Bucket List Travel, Galapagos Islands

The Tortoises on the Galapagos Islands Yesterday, we discussed how to make your dream of going on an African safari a reality. Today, we’ll continue with the wildlife theme and visit that mythical home of the blue-footed booby and far too sociable sea lion, the Galapagos Islands. Lindblad has made the Galapagos their number one priority and it shows with their naturalists and new ships. But if you want to go smaller, you certainly can. We’ve put a number of ActiveTravels clients on Haugan yachts, housing 6 to 8 berths and more crew than passengers. They have wonderful naturalists and the ability to anchor in smaller harbors. We’ve also had families and couples go on guided sea kayaking jaunts with ROW, a renowned sea kayaking and rafting outfitter. So there are a number of ways to see the islands. We can also combine the Galapagos Islands with stops in Quito, Lima, and Machu Picchu. Please let ActiveTravels know your desire to visit the Galapagos Islands and we’ll find the best way for you to go eyeball to eyeball with a century-old tortoise!

Bucket List Travel, African Safari

Kissing a giraffe in KenyaWith promising news of a vaccine finally arriving and pent-up demand for travel, ActiveTravels clients have already begun to inquire about travels in the second half of 2021 and 2022. Of course, many of you have already rescheduled trips that were cancelled in 2020. We’re hoping those go smoothly after such a turbulent year. We’re also starting to receive new requests to what we consider bucket list destinations. Places like South Africa, New Zealand, and Thailand. After losing a year of travel due to the pandemic, it looks like people are going for the gusto when they travel again, hoping to visit a dream destination. Well, we’re happy to help make those dreams a reality!

We’ve been fortunate over the past 8 years to develop fantastic relationships with local suppliers. We’ve put them through the ringer and a few have succeeded with flying colors, receiving only rave reviews from clients for their authentic and inventive itineraries. They’ve gone overboard to arrange a private dinner atop the Eiffel Tower, visit the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the public, arrange a sunset sail out of Santorini, or champagne for two for a private marriage proposal in the Serengeti. Ask and we’ll do our best to turn your dreams into reality! Based on our solid relationships with suppliers, we’ll be devoting this week to the bucket list destinations we’re excited to send you:

First up, African Safaris. For guided group African safaris, it’s hard to top Abercrombie & Kent. I’ve been fortunate to go on six safari trips to the continent, but the two A&K jaunts, first to Kenya and then Botswana with Lisa were the crème de la creme. They boast exceptional guides like our good friend Kebby in Botswana and small upscale lodges like Sanctuary Olonana on Kenya’s Mara River, where I would wake up each morning to have my poached eggs with the hippos.

A&K trips, however, can be expensive, which is why we’ve developed wonderful relationships with local suppliers in South Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya who can design private personalized itineraries. We’ve really enjoyed working with African Scenic Safari in Arusha, who design driving tours of the Tanzania circuit on a more moderate budget. Stops include Ngorongoro Crater, private lodges in the Serengeti, and a beachfront stay in Zanzibar after safari. Some of the money you spend on the trip helps to run an orphanage just outside Arusha’s city limits. Personal Africa in South Africa can combine a week’s stay in Cape Town, visiting the Cape of the Good Hope, the wineries, and all the sites in the city, with 4 nights at Kruger National Park. Origins Safaris in Kenya have been in business since 1963, designing trips to the most distinctive lodges in the Masai Mara, before adding on a 2-might stay in Rwanda to see the gorillas. If you want to go on safari, we have you covered!

Get A Hefty Dose of Holiday Cheer at Winterlights

Winterlights at the Bradley Estate

The Trustees of Reservtions just announced that a limited number of tickets have been released for Winterlights. Do yourself a favor and grab them now! We went last night and were overjoyed to be out of the house in a safe environment enjoying some semblance of Holiday festivities during this dismal year. Winterlights is located at the circa-1902 Bradley Estate, just off Route 128 in Canton. The 90-acre country estate and Italianate gardens are the perfect backdrop for the more than 150,000 LED lights found on the half-mile one-way route. First stop is the snack shack to grab a hot chocolate or hot cider, and gingerbread cookies from Ginger Betty’s in Quincy, donuts from Phillipston’s Red Apple Farm, and chocolate-covered pretzels from Pinches & Pound in Whitman. Then bundle up and stroll the illuminated grounds of the estate as piped-in Holiday tunes serenade you. This is the second year the Trustees have held Winterlights at the Bradley Estate. The event runs Tuesdays through Sundays 4:30 to 8:30 pm until January 2nd. Some 200 to 240 people are allowed to enter each night, down from the usual 600 to 1,000 people. So snag one of those coveted remaining tickets and you’ll feel like you have the place to yourselves!

