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Five Favorite Adventures in the Caribbean, Sailing an America’s Cup Yacht in St. Martin

One of the most unique opportunities in the Caribbean is the chance to race aboard authentic America’s Cup yachts used in the actual competition. In the three-hour sailing fantasy camp called the Sint Maarten 12 Metre Challenge, you have the rare opportunity to step into Dennis Conner’s soft-soled shoes. After an introductory talk about the history of the America’s Cup, four captains choose teams and off you go to your respective boats. The boats include the winning Stars & Stripes yacht which Connor used in the 1987 America’s Cup in Fremantle, Australia; his back-up, Stars & Stripes ’86; and two Canadian yachts, Canada II and True North IV. Once aboard your boat, the captain designates crew assignments. You could be chosen to be a primary grinder (grinding a winch as fast as possible so that the foresail can change direction), timekeeper, or handler of the mainsheet or rope. Simulating the America’s Cup, you sail against one other yacht around a triangular course, about one-tenth the size of the actual race. Afterwards, you’ve earned your rum punch. 

 

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Nova Scotia Week Bonus: Kayaking Lobster Bay with Lobster Bake at Argyler Lodge

 

My last day in Nova Scotia was downright dreamy. Clouds and the early morning mist were swept away by blue skies by the time I arrived at the 6-bedroom Argyler Lodge. What a glorious locale! A mere 25 minute drive from where the Nova Star ferry arrives in Nova Scotia at Yarmouth, the Argyler sits on the shores of the vast Lobster Bay with spectacular views of the sea and islands. My sea kayaking guide, Matt Delong, soon arrived with two kayaks for us to explore the wide open water. Matt spent 5 years paddling in BC before returning back to his native Nova Scotia to take the fortunate few to treasured spots like this one. We spent the next three hours paddling a loop around the numerous islands—Nanny, Camp, Birch, Bonds, Potato, Gordons—viewing ospreys in their nest, a loon plunging into the water, and cormorants drying their wings on their rocks. The most spectacular part of the whole adventure was the fact that there was not one boat in this mammoth-sized bay. Not even another kayaker. Lobster fishermen finish the season in late May so their traps and boats were long gone. 

 
3 hours later, we returned to shore where Chef Jonathan was already busy boiling water over an open fire for our night’s lobster bake. A picnic table was set for my sister and I, Luckett’s L’acadie Blanc on ice. Jonathan soon dumped everything into the pot including corn, potatoes, clams, mussels, and lobsters. The sun set behinds Gordons Island as we roasted marshmallows for our s’mores. Then the bright night sky lit up with stars. A perfect ending to a perfect week of travel around Nova Scotia. 
 
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Amman Imman: Water is Life

Today, I’m pleased to introduce my first guest blogger on ActiveTravels, my brother Jim Jermanok. I hope it will be the first of many guest writers!

Five years ago, following graduation from Yale, Ariane Kirtley went to West Africa as a Fulbright Scholar. Her career seemed assured. Almost overnight her life changed. Friends encouraged her to visit the Florida-sized Azawak Valley, the most abandoned region of Niger, the poorest country on Earth. In the Azawak, half the children die before reaching five years old, often of thirst. Ariane thought she’d seen everything in Africa, but she was so devastated by the conditions she found that she decided to dedicate her life to the people of the Azawak, and bring them water from unlimited supplies 600-1000 feet underground, much too deep for conventional wells to reach.
 
Since 2006, Ariane has worked against harrowing odds to save lives in the Azawak, among some of the most defenseless minorities in Africa – a half million Tuareg and Wodaabe nomads who have no water most of the year due to unremitting drought. Ariane set aside career goals and founded her own organization, Amman Imman: Water Is Life, to build permanent borehole wells for these nomads. Working far from civilization in suffocating Saharan heat, facing persistent health risks, Ariane and her team do major infrastructure work normally carried out by governments. In early 2010, persevering under the threat of Al-Qaida terrorists, she finished building her second borehole, the Kijigari “Well of Love.” This follows completion of Tangarwashane borehole in 2007-08. Each borehole serves 25,000 people and animals. 
 
