From Boston to the Berkshires to Cape Cod, Massachusetts is made up of distinct locales with undeniable charms. Likewise, the outdoor adventures available in each of the state’s group-friendly areas are wonderfully unique.
Planners seeking to get groups outdoors could facilitate everything from zip lining and skiing to sailing and getting lost (and found!) in a corn maze.
Read on for eight great ideas that cover all seasons, accommodate leisurely to active groups and promote team bonding.
Urban AdvenTours, Boston
www.urbanadventours.com
For groups who’ve met in Boston before, the bicycling programs offered by Urban AdvenTours provide a new experience for off-session exploration of the city.
“Our guests are able to see backstreets and hidden gems that are lost to others,” says Parker Musselman, the company’s manager, explaining that tours encompass almost every neighborhood in Boston, from Fenway to Copley Square. “Our expertly enjoyable tour guides give color and history to each stop on the way.”
The team at Urban AdvenTours is able to set up almost any tour and accommodate varying needs, from delivering bikes to hotels to setting up a gourmet meal in the Boston Common.
“We consider ourselves the ‘Bicycle Concierge of Boston,’” Musselman says, adding that attendees enjoy the shared experience of navigating a big city via bicycle for the first time.PageBreak
Charles River Canoe and Kayak, Cambridge
www.paddleboston.com/kendall.php
The great thing about paddling from the docks at Kendall Square is the variety of trips you can experience from the same location, says Mark Jacobson, manager at Charles River Canoe and Kayak.
“Get there early in the morning or later in the day and you can have a quiet paddle on glassy smooth water,” he says. “You can see all the hubbub on shore, but out on the water you are separated from all this and you can have a wonderful relaxing paddle.”
Guided eco history tours are also available, as are team-building options, including paddling races and poker runs, which call for teams to stop at stations for cards, and at the end the best hand wins.
For a post-paddle meal, there are great options within a five-minute walk of the dock, and right next to the dock there is a plaza and grassy field that is the perfect spot for a picnic catered by Redbones Barbecue of Somerville, Jacobson adds.
Schooner Thomas E. Lannon, North of Boston
www.schooner.org
A sail on the Schooner Thomas E. Lannon in Gloucester Harbor is a soft adventure perfectly suited for corporate groups of up to 49 people, says Kay Ellis, owner of the company.
For the corporate market, two programs are available: the two- to four-hour recreational sail, a relaxing summer outing including a lobster bake, and the all-day team-building sail, during which passengers are split into smaller groups and learn sail handling, navigation and steering.
During outings, the crew serves beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks, and mingles with the passengers, pointing out lighthouses, castles, wildlife and other sights of Gloucester Harbor.
A catered continental breakfast and lunch can be served as part of the full-day team-building experience, Ellis says. Alternatively, groups might book the Gloucester House Restaurant or one of the other 15 eateries located within walking distance of the Lannon. PageBreak
Davis Mega Maze, Central Massachusetts
www.davisfarmland.com
The Sterling, Mass.-based Davis Mega Maze is a unique option for attendees who would like to put their navigation skills to the test, says Rhonda DeLaRosa, guest relations/marketing manager at the maze.
“This ‘corn-undrum’ is the ultimate team-building exercise,” she says, explaining that groups will get a kick out of twisting and turning through eight acres of corn that come alive with music and interactive Adventure Zones. “As a team you will put your heads together to solve this mind-boggling puzzle.”
Weather permitting and with advance booking, groups of all sizes can experience what Games Magazine calls the “granddaddy of all corn mazes.”
“To make your outing as unique as your company, we can customize adventure packages to include cookout food, s’mores over a campfire and more interactive games,” DeLaRosa says.
Deerfield Valley Canopy Tours, Greater Springfield
www.deerfieldzipline.com
An outdoor adventure that will have attendees zipping across treetops is available via Charlemont, Mass.-based Deerfield Valley Canopy Tours.
There are multiple elements on the course, including 11 zip lines, two sky bridges and three “lowers.”
“The ‘lowers’ are a real test of trust,” says Nina Nunes, manager of Deerfield Valley Canopy Tours at Zoar Outdoor. “Guests are attached to a lowering rope and then asked to lean back into nothingness as the guide lowers them to the ground.”
A three-hour visit, Nunes says, creates various opportunities for groups of all kinds to enjoy each other in a different light and connect through a shared experience.
“A metamorphosis of sorts can occur, like when a quiet, timid group of beginners develops into a rejuvenated, confident and cohesive team,” Nunes says, adding that guides are there to calm any nerves. “Two guides go with each zip line group and provide an interpretive of their surroundings as well as some really bad jokes.”
Depending on the time of year, meeting space is available, but meals can be provided any time. PageBreak
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Berkshires
www.jiminypeak.com
At Hancock, Mass.-based Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, which has more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space, groups will find fun outdoor activities during both winter and summer.
“After a day of meetings, twilight skiing is a great end-of-the-day activity,” says Jessica Shandor, conference sales manager for Jiminy Peak, adding that for unskilled attendees, “beginner lessons are a great stress-reliever and relationship-builder for corporate groups.”
In the summer, groups enjoy hiking excursions, scavenger hunts and the on-site Aerial Adventure Park, a challenge course that promotes team building in small to large groups.
“The challenge is individual, but a big part of team building is cheering on your colleagues,” Shandor says. “You have to help coach people through.”
Evenings at Jiminy Peak can include s’mores over a campfire and other ways to unwind.
“Our sunset cocktail parties at the summit or around our fire pit are always popular and a truly beautiful setting,” Shandor says.
Art’s Dune Tours, Cape Cod
www.artsdunetours.com
Art’s Dune Tours in Provincetown provides excursions through the massive dunes of Cape Cod National Seashore.
A fleet of six Suburbans can accommodate about 40 people in groups of six and seven in each truck, says Robert Costa, owner of Art’s Dune Tours.
“It is a fantastic group event because of its incredible history and the gorgeous scenery of one of the nation’s most beautiful coastlines,” he says.
The popular sunset tour takes attendees winding slowly through mountains of sand as guides share factual tidbits and stories of the area. A 10-minute photo stop at a panoramic vista overlooking acres of dunes and the Atlantic Ocean is perfect for group pictures.
“The next stop is a 45-minute stay to watch the sun set over the ocean—a truly amazing scene,” Costa says, adding that during this time groups can enjoy cocktails, a clambake and a beach bonfire.
If having dinner on the beach isn’t appealing, Costa says there are restaurants in very close proximity, as well as shops and bars in the small and walkable Provincetown.
“Many groups take the dune tour for socializing,” he says. “It’s great when a team of employees really gets to know each other in an outdoor, relaxing element.”
Shearwater Excursions, Nantucket
www.explorenantucket.com
Captain Blair Perkins says Shearwater Excursions provides the opportunity to see the world’s largest mammals just feet from the boat.
“We spend an average of four unhurried hours with the whales and frequently see dolphins, sea turtles, seals and countless other species,” he says, explaining that groups travel 15 to 25 miles off the coast of Nantucket, where they are guaranteed whale sightings. “Many times we turn our engines off and float with the whales, and being naturally curious, they frequently approach the boat. At times they will dive right under the boat and surface on each side, gazing up at passengers. When a 50-foot, 50-ton mammal looks straight into your eyes, you never forget the experience.”
Also available are cruises spotlighting grey seals, which grow as long as 10 feet and can weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
“They are a very impressive sight,” Perkins says.
Freelancer Carolyn Blackburn can’t decide if she’d rather zip line or get lost in a corn maze.
