Matador Network's Blog, page 1046

The best wellness beach destinations

Recent holiday trends have shown that wellness tourism is definitely on the rise, and beach destinations are proving the ideal settings. Traditional formulas of coastal spa resorts with beach activities like yoga and meditation remain popular, while other wellbeing holidays are focusing on a more active contact with nature, taking advantage of the sea, sand, and fresh air of beachside locations. From surfing in Portugal to hiking in the Caribbean, here are some beach destinations and recommended resorts and activities for your next revitalizing holiday.

1. Algarve, Portugal

Photo: Pawel Kazmierczak/Shutterstock

With both dramatic cliffs and stunning beaches, the coastline of the Algarve in Portugal offers variety when it comes to wellness holidays. For complete seclusion and escape from modern daily stresses, Vilalara Longevity Thalassa & Medical Spa provides 11 hectares of verdant botanical gardens and deserted sandy beach. The retreat offers a cornucopia of wellness options, including a high-impact spa, Thalassa, detox, weight loss, anti-aging, and fitness programs. Evening dinner can be savored at one of the two terrace restaurants beside the clifftop pool with lofty views over the Atlantic Ocean, and the suites and apartments are equipped with private terraces overlooking lush gardens, pools, or the sea. Prices start from $3,292 per person for seven nights, depending on the program.

Soul-searchers with a love of surfing, on the other hand, might enjoy Ed and Sofie Templeton’s newly opened Portuguese branch of their Soul & Surf holidays on this stretch of coastline, which is well known for its ideal surfing conditions. Their dreamy vision of a community of surfers, yogis, and voyagers has realized itself in an idyllic retreat based in a rustic farmhouse in the rugged coastal hills. When not surfing the waves, there are yoga and meditation sessions; intimate music gigs in the garden; and leisurely, communal meals with nourishing, wholesome food. Prices start from $457 per person for a Weekday Escape Package.

2. Ibiza, Spain

Photo: lunamarina/Shutterstock

The White Isle is certainly not the first place that springs to mind for a wellness break, but it seems Ibiza’s partying clientele have matured, and now visitors are heading to the island for health-boosting holidays rather than all-night clubbing. At Atzaro Spa and Hotel, for example, fresh, white-washed buildings, palm-shaded gardens, and delicate Moorish architecture form the ideal backdrop for the vast range of spa facilities and treatments. Facilities include saunas, a pool, and a yoga pavilion, while treatments range from deep tissue and hot stone massages to lifting facials and manicures. A spa day pass starts from $89.

Even legendary party hotel Pikes has hopped on the wellness bandwagon and introduced a Rockovery service, advertised as both a hangover cure and a place for guests looking to keep up their fitness and wellness routines. They offer everything from tennis coaching, to healing therapies, to detoxification systems with AcuDetox.

3. Losinj, Croatia

Photo: Susy Baels/Shutterstock

When it comes to finding something new, sometimes the solution is to take something traditional and give it a rebirth. The island of Losinj, in Croatia, was declared a climatic health resort by the Ministry of Health of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy in 1892. The remarkable pure air, a result of the salty sea spray; forests of Aleppo pines; and unique microclimate is still attracting visitors looking to treat respiratory diseases or allergies. But now it’s being recognized by those wanting an affordable wellness holiday, too, where the main treatment is completely free.

Many choose to rent mobile homes or camp, but some five-star hotels are popping up on the island too, like Hotel Bellevue, which offers a spa with color therapy and steam rooms. You won’t want to spend too much time cooped up in the hotel, though, as on the doorstep are forests rich with the scent of the herbs underfoot and quiet coves blessed with a gentle, salty breeze. All the therapy you need.

4. The Caribbean off the beaten path

Photo: Larwin/Shutterstock

As wellness tourism trends are moving away from shutting yourself up in a secluded spa to immersing yourself fully in nature, the Caribbean’s lush islands are proving a popular choice. With fragrant vegetation and sea air, therapy comes free here.

Hike Caribbean is one company offering hiking itineraries on the islands of Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, and St. Lucia, where fresh air, verdant scenery, and a healthy bit of heart-pumping exercise is the favored medicine. Tours are focused on one island or take you to several, so you can scale multiple mountain peaks. Some itineraries include other activities like birdwatching, yoga, or historical tours to learn about the islands’ colonial past. And whichever island you are on, you can rest your weary legs in the evening while watching a sunset from a paradisiacal beach. Prices start from $1,674 per person for a seven-night itinerary.

5. Agadir, Morocco

Photo: ParadisPlage/Facebook

Sun worshippers can perform sun salutations aplenty on a visit to the Agadir region, an area located on the southwest coastline of Morocco and famed for its average of 340 days of sunshine a year. The area provides an affordable wellness alternative to its Asian spa counterparts.

