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Lake Ridge Aero Park Airport (8NC8) in Durham, North Carolina, has a storied past, having first been developed in 1945. At that time, the private-use airport, then called Pharris Field, was host to a World War II surplus aircraft sales operation. While several parties have managed Lake Ridge Aero Park in the nearly 80 years since, its current chapter is being written by two twenty-something year old brothers.

Paul (II) is the eldest of the two Rovegno brothers, senior to his younger brother Daniel by a year and a half. Prior to the pair’s acquisition of the airfield in late 2020, Paul was the only of the two to have made his living in the aviation industry. Both had grown up enamored with airplanes, though, and Paul began flying as a teenager.

“Anybody that buys a grass runway really has to love aviation or mowing grass. And I promise that ours isn’t the mowing grass part, as much as we do enjoy it, as it’s very therapeutic,” Paul joked.

“I got my license in a Cessna 152 and I’ve flown very little in nosewheel aircraft since. A lot of my aviation has been tailwheel aircraft, grassroots type of flying. I’ve watched five airports within an hour reach of me be turned into distribution centers and apartment complexes. When I got with my brother and we were thinking this one out, we saw that the good part about Lake Ridge is that it had a little bit of income. This would allow us to protect it, because a lot of grass runways don’t have the income. The advantage here is that the airport has grown over the last 80 years and with a little bit of love, we could bring the heartbeat back to the airport and make it a mini-mecca for us and all of our friends in aviation.”

Daniel shares the exasperation of seeing once good airports turned over to become commercial and residential developments.

“My first airplane ride was in a Cub and Paul’s old boss let me fly to a strip that was called Kimery Field. We landed there on grass, when I was 15 or so, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Our dad lived near that strip, and we would drive by it every day when we were there. One year we came back, and it was gone, it was a distribution center. Mainly because of the combination of the location and the amount of land that these old airports have, they’re just bound to go extinct.”

How the brothers came together to ensure Lake Ridge’s future was the result of airport small talk. Paul was purchasing an aircraft at the airport when he ran into the owner. After some conversation, he recalled saying, jokingly, “When will you let some young bucks take over the airport?”

After some time, and several more visits to 8NC8, Paul’s initial jest about the airport’s future became more serious. Impressed by Paul’s passion for aviation, Lake Ridge’s former owner identified them as two potential new caretakers for the airport he had owned for 25 years.

“To be clear, it’s not like it was advertised as being for sale to anyone. Randy lives at the very end of the runway, and to this day still does. He has a beautiful collection of airplanes and is as passionate about aviation as anyone can be. His biggest thing is that he didn’t want to sell the land to some developer who would make apartments, or whatever. My biggest thing that I’ve seen in my young aviation career is that I’ve seen these grass runways go away left and right. And Lake Ridge is a special one that had too much of a legacy for me to want to see it go away,” Paul said.

The two assumed ownership of the airport on December 4, 2020, which was Daniel’s 25th birthday.

“During the nine-month process of buying the airport (the brothers explained it was delayed a bit because of the Covid-19 pandemic), Randy was interviewing us. It was not a done deal at any time before closing on it. When I told him that I wanted to buy the airport, he wasn’t selling it to anybody. So, it was truly an honor when we got to the end of this thing, after me and my brother both worked through this thing and had sleepless nights, and Randy said, ‘I’ll sell it to you guys.’ It was a very neat experience,” Paul recalled.

With the trust of their now mentor and friend, the Rovegno brothers are poised well to keep the airport in high regard and bring it to the attention of more aviators in North Carolina and beyond. Paul began by noting several immediate improvements that they added to the airport the two reported was in great shape already.

“I’ll name a couple of improvements that we’ve done since then. When we bought the airport—and this is no discredit to Randy because it was like a country club and was kept up beautifully—there wasn’t Wi-Fi,” he stated.

“As crazy it sounds, Wi-Fi controls so much of our business. At the time, there were no cameras, security systems, or internet access in the FBO for people if they needed to update ForeFlight, or whatever else. Aside from that, I would say that the biggest improvement was that we added a self-serve QTPod electronic fuel system, which requires Wi-Fi as well. We had fuel, but you had to use a key to turn it on, and it was super, super old school. It was a foolproof system but an inefficient operation at times and the new system is a lot more convenient—both for pilots and us as a business. This helped us free up our time to be able to address other things at the airport.”

