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Best Road Trips for Leaf Peeping this Fall

September 3, 2024 krubin723

*Leaf-peeping road trips are popular getaways in fall © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Autumn colors invite leaf-peeping by car, bike and campervan. Here are some of the best routes to steer your travels:

Roadtrippers Names Six Lesser-Known All-American Roads for a Memorable Fall Road Trip

There are National Scenic Byways and then there are Think of All-American Roads – a category above. These wholly American thoroughfares pass through 28 states, and automotive travelers can expect extra special features – beyond natural beauty – when they explore them. With fall season fast approaching, the road trip experts at Roadtrippers have compiled a list of six of their favorite routes to explore when the trees change color and the temperature becomes crisp.

To be designated a scenic byway, roads must have one of six intrinsic qualities: archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational or scenic. All-American Roads must have at least two of those qualities, and that’s what makes these routes extra special. While both National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads must be designated by the Scenic Byways division of the Federal Highway Administration, becoming an All-American Road means that travel on that road is a major part of the travel experience, or a “destination unto itself.” In other words, it’s not just another road with pretty scenery.

As of 2021, the last time the Federal Highway Administration added to its lineup of Scenic Byways, there are 150 Scenic Byways but only 37 All-American Roads.

“America’s roads are the envy of the world because car travelers have an up-close view of some of the most beautiful and historically significant places on the planet,” said Mary Heneen, CEO of Roadpass, the parent company of Roadtrippers. “Everyone’s heard of Route 66 and the Blue Ridge Parkway, two of the best-known All-American Roads, but there are lesser-known routes that are equally beautiful and offer a ‘wow factor’ that travelers might not expect.”

Roadtrippers staffers spend their workdays – and often their free time too – thinking about road trips and devising new ways to make the features of the app even more useful to travelers who love their automotive adventures. One of the latest features, introduced this spring, is the app’s new Autopilot feature, which uses patent-pending AI technology to allow users to customize their road trips based on their personal travel style.

The feature is especially useful to travelers planning multi-day trips, as they the app helps find accommodations that suit travelers’ needs, and it identifies roadside stops – called Extraordinary Places – that travelers can select based on their interests.

“By analyzing the data gathered through Autopilot, especially the stops travelers want to make along the way, we can clearly see that the vast number of our users think of the road trip as part of the experience and not just necessary drive time to get to their destination,” noted Heneen. “Travelers who like to explore, learn and reflect will be find many of our All-American Roads a great fit.”

Here are Roadtrippers’ top six picks for an epic All-American Road adventure this fall:

Historic National Road in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia: This 824-mile Midwestern road – known as U.S. Route 40 – became the first federally funded interstate highway in the U.S. more than 200 years ago. It is historically significant because it opened a route for goods to be transported across the country. The route even has its own headquarters and visitor center located in Uniontown, Pa. Travelers wishing to follow the entire route should plan at least 2½ days to experience some of the classic inns, diners and historic hotels that dot the path.

San Juan Skyway, Colorado: Travelers who are comfortable with some serious mountain driving will find this 233-mile route not only breathtaking in the fall – the region is known for its stunning yellow Aspens – but also a clear reminder of the rich heritage of the indigenous peoples who lived there centuries ago. The aptly named route summits at more than 14,000, offering views of the towering San Juan Mountains. Travelers pass ancient pueblo ruins and travel through classic towns. There are hot springs and even a narrow-gauge railroad for travelers who want to linger in this famed Colorado destination.

*Visit New Orleans on the Great River Road © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Great River Road, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin: This 2,069-mile route follows the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico to northern Minnesota, and it reminds travelers of how the mighty river impacted the lives of indigenous peoples such as the Chippewa and Dakota and slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad. Travelers can expect to see numerous Extraordinary Places along the way, such as the Birthplace of Judy Garland, with a fun museum and shop (note: it’s not in Kansas), and the Mastodon State Historic Site. Interestingly, the Great River Road is an All-American Road in eight of the states it traverses but not in Mississippi and Missouri, where the road is designated a National Scenic Byway.

*In Vicksburg, Mississippi, visit the restoration of the Civil War era union ship, USS Cairo on the Great River Road © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

North Shore Scenic Drive, Minnesota: The Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Drive is a terrific way to spend a colorful fall day. The 154-mile route encircles the shoreline of Lake Superior and showcases spectacular scenery throughout the fall. Travelers will see classic lighthouses and gorgeous waterfalls and pass through charming towns with historic inns, shops and museums.

Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway, Maryland: Although it is called a scenic byway, this 419-mile All-American Road is another good choice for an afternoon drive. Or you can take a few days and explore the many recreational and cultural attractions along the way. The route celebrates the lives of the farmers, shipbuilders, fishermen and others who worked the waters. Summer is a good season to travel the route too, as one of the towns along the way, Eaton, is home to one of the largest plein air festivals in the world, in July.

*Tour Baltimore’s Inner Harbor while traveling on the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Northwest Passage Scenic Byway, Idaho: History buffs will enjoy traveling this 202-mile north-central Idaho road showcasing the route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition as they searched for the Northwest Passage. Travelers will also see the places settled by the Nez Perce tribe as well as abundant cultural and recreational attractions.

Roadtrippers road trip planning app is designed to streamline discovery, planning, booking and navigation into an engaging and intuitive process. Roadtrippers has helped millions of users plan more than 38 million trips across 7 million points-of-interest and covering more than 42 billion miles (visit www.roadtrippers.com).

Rails to Trails: Five Top Trails to Bike this Fall

Exploring a new trail by bicycle offers a refreshing way to enjoy nature’s seasonal transition. Rails to Trails Conservancy, which advocates for converting obsolete rail lines into recreational trails and guides cyclists to the trails with its TrailLink, has compiled this list of five fantastic trails from around the country that are ideal in fall:

Banks-Vernonia State Trail : The Banks-Vernonia State Trail meanders 23 miles through forests and pastoral farmland northwest of Portland, Oregon. Thirteen bridges provide amazing views of the Coast Range and a variety of flora and fauna also populates the route. The popular trail also includes access to side paths displaying railroad relics and to a number of rivers and creeks.

*Biking on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, outside of New Haven, Connecticut, one of Rails to Trails’ recommended scenic railtrails to ride this fal*l *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Farmington Canal Heritage Trail: First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail, the nearly completed Farmington Canal Heritage Trail has a rich history. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the Massachusetts border, for nearly 50 miles. The paved pathway runs through fields, farms and forests, as well as areas of residential and commercial development.

Monon Trail: Stretching across central Indiana, the 27.1-mile Monon Trail connects Indianapolis neighborhoods, Carmel, and the northern suburbs of Westfield and Sheridan. The trail offers a mix of lively Midwest towns and scenic countryside.

Cherry Creek Regional Trail: The Cherry Creek Regional Trail is a picturesque 47.8-mile route that connects downtown Denver with the suburban and rural Arapahoe and Douglas counties. Paralleling Cherry Creek, the trail meanders through urban landscapes, parks, and a variety of suburban and rural areas.

Silver Comet Trail: Situated northwest of Atlanta, Georgia the Silver Comet Trail runs over 60 miles through landscapes of pine stands and farmland in the west, and more residential areas in the east. The rail-trail gets its name from the shiny Silver Comet passenger train that provided luxury service between New York and Birmingham in the mid-1900s. Today, three trestles along the trail provide scenic views of the surrounding landscape.

Get out on any of these amazing trails with Rails to Trails Conservancy’s TrailLink (traillink.com). Rails to Trails’s advocacy has helped create 41,400 miles of multiuse trails across the country – safe, off-road routes for walking, biking and being active; 150 trailnetworks with at least one in eachstate,$24 billion in federal funding for projects and connected 90 million through TrailLink. Its latest project is to advocate for the creation of the Great American RailTrail, which would link Washington DC to Washington State, 3,700 miles on connected railtrail networks. Visit railstotrails.org for information and to get involved.

Three New Routes Added to US Bicycle System, Now 20,000 Miles on the Way to 50,000

The Adventure Cycling Association has announced major expansions to the United States Bicycle Route System, including three completely new routes, bringing the total to top a major benchmark of 20,000 miles.

The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a developing national network of officially designated, numbered, and signed routes that use existing roads, trails, and other facilities appropriate for bike travel. It will eventually encompass 50,000 miles of routes and open new opportunities for cross-country travel, regional touring, and commuting by bike. It also benefits communities by providing new bicycle routes, enhancing safety, and increasing tourism and economic activity.

*While cycling USBR 95 along the California coast, stop off at the Piedras Blancas Viewpoint for a closeup view of elephant seal rookery © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The three new routes are USBR 51 in Arkansas, USBR 76 in Wyoming, and USBR 85 California. USBR 76 will be Wyoming’s first U.S. Bicycle Route. Additionally, Florida extended USBR 15 to go north-south through most of the state and California extended USBR 95 to finish the coastline.

Digital maps for all designated U.S. Bicycle Routes are available to the public for free on the Adventure Cycling Association website.

With the new designation and realignments, the U.S. Bicycle Route System now boasts over 22,000 miles of routes in 35 states and Washington, D.C. At least 25 states are currently developing additional U.S. Bicycle Routes.

“It’s satisfying to see the USBRS network grow and know that we are playing a part in making long distance bicycle travel more accessible to more people through these routes,” said Jenn Hamelman, Director of Routes. “None of this would be possible without new and long-standing partnerships with state departments of transportation and local advocates.”

The nonprofit Adventure Cycling Association promotes bike travel and is the only organization that coordinates national development of the U.S. Bicycle Route System. Adventure Cycling staff offer technical assistance, volunteer coordination, and outreach to help states achieve official designation of routes. You can see a map of the corridor plan or photos of USBR 15 in Florida here.

The U.S. Bicycle Route System and the Adventure Cycling Route Network are quite different from the Great American Rail-Trail being promoted by the Rails to Trails Conservancy. Both the USBRS and ACRN use existing infrastructure to route cyclists between destinations while the end goal of the Great American Rail-Trail is to establish a 3,700 mile route across the country, east to west, from Washington D.C. to Washington state, entirely using paths and trails separate from automobile traffic.

More information about the U.S. Bicycle Route System: adventurecycling.org/usbrs

3 Must-Ride US Railroads this Fall

There are places in America where you can see a live steam engine run at speed (go fast) in regular service, ride to the top of one of America’s only accessible 14,115-foot mountains (higher than Machu Pichu), and roll on the rails of a Pennsylvania 150-year-old railroad lost and considered a national treasure.

Here’s a look at three of the most interesting, unique railroads in the US:

THE BROADMOOR, MANITOU and PIKES PEAK COG RAILWAY (Manitou, CO to the summit at Pikes Peak – 14,115 feet)

This is one 14-thousand-foot mountain in the US that you don’t have to climb. You can take a unique train (a cog) at The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway. This is America’s highest railway reaching a height of 14,115 feet. This is where the words to the song “American the Beautiful” were composed. This iconic railway is one of only two cog railways in the U.S. and runs all year long (it is closed on certain holidays, like Christmas). Originally built in 1891 and owned and operated by The Broadmoor, this historic railway is the highest Railroad in America, the highest cog railway in the world, one of Colorado’s top attractions, and one of the nation’s most unique experiences. For information and reservations, hop onboard at www.cograilway.com

THE GRAND CANYON RAILWAY (Williams, AZ on Rt. 66 steps from South Rim, Grand Canyon)

*The Grand Canyon Railway has been taking people to the South Rim since 1901.*

Grand Canyon Railway has been taking people to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon since 1901 before the land was a national park. Built by the legendary Atkinson, Topeka, and Santa Fe (ATSF), the Grand Canyon Railway runs from Williams, AZ, on historic Rt. 66 to within steps of the Grand Canyon South Rim and El Tovar. The pristine train, comprised of railcars from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, including luxury dome cars and an open platform observation car, as well as vintage coaches with opening windows, departs at 9:30 a.m. and returns at 5:45 p.m. with a 2.5-hour layover at South Rim of Grand Canyon. The train takes an estimated 70,000 cars off the road. It runs daily nearly every day of the year except on certain holidays such as Christmas.

On select days during the year, the Railway pulls the daily train once a month with a massive 100-year-old steam engine built in 1923, which runs on waste vegetable oil. There is no extra charge. It is believed that the Grand Canyon Railway is the last standard gauge passenger railroad in the US, where steam engines are still scheduled to pull revenue trains.

Visit www.thetrain.com or call 1-800-THE-TRAIN (1-800-843-8724) for updated and current information on the hotel and the train.

THE EAST BROAD TOP RAILROAD—Orbisonia, Central Pennsylvania

This is one of the true treasures of American railroading. The Smithsonian considers the 150-year old steam railroad an American Treasure and one of the country’s best-preserved examples of 19th-century American narrow-gauge railroads and industrial complexes.

The East Broad Top Railroad (EBT), located in Orbisonia, PA, is nestled in the rolling hills and farmlands in the central part of the state. The EBT shut down in 1956 and is running again with a century-old steam engine pulling one-hour train rides with space available in comfortable enclosed passenger cars, open-air cars, or even a vintage caboose. Trains run on a nine-mile round-trip ride from the historic station in Orbisonia to a picturesque picnic grove and back and through a classically beautiful Pennsylvania valley, nearly untouched by the rushing, modern and worried world. Guided tours of the Railroad’s remarkably intact late 19th/early 20th-century machine shop complex are also available every day that trains operate. The Railroad runs through October, with holiday trains in November and December.

Reservations are strongly suggested, as this Railroad’s renaissance draws national and international attention. For information and reservations, visit www.eastbroadtop.com or call 814-447-3285.

After Oktoberfest, Take a Scenic Road Trip by Campervan of Bavaria

Munich’s 189^th Oktoberfest, taking place in Munich from September 21 to October 6, 2024 will again draw millions to the Bavarian capital for a deep dive into local culture – and some serious beer drinking. But, after days of partying, even the most dedicated will need a refreshing change, and Munich-based roadsurfer RV rental suggests the perfect hangover cure: rent a small, fully-equipped campervan and hit the road to explore Bavaria’s stunning landscapes, castles, and villages.

Passau Germany, a short drive from Munich. Roadsurfer rents fully outfitted campervans for touring Bavaria and throughout Europe, plus West Coast US, Vancouver and Calgary Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

Here are their suggestions for a 4, 5, or 6-day post-Oktoberfest road trip:

4-Day Alpine Campervan Round Trip from Munich

Enjoy mountains and castles on this 4-day round trip from Munich. First stop: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, at the foot of the Alps, to explore the Partnach Gorge, or take a cable car up Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak. Spend the night in the Bavarian Alps.

The next day take the scenic drive to Füssen, home to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles. Continue towards Oberstdorf in the Allgäu region, but make sure to stop at King Ludwig’s Linderhof Palace. Camp in Oberstdorf, a hub for hiking and winter sports.

Drive west for your last night to Lake Constance, explore historic Lindau, and enjoy views of the surrounding Alps. Head back to Munich the next day, via a scenic drive to Berchtesgaden, where you can visit the historic Eagle’s Nest or take a boat ride on the Königssee. If time allows, stop at Lake Chiemsee before returning your roadsurfer.

5-Day Fall Trip along the German Alpine Road

This journey takes you along a section of the German Alpine Road, a 280-mile scenic route from Lake Constance to Königssee. On a five-day itinerary you pass through stunning landscapes, past castles, charming villages, and crystal-clear lakes framed by the Alps in their autumnal glory.

Pick up your campervan in Munich and drive to Füssen. Visit Neuschwanstein Castle and enjoy stunning views from Marienbrücke. Explore Hohenschwangau Castle and take a walk around Alpsee before camping near Füssen.

From here, head to Oberammergau to see its famous frescoes and wood carvings. Continue to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, take a cable car up the Zugspitze and explore the dramatic Partnach Gorge.

The next day, drive your roadsurfer to Walchensee for a swim or relax by the lake. Continue to Tegernsee for a boat trip or hike. Overnight near the lake before continuing your Bavaria road trip with stops at Herrenchiemsee Palace on the way to Königssee, where you can take a boat to St. Bartholomew’s Church, explore nearby Ramsau and spend your last night around Schönau.

Hike to Obersee the next morning for lake views, before returning to Munich.

6-Day Romantic Road: Culture and History

This 6-day itinerary offers a well-paced journey through the highlights of the Romantic Road, combining cultural exploration, historical sites, and scenic beauty, all while enjoying the flexibility of traveling by campervan.

Pick up your roadsurfer in Munich and drive to Landsberg am Lech, to explore the historic town square and Gothic Church. Camp near the Lech River and continue to Augsburg the next day (day one and two could be combined). Here visit the Fuggerei, Augsburg Cathedral, explore the town square and stay overnight at a local campsite.

