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I remember Jan. 6, 2021, quite vividly, but not because of the attack on the US Capitol. It sticks in my mind because I was staying in a treehouse in the wilds of New Hampshire. It was just as fantastic as it sounds. During the day I’d ski. The mountain had virtually no cell service. A few text messages managed to get through, but they made little sense.
Later that night, as I shimmied out of my thermal underwear and warmed up with hot chocolate, I managed to connect to Wi-Fi and realized I had missed something historic, unprecedented, and tragic. The world had changed, and I had no idea what had occurred. Truth be told, I’m grateful I was able to sit that one out.
We spend days getting push notifications about trade wars and stock market plunges. If we aren’t fretting about our 401(k) plans or the latest climate disaster, then we’re reading about the death of our favorite television characters (no spoilers here!). Back in the 1980s, folks could escape their daily troubles by filling a bathtub with bubbles and pleading, “Calgon, take me away.”
These days, we need something stronger than Calgon. Sometimes, a physical getaway that involves leaving a cellular coverage area helps, and I have ideas. Even if my suggestions don’t get your travel bug chirping, think about the beauty of occasionally getting away, even if it’s just for an afternoon.
West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Plainfield, Mass.
Sometimes hiking trails sound like a good place to escape into nature, but then you find yourself backpack-to-backpack with others who had the same plan. An easy fix is to go west, as in Western Massachusetts, where the trails tend to be less cluttered. The West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Plainfield is 1,800 acres of wilderness with an easy-to-navigate 2-mile trail.
West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Prospect Street, 413-584-3009. westsanctuaries@massaudubon.org.
Eastern Townships, Quebec
This collection of 15 towns and villages that are roughly four hours from Boston is a laid-back region where you can find more than 20 wineries, specialty cheese shops, a national park, nearly 30 microbreweries, and one incredible monastery. It’s a close drive, but it feels like you’ve arrived in the European countryside.
www.easterntownships.org.
Westman Islands, Iceland
If you’re seeking solitude, there’s plenty of places to find it in Iceland. Outside of Reykjavik and away from the tourist-laden Golden Circle, you can go hours, or longer, without encountering another soul. My preferred place to escape in Iceland is the Westman Islands. It’s a two-hour drive from Reykjavik, and then another 45 minute ferry ride from the mainland. Bonus: The puffins outnumber people.
visitwestmanislands.com.
AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park
By definition, dark sky reserves are devoid of people, otherwise light pollution would get in the way of star gazing. The AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park is the first and only in New England, and on a clear night it feels as if the galaxy is at your fingers. AMC has three lodges where you can stay to enjoy the more than 75,000 acres of largely uninhabited forest in central Maine. Just try getting a decent cell signal here.
outdoors.org/amc-maine-woods-international-dark-sky-park/
VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver
You don’t need to be a botanist to see why the 55-acre VanDusen is an ideal place to mindlessly stroll and think about nothing except cherry blossoms. When I visited, I deliberately got lost in a maze of 3,000 cedars, and then spent an hour looking at rhododendrons. It’s as if someone hit my reset button while I stopped to smell the magnolias.
5151 Oak St., 604-257-8463. vandusengarden.org.
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
One of the best decisions I’ve ever made while travelling was skipping a famous guided hike in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, and venturing solo along an empty trail to a place called Hidden Lake. The views were equally spectacular (it’s hard to go wrong anywhere here). Instead of listening to a guide for three hours, I had a remote region of Chile to myself.
torresdelpaine.com.
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Boston and Massachusetts
Trump administration
- US-Canada tensions: At the White House, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada “won’t be for sale, ever.” Trump, who wants it to become the 51st state, responded, “Never say never.” And Carney mouthed “never” repeatedly.
- Truce: The US will stop bombing Yemen’s Houthi rebels after they agreed to stop attacking American ships, Trump said. The Houthis suggested they would keep targeting Israel, which bombed Yemen’s main airport yesterday. (Al Jazeera)
- Targeting students: Appeals court judges sounded skeptical of the administration’s efforts to deport two foreign students, Rümeysa Öztürk and Mohsen Mahdawi, for pro-Palestinian advocacy.
- The t-word: 93 percent of recent S&P 500 company earnings calls mentioned tariffs as companies scramble to understand Trump policies’ effect on their business.
- Politics of art: The National Endowment for the Arts began rescinding grants and grant offers to Boston arts groups as the administration exerts its influence over culture.
- Trump vs. Harvard: Some major Harvard donors, including those who have buildings named after them, want the school to make a deal with Trump.
- Legal challenge: Brown, MIT, and other universities sued the National Science Foundation to stop cuts to federal funds that support scientific research.
- Fox in the henhouse: Vinay Prasad fiercely criticized an FDA unit that regulates vaccines and gene therapies. Now he’ll run it. (STAT)
The Nation and the World
- Flying circus: Delays continued at Newark airport after air traffic controllers briefly lost contact with planes last week. (CNN)
- India vs. Pakistan: India launched missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory, retaliating after militants killed tourists in a part of the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan fired shells back, calling India’s strikes an act of war. (Al Jazeera)
- The next pope: Cardinals in Vatican City are beginning the conclave, a closed-door gathering to select Pope Francis’s successor. (Reuters)
- Germany’s new leader: Friedrich Merz, who leads a center-right party, became chancellor. (DW)
❤️ Love letters: Their relationship is over, but she hasn’t moved out. Is it okay to ask her to leave?
📱 Brave old world: More people are ditching their smartphones to spend less time on their screens. (HuffPost)
🏠 House of your heart: A waterfront estate in Hyannis that Taylor Swift once owned is on the market for $14.5 million. Take a look inside.
🚀 Blast from the past: Cosmos 482, a 53 year-old Soviet spacecraft that failed to reach Venus, is set to crash back to Earth as soon as today. (USA Today)
😱 They’re baaaack: After 17 years underground, Brood XIV cicadas are starting to emerge.
🏎️ Vroom: Lego built 10 life-sized, drivable Formula 1 cars — each made from about 4 million of its toy bricks. (Men’s Journal)
🎤 Case dismissed: Listen to a bonus episode of the Globe’s “Snitch City” podcast.
Thanks for reading Starting Point.
This newsletter was edited by Heather Ciras and produced by Diamond Naga Siu and Ryan Orlecki.
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Christopher Muther can be reached at christopher.muther@globe.com. Follow him @Chris_Muther and Instagram @chris_muther.
