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MAINE PIE CELEBRATION BENEFITS LOCAL FOOD PANTRY
Sample more than 40 different pies at two dozen restaurants, businesses, and inns throughout Rockland, Maine, during a pie-a-thon to benefit local families. Rockland, dubbed Pie Town USA by the Food Network, hosts the 12th annual Pies on Parade Pie Tour Jan. 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. Enjoy everything from traditional fruit pies to shepherd's pie, gourmet pizza pies, seafood pies, egg pies, and whoopie pies. Participating businesses include the Maine Lighthouse Museum, Rockland Public Library, and the LimeRock, Berry Manor, and Granite inns. Proceeds help feed 100 local families for a year. Tickets: $30 for adults, $15 for children under 10. Two-night packages at the participating inns start at $380, including tickets to the pie-a-thon, a Bay Chamber concert and pie tasting, the lighthouse museum, and more. 207-596-6611, www.historicinnsofrockland.com.
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PLYMOUTH INN RECEIVES AAA'S TOP DESIGNATION
The Mirbeau Inn & Spa at The Pinehills in Plymouth has received the AAA Four Diamond Rating, becoming one of just 1,544 hotels nationwide to have earned the designation. To receive this prestigious rating, a property must provide each guest with a personalized experience in a comfortable, high-quality setting, and offer extensive amenities and guest services. The inn, reminiscent of a French country estate, has 50 guestrooms with fireplaces and large bathrooms; a 14,000-square-foot spa with a heated foot pool, an outdoor whirlpool, a state-of-the-art fitness center; and two restaurants, including The Bistro & Wine Bar, with French-inspired fare, and Aqua Terrace, where guests can dine outside. Room rates start at $235. 877-647-2328, www.mirbeau.com.
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NEW TOURS OF ITALY BY BIKE AND FOOT
Tourissimo, based in Turin, Italy, has launched a new series of hiking and biking tours to Italy for up to 12 people per trip. The Magnifica Tours include a cycling trip in Sicily, May 7-14, when you'll visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site and swim in one of the largest marine preserves in Europe, and Piedmont, one of Italy's top wine production regions, Oct. 1-8. A hiking tour of the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri runs April 18-24, when you'll tour a cathedral, see old-fashioned paper making, and visit a UNESCO town, and to Cinque Terre Oct. 10-16, when you'll hike through a cluster of seaside villages along the Mediterranean. Rates start at $3,995 per person for hiking programs and $4,495 per person for cycling trips, including everything except flights. Tourissimo plans to open a Boston office this spring. 857-997-0051, www.tourissimo.travel.
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SEA ISLAND EVENTS BRING TOP INTELLECTS TOGETHER
Attend a Creativity Conference with Italian actress, filmmaker, and model Isabella Rossellini, or join in a Geopolitical Conference with Pippa Malmgren, former economic adviser to the White House, at Sea Island, a Forbes five-star resort on Georgia's coast. The award-winning resort offers 5 miles of private beach, three championship golf courses, a yacht club, and thought-provoking events. The Geopolitical Conference, Jan. 15-16, explores the Top 10 Geopolitical Concerns Facing the West and includes talks by renowned intellects in the fields of economics, history, and politics. The Creativity Conference, Feb. 12-13, brings together 10 extraordinary thinkers from the arts, sciences, and media, such as behavioral economist Dan Ariely. Reservations required. Events: free to $85 for a dinner with the speakers. Room rates start at $225, depending on the property, double occupancy. 800-732-4752, www.seaisland.com.
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A RADAR DEVICE FOR YOUR BIKE
Whether you're bike commuting, out for a weekend ride, or traveling farther afield for a cycling adventure, Garmin's new Rearview Radar Bundle can help keep you safe on the roads. This clever device warns you when vehicles are approaching from behind, from about 150 feet away. A rear-facing sensor easily attaches to your seat post and a quick-release head unit clamps onto your handlebars (or pair the sensor to any Garmin Edge cycling computer). When a car approaches from behind, the sensor wirelessly sends a signal to the handlebar unit, which lights up to alert you. The devices can pick up multiple vehicles and indicate how quickly cars are approaching, and the danger levels. Meanwhile, the tail light on the sensor gets brighter and flashes to let cars know you're up ahead. A bit pricey, but ingenious. $299.99. 800-800-1020 www.garmin.com.
A 3-IN-1 LAPTOP CHARGER TO GO
Leave your cumbersome cords behind when you travel and use the Zolt Laptop Charger Plus to refuel your devices. The sleek and lightweight charger measures about the size of a 2-ounce shampoo bottle, but packs enough power — 70 watts — to charge a laptop, tablet, and smartphone at once. It comes with a 6-foot PC cable and eight interchangeable power tips that work with most major laptops, including Toshiba, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Asus, and Acer. Plug the PC cable with the proper tip into your laptop and the other end into one of three USB ports on the charger. Attach any other two devices into the remaining USB slots, and plug the charger into one wall outlet to power all your gadgets simultaneously. $99.99. Buy a MacBook charging cable separately for $19.99. 866-855-9658, www.gozolt.com.
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