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Get into the Holiday Spirit at Newport

Just returned from a rejuvenating 24 hours in Newport, one of my favorite stopovers in New England any time of year. Starting today, the historic seaport gets into the Holiday spirit with a month-long citywide celebration simply called Christmas in Newport. The long list of activities includes live music at The Breakers estate and lantern walks over the twisting cobblestone streets. Newport is also home to a slew of intriguing boutique shops, ideal for Holiday shopping. Not far from the mansions on Bellevue Avenue is the Alloy Gallery, owned by a Rhode Island School of Design-trained jewelry artist who displays contemporary wares created by her and her colleagues. Women’s blouses, dresses, and jackets can be found at Tyler Boe, at Bannister’s Wharf. Kids will like the quirky games, clothing, books, and other odd miscellaneous knickknacks found at Pleasant Surprise on Thames Street. Close by is the Newport Historical Society Gift Shop, selling sea soap, shells, gardening and history books on New England. 

 

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Italian Travel Expert Reid Bramblett to Lead Trip to Italy in 2015

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing the work of travel writer Reid Bramblett since we were both contributing editors at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine some 15 years ago. He’s the foremost expert on Italy, where he spent his adolescence and then proceeded to pen ten guidebooks (including Frommer’s and DK titles) and far too many articles to count. He has since launched ReidsItaly.com, a travel planning website that I often use to design itineraries for clients heading to Italy. So I was excited to hear that Reid will be guiding a weeklong tour to Tuscany July 2015 in conjunction with Bliss Travel. A dozen lucky people will have Reid as their tour guide as he heads to Florence and then the cherished Tuscan hill town of Montepulciano. You’ll sample Vino Nobile wine from barrels aged in Etruscan-dug tunnels, take private cooking classes, and tour the spectacular towns and vine-draped hills of the surrounding Sienese countryside. Cost is $3500 per person. 

 
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Nova Scotia Week: Oyster Farming at Eel Lake

With its slight mix of salt and fresh water, the 5-mile long Eel Lake is ideally suited for oyster farming. The clean, cool water is home to the premium Ruisseau oyster, high on the chef’s wish list of oysters in Toronto. On our first day in Nova Scotia, after the smooth and easy ride on Nova Star Cruises and a stroll around the stunning seascape of Cape Forchu Lighthouse, we met up with Colton D’Eon. Colton’s dad, a lobster fisherman, Nolan, started Eel Lake Oyster Farm with his wife Kim. Now the business is thriving with over 4,000,000 oysters in various stages of growth. Colton and another employee, Jed, took us out on their boat to show us the many rows of oyster beds. Through use of hydraulics, they pulled up one cage to show us how much one oyster had grown just in the past month, no longer dormant in winter. The oyster you typically suck down in a restaurant is approximately 3 years in age or 3 ½ inches in length. When harvest starts in the fall, Colton notes that there are often 100,000 oysters being shipped from their small plant. When we get back to the docks, Colton shucks one of his oysters and we quickly understand what all the fuss is about. The meat is tender, rich and sweet. But it’s that Eel Lake water, with its slight brine that enhances the flavor. Tours are open to the public, so be sure to schedule one for an intriguing glimpse into the life of a Nova Scotian oysterman. 
 
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Circumnavigating Newfoundland with Adventure Canada

Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches

I’ve taken three journeys on Expedition Cruises-aboard smaller ships where passengers spend loads of time in zodiacs going ashore to hike, kayak, observe flora/fauna, and visit towns. These trips all have been fantastic opportunities to see places one could never glimpse if traveling only by land. Often, experts from the region join these Expedition Cruises as short-term "staff" to add a special insider touch. This week, I’m sharing with ActiveTravels readers my most recent voyage, on Adventure Canada’s Newfoundland Circumnavigation. 

Adventure Canada’s staff for the trip included a dozen Newfoundland natives: musicians, singers, artists, authors, whale experts, historians, archaeologists, geologists, photographers, park rangers, and chefs. I can’t say enough about how much their presence enhanced the experience. For example, the renowned Alan Doyle, a Member of the Order of Canada ("for his contributions to the musical traditions of his home province") toured with us, and what a treat! His music every day and night kept us smiling (see him in the US this November). 
 
We started and ended in the historic harbor of St. John’s, Newfoundland. During the 9 days in between, I had a great time experiencing a lively culture with breathtaking scenery, and lots of time outdoors to explore. Upcoming blogs will discuss the UNESCO sites and communities we visited along the way, highlighting extremely special and authentic experiences.
 
