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Soaking in the Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s version of climbing the Eiffel Tower or taking the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building, a site primarily reserved for tourists. Icelanders will simply go to their local pool to lounge in the hot tub at a fraction of the price. That’s not to say I would blow off the Blue Lagoon. Several of the writers I went with to check out the place made a second stop at this geothermal spa before their outgoing flight, since the lagoon is located near the airport. Step into the warm, milky waters, engulfed in a cloud of hazy steam, and your travel weary body instantly feels relieved. You can grab a drink at the bar or apply a white mask of silica mud to your face, known to exfoliate and energize your skin. I initially blew off the silicon mud portion, until some Icelandic babe wandered over to me and asked if I wanted to try. “Sure, why not?” I said as she applied the creamy concoction to my face. After the silicon mud dried and I washed it off in the water, she gave me the royal treatment by then applying an algae mask, an anti-aging cream. Now you understand why my friends wanted to return to the Blue Lagoon. 

 

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Gurney’s Newport Already Starting to Shine

I escaped the heatwave of Boston on Sunday by heading down to Newport for the night and getting an early look at the renovations going on at the new Gurney’s Newport. The acclaimed Montauk hotelier purchased this former Hyatt property on Goat Island over the winter and has already begun to make much needed changes to the tired resort. Some rooms have already been renovated and a new three-tiered outdoor deck is under construction. Once finished it will offer that same glorious vista of the Newport harbor and Pell Bridge that you can get now see by grabbing a drink at the al fresco Pineapple Club or finding a seat around the outdoor pool (which has great waiter service). Nearby, two goats can be found in their pen, their version of the Marble House, a salute to the Gatsbyesque era of the town. 

The highlight, however, was dining at Gurney’s new restaurant, Scarpetta. With expansive windows over the water, you want to arrive before the sun sets. All pastas are homemade include a lobster tagliatelle with a slightly tangy and spicy sauce so sublime I could have licked the plate. Thankfully, there was warm focaccia to clean the dish. You could cut my son’s sirloin with a butter knife it was so tender, as was the sablefish my wife enjoyed. Scarpetta is a great addition to the Newport dining scene. So good, I’d happily stroll over to Goat Island, whether I’m staying at Gurney’s or not.
 
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Art From Maine’s Top Museums On Display at Portland Museum of Art

The rugged and raw beauty of Maine has been a lure to many of America’s foremost landscape artists. Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School, first visited Mount Desert Island in 1844. When he returned home to New York with a bounty of canvases, Cole’s affluent patrons were astounded by the mix of mountains and sea. Man versus the chaotic forces of nature, particularly fishermen struggling against powerful nor’easters, kept Winslow Homer busy on the boulder-strewn shores of Prouts Neck for more than two decades. In the 1920s, Georgia O’Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, and other early American abstractionists from Alfred Stieglitz’s 291 Gallery joined John Marin to work at his summer cottage in Deer Isle. 

 
This summer, the Portland Museum of Art is taking full advantage of this bevy of work to present Directors’ Cut: Selections from the Maine Art Museum Trail that includes signature pieces from Maine’s most-renowned art museums. On view from May 21 through September 20, the show will bring the best art Maine has to offer together for the first time. All of these museums are part of the Maine Art Museum Trail. To celebrate the exhibition and the route, Summer Feet Cycling, who I biked with on my 50th birthday, will present a weeklong ride along the coast that visits all 8 museums on the Maine Art Trail. This includes stops at Homer’s former art studio in Prouts Neck, a visit to Andrew Wyeth’s Olson House in Port Clyde, and a requisite day on Monhegan Island, where Robert Henri, Edward Hopper, George Bellows, and Rockwell Kent all painted the island’s cliffs, meadows, and quaint fishing communities. The dates are June 21-27 and September 6-12. Cost is $2595 per person, including lodging, bike rental, guides, van support, museum admission, and most meals.
 
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Trustees Sites Not To Be Missed, The Guest House at Field Farm, Williamstown

Two of the finest art exhibitions in New England will take place in the Berkshires this summer. “Splendor, Myth, and Vision: Nudes From the Prado” will be on display at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown from June 11th through October 10th. Twenty-eight Old Master paintings, including works by Titian, Velasquez, Rubens, and Tintoretto will be on display. Just down the road in North Adams, Mass MoCA will feature “Explode Every Day: An Inquiry Into the Phenomena of Wonder.” Opening on May 28th, the ambitious show will exhibit works designed to explore wonder through the eyes of 20 contemporary artists. 

