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Stocking Stuffer No. 4: Deer Valley and Stowe Lodging

Judging from the trips we’ve already booked this upcoming Holiday season to Aspen, Park City, Whistler, and Zermatt, our clients love to ski. They even own property at several ski areas and are now renting out to others. In Deer Valley, you can stay at a 5-bedroom townhouse that sleeps 10 comfortably for as little as $395 a night. A free shuttle on neighboring Deer Valley Drive takes you just up the road to the ski resort or a 10-minute ride into Park City. It’s a great location to ski all three mountains, Deer Valley, Park City, and the Canyons. The townhouse also features a long dining room table, two living rooms, a hot tub, and great views of the mountains. At Stowe, the 4-bedroom Ridgerunner is a mile from Mountain Road which leads to Stowe. The 3-story house features a state-of-the-art kitchen, dining room table built for 20, game room, large outdoor deck with fireplace, hot tub, and wonderful views of Mount Mansfield. 

 
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Stocking Stuffer No. 3: Lather’s Road Warrior

Those of you who’ve been reading my blog for years know I’m a big fan of Lather products. I came across their goods in LA, but now I’m starting to see their olive oil based soaps and mint thyme hair wash in the northeast, recently at several Lark Hotels. Lather is owned by Pasadena-based Emilie Davidson Hoyt, who grew up sensitive to synthetic fragrances found in most cosmetics. She started using natural ingredients and now she’s celebrating her 16th year in business. The trial sized shaving cream and face lotion are always with me when I travel with my carry-on luggage; the sea kelp body wash and shampoo are with me when I hit the gym. Now you can get all these products and more in a nifty dopp kit holiday package called the Road Warrior. Priced at $48, it’s perfect for that special man in your life. 

 
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Stocking Stuffer No. 2: Larry Olmsted’s Real Food Fake Food

In 2012, Boston, a city that prides itself on its fresh seafood, was rocked to its ocean-loving core 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. Diners were served cheap Vietnamese catfish instead of the succulent and more expensive grouper, haddock instead of cod, tilapia in place of pricey red snapper. Indeed, 24 of the 26 red snapper samples tested were some other species of fish. The two reporters 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. In his latest book, Real Food Fake Food, writer Larry Olmsted goes so much further, telling us that most kobe beef sold at restaurants is indeed wagyu; extra virgin olive oil is rarely that, usually cut with soybean and peanut oil; grated parmesan is almost always fake; and that grass-fed beef was probably drugged and raised in a crowded feedlot. It’s no surprise this book has already made many “notable books of the year” lists. For anyone who wants to start off 2017 on the right foot, grab a copy and then buy that olive oil from a trusted supplier Olmsted recommends, like Oliviers & Co. One taste of their olive oil and you’ll never go back to the fake stuff again.

 
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Stocking Stuffer No. 1: Jim Jermanok’s “Beyond the Craft”

Having sat next to my brother at a number of his workshops, including stops at Harvard and the Seattle Film Festival, I know firsthand how incredibly inspirational his talks can be. Jim’s already worn so many hats in the entertainment world—talent agent to stars like Alan Arkin and Helen Hayes, screenwriter, director, theater director, documentarian, award-winning producer—and known so much talent that have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams and others that have failed miserably. In fact, he’s distinctly qualified to understand and analyze why some people can make a good living pursuing their creative ambitions and others stuff those dreams away in a dimly lit office far from their film, art, or journalism schools. Take it from a guy who’s worked as a full-time travel writer and screenwriter for the past two decades, Spielberg is not going to call on line one and you’ll be marketing far more than you’ll be writing. 

Finally Jim has organized all of his thoughts and anecdotes into one book, Beyond The Craft, published this past September. Not only will you learn how to network effectively, creating a detailed marketing plan of follow-up phone calls, but you’ll understand the necessity of knowing everything about the business side, most importantly who are the players who can hire you or show your wares. Jim also delves into the psychological aspects of dealing with rejection and the importance of surrounding yourself with incredibly supportive friends. He’s literally been all over the world delivering his seminar on How to Live a Creative Life. In fact, Jim just returned from Amman and Tel Aviv teaching filmmakers and writers on how to best make their voices and visions shine. Beyond the Craft should be mandatory reading at every film and art school across the nation, a pragmatic step-by-step guide to making your dreams a reality. If you don’t believe me, take it from the guy in the picture with Jim, Martin Landau, who knows a thing or two about success. 
 
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Marie Pechet, In Memoriam

My conversations with Marie Pechet usually started with a line like this: “I have chemotherapy in a couple hours and you won’t hear from me in the next 3 days.” We had met two years ago when a mutual friend introduced us. She was interested in traveling to an off-the-beaten-track locale, much like her beloved Cape Santa Maria on Long Island in the Bahamas. She would never discuss her health with me.  But I looked online and read one of her stories where she had been battling colorectal cancer since 2008, shortly after her second child was born. Eight mind-numbing years of battling a stage 4 cancer and her incredible spirit shone through those phone calls and literally hundreds of emails I’m now reliving. She wanted an eco-friendly hotel that respected her diet of vegetables, beans, lemon and lime, olive oil, avocado, and nuts. Her older son, now 13, was also allergic to nuts, fish, lentils, and pumpkins. We found a place on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, Aguila de Osa, where the owner is known to go overboard to make every wish come true. She loved that property and would often talk about returning, even though her husband, Tiron, loathed the long boat ride to reach it (see the photograph). 

