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TACKLE AN ENDURANCE
BIKE RACE IN N.H.
Tune up your bike and start training for Pats Peak’s Mountain Bike Festival in June, which features 6-, 12-, and 24-hour races, plus the X-Country Challenge and Downhill Thrill race. The high-octane races, held June 11 and 12 in Henniker, N.H., draw riders from across New England who compete for more than $4,000 in cash and prizes. Ride solo or in teams of up to five people as you navigate wooded trails, fields, unpaved roads, and steep inclines and descents. During the downhill challenge, racers take the chairlift up and race down a course one at a time as they vie for the fastest time. Kids races take place both days, too. Entry: $28-$78. 888-728-7732, www.patspeak.com/bike.html.
EXPLORE THE BERKSHIRE’S BLOOMING GARDENS
This spring, stroll through the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, wander around the wildflowers at Pittsfield’s Hebert Arboretum, or visit the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield, home to 4,000 butterflies in a tropical-like habitat. Then relax in Stockbridge’s Red Lion Inn, which is running a Blooming Berkshires package that includes two night’s accommodations, breakfast for two, two tickets to the botanical gardens, two cocktails, and a gift bag. The caveat: Subject to availability and must be booked by May 26. Room rates start at $380 for two nights, including tax and gratuity. Entry prices vary. www.redlioninn.com/blooming-berkshires.
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STICK TOGETHER AT THIS QUIRKY OHIO FESTIVAL
See people dressed head to toe in Duck Tape outfits, watch a parade with Duck Tape floats, and catch the Duck Tape fashion show at a three-day festival near Cleveland, Ohio. The Avon Heritage Duck Tape Festival runs Father’s Day weekend, June 17-19, and celebrates all things American this year. The free event includes life-size Duck Tape sculptures, an arts and crafts tent where you can make duct tape creations (there are more than 250 different Duck Tape colors and designs), a lively parade, rides, live entertainment, and good ol’ all-American food, such as corn dogs and funnel cakes. Also catch a performance by Lita Ford, former lead guitarist for the ’70s band The Runaways. Be one of the first 500 attendees each day and receive a free roll of Duck Tape; the annual event draws more than 60,000 participants. 866-818-1116, www.ducktapefestival.com.
HONOR SHAKESPEARE’S LIFE AND DEATH IN ONTARIO
Celebrate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death by attending performances at the Stratford Festival, a renowned repertory theater festival held each year in Stratford, Ontario, about 90 minutes from Toronto. From now through Oct. 16, the festival will present the North American premiere of “Shakespeare in Love,’’ the hit comedy from London’s West End. Also, don’t miss “As You Like It,’’ a fun production loaded with audience participation, the great tragedy “Macbeth,’’ and “Breath of Kings,’’ on stage at the Tom Patterson Theatre, which was reconfigured into a theater-in-the-round for this event. In celebration of Shakespeare, select theaters across the United States will screen “Taming of the Shrew,’’ “Hamlet,’’ and “The Adventures of Pericles.’’ Ticket range: $19.75 to $150. 800-567-1600, www.stratfordfestival.ca.
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ACCESS OR CHARGE
10 DEVICES AT ONCE
Forget searching for multiple hotel and airport plugs when you travel: Satechi’s new Aluminum Hub comes with seven blazing-fast USB 3.0 ports and three 2.1-amp USB charging ports, so you can refuel your phone, tablet, camera, and other travel devices simultaneously. The USB 3.0 ports let you transfer data at speeds of up to 5 gigabytes per second — great for copying large photos or files quickly — yet are backward compatible to handle USB 2.0 and 1.1 devices. The sleek hub weighs just 7 ounces. In fact, it’s somewhat beefy DC power cord tips the scales at 9.25 ounces, but you can leave that behind and just carry the included USB cord, which allows you to connect the power hub to your laptop. When you get home, plug all your external devices, including your computer screen, scanner, printer, keyboard, external hard drives, and more, into the hub. The hub works with Macs and PCs, and measures about 7.25 x 3.75 x 1.25 inches. $59.99. 858-268-1800, www.satechi.net.
A SMARTWATCH WITH
EVEN MORE FEATURES
Garmin’s new Vivoactive HR GPS smartwatch has many of the features of a regular activity tracker, keeping tabs on your daily activities and fitness goals as you bike, swim, walk, and run, but adds new sports and cool new features. The easy-to-read water-resistant watch works when you’re golfing (it offers info on thousands of courses, and provides your scorecard as you play) paddleboarding, and skiing or snowboarding, so you can keep track of your stats while on these adventures near and far. It also keeps track of steps climbed and “intensity minutes,’’ recognizing how much time you logged at different intensity levels. Big bonus: The watch has a built-in optical heart-rate sensor so you can get heart-rate data without having to wear a chest strap. Sync your watch to your cellphone and get notifications of incoming e-mails, text messages, and phone calls on your Vivoactive. $249.99. 800-800-1020. www.garmin.com.
KARI BODNARCHUK
