Early in the morning before sunrise, the last stars shine on the blue-black back of Lake Superior. To paddle on such a morning among the Apostle Islands is to kayak among the constellations. By Jeff Rennicke

From June through early October, these 21 islands sprinkled like stars off Wisconsin’s north coast (a 90-minute to two-hour drive from Duluth, Minn., are rainbowed with colorful kayaks. Sandy beaches, black bears and bald eagles, and the lee shores of wild islands, make this one of the best freshwater sea-kayaking destinations in the country. Paddling the islands can be a connect-the-dots affair. A good nautical chart is a must. You can find one online at the Office of Coast Survey site. GPS and compass skills are helpful.

The most popular paddle is a day trip to the Mawikwe Sea Caves, a mile-long maze of burnt orange cliffs carved by the waves, with some caves as big as cathedrals, others as small as a kayak.

Farther out, lighthouses—the largest collection in any national park—and wilderness beckon. Trips to the outer islands are overnight ventures, ranging from a half-day to two weeks—14 days is the camping limit set by the National Park Service (NPS).

 At Raspberry Island you can step back in time as you tour the island’s lighthouse with a National Park Service ranger . Tour the historic Manitou Island fish camp, or walk the silent hallways of old brownstone quarries.

Outer Island, Devil’s Island and some of the more distant destinations sport big waves, wild shores and a designation as national wilderness areas. Still, there are trips suitable for any skill level. Paddling alone beyond the inner islands is best done by moderately experienced paddlers. Those with less skill can go safely with a guide.

Local adventure companies such as Living Adventure offer equipment rental packages with everything you need, including kayaks, life jackets, paddles and paddling instruction. Rental packages start at $32 for eight hours, depending on the type and size of the boat.

Guided trips range from half-day excursions starting at $59 per person to overnight adventures starting at $294.

Campers on the islands will find varying accommodations, from the developed sites of Stockton Island, complete with picnic tables and fire pits with grills to primitive back-country sites (camping permits and a fee required; contact the NPS). But from any camp among the Apostle Islands, paddlers can slip their boats into the early morning waters, silently push off and, with barely a ripple, find themselves paddling among the stars.

Kayaker and photographer Jeff Rennicke is the author of Jewels on the Water: Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands. www.jeffrennicke.com

Golftown USA is the city’s self-proclaimed moniker, and with more than 120 public and semiprivate courses arranged end to end over the 60-mile strip called the Grand Strand, the name certainly fits.  By Larry Olmsted
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When professional golfers need new clubs, they don’t go to the corner store. They get their clubs custom made at places such as TaylorMade Performance Labs, where they can wear sensors all over their bodies as a giant computerized simulator precisely measures every aspect of their swing. So can you.  By Larry Olmsted
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Although travel is a rewarding and fun experience, jet lag, exotic foods, and long hours sitting on a plane or cooped up in business meetings can take their toll. Clearly, this is not the time to stint on exercise. But exercising in the summer heat, especially in an unfamiliar climate, requires special vigilance. Here are some guidelines.  By Phyllis McIntosh.
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Nothing beats a top-notch walking tour for experiencing a city with all your senses. If you haven’t looked into them lately, you might be surprised at the variety of walking tours that are now available. Here are a few options that are worth lacing up your shoes for. By Mark Caskie

BOSTON
The Histrionic Academy’s Path to Independence tour follows the Freedom Trail through downtown Boston. And your guides go beyond simply dressing in costume; they perform in character. You’ll be led by the likes of Cpl. Jonathan Hoyt and Capt. David Hawkins, sharing the latest Revolutionary War developments.  

NEW YORK
Chances are good that even if you’ve never been to Central Park, you have an idea of what it looks like from the scores of movies shot there. On Location Tours’ Central Park movie sites tour takes you to the places where scenes from some popular favorites were filmed, such as The Boathouse Cafe in When Harry Met Sally.  

TORONTO
A Taste of the World’s Kensington Foodies Roots Walk gives you a chance to combine two passions, walking and food. Toronto’s multi-ethnic heritage is on display with aromatic tea from the Middle East, South Asian snacks, and Belgian chocolates and truffles. Be sure to skip breakfast so you can enjoy all the treats.

CHICAGO
The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park tour takes you through a neighborhood where the influential architect once lived and worked. Today, the blocks near his house contain many examples of his Prairie Style design. Combine your tour with a visit to his home and studio for a day with all the Wright stuff.

SAN FRANCISCO
Sure, there are lots of tours of Chinatown, but how many are guided by a comic?
Foot! Comedy Walking Tours’ Chasing the Dragon tour will give you a look inside this neighborhood and keep you entertained along the way. Your stand-up will lead you to Chinese herb shops, dim sum restaurants and—of course—a fortune-cookie factory.

Try a few walking tours, and you may just get hooked. They are the perfect way to get to know a city, providing a little fresh air and exercise in the bargain.

