Get Dirty

Surf and Kayak with Ride the Wind
Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

Ocracoke Island was once headquarters for the infamous Edward Teach (a.k.a. Blackbeard the Pirate). Go there hoping to find buried treasure, and you’re out of luck, but the island itself, which is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, is a gem with more than 15 miles of undeveloped beach on which to launch your next adventure (or just bury yourself in a bestseller). Lodging options are very affordable, including three campgrounds, and local surf shop Ride the Wind is the best headquarters for kayak rentals and tours, surf or boogie board rentals and surfing lessons. Two-hour kayak tours are offered daily: early-morning, mid-morning, sunset or (if your timing is right) by full moon. Most tours offer a chance to learn about the island and its ecosystem (birds, birds, birds) and the island’s sordid history. If you’re stoked to ride waves but haven’t surfed before, sign up for Ride the Wind’s surf lessons, during which you can learn the basics of paddling, wave timing and getting to your feet. $35/day kayak rental; $18/day surfboard rentals; 252-928-6311; www.surfocracoke.com.

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FIVE WILD STARS: Sorry, there’s no valet parking here—or cars. Photo by Heather McKee

Take It Easy

The Hike Inn
Dawsonville, Georgia

Rustic. Scenic. No cell phones allowed. Is this the antithesis of your daily life? When you get a free day or two, head to Amicalola Falls State Park in northern Georgia, famous for its spectacular falls (tallest east of the Mississippi), and stay at the Len Foote Hike Inn. Not only are cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices strictly forbidden, you can’t even drive your car to the lodge. Instead, enjoy a 5-mile scenic hike to these comfortable, though simple, accommodations in the middle of the Appalachian wilds. With the affordable lodging rates, you may be tempted to stay for more than a few nights to enjoy hiking opportunities. From the inn, hike 4.5 miles (9 miles round trip) to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Or enjoy some of the smaller loops in the nearly 1,000-acre Amicalola Falls State Park. When you’re not out identifying wildflowers and avoiding bears, relax in the inn’s Sunrise Room and porch or at “Starbase,” the inn’s celestial calendar made of carved stone. Join a talk on southeastern wildflowers, nocturnal wildlife, mammals, reptiles or worm composting, or sign up for a rousing game of Appalachian trivial pursuit. $97–$140/night; 800-581-8032; www.hike-inn.com.

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Quick Escapes


New Orleans, Louisiana:
Cycle
Because New Orleans is one of the few cities in the country below sea level, you won’t find the US Cycling Team training here. Nevertheless, it’s a great city to work off the drinks you soaked in last night while pedaling through the historic French Quarter or Garden District. If you’re here for the Jazz Fest in late April or early May, consider biking to the Fairgrounds. For guided tours or to rent bikes, contact Laid Back Tours. $25 bike rentals, $55–$95/tours; 504-488-8991; www.laidbacktours.com.

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Miami, Florida:
Kayak and Snorkel
Spend your entire Miami vacation enjoying Cuban food in Little Havana (not to mention those mojitos that go down so easy when you’re sitting in the sun) and you may never want to show yourself on a beach again. Work off any indulgences with an Eco-Adventure kayak and snorkel tour with a naturalist around nearby Key Biscayne, where you’ll explore sea grass beds rich with tropical marine life. $50; 305-365-3018; www.miamidade.gov/parks/ecoadventures.asp.

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Hot Springs, Arkansas:
Soak and Hike
The boyhood town of President Bill Clinton is home to the nation’s oldest national park, Hot Springs National Park (501-624-2701; www.nps.gov/hosp). Aside from delivering 143° F water to bathers, the park hosts 26 miles of day-use hiking trails for visitors (sorry, no mountain bikes allowed). Or take a quick drive to nearby 40,000-acre Lake Ouachita (501-767-9366; www.arkansasstateparks.com/lakeouachita/) to swim, water-ski, scuba dive, canoe, kayak or fish.

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Nashville, Tennessee:
Swim, Hike, Bike or Paddle
Sure, you came to Nashville to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and to ride a roller coaster at Valley Fair Amusement Park, but it wouldn’t hurt to do more than a little line dancing. Head out to Old Hickory Lake, located northeast of Music City on the Cumberland River, where you’ll find 440 miles of shoreline and 22,500 acres of water ripe for swimming, kayaking, canoeing or fishing. 615-822-4846; www.orn.usace.army.mil/op/old/rec/.

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Courtesy of piedmont park conservancy/www.piedmontpark.com

Atlanta, Georgia:
Run, Bike or Skate
Hotlanta is home to one of the best greenway and open space systems in the country. After catching up on your ’70s trivia with a tour of the Carter Presidential Library and Museum, explore the city’s miles of interconnected pathways and parks. Start with Piedmont Park’s 1.68-mile loop and move to the Silver Comet Trail, which runs 60 miles to Alabama. 404-875-7284; www.pathfoundation.org.

Last Updated: Feb 24th, 2006 - 14:18:11
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