With winter officially out and spring officially in, we’ve got three perfect ways you can spend your weekend: Embrace the warm outdoors with a bucket of bait and night out at sea in California, dare-devil trek through the marshy, wildlife-filled swamps of Georgia, or bid farewell to the slippery slopes of winter with one last ski in Maine.
By Nicholas Ayala, Chase Scheinbaum, and Tara House
Ski & Stay Weekend, Sugarloaf Mountain, April 2-4
Carrabassett Valley, Maine
If you’re still looking to hit the slopes before spring and summer roll around, take on Maine’s second highest peak with a Ski & Stay weekend package at Sugarloaf Mountain (starting at $79 per person per night). With almost all of its terrain still open, nearly 1,400 skiable acres await. Sugarloaf also has a superpipe, in case you want to try to land that Double McTwist 1260 before the season ends. The package includes lodging, a lift ticket, and access to the Sugarloaf Sports and Fitness Center or Hotel Spa.
You can enjoy the snow in other ways too. Rent a snowmobile in nearby Stratton for either a full or half day. If you need a break, swing by the Carrabassett Valley Anti-Gravity Complex and hit the indoor rock-climbing wall.
Now to the food. We recommend secluded mountain restaurant Bullwinkle’s at Night for herb-crusted rack of elk and foie gras mousse. Just be sure to make a reservation. Of course, there is always The Bag & Kettle, a legendary local spot for grub (207-237-2451). Try the famous Bag Burger or the equally mouthwatering Cheeseburger Soup.
Travel and Accommodations
When it comes to lodging with your weekend package, choose from either the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel, Sugarloaf Inn, or an on-mountain condo. If you want to explore the area and get off the mountain, make a reservation 15 miles from Sugarloaf at the Herbert Grand Hotel, which also offers a ski package.
Driving directions complete with travel tips for several different starting points can be found here. Planes and buses can get you to Portland, Boston, and Bangor, but a rental car might serve you better for the last leg of your trip.
Okefenokee Swamp, Wildness Canoe Expedition, April 2-4
Folkston, Georgia
Take a cue from the lazy alligators in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and slow it down this weekend. This massive swamp in Georgia is home to many species of flora and fauna that require a stealth approach and sharp eyes to be seen: orchids, insect-eating plants, Sandhill crane hatchlings, and black bears are just a few. Kayakers and canoeists who travel the area’s 120 miles of tea-colored waterways will be rewarded with sightings of these swamp inhabitants, but also with the absence of another certain bipedal mammal. Try for a two-night journey beginning at the 685-acre swamp’s eastern terminus near Folkston, Georgia.
Get there this weekend while the temperatures are still cool — daytime lows hover around 80, nighttime temperatures drop to the low 50s this weekend — and the mosquitoes aren’t yet at full force. Overnight travel in the Okefenokee costs $10 per person, per night (get a permit here, find out about shuttle service, and find more info on canoe travel here.)
Travel and Accommodations
Folkston is a little over an hour from Jacksonville, Florida. It’s another 13 miles to Kingfisher Landing, your launch point. Crash at the Kingfisher Wilderness Campground to get an early start and a full day on the water. Everything you might need to get started planning your perfect weekend in Okefenokee can be found here.
Dana Wharf Overnight Sportfishing Trip, April 2-4
Dana Point, California
This weekend tell your friends you’ve “Gone Fishin”… in beautiful Dana Point, California. Based in Dana Point’s flourishing harbor, the family-owned and run Dana Wharf is a sportfishing and whale-watching company that has been taking people out to sea since 1958. From whale watching to multi-day fishing trips, the experienced and family-oriented crew welcomes both first-timers to seasoned fisherman.
Have your wading trunks and fishing rods packed and ready for an overnight sportfishing trip on one of Dana Wharf’s top-of-the line vessels, like the fiberglass Dana Pride, or the steel Clemente. During this deep-sea adventure you will be guided by the friendly and knowledgeable captain Tyler and crew, who will teach you all there is to know about the different seasonal catches in the waters of the San Clemente and Catalina Islands, off the banks of Dana Point Harbor.
Here you’ll be able to bait catches such as Yellowtail, White Sea Bass, Calico Bass, Bonito, Dorado, Albacore, Yellowfin and Blue Fin tuna. Enjoy a cold beer as you take in the breathtaking views of an endless ocea.
Tickets are only $100 per person and available for purchase here. Find more to do in Dana Point here. A great side trip awaits in Doheny State Park where you can have a picnic under the sun or a day of swimming, surfing, or biking.
Travel Accommodations
Check out the Dana Point website for the best places to stay during your perfect weekend at sea, and fly into John Wayne International Airport, only 17 miles outside of Dana Point Harbor.
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May 11th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
I’m not sure you could find many people that wouldn’t enjoy at least one of these trips. Thanks for the post.
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