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Last Chance to Read the September ActiveTravels Newsletter

It might be the second day of October, but I was gone so much in September that I never had the chance to discuss the September newsletter of ActiveTravels. In this issue, we divulge 5 Tried and True Winter Escapes for our clients, including Morocco and the Ocean Club in the Turks and Caicos. Other topics include a Quick Escape to Reykjavik and the need for a REAL ID on all domestic flights starting October 1, 2020. Our October issue of the ActiveTravels newsletter will be coming out on October 10th and will include my recent trip to Peru. Stay tuned! 

 

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My Top 5 Places to Scuba Dive, Heron Island, Australia

Looking forward to seeing an ockie (octopus) in the bommie (coral head)? Then Heron Island, on the Great Barrier’s southern reef, is the place for you, mate. You might also dive with giant sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs between late October and March, or with humpback whales that skirt the island from June through October. Heron Island Resort, the island’s lone accommodation, has room for 250 nature lovers. The Point Suites offer unobstructed views of the harbor and bay. Part resort, part wildlife sanctuary, the island is large enough for couples to follow their own trail to a nesting spot among the white herons.  

 
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Spicer Mansion to Debut in Mystic in May

Conveniently located halfway between Boston and New York on the I-95 corridor, Mystic has always been a popular stopover to see the beluga whales at the Mystic Aquarium and the former whaling vessels at the Mystic Seaport, a re-creation of a 19th-century seaside village. Then there’s B.F. Clyde’s, the oldest steam powered cider mill in America, Mystic Pizza, and Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream, where homemade ice cream has been served at the same site for over a century. Lodging, however, has always been geared toward families, not adults who crave a bit more sophistication. That will change on May 4 when management of the acclaimed Relais & Chateau property, Ocean House, and Weekapaug Inn in nearby Rhode Island open the Spicer Mansion. A landmark since 1853, the building will return to its Victorian splendor. Expect the same level of service that one finds at the Ocean House, afternoon tea in the grand salon, cocktails at Room No. 9 Speakeasy, and a new restaurant that will offer a seasonal six-course tasting menu. Guests at the Spicer Mansion also gain access to the other two properties and their beaches and spa facilities. 

 
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Favorite American Drives, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, South Dakota

The Road Trip was designed with places like South Dakota in mind. Venture to Rapid City and you’ll have the chance to cruise with relatively little traffic, up and down the pine forests and granite passes of the Black Hills and through the awesome lunar-like landscape of Badlands National Park.  Add the most famous sculpture in the country, Mount Rushmore National Monument, and the herds of bison and bighorn sheep in Custer State Park, and you have a driving destination that’s hard to top. And all of these sights are in a state known for its affordability.  Whaddya waiting for?

No reason to rush out of Rapid City to Mount Rushmore. It’s only a 25 mile drive. Walk around and admire the retro Western architecture of the city, founded in 1876 by gold prospectors. On Main Street, Prairie Edge is a two-level 1886 building filled with South Dakota-made quilts and pottery and indigenous art. Buckin Pony Boutique will outfit you in proper Western attire for the trip. Just down Sixth Street, Tally’s is a local hangout, good for breakfast or a slice of pie. 

The faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln recently received a power wash, so they should be spanking clean for your visit.  Be sure to stay for the 9 pm nightly lighting ceremony, which includes a short film on the four presidents and the playing of the national anthem.

Grab some pancakes and a side of buffalo sausage at The Powder House, a log cabin in Keystone. Then head 17 miles southwest on Highway 16 to the Crazy Horse Memorial.  This vast sculpture, billed as the world’s largest, was started in 1948 and is still not complete! You can see the warrior on horseback and the outline of his outstretched hand pointing out towards this great land of the Sioux.

From Crazy Horse, take Highway 87 as it switchbacks through forest and squeezes through granite on one of the most exciting drives in the country, the so-called Needles Highway.  More buffalo await, in the form of burgers and stews, at the Lakota Dining Room in the Sylvan Lake Resort. The stone and timber hotel offers exquisite views of Harney Peak. Standing at 7,242 feet, it’s the highest peak east of the Rockies. 

