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Tuesday, November 26, 2024
HomeUncategorizedA virtual bike travel film festival, a Grand Canyon train adventure, and...

A virtual bike travel film festival, a Grand Canyon train adventure, and a pizza oven you can take on the road

Explore the world from Taiwan and India to the coast of Maine during a bike film festival that you can enjoy from home. The 12th Annual Ciclismo Classico Bike Travel Film Festival takes place March 18 at 7 p.m., when you can kick back and enjoy seven films that celebrate human-powered biking adventures worldwide. See “Week a Year,” the story of cyclists who gathered each summer for nine years until they had biked the East Coast Greenway from Maine to Florida; “Pedal Through,” about three women who tried bikepacking for the first time; and “Lockdown Bicycle Tour,” featuring a wild bike tour to the filmmaker’s backyard. The event, sponsored by Wheelworks Bicycle Stores, will be livestreamed from Arlington’s Regent Theatre on March and includes a real-time chat and door prizes — or watch the films up to 72 hours after the live event wraps up. Tickets: $16 in advance, $21 day of show. www.our.show/the-regent-theatre/25014
Get your ski passes now
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Young adults who buy a season pass for Waterville Valley Resort this spring can enjoy unlimited skiing and snowboarding for the rest of the season and next year. The Young Adult Pass gives skiers and snowboarders 18 to 29 years old unrestricted access to the resort — meaning no blackout periods — for the remainder of the 2020/21 season and for the 2021/22 season if purchased by April 30 ($532 per person). Buy an Adult Plus Pass ($942) through April 30 and you’ll get a Kids Ski Free Pass for one child 6-12 years old, unlimited access to Snow Mountain’s lift this summer, and 20 percent off lodging at Town Square Condos and the Silver Fox Inn. 800-GO-VALLEY, www.waterville.com
THERE
Rent a train at the Grand Canyon
Finding a fun way to celebrate a milestone event can be tricky these days, but the Grand Canyon Railway has options for travelers seeking an adventure. Rent a luxury private train — complete with chefs, bartenders, entertainers, and waitstaff — and bring your family or those in your “pandemic pod” to ride the rails. The train has luxury cars from the 1940s and 1950s, including a dome/sleeper car, two open-air observation cars, and two parlor/café and lounge cars. Book anywhere from one to five railcars and welcome up to 200 guests (on the full train) thanks to the generous amount of interior space. Depart at 9:30 a.m. from Williams, Ariz. — just 2.5 hours from Phoenix — and enjoy a 65-mile roundtrip journey, stopping for a 2.5-hour layover at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and arriving back in Williams at 5:45 p.m. Add stops along the way for a chuck wagon dinner, live entertainment, or sleepover. Rates start at $10,000 for one railcar, $16,000 for the entire train. 800-843-8724, www.thetrain.com
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Black Tie offers easy ski rentals
Heading west for a spring break or late-winter ski trip? Keep it simple and rent gear for when you get there. Black Tie ski rental provides ski and snowboard delivery to your local accommodations (at a time designated by you), a personalized fitting, and free gear exchange even midday on the mountain (they’ll come to you). Another bonus: The ski technician who delivers your gear serves as a local ambassador, providing helpful info on the area’s snow conditions, trails, restaurants, and worthwhile sites. At trip’s end, Black Tie will swing by and scoop up your gear — couldn’t be easier. You’ll find 16 individually owned and operated Black Tie locations throughout the West, from Colorado to California. Some carry niche ski brands, such as Icelantic, Black Crows, and Never Summer skis, while others have heated boots available. All gear gets disinfected between customers and delivered to you in a sanitized bag, and all staff adhere to mask and social-distancing guidelines. The service includes a paperless waiver system and a full refund up to 48 hours prior to your rental. Rent skis/snowboards, boots, helmets, and poles for all ages. Gear rentals start at $48 per person, per day (depending on location) for an adult package, which includes skis, poles, and boots. www.blacktieskis.com
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EVERYWHERE
A portable outdoor pizza oven
Gather outdoors and share homemade pizza made in the Ooni Fyra 12 portable pizza oven. This ingenious wood pellet oven heats to 950 degrees Fahrenheit in 15 minutes and cooks a pizza in 60 seconds — 90 seconds for a frozen pizza. The Ooni Fyra packs small for storage — it has foldable legs and two detachable chimneys that stow inside the oven — yet it sets up in seconds. Place the oven on a sturdy table — ideally a stone, stainless steel, or marble surface (we like Ooni’s secure and stylish modular table) — feed a scoop or two of hardwood pellets into the hopper, fire them up, and use Ooni’s infrared thermometer to track the oven temp. Assemble your pizza on one of Ooni’s 12-inch aluminum or bamboo peels, slip the pizza in the oven — placing it on the hot pizza stone — and it will be done before you can pour the drinks. Use the peep hole on the oven door to monitor the fire and pellet supply, and adjust the flow of air using the chimney vent. Ooni makes propane pizza ovens, too. $299 Fyra; $199.99-$249.99 table; $39.99 infrared thermometer. ooni.com
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Java on the go
If you’re a coffee lover, consider bringing the new Pocket PourOver bags on your next adventure. Kuju Coffee, founded by two San Francisco Eagle Scout brothers, creates these single-serving coffee bags that tip the scales on responsible products. Each bag contains organic, Fair Trade-certified coffee — or ethically sourced blends — and gets packaged in a 100 percent wind-powered facility. To top it off, the company donates a portion of its sales to the US National Park Service. Choose from West Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, and Ethiopia varieties or several creative blends, including Angel’s Landing (a light roast), Basecamp Blend (medium roast), and Bold Awakening (dark roast). To use, tear open the top of each perforated filter, unfold the cardboard “wings” and gently anchor the filter to your mug, pour hot water over the coffee grounds and wait for the coffee to brew. Purchase a 10-pack starting at $21.99 up to a 60-pack at $149.40. www.kujucoffee.com
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KARI BODNARCHUK
Kari Bodnarchuk can be reached at travelwriter@karib.us.

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