Travel Archives - Page 2 of 4

10/11/2019

Ultimate NYC Fall Rainy Day Activities with Kids

Autumn takes Manhattan is not the name of the latest Muppet caper but what happens when the season grips the world’s most robust city. On a rainy day, the leaves’ fiery ombre colors assume a more industrial tint, melding with the city’s urban culture. Getting around with the addition of a portable umbrella that duals for crowded sky space, inevitably experiencing its demise in a trash receptacle from the havoc bestowed by wind tunnel blows, along with the constant splatter of cool wetness, is a natural deterrent for a city day. Mustering on and you will find a worthy adventure heroes in quests are familiar with. Begin at the top, literally, at Top of the Rock that offers 360-degree Midtown views 70 floors above street level. We swiftly pass through all checkpoints due to the lack of visitors who forfeited to the rain, given a gentle warning by the ticket attendant that sections of the observation decks are closed, and if we would like to continue. We’re game.

Westside views with skyscrapers and Central Park grant an interpretation of the city like no other.

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Posted By jdemontravel

08/23/2019

Slow Movement Travel – A Quick Reset in Litchfield, Connecticut

With so much talk of “Slow Movement”, some clarification may be needed for those who thought it meant a meditative walk at a holistic spa. Slow Movement is applicable to all facets of living, such as slow food, which is derived from an organic origin, to making genuine human contact by being less plugged in to our devices. It’s about conducting life at a thoughtful speed over frantically checking items off a mental To Do list while gulping down liquid caffeine. Considering that Slow Movement offenders abound, sometimes you need to physically remove yourself from the everyday. When making such a selection, choose a Slow Movement environ like Litchfield, Connecticut. This colonial town is less than three hours from the fast, electric hub of New York City yet its connection to the outdoors, history and pastoral setting make it the ideal destination.

A view from across Litchfield’s town center, a locale that preserves its heritage.

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Posted By jdemontravel

07/18/2019

Forget the Dinner Reservations – Why Dining In Is the Best Summer Option

Arriving at a Hampton restaurant on a summer weekend, expect to be greeted by a chirpy, college-bound hostess saying there will be an hour wait. Compelling Instagram feeds aren’t enough to sustain time at the bar with an enraged stomach. Take control of your summer meals by dining at home with the right set up.

Artisanal foods and a styled table setting creates a personalized atmosphere that’s as good as any leading restaurant.

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Posted By jdemontravel

10/27/2018

How to Stay Calm During Airport Travel

We have come to an understanding that a flight’s arrival time is more like an estimated time. Airports are synonymous with the DMV, antiseptic structures filled with cranky attendants in an endless stream of uncontrollable hiccups. In the bygone era of elegant voyaging passengers dressed for a flight and luggage was sturdy enough to moonlight as a dorm room table. The staff were attentive and polished, leading to the speculation that stewardesses have a degree from an airline school where they learn such things as putting on their origami shaped hats and wielding warm towels from a tong. Now the chasm brought from modern advancements has shifted travel culture. Kiosks cough up tickets or phones become your life device. Travelers drag wheeled luggage with wires sprouting from their ears, foam pillows cuffing their necks.

If your day involves an airport you must mentally prepare for the events ahead. Security is a series of undressing, discarding everything from shaving cream to peanut butter, and performing athletic poses in your closet experience to what it’s like to be scanned. There’s the forced smiles to the inspector as a plea to avoid a potential body search that would have #MeToo fanatics in an uproar. The frugal pack empty water bottles in their allotted one free bag. Others will pay $15 for a wilted iceberg lettuce salad in the terminal. Pulses race when reviewing the flight status screens. On time, delayed or the dreaded canceled. [Read more…]

Posted By jdemontravel

09/05/2018

24 Hours of Rural Sophistication in the Berkshires

Getting away is more than a pause from everyday life, it’s a needed restart from everyday existence. I live in a town where home upgrades and trading in cars happen in the same cycle as an annual checkup. Life becomes a constant rotation of contractors and car dealers. This is why traveling to the Berkshires for nature, history, and a slower-paced existence keeps you connected to simpler values. Even taking Route 7 north to the region is less manic than those urban edged-highways with billboards telling you to buy everything from a swimming pool to the best pizza in the county. The scenery offers gratuitous visions of historic structures and bucolic settings that take you back to vacation drives when you used Mad Libs to pass the time.

