I can’t say that I know how to sail myself, but I’ve had the distinct pleasure of being able to holler “I’m on a BOAT!” while setting sail. (That will never get old for me!) Summer is a great time to cast off on a boat trip — it’s so freeing to jet out in the water with the cooling wind whipping your hair back and forth. Around the U.S., various cities were built based on commerce from ports and harbors and today those hubs bring us some major fun. Here are some popular nautical destinations with fun activities for you to check out before you ship out. Don’t forget to look at our store list to lay in provisions before setting sail.

Boston

Boston’s bustling water community extends beyond its boats (but if you’re looking to sail, paddle or windsurf, there are places to rent plenty of water equipment). The HarborWalk along Boston Harbor winds through the city’s waterfront neighborhoods as well as downtown and along the way there are spots to picnic, enjoy art, fish and see a working port in action. Children will enjoy the Boston Children’s Museum, featuring a permanent Arthur & Friends exhibit, a New Balance climbing structure and a PlaySpace for little ones. For a slightly different museum experience, the grand architecture of The Institute of Contemporary Art is a vision on the harbor, and the exhibits inside promote artful reflection, inspiration, provocation and imagination through contemporary art.

Local Whole Foods Markets: Charles River Plaza, Symphony

Annapolis

Home of the United States Naval Academy (tours are available to the public), Annapolis offers a dose of history along with beautiful visions of boats sailing on the water. The Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War, was signed here, and Peggy Stewart, a cargo vessel burned during the “Annapolis Tea Party,” rests beneath the water. Often called “America’s Sailing Capital,” Annapolis has plenty of opportunities for you to hoist your sails — be sure to take a cruise into the Chesapeake Bay or check out the boats at City Dock to get your nautical fix.

Local Whole Foods Market: Annapolis

San Francisco

San Francisco’s gorgeous year-round mild weather makes it a great destination in the summer! Walking up and down the city’s steep hills is a fun workout as well as a scenic treat — boat watch in the bay or take the trolley from Union Square down to Fisherman’s Wharf to spot all kinds of water vessels sail by. For fun outside of the water, visit the iconic Ferry Building or stroll around Japantown for fabulous shopping and eating experiences or take in a movie in the historic Castro Theatre. And if it’s not too foggy, head toward the base of the Golden Gate Bridge or up to Twin Peaks for some of San Francisco’s most incredible views.

Local Whole Foods Markets: Haight Street, Noe Valley, Franklin, Potrero Hill, SoMa

Seattle

Seattle is a major seaport near Puget Sound (an arm of the Pacific Ocean) and offers an array of entertainment options for visitors in the water and beyond. Take classes, boat rentals or free Sunday afternoon boat rides at the Center for Wooden Boats to celebrate the small craft heritage of historic wooden boats, or for a slightly different sailing experience, rent electric boats that have CD players/mp3 jacks that connect to sound systems. To get a taste of what makes Seattle famous, visit a hub of music and technology at the Experience Music Project (or EMP Museum) or take themed walking tours that feature Seattle perks like coffee and microbrews.

Local Whole Foods Markets: Roosevelt Square, Interbay, Westlake

Chicago

Hemmed in by three borders of water, the windy city grew up — literally! Chicago is filled with tall works of architecture you can see from the water by taking architectural cruises that tour downtown Chicago via the Chicago River or brilliant sunset cruises on Lake Michigan. To explore a lakefront playground, visit the Navy Pier for rides (like a 15-story Ferris wheel!) and performances. If you find yourself in downtown just before the sun sets, find Buckingham Fountain for a spectacular light and music show that begins at dusk. Other works of art can be found in the Art Institute of Chicago or in Millennium Park, just off of the “Magnificent Mile” (aka Michigan Avenue).

Local Whole Foods Market: South Loop, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Halsted and Waveland, Sauganash

Where do you like to cast your anchor? Do you have any other nautical destinations you’d recommend?

