Hey all you wannabe bloggers.  Here’s your chance to blog to your heart’s content and win a free trip for you and a loved one on an Antarctic Cruise.  Quark Expeditions is offering free flight to Ushuaia, Argentina, from wherever you happen to live, and 11 nights aboard the Lyubov Orlova as you cruise toward the Antarctic Peninsula, a $20,000 value.  All you have to do is convince the world at 300 words or less why you’re the person best qualified to be their resident blogger.  So weave a rhapsodic tale.  A photograph of you surrounded by penguins at the local aquarium can only help.  The world is already voting and the competition ends September 30, 2009.

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 07/03/09 at 02:00 PM
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This just in from my buddy Dave Williams in Thailand, owner of Thai Cycle and Paddle Asia.  After two years in the making, they have now completed a 205-mile mountain  biking trek that crosses the Malay Peninsula.  Starting just outside of Phuket, you can bike through jungle, rubber and palm plantations, and small villages from the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand.  Leaving the masses behind in Phuket, you’ll get a chance to see the real Thailand on a 7 to 10-day trek.  There’s also a shorter 5-day ride that gets you halfway across, zipping up and down numerous singletracks along the way.  Cost starts at $825 per person, including food, guides, lodging, camping, and bikes.

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 07/02/09 at 01:59 PM
Mountain Biking • (2) Comments • Permalink •

America still hasn’t earned a spot in next year’s World Cup (held from June 11 to July 11), but after their surprising performance this past week in the Confederations Cup, including a win against mighty Spain, you can book your flight to South Africa. Tickets for the World Cup are already on sale for the many venues, which include stadiums in Jo’burg, Capetown, and Durban. However, looking at the list of host cities, I’d grab tickets at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth. Get your full of World Cup soccer, then head out on a 10-day jaunt that starts with the spectacular Garden Route and ends at one of the most majestic cities in the world, Capetown. Along the way, you can stop at the private game reserve of Amakhala to see the Big Five, visit the surfing capital of Plett, and snap photos of the cliffs and beaches along Jeffreys Bay. Then head inland from George to visit the ostrich farms and Cango Caves in Oudsthoorn and the award-winning wineries of Stellenbosch.

In Capetown, hike or grab the cable car to the top of 3,563-foot Table Mountain, then stroll down to the city center, called City Bowl.  Sure, you can try provincial fare like the dried jerky they call biltong or grilled springbok (a small antelope). Far more common are grilled fish and steak found at European, Indian, Japanese, and Malaysian restaurants.  Indeed, post-Apartheid Capetown is an incredibly cosmopolitan city, with chefs from all over the world opening new restaurants. Heading south to the Cape of Good Hope, be sure to lounge on Clifton’s white sand beaches (even during Capetown’s winter, temperatures are often in the mid-70s Fahrenheit), stroll through the intriguing sub-Saharan flora at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and take a detour on Chapman’s Peak Drive, South Africa’s version of Big Sur. Lekka, mon.
 

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 07/01/09 at 02:00 PM
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Starting on September 14th, 2009, Boston joins Chicago and New York as hubs for Canada’s budget airline, Porter Airlines.  Round trip flights to Toronto start at $198 Canadian.  Why should you care?  Because early Autumn is not only a great time to see the striking new Frank Gehry addition to the Art Gallery of Ontario, but arguably the best time to paddle Ontario’s bounty of lakes.  A mere three hour drive north of Toronto, Algonquin Provincial Park provides paddlers with a seemingly endless connection of waterways snaking through forests of tall pines, birches, maples, and cedars.  Moving at such an unhurried speed, it’s very likely you’ll spot moose and hear the call of wolves, especially in September when moose are in heat. Voyageur Quest, a Toronto-based outfitter, offers guided trips to Algonquin through October 4th, including canoes, food, tents, and transportation from Toronto.  Cost of their weekend trips, leaving Friday, returning Sunday, are $580 Canadian per person. Porter will also be flying direct to Mont Tremblant for winter skiing, so you won’t have to drive the extra two hours from Montreal.
 

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 06/30/09 at 02:00 PM
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I love this ride so much that I often drive from my home in Boston and do it as a day trip with the kids. In fact, I did just that last Thursday.  It’s an hour and 45 minutes from the Boston area to Orleans Cycle where you can park your can and rent bikes if you need them. Download a Cape Cod Rail Trail map before you go. Head north or right on the rail trail towards Eastham and you’ll cross over Route 6 and soon be seeing egrets in the salt marsh.  You’ll pass several ponds that will have you dreaming about owning a cottage here. Take a right on Locust Avenue and cross Route 6 to reach the Salt Pond Visitors Center. This is the start of the Nauset Bike Trail, that sweeps up and down through the trees and marsh. The trail leaves you at Coast Guard Beach on the Cape Cod National Seashore.  But I often head uphill on Ocean View Drive and lock up the bikes at Nauset Light Beach. This is an exquisite spit of sand backed by large dunes, and the surf is popular with surfers and boogie boarders. When you’re ready, bike on Cable Road past Three Sisters Lighhouses, taking a left on Nauset Road and a quick right onto Brackett Road. This will bring you back to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, where you turn left to reach the best lobster-in-the-rough joint on the Cape, Arnold’s. After devouring a lobster roll, clams, and a heaping mound of the tastiest onion rings you’ve ever tried, walk off lunch with a round of miniature golf next door. Then head south on the rail trail through a tunnel to find your car again. The whole ride is only about 12 miles, perfect for a day outing.  