Daniel picked up where his brother left off, highlighting a key byproduct of the time savings. “The next biggest thing that we’ve introduced are our fly-in events, twice a year, in the fall and the spring. These are our way as a private airstrip to be very welcoming and encouraging of people wanting to land on grass. We have the advantage of being a very large grass airstrip at 3,200 feet long and 100 feet wide (at an estimated elevation of 309 feet). There are not very many grass airstrips like that, especially where we’re at,” he said.

“Being able to advertise, host, and encourage Lake Ridge in this capacity has allowed us to meet tons of new pilots, and we’ve had visitors from as far away as Alaska! Those two weekends each year are super rewarding for us and probably our biggest impact on aviation and our airport.”

More information on the airport’s history, as well as t-shirts—profits from which benefit operations—can be found on its website.

Grant Boyd is a private pilot with eight years of experience in aviation business, including marketing, writing, customer service, and sales. Boyd holds a Bachelor's and a Master's of Business Administration degree, both from Wichita State University, and a Doctor of Education degree from Oklahoma State University. He was chosen as a NBAA Business Aviation "Top 40 Under 40" award recipient in 2020.

Old-timey charm meets break-neck speeds at Canobie Lake Park.

By Matt Kirouac

Canobie Lake Park

Long before contemporary roller coasters were hurling guests through the air at face-peeling speed, American theme parks were places of pastoral leisure and simple pleasures, involving things like picnics and penny arcades. One such place, Canobie Lake Park, is a folksy destination in southern New Hampshire that bridges the gap between the old and the new; the old-timey purity and the adrenaline-pumping terror of a roller coaster with a 97-degree plummet.

The oldest theme park in the Granite State–and one of the oldest in the country–Canobie Lake Park first emerged in 1902 as a charming trolley park, offering a lakeside retreat for families in and around the Massachusetts-adjacent town of Salem. And while technology has amped up the thrill factor over the ensuing century, it’s a park that retains a classic quaintness and Americana kitsch that feels like New England’s very own Dollywood. But instead of Dolly Parton and Civil War-themed dinner shows, here you'll find acrobatic rescue dogs and fried dough BLTs. Here's what to know about visiting Canobie Lake Park.

Trolley park roots

It was a simpler time for theme parks back in the day. Long before the Star Wars cosplay and the 13-story Wonder Woman roller coasters, trolley parks were mainly gardens and leisurely recreation areas for families to frequent along streetcar lines in the late 1800s. The OG of theme parks, they were less about adrenaline and 4-D immersion and more about picnicking in a park and watching fireworks—maybe floating in a canoe if you were feeling crazy. Canobie Lake Park was such a place, opened in 1902 by The Hudson, Pelham & Salem Railways as a way to encourage people to use their streetcars and give them a destination to frequent for wholesome family fun.

Indeed, Canobie Lake Park’s botanical garden vibe attracted quite the refined crowd. Folks came clad in their finest garb, donning gowns and suits to hit the penny arcade and ride the Circle Swing. The whole vibe looked like a Georges Seurat painting, complete with waterfront green space, cottage-like buildings, and forested pathways. Pre-roller coaster, this was a place primarily used for picnics, gaming, and casual sporting events—until the onset of the automobile brought things to a screeching halt and changed the face of trolley parks forever.

A thrilling new era

After Canobie Lake Park’s heyday as a trolley car mainstay, times were a-changing in the 1920s. The rise of the automobile meant the downfall of the streetcar—and thus, the demise of the trolley park. As streetcar lines dwindled, so too did attendance at Canobie Lake Park, culminating in its closure in 1929. Fortunately, the downfall was brief, and it emerged anew a few years later with thrilling new features—including, as a new necessity, a parking lot—to bolster interest and attendance.

Canobie 2.0 reopened in 1932, with a few new tricks in the works—namely, a dazzling new wooden ride called the Greyhound Roller Coaster, which was shipped from Connecticut and re-assembled on site. Still in operation today and now known as the Yankee Cannonball, the rickety attraction was a game-changer for the park that opened the doors for a slew of new activities, rides, and events.

It’s motif, too, took on a bucolic fairy land aesthetic, as meandering pathways through the trees filled in with dance halls, performance stages, carnival-style games, concessionaires, and wood-clad buildings capped with spires and flags. The antique carousel, constructed in 1903 and filled with gilded horses swiveling to orchestral organ music, became quite the show-stopping centerpiece.

Then came the stars. Although Canobie Lake Park has yet to be graced by Dolly Parton’s presence, its Dancehall Theater became quite the star-studded attraction by the 1950s, going on to host A-list performances from the likes of Duke Ellington, Jimmy Dorsey, Aerosmith, and Sonny & Cher. At one beautiful point in time, you could see Cher singing in the New Hampshire woods, dreaming of a future that only Dippin’ Dots could deliver.