Next day’s highlight is medieval Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where you wander the cobblestone streets, visit the Medieval Crime Museum, and climb the Rathaus tower. Overnight near Taubertal nature reserve.

From Rothenburg continue to Würzburg where you can visit the Würzburg Residence and Marienberg Fortress, before continuing the next day to Dinkelsbühl, with its old town walls, St. George’s Minster, and the colorful houses around Weinmarkt. The next day, drive about 120 miles to Füssen with the must-see Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles. Camp near Füssen for the final night.

Camping: For routes and camping spaces go to roadsurfer spots, an app-based booking platform with access to 10,000 individual private camping spots (currently available in Europe only).

Roadsurfer, a Munich-based RV/campervan rental, operates a European network of 70 locations in 14 countries, plus North America stations on the U.S. West Coast, as well as Vancouver and Calgary. The company offers a total fleet of 8000 vehicles, making Roadsurfer a worldwide market leader. Their compact, lifestyle-oriented campervans and RVs are fully equipped and come road trip ready. Bookings include unlimited miles and a free second driver.

More information and booking at https://roadsurfer.com/

_______________________

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Attractions, Driveable adventures, Outdoors Adventures, Road Trip

Cambria is Great Base for California Pacific Highway 1 Roadtrip

July 17, 2024 krubin723

*The Elephant Seal Rookery* *at Piedras Blancas is an exciting, accessible and must-see wildlife experience along California’s Pacific Highway 1 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin with Eric Leiberman, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Elephant Seal Rookery at Piedras Blancas, the Piedras Blancas Light Station, Old San Simeon Village, Moonstone Beach and Ragged Point are among the attractions and experiences from Cambria, on famously scenic (and fragile) California’s Pacific Highway 1.

From the opulent Hearst Castle, we drive back down the hill, to the coastal Old San Simeon Village. A whaling village in the 1800s, William Randolph Hearst turned it into a village for his workers who, over the 28 years, constructed his “Enchanted Hill.”

Sebastian’s General Store on San Simeon Bay really encapsulates the history and heritage of the village. Built in 1852 at the peak of the whaling industry, the Sebastian Brothers supplied whalers, fishermen, miners, and neighboring ranches. Sebastian Brothers General Merchandise was the significant shipping point for whale oil, cheese, butter and other commodities on the Central Coast. Old San Simeon Village boomed with two hotels (the first-class Bay View Hotel built in 1878 had among its famous guests Thomas A. Edison, Winston Churchill and Calvin Coolidge), saloons, a blacksmith, a livery stable, a butcher, schools, a depot for a stage travel to Cambria and a telegraph line to San Luis Obispo.

The town flourished until 1910 and then declined (Hearst began building his castle in 1919), but Sebastian’s General Store has survived – there are even remnants of its post office. The Sebastian family bought the building in 1914 and operated the store for almost 100 years. Today, Sebastian’s offers an absolutely marvelous café (fabulous sandwiches and shop, and is a wine-tasting venue; the Hearst Winery is just across the street). (https://highway1roadtrip.com/things-to-do/sebastian-s-general-store-old-san-simeon-village/)

Old San Simeon, with its historic school house, horse pasture, and the Hearst Castle way up the hillside, make for a striking scene for our picnic lunch at Sebastian’s General Store © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The setting is adjacent to a gorgeous field filled with wildflowers, surrounding the historic school house, even more picturesque as horses wander through the field, with the Hearst Castle on hilltop in background completing the scene, as we enjoy our picnic lunch.

*Eric keeps an appropriate distance when he comes upon a dejected male elephant seal at Hearst Beach © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We wander across the road and find Hearst Beach where we happen upon a couple of dejected young male elephant seals. Guides are here to keep people an appropriate distance away from them. The guide explains they are young males which were pretty much beaten up by the older more aggressive males, and came here to “sulk” and recuperate. He tells us that almost 25,000 elephant seals are mating, birthing and nursing here along this 8 mile coastal rookery.

From here, we drive five miles further north on Pacific Highway 1 to the Elephant Seal viewing area at Piedras Blancas (“White Rocks”), a narrow strip of rocky beach where thousands of elephant seals—the West Coast’s largest pinnipeds—are massed. It is widely considered one of the best wildlife experiences in California (and free!), and happens adjacent to the Pacific Highway. President Barack Obama made this site part of the California Coastal National Monument in 2017.

We walk along a boardwalk for amazing views of the scene, where helpful docents from Friends of the Elephant Seal answer our endless stream of questions.

It is fascinating to watch the huge marine mammals unabashedly breed, birth, molt, nurse and rest. Giant bulls, some as big as 16 feet long and weighing 4,000 pounds, inflate their trunk-like snouts to create a roaring bellow. The smaller females lie about as their pups nurse or just hang out.

It is astonishing to learn from the guide that the elephant seals don’t eat at all for the weeks they are here – losing as much as 2000 pounds of their weight. Twice a year, the males swim to Alaska, Aleutian Islands, stay in the ocean where they eat, while the females, interestingly, swim to Hawaii, diving 3000 ft. deep to eat. They only come to the Piedras Blancas rookery to mate, give birth and nurse their pup before the process starts all over again.

We watch males fending off each other; even mating behavior (not at all romantic); and mothers nursing. We see what looks like family groups, but the guide says that while the mother knows her pup (and may nurse a second pup), the male has no relationship at all with a mate or a family. That gets me thinking why the young males who got beaten up would bother to risk getting beaten up again, why don’t they just hang out on their own? He tells me the urge to propagate is too strong.

Once thought to be on the verge of extinction, elephant seals have rebounded and the Piedras Blancas Rookery has one of the greatest concentrations on the West Coast, with nearly 25,000 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

What we see here is all the more remarkable because elephant seals, I learn, were thought to be on the verge of extinction, but have made a dramatic recovery over the last century, bounding back from fewer than 100 to an estimated 210,000-239,000 animals. The rookery of elephant seals at Piedras Blancas has become one of the largest on the west coast with a population estimated at 23,320.

Peak season is December through May though smaller numbers of seals may be seen during other months (https://elephantseal.org/).

*The Piedras Blancas Light Station can be seen from the elephant seal rookery viewing area © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Off in the distance you can see the 70-foot tall Piedras Blancas Light Station. Built in 1875 and still in operation today, you can take a 2-hour tour of the interior and grounds, year-round. (Access to the light station grounds is by guided tour only.)

*The Moonstone Beach boardwalk is an absolute delight © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We return to Moonstone Beach, which we explored a bit in the morning, to more fully enjoy this enchanting place. Named for the smooth stones with intricate patterns polished by the tides, Moonstone Beach is considered one of the Central Coast’s best beaches. You feel so completely at peace here. The Moonstone Beach Boardwalk, extending some 1 ½ miles, affords visitors stunning views of the beach from bluffs and is itself artfully constructed to provide gorgeous scenes as you walk. In the north section, you can take paths down to the rocky seashore and tidepools (considered some of the best tidepools on the Central Coast), where you can look for crabs, sea anemones, urchin, sea slugs, and see seals resting on the rocks, especially from the Seal View Beach Deck.

*The Moonstone Beach boardwalk has viewing areas to spot seals as well as whales © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

At Shamel Park, on the eastern edge of Moonstone Beach, an interpretive sign from the Whale Trail national organization identifies the lookout from Moonstone Beach as one of the best viewing spots for gray whales, white-sided dolphins, elephant seals, seabirds and sea otters. There are also sections of the beach popular for surfing, which also provides for entertaining viewing.

After spending more time on Moonstone Beach in Cambria, we head out for our next experience – at Ragged Point which we try to time for the late afternoon light – passing the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse which is gated off – but a short distance beyond, we find a pull-in that gives a view of the lighthouse, as well as many more of the elephant seals on this stretch of beach.

*A turnoff where you can get a view of the Piedras Blancas Light Station also provides close-up views of elephant seals on the rocky beach © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Ragged Point is 11 miles further north along Pacific Highway 1, which actually is at the southern tip of Big Sur (Gorda, about 20 more miles further, was as far north as you could go on Pacific Highway 1 from this direction, before the highway was closed). Here, we are back in the land of high, steep cliffs that make for such dramatic vistas. It is late afternoon, and we find a stunning turn off to take in the view.

*Driving on California’s Pacific Highway 1 from Cambria to Ragged Point, you get views of the coast and the hills © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

At Ragged Point Resort, where we will be having dinner, there is a trail that goes down to the beach to a high waterfall. Eric goes down (it is fairly steep, muddy and close to sunset and I don’t want to hold him back), but I walk along the edge of the resort where there is a partial view of the waterfall, and a great view of the open ocean and sunset.

*The view of steep cliffs and ocean along the Pacific Highway 1 at Ragged Point, at the southern edge of Big Sur © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We enjoy our dinner at the restaurant – the mushroom bisque is delicious, the rib eye served with bourbon and almond demi-glaze is done perfectly, with wonderful flavor. The chef seems to enjoy interesting flavor combinations. (Ragged Point Inn & Resort, 19019 CA-1, Ragged Point, CA, 888-584-6374, www.raggedpointinn.com).

Driving back to Cambria from Ragged Point, we stop for stargazing just around Hearst Ranch and hear the cacophony, the roar, of the elephant seals. There are breaks in the cloud cover, just clear enough to see constellations.

*Sunset from Ragged Point Inn and Resort © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

There is more to see around Cambria, that unfortunately, we did not have time for since we were continuing on our way down the Pacific Highway:

Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is home to a number of endangered species and species of special concern. The Ranch is bordered by a riparian habitat that encompasses tidal effect zones, seasonal freshwater marshes, and wetlands filled with birds. A dramatic ocean bluff that runs more than a mile along the shoreline of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary where you can view migrating whales, elephant seals, and other ocean mammals. The Ranch features eight trails that meander through 437 acres of protected forest, riparian habitat, and grasslands. The benches located along the trails are each unique pieces of art that offer stunning ocean views. (604 Main Street Trail access at 2799, Bluff Trail, Cambria, CA 93428, 805-927-2856, https://www.fiscaliniranchpreserve.org/)

Covell’s California Clydesdales: 100 Clydesdale horses roam 2000 acres of pristine Monterey Pine forest and rolling pastures with an exquisite view of the ocean. Much of the forest of Cambria Pines by the Sea Ranch is protected in a nature conservation easement (Cambria Pines by the Sea, Cambria, CA 93428, 805-975-7332, https://www.covellsclydesdaleranch.com/)

Linn’s (for ollaliberry pie!). Since 1989, this little red brick restaurant in Cambria’s historic East Village. has been serving hearty breakfasts, lunches and dinners, but is famous for its ollaliberry pie and treats. (https://highway1roadtrip.com/where-to-eat/linn-s-restaurant/)

Stepladder Creamery was founded in 1871 and has been family-owned and operated for three generations. As a farmstead creamery, they raise goats on the farm and make cheese from their milk, allowing them to manage every aspect of the cheese production. Their delicious, mild and creamy fresh Chèvre is the ultimate representation of spring cheesemaking. Group creamery tours are available. (4450 San Simeon-onterey Creek Road, Cambria, CA 93428, https://www.stepladdercreamery.com/)

*Morning mist rises from Moonstone Beach, Cambria © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Back at the Castle Inn we enjoy the heated pool and hot tub. The motel is perfect for our stay in Cambria, with a refrigerator, free wifi, continental breakfast, across street from Moonstone Beach boardwalk, 10 minutes drive to Hearst Castle, 15 minutes to Elephant Seal Vista Point. (6620 Moonstone Beach Dr, Cambria, CA, 93428, 805-927-8605, castle-inn-cambria.hotelsone.com)

We set out again on the Pacific Highway 1, bound for Redondo Beach.

More information: visitcambriaca.com

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Camping/Glamping/RVs, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Driveable adventures, Festivals and Events, New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures

Summer Vacation Travel in NYS: Come for the Fireworks, Stay for So Much More

June 18, 2024 krubin723

*Be spellbound as you walk the two-mile trail through Watkins Glen gorge © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Edited by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

New York State offers some of the best destinations for summer family vacations, with Independence Day festivities providing an added spark:

If a staycation is your cup of tea, enjoy the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks (New York City) over the Hudson River starting at 8pm or Jones Beach State Park, where, after a day enjoying the beach, boardwalk, surfing, fishing, miniature golf, and adventure center, stay for 9:30 pm The Jovia Financial Credit Union Fireworks Spectacular at Jones Beach when 8,000 fireworks blaze through the sky accompanied by patriotic songs.

But there is so much to explore in New York State this summer:

Capital-Saratoga

Albany’s 4th of July Celebration : Celebrate the holiday with 20,000 other revelers at Empire State Plaza . The 4th of July Celebration takes place from 5-10 pm with live performances, food and fireworks. Watch the sky over The Egg, the New York State Capitol, and Corning Tower.

Saratoga Springs is famous for horse racing, where you can visit the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Wake up early and you might see the horses being worked out © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Saratoga Springs exudes small town character and charm and is near where the famous Battles of Saratoga took place in 1777, marking the turning point of the Revolutionary War in favor of American Independence. Commemorate America’s independence in Saratoga Springs with annual events including the 18^th annual Firecracker4 Road Race, the longest and largest Independence Day race in the Northeast. Stay: Saratoga Arms Hotel, a historic 31-room boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs. Originally built in 1870, Saratoga Arms is a classic, Second Empire-style building that evokes old-world charm with a grand wraparound porch.

While in Saratoga: Saratoga Race Course offers summer race days, from watching the thrilling horse races to exploring the historic facilities and grounds which date to 1863 (you can get to the rail early and watch workouts and there is an outstanding Racing Hall of Fame). The summer season officially runs July 11–September 2 with popular races like Travers Day on August 24. Saratoga Spa State Park is the place to go for swimming, golfing, hiking, biking, and fishing. The park is also home to a resort and spa, performing arts center, as well as a museum dedicated to automobiles.

Hudson Valley

LEGOLAND New York Resort in Goshen is a theme park destination for kids ages 2–12, with 50 rides, shows, and attractions on 150 acres it’s the largest LEGOLAND theme park in the world, is hosting Red, White & BOOM at LEGOLAND (included with the cost of regular admission). Also in the area: hike the trails along the waterfalls of Neversink Gorge.

*Walkway Over the Hudson,* *one of the longest pedestrian/cycling bridges in the world, is an ideal platform for viewing the City of Poughkeepsie’s fireworks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Walkway Over the Hudson’s Fireworks Spectacular: Walkway Over the Hudson, one of the longest pedestrian/cycling bridges in the world, is an ideal platform for viewing the City of Poughkeepsie’s fireworks. The New York State historic park will hold a ticketed event 6:30-10 PM (fireworks begin after 9 PM). See website for tickets.

4th of July in Dutchess County: Head to the home of the minor league baseball team, the Hudson Valley Renegades. Fireworks displays will take place at Dutchess Stadium for three nights (July 4-6) after their games against the Brooklyn Cyclones. Enjoy the Hyde Park Independence Day Parade.

Catskills

4th of July at Windham Mountain: The annual parade at Windham Mountain begins at 7 PM on Route 296, through Main Street, followed by fireworks beginning at dusk.

The Catskills also affords a new experience: camp at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on days when you attend concerts. (Bethel Woods was the site of the legendary Woodstock music festival). For the 2024 summer concert season (May-October), concert-goers can pitch their own tent, glamp in style, or roll into Best Road Campground with an RV.

The Catskills inspired America’s first native school of art, the Hudson River School, and artists like Frederic Edwin Church who built Olana. *His 250 acre estate is one of the most intact artist-created landscapes in America, and one of the most intact artist residences of its age in the world* © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Finger Lakes

Genesee Country Village & Museum Independence Day Celebration: This family-friendly daytime celebration will feature games, picnics, a pie-eating contest, patriotic tunes, and a swearing-in of new U.S. citizens. The Genesee Country Village & Museum is hosting its grand 19th-century style parade and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. July 4, $23 for adults, $20 for senior citizens, $20 for students 13-18, free for children 12 and younger.

Cortland County Independence Day Spectacular has a day-long celebration at Dwyer Memorial Park in Preble with live music (starting at 2 pm), food vendors, and a beer and wine garden, and fireworks from 9-10 PM. July 6, free, $5 parking per car starting at 8PM.

