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Chicago’s New 606

Like most rail trails, Chicago’s new 606 took years to develop. The last train to roll down the Bloomington Line was in the mid-1990s. That’s when the inkling of an idea to convert the trail to an urban park took root, connecting Logan Square with Bucktown and Wicker Park on 2.7 miles of elevated railway. We walked a good mile of the 606 on Sunday above the wide boulevards of this residential neighborhood. Already we saw the gentrification taking place, with new condos and apartments being built along the route, much like the High Line in New York. It also introduces people to neighborhoods they normally wouldn’t check out like Logan Square. After our stroll, we stopped at one of the picnic tables at the restaurant and bar Wyler Road and grabbed an Indiana Yum Yum beer on tap with a snack of cheese curds. A fun outing! 
 
Next week I’ll be reporting live from Las Cruces, New Mexico. I’m excited to return to southern New Mexico, my first trip back since the film my brother Jim and I wrote, Passionada, played at the White Sands Film Festival. I plan to hike in the White Sands National Monument and the Organ Mountains, check out the Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market on Saturday morning, visit the historic town of Mesilla where Billy the Kids once stood trial for murder, and sample the wares on the Mesilla Valley Wine Trail, among many other activities. Please follow along on this blog, Twitter @ActiveTravels, Instagram, and Facebook. Enjoy the weekend and keep active!
 

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Royal Air Maroc to Fly Direct from Boston to Casablanca

Morocco has become an increasingly popular destination for our clients at ActiveTravels in the past several years. The only challenge for people leaving from Boston is that there was no direct flight, meaning they usually had to transfer at JFK or Lisbon’s Portela Airport. Thankfully, that’s about to change on June 22nd. Royal Air Maroc has just announced that they will be flying direct from Boston to Casablanca 3 times weekly. Total flight time on the Boeing 787-8 will be 7 hours, 25 minutes westbound and 6 hours 35 minutes eastbound. Royal Air Maroc will also be joining One Alliance in 2020, so soon you’ll be able to use your American Airlines miles to find seats. Once in Morocco, we work with a fantastic ground operator who packages together all lodging, guides, drivers, and restaurants to make your experience as seamless as possible. A typical 10-day itinerary will include Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, the glorious seaside village of Essaouira, and at least one night at a Bedouin camp in the Sahara Desert. Please let us know how we can help. 

 
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Driving Cape Town’s Wine Route

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. 
 
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Chicago’s Cutting Edge Food Scene

Chicago has always been fertile ground for theater, not having to cater to commercial tastes to sell tickets like Broadway. Spanish director Calixto Bieito’s over-the-top production of Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real at the Goodman Theatre is currently the talk of the town, along with Donald Margulies’ intense drama Time Stands Still at the Steppenwolf. Haute cuisine is another matter, however, with the latest Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza, and Weiner Circle taking top billing. That changed dramatically when Grant Achatz came to town and opened Alinea. I reviewed his latest venture, Next, in The Boston Globe this past summer and was wowed by both food and concept. Every 3 months, the menu at Next changes to another part of the world and a different time period. I had the good fortune to dine at “Paris 1906” at the height of the Escoffier period. No surprise that Next was just nominated for Best New Restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation. Now Frontera Grill chef, Rick Bayless, known for his innovative Mexcan fare, is getting in on the fun, starring in a dinner theater production titled Cascabel. The limited engagement at the Lookingglass Theatre will run until April 22nd and received favorable reviews from The Chicago Tribune. 

 
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An Update on Santa Barbara, the American Riviera

Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches

Thanks to the generosity of a long-time friend, I recently spent a weekend at his lovely home, dating back to the 1920s, high in the hills above Santa Barbara. At ActiveTravels, we often get asked about the impact of recent fires and mudslides on Southern California travel plans, so I was grateful for the chance to check things out first-hand.
 
The Santa Barbara area is called the American Riviera, and, as far as I could tell, the joint was jumping. We were graced with glorious sunshine and warm (but not hot) temperatures. We journeyed into the waters off Santa Barbara aboard the Sunset Kidd, looking for migrating whales, but instead were treated to dozens of dolphins swimming and jumping right alongside us. We ate wonderful meals at Opal and at Blackbird. The latter is part of the newly opened Hotel Californian, very near the beach in the “Funk Zone” neighborhood (more on that later). The hotel features Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and modern Moorish themed interior décor, and incorporates the façade of the original 1925 Hotel Californian. To relax at the rooftop pool, or in the Turkish-inspired spa, would be amazing. After having a tour around with the Catering Manager Inga Winkler, I would not hesitate to reserve rooms there for ActiveTravels members (note: the chef at Blackbird whipped up an original vegetarian dish for my daughter, which was much appreciated). 
 