But not even Cher could protect Canobie from America’s frivolous relationship to theme parks. By the late ‘50s, roller coasters were disappearing at a rapid clip across the country, and the park could no longer rely on the Yankee Cannonball to do the heavy-lifting as the marquis attraction. With new ownership in 1958 came a new mission to dig deep and pave the way for a more durable future. Literally, this meant paving pathways through the woods, and adding a bevy of new eateries, arcades, games, and rides.

Canobie Lake Park today

Nowadays, while you likely won’t see Cher performing any time soon, you can watch rescue dogs leap through the air to catch frisbees. Or pose for photos with Dapper the Dog, basically the Mickey Mouse of Canobie Lake Park. A far cry from its trolley park days of yore, the parking lot is routinely at capacity, filled with folks from all over New England looking for a taste of old-timey fun.

Through all its ebbs and flows, the park maintains a rustic, folksy ambience that feels utterly preserved in time—and in a world filled with over-the-top Harry Potter rides and theme parks more expensive than your mortgage, it’s a breath of fresh air. That’s not to say Canobie hasn’t advanced and innovated, though. The tree-lined pathways, shimmering lake views, vintage-looking go-carts, refurbished carousel, and faux casinos all preserve the Americana atmosphere, while new attractions, rides, and snacks (the fried dough BLT is the audacious comfort food of your dreams) continue to catapult the park into a new era of enduring nostalgia for future generations.

The Yankee Cannonball is still going strong, jettisoning visitors out on a wooden romp by the parking lot, while other thrills include the super-soaked Boston Tea Party boat ride, the fast-spinning Turkish Twist that’ll make you feel like laundry in a washing machine, and the hilariously spooky Mine of Lost Souls, which feels like a frontier-themed precursor to Disney’s Haunted Mansion. The newest novelty is the park’s most intense attraction to date, a vaguely lumberjack-themed coaster called, unnervingly, Untamed. Guests board grizzly bear cars and buckle up for a series of speedy loops and zero-gravity rolls, including a 72-foot drop that goes beyond vertical.

With more than 80 attractions at this point, Canobie Lake Park is still as family-friendly as ever, with plenty of rides and games for kids of all ages, like the Kiddie Canoes and Pony Carts. There’s also a water park, Castaway Island, and the autumnal Screeemfest with haunted houses, creepy shows, and free-roaming monsters lurking in the dark.

A lot has changed and grown at Canobie Lake Park, one of the oldest and most enduring theme parks in the nation. Sure, the roller coasters aren’t all wooden anymore, the arcade games cost more than a penny, and ballgowns are no longer the typical attire, but it’s still a pastoral paradise for familial fun in the New Hampshire woods.

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A transplant to Oklahoma City, Matt Kirouac is a travel writer with a passion for LGBTQIA+ stories, national parks, Disney World, and road trips. Follow him on Instagram.

Did you get a drone for Christmas? Are you taking up a new hobby in 2023?

Here’s what you should know about flying a drone in the Poconos.

Register your drone

"All drones, both recreational- and commercial-use weighing between 0.55 lbs and 55 lbs, must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration,” the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says.

Go to faa.gov/uas/getting_started/register_drone for details. The fee is $5 and registration is good for three years.

Additionally, recreational pilots must take The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof that they passed.

Fly safely

Rules for recreational and commercial users vary in some respects, but all pilots should keep their drones within eyesight and no higher than 400 feet. Don’t interfered with manned aircraft or with emergency response activities.

Check with PennDOT (bit.ly/3YeLqHb) and the FAA (faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers) for more.

Check before you fly

The FAA recommends you use B4UFLY, an app made with the help of Aloft, a drone technology company. The free service is also available in a desktop version at b4ufly.aloft.ai.

Here are some highlights of where you can — and can’t — fly drones in the Poconos.

The Delaware River

Taking a zoomed out view of northeastern Pennsylvania, you’ll notice that B4UFLY shows two major red zones along the borders with New York and New Jersey. These are the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Drone flights are prohibited at both National Park Service sites unless approved by the superintendent in writing.

“The Superintendent and other NPS authorities have decided on an interim basis that to maintain public health and safety, protection of environmental or scenic values, protection of natural or cultural resources, implementation of management responsibilities, equitable allocation and use of facilities, and to avoid conflict among visitor use activities the use of unmanned aircraft will not be allowed within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The park has several active nesting sites of threatened wildlife and the use of these unmanned aircraft would affect wildlife, view sheds and create unreasonable and unauthorized noise levels within these areas,” the recreation area says in its rules and regulations.

