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36 Hours in Newport, RI
On the surface, Newport is what it appears to be: the glamorous “Sailing Capital of the World” with a new sailing museum to show for it. On the Narragansett Bay side, the harbor brims with America’s Cup boats and celebrity yachts. On the Atlantic side, a rugged coastline with legendary surf and Gilded Age mansions. In between, picturesque streets are lined with boutiques, bars with tipsy brides-to-be, and one of the largest collections of colonial-era buildings in the United States. Recently, locals have been reframing Newport’s well-worn nautical narrative with additions like new art galleries and an L.G.B.T.Q. pride center, and by unveiling, if gradually, the town’s leading role in the…
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The Era of the EV Road Trip
My six-year-old son, Remy, was in the back seat, deep into his book, oblivious to the fact that I was filled with so much nervous energy I could have recharged our electric BMW i3 myself. Our family had recently bought the car with an eye toward reducing our carbon footprint, and this was our first long-distance mom-and-son drive.
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In 50 Years, Will E-Bikes Have Served Their True Purpose?
In America, few modes of transit combine a childlike sense of joy with a valid fear of death quite like the bicycle. Urban bike commuters and child-hauling suburbanites can both see that America’s roadways were designed with cars in mind, not pedestrians or cyclists. We’ve known since the early 1950’s that air pollution is linked to cars and transportation—the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States—and can’t help but wonder: what will it take to finally release us from our toxic car-based identity?
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10 Weekend Getaways from NYC You Can Reach Without a Car
Now that you’ve given cherry blossoms and tulips their due, the next best way to celebrate the season is to get out of town and see what else is blooming. Since a restorative getaway should be a basic right for every New Yorker, we scoured the Tri-State and beyond to find the dreamiest destinations that let you slow down and remember the important things, like each other’s company, being in the moment, and outdoor heated pools.
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52 Places to Go in 2023: Charleston, SC
Charleston’s brutal history of slavery can be overshadowed by a romanticized portrait of a city with charm, award-winning restaurants and plantation gardens. The planned opening of the $100 million International African American Museum this year will help comprehensively display the city’s complicated past.
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These Outdoor Education Programs Are Inspiring the Next Generation of Climate Activists
For those of us who have benefited from an outdoor upbringing, it can be easy to forget that taking a family walk in the woods is an immense privilege. Many marginalized groups have limited access to the natural world, and in some families there may be no precedent for even deliberately cultivating a relationship with it.
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21 Great Mountain Hikes in the U.S.
There are certain mountain hikes that stay with you forever. There’s just something about mountain hiking, with the rush of adrenaline required to climb up—and, sometimes, serious altitude thrown into the mix. But whether you choose to explore the underappreciated peaks of the East Coast, the very top of Texas, or a hidden paradise in Hawaii, the best mountains hikes will reward your efforts with memorable views. If nature is Earth’s love language, seldom will you feel more alive, or more connected to the planet, than when you’re walking atop these mountains.
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The 11 Best Hotels in Upstate, NY with EV Charging Stations
With more than 3,000 charging stations across the state, including 100 new high-speed chargers, New York’s EV boom is officially in overdrive. And everywhere from glamorous boutique hotels to major cultural sites, like Storm King Sculpture Park and the Corning Glass Museum, have joined the EV movement—which feels like being on the right side of climate history. (Also saving money on gas is nice.) A boost in EV inventory at car rental agencies such as Hertz and car-sharing marketplaces like Turo, means it’s easier than ever to rent an electric car. And with the Plugshare charger locator app, you don’t have to worry about “range anxiety” en route to your destination. However, despite the rapid growth of battery-powered…
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8 Tips for Hiking with Kids—and Enjoying It
It’s hard to forget your first time hiking with kids. When my son could hold his head up at around six months old, I plopped him into a child carrier backpack and took off on our first hike through Manhattan’s Central Park. I felt like super mom as I trekked across New York’s urban paradise towards North Woods Loch Waterfall with sweet “oohs” and “ahhs” in my ear. Mostly, he slept. But it was such an exhilarating experience that I started a local hiking meetup for new parents, who rejoiced in this shared sense of reclaiming something not lost to our before lives, just reimagined; it was like walking through the world for the first…
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Love Nature? Your Lawn Says Otherwise.
On a winter day in 2016, Louise Washer received a call that would change her life. As president of the Norwalk River Watershed Association (NRWA), Washer was overseeing habitat restoration projects, monitoring water quality, and working to eliminate pesticide use in seven watershed towns in Connecticut. The call was from her friend Donna Merrill, who was developing a community land stewardship project at the Hudson to Housatonic Conservation Partnership, similar to the NRWA. Merrill had just experienced an aha! moment upon discovering the citizen-powered ‘Bee Highway’ in Oslo, Norway—a city-wide trail of bee-friendly food and shelter stations. Emboldened by Oslo’s dedication to protecting its pollinators, Merrill and Washer teamed up on a…
