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Top 5 Travels of 2010, Biking to Giverny, France
I can think of no better way to start 2011 than to look back at my year of travels in 2010 and see which experiences surpassed all expectations. Last July, I took the family to Paris. We climbed up the Eiffel Tower, viewed the monumental works of art at the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and Pompidou museums, shopped in the Marais, celebrated my brother’s birthday with a lavish spread at a friend’s home in the 16th arrondissement, and toured an overlooked museum devoted to French innovation, Musee des Arts et Metiers. The highlight for me, however, was our one day away from Paris on a bike tour to Giverny, the home of Claude Monet. Run by Fat Tire Bike Tours, we took a short train ride to the village of Vernon. As soon as we arrived, we were handed our bikes and visited an outdoor market to stock up on creamy Reblochon cheese, tasty Rosette de Lyon sausage, and hot-out-of-the-oven baguettes from the nearby boulangerie. We had our picnic lunch in a park overlooking swans swimming in the Seine, and then headed out on a bike trail that connects Vernon with Giverny. We entered the picturesque hamlet and were soon walking over that Japanese bridge seen in many of Monet’s works. The whole trip took about 8 hours and cost 65 Euros per biker, a perfect day trip for our family of four.
See You Again in 2020!
It seems like yesterday that I was writing a story for Men’s Journal on the best trips to take over the new millennium. Now it’s 20 years later! This year has been a banner year for ActiveTravels, reaching long-term goals on both sales and membership. It’s a privilege to write about my journeys all these years and to send clients to the countries and states that excite me the most. 2020 marks the 30th year of being in the travel industry and there’s no way I’d still be here without your support, especially post-2008 recession, when publications folded and half my editors found other lines of work. I’ve been blogging ever since and I’m excited to report that next year, this blog will finally be updated as we make important changes to the ActiveTravels website. Thank you for your support and please stay tuned.
Travel to Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries on the Upswing
As I write this, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is happening nearby in South Boston and I’m already starting to feel thirsty. Well, it’s good to know my thirst for alcohol can be quenched through travels. Over the past year, visits to wineries, breweries, and distilleries across North America have seen a surge in traffic. We’re not simply talking about biking through Napa and Sonoma, which has been popular for some time. In 2011, more than 450,000 people visited the Maker’s Mark and the other five distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. In fact, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association reports an annual increase of 10 to 12 percent a year. The Finger Lakes region in New York has experienced an exponential growth in tourism thanks to its award-winning Riesling. Many visitors to Denver will make a side trip to Fort Collins to try the craft beer from five local microbreweries, including the exceptional brew made by Odell and New Belgium. Just thinking about Odell’s 90 Shilling, an incredibly smooth amber ale, and I’m ready to book my next trip to Colorado.
Seventh Annual Hotel Week in Manhattan January 5-15, 2018
If you want to visit New York at a discount, then head to the city during their Seventh Annual Hotel Week in early January. Gansevoort Meatpacking, the Refinery Hotel, Library Hotel, James New York, Viceroy Central Park, and Archer New York are just a handful of top-tier properties that will cut their rates considerably during this time. For example, the Paul Hotel NYC will only be $100 a night, more than 50% off their usual rate. Hotel Week NYC™ was created by PR maven Nancy J. Friedman in 2010 to address the occupancy dip most hotels experience after the holiday season. It’s a perfect time to visit Manhattan without the crowds and see the new David Hockney show at the Met.
Have Packing List, Will Travel
I’m off to Kenya in a week to research and write four stories. Most people stress about packing for a trip, including my wife, who hates the thought of reducing all her possessions into one measly suitcase. I can often pack in less than 15 minutes, thanks to my trusty packing list that’s stored in my computer. Depending on the locale and weather, I adjust the list, but for Kenya it will include passport, printed copy of passport page in case passport is stolen, airplane information, prescription drugs like Malaria pills, Imodium (no travel writer leaves home without it), other bathroom accessories, notebooks, pens, laptop, laptop plug and surge protector, headset for Skype, plug converter (incredibly important. Kenya is on the British plug), iPod and headphones, iPod charger, Flip video camera, Canon camera and additional long lens, camera charger, suntan lotion, Carmex, mosquito repellent, file on Kenya, two good books to read, most likely downloaded on my Nook, the latest Economist (which takes about five hours to read, perfect for trans-Atlantic flights), baseball cap, two nice pair of pants for dinners, shoes, nice long-sleeve and short-sleeve collared shirts for dinner, cargo shorts with four pockets to hold my notebook and pens during the day, lightweight long sleeve safari shirts, more casual T-shirts, polar fleece jacket because it does get cold at night in the bush, socks, underwear, flip-flops, sneakers, swimsuit, money belt, $300 US cash, one credit card, business cards, and finally a gift of pencils, crayons, and stickers for school kids. They went gaga over the Obama stickers I brought on my last trip to Africa in 2008. And that’s it. I’m finished, ready to roll. Write it down once on your computer and you’ll have it for every trip in the future.
April Newsletter Now Available at ActiveTravels.com
Besides being on call when mishaps happen and earning the chance to win free hotel stays, another integral part of an ActiveTravels membership is our monthly newsletter. These stories are not the usual travel fluff you see in magazines. They’re first-hand insightful commentary curated from over 20 years of being a travel writer. Or a topical news peg like an intriguing new resort that comes across our desk. Since we started ActiveTravels, we have been churning out these monthly newsletters hoping to inspire your travels. One of our long-term goals was to categorize each of our headings, so you can have this library of information at your fingertips. We’re happy to report that it’s now available on our website. Simply type in your password and you’ll find more than 15 Quick Escapes, ideal for a weekend getaway. Or check out our main feature, “News from the Road,” which tackles one region at a time, like the Greek Isles, Kenya, French Polynesia, or the Canadian Rockies.