Next morning, wake up and see big game on the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road through Custer State Park. Yellowstone might get all the hype, but Custer has its own herds of buffalo as well as bighorn sheep, mountain goats, colonies of prairie dogs, and wild donkeys just itching for a free handout.

The next day, rent bikes at Trailside Bikes in the nearby city of Custer. The George S. Mickelson Rail Trail follows the length of the former Burlington-Northern rail line from Deadwood all the way to Edgemont. In Custer, you can jump on the trail at Harbach City Park. 

Roughly sixty miles east of Rapid City on I-90, you reach the town of Wall. Back in the Depression, Wall Drug gave away free ice water. Now the megastore is a souvenir emporium, good for all those tacky gifts you want to bring back the neighbors. You can opt for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the 500-seat restaurant. Roast beef with all the fixins will set you back about $8.

Head south on Wall on Route 240 to reach the Pinnacles Entrance to Badlands. Soon after entering, you’ll be mesmerized by this phantasmagoric blend of topography—multi-hued rock steeples, massive canyons, and jagged peaks. The Loop Road (Route 240) is a 41-mile jaunt that leads to many of Badlands’ awe-inspiring overlooks like Conata Basin and Prairie Wind. 

Just south of the Badlands is the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, home to the large Lakota population. You can visit the site of Wounded Knee or better yet, head 18 miles south to the Red Cloud Indian School in the town of Pine Ridge. They feature a wonderful collection of Native American arts in the Heritage Center. An adjacent gift shop, selling handmade Lakota items, plays an important part in the local economy. From here, it’s an easy 90-minute cruise back to Rapid City.
 

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The Guild Makes its Debut in Austin

A good concierge is an invaluable resource that I’ve relied on heavily throughout the years for restaurant reccs, maps and city navigation, and sights that only a resident would know, like the Earth Room in Manhattan. That’s the reason why I’m often reluctant to book an AirBnB unless it’s a locale I know well. The Guild, a new concept making its debut in Austin, seems to be the best of both worlds. The Guild leases apartments in vibrant neighborhoods residents live, offering fully-furnished stylish spaces. The bonus: 24/7 concierge service and free coffee and beers at neighboring partner businesses where you just charge it to The Guild’s tab. The Guild currently has 100-plus units in Austin and is expanding into Dallas and Miami by early 2018.

 
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Budget Beach Option in Belize

Located at the southern tip of a long, narrow peninsula, Placencia attracts sun worshippers from all over the globe with more than 16 miles of white sand. If you tire of the beach, a popular day trip is a half-day kayak through the mangroves of Monkey River. Crocodiles, howler monkeys, even manatees can be spotted here. A popular beachfront restaurant in town is De’Tatch Seafood Beach Bar, where you dine on shrimp burritos or fish tacos. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of the six beachfront cabanas, all air-conditioned, at Blue Crab, you’ll also be treated to some great Asian fare, courtesy of the Taiwanese-born owner. 

 
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Great Late Summer Day Hikes: Climbing Monadnock

Climbing the broad-shouldered peak Henry David Thoreau called a “sublime mass,” Mt. Monadnock, is a rite of passage for many New England children. Just over the border of Massachusetts in southern New Hampshire, Monadnock is less than a two-hour drive from Boston. Its accessibility and locale, smack dab in the center of New England, has made it one of the two most popular mountain ascents in the world going toe-to-toe with Japan’s Mount Fuji. 

 
Early September, when the black flies are long gone and the first hints of fall color can be seen, is the ideal time to bag this 3,165-foot peak. Head up the White Dot trail, one of the steepest ascents, but also one that rewards with you with incredible vistas in a very short time. Above treeline, the forest recedes to form open ledges covered with low-lying shrubs like mountain cranberry bushes. This gives you ample opportunity to rest and peer down at the soft blanket of treetops, small towns with their requisite white steeples, a smattering of lakes and ponds, and farms that fan out to anonymous ridges. Soon you’ll reach the summit, where Thoreau watched in dismay as his fellow mid-19th century trampers inscribed their names in rock. You can still spot names like “T.S. Spaulding, 1853” clearly etched in the stone. 
 

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