A stellar Finger Lakes destination is Watkins Glen State Park where you are kept spellbound as you walk the two miles trail along the stream that descends 400 feet passing 200-foot cliffs, creating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge. The park is a sensational place for camping (Olympic-size pool, tours the gorge), or stay in the charming village, on Seneca Lake. (To book NYS Park campsites, https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com/)

Got a need for speed? Head to Watkins Glen International, the famous auto race track where you can experience world-class racing and events throughout the season. You can even drive your own car around the track on Drive the Glen days. Visit Sunset View Creamery, 10 minutes from Watkins Glen, for refreshing ice cream and some “cow cuddling,” a 30-minute experience that recognizes the calming influence of these docile creatures. Unwind with a Captain Bill’s cruise on Seneca Lake. Head northeast to Taughannock Falls, one of the highest falls east of the Rockies, where the water drops 215 feet and you can swim, camp, and picnic.

On the western edge of the Finger Lakes, campers looking for adventure can seek out the scenically magnificent Letchworth State Park, nicknamed “the Grand Canyon of the East,” for its massive gorge with three major waterfalls between cliffs as high as 600 feet. Letchworth also offers 66 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, a special one-mile loop Autism Nature Trail, nature center, museum, swimming pool and guided walks. There is whitewater rafting through the canyon as well as hot air balloon rides (shared basket: $425/person; private flight: $2,150/couple). Sit down for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the historic Glen Iris Inn and soak in the views of the Middle Falls. Letchworth offers 257 campsites ranging from $27 to $30 a night, plus cabins $132-$568 per week. (https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com/)

*Letchworth State Park is nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of the East” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Chautauqua-Allegheny

Mayville July 4th Celebration: The village of Mayville’s festivities include a Grand Parade, live music and entertainment including magic, comedy, variety and stunt shows, finishing with a fireworks display. July 4, free.

Panoramic Parks Scenic Park lets you experience 15 acres of the Paleozoic ocean floor at this scenic park established in 1885. Natural attractions to explore include towering rocks 60 feet high and cavernous dens. You can hike the trails around the rocks and navigate through the nooks, crevices, and caves, and the park includes informational signs that explain the geology, as well as an educational treasure hunt for the kids, and picnic tables for lunch.

A short drive away, the famous Chautauqua Institution, a preeminent exemplar of lifelong learning, is where for nine weeks each summer you can experience a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, programs, classes and community events for all ages, within the beautiful setting of a historic lakeside village (tickets and accommodations.chq.org, 800-836-2787)

Greater Niagara

Independence Night Celebration at the Ballpark: The Buffalo Bisons and Rochester Red Wings face off at Sahlen Field. After the game, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will entertain, followed by the largest fireworks show of the season Game starts at 6:05 PM. Tickets cost $30.10 each

Thousand Islands-Seaway

Fireworks over Boldt Castle: Alexandria Bay’s Independence Day celebration uses the stunning backdrop of the St. Lawrence River and Boldt Castle for its fireworks display. Picnic along the shoreline or rent a boat to view from the water. The fireworks begin at dusk, this far north estimated at 9:45 pm.

Adirondacks

Best 4th in the North 2024 Celebration: This festival taking place from July 1-4 at Bicentennial Park in Ticonderoga is jam-packed with a grand fireworks display, parade, live music, craft and food vendors, kid’s activities, a reading of the Declaration of Independence. July 1-4, free.

Ticonderoga 250^th: Throughout 2024, Fort Ticonderoga commemorates 250 years since the battle for independence. The region along the Lake Champlain shoreline, at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, was critical to American victory in the Revolution.

4th of July in Lake Placid: You can begin the day at the Lake Placid Horse Show starting at 8am ($10), swim at the Lake Placid Public Beach, stroll around Mirror Lake, browse the shops, enjoy live music from 1-4 pm. At 5 pm, a July 4 gala parade will feature Olympic athletes and special guests, floats, classic cars and the fireworks extravaganza over Mirror Lake starts at 9:30 pm.

Great place to stay: High Peak Resort’s summer family package features family-friendly activities like face painting Fridays, educational wildlife experiences Saturdays, water aerobics Tuesdays and Thursdays, evening live music on Thursday, guided nature explorations on Saturdays (www.highpeaksresort.com/packages/adirondack-experience).

More to do: bike the first 10 miles of the new Adirondack Rail Trail connecting Lake Placid to Saranac Lake (when finished, the trail will stretch 34 miles between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake, see Bike Adirondacks for updates).

Meanwhile, The Adirondack Experience Museum on Blue Mountain Lake is celebrating the centennial of the 138-mile long Northville-Placid Trail (oldest in the state) with a new exhibit about the history of the trail and the team who built it. There are guided overnight hikes (via Adirondack Hamlets to Huts). (www.npt100.com)

*High Falls Gorge offers an exciting, accessible adventure in Wilmington, just outside Lake Placid, NY © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

For more natural awe, visit High Falls Gorge, 22-acre nature park features waterfalls, hiking/walking trails and glass-floor walkways (4761 NY-86, Wilmington, NY 12997, www.highfallsgorge.com) and the awesome Ausable Chasm, where you walk along the Cliffside trail, do mountain biking and river rafting (2144 US-9, Ausable Chasm, NY 12911, 518-834-7454, www.ausablechasm.com).

*Ausable Chasm in the Adirondacks offers exciting hikes along the cliffs, river rafting and mountain biking © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

For a great all-day outdoor experience, head to Tupper Lake and the 115-acre Wild Center & Wild Walk to explore trails, take guided canoe trips on the river, and meet staff ready to show you around and answer questions about the wild world of the region. The star of the Center’s outdoor experience is Wild Walk, with more than 1,000 feet of bridges and platforms rising over the top of an Adirondack forest, a four-story treehouse, swinging bridges, a spider’s web where people can hang out, and a giant-sized bald eagle’s nest for a rare point of view of the Adirondacks.

New York State’s Challenge

*Hiking Chimney Mountain, in the Adirondacks. New York State is celebrating the centennial of its parks system with a Challenge © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

New York State is in the middle of a year-long challenge which began January 1, 2024, celebrating the centennial of the state’s park system. The New York State Parks Centennial Challenge includes 100 missions that can be completed at various state parks and historic sites – the challenge is to complete 24 missions of them during the course of the year. (More information on the New York State Park Centennial, visit https://www.parks.ny.gov/100/challenge.)

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which saw a record 84 million visits in 2023. For more information, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer mobile app or call 518-474-0456.

More information on New York State travel at www.iloveny.com

July 4^th Festivities Around the USA

The Jefferson DC, Washington, D.C. Festivities: There may be no more iconic city to celebrate the 4^th of July than Washington, D.C. The National Mall is the most popular place to watch the fireworks display with the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial among the scenic spots to celebrate. Stay: A jewel among historic hotels in Washington, D.C., The Jefferson DC started life as a luxury apartment block in 1923. The 99-room hotel enjoys one of D.C.’s most prestigious and strategic locations, just four blocks from the White House and within a short walk of museums, monuments and embassies. Take advantage of walking tours crafted by in-house historian Susan Barnes and be sure to check out the historical memorabilia that decorates the hotel, echoing the patriotism of the holiday.

The Newbury Boston, Boston, MA Festivities: It doesn’t get much more Americana than Boston, which not only played an integral role in the American Revolution, but was also one of the first cities to light fireworks on the 4^th of July, dating back to 1777. Not to mention, the state of Massachusetts was the first state to recognize the 4^th of July as a holiday. Unsurprisingly, Boston puts on one of the country’s largest celebrations with an annual Boston Harborfest Celebration. Taking place July 1-4, 2024, the family-friendly event includes historical reenactments, live music, parades, and a fireworks display over Boston Harbor. Stay: Situated directly across from The Public Garden in Back Bay, The Newbury Boston is conveniently located close enough to the action – within 2 miles of the Harborfest and Fireworks Spectacular – but is a calm and comfortable sanctuary to retreat back to following the fun. The hotel is ideal for families with special kids amenities and pet-friendly accommodations.

Hilton San Diego Bayfront, San Diego, CA: Festivities: One of the best spots to see the spectacular Big Bay Boom Fireworks show is Hilton San Diego Bayfront from its Bayfront Park lawn or Hudson & Nash waterfront kitchen during the 7:30 p.m. seating (to make a reservation, visit OpenTable). Stay: Rising above San Diego Bay and steps from Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, and Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Hilton San Diego Bayfront is the signature SoCal resort.

Backland Luxury Camping, Williams, AZ: Festivities: Celebrate 4^th of July with a spectacular patriotic parade and fireworks in Williams and Flagstaff, Arizona, touted as a “Top 10 Small Town Fourth of July Celebrations.” Stay: Backland Luxury Camping a luxury eco resort featuring 10 glamping tents, on-site dining and a wellness focused spa tent.

Hotel 1000, Seattle, WA: Festivities: Don’t miss the 75^th annual Seafair 4th of July – one of the best ways to celebrate Independence Day in the Pacific Northwest – featuring a choreographed fireworks display set to music over Lake Union, family-friendly activities, food vendors, live music, a glow-in-the-dark dance party, and more. Catch the spectacular fireworks show with concert-quality sound from Gas Works Park at the north end of Lake Union or South Lake Union Park. Stay: The 120-room Hotel 1000, LXR Hotels & Resorts is a luxurious gem walking distance of Pike Place Market and the waterfront. Residential-like guest rooms and suites are well-appointed with plush Frette linens, pedestal bathtubs in every room, and oversized windows to take in the stunning city views. Over Independence Day weekend, sports fans can also catch a Seattle Mariners game at T-Mobile Park just one mile from Hotel 1000.

*July 4^th Fireworks in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho*

Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene, ID: Festivities: 4^th of July kicks off in downtown Coeur d’Alene with the American Heroes Parade. This year’s theme is America the Beautiful where the town will commemorate the bravery and dedication of veterans and active-duty service members. Following the parade, venture to Coeur d’Alene Resort for the 4th Fest, a family-friendly event that includes dinner buffet. After dinner, enjoy live entertainment followed by a spectacular fireworks display on the Front Lawn to top off the night. Stay: The famed Coeur d’Alene Resort offers families a premier lakefront vacation, with a spa and restaurant remodel, and resort pool updates. The newer One Lakeside offers quintessential Northwestern charm with stunning views of Lake Coeur d’Alene and proximity to rivers, mountains, trails, and lakes for exploration.

The Valley Hotel, Homewood Birmingham, AL: Festivities: Vulcan Park hosts its annual “Thunder on the Mountain” fireworks show on July 4^th. Located less than a mile from The Valley Hotel, the fireworks utilize the Vulcan statue as the backdrop, which is visible from Ironwood’s patio, the second floor Terrace Bar patio, as well as outside the hotel’s front entrance. Stay: The Valley Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton™, is a 129-room hotel in Homewood, a bucolic neighborhood known for its picturesque tree-filled landscape, charming shops, restaurants, bars and galleries.

NEW YORK’S WATKINS GLEN STATE PARK IS SPELLBINDING

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Cultural travel, Destinations, Driveable adventures, Driveable destinations, Historic Hotels, Historic Places

New Brunswick Roadtrip Begins in St. Andrews

September 5, 2023 krubin723

*Picturesque, historic* *St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, with Dave E. Leiberman, Laini Miranda & Eric Leiberman

Travel Features Syndicate, www.goingplacesfarandnear.com

Perhaps the most defining feature of New Brunswick, Canada is that it has the highest tides in the world. But unless you see it, stand in it, walk on the ocean floor one hour and kayak through rock openings the next, it is hard to wrap your head around what it means to say the Bay of Fundy has the “highest tides” in the world.

*Rising tide, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Seeing, experiencing this phenomenon for ourselves is just one of the reasons that brought us to New Brunswick, one of Canada’s Atlantic Maritime provinces and the only one of its 11 provinces that is officially bilingual (English and French). Other unique aspects were also intriguing – like seeing the vestiges of Pangea, primordial earth before the continents split apart, in one of the world’s first and most expansive UNESCO Geoparks; fossils 3.5 billion years old; and the intriguing phenomenon of Reversing Falls (one of only two places in the world).

We are also really excited to sample a new bike trail, 375 miles around the coast, that let us tour its (very French) Acadian Peninsula, going through small villages where the flag most prominently waved is that of Acadia, not New Brunswick or Canada. And then there are the bonus surprises where you can see living history of the First Nations and a colonial Acadian Village.

New Brunswick also is surprisingly easy to reach, located adjacent to Maine (there are 17 border crossings), yet so delightfully foreign and exotic because it is relatively unknown and unexplored beyond New Englanders.

*St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, a picturesque seaside historic town © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We start our New Brunswick exploration in St. Andrews, one of Canada’s most popular seaside resort towns – wonderfully picturesque, with a surprising amount of things to do.

It is also where we will launch our 10-day trip that will take us on the scenic 286-mile Fundy Coastal Drive (St. Andrews, Saint John, St. Martins, Fundy Trail Parkway, Alma, Cape Enrage and Hopewell Rocks), and on to Miramichi and the Acadian Peninsula, where we will cycle the new Acadian Peninsula Veloroute from Tracadie to Shippagan, Miscou Island and Caraquet. (We are grateful to Tourism New Brunswick for creating our itinerary.)

St. Andrews, designated a National Historic Site of Canada, is a charming community with many of the town’s buildings still reflecting its founding by the United Empire Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution, especially as we walk along Water Street.

Kingsbrae Garden

Our first morning, we explore an absolute treasure of St. Andrews: Kingsbrae Garden, set on 27 acres donated by John and Lucinda Flemer. This was her family’s summer home – she tells stories of taking the train from their Montreal home and hiding in the century-old hedges which we walk through today. In fact, at 93 years old, Lucinda still lives here, walks the grounds most days (making sure everything is up to snuff), Daniel Schmids, director of operations, relates as he guides us around.

In 1996, Mrs. Flemer wanted to do something to benefit the community. She originally thought to create a school to train guide dogs, but the tourism office suggested that a garden would benefit the community more, Lucinda was not a garden hobbyist, botanist nor landscape architect. Nor was Geoff Slater, the artist she chose to design her garden (we see his murals on Water Street). She laid out her vision for the Garden one evening sitting at her kitchen table with Slater over a bottle of wine, and Kingsbrae Garden opened two years later.

*Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The gardens are gorgeous – works of art, really – but they are so much more. You feel the heart, the compassion, that went into their creation and design. You feel as nurtured and protected as the flowers. I have never been so simultaneously excited and serene at the same time.

Kingsbrae pays tribute to some of the great garden traditions such as the White, Rose, Knot Garden, Perennial and Cottage gardens.

*One of the classic gardens at Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

There are also experimental gardens where new and old styles and plant materials are used to preserve and promote home gardening, like the Container Garden (to give apartment dwellers ideas, inspired by her time living in England). Display gardens showcase various collections of plant species and their uses – Rhododendron, Heath & Heather, Ornamental Shrub, Dwarf Conifer, Herb, Hydrangea and Gravel gardens. But Kingsbrae goes far beyond horticulture.

*Lucinda Flemer designed* *Kingsbrae Garden with an artist’s eye © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

There is a Labyrinth & Maze, a Bee Garden (the bees essential to pollinate the flowers), a Monarch Garden (a certified Monarch butterfly way station providing not only the milkweed that Monarchs require but a protected place for the egg larvae to develop), a Secret Garden, and Memory Lane (a row of special trees planted in memory of someone).

*Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, is a certified Monarch butterfly way station; larvae are taken and protected in shelters© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

There is a Peace Garden and Afghanistan Memorial to honor and give comfort to war dead and veterans (military people get free admission); a therapy garden (the gardens work with Wounded Warriors to use gardening to relieve stress); a Scents and Sensitivity garden that invites you to identify the plant by smell or touch (the accompanying sculpture of a guide dog pays homage to Lucinda’s original idea). There is an orchard containing heirloom varieties of apple trees. An Edible Garden showcases edible plants, native and exotic fruits and berries (where the Garden Café chef makes a daily collection for his culinary creations before visitors arrive).

*Animals are among the special delights at* *Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Favorites are the Children’s Garden and a Fantasy Garden that provide outdoor environments for play and learning, with tiny cottages and animals including goats, alpacas and rabbits. The children’s garden is bordered by a “living fence” of 100 criss-crossing apple trees that have grown together over the past 10 years.

*The living fence of criss-crossed apple trees border the Children’s Garden at* *Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Possibly the most extraordinary sight is the Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis), a 200 million year old species thought to be extinct but re-discovered by a hiker in Australia; some were auctioned and a St. Andrews man won one and gifted it to Kingsbrae, now protected within a cage.

*The rare, thought to be extinct, Wollemi Pine is on view at Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

“Since dinosaurs roamed the earth to the present electronic era, a few Wollemi pines have patiently survived with their gene pool pure and unchanged, in the Blue Mountains of Australia. What was likely a tasty treat Cretaceous dinosaurs munched on for lunch is a botanical story of the century.”

