A salute to N.H.’s famous steam train
Celebrate the 150th anniversary of The Mount Washington Cog Railway on July 3 with games and festivities at the Marshfield Base Station located about 6 miles south of Bretton Woods, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The iconic train has been taking passengers on a three-hour roundtrip ride up Mount Washington powered by vintage coal-fired steam locomotives or modern biodiesel engines — all built onsite — for generations. The birthday bash features Victorian lawn games such as croquet and badminton (weather permitting), fish feeding at nearby Peppersass Pond, cake and ice cream, an acoustic guitar performance by Michael Bloom, and fireworks. Also, don’t miss the annual Railway to the Moon Festival Aug. 17 and 18, a celebration of the inventiveness of cog entrepreneur Sylvester Marsh, featuring Victorian-era costumes, live music, live steam art, and more. 603-278-5404, www.thecog.com.
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A new hip and happening
rooftop venue
Check out one of New England’s largest rooftop hangouts, which opened in Quincy Center this month. The Alba Prime Roof Deck has 5,000 square feet of space with a new sushi bar, herb and produce gardens, fruit trees, a bar, and a stage that hosts live entertainment. The seasonal spot on Hancock Street — located above Alba Prime Steak and Seafood and its sister eatery Zef Cicchetti and Raw Bar — even has a louvered roof that shelters guests on rainy summer nights. Entrees: $30-$50. Open Saturdays and Sundays noon to 1 a.m. (kitchen closes at 11 p.m.). 617-376-2522, www.albaquincy.com.
Meet the world’s elusive
Spirit Bear
Learn the story of one of the rarest animals on Earth and its secluded home in the British Columbian wilderness at the Museum of Science, Boston’s latest IMAX film. “Great Bear Rainforest,” opening July 5, tells the story of the Spirit Bear — an all-white black bear — that’s found in the Great Bear Rainforest on Canada’s rugged and remote Pacific Coast, one of the largest temperate coastal rainforests in the world and home to the indigenous First Nations people. Ryan Reynolds narrates the film, which is presented by the Canadian company Seaspan and Destination British Columbia, and takes viewers on a visual journey into a world with grizzlies, coastal wolves, sea otters, and humpback whales. Tickets: $10 adults, $6 ages 3-11; $9 for 60 and older. 617-723-2500, www.mos.org.
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An Arctic adventure to famous shipwreck
Hop aboard the 198-passenger Ocean Endeavour and you may become one of the first members of the general public to see the HMS Erebus wreck in Canada’s Nunavut province. Here, during British captain Sir John Franklin’s 1845 expedition, two ships with 129 crew members disappeared, the story of which is still being uncovered through Inuit stories and research on both wrecks. Adventure Canada’s Into the Northwest Passage cruise takes passengers on a journey to this Arctic archeological site (weather permitting), Aug. 17-Sept. 2. The trip starts in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and makes it way to Baffin Island, Devon Island (the largest uninhabited island on Earth), and Beechy Island before making its way to Kugluktuk, Nunavut. A second cruise to the site, Out of the Northwest Passage, runs Sept. 2-18 and does the trip roughly in reverse. Rates start at $9,995, not including airfare. 800-363-7566, www.adventurecanada.com.
Jamaica’s weeklong reggae fest
Did you know UNESCO recently designated reggae as an intangible cultural heritage? Celebrate this momentous milestone and also the smooth sounds of reggae during Jamaica’s iconic music festival in Montego Bay, July 14-20. Reggae Sumfest brings local musicians and well-known legends together, including global sensation Buju Banton, dancehall veterans Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, Chronixx, Spice, Jah9, and Elephant Man. The festival, now in its 27th year, includes the Mornin’ Medz Brunch Party July 14, Street Dance Party July 15, and Global Sound Clash July 18.
Tickets: free-$90, per event; $225 for entire week. www.reggae
sumfest.com;
www.visit
jamaica.com.
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Ensure clean water on your travels
Whether you’re traveling overseas or into the backcountry, use Sawyer’s
Micro Squeeze Water Filtration System to remove harmful bacteria and protozoa from your drinking water. The 2-ounce filter can be screwed on to the mouth of your water bottle (with a standard 28mm thread) or the hose of your hydration pouch, attached to the included 32-ounce Squeeze Pouch, or used with the plastic straw. The Micro Squeeze can filter up to 100,000 gallons of water, as long as you regularly flush out the filter using the included plunger. According to Sawyer, the filter removes 99.99999 percent of salmonella, cholera, and E.coli and 99.9999 percent of cryptosporidium and giardia, without requiring batteries, chemicals, or replaceable filters. The filter easily tucks into your suitcase or backpack. $28.99. www.sawyer.com.
KARI BODNARCHUK