Near the surfing village of Taghazout, soul-seekers can check into the Paradis Plage eco-resort, offering surfing tuition, yoga classes, and a fully equipped spa. Programs at Paradis Plage strive for revitalization and balance with a three-step approach. An initial tough cardio session such as a beach run or a personalized boot camp ticks the “be active” box while a follow-up yoga practice and then sensorial massage cover “be mindful” and “be balanced,” respectively. Guests should return home with a refreshed sense of equilibrium. Prices start from $940 per person for seven nights.

6. Bodrum, Turkey

Photo: Sianji Wellbeing Resort/Facebook

The historical coastline of Bodrum, Turkey, is rich with antiquities like the ruins of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World dating from the fourth century BC. It also offers a magnificent stretch of uninterrupted coastline that’s ideal for a holiday focused on recharging and re-energizing.

For those feeling sluggish and lethargic, Sianji Wellbeing Resort is a family-run hotel particularly that’s known for its powerful detox programs. It guides its guests through diet revamps, which include juicing — raw, vegan, and alkalizing options — and detox specialists make sure you leave with a solid plan for continuing the program at home. Taking full advantage of its location on the Bodrum shoreline, the resort offers a seawater outdoor pool and a yoga pavilion by the beach, as well as Turkish baths, saunas, and three indoor pools. Prices start from $1,319 per person for five nights.

7. Marbella, Spain

Photo: 38DegreesNorth/Facebook

Located in the southern Andalusia region of Spain, this beachfront destination prompts visions of sunset cocktails and beach parties, flashy yachts, and luxury boutiques. However, the sunny seaside location also lends itself to year-round wellbeing and fitness breaks.

38 Degrees North is one company that is favoring the active approach over passive spa and sauna afternoons. They are offering a kind of beach bootcamp called “Body: Reset” where brave clients can expect high-intensity metabolic training instead of sunbathing. Motivational experts Claire and James support their customers through the footballer-style training sessions with kettlebells and plenty of jumping, boxing classes, and spin sessions. It may sound exhausting, but the formula seems to work, leaving you energized and with a strange addiction to their fitness programs. Plus, there’s no guilt when tucking into their three-course meals. From $3,980 for two people sharing.


More like this: Raglan, New Zealand, is the coolest surf town you’ve never heard of

The post Forget Bali and Tulum. These are the next big beach destinations for wellness. appeared first on Matador Network.

Mallorca residents sign petition

The residents of Mallorca in Spain have had enough of the cruise ships and their passengers descending on their island every day. Over 11,00 people have signed a petition calling for restrictions to be placed on cruise ships docking in Palma de Mallorca, limiting the number to one per day. Currently, around 500 cruise ships dock in the city each year — and as many as eight in a single day — bringing two million passengers to the island.

The petition claims, “The tourism of megacruises at Palma has increased in unsustainable and undesirable ways for our city, causing a serious environmental and territorial impact as well as growing social protests.” The focus of the manifesto is the negative consequences large cruise ships are having on the island’s natural environment. “Megacruises make greywater downloads 4 miles off the coast,” it says. “Such a vessel generates 200 to 400 thousand cubic meters of waste. 24% of the total solid waste found in the seas are generated by cruises.”

Last year, in July 2018, anti-tourist actions took place on the island with a group of local protestors gathered in the arrivals terminal of Palma de Mallorca International Airport with signs that read, “One Airline Every Minute is Not Sustainable” and several hotels on Mallorca reporting being vandalized with tags like “Tourism Kills the City!”


More like this: Why luxury canal barges are better than European river cruises

The post Over 11,000 sign petition to restrict cruise ships in Mallorca appeared first on Matador Network.

Bookseller job in the Maldives

If there’s one place to really escape the harsh reality that physical booksellers are on the decline, it’s this luxury eco resort in the Maldives. Last year, a bookshop near the five-star Soneva Fushi resort hired a “Barefoot Bookseller” to fill a bookseller role, in what was possibly the most unique bookseller position of all time. Now, the shop is opening its doors again in mid-October, and requires a new bookseller to shoulder the burden of working in a bookshop on the white sandy beach of Baa Atoll for six months.

Photo: Barefoot Bookseller

In addition to having a passion for books, the successful applicant should be prepared to write a blog that captures the life of a desert island bookseller, and be able to engage guests of all ages. The bookseller may also be expected to host creative writing classes, bibliotherapy, tutoring, and literary lectures; provide personal reading consultations for guests; and be proficient in social media.