Whole Story

Would you like to do some good for others while enjoying some good family tunes? Many Hands fits the bill. This nationally-released and critically acclaimed CD, now available in Whole Foods Markets, was produced by Dog on Fleas’ Dean Jones, and it includes new songs by Pete Seeger, Dan Zanes, They Might Be Giants, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, Elizabeth Mitchell, Randy Kaplan, Recess Monkey and many other top family music artists. All profits from this release will benefit the Haitian People’s Support Project and their long-standing work to help the people of Haiti.

After the January 12th, 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of the Haitian capital, family musician Dean Jones (Dog on Fleas) found himself feeling helpless and desperately wanting to help the people of Haiti. Having close friends in Haiti and feeling a deep love and respect for the music from the region, Jones felt the need to create something that could help the ongoing rebuilding effort.

The idea for Many Hands came to him in the middle of the night and the very next day several of his fellow family musicians signed on. Almost all of the tracks on the album are previously unreleased, most of them recorded especially for this release. The gathering of artists featured here is a strong assortment of the unique and special talents creating and performing for today’s all ages audiences, from the legendary Pete Seeger to family hip-hop star Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. In addition, everyone involved in the process of getting this album out into the world from replication to distribution has also either drastically discounted or donated their services.

Pick up the CD in our stores and go to the ManyHandsCD website to learn about CD release shows around the country. If you happen to be in the Northampton, MA area this weekend, check out the family benefit concert for Haiti at the Pines Theater on Sunday, September 26th.

Whole Story

From GRIST

A recent article in the New York Times documented the growing competition among New York chefs for the highest-quality food from local farms — whether it’s heirloom cabbages or pastured poussins. Opining that “top chefs can’t be lip-service locavores any longer,” writer Glenn Collins offers this mini-food fight as evidence of a “farm-to-table revolution” among restaurateurs.

These chefs’ approach fits nicely into the haute cuisine concept that the chef’s job is to hunt down the absolutely perfect ingredient. The fact that more chefs are looking in their relative backyards may somewhat be a testament to the fact that globalization of the food chain has reduced the variety and diversity of food. It used to be that chefs would explore the farthest reaches of the globe for the obscure and the delicious. But now, the obscure and delicious is more likely to be grown in a peri-urban farm than on a tropical plantation.

I recently spent a morning with a Philadelphia chef who takes the concept of farm-to-table a step further. Mitch Prensky has contracted with nearby Blue Elephant Farm to produce exclusively for his well-regarded restaurant Supper under his direction. In turn, Prensky will limit the fruit and vegetables he uses to the output from Blue Elephant — pickling what he doesn’t serve fresh to his customers. He fully intends to continue cooking from the farm all through winter — Philly has an almost perfect climate for year-round hoophouse growing. What he can’t get from Blue Elephant, he gets from other local providers — including beer, which in Philadelphia results in a fabulous selection of microbrews. The seafood he serves, while not local, is sustainable — a lamentable rarity in high-end restaurants.

A graduate of New York City’s French Culinary Institute who’s cooked at New York’s famed Lutece and Provence restaurants (and an early stint as kitchen assistant for Jacques Pepin), Prensky hasn’t gone locavore to make a political point. As he likes to say, “I’m just here to make you dinner.” Working with a single farm has enabled him to achieve something that all chefs desire: total control. And he’s not stopping with fruit and vegetables. He’s working with the farm to add meat and poultry (Prensky makes his own charcuterie), and ultimately expects to produce cheese and other value-added products off the farm. He even is toying with the idea of his own CSA for a few select customers; included in the box might be his own pickles or other “homemade” products.

Some may wonder about the benefit to the farmer from this arrangement. Luckily for Prensky, Blue Elephant is not your typical farm. Organic in spirit if not certification, it’s in some ways a hobby farm, owned by a wealthy couple who keep a low profile — Prensky wouldn’t tell me their names — but Prensky’s ambitious vision may result in this “hobby” becoming a booming business.

This unconventional partnership represents an alternative model for high-end restaurants and small farms. Take a closer look, through this slideshow:
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Organic Recipes, Organic Food, Local Food, Small Farms, Family Farms, Edible Landscapes, Shop Local – OrganicToBe.org