Where to go when you need an escape
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TODAY'S STARTING POINT
I remember Jan. 6, 2021, quite vividly, but not because of the attack on the US Capitol. It sticks in my mind because I was staying in a treehouse in the wilds of New Hampshire. It was just as fantastic as it sounds. During the day I'd ski. The mountain had virtually no cell service. A few text messages managed to get through, but they made little sense.
Later that night, as I shimmied out of my thermal underwear and warmed up with hot chocolate, I managed to connect to Wi-Fi and realized I had missed something historic, unprecedented, and tragic. The world had changed, and I had no idea what had occurred. Truth be told, I'm grateful I was able to sit that one out.
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We spend days getting push notifications about trade wars and stock market plunges. If we aren't fretting about our 401(k) plans or the latest climate disaster, then we're reading about the death of our favorite television characters (no spoilers here!). Back in the 1980s, folks could escape their daily troubles by filling a bathtub with bubbles and pleading, 'Calgon, take me away.'
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These days, we need something stronger than Calgon. Sometimes, a physical getaway that involves leaving a cellular coverage area helps, and I have ideas. Even if my suggestions don't get your travel bug chirping, think about the beauty of occasionally getting away, even if it's just for an afternoon.
West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Plainfield, Mass.
Sometimes hiking trails sound like a good place to escape into nature, but then you find yourself backpack-to-backpack with others who had the same plan. An easy fix is to go west, as in Western Massachusetts, where the trails tend to be less cluttered. The West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Plainfield is 1,800 acres of wilderness with an easy-to-navigate 2-mile trail.
Eastern Townships, Quebec
www.easterntownships.org.
Westman Islands, Iceland
If you're seeking solitude, there's plenty of places to find it in Iceland. Outside of Reykjavik and away from the tourist-laden Golden Circle, you can go hours, or longer, without encountering another soul. My preferred place to escape in Iceland is the
visitwestmanislands.com.
AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park
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By definition, dark sky reserves are devoid of people, otherwise light pollution would get in the way of star gazing. The AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park is the first and only in New England, and on a clear night it feels as if the galaxy is at your fingers. AMC has three lodges where you can stay to enjoy the more than 75,000 acres of largely uninhabited forest in central Maine. Just try getting a decent cell signal here.
outdoors.org/amc-maine-woods-international-dark-sky-park/
VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver
The Vancouver skyline and mountains, as seen from Queen Elizabeth Park.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
You don't need to be a botanist to see why the 55-acre
5151 Oak St., 604-257-8463. vandusengarden.org.
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
A view of the mountains in Torres del Paine National Park in Magallanes, Chile, as seen from the Hotel Rio Serrano.
One of the best decisions I've ever made while travelling was skipping a famous guided hike in
torresdelpaine.com.
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POINTS OF INTEREST
By Ian Prasad Philbrick
Michael Misa could be Boston's top target in this year's NHL Draft.
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Boston and Massachusetts
Karen Read trial:
An investigator
Steward Health Care:
One year after the hospital system declared bankruptcy, the state's US senators called for the Justice Department
Signal issue:
The state Senate's budget would give the MBTA
Luck of the draw:
The Bruins will pick seventh in the NHL Draft next month. Here are
Trump administration
US-Canada tensions:
At the White House, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada '
Truce:
The US will stop bombing Yemen's Houthi rebels after they agreed to stop attacking American ships, Trump said. The Houthis suggested they would keep targeting Israel, which bombed Yemen's main airport yesterday. (
Targeting students:
Appeals court judges
The t-word:
93 percent of recent S&P 500 company earnings calls
Politics of art:
The National Endowment for the Arts began
Trump vs. Harvard:
Some major Harvard donors, including those who have buildings named after them, want the school to
Legal challenge:
Brown, MIT, and other universities
Fox in the henhouse:
Vinay Prasad fiercely criticized an FDA unit that regulates vaccines and gene therapies. Now he'll run it. (
The Nation and the World
Flying circus:
Delays continued at Newark airport after air traffic controllers briefly lost contact with planes last week. (
India vs. Pakistan:
India launched missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory, retaliating after militants killed tourists in a part of the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan fired shells back, calling India's strikes an act of war. (
The next pope:
Cardinals in Vatican City are beginning the conclave, a closed-door gathering to select Pope Francis's successor. (
Germany's new leader:
Friedrich Merz, who leads a center-right party, became chancellor. (
BESIDE THE POINT
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Love letters:
Their relationship is over, but she hasn't moved out. Is it okay
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Brave old world:
More people are ditching their smartphones to spend less time on their screens. (
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House of your heart:
A waterfront estate in Hyannis that Taylor Swift once owned is on the market for $14.5 million.