The Upper Delaware policy includes similar language, and mentions nesting bald eagles as being “of special concern.”

There is a small gap between these two red zones; you might consider going to Matamoras to get drone views of the river.

State parks

For the most part, you can’t fly drones at state parks in Pennsylvania. However, six parks do have designated flying sites, including Beltzville, Lackawanna and Prompton.

“Drone and (unmanned aerial systems) operators need to contact the park office of the flying site that they plan to visit to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations,” the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says. “Please be advised that the entire park at each of these locations is not open to UAS or drone usage. Only the designated flying site within each park is open to UAS use.”

Tobyhanna Army Depot

Drones are prohibited over this military installation.

“If you see something, say something - unauthorized unmanned aircraft systems have the ability to surveil, disrupt or potentially strike Army assets. It is everyone’s responsibility to report all sightings of unmanned aircraft systems,” the depot says on its Access Control page.

United States Penitentiary, Canaan

Drones flights are prohibited over prisons such as USP Canaan, which is near Waymart in Wayne County.

Lake Wallenpaupack

This 5,700-acre lake is clear for takeoff, according to B4UFLY.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Holiday travelers across the country have faced rough skies as thousands of flights have been delayed and canceled, including at the Salt Lake International Airport.

According to tracking website FlightAware, there were more than 230 delayed flights and more than 50 canceled flights in Salt Lake City Friday as of 5:50 p.m.

Winter weather and arctic temperatures in much of the country have led to problems for air travel, which have had a ripple effect at many airports including Salt Lake.

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“It’s chaos out there,” said Brandon Cocard, who arrived in Salt Lake City Friday afternoon with his wife, Taylor, after a nightmare experience journeying home from Wisconsin.

The couple said they ended up staying in the airport for about 30 hours.

“We made it on the flight and then sat there for a couple hours,” Taylor Cocard said. “Then they told us to get off the flight for mechanical issues, and then immediately we reboarded the flight, and then we got off the flight again, and it was officially canceled then about seven hours later.”

Raudel and Blanca Sanchez and their two children were heading home Friday afternoon to California after a few days in Park City. Their flight wasn’t canceled, but it was delayed by nearly an hour at the time they spoke with KUTV 2News.

“I know the country, like on the east coast, they're going through a blizzard,” said Raudel Sanchez. “So, I mean, 45 minutes is not that bad.”

On the roads, Utah Highway Patrol troopers were busy trying to help drivers get to their holiday destinations safely. Nearly 102 million Americans were expected to drive somewhere for the holidays this year, AAA reported.

“The roads have been a lot busier than normal,” said Trooper Jonathan Lopez as he drove through Davis County Friday morning.

One of the big problems he’s seen during this holiday travel rush is distracted driving.

“We’ve been pulling over a lot of people lately that are texting and driving,” he said. “We actually also had someone that was FaceTiming.”

He said troopers are also looking for speeders, people following too closely, and drunk drivers.

For those who don’t want to fly or drive, there’s also the train. Amtrak reported a number of delays nationwide due to winter weather, and the California Zephyr – which departs out of Salt Lake City and Provo – was delayed by several hours Friday, according to Amtrak’s website.

However, at last check, the train was scheduled to be on time Saturday for Christmas Eve.

It’s now or never. School’s starting soon, and you’ve been meaning to take the kids somewhere exciting, but it’s been just so darn hot this summer. Now's the time to cap off the season with a fun family adventure.

What to do? There are so many choices, but here's a short list of five places where you and the kids can find some excitement and cool off, too. The best of both worlds.

Climb into a shady tree canopy and fly like a bird across a zipline. Raft on the cool flow of a river in the Berkshires, or venture into the depths of the Earth where the air is many degrees colder. Ride the waves where there’s absolutely no chance of getting bitten by a shark and you won’t get sand in your suit, or jump into a simulated sky diving experience. Or take a swim with a mermaid along a lazy river. Whatever adventure you choose, be sure that you and the kids soak up the last of summer.

Climbing and ziplining in Berlin, Mass.

Boundless Adventures,154 River Road West, Berlin; 978-592-0017; https://boundlessadventures.net/ma-park/

High in the trees, not far from the Solomon Pond Mall at Boundless Adventures in Berlin, visitors can fly like the breeze on a zipline and climb on a high ropes course. With something for all skill levels, beginners can stay closer to the ground and the more advanced can climb high into the tree canopy. Swing, climb, balance and traverse the adventure park on its high ropes courses and zip lines. Have to work during the day? No problem. The park has two-hour “Glow in the Dark” climbs from 6-11 p.m. Tickets range from $47-$65, depending on when you visit and how long you want to climb.

