HERE
Museum highlights this hub of innovation
Step into a new museum in Central Mass. and learn about the person who introduced the factory system to America and transformed Webster into a boomtown in the 1800s. The Samuel Slater Experience opens March 4 in the former National Guard Armory. The museum features 4-D digital technology that tells the story of Slater, considered the father of the American Industrial Revolution who built one of the country’s first woolen mills in town and attracted people to work in the area’s growing and innovative textile industry. It includes more than 20 immersive exhibits that take visitors from Slater’s immigration to the United States in the early 1800s to Webster’s founding and then emergence as a commercial and industrial hub by the early 1900s. Open Friday-Sunday year-round. Tickets free for age 4 and under, $16 for age 18 and older; student and senior discounts. 508-461-2955, samuelslaterexperience.org.
Displays blooming in Worcester
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Love remains in the air into March at the Worcester Art Museum with the return of Flora in Winter, March 3-6. The event features 24 dazzling floral arrangements inspired by art from the museum’s extensive collection and created by local florists. The Love in Bloom theme ties in with the current exhibition: Love Stories from the National Portrait Gallery, London. Don’t miss workshops on how to make an ikebana (a Japanese flower arrangement), a hand-tied bouquet, and grass weavings, and performances by the local Blue Light Bandits (a rock and neo-soul band), a jazz trio, and the Worcester Children’s Chorus. Admission: $5 ages 4-17, $18 for age 18 and older. Special programs free to $15. Must show proof of vaccination for entry. Or take a virtual tour from home March 4 ($15 nonmembers; free members). www.worcesterart.org.
Travel the world in Boston
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Bring your sense of wanderlust to the Hynes Convention Center March 5-6 for the Boston Travel and Adventure Show where hundreds of exhibitors will showcase destinations around the world. Hear talks by travel writers and experts, including Andrew McCarthy, Samantha Brown, and Pauline Frommer, and attend sessions on packing, technology, travel safety, and budget travel. Show runs March 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and March 6, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission $11/$18 for one-/two-day ticket in advance or $16/$24 for one-/two-day ticket at door; free under 16 years old. travelshows.com/shows/boston.
THERE
Ski safety camps for kids
Plenty of kids have a natural tendency to explore and push boundaries, but not always the awareness of safety hazards in winter conditions. That’s why Extremely Canadian in Whistler, B.C., has created new Big Mountain Awareness one-day camps for kids 10 to 15 years old. Instructors teach advanced-intermediate to expert skiers and snowboarders about mountain environments so they can make safe decisions within ski area boundaries — knowledge and skills they can take anywhere. They’ll learn about tree wells, the importance of skiing or riding with a buddy, and how to identify potential hazards. Upcoming camps run March 16 and March 23. $117 (plus tax) per person for course only, $148 including lift ticket; advance booking recommended. With the kids in camp, consider taking a guided backcountry tour with Extremely Canadian around Whistler-Blackcomb Resort. Tours available for advanced-intermediate to expert skiers and riders, whether you’re a novice or experienced in the backcountry. Tours start at $228 per person, plus $35 special rate for a lift ticket. 800-766-0449, extremelycanadian.com.
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Fairmont’s new boutique hotel
If you’re visiting Whistler, consider staying in a Fairmont Gold room or suite at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, located at the base of Blackcomb Mountain. The 96 newly renovated rooms and suites and the new private lounge form this boutique hotel-within-a-hotel experience. Enjoy quick check-in and personalized service at the 8th floor concierge desk, then relax in the cozy lounge with forested views and gourmand offerings. Families will appreciate chef Isabel Chung’s culinary treats: all-you-can-eat breakfasts with eggs (sometimes gathered from the chef’s own chickens), waffles, fruit, charcuterie, and more; afternoon tea service with pastries and finger sandwiches; bite-size après treats; and an ongoing supply of cookies, nuts, gummy treats, fruit, and drinks (non-alcoholic to top-of-the-line cognac) throughout the day. Each spacious guestroom offers a luxurious ski chalet décor, gas fireplace, soaker tub, and recyclable aromatherapy oil pod in the showerhead. Enjoy dinner at the hotel’s onsite restaurant The Wildflower (kids 5 and under eat free and ages 6-12 get 50 percent off adult meals). Step outside and onto the gondola when it’s time to hit the slopes. Rates start at $470 per night. 800-606-8244, www.chateau-whistler.com.
EVERYWHERE
An in-flight gear hub
Keep your snacks and gadgets organized on your next flight with SeatDreamzzz clever Seatback Organizer. Flip open the organizer and you’ll find a padded pocket for your tablet or 13-inch laptop and mesh and synthetic-leather sleeves for your cellphone, cords, small snacks, pen and paper, and a book, for instance; travel documents fit in the zippered pocket. Slip the back of the organizer into the seatback pocket in front of you and you’ll have your items within reach, or you can even suspend the organizer from the tray table latch using the attached strap. The opposite side has a clear sleeve for holding a tablet; orient the organizer in “tent” mode and hold it in place using a clip-and-loop fastening system so you can stand it up on your tray table. Prepack the organizer at home so it’s ready to go upon boarding. $39.99. www.seatdreamzzz.com.
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Kari Bodnarchuk can be reached at travelwriter@karib.us.