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New Brunswick Week—Ending on a Good Note in Fredericton

After hearing about the Beaverbrook Art Gallery for years, it was great to finally tour the collection. Even with many of the more noteworthy works by the likes of Turner, Dali and Lucian Freud on the road in Calgary, the art museum still impresses. See the portrait of Lord Beaverbrook by Graham Sutherland, a work the wealthy press baron thought resembled a “mischievous gnome.” Nearby is Sutherland’s portrait of Beaverbrook’s good friend Winston Churchill and several paintings by Churchill himself. The highlight this summer is an exhibition by Canadian abstract landscape painter Eric Atkinson. Atkinson uses mixed media, including sand and glue, to create textural pieces like “Love You, Walk On The Beach” where the words “love you” are inscribed in the sand. Another one of his recent works, the vibrant blue “Harmony of Clouds over Huronia” showcases his newfound love of color. 
 
I had lunch at Lunar Rogue Pub, a local favorite, where the owner is one of the preeminent collectors of Scotch in the world. His latest count is 509 different types of whiskey. Thanks to his vast knowledge on the subject, Fredericton has become home to one of the foremost whiskey festivals in North America, the NB Spirits Festival which takes place in November. Along with the Brewer’s Bash in mid-July, the Highland Games in late July, and the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in September, Frederick has garnered a reputation as the Festival Capital of the Atlantic Maritimes. I caught up with David Seabrook, one of the founders of the Harvest Festival, over a tasty Picaroons Yippee IPA at the new locale of the King Street Ale House. He told me that the line-up for the 24th annual festival is one of the best yet, with the Blues Travelers, Robert Randolph, moe, Dr. John, and Buckwheat Zydeco among the 150 performers on hand for the 6-day event. 
 
Of course, I planned my trip around the Fredericton Farmers Market, recently voted one of the "Top 10 Farmers Markets in the Country" by Canadian Geographic. The Market is open every Saturday from 6am to 1pm with over 200 vendors selling produce, home baked goods, meat, maple syrup, flowers, handcrafts, jewellery and much more. I grabbed a cup of coffee and made a beeline straight to the guy selling lobster rolls. The only way to end a trip to New Brunswick! Thanks to Tourism New Brunswick for designing another memorable trip to the province!
 

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Meeting the Buddha of Bourbon at Wild Turkey Distillery

We toured 5 distilleries during our time in Kentucky Bourbon Country. We really enjoyed our visit to Bardstown Bourbon Company, the tasting at Heaven Hill (where we purchased coveted Old Fitzgerald 14-year-old bottles to bring home) and doing the hard hat tour at the 1930s industrial complex still in use at Buffalo Trace. Yet, it was hard to top our visit to Wild Turkey in the serene bluegrass country outside Lawrenceburg. One look at those rickhouses blackened on the outside from evaporation and you can sense the history. In fact, a distillery has been operating at this same site since 1869. We had a wonderful guide, Edwina, who showed us the whole process of making bourbon, from seeing the mash bills and fermentation tanks to walking inside one of those old rickhouses and eyeing all those barrels stacked to the ceiling. Wild Turkey currently has 7 to 8 million barrels aging, forming the largest distillery on one site in Kentucky. Outside, the rolling hills led to a bridge over the Kentucky River and the countryside was aflame in late fall foliage. 

Then we were back at the newly revamped Visitors Center tasting the wares and meeting the Buddha of Bourbon, 84-year-old Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, who’s been working at Wild Turkey the past 64 years. "When I started here, bourbon was a southern gentlemen’s drink. Now just as many women are buying a bottle as men," says Jimmy. He also notes that Wild Turkey is the top selling bourbon in Japan and Australia, helping to create the current surge in popularity. We talked for another 15 minutes before getting Jimmy to sign a bottle of Russell’s Reserve 10 year. Definitely a highlight of our trip. If you want to try and catch Jimmy, head to the Visitors Center on Sunday afternoons after he and his wife go to church. He just might be sitting at that table at the entrance. 
 
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Micato Elite Running Safari in Kenya

Named the World’s Best Safari Outfitter by readers of Travel & Leisure, Micato always seems to come up with something original each year. In 2012, the Kenyan-based owners are teaming with some of the country’s best-known athletes to create an elite running vacation. Your host is Kip Keino, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, who will introduce you to his Olympic training center and hometown of Kapsabet. Expect to run with some of the finest runners in the country today, including the former world record holder for the New York Marathon, Paul Tergat. This being Micato, you can be assured that you’ll be resting your weary body at some of the finest resorts in Africa, no doubt surrounded by the wildlife of the Great Rift Valley. 

