The post Top Travel Days of 2023, Driving the Kanc appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
Working as a travel writer based in Massachusetts, you can imagine how many fall foliage stories I’ve been hired to write over the years. At least 100 articles, with additional chapters on the subject in each of my books for Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, Outside Magazine, Discovery Channel, and the latest, New England in a Nutshell. Name the topic—biking, mountain biking, paddling, driving, golfing, antiquing, hiking, restaurant tours, historical slants, even llama trekking, and I have a story for you. You think I’d be jaded. Yet this past October, Lisa and I brought our friends Holly and Tim from California along with our dog, Theo, on a 5-day fall foliage trip into the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont. We were fortunate to hit peak foliage in the White Mountains and it was glorious!
One magical day, we drove the 34-mile Kancamagus Highway, the legendary route which snakes through the mountains. We would pull over and take walks along the Swift River and to Sabbaday Falls, with leaves of every color falling around us. Theo gleefully ran from leaf to leaf as we took close-up photos of our favorite samples. We would end that day at the outdoor hot tub at Topnotch in Stowe, Heady Topper in hand, looking up at the majestic hillside awash in color. Hard to get jaded seeing this year in, year out.
The post Top Travel Days of 2023, Driving the Kanc appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>The post Daytrip Comes to America appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
Since Daytrip debuted in 2015, we’ve worked with them to book a number of drives for clients around the European continent. They’re a fantastic alternative to train or plane travel, especially when you want to stop along the way to visit an off-the-beaten track town or sight. For example, Lisa and I used the company in Spain on a 3-hour drive from Granada to Seville. We stopped for lunch in Ronda and toured the picturesque town and bullring that Hemingway made famous with the driver/guide before continuing on to Seville. It was one of the most relaxing days of the trip, lounging in the back of a comfortable Mercedes sedan while taking in the scenic Spanish countryside. We were happy to see that Daytrip finally made it to American shores, offering their private services on the East and West coast. I plugged in Boston to New York and saw that they’re offering a chance to break up the trip by hiking in Purgatory Chasm outside of Worcester or visiting the Mark Twain House in Hartford. Let ActiveTravels know when you want to leave the driving to someone else and we’ll go over the options from Daytrip.
The post Daytrip Comes to America appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>The post Best Summer Drives in New England appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
One doesn’t drive in New England simply to get from Point A to Point B at the fastest possible time. No, we like to linger, savor the beauty, cherish the history. We’re fortunate to be blessed with a diverse landscape full of majestic sights like the jagged shoreline of Maine, the granite notches of New Hampshire, the verdant farmland of Vermont, and the long stretch of white beach found in Rhode Island. We stop not only to post photos to our Instagram and Facebook accounts, but to dine on lobster rolls and fried clams at renowned seafood shacks, hike on the same shoreline and forest paths that inspired Winslow Homer and Robert Frost, and stop to stay at legendary inns or a new cabin built into the vast Maine wilderness. To read my story for Yankee Magazine on 8 Great Summer Drives, including maps, please click here.
I’m off to Medellin and Cartagena, Colombia next week. We’ll be back on June 11th with posts from Amy’s recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. In the meantime, enjoy this glorious summer weather and see some of the countryside.
The post Best Summer Drives in New England appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>The post Favorite Fall Foliage Travels—Cannon Beach, Oregon appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
Only a 90-minute drive from Portland, Cannon Beach is where the mighty timber of the Pacific Northwest meets the long stretch of beach from California, offering the best of both worlds. First stop is towering Haystack Rock, which stands tall in the shallow waters, inspiring awe from all who stroll hand-in-hand on the hard-packed sand. Be on the lookout for the resident pod of grey whales off the Oregon coast which number around 200. Then drive over to nearby Ecola State Park and take a hike in this Emerald Forest, where massive 300 year-old Sitka spruce trees have trunks as wide as a redwood. The woods soon recede, replaced by sandstone bluffs, pink colored beaches and the great expanse of the Pacific. Make your way south, stopping in the fishing community of Bay City for small, tender Kumamoto oysters on the half shell at Pacific Oyster. Dessert is creamy blackberry ice cream at Tillamook Cheese Factory. Spend the night in affordable Manzanita, where rooms at the Spindrift Inn are as low as $109 a night in the months of September and October.
