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WEEKLONG WINTERFEST
Don your wool gloves, caps, and scarves, and celebrate winter in midcoast Maine at Camden's weeklong Winterfest (Jan. 30-Feb. 7). Outdoor and indoor festivities kick off with music, refreshments, ice carving, and snow sculpting, and continue with snowboarding demos, free family movies, the first-ever Polar Plunge in Harbor Park, Frost Heave Challenge (featuring tasty specialty drinks from local bartenders) and — at the Opera House — a Mardi Gras concert, and "Everybody Loves Pirates" performance by the Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers. The final weekend features the US National Toboggan Championships at the Snow Bowl plus a "Snow Plow and Mardi Gras Parade," fireworks, Mardi Gras block party, and the Frost Heave Challenge finale. 207-236-4404, www.camdenwinterfest.com
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MUSIC LOVERS PACKAGE
Tanglewood may be closed for the season, but music aficionados traveling to the Berkshires can take advantage of a new winter package especially for music lovers. In honor of the December birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, the Old Inn on the Green is debuting Beethoven and a Bed. The package features one night in room 202, a deluxe accommodation that — in addition to wood-burning fireplace, outdoor porch, and Jacuzzi — includes an attached music parlor, allowing exclusive access to an antique mahogany piano that has been in the innkeeper's family for four generations. The package (available through Memorial Day) includes a packet of sheet music, afternoon port served with local cheeses, and hearty continental breakfast for two. Dinner is available at the inn's AAA Four Diamond restaurant or cozy taproom Wednesday through Sunday evenings. Rates $295 weeknights; $395 weekends. 413-229-7924, oldinn.com
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POLAR SAIL ADDS FLIGHT OPTION
Get a taste of how early explorers encountered Antarctica on Natural Habitat Adventures' 12- to 17-day Antarctica Sailing Expedition: The Ultimate Polar Nature Adventure. Seven travelers per departure climb aboard the S/V Australis, an ice-strengthened sailboat with state-of-the-art navigation, for adventures in remote locations that larger ships can't access. Get up close and personal with penguins, seals, whales, and a multitude of seabirds on excursions that include intimate kayak outings, extended hikes, and up to six nights camping ashore. The new "fly both ways" itinerary option — debuting Dec. 12 — bypasses the voyage across Drake Passage, a journey that typically takes three days in notoriously stormy seas. Per-person rate from $22,995 includes pre- and post-voyage hotel accommodations. 800-543-8917, www.nathab.com/expeditions/arctic-antarctica/antarctica-expedition
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EXPERIENCE OLYMPICS LIKE AN ATHLETE
Ever wonder what it would be like to be a world-class athlete in the Olympics? Now you can simulate the thrill of competing at the recently opened $10 million Richmond Olympic Experience Museum, North America’s first member of the International Olympic Museums Network. Located at the Richmond Olympic Oval — built and used for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. — the museum features three floors of galleries with displays, interactive media, and innovative hands-on sporting simulation machines such as ski jumps, slalom races, white-water kayaking, and bobsledding. Test your skills and challenge friends on vertical and long jumps, interactive hockey and soccer, and agility reaction times. You can even try broadcasting an Olympic event. Other features include a motion seat theater, film screenings, Olympic artifacts, and history told via interactive touch tablets. Adults $17; seniors/youth $13; ages 6-12 $11; 5 and under free. Family of 4, $46. therox.ca
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SINGLE-USE TOILETRIES FOR THOSE ON THE GO
Stop worrying about toiletries leaking when you fly, or having them confiscated by TSA agents when bottles and tubes are too large. Squeeze Pod's single-use products — about the size and weight of a quarter — are both TSA carry-on compliant and leak-proof. Designed for portability and convenience, each pod is filled with premium natural lotions, gels, liquids, and creams formulated without parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. Toiletry gift kits (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial cleanser, shave cream, moisturizing lotion, and toilet odor eliminator) boast cheeky names for every occasion such as Fly Guy, Boss Lady, and How Can I Miss You If You Don't Go Away. Travel gift pack $14.99; 2-use pods $2.70; 10 pods $12.99; 24 pods $30. squeezepod.com
ONLINE SHOP FOR TRAVEL GARB AND GEAR
After planning and booking tickets for a great adventure, you may need appropriate apparel and gear. Luxury cultural and wildlife travel planners Cox & Kings have an online Travel Store dedicated to helping adventurers shop by destination, journey type, or travel accessory. Purchase an air mesh hat for an African safari, waterproof camera case for diving the Great Barrier Reef, or an ultralite day pack for hiking Macchu Picchu. Complete gear packages make packing easy for those who need it all. ckusa.newheadings.com/index.php
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