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Northshire Bookstore, A Manchester, Vermont Gem

Guest Post by Amy Perry Basseches 

Whenever I head to Vermont, a must-stop is the Northshire Bookstore. Between Northshire and Manchester Hot Glass (which I wrote about in a previous blog), my gift-giving needs are often fulfilled right in downtown Manchester, Vermont. Founded in 1976, Northshire is still family-owned and is a true community gathering spot-at the Spiral Press Cafe, and for author speaking events, live music, and reading groups. I love that they still have a vibrant "staff picks" program, with index cards thumbtacked to the bookshelves, explaining why the staff enjoyed the chosen one. Grab one of those books and sit yourself down in the comfy chairs. 
 
Northshire sits on a prominent corner in Manchester, in an historic old building, where Routes 30 and 7A cross. Before becoming Northshire’s home, the structure was Colburn House, a continuously operating inn for over a century. TripAdvisor ranks Northshire #1 for shopping in Manchester, and I agree. As the owners, the Morrow family, say: "We work hard to enrich our communities as we strive to thrive in the dynamic world of bookselling." Bravo. 
 

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Dogsled Umbagog Lake on the Maine-New Hampshire Border

Polly Mahoney and Kevin Slater, owners of Mahoosuc Guide Service have chosen a good base for their dogsledding operations. They live on the outskirts of Grafton Notch State Park in the heart of the Maine woods. Almost every weekend in winter, the couple, with 15 of their dogs, drive some 30 miles to the remote shores of Umbagog Lake. Here, guests learn the basics of the sport: standing on the back of the sled and shouting the magic words “Let’s go!” to see the dogs romp through the snow or yelling “Whoa!” to slow them down. You’ll take turns dogsledding and cross-country skiing on iced-over lakes, fringed by mountains of pines. At night, you’ll sleep in heated tents on a floor of cushiony fir needles, only to awaken to the sounds of the dogs howling in the predawn hours.

 
Mahoney breeds her own type of dog, which she calls a Yukon husky. A native Mainer, she spent a decade learning her trade in the Yukon bush. She returned home and met Slater at a nearby Outward Bound center when he was in dire need of a skilled dogsledder. Two and three-day outings start at $575 and include food, tents, sleeping bags, even cozy parkas, mukluks, and leg gaiters. If winter camping sounds too ambitious, ask about their cabin-to-cabin option in late January, where you stay at three classic Maine sporting camps now run by the Appalachian Mountain Club.
 

St. Lucia Week: Walking the Tet Paul Nature Trail

I’ve always enjoyed taking nature walks, especially in tropical settings where the guide tells me the medicinal qualities of all the leaves and herbs. I’m all for natural remedies to my ailments. So when I heard about the Tet Paul Trail, outside of Soufriere, I had to throw it into my itinerary. Little did I know that the 45-minute long trail offers one of the best views of the Pitons, those volcanic twin peaks that has mesmerized me these past two days. The Tet Paul is run by the local community, and my guide, Macgyver, knew every tree, bush, herb, and fruit like the back of his hand. He also took wonderful panoramic photos with my Apple phone. 
 
Located in a farming community 2,000 feet above sea level, everything seems to grow here. Fruit grows straight on the bark of the soursop tree, whose young leaves are supposedly good for the prostate when soaked in hot water. In fact, it seems as if St. Lucians use tea for all their woes. Rosemary leaves are good for migraines, fennel a digestif. MacGyver picked bay leaves, lemongrass, and mint for me to smell. He pointed to ripe guavas, pineapples, cashews, apricots, the sour orange, used in many fish dishes, star fruit, passion fruit, limes, and mocambos, small bananas great for frying. We passed elephant ear ferns, the red gingerlily flower, the prickly bark of the gri-gri palm tree, which locals call the “devil stick.” 
 
“Now let’s climb the stairway to heaven,” says MacGyver, and we walk up stairs to a platform overlooking Gros Piton and his little brother, Petit Piton. The view is astounding. “Welcome to my home,” he says as I stare down in amazement at the spanking white beach below, part of the Sugar Beach resort. “Thanks,” I respond, “but I’m not leaving, Macgyver. I’m going to build a little shack down the road from you and grow yams.” He laughs as I make a mental note to spend at least two weeks on Saint Lucia my next trip. 
 
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Top 10 Swimming Holes on Cape Cod

Best known for the Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Cod is also riddled with more than 300 ponds. These freshwater swimming holes are hidden in the landscape, far from the crowds at the beach, and a joy to swim in on a hot afternoon. However, they are tricky to find. Unlike bay and ocean beaches, where signs point you in the right direction, towns on the Cape like to keep these warm freshwater locales a secret. Many of these ponds have limited resident-only (with requisite sticker) parking. Fortunately, they are near town centers, so you can grab a bike and go have a dip. For my top 10 favorite swimming holes on the Cape, replete with necessary directions, have a look at this story I penned for the Boston Globe. 

 
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Best Summer Drives in New England

One doesn’t drive in New England simply to get from Point A to Point B at the fastest possible time. No, we like to linger, savor the beauty, cherish the history. We’re fortunate to be blessed with a diverse landscape full of majestic sights like the jagged shoreline of Maine, the granite notches of New Hampshire, the verdant farmland of Vermont, and the long stretch of white beach found in Rhode Island. We stop not only to post photos to our Instagram and Facebook accounts, but to dine on lobster rolls and fried clams at renowned seafood shacks, hike on the same shoreline and forest paths that inspired Winslow Homer and Robert Frost, and stop to stay at legendary inns or a new cabin built into the vast Maine wilderness. To read my story for Yankee Magazine on 8 Great Summer Drives, including maps, please click here. 

I’m off to Medellin and Cartagena, Colombia next week. We’ll be back on June 11th with posts from Amy’s recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. In the meantime, enjoy this glorious summer weather and see some of the countryside. 
 
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Disney Opens First Resort in Hawaii

While we’re on the subject of theme parks, Disney just opened their first resort not affiliated with a theme park. Called Aulani, the resort is located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and features Mickey, Goofy, and all your other favorite Disney characters hanging out next to the large water park. My friend and fellow travel writer, Lissa Poirot, has been blogging about the experience of staying at the Aulani all week from Oahu. Check it out at FamilyVacationCritic.
 

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Arizona Week—Hiking Phoenix’s Piestewa Peak

I always bring hiking boots when traveling to Phoenix, because it’s arguably the best city in the country for day hikes. There are some 200 miles of trails in the Phoenix park system including short summits like Piestewa that are ideally suited for a 2-hour lunch break. We started our climb around 11 am and we were back at the trailhead at 12:45 pm. That’s not to say it wasn’t a thigh-burner, especially the last part of the trail which steeply ascends the craggy 2,608-foot peak (total elevation gain is 1190 feet). Even on a weekday, the trail was crowded as we made our way up the dirt and rock path past every type of cacti imaginable—tall saguaro, barrel, hedgehog, pincushion, jumping cholla, and prickly pear. Vistas of the Phoenix skyline opened up below us as we passed an ironwood tree. Soon we were up on the summit, eating lunch while enjoying the views of the surrounding ridges and the valley below. I once penned a series of stories for Health Magazine on Urban Adventures, the best workouts outside the gym in cities across America. Climbing Piestewa Peak would be a good option.

 

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