(Photos by Lisa Leavitt)

Support Local Innkeepers This Holiday Season

Holiday Season at InnsFew businesses have been hit harder during the pandemic than small innkeepers, forced to continue paying rent while catering to a limited number of travelers. So when I heard that 24 innkeepers and B&Bs are banding together this Holiday Season to help promote their industry, I was happy to spread the word. This new promotion aims to forge a connection with regional travelers who need a break from being stuck at home and want a necessary dose of Holiday cheer. Aimed at travelers who can visit on one tank of gas round-trip, participating inns are offering free gifts to guests who check in between December 1-31. These gifts include everything from complimentary glasses of wine with keepsake glasses, to homemade holiday cookies, kettle corn, honey, and bath bombs. Every morning, seasonal breakfasts will have an added holiday twist. Inns include the The Artist’s Inn & Gallery in Amish Country, Pennsylvania to the Huron House on the shores of Lake Huron in Oscoda, Michigan to the Rookwood Inn in the Berkshire Mountains of Lenox, Massachusetts. Even if you have no desire to travel now, please think about buying a gift card for next summer or fall. ActiveTravels is here to help check availability and pricing, and give you other sights to see in the respective regions.

Costa Rica to Give Away 15 Trips to Essential Loved Ones This Holiday Season

Costa Rica Giveaway15 lucky couples from America and Canada will be heading to Costa Rica on a 7-day package for free in 2021. Let Visit Costa Rica know of someone who’s been essential to your life during the pandemic and their reward could very well be a chance to hang with the howler monkeys and scarlet macaws for a week. The giveaway, which started last week, calls on travelers to nominate a person who has made a meaningful difference in your lives through the Who Is Essential to You campaign. Participants are encouraged to share their unique stories. Submissions will close on Jan. 31, 2021, when the 15 winners will be announced. Give it your best shot!

Daytrip Comes to America

Daytrip private drives Since Daytrip debuted in 2015, we’ve worked with them to book a number of drives for clients around the European continent. They’re a fantastic alternative to train or plane travel, especially when you want to stop along the way to visit an off-the-beaten track town or sight. For example, Lisa and I used the company in Spain on a 3-hour drive from Granada to Seville. We stopped for lunch in Ronda and toured the picturesque town and bullring that Hemingway made famous with the driver/guide before continuing on to Seville. It was one of the most relaxing days of the trip, lounging in the back of a comfortable Mercedes sedan while taking in the scenic Spanish countryside. We were happy to see that Daytrip finally made it to American shores, offering their private services on the East and West coast. I plugged in Boston to New York and saw that they’re offering a chance to break up the trip by hiking in Purgatory Chasm outside of Worcester or visiting the Mark Twain House in Hartford. Let ActiveTravels know when you want to leave the driving to someone else and we’ll go over the options from Daytrip.

Van Gogh Alive Comes to St. Petersburg’s Dali Museum

Van Gogh Alive The Met might be hosting its 150th anniversary show and there’s yet another exhibition on Monet at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, but for pure escapism it’s hard to top the upcoming exhibition at St. Petersburg’s Dali Museum. Entitled “Van Gogh Alive” and on view from November 21st to April 11th, the multimedia experience features more than 3,000 van Gogh images, including the iconic Starry Night and Sunflowers, presented as large-scale, high-definition projections on the walls and floors. The images are set to a classical score pumped through cinema-quality surround sound as viewers get the sensation of being immersed in the works. The installation is powered by SENSORY4™, a unique system developed by Grande Experiences of Melbourne, Australia. The Dalí Museum is the first American venue to host the exhibition before traveling to the Newfields Museum in Indianapolis next June.

