The cheering will likely be heard all the way down the river this summer -- whichever river they choose.

Northern Outdoors, an outdoor adventure resort in The Forks, has been honored as an "Editors' Choice" by Yankee Magazine.

Yankee Magazine's "Travel Guide to New England" is on sale through August.

Compiled from the experiences of Yankee Magazine editors and writers,
the Editors' Choice highlights favorite restaurants, overnight
accommodations, and attractions from across New England, with
information and resources categorized by state and region.

"Yankee's editors and our trusted legion of travel writers select our
Editors' Choice winners," said Yankee editor Mel Allen. "From their
own experiences and tips from our readers, they research and find the
most deserving establishments in New England. Recipients range from
the rustic to the refined, but all are noteworthy and memorable
destinations."

For more than 30 years, Yankee Magazine's "Travel Guide to New England"
has been the most widely distributed and best-selling guide in the
six-state region, providing readers with a comprehensive vacation
planning tool and daily reference.

In 1976, Northern Outdoors introduced guided whitewater rafting to
Maine with the very first inflatable raft decent of the Kennebec River. Since then, Northern Outdoors has grown into a premier four-season
resort offering rafting on three rivers, snowmobiling, GPS treasure
hunts, family adventures and more.

Northern Outdoors will also be recommended on YankeeMagazine.com.

You're bored. I can tell. I can see it in your face.

You say you're missing something -- the proverbial "it" -- and you want to find a way to challenge yourself and your senses, get out and feel like you're doing something. You're in luck.

WickedOutdoorsy.com has already filled the calendar.

It's 7 events designed to, in their words, "test the strength, stamina, and sanity of even the burliest New Englanders." From surfing icy Maine coastal waters to watching a Formula 1 race in Montreal, this list has it all. And, if you're going to do the loop, you're bringing me along. Remember, after all, you read about it here first, right?

“Spring fever is nasty this year,” said Drew Simmons, editor-in-chief of WickedOutdoorsy.com. “It doesn’t need to be warm, just get me out of the house.”

The criteria for the listing was simple -- it measured the ratio of discomfort versus reward and the likelihood that your wife/girlfriend wouldn't go even if you promised her a luxurious spa trip on the way home.

Without any further ado, here's the calendar. You've been warned...

* Surf Maine: The Kennebunk-based Aquaholics Surf Shop offers surf lessons starting April 1 with all the necessary equipment provided. Before you say, “that’s not manly, that’s just crazy,” you should know your instructor will be a woman.

* Ski Tuckerman’s Ravine: The quintessential backcountry skiing and riding spot heats up when warmer temps arrive in New Hampshire. With a variety of seriously steep terrain, the adventure begins with a 3-mile hike from Pinkham Notch, followed by a ton of hiking, just to reach a few minutes of glory. Definitely not for beginners.

* Raft the Dead River: As this winter’s record snow pack turns from white to whitewater, the local whitewater guides at Northern Outdoors in The Forks are expecting the Dead’s legendary rapids to be the biggest in the resort’s 32-season history.

* Blast Vermont turkeys: Home to New England’s most robust turkey population, Vermont will declare open season on these wild birds from May 1-31.

* Hang with 'Larry the Cable Guy': Sitting through Larry’s 2-hour comedy set at the Cumberland County Civic Center will require bravery, strength, and endurance.

* Catch stripers on the fly: Hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Rod & Gun Club, the annual Fly Rod Striped Bass Catch & Release Tournament is never canceled, forcing eager anglers to fish through rain, wind and bad early season baseball.

* Formula 1 racing in Montreal: F1 fans from all over the world will bring their mullets to Montreal on June 8 to see some of the world’s most talented drivers race for the checkered flag. Oh, and Cuban cigars are legal in Canada.

Fact: Eastern Mountain Sports is a chain store selling outdoors gear.

Fact: Dennis Morang and his staff in Augusta aren't a bunch of clock-punching paycheck hounds.

They climb mountains in the dead of winter. Snowshoe and kayak, hike and fish, bike and run. And, best of all, they're all devoted community members. It's what makes it so easy to see the local EMS branch as a whole lot more than a place to get a new backpack.

This weekend, people across central Maine will have the chance to see firsthand just how committed these guys are to making the entire outdoors experience here at home even better. Club Day is the store's way to drum up donations and volunteer time for groups like the Pine Tree State Arboretum and the Kennebec Messalonskee Trails. Without money and help, the organizations don't exist.

Morang wants us to join his staff and get out and do something for the outdoors here at home.

"It's for the general public and telling them, 'Hey, get out there,' " Morang said. "This is the playground up here -- we have the woods, the lakes, the trails, all the things we love to do. There's lots of good stuff in the works here, and this Club Day just kicks it all off."

Read the complete story in today's Kennebec Journal.

--TB

Image courtesy of Cabela's

I get a lot of this stuff as it floats across my desk. It's the usual, too — press releases, photo opportunities, calendar listings. To be completely honest, most of it looks the same.

But my eyes jumped about 4 inches wide when I saw the press packet from Cabela's, the outdoors outfitter that's opening its newest store on May 15 in Scarborough. I'm wondering if the folks down at the Sidney, Neb., headquarters have ever seen Maine.

Or read about it.

"Millions of people could visit the Scarborough store annually," the advance release reads, "making (Cabela's) one of the top tourist attractions in the state."

Yep, look out Baxter State Park. Mount Katahdin? You've got nothing on a store with a stuffed bighorn sheep in the middle.

Acadia National Park isn't safe, either. Coastal tent sites? Pluh-eeze. Not when you can shop 'til you drop, babe.

Lobster shacks, the village of Freeport, white-water rafting in The Forks. You've got nothing on a superstore. Absolutely no game at all.

Cabela's will certainly inject life into the local economy, and it may in short order rival L.L. Bean in terms of interest from outdoor enthusiasts in need of gear. But suggesting that it will blossom into one of the top tourist attractions in Maine is ludicrous. After all, this isn't Illinois, Idaho or Nevada.

We've got plenty of outdoor pursuits -- real ones -- to keep us occupied.

TB