We would book other trips to Dominican Republic, Florida, Tanque Verde dude ranch outside of Tucson, even Bloomington, Indiana, after learning that our daughter goes to Indiana University. She would comment on my daily travel blog, wish us well on our travels, send other clients our way, and write lengthy reviews of all trips where she would be brutally honest about the good and the bad. In truth, she was the client Lisa and I dreamed about when we first started this business 5 years ago. She was battling cancer for close to a decade, undergoing brutal chemotherapy sessions while raising two boys, and had far more zest for life than most people I know. Her cancer would simply not allow her to take life for granted. On Wednesday morning, she finally succumbed to that dreadful illness. We had just spoken several weeks ago, discussing the details of her family’s return to Tanque Verde over the holidays. Death was the farthest thing from my thoughts especially when talking to this enthusiastic woman so full of life. I hope Tiron and the boys do return to Tanque Verde, a land of craggy peaks and long horizons, where I know Marie will take her rightful place in the clouds watching over everyone she touched. In only two short years, she had an immediate impact on our lives and will leave a large void.
 
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Stay and Ski Deals in the Berkshires

Three of the Berkshires’ top hotels have teamed up with local ski areas to offer ski packages as low as $205 per room, including lodging, two lift tickets, and complimentary breakfast. Stockbridge’s historic Red Lion Inn has teamed up with Butternut Ski Resort, while the new Hotel on the North in Pittsfield and the Porches Inn in North Adams have partnered with Jiminy Peak Ski Resort. Porches is across the street from Mass MoCA, which is staging a yearlong exhibition on artist Nick Cave. The massive installation consists of thousands of found objects and millions of beads, definitely worth checking out on your day off from skiing. 

 
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Lark Hotels Holiday Pop-Up Shop on Newbury Street December 13-18

I’m busy this week writing about the latest properties to open in New England for Yankee Magazine. Two of those boutique hotels, Blue on Plum Island and Gilded in Newport, are managed by Lark Hotels, the collection that is quickly expanding around the region. Learn about all their properties including Hotel Salem, which is slated to open next summer in Salem’s Newmark building, at a pop-up on Boston’s Newbury Street. You’ll also have the chance to purchase Lark Hotels’ deluxe sheet sets and hand-selected items from LATHER, Lark’s exclusive bath amenities partner. The pop-up is located at The Shop, 144 Newbury Street, on the corner of Dartmouth Street. 

 
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Kimpton Opens First International Hotel on Grand Cayman

Lovers of the Kimpton Hotels brand will want to know that they opened their first international property on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach this week. Called the Seafire Resort, it’s the first new hotel to make its debut on Grand Cayman in more than a decade. The 266-room resort is home to an 8,500 square-foot spa, oceanfront bungalows, mega-sized pool, and the restaurant, Avecita, which is already starting to garner attention on an island known for its dining. Expect tapas-style small plates with local fish and vegetables, flavored on a wood grill. 

 
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The Debut of the Trapp Family Lodge Bierhall

I caught up with Sam von Trapp at the Boston Ski Show and he was really excited about the opening of his new bierhall at Stowe’s Trapp Family Lodge. He’s been brewing award-winning Austrian-style lagers since 2010 but now you have a chance to swig a pint at large communal tables while being served lunch and dinner items from the wood-fired grill. The bierhall is located right on the cross-country ski trail network (and mountain biking network come spring). I can think of no better way to reward yourself after a good sweat than having a cool freshly made lager. Look forward to checking it out this winter! 

 
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Walking Newport’s Cliff Walk in the Off-Season

Monday morning, Lisa and I had the privilege of walking the Cliff Walk under sunny skies. Rhode Island’s most popular trail is perched on the rocky shores above the Atlantic, ocean on one side, the backyards of the massive Bellevue Avenue mansions on the other. In the summer months, this 3 ½-mile route is crowded with hundreds of folks yearning to see the sloping lawns and backside of those summer “cottages” the Vanderbilts, Whitneys, and Astors built at the turn of the century. This time of year, you’ll pass the occasional dog walker or jogger as you take in the expanse of the sea all by your lonesome. Park your car on Narragansett Avenue near the walk and proceed to the right. The sun was beating down on the clear and shimmering ocean waters. We soon spotted The Breakers, the Italian-style villa commissioned by Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1895. Another highlight is the red and gold lacquered Chinese-style pagoda at the Marble House. We enjoyed learning about the history of each estate at sign posts scattered throughout the walk. Simply type the number into the website and you’ll get the scoop.