slides: 10 New England Weekend Adventures

Rock Climbing Day Trip

This one-day trip is the perfect introduction to local outdoor climbing. Get ready for a full day of top rope climbing at a local crag in Massachusetts. Be prepared to have your physical strength and endurance tested, but don’t worry, you’ll have fun challenging yourself. You will be hiking so definitely come dressed in comfortable shoes and clothing.

Saturday August 4th and Saturday September 8th. 8:30am-3pm. $75 for members, $90 for non-members. Start/End Location: CRG in Worcester.  Anyone under 18 needs a waiver signed by a legal parent or guardian. Rental harnesses and shoes are available. No prerequisites needed. For more information, go here.

Photo: pkasco/flickr

Whitewater Rafting

In the Fife Brook Section of Deerfield River, Crab Apple Whitewater's beautiful ten-mile trip through mild waters is a great outdoor adventure for families and friends. The trip includes rapids of various sizes. Calm sections are perfect for enjoying the picturesque scenery of the Berkshires. You may even end up engaging in team water fights! New for 2012, there is a Wilder Option that includes some aggressive lines through the biggest rapids “Hurricane Hole” and “Zoar Gap.”

Per Person Rafting Prices: Weekday $85 for adults, $65 for children, Weekend $94 for adults, $70 for children. Group Rates for 16 or more rafters. Call 1-800-553-7238 for dates and times.

Photo: Crab Apple Whitewater

Mountain Biking Course

Ready to roll? Let REI instructors teach you the proper techniques of shifting, braking, hill climbing and descent, body and pedal position, and navigating minor obstacles on the trail. The goal of this educational ride is to teach you how to get more out of your mountain biking experience. If you don’t have a bike, REI will provide Novara mountain bikes and helmets at no extra charge. Instructors will help you find the best local areas where you can begin to build your skills as a mountain biker.

Option 1: August 4. 9am. Lincoln Woods, RI. Option 2: August 18. 9am. The Trustees of Reservations - Rocky Woods, MA. Member fee: $65, Non-member fee: $85. Duration: 7 hours. Skill level: intermediate. Minimum age: 14. People under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Limited spots. For more, go here.

Paddle the Connecticut

North Star Canoe & Kayak will set you up for a perfect float down the mighty Connecticut River for an incredibly reasonable price. Pull up to North Star's 40-acre farm on the bank of the river and check out their Suffolk-Punch draft horses and organic beef cattle. The friendly staff will get you suited up and shuttle you to your designated launch site. A full-day float of 12 miles includes one of the last remaining sets of natural rapids left on the Connecticut River. Feel free to stop to fish, swim and picnic, and look for views of Mt Ascutney.  

Full-day rates $50 per adult, $35 per child. There's also half-day Covered Bridge Trips that are $25 per adult, $20 per child. Price includes upstream shuttle, PFD and paddle. Call 603-542-6929 or email info@kayak-canoe.com.

Photo: North Star Kayak & Canoe

Biking the Islands

You may think first of beaches when you think of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, but both islands feature beautiful bicycle paths and quiet roads. Book a (bike) seat on Sojourn Bike Tour's two-island jaunt in late summer, and you'll explore both gems. This tour is well-suited to leisure cyclists who are seeking easier biking. Average daily base mileage is 16 to 30, with opportunities for additional miles. Shorter mileage options exist for people who are interested in spending more time relaxing. Van support is readily available, and the trip includes an inter-island ferry ride.

September 2-7. Tour start: Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, Tour end: Hyannis (Cape Cod). For itineraries, prices and to reserve a spot, go to Sojourn's Web site, here, or call 800-730-4771.

Photo: Sojourn Bike Tours
 

Zipline Canopy Tour

You may have thought that you needed to go to a tropical forest for a zipline tour, but think again. Right in Massachusetts, you can call Deerfield Valley Zipline Canopy Tours and book a 3-hour zip line canopy tour, an adventure-filled trek through 2 sky bridges, 3 rappels and 3 short hikes. Along the way, you'll learn correct zipping and braking technique, enjoy views of the Deerfield River Valley and the northern Berkshires and discover interesting facts about local trees, landscape and history.

$94 per person. Zipping available most summer days, depending on availability. Check availability online here.

Photo: Deerfield Valley Zipline Canopy Tours

Map & Compass Class

Prepare for even bigger adventures with this in-store class at REI in Hingham, where you'll learn basic navigation skills using a map and compass. You will learn the parts of a compass, how to read a topographic map, and how to use them together. You will also discover how to pinpoint your location through triangulation and then you will be able to navigate to new locations by following a bearing. Maps and compasses are provided. After this hands-on class, you’ll be ready to conquer New England’s trails on your own!

July 26. 6:30pm-8pm. Free. Start/End Location: Hingham REI, 98 Derby St, Suite 470, Hingham, MA. 13 spots available. Call 781-740-9430 to reserve your spot. See more, here.

Photo: kookbor/flickr

Nantucket Surf Camp

At this four-day camp with Nantucket Surfari, learn all about surfing and ocean awareness in the beautiful waters of Nantucket. The program can be tailored to meet the needs of new surfers or seasoned surfers. Beyond surfing, you will learn about ocean safety, etiquette, swell forecasting, surf photography and how to choose and repair equipment.  

Price: $495. For camp times and scheduling, go here.

Photo: Nantucket Surfari

Kayak the Cape

You'll have a whole new, refreshed perception of Cape Cod after spending the day with Cape Kayaking Guided Tours. Choose from 6 gorgeous guided routes along the quiet Herring River, through pristine Nauset Marsh, or circumnavigating Pochet Island. What about a Kayak Clamming or Kayak Birdwatch Tour?  Cape Kayaking uses stable, touring style vessels that accommodate one person weighing between 100 and 240 pounds.

Trips leave twice a day, at 9am and 2pm. Scheduled tours are $60 per person, private tours run $75-$150 per person. Paddlers 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult, and you must be at least 100 pounds to paddle a single kayak. Call (508) 247-7402 to inquire about schedules and make a reservation. Or go to capekayaking.com

Photo: Cape Kayaking Guided Tours

Fly-Fishing School

It’s both sport and poetry, and if you think that fly-fishing is too tricky for you, you just haven't met the right fishing instructors. Get your feet wet (albeit inside waders) at the Orvis Manchester Fly Fishing School, right in the heart of Vermont's Green Mountains. You’ll learn how to set up the rod, choose and tie flies, and safely release your catch. Fishing classes are held in Orvis’ brand-new schoolhouse directly across from the Orvis Flagship Store, on a fully-stocked casting pond, and out on the famed Battenkill River. If you’re an aspiring female angler, check out Orvis’ women-only school sessions as well.

Orvis Fly-Fishing School, Manchester, VT. Two-day classes run nearly every couple of days throughout the summer and into the fall. For specific dates, go online, here.  2-day school is $450. Get all the details online here or call 866-531-6213.

Photo: The Orvis Company