Fermentation Project, well-earned.  

 
|

Sea Kayaking with My 80 Year-Old Dad on Lake George

When I tell people that I find Lake George more exquisite than Lake Tahoe, Lake Powell, or even that wondrous lake to the north, Champlain, they often look at me bewildered.  They equate the lake with the honky-tonk village on the southern tip, packed with T-shirt and fudge shops, video arcades, hokey haunted houses, a requisite water park, and my personal favorite, Goony Golf, a miniature golf course crowded with huge fairy tale characters. All folks have to do is drive about ten miles north on Route 9N to find the far more charming town of Bolton Landing. This section of the 31-mile long lake is more like a river, narrow and hemmed in by the peaks, offering vintage Adirondack beauty that once inspired Hudson River School painters to grab their canvases and head north, followed by Georgia O’Keeffe and her camera-toting husband Alfred Stieglitz.

Growing up in Schenectady, New York, we would make the hour-drive to Bolton Landing on a regular basis to reach our sailboat docked just out of town. Now I return on an annual basis with my family to visit my father and his wife who summer here, and treat my kids to a good dose of natural adventure. One of my favorite things to do is rent sea kayaks on Green Island and paddle around the classic Adirondack resort, the Sagamore, a large wedding cake of a hotel that’s been the lake’s premier address for over a century. This past weekend, I persuaded my dad and his wife, Ginny, to join me. I put my father in the front of a double kayak that I steered while Ginny paddled alongside us in a single kayak. The wind was strong and the waves choppy as we approached the sloping grounds of the Sagamore, but soon we were around the island singing sea shanties. Whether you sail, sea kayak, or prefer a motor boat, get out on this lake and make some memories.
 

Leave a Reply