🚀
Blast from the past:
Cosmos 482, a 53 year-old Soviet spacecraft that failed to reach Venus, is set to crash back to Earth as soon as today. (
😱
They're baaaack:
After 17 years underground, Brood XIV cicadas
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Vroom:
Lego built 10 life-sized, drivable Formula 1 cars — each made from about 4 million of its toy bricks. (
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Case dismissed:
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Looking for the coolest splash pad in metro Phoenix? Check out these 10
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Christopher Muther/Globe Staff Perhaps my favorite culinary find (bear with me if you've heard this before) is alheira, a sausage that was developed during the 16th century. At the time, the Jewish community in Porto faced pressure to convert to Christianity. To practice their beliefs without fear of questioning from zealots, they created tasty sausages, made from bread, kosher meats, and olive oil. They looked like pork, and their adversaries were fooled. They're so good that they're now a mainstay in Portuguese cuisine. I found my favorites at St. Lawrence Church in Porto looks barren on the outside, but inside the church, the ceilings and columns are coated with gold, and the baroque altars are full of wooden saints. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff Speaking of cuisine, let's resume the octopus-laden cooking class in Lamego, where our story began. The tiered vineyards of the Douro Valley dominate northern Portugal. Not only is the region boozy, it's also beautiful. 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Christopher Muther/Globe Staff If you're not keen on renting a car and tour buses give you hives, this entire region is well-connected by rail. I alternated between Uber drivers and trains to get around. The trains are clean, efficient, and inexpensive. Learn from my mistakes, my friends. If you come here, give yourself time to explore. The cities in northern Portugal may appear small, but they're designed for leisurely exploration. In Porto, you can hit a tidy checklist of sites, but the streets and canals of Aveiro (the Venice of Portugal), Guimarães (the birthplace of Portugal), and Braga (the Rome of Portugal) need to be taken in at a slower pace. Otherwise, you'll miss the best they have to offer. I came across Aveiro by spreading a paper map in front of me and studying the topographical features of Portugal, something I hadn't done since Columbia House was selling 13 records or tapes for $1. 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Boston Globe
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When I want to get away from it all, these are the places I dream about
Advertisement We spend days getting push notifications about trade wars and stock market plunges. If we aren't fretting about our 401(k) plans or the latest climate disaster, then there's more bad news about another Disney live-action remake (Why, Disney? Why?). Back in the 1980s, folks could escape their daily troubles by filling a bathtub with bubbles and pleading, 'Calgon, take me away.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up These days, we need something stronger than Calgon. Sometimes, a physical getaway that involves leaving a cellular coverage area helps, and I have ideas. Even if my suggestions don't get your travel bug chirping, think about the beauty of occasionally getting away. If it's just for an afternoon, that works, too. Advertisement West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Plainfield, Mass. Sometimes hiking trails sound like a good place to escape into nature, but then you find yourself backpack-to-backpack with others who had the same plan. An easy fix is to go west, as in Western Massachusetts, where the trails tend to be less cluttered. The West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Plainfield is 1,800 acres of wilderness with an easy-to-navigate 2-mile trail. , Prospect Street. 413-584-3009, westsanctuaries@ Inside the elaborate Saint-Benoît-du-Lac Abbey in Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Quebec. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff Eastern Townships, Quebec A shed on the Westman Islands of Iceland. Westman Islands, Iceland If you're seeking solitude, there's plenty of places to find it in Iceland. Outside of Reykjavik and away from the tourist-laden Golden Circle, you can go hours, or longer, without encountering another soul. My preferred place to escape in Iceland is the AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park By definition, dark sky reserves are devoid of people, otherwise light pollution would get in the way of stargazing. The AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park is the first and only in New England, and on a clear night it feels as if the galaxy is at your fingertips. AMC has three lodges where you can stay to enjoy the more than 75,000 acres of largely uninhabited forest in central Maine. Just try getting a decent cell signal here. Advertisement Cherry trees in bloom at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver You don't need to be a botanist to see why the 55-acre 5151 Oak St. 604-257-8463, I didn't think much about the herd of horses drinking from a pond in the Magallanes region of Chile until I looked down and saw this horse's perfect reflection in the water. Christopher Muther Torres del Paine National Park, Chile A view of the mountains in Torres del Paine National Park in Magallanes, Chile, as seen from the Hotel Rio Serrano. One of the best decisions I've ever made while traveling was skipping a famous guided hike in Cats loiter near an Adirondack chair, ready to sit with an available human at the Lanai Cat Sanctuary in Hawaii. Christopher Muther Lanai , Hawaii Lanai is the smallest of Maui County's populated islands, with a population of just over 3,000. It has one small airport, but most visitors arrive by ferry, and because many of its attractions can only be reached by dirt roads (there are no traffic lights), it tends to keep many Hawaii tourists away. What it does have is a 40-acre cat sanctuary where more than 700 cats live in paradise. The refuge is vital for protecting the local bird population, but it's also the happiest place on earth for visitors who can spend time with the cats. It's easy to forget about the world when you have some of the sweetest creatures on the planet vying for time to sit on your lap. Advertisement Christopher Muther can be reached at
