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May is the Month to Visit Ottawa

If you never had the chance to visit Canada’s capital city of Ottawa, then you’ve missed out on seeing North America’s only version of the Changing of the Guard ceremony, the morning ritual where dozens of red-coated soldiers with bearskin hats parade down city streets to the lawn of Parliament Hill. The best month to visit the city is in May during the Canadian Tulip Festival. From May 4-21, over three million tulips bloom in Ottawa. Visitors can sample food and entertainment from around the world at the International Pavilion, located near Commissioners Park, where 300,000 tulips bloom alone. Later in the month, Dutch tulips give way to a Dutch painter named Vincent Van Gogh. From May 25 to September 3, the National Gallery of Canada will present Van Gogh: Up Close, which explores the artist’s representation of nature. Visitors can marvel at 45 of Van Gogh’s paintings, including The Iris. Afterwards, reenergize with a BeaverTail. This wholewheat pastry, cooked in canola oil, and topped with a variety of savory toppings like chocolate, jam, pie filling, or cinnamon, is available year-round in Ottawa’s ByWard Market neighborhood. 
 

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Time to Ski New England

With six feet of snow on the ground in Boston, you can only imagine what the skiing’s like in nearby New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. In fact, a friend in Vermont just told me yesterday that this is the best snow he’s seen in 20 years. New Hampshire and Maine are also reporting exceptional skiing conditions. So if you have no plans yet for February school break, head to the mountains. Temps are expected to plummet this Friday and Saturday, so you might want to visit Okemo and ride on their new heated 6-passenger bubble chairlift. Or visit Jay Peak, where you can take several runs before bringing the kids indoors to their vast water park. If you need inspiration, here’s “Why I Ski the East.” 
 
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Taking the Golden Pass from Montreux

After a necessary stop on the French side of Switzerland to dine on patisserie in Montreux at Confiserie Zurcher, visit that glorious castle on the waters of Lake Geneva, Chateau de Chillon, and peer out at the awe-inspiring Mont Blanc from the balcony of my hotel, Eurotel Montreux, we took one of the classic Switzerland train rides on the Golden Pass. Throughout our entire trip, the Swiss Rail system was a breeze to use. All trains were on time (of course, this is the home of Rolex), comfortable, and easy to use thanks to an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass that allows you to jump on and off the rail system at your leisure. Complimentary admission to museums and sights like the Chillon Castle was an added perk for getting the pass. Along with the Chocolate Train and the Glacier Express, the Golden Pass is one of the signature train rides in Switzerland. We boarded the classic train in Montreux in the morning and soon were riding far above the shores of Lake Geneva, making stops in small mountain villages as hikers and bikers wandered off into the hillside. We stopped in the glamorous skiing resort town of Gstaad, before switching trains in Zweisimmen and taking the far more modern train to Bern. Trying one of these historic trains is a must when visiting the country. 

 
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Beat the Heat at New Castle’s Wentworth by the Sea

To celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday, 15 members of the Leavitt family headed to the outskirts of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and spent this past weekend at the historic Wentworth by the Sea. Considering it hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit both days in Boston, it was a good time to be on the Atlantic coast. First opened in 1874, Wentworth by the Sea is now operated by Marriott and all rooms have recently been renovated. Built as a summer resort popular with East Coast socialites, wealthy patrons, and former presidents, the hotel retains its grand feel. Our room had a scenic view overlooking a snaking river and marsh, where we were treated to a magnificent sunset on Friday night, the sky streaking orange, red, and pink. 
 
After a buffet breakfast on Saturday at the hotel, we spent most of the day in or by the resort’s pool, taking full advantage of the waiter service. But no need to dine solely at the hotel. Both New Castle and nearby Portsmouth (10-minute drive) are known for their top-notch dining. Within a 2-minute drive of the property are the Ice House and BG’s Boathouse, both known for their excellent lobster-in-the-rough options, like lobster rolls, steamed or fried clams, and scallops. On Friday night, we dined at the American tapas restaurant, Moxy, nominated year after year by the James Beard Awards for New England’s best restaurant. The small plate options included cod, fried clams, roasted beets, and a table favorite, chicken meatballs. On Saturday, we took a 1-hour harbor boat ride before beers at Row 34 (one of the best beer lists in town) and more lobster on an outside deck at Old Ferry Landing. Yes, we saved just enough room for the heavenly black raspberry ice cream down the block at Annabelle’s. Kudos to Lisa for planning a wonderful weekend getaway! 
 
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Derek’s to Reopen in West Bradenton in Late June

First located in downtown Sarasota, Derek’s was the place to go to try some of the most innovative fare on the southwestern Florida coast. One bite of the gulf prawns in a maple smoked red chile sauce or the tender beef shot ribs paired with wild mushrooms and you realize why owner Derek Barnes, who trained under Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans, was nominated by the prestigious James Beard Foundation as one of the best chefs in the southeast. Downtown Sarasota, however, never grew into the exciting neighborhood Barnes yearned. So he decided to head north and is now re-launching Derek’s in West Bradenton, an easy drive from Tampa or Sarasota. The ribbon cutting is June 18th. Check it out! 
 
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Peru Week with Abercrombie and Kent: Two Magical Nights at Sol y Luna in Sacred Valley

After touring the historical core of Lima, including the impressive Museo Larco and its vast collection of pre-Colombian art, we flew to Cuzco and headed onward to Sacred Valley. Our lodging for the next two nights was Sol y Luna, where spacious casitas, all with fireplaces and some with hot tubs, dot the grounds of this majestic landscape, surrounded by the serrated ridges of the Andes. I loved it here. Everywhere you walk are flowering shrubs and tall cacti in bloom, another photo to be taken, especially when large hummingbirds would fly into the golden flowers of my back deck. Vases of yellow roses were also found inside the casitas, along with wonderful local painting and sculpture. At night, our group of 18 met in a ranch-style setting for cocktail hour and then a sublime dinner, worthy of the property’s Relais and Chateau rating. We started with pisco mojitos, created with the sweet local mint grown in these parts. Then we dined on trout carpaccio and beef tenderloin, finishing with a dessert of tres leches. This is one Virtuoso lodging that I will recommend highly to our clients. 

 
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Biking and Sailing Egypt

While we’re on the subject of intriguing tours, Beyond Boundaries Travel out of Colorado Springs has teamed with Flash Tour of Cairo to create new biking and sailing trips in Egypt. So far, there are two 8-day itineraries, one along the Red Sea, heading into the undiscovered Eastern Desert. The second seems more exciting, heading to the pyramids along the Nile River between Aswan and Luxor. Since Egypt can get pretty hot in the spring and summer months, most of the biking is done in the early morning. You’ll visit Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, and many small villages that will be stunned to see a group of bikers riding by. All of the trips are guided and van-supported if you get tired, and include all lodgings and food. Trips start at an affordable $1153 per person.

 

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