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VBT Bicycling Vacations Debuts Self-Guided Itineraries

VBT just announced that they will debut self-guided bike vacations to five destinations in 2020. The locales include British Columbia’s Vancouver Island; the UK’s Oxford and the Cotswolds; Puglia, Italy; Porto and Lisbon, Portugal; and Barcelona and Costa Brava, Spain. All tours include a welcome orientation meeting and bike fitting; a custom VBT bike (road bike, hybrid bike or E-bike), helmet and bike bag; 24/7 support system including a local host and travel assistance hotline; a VBT Road Book with insider destination information such as restaurant recommendations and points of interest ranging from off-the-beaten-path attractions to secret beaches and spots with the best views; boutique accommodations in town centers for easy exploring and resupplying; daily breakfast; luggage transfers between hotels; GPS voice navigation and printed daily route notes; flat kit and multi-tool; and round-trip international air, if desired. Pricing is more affordable than a guided trip. For example, the BC trip costs $1695 per person for the land portion. The guided trip costs $3,095 per person. If interested in a self-guided or guided bike trip with VBT, please let ActiveTravels know and we’ll check availability. We can also help design pre- and post-trip itineraries and assist with flights. 

 

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Don’t Forget About Beaufort

Yesterday, I discussed Montage Palmetto Bluff, the upscale resort brand’s only East Coast property. A mere 45-minute drive north of the Montage on Route 170 is another gem of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the charming town of Beaufort. The state’s second oldest city, founded in 1711, is best known for its well-preserved antebellum architecture. Grab a room at the Anchorage 1770 and then wander upstairs to the rooftop, cocktail in hand, to take in the views of boats passing on the Beaufort River and the many oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. For dinner, visit The Ribaut Social Club, once the playground for Admiral Lester Beardslee’s gentlemen’s social club in the 1800s and, a century later, the spot where novelist Pat Conroy would sip his libations. In the daytime, take a walk on The Spanish Moss Trail or at Hunting Island Beach. Or take a horse and carriage ride through the historic district and marvel at the homes on The Point, a hub of Southern antebellum architecture. You’ll be happy you didn’t overlook Beaufort on your next trip to the Charleston/Savannah region. 
 
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Best Road Trips for Fall Foliage

Of America’s four seasons, fall might have the most star power. There are 24-hour toll-free hotlines to keep you informed of nature’s progress, and even webcams pointed at maples and aspens to report daily changes in leaf color. Then there are the traffic jams—fall-crazed paparazzi pouring out of cities like New York and Boston to snap forest-themed Instagrams. You don’t have to spend hours behind the wheel, though, to enjoy the season’s kaleidoscopic splendor. Avoid the crowds by sticking to one of my slower, off-the-grid routes, just posted on the Executive Travel website. Better yet, leave your ride behind and walk to a scenic vista or hidden waterfall, where autumn’s vivid colors reflect off the water. Enjoy! 

 
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Canoe the Upper Iowa River, Cresco, Iowa

Don’t worry about crowds on this forgotten run in the glacial-carved valley of northeast Iowa. The Upper Iowa can be paddled for 110 miles from Lime Springs to the Mississippi, but a good 31-mile jaunt from Kendalville to Decorah snakes through cliff-lined gorges below 200-foot-high chimney rocks. Bald eagles frequently soar over the limestone outcrops and deer, mink, raccoon and beaver call the area home. Chimney Rock rents canoes, offers trip planning, and provides a free shuttle. 
 

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Spend a Night at the New Yorker Hotel for $129

If you take a look at our December newsletter, you’ll quickly realize that we love Manhattan this time of year. Well, now we have an even better reason. Through Thursday on Groupon, the art deco New Yorker Hotel is offering a chance to spend the night in Manhattan at $129 a night. Travel dates are good through March. Across from Madison Square Garden, this is a good place to spend the night if you want to head to town to see the red hot New York Knicks. It’s also within easy walking distance to the Broadway theaters. 
 
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Costa Rica Highlights, The Exquisite Arenas del Mar

I’m just back from over two weeks in Costa Rica with the family. Even though the summer is the wet season in Costa Rica, the weather was perfect, usually raining at night to enhance our sleep. And the country is incredibly lush this time of year. This week, I want to discuss the highlights of the trip so you can put it on your checklist when planning your own jaunt.

 
First up is a property just outside the rainforest of Manuel Antonio National Park, Arenas del Mar. Built into the cliffs overlooking the Pacific, five minutes from the entrance to the national park, this boutique resort has everything you dream about in a Costa Rica vacation. It’s where the verdant foliage of the rainforest meets the beach. The spacious suites, all with balconies overlooking the expanse of ocean, are socked into the forest. So you wake up looking at white-faced monkeys and those slow-moving sloths climbing the vines and trees. Golf carts drive you up the hillside to have breakfast of fresh papaya, mango, and pineapple, with baked goods, high overlooking the neighboring islands. Then the carts bring you back to your rooms, where you can walk down to the private beach or swim in the pool. With so much rain, the high tides were incredibly dramatic when we were there. The pounding surf slammed against the rocky outcroppings, with foam spewing into the air. Add guided hikes into Manuel Antonio with the hotel’s knowledgeable naturalist, Ercel, and nearby ziplining in the mountainside with the professional staff at MidWorld and you understand why this was my family’s favorite of six stops on the trip. 
 
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Launch of Boston Harbor Mini Speedboats

If you’re looking to explore Boston Harbor and the surrounding Boston landmarks in a whole new way, a new attraction offered by Boston Harbor Mini Speedboats might fit the bill. No boating experience is necessary to enjoy the fun. Guests get to drive their own two-person F13 mini-boat through Boston Harbor and surrounding inlets, following behind a knowledgeable staff member navigating the adventure in a piloted lead boat. Points of interest include the USS Constitution, Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum, JFK Library, Nantucket Light Ship, and the Leonard Zakim Bridge. Boats depart daily from India Wharf, next to the Aquarium. The season starts on May 18th. 

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