One of the most magnificent displays is the working Dutch windmill, built to one-third scale. Mrs. Flemer’s husband, John, who was Dutch, had it built as an anniversary gift in 1997 (he passed 6 years ago).

*Lucinda Flemer’s husband, John, had this one-third scale Dutch windmill constructed as an anniversary present*. *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You can explore a kilometer-long groomed trail through the Acadian forest and an Audubon-certified bird sanctuary, which she created after a visit to India.

Lucinda Flemer had not been a gardening person, but was art-oriented and wanted to create Kingsbrae for “the eye of artist”.

The Gardens even offers an art residency for six artists a year, housed in a historic 1908 building she purchased.

*Kingsbrae Garden is Canada’s largest private sculpture collection © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

And all the way through, tucked here and there, are sculptures that convey a theme or message or are just whimsical (like an apple core you can sit on), as well as a Sculpture Garden. Indeed, Kingsbrae Garden is Canada’s largest private sculpture collection. For many years Lucinda sponsored a sculpture competition, purchasing the top prize winners for the Garden. Now she commissions works. We see the most recent acquisition, a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, appropriately in the Heath and Heather Garden.

*A sculptural tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in the Heath & Heather Garden at* *Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Everywhere you look there is some delightful surprise.

Lucinda Flemer built the garden and then decided to build an 1100-seat amphitheater – in a town of 2500 people! “People laughed. But she thought, ‘Build it and they will come,’” Daniel tells us. And they did. The amphitheater hosts 8 to 10 events a year including Broadway productions (a local actor was Broadway’s “Come From Away” and “Rock of Ages,” and his wife is a casting director), in 2022, one event filled the amphitheater twice.

“She was inspired by what was done well, so she brought here to show people what they otherwise wouldn’t see – the same with art residency. People get to experience different culture.”

Seniors who live in a residence next door come in for free through a special gate. In July and August, there are special mobility tours by golf cart.

*Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, offers whimsical delights like this apple core sculpture that invites you to sit © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We have the most delectable lunch at the Garden’s Café, with items enhanced by the freshly picked produce from the garden, which also houses an Art Gallery. On view are paintings created by the artist who designed Kingsbrae, Geoff Slater (he’s known for paintings out of a single line in changing colors) who also painted the murals on Water Street.

Café executive chef Alex Haun, grew up in St Andrews, started working at Kingsbrae at15 years old as a dishwasher (his father managed the garden). Haun went to Canadian Culinary Institute, competed in International Culinary Olympics, winning multiple gold medals. He probably could have gone anywhere in the world but returned to Kingsbrae. His Signature 12-course “Savor” dinner menu, offered three times a year, sells out immediately.

Kingsbrae Garden, 220 King Street, St. Andrews, 506-529-3335, www.kingsbraegarden.com (Open May-October).

Whale Watching

Dave and I have to rush away from this delectable lunch to get to the dock for a whale watching tour with Jolly Breeze Whale Adventures.

Whale watching is very popular in St. Andrews and there are many different companies. I am thrilled to be taking Jolly Breeze’s 12-passenger Zodiac – extremely comfortable, low to the water, very flexible so you are unlikely to get sea sick, and the Captain can maneuver more easily to get closer to a whale (keeping an appropriate distance).

It is very early in the season and it is really by virtue of Captain Randy’s experience (he started working on the boats when he was 13), knowing whale behavior and pattern and skill that toward the end of the 2 ½ hour cruise, we spot a Minke whale.

But even if we didn’t get to spot a whale, the cruise is really fun on the Zodiac.

*The picturesque East Quoddy Lighthouse is spotted on* Jolly Breeze Whale Watching Adventures, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

They dress us in gear that looks like we are off to explore the Arctic, so we are absolutely comfortable on the Zodiac. We get to see the picturesque East Quoddy Lighthouse, built in 1829 on a small, rocky islet located off the northern tip of Campobello Island (was frequented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and today is the world’s only national park, shared by two countries, Canada and the USA), as well as puffin and seals.

If it had been a little more into the season we might have seen as many as four different whale species that frequent this area at different times in the season. One of the regulars is an Orca they call “Old Tom.”

There is not much splash on the Zodiac, so you can bring a good camera with long lens and a dry bag is available on request.

Jolly Breeze Whale Adventures on the wharf at 4 King Street. 506-529-8116, https://jollybreeze.com.

Ministers Island

We need to pull ourselves away from wandering St. Andrews’ charming downtown by 5 pm, in order to visit Ministers Island, Canada’s largest tidal island and a National Historic Site. Since you have to drive across a sand road (Bar Road) that is quickly overrun at high tide, covered by 15 feet of water (when it becomes an island), we have to mind the time. We will have to be off at 7 pm when the tide quickly envelops the road (rangers round up any stragglers). Each day, there are two windows of opportunity to travel to the island depending on the tide schedule.

*Ministers Island, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Ministers Island is a 500 acre island, 2 miles by 1 mile, located in Passamaquoddy Bay, where Sir William Van Horne built his summer home, Covenhoven, in 1890 – a 50-room mansion, with 17 bedrooms, 11 fireplaces, 11 bathrooms – and the only place still standing that is associated with this significant historic figure.

Sir William Cornelius Van Horne was an American recruited to build Canada’s 2,900 mile-long transcontinental railroad system, finishing a year ahead of schedule (earning a $1 million bonus).

The mansion remained in the Van Horne family until 1961 when it was sold to two Americans, our guide, Susan Goertzen, relates. By 1977, they wanted to auction it off and sold off most of furnishings and artifacts. But three days into the auction, the Province of New Brunswick stopped the sale and bought it. The mansion was closed from 1977 until 1992.

In 2004, a local group took over the operation and put out a call to get back some of the original furnishings and artifacts. It is furnished today with original and period pieces. Most interesting are the paintings that Van Horne painted, the portraits and photographs, the travel posters, the original ice box and stove, his billiards table and game room.

*Van Horne’s original dining set at Covenhoven on* *Ministers Island, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

In the “Canadian Pacific Room” you learn a lot about Van Horne – an inventor, an amateur geologist who collected fossils (his collection was given to the University of Chicago), an artist and a major art collector. It is said he only slept four hours a night.

Truly a self-made man, Van Horne, was born in Illinois in 1843, and had to quit school at age 14 when his father died to go to work as a telegraph operator for the Illinois Central Railroad. By 1880 he was general superintendent of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad system. In 1881, he was recruited to become general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway and by 1885, had completed the transcontinental railway system.

*The self-made man, Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, built Canada’s transcontinental railroad © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.co*

Van Horne was not only the architect of Canada’s transcontinental railroad, he was the progenitor of its tourism industry, designing and building a network of Canadian Pacific Hotels. One of the original hotels was the Algonquin here in St. Andrews, where we get to stay; another was the famous Banff Springs Hotel.

We visit the windmill he built to pump water from a 10,000 gallon holding tank (actually a railway water car) 127 feet below ground into the house for running water.

You also can see the carriage house (a gorgeous carriage inside) and an amazing barn which features antique cars, and the magnificent 1911 bath house that overlooks a “natural” swimming pool cut from the rock just below. The setting is absolutely stunning, and can also be enjoyed picnicking and hiking on several marked trails.

There is much to explore on Ministers Island: a shell midden archaeological site, and the 1790 home of Loyalist and Anglican minister Samuel Andrews, a creamery, a livestock barn, a boarding house, an automobile garage, a horse stable, and a greenhouse.

But the tide will soon come in and we have to hurry back. Dave and Eric opt to run down from the hilltop mansion along the trail over the sand bridge (we are only a little concerned about them making it before the tide overwhelms the road again), back into St. Andrews, where we meet for dinner.

Ministers Island, 506-529-5081 https://www.ministersisland.net/ (Open May-October, Admission, $17/adults).

*Dave and Eric race the incoming tide as they dash from Ministers Island, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Where to Stay, Dine

There are so many charming restaurants and cafes along Water Street.

The previous day we sampled some of the town’s marvelous restaurants and sights.

The Niger Reef Tea House (1 Joes Point Rd, St. Andrews, 506-529-8005, nigerreefteahouse.com) is a real find, offering the most marvelous ambiance and distinctive cuisine. It’s where the locals go for an elegant, sophisticated dinner in a homey, casual, comfortable but classy atmosphere. It looks like a Japanese teahouse – in fact, the magnificent murals painted by Lucille Davenport in the 19^th century were uncovered when the residence was converted to the tea house in 1926.

*Enjoying a meal and the ambiance at Niger Reef Teahouse in St. Andrews © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We start with the oysters served on kelp that chef Anthony Davidson has dashed out to the Bay to gather, enjoy the jerk chicken and pesto pizza, and finish with the delectable strawberry rhubarb crumble (the rhubarb is growing in the garden).

The setting – a sprawling lawn that goes down to the Bay – also lets us explore The Blockhouse, the town’s last remaining wooden defensive structure from the War of 1812 (great for picnicking and view of harbor).

*Sunset*, *St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

This evening, we find a delightful deck to enjoy the view of the wharf and sunset at Saint Andrews Brewing Company (201 Water St., 506-529-2337) set in what was the Customs House, which serves snacks but invites you to order in the rest of the meal. We order from a delightful restaurant just across the plaza, The Red Herring Pub, (211 Water St., 506-529-8455 – they even delivered!) and just revel in the scenery.

We go down to the wharf to take in a magnificent sunset, but I rush away to get to our hotel, the grand, historic Algonquin Resort, in time for the 9 pm Ghost Tour.

The Algonquin Resort is reputed to be haunted and is said to be the inspiration for Stephen King’s horror story, The Shining. (Bangor, Maine, where King lives, is a two-hour drive from St. Andrews.)

The Ghost Tour is a fun way to see parts of the resort you would otherwise never see. We creep through the underground passageway (the staff wasn’t allowed to be seen by the guests in their street clothes) as our guide tells the story of the tunnel being haunted by a ‘night watchman’ (people hear his keys rattling). There is a haunted piano (one of only two items from the original 1889 hotel that was saved from a fire that destroyed it in 1914; Van Horne had it rebuilt and reopened just six months later) which people claim to hear play even though it is locked shut with a key that cannot be replaced; he tells about a boy named Benjamin who people claim they hear bouncing a ball.

*Walking through underground passageway on the Algonquin’s Ghost Tour St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I finish the ghost tour in time to take in the wonderful ambiance of the resort and enjoy the Algonquin’s indoor pool and water slide.

One of the original Canadian Pacific Hotels (another ingenious Van Horne idea to promote travel on the railroad) and now part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, the Algonquin lets you drift back into that grand era as soon as you step across the threshold.

*The grand, historic Algonquin Resort, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Set on a hilltop overlooking the town (and just next to Kingsbrae Gardens), The Algonquin has the most magnificent outdoor pool complex, an indoor pool with a water slide, tennis courts, 18-hole golf course. It also has a fleet bicycles available just for the asking to bike over the beautiful Van Horne Trail, built on what had been the train tracks. We wake up early to take advantage before we have to tear ourselves away (you really want to stay) to continue on to our next New Brunswick adventure, in the historic city of St. John.

Algonquin Resort, 184 Adolphus Street, St. Andrews, 506-529-8823, https://www.marriott.com/en-gb/en-gb/hotels/travel/ysjak-the-algonquin-resort-st-andrews-by-the-sea-autograph-collection/

For planning help, visit Tourism New Brunswick, 800-561-0123, www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca

Next: New Brunswick Roadtrip: Saint John, a City of Oldests, Firsts, Amazements

____________________________

© 2023 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com, www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin, and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to [email protected]. Tweet @TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/KarenBRubin

Camping/Glamping/RVs, Driveable adventures, Driveable destinations, Ecotourism, Outdoors Adventures, Ranch Vacations, Resorts & Hotels, Responsible Travel, Road Trip, Wellness & Spa Travel, Where to Go Next, Wildlife adventures

Travelers Navigate a Tricky Landscape in 2022

January 10, 2022 krubin723

One of the historic Maine Windjammers, the Victory Chimes, is enveloped in fog. Big cruiseships may be a dubious proposition, but small ships – riverboats, barges – and even a self-piloted canalboat will be desirable ways to keep sailing © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Where to go in 2022 is as much a question of “how to go” and “why to go”.

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

We can see just how important travel is in our lives – to our wellbeing, our growth, our connections to family and friends, and as literal ambassadors of peace, understanding and shared innovation.We know this from the huge surge that occurred during 2021, after the COVID-19 vaccine opened floodgates to travelers, by making it safe(r) to be out and about. Even during the worst of the pandemic, before a vaccine, people found a way to continue to embrace experiences, drawing upon the infinite possibilities to tailor something that felt right.

It may well be that the Omicron variant, by virtue of just how transmissible but less dangerous (at least for those who are vaccinated and use precautions like masking, social distancing) will help bring about the end of the global coronavirus pandemic, as more people develop immunity. Or not. It may well be that new variants will arise – perhaps progressively less dangerous. Or not. And it is more likely that some form of virus will be endemic and dealing with it will be part of the “new normal” of everyday life. And people will find a way to go on with their lives and have this in mind: life is precious and our time is finite, make the best of every day. And that includes sharing experiences with the ones you hold dear. And top of the list to achieve that is travel.

Where to go in 2022 is as much a question of “how to go” and “why to go”.

I’m thinking that many of the same trends of 2021 will hold in 2022 – a focus on outdoors activities, low-density destinations, open-spaces (national and state parks), bike trips, driveable destinations, RVs and camping.

*Parks & Trails NY’s Cycle the Erie eight-day, 400-mile biking/camping trip will be back at full strength, 650 riders, July 10-17 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Even if the Omicron variant of COVID-19 abates, as is expected, and is less dangerous than Delta, and travelers are much more likely (even required) to be vaccinated and show a negative test, people will be concerned about whether there is yet another variant around the corner that can break through, whether destinations will impose new restrictions, from mandated quarantines to capacity controls to shutting borders altogether (airlines, tour operators, hotels and the like must continue flexible cancellation policies if they want to stay in business at all). There likely will be the continued need for advance purchase of ticketing, and possibly a return to capacity controls, as well as requirements for masking and social distancing. This will define the new “normal” because the protocols won’t be going away any time soon – certainly not until there are months that go by without a coronavirus outbreak before anyone feels safe enough.

Taking a flight from Mexico just before the Christmas holiday rush and the onset of Omicron. There is increasing resolution that some form of COVID-19 will become endemic and become part of a “new normal” for travelers © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com

But because there is now widespread vaccinations, masking, and testing will be much more available (and free), people will continue to travel and live their lives. COVID will be “endemic” – embedded in how we live.

And the lure of travel – for all the benefits travel affords in terms of personal growth, renewal, bonding, discovery – will be very strong, even stronger. And where there is a will, there will be a way.

People will opt for travel that does not require a lot of connections (if taking air) or complicated itineraries, will many will seize opportunities to travel last minute because of the changeability of the situation. They will look for flexibility (and ability to cancel or change), and travel styles that give them more control.

Travel companies have already adapted: like G Adventures (gadventures.com), with a new “Travel with Confidence” policy; Moab Adventure Center (www.moabadventurecenter.com) and its parent, Western River Expeditions, which organize customized small-group trips.

*Attractions like the Skunk Train railbike in Fort Bragg, California, will likely continue with COVID-19 protocols © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The innovations and adaptations – on airlines, at hotels and resorts, attractions, restaurants – that have already been put into place will be continued, improved, enhanced. Many have actually been very popular improvements.

Indoor attractions may well continue capacity limits, advance purchase and online/touchless ticketing.

A concern for health and wellness will likely overhang travel planning. People should be monitoring CDC and WTO health reports and State department – not just on infection rates, but what destinations, travel suppliers, hotels, restaurants are doing to take COVID-19 health protocols seriously. Use your own protocols – the more protective N95 masks, hand-sanitizing. (New: Fend Wellness Sanitizing Hand Wipe Mitts are wearable hand mitt wipes that provide a protective liner between you and all surfaces that come in contact with your hands, available on Amazon and online, fendwellness.com).

For complicated, long-distance and expensive itineraries, use a travel advisor (www.travelsense.org, www.virtuoso.com, ustoa.com, and the new Reco from Tripadvisor (helloreco.com). Try to make plans with flexible cancellations or change policies; use respected and well established tour operators and travel companies which can adapt quickly on the ground and revise itineraries as necessary and even extract you if conditions warrant. If traveling abroad, purchase travel insurance that incorporates health coverage (your domestic health insurance does not provide much coverage; my go-to travel insurance company is worldnomads.com)

Check with State Department (travel.state.gov) and CDC.gov as to conditions. Make sure vaccinations (and cards) are in order (many countries are much more restrictive than the United States). Sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP, Step.state.gov), which shares your contact information with the nearest U.S. embassy and sends travel alert notifications. The STEP app is worth downloading prior to traveling.

