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Emirates Starts Nonstop Service from Boston to Dubai on March 10

All New Englanders who are avid travelers should rejoice that Emirates will soon be offering non-stop service from Boston to Dubai. Not only to check out Dubai, but to use as a hub to head south from UAE to Nairobi and Capetown, or further east to Mumbai and Phuket. Not only will it spur on competition to these locales, hopefully resulting in reduced prices, but it will save considerable travel time. For example, scuba divers and honeymooners heading to the Maldives (only a 4-hour flight from Dubai) will now be able to save six hours of travel time due to the direct flight. With Turkish Airlines starting non-stop service from Boston to Istanbul in May and the Chinese carrier, Hainan Airlines, set to begin nonstop service from Boston to Beijing in June, it’s never been a better time for New Englanders to check out the world. If the choices seem overwhelming, ActiveTravels.com is here to offer our expert opinion based on your desires. 
 

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Ski Quebec on a Budget

If you’re looking for a Northeastern ski area with a dose of affordable French flavor, then a visit to Quebec’s Eastern Townships is in order. With a lift ticket at Stowe reaching $99 this winter, you can head another hour north and be skiing at half the price. This is especially true with the current rate of exchange at US$1 to CAN$1.27. On the shores of Lake Memphremagog, Owl’s Head offers the best of Vermont skiing, but at Quebec’s prices. For a measly US$78, you get one night lodging, supper, breakfast, and a lift ticket! And this being Quebec, that breakfast will include freshly baked croissants, patisserie, and café au lait. 

 

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When Staying in Stowe in Winter, Ski or Hike into Smugglers’ Notch

Whenever I stay at Stowe Mountain Lodge at the base of Vermont’s tallest peak, Mount Mansfield, I relish the opportunity to hike into Smugglers’ Notch. Simply take the Over Easy Gondola to the base of the Stowe Ski Area and walk to the end of the plowed portion of Mountain Road, where there’s a small parking lot. The road through the notch is closed in winter. This allows outdoor lovers the opportunity to ascend into a fantastic winter landscape of tall pines and birches, large glacial boulders on the side of the twisting snowed-over road, and iced-over cliffs that form the notch. I’m surrounded by winter enthusiasts of all stripes—hikers, snowshoers, telemark and cross-country skiers, backcountry boarders, and mountain men with full packs strapped to their backs who amble off the road onto small trails, excited to ice climb or bag the peak of Mansfield via the Hellbent Trail. Everyone seems to have a dog that accompanies him or her on their adventure. Breathe in the piney air and peer up in awe at the iced over cliffs. This is one of the many reasons why I return to Stowe winter after winter. 
 
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Favorite Fall Outings in New England, Strolling West River Trail, Jamaica, VT

This riverbank trail, located along the West River in Jamaica State Park, follows an old railroad bed that was built in 1881 and long ago lapsed into decay. The highlight is Hamilton Falls, which tumbles and pools spectacularly down 125 feet of granite ledges, making it Vermont’s highest waterfall. If there’s a fall dam release from the Ball Mountain Dam upriver, you’ll get to see whitewater paddlers tackle The Dumplings, a set of enormous boulders. Stay at the Three Mountain Inn in nearby Jamaica, Vermont. Located in a quiet hamlet on the backside of Stratton Mountain, Three Mountain Inn is a wonderful weekend retreat any time of year.

Photo by Peneli/FLICKR

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Vetted House Rentals with Villas of Distinction

With the popularity of Airbnb and VRBO, more and more clients are requesting apartment and house rentals with us. For apartments in residential neighborhoods of European and American cities, we enjoy working with OneFineStay. Someone meets our clients at the residence the first day, goes over the apartment, and then gives them a concierge list of restaurants, shops, and sights to see in the neighborhood. For house rentals, especially on the beaches of the Caribbean isles of the Turks & Caicos and St. Barts, it’s hard to top the Villas of Distinction. Each house is personally visited and inspected before being added to the list. It also helps to know the Director of Sales, who ActiveTravels will often call to ensure that the one particular property we like for our clients is indeed fantastic. Try getting the personal lowdown with VRBO. Not happening. 

 
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Hong Kong Hotels

I loved all three properties we checked out in Hong Kong for various reasons. The Intercontinental Hong Kong (soon to change its name back to the Regent again) offered fantastic views of the Hong Kong skyline and waterfront from the floor to ceiling windows in the room. After long days of sightseeing, I enjoyed coming back to the room to watch the Chinese junk boats, ferries, fishing boats, and larger barges and cruise ships pass by. The Intercontinental also had the best breakfast buffet of the 3 hotels, with a lavish spread of American, Chinese (great dim sum), Indian, Japanese, and Korean choices, all washed down with fresh mango and guava juice. The W Hong Kong had fantastic service, like a welcome tray of goodies in our room, including a photo of our family from a recent trip to Switzerland. The concierge was excellent designing two days of travel and arranging tickets in advance for the cable car over to Big Buddha. While I probably liked the Intercontinental location a bit better since you could walk outside the hotel to catch the Star Ferry over to Hong Kong and find nearby restaurants at night, I did like that the W was perched above a large mall and subway stop, including the direct train to the airport, the Airport Express. The fitness center was also wonderful, sitting on the 73rd floor with glorious views of the city below. The Upper House on the Hong Kong side offered by far the most spacious rooms with good vista of the city and waterfront below. The concierge was also excellent, setting up free shuttles around the city to see the sights and hit the restaurants at night. In fact, service at the Upper House genuinely made us feel welcome. 

 
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Adventures in Oregon, The Artisanal Quality of the Food and Drink

It’s easy describe the electric blue waters of Crater Lake, the snowcapped peak of Mount Hood, the emerald forest of Ecola State Park nestled along the coast, and the rolling vineyards of Willamette Valley. But the missing ingredient I find in most stories on the state is that they fail to talk about the artisanal quality displayed by the Oregonians. Due to its proximity to Washington, they’re often spoken in the same breath, but Oregon actually has much more in common with Vermont. This stems from the passion behind all the quality local food and drink. Oregonians don’t just create coffee, they create the best coffee I’ve had in America, a strong yet smooth blend that needs no milk or sweetening. One spoon of the black licorice ice cream at Ruby Jewel in Portland and you’ll be booking your return trip. Other highlights include tasting the Hood River strawberries at the farmers market in Portland, sampling Stan’s charcuterie plate at Vitaly Paley’s new restaurant, Imperial (which my brother, Jim, just back from the Cannes Film Festival said was better than anything he tried in France), biting into the spicy and sticky large wings at Pok Pok, downing a pint of Larry Sidor’s smoky peated scotch ale at Crux in Bend, and trying the surprisingly dry and refreshing hard cider created by longtime winemaker Rich Cushman at HR ciderworks in Hood River. Sure, I love the spectacular scenery found in the state. But the reason I know I’ll return to Oregon as often as possible is simply because Oregonians care enough to produce great product and have the local resources to make that dream come to fruition. 
 
I’ll be writing about Oregon one more time on Monday, when I describe my hike in Crater Lake National Park. It will be the first of five of my favorite adventures in the national parks. This will only whet my appetite for hiking hut-to-hut in the White Mountains of New Hampshire the following week. Enjoy the weekend and stay active! 
 

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