Vermont is Open for Skiing This Winter

Ski Vermont“Vermont is open,” said Nate Formalarie from the Vermont Department of Tourism on a zoom call last week with representatives from all the Vermont ski areas. “You just have to adhere to the state guidelines,” Nate adds, which for most of us is either a 14-day self-quarantine before arrival in the state or 7 days of self-quarantine and a negative COVID test. You then have to go online and reserve a lift ticket and possible parking reservation at the ski area you want to visit. Once on mountain, I can think of few places I’d rather be during a pandemic than a Vermont ski area. You’re already wearing a mask because it’s cold outside and you’re freely gliding around the mountain outside with few crowds, except down at the base which will be limited. Expect food trucks, fire pits, and much more. Sugarbush will provide private cabanas at the base which have to be reserved in advance. Smugglers’ Notch Resort is offering private ski lessons for the entire family. The classic cross-country skiing retreat, Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, is featuring backcountry Nordic tours. Jay Peak in northern Vermont usually caters to Canadians, but since borders are still closed, the mountain will have far less traffic this year. Stowe, Okemo, and Mt. Snow are all part of Vail Resorts, which is offering package deals on their Epic Pass like the Northeast Value Pass, which gives you access to 18 ski area in the Northeast and priority reservations. Please contact ActiveTravels if you need help with lodging suggestions!

New Largay Travel Deal at Miraval Properties

Largay Travel DealWe were delighted to see that our good friends at Largay Travel made the cover of the latest issue of Luxury Travel Advisor. Largay Travel has been the host agency of ActiveTravels since 2017 and wow, did we luck out when we joined forces with them. Not only have they given us access to the Virtuoso Network, but they have become our mentors, teaching us the ins and outs of this often-complex industry while connecting us with the top suppliers in the travel world. But they really shined in 2020, keeping our spirits high with Zoom travel webinars, Monday Meditation, Wednesday Town Hall Meetings for all to join, and the requisite Friday Dance Party. They continue to remain optimistic, helping us to be a stronger and better travel agency when we pull out of this pandemic.

To help celebrate Largay Travel’s cover story, the three Miraval properties in Tucson, Austin, and the one in the Berkshires Lisa and I just visited are offering an exclusive deal. Head to one of these properties January 7-10 and they’re offering 30% off their regular rate. Cost of the 3-night package at Miraval Berkshires is $1686 per person double occupancy, $2098 per person single occupancy; Miraval Tucson $1883 per person double occupancy, $2296 per person single occupancy; Miraval Austin $1650 per person double occupancy, $2042 per person single occupancy. Pricing includes all meals, unlimited participation in all fitness/wellness/meditation/nutrition classes, $175 nightly resort credit for person to be spent on spa services and private sessions with instructors, and complimentary shuttle from Tucson/Austin/Hartford airports. If interested, please let ActiveTravels know! This is only for Largay Travel Advisors and their clients!

New Book Devoted to Touring Artists’ Studios Across America

New book on artists studiosOne of my favorite topics over the years has been the unique opportunity to step foot in a renowned artist’s home and studio, and then tour the surrounding landscape that figured prominently in many of their most famous works. This includes Winslow Homer’s Prouts Neck, Maine; Edward Hopper’s Truro, Massachusetts; and J Alden Weir’s Wilton, Connecticut home, one of only two national parks in America dedicated to an artist (the other being The Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, New Hampshire). So I was delighted to see that author Valerie Balint has written an entire book on the subject, in the recently released Guide to Historic Artists’ Homes & Studios, published by The National Trust for Historic Preservation. Homer, Hopper, and Weir are all featured in the book along with many other must-see stops like Georgia O’Keeffe’s Abiquiú, New Mexico home and studio, the Grant Woods studio in Cedar Rapids, and the Thomas Hart Benton home in Kansas City. Then there are the lesser known gems like Chesterwood in the Berkshires, the summer home and studio of lauded American sculptor Daniel Chester French, best known as the man who created the Lincoln Memorial. Nearby, you can pop into Bauhaus-inspired Frelinghuyson Morris House & Studio, the home of Suzy Frelinghuyson and George L.K. Morris, painters and collectors of abstract art. If you plan on cruising around America the next year or two, this is one book I’d have in my glove compartment.