So high on our list for travel in 2022:

Letchworth State Park, New York, considered the “Grand Canyon of the East.” 2022 will still be a year of discovering fantastic attractions within driving distance © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Road Trip!: Continue to discover destinations, experiences within driveable distance, or, for long-distance holidays, revert to the old-school “road trip” and string together destinations in an itinerary that make a loop. An excellent way to do that is to go to historichotels.org because each of these 300 member properties from 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, are destinations in their own right. Hotels and resorts are being scrupulous about cleaning and sanitizing and have installed procedures and technology. You can also create your own itineraries using hotels.com (which offers extremely flexible cancellation policy), booking.com, airbnb.com.

*Major ski destinations, like Gore Mountain, in New York’s Adirondacks, are within driving distance of major metropolitan areas © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Ski/snowboarding/mountain resorts holidays – More people taking up skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, uphilling which are ideal outdoor activities during winter. Fortunately, there are many major ski areas within driving distance. Ski passes like Vail Resorts’ EpicPass and Alterra Mountain Company’s Ikon Pass, which provide access to dozens of destinations, let you really explore. And to help, Alterra just introduced the Ikon Pass Travel, a trip planning service (ikonpass.com/travel).

*Renting a camper van, like this one from Moterra, to explore will continue to be a trend in 2022 © Sarah Falter/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Renting RVs/camper vans will continue – last year was a boom for camper van rental companies like Moterra (307-200-7220, gomoterra.com); Blacksford, offering an all-inclusive RV pricing with unlimited miles, 24-hour roadside assistance and a free annual pass to national parks (www.blacksford.com); and Tracks & Trails markets packaged national park RV vacations, 800-247-0970, www.tracks-trails.com). Another idea: pilot your own canalboat – like an RV on the water – on the Erie Canal (eriecanaladventures.com, 315-986-3011).

*Pilot your own canalboat on the Erie Canal © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

And while big cruiseships may be a dubious proposition, small ships like Blount (blountsmallshipadventures.com, 800-556-7450) and riverboats like CroisiEurope (croisieurope.com, 800-768-7232), and historic sailboats like the Maine Windjammers (800-807-WIND, www.sailmainecoast.com) will be desirable ways to keep sailing.

*State parks like Watkins Glen in New York’s Finger Lakes will be a big draw in 2022 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Camping/glamping –Check out New York State campgrounds in state parks like Watkins Glen and Letchworth State Park; book at 800-456-CAMP, newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com). Last year, New York expanded glamping/camping opportunities along its picturesque canals through Tentrr (tentrr.com/nysp). To find private campgrounds, visit Campground Owners of New York, 585-586-4360, campnewyork.com, and Kampgrounds of America (our favorite: Herkimer Diamond Mines KOA, Herkimer, NY (315-891-7355, www.herkimerdiamond.com). If California is your destination, visit www.camp-california.com.

*Our campsite at Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

And nationally: Kampgrounds of America (koa.com); Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resorts with 75 locations throughout North America (pools, water slides, splashgrounds, activities, www.jellystonepark.com); and, internationally, Glamping Hub, with 22,000 locations around the world, from safari tents, yurts, treehouses, to cabins (glampinghub.com); and Pitchup, which has 5344 campgrounds, glamping sites throughout the Americas, Europe (www.pitchup.com)

*Bike tours, like Discovery Bicycle’s Maine Coast trip, afford the opportunity to get off the bike and enjoy the sights © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Bike tours are among our favorite modes of travel – a perfect pace and immersion into surroundings with scenic and important heritage routes, that are offered as inn-to-inn, bike/boat tours, or as bike/camping trips, and as guided tours or self-guided. Among our favorite bike tour companies: Bike Tours (biketours.com), Wilderness Voyageurs (855-550-7705, Wilderness-Voyageurs.com), Discovery Bicycle Tours, which has a new Vermont Gravel biking/camping trip (800-257-2226, discoverybicycletours.com). Also, Parks & Trails NY is back with its 24th Cycle the Erie Canal, eight-day, 400-mile biking/camping trip, from Buffalo to Albany, (July 10-17); registration has just opened (https://www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal/annual-bike-tour)

*The Grand Prismatic, one of the most dramatic –and surreal – sights in Yellowstone National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Visits to national and state parks will again be popular this year. There are tour operators that have organized tours, and you can do what we did last year, go to AirBnB, hotels.com and booking.com to get availability, but there are two companies that dominate in-park lodging: Xanterra (xanterra.com) and Delaware North (delawarenorth.com)

*Our own cabin at the Elkhorn Inn, West Jackson, just outside the entrance to Yellowstone Park, booked on hotels.com © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Delaware North last year implemented its Rest Assured Commitment to Care comprehensive health and safety program at the lodging properties it operates, including re-engineered operating procedures to minimize contact risk and bolstered hygiene protocols aligned with guidelines of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Delaware North Parks and Resorts operates lodging in and near many iconic national and state parks, including Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Shenandoah, Sequoia & Kings Canyon and Olympic National Parks and Niagara Falls State Park, as well as at cultural attractions such as Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (www.delawarenorth.com/divisions/parks).

*Book early if you want to visit the Grand Canyon National Park this year © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Known for its “Legendary Hospitality with a Softer Footprint,” Xanterra Travel Collection has operations in Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Zion, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Xanterra Travel Collection also owns and operates the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel in Williams, Ariz., The Grand Hotel in Tusayan, Ariz., The Oasis at Death Valley in Death Valley Calif., Windstar Cruises, Holiday Vacations, VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, and Country Walkers.

*The historic Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Wellness travel – There will be more interest in visiting resorts that cater to wellness (not the same thing as medical tourism), like Canyon Ranch or like the The Inn at Leola Village, Leola, PA, touting its Paid Time Off Wellness Package (theinnatleolavillage.com). The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness tourism as “travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal wellbeing…an opportunity to maintain and improve our holistic health.” A helpful source is spafinders.com.

Wellness and glamping combine at Picocanoa Rodavento, an eco-lodge in Veracruz, Mexico where thrill seekers can explore the surrounding jungle-clad hills by whitewater rafting, mountain biking, rock climbing and even zipping across the canyon and colorful treetops. The glamping site offers traditional wellness treatments, including a traditional Mayan temazcal prehispanico steam bath, as well as an outdoor pool and bar surrounded by lush greenery, a campfire for enjoying traditional batucada drum parties and safari tents and cabins that travelers can book for $98/night on outdoor accommodation website.

*Beachfront resort, Nayarit, Mexico © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Beach and golf resorts that afford lots of space, uncrowded, perhaps with own villas and beachfront will be in high demand. Many Caribbean and Mexican resorts, for example, are emphasizing their COVID-19 protocols and healthful ambiance. Club Med, a pioneer of the all-inclusive concept, for example, is touting its spacious low-density resorts surrounded by nature, spread across 50 acres, operating at a limited capacity, its enhanced safety and hygiene protocols, free onsite antigen testing, and free cancellation policy, as well as unlimited culinary options, and inclusive activities from skiing and snowboarding to standup paddle boarding and snorkeling and family activity programs (www.clubmed.us, 800-Club-Med)

*A villa vacation in Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Villa-style vacations, where you have a base to stay and go out from there, offer the advantage of being stand-alone. Many resorts offer villa accommodations, like Banyan Tree Mayakoba, an all-villa five-star eco resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya (banyantree.com); also the Altamer Resort, Anguilla (altamer.com). Sources include villasofdistinction.com, thetopvillas.com, vrbo.com, airbnb.com/villas, exclusiveresorts.com.

Dude Ranches check off all the items on our list for being outside, inclusive and pure fun. New York State has a surprising number of these delightful venues. Among our favorites: Pine Ridge Dude Ranch (866-600-0859, www.pineridgeduderanch.com); Ridin’ Hy (518-494-2742, www.ridinhy.com); and the ever-popular Rocking Horse Ranch (877-605-6062, www.rockinghorseranch.com).

*The Red Reflet Ranch, in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Dude and guest ranches are ideal venues for 2022 family vacations © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Want the real West? Dude Ranch Association, with 100 members across the western United States and Canada, each entirely different from one another, can help you choose where to go (307-587-2339 duderanch.org); another source is the Colorado Dude Ranch Association (866-942-3472, coloradoranch.org).

More focus on experiential and purposeful travel – those bucketlist experiences that resonate at a fundamental level with one’s being, the experiences that are important enough to risk going outside one’s comfort zone. It could be anything: hiking/camping trip to Machu Picchu (alpacaexpeditions.com); wildlife safari in Kenya (EF Go Ahead experts navigate travel and health and safety guidelines and plan fully refundable trips with no change fees, 800, 590-1161, www.goaheadtours.com); a voyage to Antarctica (atlasoceanvoyages.com, 844-44-ATLAS) or a cooking class in Paris (cooknwithclass.com).

A wildlife safari in Kahna Tiger Preserve, India. Travelers will choose destinations and experiences with more intention and not put off what’s on their bucket-list © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

A corollary of this is more focus on sustainable, responsible tourism and ecotourism. Even if much of society has become entrenched in “me-me-me” view, people who are travelers tend to have a more open, one-world sensibility, and are sensitive to the need to protect and appreciate environment, heritage, ecology. There is a lot more interest in seeking out travel experiences that immerse you in local cultures and use tourism to bolster local economies in order to sustain local communities and culture, and do as much good in the world as for oneself.

TRIPS by Culture Trip, is touting its “ extremely flexible and generous cancellation plan in place should Covid restrictions change your plans, including rebooking for free up to 48 hours before departure and if TRIPS by Culture Trip cannot change your booking dates, they will refund the booking (culturetrip.com/trips, 678-967-4965).

Even though you may want to hold out to survey the situation, you are best advised to book early because dates will fill, and take advantage of flexible cancellation or rebooking policies. National Plan for Vacation Day is January 25^th.

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© 2022 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com, www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin, and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Send comments or questions to [email protected]. Tweet @TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Driveable adventures, Driveable destinations, Fall Foliage Getaways

Most Glorious Fall Foliage is Right in Our Neck of the Woods

October 6, 2021 krubin723

*A hike up Chimney Mountain in New York’s Adirondacks to take in the fall colors © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Take advantage of the outdoors this fall – hiking, biking, kayaking, pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, and camping!

And New York State really has it all.

The I LOVE NY weekly foliage report is a great tool for visitors looking to plan a seasonal getaway – you can not only follow the progress of the changing colors, but the new interactive fall foliage map, located on the I LOVE NY foliage website, showcases great foliage viewing locations in each of the various regions throughout the state. You can use the map to see what the foliage is like during peak viewing in a given area find nearby, must-see attractions and events, from harvest festivals to Halloween celebrations, craft beverage trails, museums and family fun. Reports and the new interactive map are updated Wednesdays throughout the season at www.iloveny.com/foliage or dial 800/CALL-NYS (800/225-5697).

Thanks in part to its size and location, New York State has one of the longest and most colorful foliage seasons in the country. From late September through mid-November, some part of the state is likely experiencing peak foliage.

Travelers are invited to share their photos of New York State’s amazing foliage on social media by using the #NYLovesFall hashtag. Submitted photos may be featured on the I LOVE NY fall foliage website and official I LOVE NY social media accounts reaching nearly two million followers.

*A hike up Chimney Mountain in New York’s Adirondacks to take in the fall colors © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The colors are already turning in the ADIRONDACKS, which peaks around Columbus Day weekend. Adirondack Experience lists hikes in categories, one of which is “best summit views” with excellent descriptions (also alltrails.com gives precise maps, elevations). Last fall, based on their recommendation, we did Chimney Mountain and Castle Rock hikes in one day (www.adirondack.net). The Adirondack Fall Foliage Meter (www.adirondacksusa.com/fall) provides up-to-the-minute fall foliage reports on where the leaves are prettiest and most colorful. More sources: Adirondacks Regional Tourism, visitadirondacks.com; Hamilton County Tourism, adirondackexperience.com, 800-648-5239.

A little later in the season, GREENE COUNTY/GREAT NORTHERN CATSKILLS are spectacular (https://www.greatnortherncatskills.com/outdoors) – like hiking through the exquisite North South Campground, which is part of the Hudson River School Art Trail (a network of trails and attractions like Frederic Edwin Church’s Olana, where besides his extraordinary home, you can visit Olana’s 250-acre landscape for free (olana.org) and the Thomas Cole House (thomascole.org). I’m still partial to spending as much time outdoors as possible, so I am happy following the Hudson River Art School Trail (hudsonriverschool.org). (These days, it is best to check the website to make sure indoor attractions are open and if they require advance purchase, timed tickets.)

In Greene County:

Take a Ride:

The Windham Mountain Skyride features a two-mile chairlift to the summit of Windham Mountain, providing incredible panoramic views and is open through October 11th. For additional mountainous scenery, the Hunter Mountain Scenic Skyride offers a two-mile, six-passenger chairlift with views of the Northern Catskill Mountains, open through October 17th.

Explore one of many motorcycle routes showcasing scenic views: ride on the Mohican Trail past the Five State Lookout, the Mountain Clove Run, or another picturesque route in the Great Northern Catskills. Or explore the 120 miles of some of the best mountain biking trails in the country.

Take a Hike:

In Prattsville, Pratt Rock, known as “New York’s Mount Rushmore,” offers a 3.1-mile round trip hike featuring a historical monument dedicated to Zadock Pratt, with summit views overlooking the valley with ample foliage.

For a challenging, yet rewarding ascent, the Hunter Mountain Fire Tower via Spruceton Trail, offers incredible panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains.

For a less intense, yet equally as scenic excursion, the Mountain Top Arboretum in Tannersville offers 178 acres of trails and boardwalks to admire the autumnal beauty.

Visit Local Farms:

Boehm Farm located in Climax offers a pick-your-own produce experience in addition to a variety of farm-grown and baked seasonal goodies. Be sure to call prior to visiting for the most up-to-date information on picking variety availability.

For a family experience, find spectacular views at East Durham Farms in East Durham. Bring home farm-grown produce, local jams, jellies, cheeses and other goods for everyone to enjoy.

To sample fall-grown produce and locally made products, visit Story Farms in Catskill for delicious harvested fruits and vegetables from the family-run farm, or RSK Farm in Prattsville for a variety of fall vegetables available at their farmstand.

(Great Northern Catskills, 800-355-CATS, 518-943-3223, www.greatnortherncatskills.com)

Letchworth State Park, the “Grand Canyon of the East” (where New York State has just opened an innovative autism nature trail) © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Finger Lakes region has over 1,000 waterfalls and gorges, 650 miles of shoreline, more than 16,000 acres of National Forest, and over 2,000 miles of hiking and biking trails – such as we enjoyed in Watkins Glen State Park and Letchworth State Park, the “Grand Canyon of the East” (where the state has just opened an innovative autism nature trail – a one-mile hiking loop that includes eight marked sensory stations, each designed to address a different sensory experience in a safe and supportive environment). Also, vineyards, wineries, breweries, rail-trails. museums, art galleries, historic sites, theaters. Excellent planning aids are available from The Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance, 309 Lake Street Penn Yan, NY 14527, 315-536-7488, 800-530-7488, www.fingerlakes.org. Another excellent source of visitor information is Visit Finger Lakes, 585-394-3915, [email protected], www.visitfingerlakes.com.

Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Go totally au natural and camp out (through October). We adored our camping adventures at the in Letchworth State Park and the4 Six Nations Campground in Watkins Glen State Park (https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com/)

In Coxsackie, Gather Greene is a glamping destination with 17 wooden glamping cabins on 100 acres of rolling hills and fields, each equipped with air conditioning and heating, full bathrooms, a mini-fridge (176 Levitt RoadCoxsackie, 262-448-3683, www.gathergreene.com).

Camp New York is a network of independent campground owners across New York State, from the high peaks of Adirondacks to the majestic Niagara Falls frontier, from the scenic Finger Lakes to the eastern edges of Long Island, and everywhere in between (585-586-4360, www.campnewyork.com). Here are some of their recommendations: For those looking to take scenic fall drives, U.S. Route 20 runs east/west through the heart of NYS, crossing along the tips of several Finger Lakes and offering beautiful rolling hills and sweeping vistas. These websites, https://nyroute20.com/ and https://www.dot.ny.gov/display/programs/scenic-byways/route-20, cover sights to see in the Central New York section. Some popular base camps along the way include Lebanon Reservoir Campground in Hamilton (www.lebanoncampground.com), about 15 minutes off Route 20, and Cider House Campground in Bouckville (www.ciderhousecampground.com), which is located right on Route 20 in the heart of the Madison Bouckville Antiques Community (https://www.ciderhousecampground.com/. https://www.madisontourism.com/things-to-do/antiquing/). Families looking for spooky destinations across New York should check out the Haunted History Trail (https://hauntedhistorytrail.com/) and crosscheck the haunts of interest with neighboring campgrounds on CampNewYork.com.