View from The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Lenox home that is a repose from the everyday.

The Berkshires have long been known as an artistic retreat for urbanites. It was the home of Norman Rockwell and Edith Wharton for a decade before she settled in Europe. It’s also the summer stomping ground of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where they entertain music enthusiasts at Tanglewood from July through August. This attracts visitors who have a keen interest in cultural activities in a quiet seasonal setting. There is also an abundance of churches, hiking trails and quaint shops to explore.

Scene from No. Six Depot that has an urban sensibility in a rustic locale.

On route we stopped at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe in West Stockbridge, an innovative eatery that roasts and produces their own coffee. On Mondays you may even see employees packaging the beans in the back. Though the delicacies are not exclusive to coffee. The updated railroad station, the oldest in the Berkshires, features an art gallery and farm-to-table menu helmed by South American Flavio Lichententhal. Lichententhal moved from Manhattan to the Berkshire’s with his wife, Lisa Landry, who oversees the tea and gallery. The No. Six Depot experience goes hand in hand with the Berkshires as a sensual escape.

: Urbanites will gravitate to this eatery.

: Hand-brewed tea.

: A mix of regulars and new visitors.

: Inventive menu.

: Dining space with an ever-changing display of art.

: Beans prepped for roasting.

: Ceviche served in a memorable broth.

: Outdoor seating and a ice cream hutch.

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Posted By jdemontravel

05/18/2018

Ultimate Guide to Spa Living

For those who consider spending half a day trekking mountain trails as more of a Hobbits-on-a-quest activity, a visit at Malibu’s The Ranch will have you think otherwise. This lush, back to the basics spa calibrates visitors to exhale more and take inspiration from nature to achieve an overall wellbeing. A sample itinerary could be cribbed from preschool activities with a monastic bent from its assortment of fitness programs interspersed with light snacks and naps. Set against the Santa Monica Mountains, the compound is seeped in earthy tones and glass structures made with sustainable materials that appear sprouted from the land. Its natural character relates to the outdoor, healthful lifestyle it supports. An open air kitchen, organic garden and rustic pool apt for a gathering of ancient biblical figures make the addictive hum of our devices less appealing. Here, spa design seamlessly intertwines with healthy living.

The Ranch’s decor takes its cue from the outdoors and vestiges from past travels.

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Posted By jdemontravel

09/25/2017

Travel – Experience the Transition of Greenport

I often thought of Greenport, Long Island, as the Hamptons’ challenged stepsister. During the drive for a quick getaway to investigate the area I adjusted my stance. The North Fork is the one who gets it but has no interest in letting too many in on the secret for fear of spoiling its inherent nature.

Greenport’s pier is the site of the North Ferry to Shelter Island.

The North Fork has been lauded for its agricultural bounties, dense with farms, vineyards, lavender and seafood operators, though characteristics of its tony neighbor across the bay have steadily been encroaching.

: From yachts to dinghies, boats from all over the world dock in Greenport.

: Barba Bianca, a finer coastal dining alternative over neighboring take-a-number restaurants.

: Antique finds in town.

: Little Creek Oysters offers fresh seafood to go.

: If you rather catch your own dinner.

: Authentic flavor.

There are Hampton styled cottages that are softly updated aside homes that could benefit from a visit to the Home Depot just three town aways. I saw such a ramshackle home on the drive to the hotel. Aside a cheerful sunflower patch was an antique farmhouse with no trespassing signs nailed to its side. A crusty character sat on the porch who would not appear out of place holding a shot gun and wearing long johns held up with suspenders, perhaps guarding his moonshine.

: Porch style.

: Charms of a town square.

: A stately though unpretentious home close to town.

: A historic relic.

: Old-fashioned soda fountain.

: Selling the basics.

In the hub of Greenport’s town consignment shops may outnumber organic lifestyle retailers, which works with me as I returned home with a set of china not made in China, fuchsia slip dress and gilded picture frames. The stores were decorated with vintage flair, a gratuitous use of patriotic emblems, which reminded me of Southampton in the bicentennial year. In fact Greenport may be Southampton in the 70s but it’s in a conflicted pace to catch up.