Whitewater rafting on the Deerfield River

Crab Apple Whitewater Inc., 2056 Mohawk Trail, Charlemont; 1-800-553-7238; https://www.crabapplewhitewater.com/

The dog days of summer call for a cool raft or kayak trip down the Deerfield River in western Mass. with Crab Apple Whitewater, starting at its base in at Charlemont. The river’s flow is controlled by releases of water from hydroelectric dams, ensuring the flow; the schedule reflects when the water is released from behind the dams. Release days are scheduled for Thursday-Sunday in August. With three different segments of the Deerfield to paddle, there are trips with class 3-4 and class 2-3 (great for younger kids) rapids, or take an inflatable “funyak” on class 1-2 rapids in the lower section of the river. A van or bus will take you and your raft to the put-in spot. Overall, the company has more than 20 kinds of adventures you can take in Massachusetts and its other location in Maine. Rafting trips range from about $35 for youths to $105-$135 for adults; “funyak” trips are $60 per person.

Caving at Polar Caves in New Hampshire

Polar Caves, 705 Rumney Route 25, Rumney, New Hampshire; 603-536-1888; https://polarcaves.com/

Take a refreshingly cool walk down toward the center of the Earth at the Polar Caves in Rumney, New Hampshire, where you can “dive into the Earth and feel the chilly breath of the last Ice Age as you explore nine granite caves,” as it states on its website. Sounds like a great escape when it’s hot outside. There’s also an animal park that’s home to fallow deer and ducks you can feed. Visit the main lodge for T-shirts and souvenirs. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear closed-toed shoes; bring a jacket or sweater as it is cool in the caves no matter the weather outside. Picnicking is encouraged, so bring one along. Advance tickets are $24.50 adults; $15.50 for ages 4-11; $21.50 seniors 65+ and military/first responders with ID; and free for kids 3 and under. Tickets cost a couple of bucks more for walk-ins. On Aug. 20, the park celebrates 100 years with $13 admission.

Surfing and skydiving in Nashua, New Hampshire

Surf's Up and SkyVenture New Hampshire, 100 Adventure Way, Nashua, New Hampshire; 603-897-0002; https://skyventurenh.com/

It’s an endless summer at SkyVenture's Surf's Up New Hampshire, where you can ride the waves made by a 32-foot SurfStream, the world’s largest standing wave machine. It generates 10 different kinds of waves, so all skill levels ages 5 and older can ride on surfboards on an endless wave. From boogie board-sized to left and right barrel rolls, there’s a variety of water walls to learn and have fun. Forgot your suit? They sell or rent suits, towels and rash guards. You don’t even need your own surfboard — they provide boards and protective knee and elbow pads. It's indoors, but they offer a beach vibe with real palm trees, smoothies and fancy alcoholic and nonalcoholic umbrella drinks. Even if you don’t want to surf, you can just hang out and watch the action in the café where shirts and shoes aren’t required. Don’t want to get wet? Try indoor skydiving at SkyVenture New Hampshire, where you float above a trampoline floor on a wave of air. It costs $45 for 15 minutes on the SurfStream. It’s $55 for a 2-minute indoor skydiving flight. Combo packages are available for $90.

Swim with a mermaid at Canobie Lake, Salem, New Hampshire

Canobie Lake Park, 85 North Policy St., Salem, New Hampshire; 603-893-3506; https://www.canobie.com/

You’ll laugh — or maybe you’ll cry — you’ll get soaking wet, and then you’ll want to do it all again. The Boston Tea Party ride at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire, is worth waiting in line for. A 20-passenger boat travels uphill and then down through a trough that creates a wall of water that is just amazing to see. And it will cool you off and crack you up at the same time. I literally cannot stop laughing every time I go on it. Be sure to wear your suit as Canobie Lake has a whole Castaway Island water park with a tidal river and there’s an area for young kids, too. And on Fridays and Saturdays, a few tickets are available to swim with a live mermaid! And the rest of Canobie Lake Park is charming, with nostalgic rides for little kids, the Yankee Cannonball wooden roller-coaster and a carousel. It has thrill rides, too, like the “Untamed” coaster with loops and a 97-degree drop. Online tickets cost $32-$55 for under 60 and 48 inches or taller; $32-$35 for under 48 inches tall and seniors 60+; children 3 and under are admitted free. Check the website for prices for nights and special days.

Nancy Olesin is a Daily News staff writer and editor. Email nol[email protected] or follow her on Twitter @WickedLocalArts.