Greener Travel

Amazing trip to Costa Rica. Big thumbs up for Ami Greener and Greener Travel. Pura Vida! Read my blog post for more:

Earlier this month, I joined my second Greener Travel group tour: a 4-​day winter adventure to the frozen Lake Umbagog on the Maine/​New Hampshire border. I was excited to be on the trip, as I had never been skiing, dog-​sledding or camping in the snow, nor had I ever seen a frozen lake. I got to enjoy all of these experiences and more, thanks to the efforts of Greener Travel’s well-​organized, friendly and conscientious partners: Mahoosuc Guide Service and Burning Bush Adventures.
Before leaving my home in Washington DC for the flight to Portland, Maine, I prepared for the trip by buying and packing several items of winter apparel and camping gear on a Mahoosuc-​recommended list, which also detailed additional winter items that would be provided to us in Maine.
The excursion began with a one-​night stay at Mahoosuc’s lodge in the small community of Newry. My group had arrived at the lodge at about 8pm, after a shuttle van drove us from the Portland jetport (a roughly 2-​hour journey). Mahoosuc founder Polly and her staff Emily, Kate and Zach, along with Howard Cohen of Burning Bush, greeted all of us warmly. They also patiently and helpfully ensured that each of us had the gear that we needed for the journey, supplying us with sleeping bags, winter parkas, boots with gaiters to slide over them, and mukluks with booties to wear around the camp. We also were provided with large backpacks to bring our personal belongings and other supplies with us. I then had a good night’s sleep in the lodge, which offers comfortable bunk beds and clean bathrooms with showers.
The next morning, we sat down to a delicious breakfast — one of many great meals prepared by Emily during the trip. We also were introduced to the delightful Yukon Huskies who would accompany us on the journey. As we soon learned, the huskies love to be petted, apart from a few who are shy.
Next, the Mahoosuc team drove us from Newry to the New Hampshire side of Lake Umbagog, where our group split in two. Some of us volunteered to ski across the lake to the camp several miles away, while the others boarded the dog sleds to mush their way to the site. I chose to don the skis — a new experience for me — and was given some useful tips by Howard about how to maneuver over the snow. We skied along at a reasonable pace, considering that most of us were novices, and took a time-​out for a picnic on the snow-​covered lake. Mahoosuc provided plentiful snacks for us to eat between meals, ensuring that we were well-​fed and energized for our physical activities.
Our camp was in a forested area on the edge of the scenic lake. The site had three large tepee-​style tents, one of which served as a food preparation and meal hub. An outhouse with a padded toilet seat and toilet paper was located a short walk from there.
All of the tents were neatly padded with fir boughs and rubber sheets at the base, and heated with wood-​fired ovens. Mahoosuc staff did a good job of supplying the ovens with wood as we went to sleep, and then re-​supplying them as we woke up. In between, the ovens did not burn, and the tents cooled down significantly. But Mahoosuc staff provided us each with two sleeping bags and offered tips on how to insulate ourselves through the night, which helped me to stay warm. The huskies were positioned around the tents and were mostly quiet after dark, although they did have a few barking spells.
On the second and third days of the trip, I had my opportunity to mush with the huskies — easily the highlight of my adventure. Before we set off, Polly and Cate gave us instructions on how to stand at the back of the sled, how to communicate with the dogs to start and stop, how to brake, and how to lean forward or backward to keep the sled upright while going around a bend. As we glided along the frozen lake, I savored the stunning landscape as well as the chance to learn how to handle a dog sled. By the end of the excursion, I had gained a new appreciation for the ways that dogs can enrich our lives, as well as how we can give back to them.
Overall, I would say the trip had physically demanding aspects, including the cross-​country skiing, mushing, and coping with cold temperatures. But, as someone who is in physically good shape, I was confident that I could handle these challenges. And Greener Travel and its partners worked hard to ensure that I was comfortable, safe and having fun.

I usually plan my own vacations but decided to go with Greener Travel for our honeymoon to Costa Rica. Ami did a great job of putting together a custom-​tailored two week itinerary to Costa Rica that was the right mix of adventure and relaxation! He is very detail-​oriented and I greatly appreciated his dedication to meeting our needs and desires rather than pushing or selling us his own agenda. I have never had a personal travel agent before, so I was very impressed by the virtual support and attention Ami provided before and during the trip (we had a flight delay crisis that would upset the rest of our plans and Ami was available to talk/​help me through it even at 10PM — I don’t think any other travel agent does that!). All said, Ami knows how to create a memorable, authentic experience in Costa Rica and I would highly recommend Greener Travel for your next vacation to paradise :)

Ami helped us organize a large part of our Costa Rica trip. He loves what he does and it shows! He gave us great advice in telling us to go to a far-​off location (Drake Bay) that we would have never made it to otherwise. We saw more wildlife than a zoo and had an amazing time.