New England Beckons

NEW HAMPSHIRE’s Lakes Region not only offers gorgeous scenery, hiking, biking, but wonderful fall festivals and events.

I have my sights set on the 58-mile long Northern Rail Trail. Set geographically right in the middle of classic New England, it crosses New Hampshire beginning just north of the state’s capitol in Concord, N.H. and extends almost to Vermont in Lebanon, N.H. Now a recreational trail, it was once the rail bed of the Northern Railroad built in 1847, so the gradient never exceeds 1 percent. It traverses rivers, working farms, orchards, horse and alpaca farms, lakes, quaint towns and historic covered bridges and affords classic New England vistas. Railroad buffs will love seeing the historical artifacts that remain: there are the original granite mile markers a couple of old railway stations and noteworthy rock work supporting trestle crossings and culverts. You can easily imagine what New England looked like in the 1850s. Currently the trail has been completed for four-season use from Lebanon, NH through Grafton, NH and Danbury, Andover to Depot Street in Franklin. (The Friends of the Northern Rail Trail group has the goal of extending the tail from Danbury, NH to Boscawen in Merrimack County, NH). (More information: Friends of the Northern Rail Trail, www.fnrt.org )

New Hampshire innkeepers have made it delightful to turn the Northern Rail Trail ride into an inn-to-inn bike tour. Seven historic inns throughout the Lakes and Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee regions are connected by the trail and offer inn-to-inn packages. For more information, maps and rates, visit Bike the Northern Rail Trail website at: http://bikethenorthernrailtrail.com and find the innkeepers at www.nhcountryinns.com.

We recently enjoyed our stay at Mill Falls at the Lake (312 Daniel Webster Highway, Meredith, NH 03253, 800-622-6455, 844-745-2931, [email protected], www.millfalls.com) , but there are scores of bnbs, cabins, cottages, hotels in the region.

The Lakes Region tourism office has a fantastic site to plan a visit: https://www.lakesregion.org/

Of course, VERMONT has practically trademarked “fall foliage.” Indeed, three-quarters of the state is blanketed with forests, most of it maple trees that turn the vibrant shades of red, orange and yellow. You can track the progress of the color changes with the state’s foliage forecaster and sign up for Vermont’s fall foliage report to get real time updates on where the color is peaking each week. Find trip planning inspiration, ideas and resources at https://vermontvacation.com/seasons/fall.

There, you can link to Vermont’s 10 federally designated scenic byways routes and roads that take you through Vermont’s forests and farmland to historic villages and towns that are vibrant hubs of culture, commerce and recreation. These byways range in length from 14 miles to 400 miles and provide access to museums, art galleries, antique auctions and curio shops, trail heads, swimming holes, waterfalls, hikes and valley views (https://vermontvacation.com/byways). You can also follow the Vermont Arts Council’s recommendations for arts and foliage viewing destinations along Vermont’s most scenic drives during foliage season (www.vermontartscouncil.org/blog/autumn-and-art).

Enjoying the fall foliage biking along the 12.7-mile Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in the Berkshires, Massachusetts © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

MASSACHUSETTS is the 8^th most forested state in the United States, with over 3 million acres of forest, accounting for 62% of the entire state. Some parts of Western Massachusetts are over 90% forested. Its foliage season stretches from mid-September to early November. Here are some highlights and “secret gems”:

CAPE & ISLANDS: In Cape Cod, a secret gem is theWest Barnstable Conservation Area, one of the largest conservation parcels (1,114 acres) on the Cape. The entire tract is filled with glorious fall colors from mid-October through November. Better yet, rather than drive, Cape Cod is a paradise for cyclists, with the most wonderful bike paths that basically extend over the entire Cape.

Foliage comes later to Martha’s Vineyard than the rest of Massachusetts, typically peaking for brilliant colors at the end of October into early November. TRAILSMV is a free app that allows visitors to explore the Island’s fabulous network of pristine trails for walking, biking and hiking that make leaf peeping so much fun.

The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in the Berkshires of Massachusetts is a stunning trail for biking and walking
© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

WESTERN MA: In the gorgeous Berkshires, find the best fall foliage at this site: https://berkshires.org/four-fabulous-ways-to-enjoy-fall-foliage/#more-82593

Mohawk Trail: Hoosac Range Trail (2441 Mohawk Trail) located at the first summit on the Mohawk Trail features high elevation long views and sublime rock cliffs formed by “glacial plucking” with trees twisted into fantastical forms by wind and ice. Look out for migratory raptors at Spruce Hill and great views over North Adams, Mount Greylock and Florida State Forest. (https://www.bnrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hoosac_Range_trailmap.pdf)

Mount Greylock State Reservation is the highest point in Massachusetts. At 3,481’, on a clear day, you can see as far as 90 miles away. The middle of September to middle of October with peak season typically Columbus Day weekend.

NORTH OF BOSTON: Some secret gems are:Harold Parker State Park in Andover; Old Town Hill in Newbury; Ravenswood Park in Gloucester; and Pipestave Hill and Mill Pond in West Newbury.

Merrimack Valley: The Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge is a 12-mile river wetlands conservation area stretching from the towns of Billerica, Massachusetts (downstream) to Wayland, Massachusetts (upstream), along the Concord River and Sudbury River (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/great_meadows/)

Drive the 90-mile Essex Coastal Scenic Byway that links 14 coastal communities from Lynn to Salisbury and features breathtaking vistas, working harbors, quaint villages, world-class art and culture, and distinctive local food, shops, lodging and visitor services.

Fall in the Berkshires, Massachusetts © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

CENTRAL MA: The secret gem here is theTully River Valley: Royalston, Athol, and Orange offers many options for hikers, bikers, and paddlers. A 4.5-mile foot trail loops around Tully Lake and the quarter-mile cascades of Doane’s Falls, and a 7.5-mile mountain bike and hiking trail circles adjacent Long Pond, passing by red maple trees that offer vivid foliage along the water’s edge starting in late September. Access is available at Tully Lake Recreation Area on Route 32, and Tully Lake Campground and Doane’s Falls Reservation on Doane Hill Road (https://thetrustees.org/content/tully-trail/).

Jacob’s Hill Reservation features two vistas with panoramic westerly views across the Tully Valley, and the steep cascades of Spirit Falls, which are especially picturesque after an autumn rain. The entrance is on Route 68 in Royalston, and the reservation may also be reached via the Tully Trail from Long Pond. Across the valley rises Tully Mountain in Orange, where ledges provide a striking view across the region to Mount Monadnock, Wachusett Mountain, and Mount Watatic (https://thetrustees.org/place/jacobs-hill/)

NORTH CENTRAL MA: The Mount Wachusett State Reservation located in Princeton and Westminster, offers stunning views of the region. Visitors can also take the skyride at Mt. Wachusett Ski Area. With over 800 farms and orchards in the region, the country roads in North Central Massachusetts provide scenic opportunities to see the bright vivid fall colors. These include routes 119, 13, 2A, 140, 117, 70, 202 just to name a few. Best time to go: late September/October.

SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS has some of the largest cranberry bogs in the nation and is a great place to see foliage alongside the cranberry bogs flooded with crimson berries.

Plymouth/South of Boston: A great experience in Plymouth County is the wet harvesting of cranberries at the height of fall foliage. The A. D. Makepeace Company in Wareham gives cranberry bog tours starting in late September that takes you into the heart of cranberry country in Massachusetts (www.admakepeace.com)

Freetown-Fall River State Forest offers 5,000 acres of forest and open space, a perfect setting for fall foliage. It is also the home of the Wampanoag Reservation (the “”eople of the First Light” who were there when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. (https://www.mass.gov/locations/freetown-fall-river-state-forest http://visitsemass.com/freetown-fall-river-state-forest/)

GREATER BOSTON:The Emerald Necklace, a ring of green open space created by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 19^th century is a great way to enjoy foliage in the city of Boston. Highlights include Franklin Park in Dorchester, the Arnold Arboretum and Jamaica Pond, Olmsted Park, The Riverway and Back Bay Fens. You complete the Necklace by taking the Commonwealth Avenue Mall into the Public Garden and then to Boston Common (https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/park-overview/emerald-necklace-map/)

To track fall foliage in Massachusetts State Parks, go to https://www.mass.gov/location-details/fall-foliage-season-in-the-parks.

A great guide to visiting Massachusetts is available at https://www.visit-massachusetts.com/state/foliage/.

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© 2021 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com, www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin, and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Send comments or questions to [email protected]. Tweet @TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

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Car Camping in Comfort: How We Turned our Subaru into Our Home On the Road

September 17, 2021 krubin723 1 Comment

Our wild camp spot at Grand Staircase National Monument, comfy in our REI Half Dome 3+ on our Best Choice 4″ thick Folding Mattress © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Laini Miranda & Dave E. Leiberman

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

We just returned home from two months living out of our Subaru while we traveled around the country. Without much pre-planning, our route took us 8,300 miles from upstate New York through Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, The San Juan Islands, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and back home to New York.

We outfitted our Subaru Forester with a platform bed and two drawers underneath to maximize storage, which we designed and built ourselves, and brought along enough creature comforts so that we didn’t miss a thing while we were on the road or wild camping (other than friends and family, of course!).

Here’s a round-up of some of the things we learned we can’t live without, in no particular order:

500W Jackery Power Bank – $499

We keep the Jackery Power Bank on the floor behind our front seats, plugged into the 12V cigarette lighter in the rear of the car. The Jackery powers our car fridge, cell phones, laptop and fans. The 2.4A in the USB outlet charges our phones so much faster than the car USB does, we’ve actually been keeping it in the car even when not on a road trip. While driving any substantial distance, the Jackery stays at a healthy 99% and rarely drops below 50% even overnight when not drawing power from the car. We use the 60W solar panels to top off the Jackery on days we aren’t driving.

Alpicool C9 Mini Refrigerator – $159.99

Our car fridge sits next to the Jackery on the floor behind the driver’s seat and stays plugged into the 12V plug on the Jackery at all times. We keep the fridge on “Eco” mode, which fluctuates between about 38 and 44 degrees. We opted for the C9 because that was as much space as we could dedicate in our Subaru and it worked well for us, but I definitely see the benefits of the larger C20 model with the raised lid if you have the extra room. Most days our Alpicool stored: 1L milk, 1 block of cheese, turkey, 4 or 5 string cheeses, jam, hot sauce, and 3 beers, with a little room to stuff random things on top if needed. This refrigerator is miraculously quiet. We almost never notice it while driving, and even when sleeping in the car, the compressor isn’t loud enough to be heard over our earplugs, even with it located just below our heads. The great thing about keeping the Alpicool behind the driver’s seat is that the passenger can easily access its contents with the lid on top. We love never having to deal with melted ice as we used to with our cooler, and find that this size fits enough for a week in the desert.

Rockpals Portable Solar Panel is easy to position for optimal sun exposure on top of or beside the car. It then folds up into a slim briefcase we can quickly slide into any free gaps in our car. © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

60W Rockpals Portable Solar Panel – $159.99

This is a cleverly designed, high quality solar “briefcase” that we use to top up our Jackery when not driving. The 20-25 watts we get with full sun keeps our Jackery from depleting even when powering our Alipicool fridge throughout the day and night. It’s easy to position it for optimal sun exposure on top of or beside the car, especially with the two kickstands attached to the back. It then folds up into a slim briefcase we can quickly slide into any free gaps in our car.

Best Choice Tri-Fold Mattress – $89 at time of purchase

This 4-inch foam mattress is what kept us on the road for 7 weeks and has us wanting to go right back out. The tri-fold feature of this mattress allows us to keep it semi-folded when not in use, and easily move it between the car and our tent to make every night as comfortable as sleeping in our bed at home. The twin is 75 x 39” and perfect for two small adults. We purchased this for $89.99, but it does seem to fluctuate on Amazon so we recommend grabbing it whenever you see a good deal, even if you’re not car camping anytime soon! We plan to use this in place of an air mattress whenever we need an extra guest bed.

*Our Subaru camper car outfitted with collapsible sink, and REI Half Dome 3+ at Little Payette Lake, ID © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Collapsible Sink and Cutting Board – $16.99

This is an integral part of our kitchen and bathroom setup. We cut a hole in our pull-out wood counter exactly the size of this sink, pop it in, and immediately have a basin for washing dishes, brushing teeth, doing laundry, and everything in between. It has a push drain to release water when ready, and collapses down to a perfect sized cutting board. At just over an inch collapsed, it’s easy to store anywhere. It does drip a bit with the drain plugged, but since we only use it outside that doesn’t really bother us. We now can’t imagine ever camping without this.

Wild camp spot outside of Silverton, CO, just before the rainstorms © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Wireless Auto Water Pump – $12.99

Did you think you can’t have running water in your car?? We bought a longer silicon tube for this pump, inserted it into our 7 gallon water container and have water on demand. We use this baby constantly–filling up our water bottles while driving or before hikes, making food, washing dishes, brushing teeth, etc., and we only had to charge it ONCE in our 7 weeks on the road. While these water pumps are generally made to be used on top of a water cooler jug, we fashioned a bottom for it with inspiration from a YouTube video by Todd Parker: cut a notch in a roll of electrical tape, stuff that inside the base, add adhesive neodymium rare earth magnets to the bottom, affix a metal plate to the surface you want to hold the pump, and you have a beautiful faucet with running water! We most often use this pump either from the front seat to fill up water bottles during long drives, or affixed to the metal plate next to our pop-in sink in the back of the car for cooking or washing up. We bought this 25-ft braided sleeve so we can move the long hose back and forth without the silicon tube collecting dust and grime, also a brilliant Todd Parker recommendation. (Note: we do not personally know Todd Parker.)

Our REI Half Dome 3 Plus tent by Little Payette Lake, ID © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Car Rear Window Shade – 2 pack – $12.99

This is a simple product that lets us turn our car windows into screens. On the nights we opt to sleep in the car instead of setting up our tent, we put one of these window sleeves on each door, open the window, and voila, great airflow without the mosquitoes. We also leave one of these on the rear window above the refrigerator during the PNW heat wave to reduce the heat in the car, but we don’t recommend them on any other windows while driving since they also reduce visibility (an added plus for when you have to sleep in the Cracker Barrel parking lot).

LEMLEON Car Window Shade fits our Subaru Forester windows perfectly. It comes with velcro to secure them to the inside of the car door, though you can still easily raise them to see the sunrise over the Badlands. (OR: “We raise our Lemleon Car Window Shades to catch the sunrise over Badlands National Park” © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com

EzyShade Windshield Sun Shade – $12.97

Sun Shades are a must when leaving the car in the desert sun. We tried two different kinds and like these the best. It takes about 10 seconds to stuff these two rounded rectangular pieces into our windshield and just as long to collapse them back into a small circle that fits in the car door pocket. We use ours so frequently we just keep it in the slot between the seat and the door.

Our trusty REI Half Dome and Nemo blanket after 2 straight days of thunderstorms outside of Silverton, CO © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com

REI Half Dome 3 Plus Tent – $329

This tent is brilliant. Its color-coded poles and ingenious architecture enables us to pitch it in under 2 minutes. Usually one of us pitches the tent while the other starts the fire or preps food. The upper portion of the tent is full mesh, which allows for optimal air flow and viewing of the Milky Way. In the desert we tend to not need the fly, but for the few days of torrential downpours and strong winds we encounter in the Colorado mountains, when we are thrilled at the durability and protectiveness of the fly and footprint. We used to use the 2 Plus model, but the 3 Plus is extra luxurious and easily fits our 4” tri-fold foam mattress plus plenty of room to hang out on rainy nights (Note: the 2 Plus would also fit the twin 4” tri-fold). We also love the location and quantity of pockets and hanging loops for all our tent gear.

Nemo Victory Blanket – $29.99 (40% off at Mountain Steals at time of writing)

We use this blanket daily, whether it’s the rug by our tent (the 2P is the exact length of our REI Half-dome 3), or a blanket on a pebbly beach. The fabric side is extremely soft and delightful to lay on, while the under-side is waterproof and more durable. Though it is thick enough to keep us comfortable even on a lava rock ground in Craters of the Moon, it is light enough that I barely notice carrying it on a 2 mile hike to Third Beach in Olympic National Park. It even dried remarkably fast after 2 straight days of torrential downpours in Colorado. One of us remarks almost every day about how much we love this blanket.