The “Funk Zone” near the hotel has enjoyed a renaissance. Formerly “the railroad track neighborhood,” it is now full of boutique tasting rooms, cafes, galleries, and shops that cater to Santa Barbara’s contemporary side. Converted warehouses and buildings decorated with graffiti murals and art pieces set the tone. 
 
We wine tasted at Skyenna, a stone’s throw from the famous Stearns Wharf, which we had visited on a prior trip. There was also an outdoor art fair in Shoreline Park, shops to check out on State Street, the Old Mission to admire, burritos at the original Freebird in Isla Vista near UC Santa Barbara, sushi at Arigato, and authentic Mexican food at Super-Rica Taqueria. One place my friend had recommended we visit for fine dining was closed due to the mudslides, the San Ysidro Ranch, so it’s definitely still an issue for some businesses. But, if Santa Barbara interests you, ActiveTravels would be happy to help you enjoy the hills, beach, water, food, and wine.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Luberon, Provence at its Finest

Guest Post and Photo by Jessica Bloom Galen
 
The approach into the hilltop villages of the Luberon was unforgettable. The winding "two-way" streets barely held our Renault convertible – it’s hard to imagine how two cars could pass simultaneously. We were rewarded for our faith in the GPS (highly recommended) and ambiguous road signs with a view of Gordes, an absolutely breathtaking village out of a picture book. It is one of the more touristy villages in the area so I recommend selecting accommodations in a more remote section of Luberon.
 
We stayed at Le Phebus and Spa, a rustic and charming inn on a street that had almost nothing else on it, in a town called Joucas. Our room was in a free-standing unit about 100 feet from the lobby, complete with a small balcony to look out on the grounds where we ate our breakfast of coffee, bread, meats, and cheese every day. Like many hotels in the area, Le Phebus’ restaurant is graced with a locally renowned chef who creates over-the-top gastronomic experiences every day. The tasting menu we had our first night there was filled with unusual and challenging offerings, like the sheep sweetbread croquettes and smoked mackerel accompanied by thin strips of octopus. The meal was heightened with the truly exceptional wine pairings, which we requested from the sommelier.
 
Which brings us to one of the true delights of the Luberon trip: the wine. It was a completely different experience of wine than we ever had before. We drove around just looking for signs to vineyards and tastings, known locally as "degustation" (as soon as you find one, pick up a guide to find the rest) as the hotel had been unable to provide much guidance. Our favorite by far was the Domaine de Tara, where a hilariously snarky guide with surprisingly good English led us through his delicious selections.
 
Another favorite stop was the Maison de la Truffe (truffle house). It hosts a small museum with artistic renderings of truffles through the ages, as well as some unexpected history of the fungus and its role in global commerce. They also have a beautiful courtyard where they serve delightful dishes featuring truffles (prosciutto, brie, fois gras) which, when paired with a glass of local rosé, formed one of the trip’s most iconic meals. On your way out through the gift shop, make sure to sample the truffle aperitif, a liqueur used locally in a sparkling wine cocktail, like an earthy kir royale. We also greatly enjoyed stumbling upon a few olive oil producers.
 
The populated towns like Gordes and Apt are nice to walk around for a bit, but to be honest, the really special part of the trip was letting the roads and our whims dictate what we saw and experienced. 
In short, here are out tips for a trip to the hilltop villages of Luberon:
 
• Select an adorable inn with a restaurant you won’t mind eating at more than once.
• Have a car, with a GPS.
• Just drive around, and be ready to stop short whenever you see a sign for a degustation (tasting).
 
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Ski The Ditch, Milwaukee

It has a vertical drop of 245 feet and is situated about 20 minutes from downtown Milwaukee in Franklin, Wisconsin. But since it was built atop a garbage dump in the mid-80s, skiers and boarders have been making their way to the Ditch, otherwise known as Crystal Ridge. There are two lifts for the intermediate and expert terrain and a tow rope for the bunny hill, totaling 7 runs altogether. But hey, you can’t beat the price, $25 for adults, $22 for children on weekends, $20 for all on weekday nights. And how many times do you get to ski atop a former garbage dump?
 

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