To delve into the history of the Cape Cod Rail Trail, see my Boston Globe article. 

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 06/29/09 at 02:00 PM
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Autumn is a great time to bike around the Irish countryside, especially when Sceptre Tours is offering an incredibly affordable package.  From September 1 through October 31st, a mere $599 fee gets you airfare from New York to Shannon (fares vary from other North American cities), a six night stay in a villa at Adare Manor, and your own rental car.  From Shannon, it’s an easy drive to Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher, and Blarney Castle.  Bikers have their choice of backcountry roads, seaside trails, or mountain biking in Ballyhoura. 
 

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 06/26/09 at 02:00 PM
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A year ago, Larry Warren’s decades-old dream of creating a 180-mile trail system through Maine started to take shape with the opening of his first backcountry lodge near the Sugarloaf Ski Area in Carrabassett Valley.  Now Maine Huts & Trails, a non-profit membership based organization, has just opened their second of twelve huts, on the shores of Flagstaff Lake.  Other huts are soon to follow, each 10 to 12 miles away, or a day apart for the backpacker or backcountry skier.  Each lodge contains heated bunk rooms, showers, and a hot meal, similar to the AMC huts in the White Mountains.  Yet, unlike the Whites, the terrain is much gentler and more accessible.  Instead of climbing 5,000-foot peaks, you’ll be hiking along the shores of rivers and lakes.  This being central Maine, the wildlife is sure to outnumber fellow hikers as you’ll have the opportunity to see moose, beaver, and foxes.

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 06/25/09 at 02:00 PM
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Writing a story on my favorite eco-resorts in North and Central America for Away.com, I came across the Lodge at Sun Ranch.  Tucked away in Montana’s Montana River Valley in the southwestern part of the state, Sun Ranch is a 26,000-acre chunk of property manned by genuine cowboys as they tend to the more than 1500 head of cattle so it’s not some canned dude ranch experience.  You can horseback ride, fly-fish in trout-laden streams, go on a naturalist-led hike or paddle, and feel good knowing that the resort goes over the top to reduce its environmental footprint.  Sun Ranch recently donated a 10-year lease to Trout Unlimited to make sure the tributaries on their property are free of irrigation.  They also removed barb wire so elk can roam the grounds, purchase local produce from nearby farmers to ensure fresh meals in the restaurant, and used recyclable materials to renovate the main lodge. 

Jumping on the green bandwagon, eco-ranches are becoming the latest trend in the West.  It wasn’t so long ago that environmentalists butted heads with ranchers, charging them of destroying the land and the local ecosystem. But a new generation of owners in the West, like the Lodge at Sun Ranch and Lazy E-L, a working cattle ranch on the outskirts of Yellowstone Park, has emerged in the past year offering a sustainable style of ranching.
 

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 06/24/09 at 01:59 PM
Green Travel • (0) Comments • Permalink •

Mountain biking around the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica for this Boston Globe story, my buddy Jeff and I crossed several streams.  It was an exhilarating ride, except for the puddle of water sloshing through our sneakers the rest of the day.  Thankfully, we met a couple from Boulder, Colorado, who highly recommended the water shoes they were wearing, Saloman Tech Amphibian Water Shoes.  We immediately went home and purchased several pairs on the REI website (happily discounted to around $50 US) and we’ve been using them ever since.  They have the shape of a sneaker with a great tread, ideally suited for mountain biking and hiking though water, like our family trek up Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  Don’t get caught with wet sneakers on!

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 06/23/09 at 02:00 PM
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With airplanes finally reducing their fares and hotels practically begging people to book rooms, this is the summer to travel.  Unfortunately, this is also the summer most of us are broke due to the economic meltdown, especially us bloggers.  Don’t despair, fellow adventurers.  You can still get your groove on, even if you’re stuck in the city like me.  Try these Urban Adventures across America: 

New York
Sea Kayak the Long Island Sound
A mere 59-minute ride on the Metro North train from the Grand Central Terminal and you arrive at Norwalk, Connecticut. With a guide from The Small Boat Shop set out for a seven-mile paddle tour of the wooded, mostly uninhabited Norwalk Islands of the Long Island Sound. The six-hour trips cost $85.

Chicago
Sail Lake Michigan
If you feel a hankering to get on that Great Lake, make a beeline to the Chicago Sailing Club.  Members are always looking for crew to sail their J-22s.  It’s the best bargain in town since walk-ins are free.  Belmont Harbor, off Irving Park Road. 

LA
Hit the Waves
Learn to Surf LA guarantees that you’ll be standing on the board after the 90-minute private lesson.  In the water.  $100.  Santa Monica State Beach. 


Seattle
Two if By Sea
Kayak through the marshes of Lake Washington to a nearby Arboretum.  Stronger paddlers can check out the sloping lawns of Madison Park’s mansion row.  Agua Verde Paddle Club.  Single kayaks are $15 per hour. 
 

Posted by Steve Jermanok on 06/22/09 at 02:00 PM
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