Our Nemo Victory blanket makes the perfect sunset spot on the wet rocky shores by Washington Park in Anacortes, WA. © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com

MPowerd Solar Lights – $24.95 – $49.95

This brand has nailed the compact solar light game. We highly recommend their Luci Solar String Lights and the Luci Lux Inflatable Lantern. Both give off warm light and offer 3 different brightness settings, as well as a battery level indicator. The string lights are long enough to provide light to our tent between a couple trees, and the Luci Lux (which flattens to less than an inch) is the only lantern we now use while camping. The attached strap lets us easily hang it from the opened hatch of our Subaru or the tent ceiling. The lowest setting, warm light, and frosted/matte finish also makes for a perfect pillow-side lamp.

Luci Solar String Lights gives off warm light and offer 3 different brightness settings, as well as a battery level indicator and is long enough to string between a couple trees. ©Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Next: More of our favorite hiking & camping gear

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Camping/Glamping/RVs, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Driveable adventures, Fall Foliage Getaways, New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures

New York’s Watkins Glen State Park is Spellbinding

September 9, 2021 krubin723

By Karen Rubin, David Leiberman & Laini Miranda

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Rainbow Falls, one of the highlights of the Glen Creek Gorge Trail, Watkins Glen State Park, © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Walking the Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen State Park in New York’s Finger Lakes is, in a word, spellbinding.

The centerpiece of the 778-acre Watkins Glen State Park is a 400-foot deep, narrow gorge cut by the Glen Creek that was left “hanging” when glaciers of the last continental glaciation, some 12,000 years ago, deepened the Seneca valley, creating rapids and waterfalls through layers of hard rock. The textures and shapes of the soft shales, sandstone and limestone – which erode at different rates – are gorgeous.

If you have ever visited a slot canyon, and marveled at the smooth, twisted, perfectly contoured curves, walk the Glen Creek Gorge Trail, where you can watch Mother Nature working her magic.

We don’t waste time after arriving at the Six Nations Campground in the park in the afternoon, in order to take advantage of the beautiful sunlight. So we drop out things and rush down to the Gorge Trail for a taste of what we will see more completely the next day.

In the course of a 1.5 mile stone trail, with 800 steps and beautiful stone bridges you see 19 incredible waterfalls.

Cascading falls on the Glen Creek Gorge Trail, Watkins Glen State Park, © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The waterfalls range from those that flow from dramatic heights of 200 foot-high cliffs, to those that cascade; you see waterfalls coming in together from different directions, cutting through the sedimentary rock of shale, sandstone and limestone, making exquisite, remarkably perfect shapes and cuts that are astonishingly precise and straight or curved, and cascades of falls that twist.

In this “hanging valley,” we also see “hanging gardens” – the tender mosses, ferns, mosslike plants (liverworts) that drape over the rocks and down the rock walls, the delicate plants that stubbornly grow, albeit slowly in crevasses in the rock walls. They depend on continuous moisture trickling down, and you can see differences in ecosystems based on the amount of sun, shade and moisture that a section of the rock wall gets. (Visitors are told not to pick anything.)

A place of perfect peace, Watkins Glen State Park, © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

You are enveloped by a feeling of perfect peace – the sound of the flowing water, the cool of the green moss and moist rock, the fresh smell, the late afternoon light that turns the tops of the trees into shades of yellow and gold. The gorge is fairly narrow, so you feel cocooned in this primal, Jurassic Park-like setting.

Looking down into where the water flattens out at one point into soil what appeared to be a giant fossil skeleton, exposed in the low water. It is exciting to imagine.

Could this be a titanoboa fossil, only just exposed in the Glen Creek? © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

We walk back to Mile Point Bridge where we follow the trail back into the Six Nations Campground, after this brief survey mission.

Back at our campsite, we set up our tents and go downtown to where John, who checked us into the campground, had recommended as the best place in Watkins Glen for sunset: the marina on the southern tip of Seneca Lake. There is a rock wall that is very popular for people to walk out to watch. We opt to go to the Village Marina for dinner where we can dine outside and take in the sunset.

Blazing sunset from the Village Marina in Watkins Glen © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The colors that blaze through the sky, reflect back in the water, after the sun went behind the hills, are spectacular.

The next day, we stroll down from our campsite to the Gorge Trail.

We enter the Gorge Trail at Mile Point Bridge, giving us our first stunning view. We walk the half-mile to the end, at Jacob’s Ladder (a set of 180 stairs that goes to the Upper Entrance), and then return, choosing to go back along the Gorge Trail rather than connect to the Indian Trail that goes along the rim for views down into the Gorge. Going back this way on the Gorge Trail we go down in elevation towards the Main Entrance in the village (many people who don’t want to do the 1.5 mile trail both ways start park up here, hike down, and take a shuttle bus back, $5).

Glen Creek Gorge Trail, Watkins Glen State Park, is spellbinding © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Just beyond the Mile Point Bridge is Frowning Cliff, a gorgeous waterfall, then the climatic scene, Rainbow Falls (most dramatic from the other direction on the way back; you walk behind the falls along the trail), aptly named because, on some afternoons, the sunlight comes at just the right angle to create rainbows.

On to the Central Cascade (plunging more than 60 feet, this is the highest waterfall in the Gorge), Glen Cathedral (the horizontal layers of shale were formed 380 million years ago; ripples in the rock were created by wave action at the bottom of an ancient sea floor that eventually turned to stone), then a steeper descent, through the Spiral Tunnel (hand cut in 1927) to the Cavern Cascade, where you again walk behind the waterfall) and across Sentry Bridge (look for a round flume hole in the rock where, in the 1800s, water was once diverted to power a mill where the visitor center now stands) to the new Visitor Center and main entrance on Franklin Street in Watkins Glen.

Walk through the Spiral Tunnel (hand cut in 1927) to the Cavern Cascade, where you walk behind the waterfall, Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Along the way, we meet up with a park ranger who we tell about seeing what appeared to be a giant fossil. He tells us that it was exposed only two days before and might well be a titanoboa – a giant sea snake that could be as big as 45 feet long. This exciting news passes from one to another as people come to that spot to view it. Another park ranger tells us that a naturalist is coming to investigate.

For awhile, visitors to Watkins Glen State Park that morning had an extra thrill beyond the breathtaking scenery: the prospect of seeing a newly discovered fossil of a prehistoric sea snake, Monster in the Glen.

We finish walking the trail, have a delightful lunch at the Harbor Hotel on the lake. By now it is the afternoon and markedly less crowded (everyone seems to come out early for the walk) as we walk back on the Gorge Trail.

By the time we get back to where the “titanoboa fossil” would have been, we see the naturalist has etched in the soil, “Not a Fossil,” and smudged the image completely away, having revealed the fossil to be a hoax (people had remarked on what they thought were footprints leading to it).

Not a fossil! But now the mystery remains: who created it and how? © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

So, if we didn’t witness a major fossil discovery, we were witness to the hoax. ow the mystery is: Who created the hoax? How? Anyway, it got everyone buzzing that day.

Also, on my walk I saw in black rock what looked like an ammonite. That too was smudged away on our return.

This stunning gorge has been visited by tourists since 1863 and was privately operated as a tourist resort ($1 admission per person, equivalent to $34 today) until New York State acquired the property, in 1906 for a state park. (It is named for Samuel Watkins; “glen” comes from a Greek word meaning “small, narrow, secluded valley”.). After the 1935 flood destroyed the trail, it was rebuilt with a stunning series of stone walks, staircases (there are 800 steps altogether), bridges and tunnels cut through the rock, by Franklin D Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps between 1935-1940. (You can do the trail one way and take a shuttle bus, $5, back).

The stunning rock formations, created by the rushing water, on the Glen Creek Gorge Trail, Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Capping this experience is the beautiful Six Nations Campground – beautiful trees, excellent restroom facilities, and a glorious Olympic-sized pool. There are also a couple of pavilions that can be rented for groups and even the Iroquois Lodge, which is essentially a house that can be rented instead of a campsite (altogether, you can imagine a wedding here, with photos in front of waterfalls; there are also lovely accommodations in town including a luxury Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel, right on Seneca Lake, where we enjoy lunch). Where we camp, we are just a short walk down to the Gorge Trail.

Our campsite at Six Nations Campground, Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Six Nations Campground is named for the Haundenosaunee Confederation, more commonly known to us as Iroquois (Haundenosaunee means “They made the house”), a reminder of whose land this was before the European colonists came. The loops of the campground are named for the nations of the Confederacy: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the park brochure notes, is renowned for its organization and democratic system, one of the first of its kind (Ben Franklin is said to have drawn upon the Iroquois Confederation for our US Constitution; suffragist Melinda Gage drew upon the Oneida’s matriarchal structure, in which women could be chiefs, own property, have custody of their children in a divorce, to set out demands for women’s rights in 1848).In 1842, what remained of the First Nations were relegated to the Six Nations Indian Reserve. (More information is available at nearby Ganondaganb State Historic Site, 7000 County Rd. 41 (Houghton Hill Rd), Victor, NY 14564).

Walking the stone trail along the Glen Creek Gorge, Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

There are seven moderate trails in Watkins Glen State Park ranging from 0.7 to 7.6 miles and from 479 to 1,171 feet above sea level, but we focus all our time on the Gorge Trail (1.5 miles), captivated by the views and the enchantment of the place. Other trails – the Indian Trail (2.4 miles) and the South Rim Trail (2.6 miles) provide views of the Gorge from above. You can connect from the Gorge Trail to Lovers Lane Loop which takes you to a Suspension Bridge for a view above the gorge. You can also do a Gorge Trail, Outer Rim and Finger Lakes Trail combination (7.6 miles, about 3 hours) (see alltrails.com for more detail). (The trail is closed in winter.)

Cavern Cascade, Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

It’s about 3:30 in the afternoon when we return to the campsite. We go to the gorgeous, Olympic-sized pool to refresh before returning to the campsite for an amazing steak dinner David and Laini prepared over the campfire they built for our second night camping.

The gorgeous Olympic-sized pool at Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

It is no wonder that Watkins Glen State Park was awarded the third best among 6,000 state parks nationwide in 2015, and is consistently among the state’s top parks.

Watkins Glen State Park, 1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891, 607-535-4511, https://parks.ny.gov/parks/watkinsglen/maps.aspx.

There is so much to do in Watkins Glen, in the heart of the Finger Lakes, you could easily make this your base for a week.

Auto enthusiasts know Watkins Glen for its famous NASCAR races. The pavement is dotted with names of winners throughout the years, the crosswalks painted like the race start/finish. Auto racing is still sacred here, with much of the quaint village (the downtown was a recipient of New York State’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award) themed for autos.

Wine enthusiasts know Watkins Glen as the southerly point of Seneca Lake, from which you can drive up Winery Trails on both sides.

Nearby is the Corning Museum of Glass; about 1 ½ hours drive away is another jewel, Letchworth State Park, “The Grand Canyon of the East,” where we camped and hiked last year; a half-hour away is Ithaca.

The Finger Lakes region has over 1,000 waterfalls and gorges, 650 miles of shoreline, more than 16,000 acres of National Forest, and over 2,000 miles of hiking and biking trails. There is plenty to explore indoors at museums, art galleries, historic sites, theaters, wineries, breweries.

With summer turning to fall foliage season (which is amazing here), plan early and secure tickets and lodging.

Excellent planning aids are available from The Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance, 309 Lake Street Penn Yan, NY 14527, 315-536-7488, 800-530-7488, www.fingerlakes.org.

New York State Begins Weekly ILoveNY Fall Foliage Reports; New Interactive Map

The 2021 fall foliage season is underway in New York State. Fall is one of the most popular travel times in New York, attracting visitors from around the world to explore the state’s unique communities and support local businesses. To help travelers and foliage enthusiasts plan a fall getaway, I LOVE NY has begun issuing its weekly fall foliage reports and will now include a new enhanced interactive progression map (www.iloveny.com/foliage).

The foliage report is compiled each week using the on-location field observations from I LOVE NY’s team of volunteer leaf peepers. More than 85 spotters extending across the state’s 11 vacation regions are tasked with keeping track of the color change in their area as leaves progress each week. Reports detail the predominant leaf colors, approximate percentage of change, and how much color change has progressed relative to peak conditions.

*View from Chimney Mountain, The Adirondacks. ILoveny.com/foliage report helps you monitor the progress of fall foliage throughout New York State © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

New this year, I LOVE NY is introducing an enhanced, interactive map that tracks weekly foliage change and progression across the state throughout the season. The map, located on the I LOVE NY foliage website, showcases great foliage viewing locations in each of the various regions throughout the state. Visitors can also use the map to see what the foliage is like during peak viewing in a given area, and learn about nearby, must-see attractions.

Thanks in part to its size and location, New York State has one of the longest and most colorful foliage seasons in the country. On any weekend from late September through mid-November, part of the state is likely experiencing peak foliage.

Travelers are also invited to share their photos of New York State’s amazing foliage on social media by using the #NYLovesFall hashtag. Photos submitted to this hashtag have a chance of being featured on the I LOVE NY fall foliage website and official I LOVE NY social media accounts reaching nearly two million followers. Reports and the new interactive map are updated Wednesdays throughout the season at www.iloveny.com/foliage.Reports are also available toll-free by dialing 800/CALL-NYS (800/225-5697) from anywhere in the U.S., its territories and Canada. For more information on how to volunteer for as an I LOVE NY leaf peeper, e-mail your name, address and phone number to [email protected].

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adVANturing, Adventure Travel, Camping/Glamping/RVs, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Driveable adventures, National Parks, Outdoors Adventures, See America, US Destinations

ad-VAN-turing, Newest Travel Trend

January 29, 2021 krubin723 2 Comments

adVANturing in a Moterra camper van © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

by Eric Leiberman and Sarah Falter,

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

The biggest travel trend to explode out of the time of Corona is ad-VAN-turing – basically a freewheeling adventure in a tricked out van (sleeker than an RV but with most if not all the comforts of a studio apartment on wheels). These high-tech, luxury mobile campers are designed to be self-sufficient, carrying their own water, electricity, toilet, galley kitchen, even solar panels for energy so you don’t have to plug in, but can still have enough power in reserve to run the heat at night so you have incredible mobility and freedom to explore.

In mid-December, we took off with an indefinite week-long itinerary from Sonoma, California, in a Moterra camper van which we picked up in San Francisco.

We spent our first day skiing at Heavenly Resort in Lake Tahoe, California (we stayed overnight a couple blocks away from the parking lot, which made getting first chair easy!).

In place for first chair at Heavenly Mountain Resort Base © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

From there, we drove down to Death Valley National Park, spending one night at the Panamint Springs RV park and another at the trailhead for Telescope Peak (fairly desolate this time of year). We were really impressed with how our van got us safely to the base of mountain treks without issue, thanks to the four wheel drive.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Summit of Telescope Peak Hike, Death Valley © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Gorgeous sunset on the drive from Death Valley to Zion © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Though the mid-December days were short and the nights were cold, we were cozy and comfortable in our van with round-the-clock heat and cooking amenities. And snuggling up on the roof of the van with wine in hand made for some glorious stargazing (we lucked out our first night in Death Valley with a mind-blowing Geminids meteor shower).

After Death Valley, we made our way to Zion National Park, Utah, stopping along the way in Las Vegas, Nevada, to pick-up a quick dinner. The Angels Landing & Narrows hikes are not to be missed. And being able to pull over at picturesque lookout points for homemade (van-made) lunches made the experience in the park all the more special.

Driving through the wintery scenery in Zion National Park © Sarah Falter/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Near the top of Angels Landing, Zion National Park © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Zion National Park © Sarah Falter/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Preparing lunch after a hike in Zion National Park © Sarah Falter/goingplacesfarandnear.com

On our way back from Zion, we spent a night in Valley of Fire State Park (about an hour east of Vegas). We were shocked we hadn’t heard of this Nevada state park before. The massive red rocks and scrambly canyons made us feel like we were exploring communities and dwellings straight out of The Flintstones! We spent the night at the spectacular Arch Rock Campground.