Ariane’s dream is to build fifty such “Oases of Life” to eliminate water scarcity for the half million forsaken people of the Azawak. During this Holiday Season, please think about helping this brave woman save the lives of children and nomads who are on the brink, by donating generously to her 501c3 organization, Amman Imman: Water Is Life. 
 

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Raft the Deerfield River in Massachusetts

This coming spring, due to excessive snowfall these past three months, New Englanders are blessed with more water in our backyard than we’ve had in years. “This May proves to be one of our best yet,” says Bruce Lessels, co-owner of the rafting outfitter, Zoar Outdoor in Charlemont, Massachusetts. Many of the whitewater rivers, like the Deerfield that Zoar Outdoor runs, gain their momentum from dam releases at power plants. The more water these plants have in their reservoirs from snow and rain, the more water you have to surge over rapids in a raft or kayak. Raft Zoar Outdoor’s most popular trip, the Zoar Gap. Minimum age is 7 and rates range from $69-$97 depending on age. Their highly regarded white-water kayaking school is also one of the best places to learn the sport in the northeast.

 
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A Big Thank You for Your Continued Support of ActiveTravels!

Every year, ActiveTravels evaluates our goals as a company as we strive to be the best at what we do: customizing authentic vacations to locations across the globe for our diverse group of members. In 2014, our goal was to have 100 members. We crossed that threshold in September and we are extremely grateful! So many of our members have spread the word about what we do making advertising unnecessary and enabling us to help create memorable travel experiences for our wonderful clients. Even if you are not a member, but subscribe to this blog, thank you for your time! 

We’re headed off to Sugarloaf and Sunday River in Maine to ski next week, then visiting my family in New York over New Year’s. I’ll be back the week of January 5th with my 5 Favorite Travel Days in 2014. In the meantime, check out our December Newsletter to find out about an exciting new photography trip in Argentina in March, new hotel offerings in Tel Aviv, our favorite ski destinations in the West, a quick trip to Newport, Rhode Island, and new apps to help you conquer jet lag.
 
Wishing You a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2015!
 
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5 Adventures on a Shoestring, Sea Kayaking Baja’s Sea of Cortez

Warm water, uninhabited islands, sheltered coves, and abundant marine life including dolphins and blue whales, are the reasons why Baja’s Sea of Cortez is one of the premier kayaking grounds. Mexican Ana Lopez and her Canadian husband Peter Marcus started Gabriola Cycle & Kayak over two decades ago before selling their kayaking venture to their experienced guides. Expect the same level of comfort and expertise. Their 4-day winter trips bring you from Loreto to the Sea of Cortez, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects the feeding grounds of the Blue Whale. You’ll paddle approximately four hours each day and spend the rest of your time snorkeling, fishing, and lounging on deserted beaches. Trips cost $675 Canadian or $485 US, including kayak rentals, guide, and meals. No paddling experience necessary. 

 
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Riu Palace Peninsula Week—The Spa and Gym

What’s the best remedy for weary legs that sprinted through a terminal to catch a connecting flight? A deep tissue massage. Yesterday afternoon, I popped into the Renova Spa at Cancun’s Riu Palace Peninsula to de-stress and rejuvenate this travel-worn body of mine. Within moments of facing down on the massage table, I knew I had the right masseur, Alberto. A massage is like speed dating to me. I can tell instantly whether this is going to be a good massage or bad depending on the masseuse’s first movements. The ones that hone in on pressure points are usually bad. The good ones are like scientists searching for the sorest of muscles. Alberto instantly found that knot in my back that I’ve had since biking uphill for an hour at Utah’s Zion National Park in October. And man, did he work it with strong hands and elbows. I walked out of there as loose as a jellyfish. 
 
Next door to the Renova Spa is the gym. The Riu Palace Peninsula is one of the first Riu resorts in the Americas to feature Riu Fit, trainers that lead guests in daily pilates, yoga, and water aerobics workouts. Not readily known is that you can have a personal training session at the gym for free. The complimentary workout is included in the all-inclusive price. While waiting for my massage, I saw several people take advantage of this opportunity and judging from the amount of sweat that poured from their bodies, they were getting their money’s worth. 
 

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