Before boarding Adventure Canada’s vessel in St. John’s, one of North America’s oldest European settlements, I walked to The Rooms, Newfoundland’s largest public cultural space "where the province’s most extensive collection of artifacts, art and historical records come together." There I learned an important fact that would emerge often during the trip: immigration from Ireland started early, in the late 1600s, and a large percentage of the province’s current population has Irish roots. Newfoundland even has a Gaelic name, Talamh an Éisc. 
 
If expedition cruising sounds appealing to you, let ActiveTravels know. I am strongly considering roaming the "Heart of the Arctic" in the summer of 2020. Want to join me, along with local scientists, historians, Inuit artists, and culturalists? We’ll see the province of Nunavut, Baffin Island, Nunavik (the Inuit homeland in Northern Quebec), Ungava Bay, and Greenland (including Nuuk, the capital). If it’s similar to my journey around Newfoundland, I know it will inspire and create lasting memories. 
 
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Walking the Mariposa Grove Trail, Yosemite National Park

Many of our clients are planning trips to America’s national parks this spring, summer, and fall. So I thought it would be a good time to discuss my 5 favorite hikes in America’s national parks this week. First up, Yosemite. To truly feel small in the natural world, all you have to do is take the 2-mile trek to Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove and stand next to the 200-foot high sequoias. These immense trees and their shaggy orange bark are only a part of Yosemite’s striking and varied landscape. All of Yosemite is a marvel to look at, from the sheer granite cliffs and domes, including the legendary El Cap, to the colorful wildflowers that fill Tuolumne Meadows. No wonder the great photographer, Ansel Adams, made Yosemite his most famous subject. After the walk to Mariposa Grove, stroll onward to Wawona and its many swimming holes, perfect for a dip in summer.
 
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New in River Cruising 2018

Guest Post by Lisa Leavitt 

• Viking Ra will be cruising the River Nile in Egypt in 2018. Just 52 guests on this upscale vessel with suites 
• Century River Cruises will cruise the Yangtze
• Avalon will offer trips down Vietnam’s Mekong River and Burma’s Irrawaddy River
• Amadeus will present new golf-focused river cruises next spring including visits to 4 prestigious golf courses
• Foodies will enjoy Scenic’s cooking school aboard select ships
• Un Cruise Adventures will feature eight Rivers of Wine itineraries on the Legacy, a turn of the century steamer sailing the Columbia and Snake rivers in the US and their Rivers of Adventure series will allow for hiking, biking, kayaking and more from their starting point of Portland, Oregon.
• And, much more: barges down the Seine, multigenerational cruises on CroisiEurope where kids under 16 go for free.
 
Sales happen all the time with the river cruise companies: some offer 2-for-1 fares or free international air or they waive their single supplements.
Here’s some offers going on right now:  
• Avalon Cruises: Save $2,000 per couple on 2018 Active Discovery River Cruises on the Rhine or Danube
• Paul Gauguin Cruises: Two Week Sale for cruises in the South Pacific. $2,900 per person savings on select sailings.
• Emerald Waterways: Sensations of Southern France: if 6 people book, then the 7th person is free.
 
Contact ActiveTravels to find out the latest deals! We won’t steer you wrong!
 
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Cleveland Rocks!

Last Saturday, my wife and I picked up our son, Jake, at Oberlin College after a weeklong electornic music workshop. Then we hightailed it to Cleveland for the weekend to check out the city. Must-see stops were the Cleveland Museum of Art, whose impressive collection includes noteworthy pieces by van Gogh, Monet, El Greco, and Bierstadt. At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we viewed the famous jacket worn by John Lennon on the Sgt. Pepper’s album cover, Michael Jackson’s glove, and my personal favorite, Notorious BIG’s jersey. 
 
Then there were the pleasant surprises like the West Side Market, the historic food market that served a tasty bratwurst on a bun for 4 bucks and a Montrealer crepe that made Jake happy, created with brisket and Emmentaler cheese. West Side Market is located in Ohio City, a cool neighborhood of restaurants and bars like Crop Bistro, set inside the cavernous walls of a former bank. Nearby is Great Lake Brewing Company, a microbrewery that helped gentrify the neighborhood of derelict buildings when it arrived on the scene in the 90s. Also loved the milk shakes and falafels at Tommy’s in Coventry Village and the Italian fare at Mia Bella in Cleveland’s Little Italy. We stayed at a great locale, the Glidden House, a former estate across the street from the Frank Gehry-designed building on the Case Western University campus. We were within easy walking distance of Little Italy, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the resplendent Cleveland Botanical Gardens, in full bloom upon our arrival. The only thing we missed was a baseball game at Jacobs Field, now called Progressive Field. The Indians were out of town. There’s always next time!
 

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