The post Favorite Fall Foliage Travels—Cannon Beach, Oregon appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>The post Best Summer Drives in New England appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
Yesterday, as I was taking a spin to the local coffee shop on a Vespa, I was thinking how great it is to cruise on any form of transport in weather this sublime, be it a moped, bike, skateboard, or car. On Sunday, I plan to bike along the Charles River to grab my chicken shawarma sandwich at Inna’s Kitchen at the Boston Public Market. This is the time of year to truly see the authentic seaside villages and rolling rural mountain roads of New England. If you need ideas on routes, be sure to check out my recent story for Yankee Magazine on 8 Great Summer Drives, including maps. Have a great weekend!
The post Best Summer Drives in New England appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>The post Driving from Clarksdale to Natchez, Mississippi appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
Since I already wrote about Asheville and Charleston this week, let’s continue south to Mississippi and a memorable drive my brother Jim and I once took. In the small Delta town of Clarksdale, learn about the birthplace of the Blues at the Delta Blues Museum, and then spend the night at one of the most intriguing properties in America, the Shack Up Inn. Set on the Hopson Plantation, where the mechanical cotton picker made its debut in 1941, owner Bill Talbot has converted six former sharecropper shacks into his own version of a B&B (bed and beer). The next morning head south on Highway 61 through the rolling green farmland that makes up the heart of the Delta. Eventually you’ll reach the trenches Union and Confederate troops dug during the Civil War’s bloody Siege of Vicksburg, now a National Military Park. Another hour of driving and you’ll find that gem of a town on the Mississippi River, Natchez. During its heyday prior to the Civil War, when cotton was king, Natchez had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the country. They built palatial estates, like Monmouth Plantation, your final stop. Monmouth’s meticulously landscaped grounds, shaded by centuries-old oaks and their thick dress of Spanish moss, is bursting with colorful azaleas come spring.
The post Driving from Clarksdale to Natchez, Mississippi appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>The post May is the Ideal Time of Year to Visit Asheville, North Carolina appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
It certainly was a privilege to be born a Vanderbilt in the latter part of the 19th century. While Cornelius Vanderbilt II erected his mega-mansion, the Italian-style villa The Breakers, in Newport, brother William and his wife Alva were designing the nearby Marble House. Then there was the youngest of Cornelius’s siblings, George Washington Vanderbilt II, who decided to shun the Atlantic coast and build his estate in the therapeutic mountain air of North Carolina. Built in the French chateau style by renowned Manhattan architect, Robert Morris Hunt, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville is still one of the largest private homes in America, close to 180,000 square feet. Each spring, Biltmore celebrates the legacy of American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the mastermind behind the Biltmore gardens. Olmsted’s influence is obvious throughout year, but especially in spring when a progression of blooms spreads like a flowery blanket across the estate. The gardens come to life with the tulip bloom followed by multi-colored azaleas, rhododendrons, and roses in the resplendent rose garden.
If you’re feeling active, horseback ride or bike the grounds of the Biltmore. The Biltmore Outdoor Adventure Center also features Segway tours, stand-up paddleboarding, rafting, and sea kayaking. Another joy in the spring is the 80-mile stretch of roadway between Asheville and Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are numerous opportunities to stretch your legs and stroll to lonely mountain streams and waterfalls. Back in town, check out the Asheville Art Museum and visit one of the many galleries like Woolworth Walk, a gallery in an old Woolworth’s department store.
Asheville is gaining a reputation as a foodie destination. The tapas at Curate, especially the squid ink paella is worth the wait. Luella’s Bar-B-Que (just north of downtown) serves ribs, pulled pork, smoked chicken wings, even barbecued tempeh. White Duck Taco in the River Arts District is known for their innovative tacos featuring jerk chicken and banh mi fillings. End with an artisanal hot chocolate at French Broad Chocolate or one of the Flemish beers at Thirsty Monk.
