In a recent four-part series, Kristen Laine, who writes the blog “Great Kids, Great Outdoors” for the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), featured ten of the 25 towns that made Yankee Magazine’s “Top 25 Foliage Towns” list in the September/October 2010 issue. The series, called “Great Kids, Great Outdoors Top 10 Towns for Fall Hikes,” focused […]
Heather Atwell
New England
Tour Boston on a Bike with Urban AdvenTours
Back in 2004, Andrew Prescott decided to stop working as an accountant. He founded Urban AdvenTours, a Boston bike tour company. Today, Urban AdvenTours, located in Boston’s North End near the New England Aquarium and Faneuil Hall, operates a full-service bike shop with bike rentals for all ages, and hosts a myriad of themed bike […]
Magazine
5 Questions for AMC’s Rob Burbank
Cool temperatures and spectacular views sum up why fall is my favorite season to hike. Fortunately for all of us who love the outdoors, in 1876, a small group of outdoor enthusiasts founded the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). Today it is the nation’s oldest conservation and recreation organization. Its 12 chapters span the northeast from […]
New England
Fall Craft Fairs and Fun Outside
I love brilliantly colored fall foliage, but what matters most to me is the color of the sky. If it’s blue and the sun is shining, then foliage could be peak, post-peak, almost peak and I’d still be perfectly happy. Luckily for us weekend warriors, the last few fall weekends have been perfect examples of […]
I love to bike in the fall. Just last weekend, I spent a day in Vermont, and from atop my bike, from one rolling hill to another, I saw real life versions of Sabra Field’s prints. Imagine spending a couple days or more biking through Vermont, with overnight stays at lovely inns. Richard First, founder […]
New England
Going with the Flow
Going with the Flow I thought I wanted to paddle down fierce whitewater rivers. It looked like a huge adrenaline rush. Perhaps, I should have taken I lesson from a professional. I did not. It was not “uncharted water” that changed my destiny to paddle down raging rivers. It was, instead, very charted water–a pool […]
I spent a quick getaway at The Balsams in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, about six years ago and it was a lovely vacation, complete with outdoor adventure (ice skating, cross country skiing, and downhill skiing) and scrumptious food–two things I thoroughly enjoy. That’s why The Great North Woods 30K Classic cross country race, scheduled to […]
Magazine
West Hartford, CT: Ice Climbing
Crampons. Check. Helmet. Ice picks. Backpack. Climbing harness. Check. All geared up, Matt Shove–my ice-climbing guide from Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) Climbing School–and I hiked into the woods. “It’s a short walk,” Matt told me. And three minutes later, I was facing the frozen waterfall at Connecticut’s Thomaston Ice Quarry–the same slab of ice that […]
At some point, if you are skier/rider, you are going to need to give someone a ski house gift. I love this one. Artist Kristen Anderson of Crested Butte, Colorado, creates light switch plates using vintage ski posters. For New England fans, she sells switch plates for Mad River Glen, Cannon, Ski New Hampshire, Ski […]
New England
Sunday River Ski Resort Opens First in East
Sunday River in Bethel, Maine, won the honor of first ski area to open in the East with one trail and one lift turning yesterday, October 14. This is the third year in a row they’ve opened first. They plan to remain open through the weekend, then close temporarily mid-week. Here are some prospective opening […]
New England
Best Snow Resorts for Families
The first wave of ski excitement started appearing a few weeks ago. It’s usually inspired by the change of season (summer to fall), or the first big drop in temperature (how can 40 feel so cold), or the first, however-slight-it-may-be, dusting of snow (last week in the mountains), or the first ski area opening (Loveland […]
New England
US Paralympic Team
Last week, my good friend’s Facebook status said she spent three days in the athletes’ dorms at the US Olympic/Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Erin is the executive director of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports (VASS). VASS is a non-profit organization that provides sports and recreational opportunities to individuals with disabilities/handicaps, regardless of their […]