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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 05-07-13
Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis, addressing the UN Security Council on Tuesday in the presence of Secretary General Kofi Annan, said "humanitarian crises, apart from constituting a threat for peace and security, cause desperation and grief for fellow men of ours all over the world.
News Leader - Fernandina Beach, Florida (Amelia Island )
Nine concrete reefs, designed and built by Fernandina Beach High School students, await transportation to their deep-sea destination eight miles off Amelia Island .
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Watching the boats pass by is a favorite local spectator sport; you'll see pleasure craft and, perhaps, windjammer schooners and tall ships from Mystic Seaport, a re-created 19th century village where role-players demonstrate crafts such as boat building and wood carving. Check out the 1841 whale ship Charles W. Morgan and sign up for a river cruise on the steamboat Sabino.
Nearby, Mystic Marinelife Aquarium is worth checking out for its well-done outdoor exhibits. And everybody ends up at Olde Mystick Village, a collection of shops, restaurants, and a first-run movie theater. Shops vary in quality and uniqueness, but we like Log Cabin Candle Co., where they sell hand-poured candles in just about every imaginable fragrance, and Franklin's General Store.
For a look at Connecticut's Native American heritage, check out the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, a state-of-the-art complex on the reservation most famous as the home of mammoth Foxwoods Casino. Just seven miles from Mystic, the museum has crafts, artwork, videos, computer exhibits, and a recreated farmstead.
While we like all the action and bustle of Mystic's tourist scene by day, we like things quiet at night. A good hotel that fits the bill is the new Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa (860-446-2600), just outside of town. Its best feature: an in-house version of the famous Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Salon.
Contact: Mystic & More Tourism Council, .com. Or call (800) CT-BOUND (Connecticut Office of Tourism).
The Sporty Scene in Stowe. Admit it: you stopped at Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory on the way into town. Everybody does. But what better place to work off some caloric excess than Stowe, Vermont, where mountain hikes beckon and a recreation path makes it easy to bike, stroll, or skate nearly anyplace you want to go? Surprise--this classic ski town is equally enticing in summer, when Mt. Mansfield (Vermont's tallest peak) is a backdrop of deep green and the recreation path is lined with vibrant blooms.
Our must-do list for Stowe is jam-packed with outdoor fun: Ride the alpine slide down Spruce Peak. (Looks sort of scary, but you control your speed around the concrete curves.) For an even wilder ride, drive Route 108 through Smuggler's Notch. Endure the totally-hairy hairpin turns, then enjoy the view of this gnarled, glacially-created chasm from a small rest area at the top. The hiking is sweet in Stowe. Woodsy trails lead to alpine lakes and rocky outcroppings with splendid vistas. Then there's that recreation path. If every town had a multi-use path like this, America would surely be svelter! The , one-way (it's not a loop) trail winds past farms, through woods, and around town.
Among the lodgings, we like Stoweflake Inn & Resort. It's got a great location, a friendly pub, and loads of amenities. You can gaze at Mt. Mansfield while floating in the outdoor pool. What's not to like? Call (802) 253-7355 or visit .com.
Contact: Stowe Area Association, (802) 253-7321; .com.
A SeaSide Gem in Massachusetts. The Bay State's smallest city is a treasure trove of summer pleasures. Forty miles north of Boston--and reachable by commuter rail--Newburyport boasts a too-quaint downtown of restored brownstone buildings housing specialty shops and restaurants. Wander down to the boardwalk (off Water Street) and admire the boats in the Merrimac River, which feeds into the Gulf of Maine. You'll notice the posted schedule of Newburyport Whale Watch excursions; to sign on for a trip, head left to Hilton's Dock and look for the big blue mural. Summertime is a great time to head out to sea and look for these gentle giants at their feeding grounds. You'll also pass Plum Island beach, which is every bit as inviting by land as by sea. A visit to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Plum Island beach is a perfect day; the refuge is a mecca for avid bird-watchers.
Back in town, stop for lunch or dinner at the Black Cow's inviting waterfront deck. Or take a picnic lunch to Maudslay State Park, with formal gardens, meadows, and woods.
Where to stay? Newburyport is home to guest houses and B&Bs, not big hotels. Try the gracious, Federalist-style Clark Currier Inn (978-465-8363; .com).