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Happy Father’s Day from ActiveTravels

I often joke with my kids that they grew up in the pages of The Boston Globe (the photos on the left are Melanie from a story on mid-coast Maine and Jake from a story on Costa Rica). Lately, I’ve been writing about our family trips for Virtuoso Traveler, like the stellar time we had in Switzerland with Backroads last summer. This is what I live for, creating Dream Day experiences with my family. And it’s probably the number one reason we started ActiveTravels, to hopefully form lasting memories for other families. Thankfully, you don’t have to always travel the world to savor a moment with your children. On Monday, we threw the bikes on the back of the car and drove to Arlington, Massachusetts, to bike along the Minuteman Bike Trail to Davis Square and the latest trail extension into Somerville. It was a leisurely spin, stopping for cold brews, and watching a family of newborn swans, and it was glorious. On Father’s Day, we’re heading to Chinatown for dim sum and then strolling to SoWa Open Market to listen to music, see the art, and grab a beer. Have a Fantastic Father’s Day and get out there with the kids to create an unforgettable experience! 

I want to thank Amy for her wonderful job showing us around the Big Island of Hawaii and the Muskoka Lakes region of Ontario. I’ll be back next with blogs on my recent trip to Medellin and Cartagena. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Say No Mas to Cancun

n 1974, a team of Mexican government computer analysts picked a long sliver of land on the Atlantic shoreline as the country’s next Acapulco. The powdery white sands and turquoise waters, separated from the mainland by a lagoon were ripe for development.  Sheraton, Hilton, and Marriott swiftly built their hotels, soon joined by upscale Ritz-Carlton and the flashy Le Meridien, and Americans took the bait wholeheartedly. Today, Cancun is the number one tourist destination in Mexico. Sadly, however, the Mexicans catered far too much to their northern neighbors. With a Hard Rock Café, Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Café, Outback Steak House, and a McDonald’s or shopping mall on every other block, the 14-mile-long Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone) looks much more like Miami Beach than any Mexican village. In fact, the Cancun version of the Miami Herald arrives at your hotel doorstep each morning. Roads are often flooded and prices for dinner are exorbitant in a country known for its affordability. 

 
But what really upsets me about Cancun is that a mere hour’s drive is the authentic Yucatan. The mega-resort sprawl on the coast leads to Playa del Carmen, once a sleepy outpost favored by European backpackers and scuba divers. You’ll have to hit the ruins and village of Akumal before you can snag a bungalow on the beach that feels genuine. If you really want to savor a slice of the Yucatan rich with history and culture, head inland to Merida. Here, you’ll find the oldest cathedrals on the North American continent, even a mangrove swamp that is home to a colony of pink flamingoes. South of Merida is some of Mexico’s finest Mayan ruins on the Puuc Route. The rounded pyramid at your first stop, Uxmal, stands majestically on high ground. Kabah is known for its almost maniacal façade of 250 Chaac sculptures that line one wall. Walk past the wild turkeys and brilliant red birds in the forest of Sayil to reach its grand palace. Whatever you do, don’t waste your time in that Disneyesque version of Mexico, Cancun.
 
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Caribbean Getaways, Munich Hotels, and Away Luggage Featured in Our September Newsletter

This is the time of year when ActiveTravels is busy booking warm weather destinations for clients who want to escape the cold this coming winter. So it’s no surprise that we focus on the Caribbean as our main feature in the September newsletter. Oktoberfest has also arrived, a good time to discuss favorite Munich hotels. We also describe Lisa’s latest luggage, Away, where you can charge your phone directly to the carry-on. She’ll put it to good use as we leave for Italy today. We’ll be checking out Florence, the Amalfi Coast, and ending in Rome. The highlight is biking with good friends on a 6-day bike ride in Puglia with DuVine Cycling. We’ll be even more well-versed in all things Italy upon our return, so we can better help you on your forthcoming trips there. Amy is also out of the office as she is taking an exciting cruise circumnavigating Newfoundland with Adventure Canada. We’ll all be back on October 17th. Until then, enjoy Autumn and keep active! 

 
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Millennials are Driving the Comeback of Travel Agents

When my wife and I launched our travel agency, ActiveTravels, close family and friends scoffed at the idea—as if I just announced that I was becoming a blacksmith. After all, wasn’t it President Obama who suggested in a town hall meeting that travel agents were becoming obsolete? How could they possibly prosper against big-pocket online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia, Priceline, Travelocity, and Orbitz? There was just no need for them anymore, or was there? Since we opened in May 2012, without benefit of advertising dollars or a marketing department, there has been a steady stream of traffic. 

 
This past week, it was reported that in 2014, 18 percent of American travelers used traditional travel agents compared to 12 percent in 2013. That’s a big jump. And surprisingly, much of that increase is coming from the Millennial generation, not Baby Boomers. Indeed, 28 percent of Millennials used a travel agent last year. The main reason Millennials are using travel agents is that they are more adventurous travelers. They want to go to off-the-beaten track destinations and they want trusted local guides to help them feel safe and secure once they get there. This is music to my ears, especially as we continue to grow a network of reputable contacts around the globe, from Indonesia to Ethiopia to India to Argentina. All you need is the desire to travel overseas and we’ll arrange the rest with local guides around the world. If you need more reasons to persuade you to hire a travel agent, check out my story for Boston University School of Hospitality. 
 

2 Comments

  1. I’m glad you enjoyed your trip, Steve. It’s great that you finally made it to Grand Manan and Fredericton and enjoyed St. Andrews in fine fashion!
    Looking forward to seeing you at one of Fredericton’s festivals one day soon.

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