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Havana, Soon to Be a Five-Star Destination

If you’re dreaming of visiting old Havana before its transformation back to the lavish Havana of Hemingway’s day, then you better act quickly. I just received word last week that the ultra-sybaritic hotelier, Kempinski, will soon open an opulent 246-room hotel within the historic Manzana de Gómez building in the heart of Old Havana. Set to open the latter part of 2017, Gran Hotel Mazana Kempinski La Habana will be Cuba’s first modern luxury five-star hotel. Expect a rooftop terrace and swimming pool, spa managed by Resense, three restaurants, and, of course, a cigar lounge. This could be the first of many renowned hotel companies making the jump into the Cuban market. 

 

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Shackleton’s 1914 Adventure in Antarctica Recreated by A Puppet Troupe

Combine marionettes with live music composed by the Kronos Quartet and you get a smaller-than-life reenactment of Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 trans-Antarctic expedition. Called 69 Degrees South: The Shackleton Project, the play is created by the puppet theater company, Phantom Limb, and will be shown at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts on Saturday, March 13 at 8 pm. It will attempt to recreate the true story of Shackleton and his brave men trapped in an ice floe for 497 days, a remarkable story of survival that lends itself well to an intriguing night with puppets.
 

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Wife Carrying Championship This Weekend at Sunday River, Maine

Still no plans for Columbus Day Weekend? Head on over to the Sunday River Ski Resort in Bethel, Maine, tomorrow and watch the 11th Annual North American Wife Carrying Championship. Winners qualify for the World Wife Carrying Championship in Finland, held next July. Last year’s winner, Dave and Lacy Castro of Lewiston, Maine, beat out 46 other couples from as far away as California. Their time was a speedy 54.45 seconds. Whatever you do, have a great weekend and do something active!
 

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The New Cape Pogue Cottage is Perfect for Large Families on the Vineyard

My favorite resort on Martha’s Vineyard just got a little bit better. The Winnetu Oceanside Resort has just unveiled The Cape Pogue Cottage, ideal for a large family gathering or Girl’s Getaway. The 2BR/2Bath cottage sleeps seven with a wooden four-poster king canopy bed that anchors the master suite, a separate second bedroom with two twin beds, a pullout twin, and a pullout sofa. As you would expect from a lodging that’s only a short stroll from glorious South Beach, the cottage and its neutral colors gives off a coastal vibe. Expect a full kitchen, private ocean view roof deck, and hot tub. We’ve been to the Winnetu three times with our kids and I can honestly say it’s the perfect summer getaway on the New England coast or islands. Combine it with the owner’s other property, The Nantucket Hotel, and you’ll have a memorable weeklong vacation this summer. 

 
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Experts Forecast Spectacular Fall Foliage in New England

I’ve been busy this week designing itineraries for all of our clients headed to New England in the next month or two. Early reports indicate that this is going to be a banner year for fall colors. While we now comfortably send ActiveTravels members all over the world thanks to the guidance of trusted local experts, there’s no region we know better than our own backyard of New England. I’ve practically driven every backcountry road of these six states writing books for Outside Magazine, Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, articles on the top beach towns and winter towns for Yankee Magazine, and more than 300 stories for the Boston Globe. ActiveTravels was also asked to design a route for Conde Nast Traveler readers and we were chosen the agent of choice for NewEnglandTravelPlanner. If you want to visit New England, rest assured that we’ll find the best lodging, activities, restaurants, and routes that suit your budget and passion.

Off to Lime Rock Race Course in Connecticut, and visits with family in New Jersey, Philly, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania next week. Have a great Labor Day Weekend! 
 
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Travel to the Serengeti with Chef Jody Adams

You don’t typically go to Tanzania for the food. Unless you’re traveling with the James Beard-award winning chef Jody Adams, best know for her long stint at Rialto in Cambridge, Mass. Thomson Safaris, experts on safari travel to Tanzania for more than two decades, will travel with Chef Adams from October 4-16, 2018. You’ll see lions, giraffes, elephant and zebras in the wild, interact with Tanzanians in both traditional and modern contexts, all while savoring Tanzanian cuisine in luxury camps in the Serengeti. The culinary finale will be a hands-on cooking class in the lavish accommodations of Gibbs Farm, a working coffee plantation and pioneer in organic farming. 

 
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Use the Bike Shuttle When Biking Acadia’s Carriage Path Trails

We brought our good friends from California to Acadia National Park for three activity-filled days last week. I didn’t want to bring the bikes, so we decided to rent bikes in town at Acadia Bike Rentals and ride a good chunk of the Carriage Path Trails, that glorious 45-mile network John D. Rockefeller created in the first half of the 20th century. We were happy to hear about a free bike shuttle in operation from late June through Columbus Day that runs from the village green to the parking lot at Eagle Lake. We waited less than 10 minutes before being brought over to the lake and biking the circumference, up and down the hard-packed roads always with water and mountains in sight. We biked under one of the many stone bridges to see an often-overlooked gem, Bubble Pond, nestled peacefully between the gently sloping mountains. Then we headed north to bike around Witch Hole Pond and to stop and see the stone steps that form gently flowing Duck Brook. We crossed the bridge here, took a left on the bike trail, and soon caught up with West Street, which led right back to the bike store on Cottage Street. A perfect way to spend the morning. 

 

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