The Only Way to See a Red Sox Game
One of the big stories in the Boston world of travel this past week is the announcement that Hawaiian Airlines will soon be flying out of Logan Airport’s Terminal E. Starting April 4, 2019, Hawaiian Airlines will fly five times a week on the longest scheduled domestic route in America, a whopping 5,095 miles. It will take 11 hours and 40 minutes for the Airbus A330 to fly westbound to Hawaii and 10 hours 15 minutes to return to Boston. Book through tomorrow, September 20th, and fly in April 2019 and the round-trip cost starts at $643 per person. Once in Hawaii, let ActiveTravels take over. We know the islands, lodgings, and activities extremely well.
Chicago has always been fertile ground for theater, not having to cater to commercial tastes to sell tickets like Broadway. Spanish director Calixto Bieito’s over-the-top production of Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real at the Goodman Theatre is currently the talk of the town, along with Donald Margulies’ intense drama Time Stands Still at the Steppenwolf. Haute cuisine is another matter, however, with the latest Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza, and Weiner Circle taking top billing. That changed dramatically when Grant Achatz came to town and opened Alinea. I reviewed his latest venture, Next, in The Boston Globe this past summer and was wowed by both food and concept. Every 3 months, the menu at Next changes to another part of the world and a different time period. I had the good fortune to dine at “Paris 1906” at the height of the Escoffier period. No surprise that Next was just nominated for Best New Restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation. Now Frontera Grill chef, Rick Bayless, known for his innovative Mexcan fare, is getting in on the fun, starring in a dinner theater production titled Cascabel. The limited engagement at the Lookingglass Theatre will run until April 22nd and received favorable reviews from The Chicago Tribune.
Guest Post and Photos by Amy Perry Basseches
Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I like to write about rail trails across North America. Discarded rail lines converted into biking and jogging routes are not only a great way to spend a morning or afternoon, but add necessary commerce and a sense of pride to small, often rural communities across the country. That’s why I’m happy to support the Active Community Transportation Act of 2010 introduced by Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon. The Act would create a $2 billion program over five years to help hundreds of towns across the country improve their trails. Please encourage your representative to co-sponsor this significant legislation.
As an adventure travel writer, I’ve been paid to bike around the Big Island of Hawaii, sea kayak the Fijian islands, dive the Great Barrier Reef, and paddle the Allagash River during a memorable foliage. Then I had my first child and the canoes, skies, and other outdoor paraphernalia started to collect dust in the basement of my suburban Boston home. Going stir crazy one summer day, I called my dad who gave me the sage advice to integrate family into my work. The next thing I know I’m going up and down the hills of Vermont with my toddler on the back of my bike. Like many parents, I began to realize that I don’t have to give up my passion simply because I have little ones. It was time to introduce my kids to the real me. Now I travel with Jake, 13, and Melanie, 11, as much as possible without getting scolded by their teachers. And they’re the ones teaching me a thing or two about every sport they try.
June and September are our favorite months to visit P’town, before or after the summer crowds arrive. Stay with our friends at the Salt House Inn, smack dab in the center of Provincetown (with parking, no less). Then go whale watching, bike up and down the dunes on the unique Province Lands Bike Path, see the glorious pine warblers swoop from pine to pine just inland of the parking lot at the Province Lands Visitor Center, and, of course stroll the stretch of beach at Race Point surrounded by the sea. For dinner, head to that P’town classic, the Mews, to dine on lobster risotto, pan seared scallops, or almond crusted cod. Remember that you can take the 90-minute high-speed ferry from Boston’s Long Wharf to Provincetown and avoid an often congested drive.