Getting the flavor of...

The home of America’s printed history

Many Worcester, Mass., residents have for years admired the “mansion-like” American Antiquarian Society building without ever knowing what’s inside, said Brian Goslow in Worcester Magazine. “It’s a pity,” because the red-brick edifice houses the largest collection of printed materials from America’s early years, and it welcomes visitors. Most curiosity seekers will want to catch the tour given every Wednesday at 3 p.m., but any serious researcher can request time with materials from the collection. The society holds copies of six of every 10 paper items printed in the country’s first 100 years, including the first Bible printed in British North America and a circa-1804 cartoon lampooning Thomas Jefferson’s affair with Sally Hemings. The weekly tour always stops at a few of the nonprint highlights of the collection, including a clock used by John Hancock and a small container of tea from the Boston Tea Party.

Oregon’s hidden ski haven

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Anthony Lakes Ski Area “is a bit of a drive from civilization,” but “it’s a heaven-on-earth for powder hounds,” said David Hanson in Sunset.com. Located in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, it boasts the highest base elevation of any ski resort in the Northwest and snow “so light, fluffy, and plentiful” that purists won’t mind the 45-minute drive to the nearest town, tiny Baker City. A lift ticket costs only $35, and the sole lift doesn’t even run Monday through Wednesday. But there are never lines at Anthony Lakes, and a 7-minute ride transports you to an 8,000-foot summit where there are 21 runs to choose from. Baker City isn’t Portland (five hours away) or even Boise (three hours), but the historic Geiser Grand Hotel is “ridiculously affordable,” and on Friday nights you can usually catch a horse-drawn sleigh ride before settling in near a bonfire next to the rushing Powder River.