|

Diving Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos

On terra firma, Grand Turk is a sleepy former British outpost, where you stroll past the Victorian homes on Front Street in a matter of minutes. Underwater, Grand Turk is home to the Wall, where without warning the reef plummets to a mind-boggling 7,000 feet to mark the edge of the Turks Island Passage. On the rim of this great blue abyss, it’s not uncommon to see humpback whales migrating in winter, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles swimming gracefully and unafraid, and herds of spotted eagle rays, with wing spans upward of eight feet, their thick black tails churning behind. Better yet, the dive sites are all less than a five-minute boat ride away on the leeward side of the island. Here, the reef is protected by strong winds and current, allowing divers of all abilities to access one of the most pristine locales in the Atlantic. Try the Tunnels, where you hit the reef at a depth of 65 feet, go through a tight chute and get your first glimpse of the Wall’s dramatic plunge. 
 

Similar Posts

|

Spring Comes to Narragansett Bay

The parking lot at the Blithewold estate in Bristol is overflowing on this chilly day in late April. I walk around the pink blooms of the Japanese star-magnolia tree and under the signature Japanese cedar that stands guard in front of the massive stone mansion. That’s when I get my first glimpse of the soft yellow hues glowing from a vast garden, stemming from row after row of daffodils. Young girls dressed as fairies run down the aisles, butterfly wings attached to their backs and colorful ribbons in their hair flowing in the wind. I follow their cue and enter a pasture coated with morning dew to find countless families happily ensconced within the centuries-old stone walls. A harpist plays as kids create papier-mâché flowers, blow bubbles, and dance around a Maypole. I half-expect to see nymphs lounging in a nearby pond of water lilies.

 
This is exactly the vision of spring awakening I’ve been yearning for after our polar-vortex winter. I need to stir my soul with spring blooms, buds, and community spirit as we all collectively end our days of hibernation. I’ve come to where spring arrives first in New England, the temperate zone along the shores of Narragansett Bay.
 
To read the rest of my story for Yankee Magazine on Spring Comes to Narragansett Bay, please click here. 
 
|

ActiveTravels Featured in Sunday’s Boston Globe

Sunday was already a celebratory day for my family as we gathered in New York for our niece, Sarah Schechter’s first art opening. The exhibition is on view at the Greenpoint Reformed Church in Brooklyn, 136 Milton Street, through December. So if you’re in New York, please have a look at these skillfully rendered, vibrant and often whimsical sketches and paintings from her life. Adding to the excitement on Sunday was a Boston Globe story about the rise of the travel agent that included quotes from Lisa and me. We were interviewed for the story several months ago, before our trip to southern Africa, and forgot about it until seeing it on Sunday. It was a nice surprise. Paired with the wonderful story from Moira McCarthy on ActiveTravels in the Boston Herald earlier this summer, we feel incredibly fortunate to be recognized. It only helps to legitimize the company when people search for a travel agent in that great big space called Google. 

 
|

New Trace and Trust Program Ensures the Quality of Fresh Seafood

The big news out of Boston last week was a Boston Globe report that discovered many seafood restaurants serving mislabeled fish. Pricey red snapper was replaced by far cheaper tilapia in many instances. White tuna was exchanged for a Central American fish called escolar that often causes stomach ailments. These restaurants were often duped by fraudulent wholesalers who made the bait and switch. Good news is that many of the recently opened seafood restaurants in town like Island Creek Oyster Bar and Legal Harborside either employ their own wholesale seafood business or go straight to the source, the fishermen, so they had no problems.

Even better, a new collaboration between fishermen and New England chefs has resulted in Trace and Trust. Fishermen tell chefs where they are going to fish and what they hope to catch. A photo of the catch will then be uploaded on the Trace and Trust website. When the catch is landed, it is assigned a unique ID number and QR code. The fish is then packed on ice and brought to each restaurant. Diners who order the fish receive a card with that same ID number and QR code. They can scan the QR code with their smart phone or enter the ID number on the Trace and Trust website to learn the story of where their fish was caught and by whom. James Beard-nominated chef, Richard Garcia, at 606 Congress, is already using this technique and diners love it. Boston has always taken its seafood seriously. By going straight to the fishermen, the latest round of seafood restaurants ensure that you’re getting the finest quality fish.

|

Head to Historic Banning Mills to Try the Tallest Climbing Wall in the World

Hey Georgians, take a break from your holiday shopping this Saturday and head 45 minutes outside of Atlanta to Historic Banning Mills. Representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records will be on hand to verify that the new Banning Mills climbing wall is indeed the tallest in the world. Give the wall your best shot and then try the largest zipline canopy tour in America. More than 40 ziplines span over 7 miles of course. That means you can be out there for eight hours, flying high above the Snake River and its exquisite gorge and not sample the same zipline twice!

I’ll be heading south this next week to kayak, bike, and hike in the Everglades. I’ll be back on December 20th. Have a great week and keep active!

 

|

Mad River Valley Bed and Brew This Weekend

What do you do in Vermont between fall foliage and the start of ski season? Drink! The state, and especially the Mad River Valley region around Waterbury, is home to some of the finest craft brews in the country. Take, for example, the beloved ultra-hoppy Heady Topper. The Alchemist, the microbrewery that now cans the beer, had to close down their store this week because it was just too popular and overcrowded. You can still sample the Heady Topper at Prohibition Pig, a favorite watering hole in Waterbury. In fact, if you sign up for the Mad River Valley Bed and Brew Weekend (November 15-17, December 6-8, December 13-15), a 14-seat tour bus will pick you up at your lodging for private tours of many of the region’s best microbrews, including Lawson’s Finest in Warren, and Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville. Cost starts at $85 per person and includes 2 nights at a hotel, lodge, or bed & breakfast in the Mad River Valley, the private Saturday tour of 3-4 craft breweries, a snack box with local Vermont goodies to get you through the day of touring, a Mad River Valley tasting glass, and discounts at local restaurants featuring local craft beers and farm to table food. 

 
|

Agar Supply Jumps on Seafood Traceability Bandwagon

An article I wrote in the March issue of Air Tran’s inflight magazine discussed the problem with mislabeled seafood in Boston. A city that prides itself on its fresh seafood was rocked to its ocean-loving core this past October when a two-part expose published by the Boston Globe revealed that a significant number of fish were mislabeled at area restaurants, grocery stores, and fish markets. Two Globe staff writers went on a fish collecting spree, sending samples of their findings to a laboratory in Canada for DNA testing. The outcome? A whopping 48 percent of the seafood was mislabeled. The good news out of Boston this week is that Agar Supply, New England’s largest independent food distributor, is partnering with Legal Sea Foods so restaurants and supermarkets can track fresh fish all along the supply chain. This comes on the heels of the wonderful work done by Trace and Trust, a group of local Rhode Island fishermen who supply their catch directly to restaurants in Boston and Rhode Island. 
 

Leave a Reply