Don’t Miss the Women Modernists Show at Norton Museum of Art

You could toss a Faberge egg from the new Four Seasons Hotel Moscow to Red Square, that’s how close the property is to the legendary landmark. Starwood Hotels just unveiled W Verbier in Switzerland and will debut W Bogota and a new St. Regis in Kuala Lumpur in the upcoming year. The ultra-modern Hilton Santa Fe Mexico City recently opened in the financial core of the city. New Langham Place properties will dot the Chinese map, from Guangzhou to Xiamen to Haining. And the late, great actor Marlon Brando’s dream of housing a sustainable property on his private French Polynesian isle of Tetiaroa will finally come to fruition this summer.
Let’s face it, the Caribbean pales in comparison to the South Pacific. James Michener was correct when he called Bora Bora the most beautiful island in the world. I would also add the Marquesas’ Fatu Hiva and its exquisitely beautiful Bay of Virgins to the list. Volcanic islands and their dramatic ridges covered with lush foliage rise dramatically from the popsicle-blue waters of the Pacific. You can skip through the papaya fields and pick the fruit. And the people, like the Fijians are the friendliest in the world, with a genuine curiosity, not staring at you as if you were a dollar sign. Dominica is one of the few islands in the Caribbean that comes even close to this ideal. Waterfalls are around every bend (and there are a lot of bends on these winding roads). It’s perfectly suited for the active lifestyle—hikers can climb to a lake that bubbles with hot volcanic water and rafters can glide down a mountainous stream in nature’s best version of a lazy river. Ripe passionfruit and guava fall from the trees, and the locals are laid back, not in your face trying to make a buck. Grab one on the 35 bungalows at Jungle Bay, built from reclaimed cedar wood and volcanic stone, and propped on stilts like treehouses in the jungle. Then get ready for a slew of naturalist-led hikes into the greenery, yoga classes, sea kayaking, signature coconut oil massages, or simply reading by the pool.
The sweltering days of summer is when my mind wanders to the lofty peaks of North America. Unless you like climbing with ice axe and crampons, this is the best time to bag a peak. This week, I’ll be discussing some of my favorite climbs in the States. First stop, mighty Mount Katahdin at Baxter State Park, Maine.
It’s hard to forget our last stop on Abercrombie and Kent’s trip to Botswana and Victoria Falls, the Sanctuary Sussi and Chuma on the banks of the Zambezi River. On the outskirts of Livingstone, Zambia, we spent the days touring Vic Falls, tracking rhinos in a nearby reserve, and paddling on the Zambezi River past hippos and crocs. If the hippo attacks the canoe, said our guide, swim as fast as you can to the shore. Yeah, thanks for that advice, buddy. Fortunately, the hippos were pretty mellow that day. If we were advising honeymooners or couples who want a romantic interlude on the Zambezi River, not too far from Vic Falls, we would recommend the Relais and Chateaux property, Royal Chundu. Stay at one of their four villas on a private island in the Zambezi. They not only will pick you up from the Livingstone Airport, but they’ll provide a guided tour of Vic Falls and all the adventure you desire on the Zambezi, including rafting, paddling, or flying high above the river and the falls. It’s ideal for a 3-day add-on to any safari in Botswana or Kruger.
The last week in September is prime foliage colors in northern Vermont. Then the color change makes its way south through the state, peaking around Columbus Day. Having written more than 100 stories and close to a dozen book chapters on the state, these are a handful of my favorite outings: mountain biking the Kingdom Trails in East Burke, roaming (or biking) the Trapp Family Lodge grounds in Stowe, hiking Camel’s Hump, stopping at the Warren Country Store for a sandwich, paddling Lowell Lake near Stratton, road biking along the shores of Lake Champlain on Button Bay Road, going for a hawk walk at the Equinox, walking around the historic town of Grafton, biking along the Ottauquechee River in Taftsville, and as I mentioned last week, dining at the Simon Pearce restaurant in Quechee.
Just in case you don’t live in Boston or read the newspaper, I want to link you to an article I wrote in last Sunday’s Boston Globe on Top 10 Coastal Adventures. Included are some of my favorite jaunts in New England like biking on the Province Lands Bike Trail in P’town, sea kayaking with the osprey and harbor seals in Sheepscot Bay, Maine, and surfcasting for stripers on the Vineyard. Try one of these activities and you won’t regret it.