New Bedford, MA Outdoor Activities
Recommended Outdoor Activities by Groupon Customers
A stately colonial clubhouse overlooks Ballymeade Country Club's 18-hole course, where golfers roam across a fertile expanse of rolling Cape Code terrain. The par 72 course presents undulating fairways that give way to multitier greens where even gentle putts send balls rolling over deviously steep slopes. As golf carts ascend to grassy hillcrests, golfers can bask in views of the surrounding landscape, such as the cerulean waters of Buzzards Bay, which is most visible from the 11th green. Journeys through the horticultural haven conclude with majestic flair at the 581-yard, par 5 18th hole, where the fairway doglegs right on its path to a large green stationed behind a small pond.
After choosing your starting point for traversing the waters—be it Aquinnah, where Lobsterville Beach awaits, or Edgartown, where Spielberg filmed much of Jaws and Animaniacs —you're armed with a paddle and a veteran guide. A crash course in introductory kayaking techniques brings everyone up to speed before launch. Safe in your newly aquatic superiority, you and up to nine paddlemates smoothly coast through beautiful coastal waters and engage in educational feeding frenzies of engrossing anecdotes, local history, and wildlife. Kayaks, life jackets, and paddles are provided, and guests are advised to pack a sack lunch or giant sloppy sandwich to tide them over.
Most physical confrontations involve a level of personal risk, but at Cartland of Cape Cod, fun-loving competitors let robotic Boxerjocks do the swinging. Safely tucked away in a cage of steel, operators trigger sidesteps with the thrust of a joystick and jabs with the punch of a button. The unusual attraction is just a taste of what the epicenter of family fun has to offer, from vintage Indy-style go-karts to colorful bumper boats and water-balloon slingshots. Visitors who want to keep dry can head to the 20-hole mini-golf course, batting cages, and the area of classic coin-operated kiddie rides, and can still escape the heat with a scoop of ice cream rather than laboring to befriend an iceberg.
Along an Australian riverbank, a baby calf is being born, opening its eyes to the world for the first time. Carolyn “Chick” Dowd floats just 6 feet away and watches silently as the events unfold. At this moment, she discovers for the first time the powerful experiences kayaking can opportune, and plunges headfirst into the sport. Since this moment, Ms. Dowd has worked as an instructor in Thailand, Nova Scotia, and California, where she is also a member of San Francisco's national kayak polo team.
It wasn't just a love for kayaking that led Ms. Dowd to overcome a human's natural tendency to melt in water. When younger, she dreamed of being Julie, the cruise director from Love Boat. To that end, Island Spirit Kayak is the junction of Ms. Dowd's passions; a place that mixes fun activities with the natural surroundings of her hometown, Martha's Vineyard. Here, Ms. Dowd and her team of ACA-certified instructors can lead tours into tranquil waters or more advanced excursions toward the Aquinnah Cliffs, where sunrises paint warm colors across the exposed clay.
From beginners to experts, Ms. Dowd and her crew cater tours to everyone. Before each trip, they help people belly flop out of their comfort zones with a game of kayak ultimate frisbee, during which many feel compelled to jump out of the boat. The staff—which includes a school teacher—also has a soft spot in their hearts for children, welcoming little ones as young as 5 into kayaks.
Stretching across immaculate greenery and pristine waters that run alongside Cape Cod’s Melody Tent, Twin Brooks Golf Course’s 18-hole, par 3 layout is a treat for players of all abilities. Only one hole exceeds 200 yards in length on the par 54 course, though the design still manages to fit in plenty of obstacles, including five ponds and 36 strategically placed sand traps, each one filled to the lip with soft Cape sand and disoriented sunbathers. Players who have stepped into the tee box recently may have noticed a difference: the teeing grounds have all been leveled, reshaped, and covered with new turf. The improvement is just one of many the course has undertaken in the last several months. Others include repairing the cart paths, upgrading the landscaping with railroad ties and new plantings, and reshaping the tree line along the fairways to make the course feel more open and remove potential obstructions. Players can expect a round to take between two and three hours, and Twin Brooks offers both pull carts and gas-powered carts for an additional fee.