The 67 Steps that give the beach its namesake.

The region offers a mix of activities. You can tour wineries, stock up on just picked produce from the farm stands or swim along hidden beaches that offer stunning views of the bay and coast.

A private watering spot to help you forget.

We stayed at American Beech, a hip boutique hotel that could be the country version of a SoHo counterpart. Proprietor Brent Pelton is suitably qualified in acknowledging Greenport’s innate charm while giving the town a nudge into its deserved haute destination category, using his background in hospitality and law to create a lifestyle resort plotted within town. The compound includes a check in bungalow with a well edited shop, restaurants, bar and five tasteful suites with those details travelers adore like crispy white linens and bottles of Fred water for a charge.

: The courtyard of American Beech has a resort feel.

: American Beech restaurant if you want to dine within the hotel’s compound.

: Check in also offers a boutique to browse clothes and home accents.

: Suites with an attention to modern style.

In walking distance is shopping, restaurants, IGA market (another relic from a past decade) and pier with a quaint carousel. The Monday evening we visited the town hosted a band with dancing where you will fraternize with New Yorkers capitalizing on a three day weekend along with locals who have the we’ve-been-here-first elitism. I’ve always found that a devoted supporter to a town’s native essence allows a gem’s preservation to be thoughtfully handled.

Local band with dancing along the pier.

The pull between local and upscale is evident in everything from the boutiques to service the urban crowd like Calypso, or restaurants such as The Frisky Oyster if you have a hankering for duck confit spring rolls.

Wandering the town and you will find personalized authenticity in the seaside storefronts.

Autumn is another known commodity known to true North Forkers, its golden season is when you sieve out the ladies-drink-free and families with Thules clasped on to their SUVs crowd. The agricultural bounties kick in, with farm stands bursting with harvested crops and corresponding activities like hay rides and fundraisers. There are events aplenty, which include an Oyster Festival and East End Maritime Festival to showcase the area’s rich nautical history.

: Farmer’s selects.

: Sunflower patches abound.

: Best souvenirs to take home from this farm community.

Even the locals have more of an edge to them versus the typical coastal native profile who speak with heavy accents that can be sourced to the colonial days and eat lobster for breakfast. This is Long Island.

Hotels:

http://www.greenportvillage.com/category/lodging/hotels-and-motels/

Restaurants:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g47827-Greenport_North_Fork_Long_Island_New_York.html

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Posted By jdemontravel

08/11/2017

Ultimate Guide to Resort Town Shopping

The time has come in your vacation to investigate town, usually between beach and dinner. You navigate a sidewalk with other tourists who share a reddish tan that happens when you fall asleep to the ping ping of a Kadima ball in the bright sun. The town charms with a hotel that hosted famous Colonial folk. Cafes decorated with local art. Stores merchandised for the season. Some shopkeepers let you browse with a drippy ice cream cone, the window lists their other locations: Nantucket, Palm Beach, East Hampton… Here, we cultivate highlights from leading destination establishments, hocking everything from cocktail attire, sustainable flip flops and shot glasses with the town’s zip code, for the ultimate guide in resort town shopping.

: 1. Island Company Tote

: 2. Seabags Bucket Bag

: 3. Black Dog Volley Ball

: 4. Southern Tides Key Fob

: 5. Lush Bath Bomb

: 6. Nantucket Looms Throw

: 7. American Colors Company Tunic

: 8. Kerry Cassill Quilt

: 9. James’ Salt Water Taffy

: 10. Fatface Sweatshirt

: 11. White Marlie Hat

: 12. J. McLaughlin Towel in Mega Joyride

: 13. Stubbs & Wootton Mules

: 14. Juniper Ridge Cologne

: 15. Gorsuch Leggings

: 16. Calaypso St. Barths Scarf

Navy Canvas Tote 2. Watercolor Waves Bag 3. Beach Volleyball 4. Embroidered SkipJack Key Fob 5. Intergalactic Bath Bomb 6. Marine Blue Handwoven Throw 7. St. Barths Tunic in Sailing Stripes 8. Roses Quilt 9. Original Salt Water Taffy 10. Scotland Nation Airlie Sweatshirt 11. Trucker Hat 12. Beach Towel in Mega Joyride 13. Fallera Azure Women’s Mule 14. Backpacker Cologne 15. Deer Valley Leggings 16. Laraju Elephant Printed Silk Scarf/Throw