Patience isn’t Ray Parrillo’s strong suit. A sportswriter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Parrillo travels frequently covering professional and college sports. And some of the “things people do on planes” really annoy him. Which is why he always travels with a book.

 “I always read when I’m on a flight, usually a novel or something biographical,” Parrillo says. “It’s the only time I sit in one place without being distracted. Reading blocks out my surroundings—an added benefit, aside from the joy of reading something good.”
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When snow starts falling in December, outdoor enthusiasts in Canmore, 60 miles west of Calgary, get ready for a busy season of winter sports that extends through March. While the famous ski resorts of Banff National Park are within striking distance for day trips from Canmore, this mountain town is better known for recreation that puts you closer to nature. But don’t worry: Even though you’ll be sharing the surrounding wilderness with elk, deer and lynx, there’s plenty of room for everyone.

Developed for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, the Canmore Nordic Centre (Spray Lakes Road; 403-678-2400) is a world-class cross-country skiing facility with 42 miles of groomed trails radiating from a day lodge, where visitors can pick up a trail map and warm themselves with a hot drink. The trails are geared for every ability level, from an easy riverside loop to an experts-only descent through the wooded lower slopes of Mount Rundle. The staff at Trail Sports will set you up for a day of skiing with rentals for all ages and levels. Rent snowshoes and you can leave the marked trails behind.

If driving a dog team sounds like something you’d like to try, book a trip with Snowy Owl Dog Sled Tours. Guests have the choice of sitting back and letting an experienced guide lead, or taking the reins themselves.

For anglers from southern latitudes, ice fishing is another winter experience to remember. Employing a guide from Wapiti Sports has many advantages—local knowledge, equipment supply and more—but none will be more appreciated than the use of this company’s heated hut that sits atop a private fishing hole drilled through the ice of Spray Lake.

INSIDER’S TIP:

When the sun sets on a day of snowy sports, enjoy a drink in front of the fireplace at the non-smoking Miner’s Lamp Pub (1101 Bow Valley Trail; 403-678-3439), then head to Zona’s http://zonascanmore.com/ for creative cooking in a funky setting. Still feeling energetic? Bands play at the Drake Pub http://www.thedrakepub.com/ most nights.

Most ski towns are lucky to have one world-class mountain: Park City, Utah, has three!

Deer Valley Resort is a luxury mountain with immaculate grooming and the best on-mountain cuisine in the industry, but it allows only skiers, so don’t bring your snowboard. Beginners, intermediates and those who love perfect corduroy conditions flock to the resort, which added a new lift, 75 acres and 1,000 feet of vertical drop for this winter.

The Canyons Ski Resort is the newest of the trio and the largest in Utah, with modern lifts, minimal lift lines and maximum terrain. Park City Mountain Resort  bridges the gap with plenty of terrain for all abilities. It is also the closest to Main Street with a town lift, but all three are linked by a network of free shuttle buses.

Park City also has a lot of unique off-slope experiences for winter sports fans. The public facilities at the Utah Olympic Park are the nation’s best: You can try half-day camps in luge, skeleton or even ski jumping. When your heartbeat settles down, tour the Alf Engen Ski Museum.  Advanced intermediate and expert skiers should not miss the Ski Utah Interconnect Adventure Tour, a guided back-country excursion that departs from Deer Valley four days a week and links runs at six alpine resorts in a day, all connected by hiking and traverses on alpine equipment. Whichever activity you choose, at the end of the day you may find yourself on Main Street, perhaps starting with a beer at the Wasatch Brew Pub, followed by a visit back in time to Shanghai’s decadent 1930s at Wahso, which replicates the setting and has innovative Asian fusion cuisine.

INSIDER’S TIP:
Park City is home to the Sundance Film Festival, the U.S. answer to Cannes. With A-list celebs filling the town the last week of January, many come for the Hollywood star sightings and industry atmosphere. But the secret is to pop in the day after the festival ends, when the winning films are shown for free and the slopes are virtually empty.

Download adventure

Want to create your own sports-focused getaway? Whether it’s kayaking in Europe or golfing in Mexico, these sites offer tips, equipment and information on places to play around the world. Check them out and ski, dive, bike, surf, hike, paddle and swing your way to your next vacation.

• Global Surfers http://globalsurfers.com
• Dive Travel Information Network http://www.divetravel.info/
• International Mountain Bicycling Association https://www.imba.com/
• Great Outdoor Recreation Pages http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/hiking.htm 
• World Golf.com http://www.worldgolf.com/ 
• Playak.com http://playak.com
• Ski Central http://www.skicentral.com/

If any area could be said to have been created for mountain biking, that place would be Pocahontas County, West Virginia.  By Larry Rice
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Whether your trip is for business or pleasure, a good night’s sleep is essential. But this can be a challenge, especially when you’re trying to get to sleep in an unfamiliar hotel room, in a bed that’s not your own.
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