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Dining and Lodging in Las Cruces, New Mexico

For authentic Mexican fare at an affordable price, it’s hard to top the restaurants in Las Cruces. I loved the ambience and history of dining at La Posta de Mesilla while sipping a house margarita and soaking it all in. Tacos al pastor was the signature dish at nearby Andele, perfectly charred meat topped with homemade salsa from their salsa bar. The huevos rancheros were so good at the homey La Nueva Casita I went there twice. Other highlights include the overstuffed lava burger, washed down with a refreshing pecan ale at the Pecan Grill and Brewery; fish tacos at the spanking new Dragonfly on Main Street (perfectly located for the Saturday Farmers Market); a tasty Greek salad with grilled chicken at Tiffany’s; and the frozen custard hot fudge sundae, topped with local salted pecans, at Caliche’s. I stayed at the Hotel Encanto, an easy drive to all the restaurants and sights in Las Cruces. After a long day of sightseeing and writing, it was great to unwind at their long pool shaded by tall palms and overflowing with monarch butterflies. A little bit of paradise in the desert. 

 

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After 5: Medellin

Home to vivid street art and a bounty of sculptures and paintings by Botero, Colombia’s only public transit system (including cable cars), and a burgeoning dining scene, Medellin has transformed from Pablo Escobar’s former hangout to one of the safest and most vibrant destinations in South America. It doesn’t hurt that this city of 4 million people sits in a valley surrounded by mountains at an altitude close to a mile high, offering sublime temperatures in the 70s and 80s degree Fahrenheit year-round. This lends itself well to outdoor cafes and bars, the ideal place to start your night out on the town. To see the rest of my story on Medellin in the latest issue of Global Traveler, please click here. 
 
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Part II of My Week in the Canadian Rockies: Lake Louise

Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches 

In Lake Louise, I would strongly suggest staying at The Post Hotel. Known originally as the Lake Louise Ski Lodge, the Post first opened in 1942. It has 100 luxurious guest rooms and suites, and an award-winning dining room (see more below); it’s part of the Relais & Chateaux brand, which means it must excel in the areas of comfort, cuisine, service and special character. Josh and I have neighbors in Toronto who go to the Post Hotel every year for their anniversary, it’s that special.
 
Before your Lake Louise hikes, go to Bill Peyto’s Cafe for breakfast, inside the Lake Louise hostel. We ate there twice and can surely recommend their simple fare, done well. After your hikes, splurge and eat at the Post Hotel. For ambiance (though mediocre cuisine), we liked the Lake Louise Station (inside the original train station). If you want to see the classic Chateau Lake Louise, you could try a drink in one of their restaurants like the Lakeview Lounge after your hike. 
 
To see Lake Louise itself, you need to arrive in the parking lot before 9 am or after 5:30 pm; it’s kind of a "must-do" in this area, and there is a walking trail halfway around the lake which you can take (1 hour round-trip). We did this at around 8 am one morning, with mist rising off the lake. Beautiful! Moraine Lake was even more magical. We arrived about 7 pm and lucked out finding a parking spot. We strolled on the lake trail (45 minutes round-trip), and the light was amazing. During main daytime hours, you can take a canoe out on the lake as well. 
 
For hikes, I can easily recommend the one we did. Stanley Glacier Trail (3.5 hours round-trip) was actually in Kootenay National Park (British Columbia), but directly between Banff and Lake Louise (in the Castle Junction area of the Lake Louise Trail map). Away from the large crowds, this hike rewarded us with a spectacular view of both the glacier and cascading waterfalls, as well as the area’s mountains and valleys. Scrambling up the rocks at the end of the hike, as we drew closer to the glacier, was challenging and fun.
 
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VOGA Features Adventure Weekend for Women in Vermont

Vermont Outdoor Guide Association (VOGA) will feature a weekend of outdoor recreation and education on the shores of Lake Morey the weekend of March 2-4. Offered to all women over the age of 15, courses will include dog sledding, fire making, traditional winter camping, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, orienteering, ice fishing and much more. You can camp outside or spend the night in a heated cabin. Cost for the all-inclusive weekend program is $285. Registration for courses is first come, first serve, so sign up now.
 
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New Direct Flight Routes Across America

I wrote earlier this year about the exciting new direct flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Nairobi, Kenya on Kenya Airways, opening up East Africa to safari lovers. As of Monday, you can now fly LAX direct to the African continent and the country of Togo on Ethiopian Airlines. Southwest will soon launch direct flights from the West Coast cities of San Diego, San Jose, Oakland, and Sacramento to Hawaii. Boston’s new direct flight to Hawaii on Hawaiian Air will debut April 4, 2019. Boston will also be debuting direct flights to Lisbon and Edinburgh on Delta next May, along with a new Norwegian Air flight to Madrid and direct flight to Seoul on Korean Air. If you’re flying out of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, expect new service to Athens, Lisbon, and Quebec City next summer. Out of JFK starting July 27, 2019, the low-cost carrier, LEVEL, will be flying direct to Barcelona. Newark already has a new direct flight to Singapore on Singapore Airlines and will be unveiling flights to Naples and Prague on United, and Nice on La Compagnie next May and June. Wherever you want to fly in 2019, ActiveTravels will find the easiest route possible. 

 
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Destinations to Visit in 2015—Any Country in the Eurozone

Last week, the euro dipped below $1.25 against the dollar. Economists say the exchange rate could be as low as $1.10 over the next year. This is due to a stimulus package the European Central Bank is on the verge of providing to support the economy. Stimulus packages tend to weigh heavily on a currency. Anyway, I’m a travel advisor, not an economist. Take my advice, that dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris might finally feel affordable next summer. 

 
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Fifth Annual Hotel Week in Manhattan January 3-15, 2016

If you want to visit New York at a discount, then head to the city during their Fifth Annual Hotel Week in early January. Both Gansevoort properties, the Refinery Hotel, Library Hotel and many other top-tier lodgings cut their rates considerably during this time. For example, the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Tribeca will only be $100 a night, more than 50% off their usual rate. Hotel Week NYC™ was created by PR maven Nancy J. Friedman in 2010 to address the occupancy dip most hotels experience after the holiday season. It’s a perfect time to visit Manhattan without the crowds. 

 

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