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Posted By jdemontravel

08/05/2017

Travel – Chatham, Cape Cod, MA

We reach the final leg of our trip in a Jeep weighed down with too many people, beach gear, unzipped bags and many towels since our rental does not provide them. The main road that takes us to our cottage is not cluttered with commercial behemoths. There are antique stores in historic homes, hardware stores hocking rain barrels, fishing outfitters and a nature center that hosts midnight walks along the seacoast. This could be the scene of a summer experience decades ago but it’s not. We are in the town of Chatham, plotted on the elbow of Cape Cod, Massachusett’s arm.

An antique store seen on route to our cottage.

: Chatham home in summer attire.

: Buoy art outside a shop.

: Our summer cottage, steps from Ridgevale Beach.

A Cape experience and there is no preoccupation with such things as matching your pool float to your bathing suit and securing appointments for an onsite hair stylist to prep you for an exhausting roster of fabulous events. We omit any scheduling to follow the simple offerings the town provides. Ridgevale Beach is in walking distance. There are plenty of restaurants. The main supermarket and fish stores provide local ingredients for meals at home.

Typical day at the local beach.

In town they have the expected tourist destinations—art galleries selling aerial shots of the ocean, Cape merchandise, trendy clothes designed by entrepreneurs who gave up corporate life to follow their dream, cafes that freeze extra coffee into ice cubes, choice of ice cream and fudge shops and more than one knitting establishment. On a morning when half our household made their tee time, we explored the two block town. An excursion where Cape appropriate trinkets were bought. Ate more ice cream, cookies, Italian ice and candy where I thought tongues would permanently stain blue. We gave in to the impracticalities of resort living. By the end of the trip there is life reassessment and talk of starting a clam bake outfitter.

Walk away from the crowds for a vacant plot.

: August in Chatham.

: Jockeying for a space.

: Kids on a path toward home.

: Lunch at Ridgevale Beach Snack Bar.

: The VW Thing is a perfect summer Cape car.

: Oceanfront gem.

: Tugging by.

: Fenced in.

In the dramatic shift from August to September the town’s tourists return to routine life, leaving the Cape’s most spectacular month. Days have the perfect ratio of crisp to warm temperatures, cool evenings, no crowds–an ideal time to clear the mind and draft a business plan.

The view from Chatham Pier and Fish Market.

Places to eat/market:

: Morning stop for breakfast at Marion’s Pie Shop.

: Shark bites.

: Candy Manor to stock up on more sweets.

: Deciding on a scoop at Buffy’s.

: Easy parking outside the shops.

: Seal watching at Chatham Pier.

: Just hatched eggs for breakfast.

: Seagull awaiting scraps at the pier.

400 East Restaurant & Bar: A bulky menu that serves everything from nachos grande to broiled scrod, tuna poke and ribs.

Candy Manor: An old-fashioned candy shop who homemade fudge and bins of candies.

Chatham Pier & Fish Market: Buy the catch of the day with on site entertainment provided by frolicking seals.

JoMama’s NY Bagels: Servicing our morning needs with great coffee and bacon, egg and cheese bagels.

Kream ‘N Kone: Fried fish selections, Cole slaw and soft serve ice cream in a family friendly atmosphere. Take out or dine in booths from plastic trays.

Marion’s Pie Shop: The morning line moves fast for coffee and all kinds of pie, even clam.

Buffy’s Ice Cream: In town, jovial pink setting, with a menu of flavors and soft serve.

Schoolhouse Ice Cream: An assortment of homemade flavors and other ice cream shop favorites.

Sundae School: A chalkboard lists innovative flavors you can create into a sundae with hot caramel, pineapple and other toppings.

Places to shop:

: Strolling through town.

: Ducks In the Window storefront.

: Shirts from White Marlie.

: Jack Wills on wheels.

: Sticker giveaways at Fat Head.

: Outdoor detritus at Baker’s Hardware.

: Easy parking outside the shops.

Ducks in the Window: If you are in the market for a rubber duck, this is the destination. A collection of rubber toys, candy and trinkets where shoppers inspect wares like displays in a gallery.