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

White Domes Trail, Valley of Fire State Park © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Arch Rock Campground, Valley of Fire State Park © Sarah Falter/goingplacesfarandnear.com

White Domes Trail, Valley of Fire State Park © Sarah Falter/goingplacesfarandnear.com

While making our way back towards the Bay Area (by way of Los Angeles), we already began planning our next adVANture for Summer 2021 – we’re thinking the Pacific Northwest. As fabulous as it was to explore the National Parks in the off-season (we hear Zion especially can get unbelievably crowded and Death Valley is known to have some of the most extreme temperatures in the world), we’re looking forward to our next trip with warmer weather and longer days for exploring.

Moterra Luxury Camper Vans Lets You Pave Your Own Path

You’ve probably now heard of glamping – luxury camping. Now Moterra Campervans offer a novel way to experience the national parks and wilderness by luxury camper van, which also provides amazing self-sufficiency.

With all the luxury of a 50-foot long RV, the Moterra camper vans, at 19-foot long,are much less cumbersome to drive and park, and can even be used in easier-to-book tent camping spots in national parks, so you can stay away from the busy (and likely booked up) RV parks.

Arch Rock Campground, Valley of Fire State Park © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

You don’t even need to plug into electricity because the vans are powered with rooftop solar panels and auxiliary batteries (not noisy generators); or have to plug into a water supply, since they hold between 16 and 24 gallons of fresh water, or bathroom, since they have their own sink, even their own bathroom facilities (port-o-potty; some actually have its own shower), and with their own galley for cooking and refrigerator, these camper vans provide a new level of mobility.

These camper vans come with bluetooth audio, cruise-control and touch-screen navigation. A backup camera, blind spot sensors and lane assist technology make maneuvering a breeze. You don’t have to stay in an RV park, but can go wherever tents are allowed.

The Moterra camper van is self-sufficient. You don’t need to plug in for electricity or water, so you can follow your wanderlust © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Moterra’s fleet of specially outfitted Mercedes Benz Sprinters, tricked out by Sportmobile, are outfitted with absolutely everything you need for camping, from sleeping stuff (memory foam pillow!), to cooking (marshmallow skewers) and dining, cleaning supplies, amenities like chairs and table, inflatable solar lights, even bear spray.

Enjoying a bottle of wine on the camper van roof and getting set for star-gazing; solar panels provide enough power to keep the heat going all night © Sarah Falter/goingplacesfarandnear.com

There are two models to choose from: The High Roof is perfect for couples – it includes a queen sized bed in the back, galley kitchen, sink, indoor shower and portable toilet. The Pop Top, which sleeps four, is perfect for families, with a double bed down below and a double bed up top in the Pop Top! While the Pop Top does not have an Indoor Shower, you can get as an add-on a solar shower that can be used outside, and has a sink and stove. Both models are rented for $339 a night.

Add-ons available include hammocks & bike racks, and services such as pre-bought groceries.

The Moterra fleet is positioned for adventuring in Yellowstone, Wyoming; the Grand Tetons; Utah; Glacier National Park (Montana); Las Vegas (great gateway for desert adventuring) and California.

Death Valley © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Moterra, which founded by Gabe Aufderheide and Trevor James who were formerly with Backroads, the renowned active travel company, also offers packaged and customized tour itineraries.

All-inclusive packages consist of:

Moterra Campervan Rental and cleaning fee

Day-by-day personalized Itinerary with directions and destination info.

Pre-booked campsites, handpicked and booked in advance where possible, or GPS locations for off-the-grid dispersed camping spots.

Scenic routes that take you to the heart of the action while minimizing road traffic.

Individualized suggestions depending on your preferences for hiking, scenic attractions, restaurants and activities.

A wide range of activities to make the trip your own, like white-water rafting, wildlife safaris, road biking, horseback-riding, kayaking and scenic floats.

Zion National Park is featured in Moterra’ pre-packaged 13-night/14 day Mighty 5+ Grand Canyon trip © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

For example, a 13-night/14 day Mighty 5+ Grand Canyon: featuring Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce National Park, Zion National Park, Monument Valley and Grand Canyon National Park is priced from $5999.

A six-night/seven-day family-oriented Yellowstone Handpicked Highlights package features Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons National Park (from $4699).

Moterra operates out of Jackson, WY, Whitefish, MT, Salt Lake City, UT and San Francisco, CA.

Check the website for deals, discounts on early bird bookings, extended trips, spring 2021 discounted add-on for one-ways, and gift cards.

Moterra Camper Vans, 1565 Berger Lane, Jackson, Wyoming 83001, 307-200-7220,

[email protected], gomoterra.com.

__________________________

Cultural travel, Driveable adventures, Driveable destinations, New York State travel, Travel in a Time of Pandemic, US Destinations, Wellness & Spa Travel

Plenty to Discover, Experience Exploring New York’s Adirondack Hamlets

January 17, 2021 krubin723

By Laurie Millman and Martin Rubin,

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Idyllic Hudson River spot near North Creek, NY © Laurie Millman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Less than a half hour from Lake George Village, in upstate New York, you can discover cultural and artistic venues in smaller hamlets in the Adirondack State Park all year long without the crowds usually found in the Village. The draw to the small town shops and restaurants are in the quality of locally sourced products they sell and use in food preparation.

Check out some of the Adirondack State Park towns we discovered while driving around Lake George and following the Hudson River:

North Creek, NY – in addition to this town being the location of Gore Mountain ski resort, it is taking off as the art center of the Gore region in the State Park. To get to North Creek, we drove north of Lake George on Rte 9 and Rte 28 for about 35 minutes. The short journey took us along a shallow, yet scenic section of the Hudson River. We found glassblowing, mosaics, local artist exhibits, and regional foods – we spent a day here, but we could easily have stayed over at a local hotel to do more in town and in the surrounding mountains.

Widlund Gallery at Tannery Pond Center – also called the Adirondacks Art Center (228 Main St, North Creek, NY 12853; 518-251-2505 x128; https://tannerypondcenter.org ), runs exhibits by local artists continuously throughout the year (even during ski season). Each exhibit runs for 6-7 weeks. Check out the Center’s site for upcoming exhibits. Socially distanced, outdoor events will begin early Spring, 2021.

We toured the oil paintings of Elizabeth MacFarland whose art reflects local, natural settings. We purchased a beautiful poetry book for our granddaughter from the Center — Butterfly, Dragonfly – Poetry for Children, which was both written and illustrated by Ms. MacFarland – you can also find this book on Elizabeth’s website (https://www.elizabethmacfarland.com/).

The Center is handicap accessible, with parking spots across the street and a ramp leading up to the main entrance. The main floor contains the exhibits. A performance hall on the lower level can be reached by an elevator. Expect to wear masks while visiting.

North Creek Mosaic Project – just a couple of blocks from Tannery Pond Center, we found artist Kate Hartley working on the last major section of the 180-foot long mosaic relief along Main St. For the past 10 years, this project has been a labor of love for Hartley who conceptualized covering the retaining walls on this street with beautiful mosaic scenes representing activities in the Adirondacks. A project of this scale has drawn more than 2000 volunteers to help place pieces of tile, glass, and stone on the walls with Hartley’s guidance. Laurie is now one of those volunteers, by adding one of the last pieces to the mosaic that day. The Mosaic Project, now fully tiled, can be easily viewed from your car, but we recommend walking up to the walls to see close up the variety of materials used to build it. (For more information about this project follow https://www.facebook.com/northcreekmosaicproject/, or go to http://visitnorthcreek.org/project/the-north-creek-mosaic-project/.)

North Creek Mosaic Project © Laurie Millman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Artist-in-residence, Gregory Tomb (https://www.gregorytglass.com) – Reserve a 1-2 hour glassblowing class when Gregory returns to the region as Artist-in-Residence from late spring through late September 2021. For a private class, contact Gregory at 530-318-9413 or [email protected]. Gregory’s temporary studio is located at the North Creek Railroad Station Complex (21 Railroad Place, North Creek, NY 12853). Gregory helped Laurie learn to use glassmaking tools to create a beautiful paperweight; Marty learned to blow hot glass and shape it into a bud vase. The building is handicap accessible with parking on a gravel lot, but no bathroom is located on premise.

Marty takes a glassblowing class in North Creek with artist-in-residence Gregory Tomb © Laurie Millman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Hudson River Trading Company – across the street from the North Creek Mosaic Project, the 7,000 sq. foot, multi-level store (292 Main St., North Creek, NY; 518-251-4461) is filled with items for sale which represent Adirondack life and culture. The store has souvenirs distinctive of the region, including NY State maple-covered nuts and confections, accessories and wares for every room in your house, accessories for pets, and clothing for all ages.

As we toured the store, owner Laurie Prescott Arnheiter explained to us how she preserved the original 1898 walls and floors from its days as a livery and stables and later a butcher shop. Look for the posts and numbers where the horse’s yolks were hung on the walls of the lower room. The retail store also has a kids’ section to keep them occupied while their parents shop – there is a puppet stage, a small piano, and a reading corner (note to us, bring our granddaughter next time). We purchased an Adirondack hoodie sweatshirt for our daughter, an apron for Laurie, some dog treats, local honey, and NY maple-coated peanuts and candies.

Arnheiter also owns the small gourmet shop next door — The Hungry Crow — which is also in a historic building, and offers all locally made shelf and refrigerated food, such as cheeses, ground coffee, chocolates, and pastas. She even scooped for us berry-infused ice cream freshly made from a local dairy. Check the website, https://hudsonrivertradingco.com, for spring reopening and hours.

Children’s Corner in Hudson River Trading Company, North Creek, NY © Laurie Millman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Gore Mountain – this Adirondack ski resort offers downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding. Gore Mountain remains open the rest of the year for activities such as scenic hiking trails, a mountain skyride, downhill mountain biking, and nine-hole disc golf. The 2020/2021 season pass packages start from $499/adult. The pass applies to some of the summer and fall activities, and includes an additional ticket for sharing a winter activity. (793 Peaceful Valley Rd, North Creek, NY 12853; 518-251-2411, https://goremountain.com)

Skiing Gore Mountain. Gore remains open after the snow melts for summer and fall activities, such as scenic hiking trails, a mountain skyride, downhill mountain biking, and nine-hole disc golf. (c) Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Bolton Landing, NY – this lakeside hamlet is just 15 minutes north of Lake George Village, as you drive along the lake. Beautiful views of Lake George and shopping in small businesses with plenty of parking was a huge draw for us to stop and spend an afternoon here. Bolton Landing is also the home of the historic luxury hotel, The Sagamore Resort.

Lake George Adirondack Winery – for a fun and educational wine tasting experience for up to four people, book online or call any of their three locations in the region: Bolton Landing 518-708-6672; Lake George Village 518-203-2597; Queensbury 518-668-9463, https://www.adirondackwinery.com/. We opted for the Bolton Landing location.

This family-owned winery uses northern New York State and Canadian fresh grapes and fruit to create delicious red, pink, white, and ice wines. Adirondack Winery also effectively infuses semi-sweet red and white wines with seasonal fruit. The Adirondack Winery shops and production facility are open seven days a week for wine tasting and shopping – confirm hours online.

For the “Original Wine Tasting Experience” (just $8/person) we each selected seven different wine samples from a choice of 32 Adirondack Winery prepared wines. We added the “Locavore Sampler” and the “Cheese Lover’s Sampler” for an additional $10/person, which allowed us to sample local Adirondack cheeses along with the wines. Our platter included a mild goat cheese, a champagne-infused cheddar which paired deliciously with Adirondack Winery’s very own “Berry Breeze wine-infused” jam, locally made chocolate truffles, and crackers and pretzels to eat with them. We finished off the wine tasting with a refreshing wine slushy of the day (additional $5/person). Masks and social distancing are still required in the wine-tasting room, even though masks may be removed when you are sitting for the tasting experience. Based on our sampling, we chose four different, full-bodied wines to take home, a block of the champagne cheese and the “Berry Breeze” jam — they were a big hit with our multi-generational family.

Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course is perfect for a multi-generational family with over 100 obstacle courses and 15 ziplines for adults and older kids, and two courses and a playground for younger children. Whether you are a newbie to ziplining, treetop climbing and swinging obstacle courses, or an experienced adventurer, this aerial park offers something for everyone to spend a thrilling day in the wonderful mountain air and beautiful views of the Lake (5 Westwood Forest Ln., Bolton Landing, NY; 518-494-7200, https://adirondackextreme.com)

The aerial adventure park reopens in April 2021. Check the website for hours of operation, pricing of course packages, and minimum age requirements. Reservations and payment in advance by phone or online are required. Masks are required at check-in, during harnessing procedures, and walking throughout the park; masks are not required while climbing the courses. Social distance between separate groups is expected.

North River, NY – a small hamlet on the banks of the Hudson River, North River is the home of the world’s largest, commercial-grade garnet deposits found on Gore Mountain. In 1969, Governor Nelson Rockefeller officially named the ruby red Barton garnet as New York State’s gem stone.

Garnet Mine Tours – currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions; check the web site (garnetminetours.com) to learn when they will reopen for tours of the historic Barton Mines (1126 Barton Mines Rd., North River, NY).
Garnet Hill Lodge – just 15 minutes from the center of North Creek and around 45 minutes from Lake George, this rustic, Adirondack wood lodge, high up on a mountain, boasts a scenic canyon view of Thirteenth Lake from the resort’s meadow.

Rustic Garnet Hill Lodge © Laurie Millman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Garnet Hill Lodge is a perfect one-stop resort for four seasons of outdoor activities. During winter months, the Lodge offers 35 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails and six different snowshoe trails starting immediately outside the lodge and its Outdoor Center. Every stay at the lodge comes with complimentary trail passes. The full service ski shop assists guests with equipment, clothing, repairs, rentals, and lessons.

Throughout the rest of the year, lodge guests can enjoy the mountain’s hiking trails, the resort’s tennis courts, sign out complimentary mountain bikes, canoes and kayaks, and enjoy the Lodge’s staff-attended private beach on Thirteenth Lake. While walking around the mountain, in addition to looking out at the beautiful Adirondack mountain scenery and looking up at the beautiful clean sky, try looking down – you just might find a rock with garnets! (garnet-hill.com; 39 Garnet Hill Road, North River, NY 12856; 518-636-1652)

With continued Covid-19 flying and quarantine restrictions continuing throughout the country and world, this secluded, Adirondack State Park lodge and resort is ideal for a destination wedding. Pre-Covid, Garnet Hill was able to accommodate up to 120 guests for an outdoor or indoor ceremony and reception from June through October, and up to 80 guests between November and May.

A two-night minimum booking for guests at the Lodge included food and beverages in the lodge’s full-service restaurant and pub, the Bobcat Bar and Grill. Guests have complimentary use of the lodge’s outdoor equipment in all seasons, including the lake beach and well-marked hiking and mountain biking trails. Contact Nicole at 518-251-2444 to discuss current capacity limitations, to book a getaway, or a visit and tour of Garnet Hill Lodge for a potential wedding or other group event. Nicole will assist with planning all aspects of a destination wedding or event within state guidelines and restrictions.

Glens Falls, NY

Adirondack Salt Cave Halotherapy and Wellness Center – A few minutes south of Lake George, Marty and I enjoyed our very first halotherapy session at the Adirondack Salt Cave Halotherapy and Wellness Center.

Reclining in zero-gravity chairs, wearing street clothes and covered up with warm, fluffy throw covers, we took off our masks, closed our eyes, and breathed in the medical-grade salt that was being released into the room. Listening to relaxing music, we immediately fell into a deep sleep. Forty-five minutes later, owner Dawn gently woke us. We walked out of the room feeling quite relaxed, with Laurie commenting that she no longer had the acid reflux cough she came in with, and Marty left with clear sinuses. The experience was a success for both of us! We have one recommendation: the room is cool even with the warm comforter, so be sure to wear layers: long-sleeved shirt, jacket, or sweater, socks or booties, long pants.

Halotherapy room at Adirondack Salt Cave Halotherapy and Wellness Center in Glens Falls, NY © Laurie Millman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Wellness Center is a holistic healing arts center which also offers Swedish massage, Shiatsu, Reiki, Esthetician services, therapeutic reflexology, and other massage therapy services. Owners Dana and Greg Russell renovated a 123-year old collar and shirt mill, built out therapy rooms and the large “salt cave” room while preserving the original wood floors, brick walls, and tall windows for lots of natural light in the waiting area. Over 7,000 lbs of Himalayan salt blocks went into creating the long, beautiful, backlit wall that is the focal point of the man-made “salt cave” room. They also built out the front desk and the base of the benches with salt blocks. For pricing of services and packages and to make an appointment, visit adirondacksaltcave.com, call Dana at 518-798-2343, or email her at [email protected]. Please tell her that Laurie and Marty sent you! (11 Broad St., Glens Falls, NY 12801).

More information at https://visitadirondacks.com/.

__________________________

Going Places, Far & Near

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