Spend Thanksgiving in the Azores
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It’s not everyday that I get to sit down at my local coffee shop and meet a Laplander of Sami descent. But there I was yesterday with my wife, travel agent Lisa Leavitt, and Ari Siivikko, Marketing Manager of Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. I receive a slew of media requests to meet people from around the globe when they make their way to Boston, and I usually decline the majority of those requests. I just don’t have the time. But after checking out this unique resort online, I had to meet Ari. The property lies 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in northern Finland. After an 80-minute flight from Helsinki, you’re picked up by snow shuttle or snowmobile and escorted to the resort. Here, you’ll find upscale log cabins with requisite sauna, snow igloos, and the main reason I took this meeting, glass igloos. See, Kakslautannen is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. And if you read my story in the Boston Globe on seeing the Northern Lights in northern Maine, you’ll realize that the winter of 2013/2104 is supposed to be a stellar year for solar activity. Within the glass igloo, you simply lie down, preferably with a glass of chilled Finnish vodka, and wait for the kaleidoscopic light show to happen.
As if the Great Barrier Reef didn’t have enough problems! Dr. Charlie Veron, the former chief scientist of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, recently warned that the Great Barrier Reef will be “in tatters” by 2030, the result of global warming and rising sea temperatures. In fact, the Zoological Society of London feels the future of coral reefs is so bleak, they recently announced a plan to freeze samples in liquid nitrogen. Now comes news that a Chinese oil tanker slammed into the reef at top speed on April 3rd. The tanker has already leaked about two tons of oil, resulting in a three kilometer slick that could take years to clean up. Marine conservationists are particularly worried about turtles since it’s hatching season. What a way to be born into the world. Australian authorities have charged the captain for veering out of the shipping lane and running into the reef, but the damage is already done.
On the way back from Nairobi, I had a 12-hour overnight in London, just enough time to check out The Savoy. The grande dame reopened on 10/10/10 after a 3-year renovation, with Prince Charles on hand to do the ribbon cutting. Now under the helm of the Fairmont, they enhanced the Edwardian and Art Deco design so all that polished silver and lacquered onyx shines again. We had a casual dinner of tuna sandwiches in the Thames Foyer next to a large winter garden gazebo under a glass cupola. Across the room, a woman was belting out “All That Jazz” from the stage of the Beaufort Bar, the same spot where Gershwin first played “Rhapsody in Blue.” That night in the American Bar, the classic cocktail lounge that came to fame in the 30s, Jerry Hall was supposedly in the house near a photograph of a younger Jerry Hall shot by photographer Terry O’Neil. Conveniently located on the Strand in the heart of the Theater District, the Savoy is hopping once again, so stop by for dinner, drinks, or afternoon tea and you’ll probably be staying the night like Richard Harris often did. In fact, there’s now a suite named after him.
On one of the most glorious stretches of beach in the Yucatan sits the relatively new Chable Maroma and its 70 standalone villas. All villas have private entrance, plunge pools, outdoor showers, within easy walking distance to the beach and restaurants. As much as we love Chable Maroma, its sister property outside Merida, Chable Yucatan, is a very special wellness retreat, featuring one of the best spas in the region. Chable is now offering a special deal when you combine the two properties. Visit for 6 nights and they’ll give you two nights free. They’ll even provide transportation with a stop at the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza.
In September 1990, I quit my job as a broker in Manhattan and booked a flight with Air New Zealand, stopping at 12 different locales in the South Pacific on the way to my final destination, Sydney. When I returned from that 4-month jaunt, I would write my first article, “Learning to Scuba Dive in the Cook Islands.” Since that time, I have been fortunate to make my living primarily as a travel writer, penning more than 1000 articles for over 50 publications. To celebrate my 20th anniversary in this business, I’ll be updating the Go Play! Section of ActiveTravels by adding many of these articles to the website. Simply click on a geographical region, say California, and you’ll find a slew of updated content from backpacking to surfing to snacking, listed under each category. I’ll also include the name of the magazine, newspaper, or website where the story was originally printed. Think of this as a resource guide to your world of adventure.
As always, thanks for checking in! If there’s any travel subject you’d like me to discuss, simply ask. If you’re planning a trip to some glorious part of the world and need recommendations on activities or lodging, simply ask. Since I’ve started this blog over a year ago, I haven’t made a dime from advertising or commissions from the places I recommend. This way, I remain unbiased and can give you the wholehearted truth about each destination. So don’t only use Go Play! as a resource. Go straight to the source and ask me any question you might have.