Contact: Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry, (978) 462-6680; .org.
A Blast from the Past on Block Island. Victorian charm, lovely beaches, and all the outdoor fun an active vacationer might imagine--that's the allure of Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. Oh, yeah, and very few cars. Don't bother to bring one; your bike will do. If it rains, there's always the taxi service! Reachable by ferry from the Rhode Island mainland, Connecticut, and New York, seven-mile Block Island is decidedly laid-back. No fast food restaurants, no noisy nightlife. The pleasures here are the old-fashioned sort: riding your bike 'round the hilly island to Mohegan Bluffs, climbing a path to gaze out over the Atlantic, or enjoying Mother Nature's handiwork along Clay-head Nature Trail.
More than two-thirds of the island is undeveloped, and you'll get a sense of New England's past as you wander by seaside farms and gardens. Fishing, shellfishing, and kayaking are among the other possibilities, but allow plenty of time to loll at the beach. You'll shop a little (no chain stores here), eat a lot (try Eli's for dinner, it's great) and relax--just what one is supposed to do on vacation! Block Island has numerous old hotels, inns, and B&Bs; we like the Blue Dory, all Victorian sweetness, on a side street in Old Harbor. Call (800) 992-7290 or (401) 466-5891.
Contact: Block Island Chamber of Commerce, (401) 466-2982; .
Loose as a Moose in Maine. Imagine a landscape of sapphire waters and pine-shrouded shores ringed by rugged mountains. That's Moosehead Lake. No wonder visitors are instantly smitten with this place. At 40 miles long and 10 miles wide, with 420 miles of shoreline, Maine's largest lake is surprisingly undeveloped. Base yourself in Greenville, on the southern tip of the lake, where outfitters offer rafting trips, boat tours, and float plane rides. Cruise aboard the . Katahdin, a 1914 steam vessel, now the floating Moosehead Marine Museum. Or rent a boat; you'll have a grand time exploring the lake and its many islands. Looming in the distance, seeming to sprout from the middle of the lake, is Mt. Kineo, made entirely of green flint. The Abenaki Indians sought its flint to make arrowheads and tools.
Keep an eye out for moose. More than 10,000 moose live in the Moosehead region, we're told. The best time to see them is early morning or twilight, when they come out to feed in the lake's swampy areas.
There are several places to stay in and around Greenville, but since you're doing the outdoor thing, why not go camping? Rustic Lily Bay State Park (207-695-2700), eight miles north of Greenville, is gorgeous, with a small beach and canoe rentals.
Contact: Moosehead Lake Chamber of Commerce, (888) 876-2778; www. .
New Hampshire's Great Lake. Want to be where the action is? In New Hampshire, that's "Winni," otherwise known as Lake Winnepesaukee. The centerpiece of central New Hampshire's Lakes Region, Winni is the state's largest lake, encompassing 72 square miles and more than 280 miles of shoreline. The population of Wolfeboro--the closest thing to a classic New England village on the lake, claiming to be "the country's oldest summer retreat"--swells from 5,000 to 25,000 in season.
From June through August, it seems like every last one of them is on the lake, zooming around on Chris-Crafts and Jet Skis. Winni is also one of the few places in New England where you'll see water skiers, and lots of 'em. (South Wolfeboro, we're told, has plenty of little islands for peaceful paddling, if that's more your style.) Still, remarkably, the water is so clean you can drink it.
Also setting Lake Winnepesaukee apart are the amusements at Weirs Beach, on the west side of the lake. It's pure honky-tonk fun, with attractions like Surf Coaster, Funspot, and the Weirs Beach Water Slide. And who can resist a scenic boat cruise on the M/S Mount Washington, departing from Weirs Beach dock?
The village of Wolfeboro offers simpler pastimes, like walking downtown for an ice cream cone, sitting on the dock to watch the boats come in, or attending a free concert at the bandstand.
Where to stay? A really nice option is the Wolfeboro Inn, with lots of glass and balconies overlooking the lake. Guests have use of a private sandy beach, a free lake cruise, and are within walking distance of shops and restaurants. Call (800) 451-2389 or 603-569-3016.
Contact: Wolfeboro Chamber of Commerce, (800)516-5324; /chamber.
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