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Ciclismo Classico Bike Tour to Sardinia Led by Chef Jody Adams

Ciclismo Classico, the Italian biking specialist, has just announced that James Beard Award-winning chef, Jody Adams, will host a tour to Sardinia this fall. Adams, owner of the popular Rialto and Trade restaurants in Boston, will be heading to an Italian island known for its innovative cuisine. “Chef Adams will delight guests palates with handmade pastas, Seada cake, Montiferru, local cheeses, cured meats and regional wines,” says Ciclismo Classico founder Lauren Hefferon.
 
The tour begins in Tresnuraghes and then cross the very center of the island through areas still untouched by tourism. From here, riders will discover the stunning coast in Cabras with its lagoons and flamingos, and explore the long sandy beaches of the Sinis peninsula. Visits to old mining towns, the ancient Phoenician and Roman cities of Tharros and Nora, and the winding coastal road to Pula highlight the weeklong trip. The itinerary includes several informal cooking demonstrations with Chef Adams where guests can participate in the action and learn a few tips from the master chef. A cheese-making demonstration with local shepherds, and a special dinner prepared by Adams at Villa Asfodeli are also included in this culinary adventure. Dates are September 30-October 6, 2014, and cost is $5395 per person, all-inclusive. 
 

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A Quick Visit to Colombia’s Caribbean Coast: Cartagena and Barranquilla

My son Jake has been in Colombia since early June, initially traveling all over, before heading to Barranquilla. Wanting to visit before his teaching contract ends in mid-November, my husband Josh and I are just back from a quick trip. While we loved our historic, formerly grand Barranquilla hotel (El Prado), seeing the school where Jake teaches, and meeting his friends there, I’m going to focus this post on Cartagena, which I know is of more interest to ActiveTravels members. Under Jake’s guidance, we took a bus from Barranquilla to Cartagena’s Old City, separated from the modern skyscraper city by a few miles. The bus ride itself was an experience, seeing lots of small villages along the way. 

 
In Cartagena we wandered for several hours through the outdoor plazas, Plaza de Bolívar and Plaza Santo Domingo, where you’ll find artwork by the great Colombian artist, Botero. We also visited the Museo de Arte Moderno and the Palacio de la Inquisición. We watched the sunset atop the walls of the Old City. A World Heritage Site founded in 1533, the colonial buildings are well protected by what are said to be the most complete set of fortifications in South America—las murallas, thick walls built to protect it against enemies. 
 
ActiveTravels would be happy to help you “wander” too, to Colombia, including a few days in Cartagena, and perhaps the nearby Rosario Islands. Also for your consideration, Jake loved Medellin (“vibrant, safe, and booming, blessed with year round spring weather and located scenically at the base of an impressive valley”), the towns of Guatape (“a beautiful lakeside town about 40 minutes outside of Medellín”), Bucaramanga, and more of Colombia’s Caribbean coast (“Puerto Colombia, Santa Marta, Costeño Beach, Minco, and Palomino, each place more stunning than the last”). We work with a wonderful tour operator in Colombia who can package together lodging, transfers, activities, and all guides. Let ActiveTravels know if you are interested!
 
Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches
 
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The Hard Work of Social Media Marketing

We always ask new members of ActiveTravels how they found us. As we enter into our fifth year of business, more and more clients are saying that they came upon us in a Google search. Very few things make me happier than having complete strangers from around the globe ask us for our travel expertise. Sure, we love referrals, but there’s something terribly exciting about getting an email or call from the UK, Switzerland, New Zealand, and across the US from someone out of the blue. I mentioned this to our social media guru, Ross Lasley, owner of the acclaimed Internet Educator, and it resulted in one of his columns. I came across it recently and I was flattered. Ross understands that nobody finds you on Google by luck. It comes from years of hard work, getting your business out there through all channels of social media. I’ve been blogging regularly since 2009, probably the same I time I joined FaceBook and LinkedIn. The Twitter account came in 2011, Instagram this past year. It’s a steady stream of content, not unlike the hundreds of articles I wrote the 20 years prior. Build it and through hard work they will come. 

 
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Urban Adventures: Paddle the Charles River, Boston

Say ta-ta to the treadmill and sprint on over to the Esplanade, the beginning of a 17-mile paved greenway that lines the Charles River. Boston loves its jogging so don’t be surprised to see runners here year-round. Better yet, get on the Charles and paddle along the Harvard crew team. The Charles River Canoe and Kayak Center rents kayaks for $15 an hour off of Soldier’s Field Road in Allston. 
 
Happy Father’s Day to all you dads! I’m off to New Brunswick next week, where I’ll be blogging live from location. So please tune in! 
 
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Ko Olina Resort Week—Spa and Fitness

A good massage is like a good entrée. One taste and you know whether the dish is sublime (like the blackened ahi tuna at Roy’s Ko Olina the other night). One touch by my masseuse, Jacki, at the JW Marriott Ihilani Spa and I knew I was in experienced hands. I like deep tissue and her pressure was spot on, not too painful that I cry out in agony and not too soft that it would be soothing but useless. After traveling around Oahu yesterday to dine on dim sum in Honolulu (Tai Pan was excellent), hiking Diamond Head for those exquisite vistas of Waikiki Beach, and then dining at that ultimate surfer restaurant, Duke’s, I was happy to stay put and have someone dig into me. The Ihilani Spa also offers the traditional Hawaiian LomiLomi massage that uses kneading strokes to release and relax muscles. Afterwards, I took full advantage of the men’s locker room to take deep breaths of eucalyptus in the steam room and shower, walking out refreshed. 
 
While I was getting my deep tissue massage, my daughter, Melanie, was receiving a facial next door at Aulani’s teen spa, Painted Sky. They massaged her neck and scalp, cleansed her face, and let her take advantage of the yogurt bar on the way out. Aulani features the only Disney-owned spa, Laniwai, with close to 150 spa therapies including signature treatments that use Hawaii produce like the sweet-smelling plumeria or rich and creamy coconut milk. Before or after the treatment, you can choose to relax in the shaded private garden, where you can even order food. 
 
All the Ko Olina Resort properties feature state-of-the-art fitness rooms, including free weights and the latest cardio machines. Also expect to find special rooms for spinning class at Aulani, three tennis courts with mountain views atop the JW Marriott Ihilani Spa, morning yoga on the lawn, and a great boardwalk along the 4 lagoons that leads all the way to the Ko Olina Marina, perfect for a jog or walk.
 
 
 
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My Favorite Winter Outdoor Picks in Eastern Massachusetts

If you missed yesterday’s Boston Globe, I was interviewed by writer Brion O’Connor and asked to divulge some of my favorite locals jaunts in winter. Strolling Broadmoor, World’s End, Arnold Arboretum, Walden Pond, and Mt. Auburn Cemetery; skiing Wachusett; tubing Nashoba; even frostbite sailing with the Boston Sailing Center made it into the story. Have a look! 
 
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Beer Gardens, Fiddlers, and More at the Trustees This Summer

Yesterday, I wrote about the beer gardens around Boston this summer, but I forgot to mention that the Trustees has teamed up with Salem’s Notch Brewing to create a beer garden at many of their parks and farms this summer. First stop is Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover May 17-20. Also on the calendar is a Fiddlers Fest at Fruitlands August 5th and Thursday Nights concerts at the glorious Crane Estate throughout summer. Be sure to check the events listing at Trustees weekly to see what’s in store. And check out my story in the Boston Globe on overlooked Trustees sites. 

 

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