 
Once you’ve had your fill of art, relax at the Guest House at Field Farm in Williamstown, a 5-bedroom inn run by the Trustees. The Bauhaus-era home is also an art piece, a perfect example of American modernism. Walking into the living room is like walking into a post-modern early 60s museum set where Don Draper is your host. Unlike the rectilinear architecture, all furniture seems to have curves, from the Isamu Noguchi glass coffee table to the swan-backed couch by Vladimir Kagan. Large glass windows take in the stunning views of Mount Greylock. Grab a glass of wine, sit outside on the patio, and take it all in. 
 
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Maine Huts & Trails Completes First Phase of 180-Mile 12-Hut Corridor

This morning, Maine Huts & Trails will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate their latest addition, a new 14.2-mile section of the trail that connects Grand Falls Hut to the Forks. This completes the first phase of the Maine Huts & Trails effort to create a 180-mile, 12-hut recreation corridor.  They now offer 45 miles of groomed trails and 3 backcountry lodges located between Rte. 27/16 in Carrabassett Valley and Route 201 in West Forks. If you haven’t yet checked out this gem in the Maine wilderness, put it on your schedule for 2012. You’ll thank me.

 

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An Update on Santa Barbara, the American Riviera

Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches

Thanks to the generosity of a long-time friend, I recently spent a weekend at his lovely home, dating back to the 1920s, high in the hills above Santa Barbara. At ActiveTravels, we often get asked about the impact of recent fires and mudslides on Southern California travel plans, so I was grateful for the chance to check things out first-hand.
 
The Santa Barbara area is called the American Riviera, and, as far as I could tell, the joint was jumping. We were graced with glorious sunshine and warm (but not hot) temperatures. We journeyed into the waters off Santa Barbara aboard the Sunset Kidd, looking for migrating whales, but instead were treated to dozens of dolphins swimming and jumping right alongside us. We ate wonderful meals at Opal and at Blackbird. The latter is part of the newly opened Hotel Californian, very near the beach in the “Funk Zone” neighborhood (more on that later). The hotel features Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and modern Moorish themed interior décor, and incorporates the façade of the original 1925 Hotel Californian. To relax at the rooftop pool, or in the Turkish-inspired spa, would be amazing. After having a tour around with the Catering Manager Inga Winkler, I would not hesitate to reserve rooms there for ActiveTravels members (note: the chef at Blackbird whipped up an original vegetarian dish for my daughter, which was much appreciated). 
 
The “Funk Zone” near the hotel has enjoyed a renaissance. Formerly “the railroad track neighborhood,” it is now full of boutique tasting rooms, cafes, galleries, and shops that cater to Santa Barbara’s contemporary side. Converted warehouses and buildings decorated with graffiti murals and art pieces set the tone. 
 
We wine tasted at Skyenna, a stone’s throw from the famous Stearns Wharf, which we had visited on a prior trip. There was also an outdoor art fair in Shoreline Park, shops to check out on State Street, the Old Mission to admire, burritos at the original Freebird in Isla Vista near UC Santa Barbara, sushi at Arigato, and authentic Mexican food at Super-Rica Taqueria. One place my friend had recommended we visit for fine dining was closed due to the mudslides, the San Ysidro Ranch, so it’s definitely still an issue for some businesses. But, if Santa Barbara interests you, ActiveTravels would be happy to help you enjoy the hills, beach, water, food, and wine.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Sailing on the Schooner Mary Day

There’s a renewal of spirit as soon as we set sail on the Schooner Mary Day. The smell of wood mixes with the salty air as we glide out of that postcard-perfect Camden Harbor, gently crawling by the other historic schooners and yachts in the early morning fog. Goodbye mainland and the endless barrage of bad news, hello loons, anonymous pine-studded islands, and wide open water to bathe away all woes of modernity. I take deep gulps of the crisp air and breathe deeply.  

There’s 6 crew and 25 passengers from across America on our 3-night voyage, all under the more than capable helm of hirsute Captain Barry King. We’re asked to participate as much or as little as we like. My daughter and I jump at the opportunity to pull on the halyards of the main, joining many others in the group. The large sail rises, linked to a massive mast that still stands from the original 1962 design. With all sails up, the 90′ Mary Day is a beauty, as evidenced by all the motorboats that come by our side during the trip to take photos. We sail by the first of many lighthouses as Captain Barry bellows, “Porpoises on the starboard side,” only to watch the fins of their small gracefully arched backs break the water’s surface. 
 
Maine’s vast shoreline is best appreciated from the water. The Camden Hills rise above the mainland, island upon island form a welcome mat to the sea, rimmed with granite and topped with pine. Often we pass islands where one fortunate soul owns the lone house, sailboat docked, ready for service whenever he or she pleases. But today, there are more porpoises, seals, and bald eagles flying overhead than boats on the water. I breathe in more of that heavenly air, lie down and look up at the sails. Life is good. 
 

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