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Go Play!

I just spent the morning biking in nearby Dover and Sherborn as I get ready for a bike trip next month with my college buddies in Zion National Park. My usual ride around the surrounding towns gets even more enticing in autumn, when the air is crisp and sweetened with the smell of pine and fallen leaves. I ride past horse farms, 18th century homesteads that have been transformed into stylish properties, sprawling meadows, faded red barns, old stone walls, and ponds lost in a forest of maples. It’s a quintessential New England backdrop, one that deserves to be savored slowly on two wheels. September is a gift, before the dark, chilly days of winter return. Take advantage of this time to do something active this weekend—a stroll on a beach, bike ride through the countryside or on a bike trail through the city, or simply climbing a tree to pick apples, which I plan to do tomorrow morning. I’ll be back next week with my favorite Connecticut haunts in autumn, including the hidden gem, Weir Farm, which I checked out yesterday. 
 

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Undiscovered Labrador

Cruise North Expeditions, the Inuit-owned cruise company that brings travelers to the remote Canadian outposts of Baffin Island, Hudson Bay, and the High Arctic, has just announced their first land-based safari. This summer, the company is offering 4 and 7-night packages to Canada’s newest national park, Torngat Mountains. Located at the northern tip of Labrador, this large chunk of wilderness has no amenities, no roads, and no accommodations, thus the necessity to head here with a reputable outfitter like Cruise North. You’ll hike with Inuit and Park City wardens to spot moose, caribou, and polar bear, sea kayak amidst the whales and icebergs, and spend the night at safari-style tent camps dining on traditional Inuit cuisine. Prices start at $3190 per person, including lodging, food, and all amenities.
 

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Highly Recommended Hermosa Cove Villas in Ocho Rios, Jamaica

While staying in Ocho Rios last week, we checked out a relatively new boutique hotel recommended by an old friend. Clinging to the forested hillside and coastline just outside of town, Hermosa Cove features nine villas nestled into the lush landscape. The small retreat, ideal for couples and destination weddings where you can rent the whole shebang, is owned by a couple from Iowa and managed by Duke Molton, formerly of Island Outpost Resorts and the Ian Fleming estate, Goldeneye. Expect that same sense of style at Hermosa Cove, where each villa is decorated with Jamaican sculpture and antiques, and walls are painted a colorful sky blue, peach, or red. Each villa houses a full kitchen and most of the villas have private plunge pools. You can order groceries in advance and they’ll be waiting when you arrive. Several of the villas like the 1BR Calabash and the 3BR Ginger have ocean views from their second story. The grounds are exquisite with a small crescent beach, restaurant that’s already garnering rave reviews for its authentic Jamaican cuisine (open to the public), and a tower where you can go to the top and view the entire coastline. Guided kayaking and snorkeling tours past Jamaica Inn to the point are offered, and, of course, Duke can plan outings to climb the nearby Dunns River Falls, swim in the Blue Hole, tube down the White River, or simply grab a taxi to try the best jerk on the island at Scotchies. 

 
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Euro Drops to $1.07 Against the Dollar, Lowest in 12 Years

If you want to return to Europe, this is the year. Two excellent articles came out last week to help you find the cheapest airfares and the best lodging for your dollar. In Huffington Post, there’s a story on the best ways to use Google Flight. You’re going to love using the pricing map! Simply type in “Europe” as your destination and you’ll find the prices to every city on the continent for the dates you want to go. If you want to go direct, push the direct button. It’s a wonderful tool. The second story is this piece from The Washington Post on which cities have seen a major reduction in hotel pricing thanks to the currency exchange. Find a city in Europe, any city, and ActiveTravels will help find the best lodging based on location, and design a memorable route with must-see sights, restaurants, and scenic backcountry roads. We’re here to help! 

 
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Time to Go Apple Picking

There’s no better fall activity in New England than hitting an orchard, trying the variety of apples, buying homemade cider, and tasting the warm, just made doughnuts. We have photographs of the kids picking apples every year, and like the trees, they seem to sprout up far too quickly. My son has a short break from college and is coming home tonight, so I’m hoping to get to the orchards on Sunday. I’m a fan of cortlands and macs, which are probably gone by now, but I don’t care. It will be great to get out there and climb those trees, even when I’m not supposed to be climbing those trees! Have a great Columbus Day Weekend and keep active! 

 
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Cruise the Great Lakes the Summer of 2012

Anyone who’s walked the steep sands of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the largest sand dunes west of the Sahara Desert, sea kayaked and camped on the secluded white sand beaches of the Apostle Islands, and hiked the trails of one of the least visited national parks in America, Isle Royale, can tell you firsthand the beauty of the Great Lakes. The problem has always been inaccessibility, especially to the northern fringes of these vast waters. Not anymore. Great Lakes Cruising has just announced that their spanking new 138-passenger vessel, the MV Yorktown, will sail Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and Lake Michigan, along with sister ships Grande Mariner and Niagara Prince the summer of 2012. The eight to eleven-day itineraries include stops at Mackinac Island, Charlevoix, Sturgeon Bay, and Apostle Island. This comes on the heels of the opening of the new $21.5 million cruise pier in Detroit that opened last June, already expanding from 2 to 13 cruise ships in 2012.

 

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St. Lucia, NYC Hotels, and Anna Maria Island in our December Newsletter

With the Holidays soon upon us, December is the perfect time of year to give yourself a gift and create a wish list of destinations for the next 1 to 3 years. Take it from a travel writer who’s spent the past 25 years flying around the world. I still haven’t been to China, Russia, Denmark, Malaysia, or Uganda. It’s simply impossible to see the entire world, so please don’t make the mistake of leaving all your travels to that day you retire. Try to knock one or two dream destinations off each year. 

You can add Saint Lucia to the list of countries I finally made it to, having just returned. I write about my experience in this month’s “On the Road” feature story. If you’re looking for a warm weather destination a little closer to home, consider Anna Maria Island and the Bradenton section of Florida, easily accessible with direct flights to Sarasota. Lisa and I love visiting New York this festive time of year. In fact, we head to the city later this month to see my family and the hit Broadway smash, “Hamilton.” So we thought it would be a good time to discuss some of our clients’ favorite lodgings in New York. We’d also like to introduce you to an outfitter we like using for the increasingly popular destination of Colombia, and compare the amount of legroom available in airlines. When you travel with ActiveTravels, we want to make sure you do it in comfort! 
 

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