The post May is the Ideal Time of Year to Visit Asheville, North Carolina appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>The post Time for that Iowa Road Trip appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
2017 marks the 150th birthday of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. There’s no better way to celebrate his life than to head to Iowa, home to the only remaining hotel designed by the famed architect, Historic Park Inn Hotel in Mason City, along with two other Wright-designed homes, the Stockman House in Mason City and Cedar Rock in Independence. The ultimate summer road trip through America’s heartland begins in the Hawkeye State. The Iowa Department of Transportation recently announced the designation of three new scenic byways to join Iowa’s growing list of iconic byways and historic trails. From standing atop a Mississippi River bluff to stepping into the world of American Gothic painter Grant Wood or retracing the footsteps of Lewis & Clark, each of Iowa’s byways highlights a unique feature of the state. Along the way, road trippers will not want to miss the state’s wacky roadside attractions, like the world’s largest bull, tallest corn stalk, and largest strawberry.
The post Time for that Iowa Road Trip appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>The post Driving Cape Town’s Wine Route appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
We could have rented a car to visit the vineyards of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, an hour’s drive from Cape Town, but the thought of driving on the left-hand-side of the road while downing glasses of wine did not thrill me. It was a wise move to hire a driver, especially when we realized that the drive is exquisitely beautiful with vineyards rolling to the base of jagged mountain peaks, dotted with the distinctive white Cape Dutch style architecture. Our driver, Malcolm Frye, picked us up in his comfy VW Van and off we went to Stellenbosch. Malcolm delved into the complex and often tragic history of South Africa while stopping at four very different wineries he had selected. He was a wonderful companion for the day, full of anecdotes from a very full life in southern Africa (ask him about his military stint in Angola and about his son, a pilot for Cathay Pacific). I’d highly recommend him for drives to the Wine Region, Cape Point, Hermanus, and the Garden Route.
Our first stop, Meerlust, is a sixth-generation Dutch farm estate known for its award-winning Rubicon wine. Next up was the more commercial Spier Wine Farm, where we tasted a very good chenin blanc. The opulent Delaire Graff Estate is owned by the diamond dealer, Laurence Graff, and is now a Relais and Chateau property housing mega-sized portraits and sculptures by South African artist Lionel Smit and a diamond store that will make you weep with envy. Thankfully, the vista of the breathtaking mountain pass was free. My favorite winery, Delheim, was where we had lunch. Lost in the vineyards at the base of a mountain, Delheim was the antithesis of Delaire Graff, simple, authentic, one of the first wineries to open in Stellenbosch over 50 years ago. We dined on wild mushroom lasagna and lamb shank, so tender it fell off the bone, washed down with a wild fermented chenin blanc.
Malcolm dropped us off at our lodging for the night, La Residence, located in the hillside outside of Franschhoek. If I die and go to heaven, I want it to look exactly like La Residence. This is as close to a bucolic paradise as I’ve found. Our room overlooked a pond where a black swan swam. Peacocks were found on the branches of a tree nestled on the shore. Beyond the pond were springboks running, and surrounding our spacious suite was a valley of tightly woven vineyards ringed by mountains. The town of Franschhoek was also a gem, lined with restaurants and boutique artisanal shops. We were there on a Saturday morning, when the local Farmer’s Market was in full swing. We made the mistake of having Malcolm pick us up after only one night in Franschhoek. Next time, I’ll book La Residence for at least two, if not three nights, to relax and savor the scenery and wines.
The post Driving Cape Town’s Wine Route appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>The post Favorite Fall Drives, Highway 29/Silverado Trail Loop, Napa Valley, California appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>
Only an hour drive north of San Francisco, expect the vineyard-draped hillside of Napa Valley to be tinted with crimson and gold come autumn. But the real reason to head here this time of year is to participate in one of the harvest season’s crush parties, where you get to stomp on the grapes. Some of the biggest names in American wine, from Opus One to Stag’s Leap, line Highway 29 north of Napa and the Silverado Trail heading back south from Calistoga. Stock up on cheeses, bread, cupcakes, and other picnic fare at the 40,000-square foot Oxbow Public Market in Napa. Then hit Highway 29 to pick your selection of wine. Have the requisite mud bath in Calistoga at Golden Haven Hot Springs. Andaz Napa is a 141-room boutique hotel located in the center of Napa, a good place to unwind after your day or two of touring.
The post Favorite Fall Drives, Highway 29/Silverado Trail Loop, Napa Valley, California appeared first on Active Travels.
]]>