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Celebrating Our 4th Anniversary at ActiveTravels Thanks to You!

In 1990, I left my job as an insurance broker in Manhattan, booked an open-ended ticket to the South Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia, and wrote my first travel story, “Dining with the Descendants of Cannibals on a Fijian Island” for the Miami Herald. It would prove to be start of a career where I would write more than 1500 stories (over 300 articles for the Boston Globe alone) and visit over 90 countries. Then the recession hit. I lost more than half my editors in 2008-2009 as magazines folded and newspapers either eliminated or greatly reduced their travel sections. Wanting to utilize my travel expertise, I convinced Lisa to join me in a business venture and become an accredited travel agent. 

 
Close family and friends scoffed at the idea, as if I just announced that I was becoming a blacksmith. After all, wasn’t it President Obama who suggested in a town hall meeting that travel agents were becoming obsolete? How could they possibly prosper against big-pocket online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia, Priceline, Travelocity, and Orbitz? There was just no need for them anymore, or was there? Since we opened ActiveTravels 4 years ago this month, without benefit of advertising dollars or a marketing department, there has been a steady stream of traffic. In fact, we just hired another assistant, Jainy, so you might be hearing from her. 
 
We want to sincerely thank you for trusting us with your travels! Enjoy the long weekend! While relaxing on your chaise lounge chair, please check out our latest newsletter. We cover Alaskan cruises, divulge our favorite resorts in the Turks & Caicos, and introduce you to one of our beloved Italian outfitters. 
 

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August Newsletter Now Available at ActiveTravels.com

Summer is the best time of year to book flights to warm-weather destinations this coming winter. This is especially true if you’re forced to travel during school vacations. Hesitate to book your flight and you’ll be stuck on bad connections that cost a fortune. We’re here to help with flights and suggestions. In the August issue of the ActiveTravels Newsletter, we take you to Oahu, where we just returned from a glorious Hawaiian vacation. We also divulge some of our favorite hotels in the Turks and Caicos, an easy getaway for those of you on the East Coast. We introduce you to Jeep Patagonia and their trips to one of my favorite locales on the planet, Torres del Paine. Lastly, we discuss the increasingly popular destination of Iceland, where I’ll be headed in several weeks for the Society of American Travel Writers convention. 

 
We’re off to Ithaca and the Berkshires, back next Wednesday, August 27th. Have a great week and keep active!
 
Steve and Lisa
 
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Urban Renewal Awards, Vento Nature Sanctuary, St. Paul, Minnesota

On the banks of the Mississippi River, Vento Nature Sanctuary is now home to bald eagles, blue herons, and acres of restored wetlands. It’s also popular with rock and ice climbers who like to propel themselves up the steep walls that rise from the river.  Yet, Vento was once a dying rail yard, left to rust by the Burlington National Railroad. Thanks to a grant from the city’s Metropolitan Council and private donations, all contaminated soil was removed and the boundaries of the park were expanded so folks can have more green space to play.
 

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Family Surf Camp in Costa Rica

A well-known destination for eco-adventurers, Costa Rica’s abundant wildlife, warm beaches, and natural beauty are hardly a secret. However, the small surf town of Montezuma is home to a little-known gem of a property that delivers all that Costa Rica has to offer, and so much more. This spring we took the kids to Peaks N’ Swells for a week of family surf camp. The coaches were so instructive and encouraging that I was up and riding on green waves the first week! My boys, ages 6 and 8, were able to paddle out into the white water, turn around and catch waves all on their own. 
 
After a full day on the water, we would return to the beachfront villas for a dip in the pool, fresh coconut water directly from the “pipa,” homemade chips & salsa, and mangos picked from trees on the property. The kids occupied themselves hunting for the howler monkeys that swing through the property while the adults enjoyed daily yoga on the patio. Though the villas do have kitchens, most nights we opted to have a local woman come in and cook. There is no restaurant that could beat sitting down family style to feast on Nora’s fish tacos and homemade arroz con leche. Peaks N’ Swells delivered everything we were looking for in a family vacation. It was active, cultural, educational, and adventurous…but most important, it was a blast. We’ve already booked our return trip.
 
Written by Guest Blogger Emily Bradbury
 
 
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A Great Time to Be in Boston!

Call it justice for a city still healing from the loathsome murder and mayhem committed on one of our celebrated days of the year, the annual running of the Boston Marathon. Or simply pay heed to the remarkable job Red Sox GM Ben Cherington did by dumping the salaries of big name ballplayers like Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez and picking up the unheralded Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes, and a journeyman 38-year old pitcher named Koji Uehara. After last year’s laughable season, where we ended up in last place, all we wanted was a chance to have fun at the old ballpark again. But when you’re led by a man named Big Papi, the Babe Ruth of our time, anything is possible. As a travel writer, I’m constantly on the road. Fortunately, I had no trips booked these past two weeks so I could enjoy every game of the World Series with my family. This weekend, there’s no place I’d rather be than home watching the duck boats drive by in a well-deserved parade. 

 
Enjoy the weekend and stay active!
 
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Walk the Freedom Trail in Boston with the Histrionic Academy

May is my favorite month to be in Boston, which is why I just returned from Miami and I’m leaving for Bermuda, DC, and Watch Hill, Rhode Island in the next couple weeks. Go figure? I love the tulips in bloom at the Public Garden and the small of budding flowers and trees after a fresh rain. Several weeks back, my wife’s cousin and her family were in town and we took them on the Freedom Trail, the three-mile walking route that guides you to the most famous historic sites in the city. Toss your map in the garbage and simply follow the red line that takes you the Granary Burying Ground, the final resting spot for Paul Revere, before venturing to Paul Revere’s house in the North End.

This time, however, we booked a tour with the Histrionic Academy and followed a local historian in colonial garb as he taught me a thing or two about a trail I’ve written about ad nauseum. For example, the little hill I always pass in the Boston Common once was home to a large elm tree that was a popular venue for public hangings in mid-17th century. At the Granary, we stopped to salute the great garrison of the colonial era, James Otis, who coined the now famous phrase, “Taxation without Representation is Tyranny.” A brilliant orator, we learned from our guide that he fought passionately against the “writs of assistance,” which allowed the British to enter any colonist’s home without reason. I love learning something new about your hometown, even when you think you know it all.
 

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Wet, Wild & Wallet-Friendly: Sea Kayak the San Juan Islands

Whether you crave the salt of the ocean, a rapid river through canyon walls, or a lake to get lost on, there’s more than enough activity to be had on America’s greatest bodies of water. This summer, you can sea kayak in the San Juan Islands, surf the Pacific, even learn to scull on a hidden lake in Vermont. And, of course, like most outdoor adventures, you can do it on a budget. This week, I describe five of the best ways to get wet throughout the country. So stop sweating and go jump in a lake. 

There’s no better way to explore the myriad of San Juan Islands and its abundant marine life than from the comfortable confines of a sea kayak. During the summer months, the San Juans are home to pods of Orca (killer) whales in search of Pacific salmon.  Who needs to see Shamu at Sea World when you can kayak beside him? At any given time, you might also be accompanied by minke whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, porpoises, harbour seals, and sea lions. Birding is also exemplary with more than 300 species of birds found in the region, including bald eagles, great blue herons, and loons.  Paddle on a 3 or 4-day jaunt with Tim Thomsen, owner of San Juan Kayak Expeditions, who’s been leading tours since 1980. Thomsen knows every nook and cranny of this region. The price starts at $520, including guide, kayaks, meals, tents, and other camping equipment.
 

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