Fat Face: BoHo, urban sweatshirts and cool clothing in a hip corner store. The helpful salesgirl gave us the store’s background about British designers with the ideal to sell t-shirts and naming the store after their favorite ski run, but we were too busy inspecting the merchandise to catch it all.

J. McLaughlin: In even preppy resort town you can count on a J. McLaughlin for stocking up on pretty printed dresses, swim trunks and accessories.

Jack Wills: Come here for classic styles like striped teas, kick please dresses and wardrobe basics with an updated take

White Marlie: Designed tees, suits, hats and hoodies that offer a more styled assortment than a touristy shop selling Cape Cod emblemed clothes.

: Methodist church in town center.

: Chatham’s lighthouse.

If you have any questions regarding your Chatham trip, please email us at jdemontravel@ducksgoose.com.

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Posted By jdemontravel

08/02/2017

Best Travel Apps for Grownups

If the most fun you’ve had this summer is cooling off in the kiddie pool it may be time to get away. A proper trip, where you discover a new place or eat something so delicious the taste will be imprinted to memory. Travel can do everything from restore well-being to giving kids a summer that involves more than making some really cool sand art.

Before you hit the road, load up with apps that will facilitate travel needs.

Though traveling can come with some challenges. There are endless car rides that turn a vehicle into a mobile prison. Or trying to get by in a foreign territory without having to pantomime a lunch order. We uncovered apps that will cut through the tests of travel and build on your vacation experience.

HipMunk – Hotels and Flights

HipMunk is your virtual travel agent that will find the best accommodations, transportation and tour packages at an affordable price. Whether you have a getaway in mind or want HipMunk to find one for you, be prepared to sift through plenty of alluring options.

TastySpots

While we have sampled our way through every food app, what makes Tasty Spots so palatable is that it is intended for the foodie with I-really-ate-there reviews, pictures and content. The app will find a restaurant, help you order the best meal, and you can set up your own profile.

Walk Jog Run GPS Running Routes

For the exercise enthusiast, avoid getting lost or following a hotel map when drafting your workout route. WalkJogRun uses a phone’s GPS with millions of worldwide running notes to establish a customized route.

Glympse

It’s one of those group travel challenges–someone wants to go shopping while the other rather hit every tourist attraction at record speed. A difference in itinerary does not mean you can’t meet up for a drink. Glympse reunites parties by safely sharing your location.

Postino

When sharing your vacation on social media becomes too impersonal, revisit the classic custom of sending postcards but with an updated twist. Positino allows you to send real, tangible cards. Simply take a photo, select a background, write your message and for $1.29 the high quality customized card is sent between 2-5 business days. Sure beats finding a post office and licking stamps.

Mobile Passport

Want to feel like a VIP when you enter that dreaded moment at the customs line? While you don’t have to know a senator or titled official, Mobile Passport will certainly make you feel like you do. Officially authorized by Officially authorized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the simple process involves filing your profile, submitting answers regarding your trip and scanning your travel docs. The app will allow you access through U.S. Customs and Border Protection in over 20 major destinations.

Google Translate

Speak in your host country’s native tongue without having to take a lesson. Google translate is your app translator, which is the best way to connect with foreigners and navigate countries through language. You can even use your camera for a nifty text translation.

Waze

Waze is a navigation app that is far more than punching in a destination for directions, it is your virtual traffic guru. While turning off the highway and hitting a string of country roads that may make a simple trip seem like an epic odyssey, Waze will get you there faster by using driver shared traffic info.

Sit or Squat

Until apps can figure out a way to bypass rest stop visits, we must depend on public restrooms. Avoid that scary moment when opening the door of a pubic restroom—Sit or Squat is a handy app developed by the clever folks at Charmin with a listing of user generated reviews for over 100,000 bathrooms nationwide. Though it’s always a good idea to pack that handy roll of toilet paper.

whats app

If you go into shock when you receive a data usage email alerting the added cost from all your use of data, cut around that expense with What’s App, a free communications app.

Minube

For the traveler inspired by the beauty of a destination and insider info, Minube is an artistic compilation of user-generated photos and tips that allow you to sample a destination well before you hit the road. There are also recommendations based on your travel criteria and an ability to create a travel scrapbook.

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