Photo: Barefoot Bookseller

And in case you had any reservations, the position comes highly recommended. Aimée Johnson, last year’s Barefoot Bookseller, said, “Being the Barefoot Bookseller was an absolute dream. I got to meet amazing people, work with incredible books and live on a stunning luxury island. Very much the dream job!”

For more details, visit the official job posting.

This article was updated on July 29, 2019.

More like this: Here’s how you can live and work in Yellowstone this fall

The post This bookseller job in the Maldives is every book nerd’s dream appeared first on Matador Network.

CBD in Colorado

Cannabis tours, cannabis dinner parties, cannabis party buses — the legalization of recreational marijuana has changed the game for travel to Colorado. Activities include everything from sushi and joint rolling to cooking with cannabis classes, and even hotels have started allowing guests to get high in the rooms. The state is even rich in ways to experience the touted health benefits of cannabis even if you aren’t keen on getting stoned. How? Cannabidiol, or CBD.

CBD doesn’t get you high, but proponents say there’s a myriad of health benefits from relieving stress to reducing inflammation. It’s everywhere in Colorado if you know where to look, and for many, CBD has become synonymous with a trip to Colorado. Here’s everything you need to know about CBD in Colorado.

First off, what exactly is CBD?

Photo: Mitch M/Shutterstock

Cannabidiol is the full name for CBD, but nobody wants to say that over and over. CBD is one of the 100-plus cannabinoids from the cannabis plant, and can be isolated both from the marijuana flower and from hemp. Pretty much all cannabis products contain CBD, but CBD products made from hemp don’t have THC, and many made from the cannabis flower have a nearly undetectable amount of THC.

CBD will not make you “high” on its own. Specialty CBD producers do not extract THC for use in their products — everything they sell is grown from the hemp plant and has 0.3 percent THC or less. Consuming CBD is similar to consuming essential oils or other compounds extracted from plants. If you’re taking part in outdoor activities while in Colorado, try CBD cream or salve for sore joints or muscles — the experience is actually quite soothing for joint pain and inflammation.

CBD acceptance has, in part, increased the acceptance for all cannabis products for the general population. It’s been one of the hottest health topics over the past couple of years, and though the health benefits are still being tested, CBD has opened the door to the positive benefits of the plant for legions of otherwise skeptical consumers, lawmakers, and doctors.

What types of CBD-specific products can I buy?

Photo: Veritas Farms

Since legalization, and particularly since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill by the US government, the CBD industry has rapidly grown. Colorado is among the most progressive states in terms of what products you can buy, and many of Matador Network’s favorite CBD products for travelers can be found nationwide. CBD oil can be infused into just about anything one can consume, and because of this, CBD is an all-day phenomenon that often starts with the first cup of coffee. Beyond the specialty foods and drinks infused with CBD, these CBD-based products are available at dispensaries and some drug stores:

Tinctures: Liquid drops that are taken sublingually by dropping a small amount into your mouth.

Hemp oil salve: A lotion that’s rubbed onto the skin to ease aches and pains. Like other topical treatments, salves are available in multiple scents like lavender and menthol.

Capsules: Just like taking traditional capsuled medication, many dispensaries sell capsuled CBD.

Gummies: CBD infused into candy and other food.

Lip balm: Yes, you can even rub CBD on your lips nowadays.

The industry has been a major boost to Colorado’s economy.

Photo: Veritas Farms

Along with the bigger picture of cannabis legalization, the CBD industry’s growth has also been a major boon to the state’s economy. This extraction process, of course, requires trained technicians and scientists. Growing and harvesting the plant requires growers and caretakers. Packaging requires warehouse staff. And then there are sales reps, buyers, and dispensary staff. The result is a full-on industry that has brought in over $6 billion since legalization took hold on January 1, 2014. Because much of the production happens in rural areas far removed from the booming economy of the Denver metro area, this industry has brought thousands of jobs to parts of the state where they are needed the most.

“It’s exciting to see the job opportunities and the growth in the economy,” said Rianna Meyer, vice president of operations at Veritas Farms outside of the city of Pueblo. “The fact that we’re creating job opportunities in more rural communities is huge.” For cities like Pueblo, population 111,000, and smaller towns along the state’s southern I-25 corridor, the industry has helped to infuse a bit of life into stagnant economies. In 2018, the Denver Post reported that the industry had put $58 million into the economy of Pueblo County alone.

Veritas Farms employs over two dozen full-time staff and regularly brings in temp workers for harvests. They’re one of many such farms in southern Colorado and in a nod to the industry’s secure presence in the country’s economy, the company has now traded on Wall Street. “We’re a publicly-traded company,” Meyer said. “It’s legit. Everything affects everything, and if everyone is profiting, it’s a win-win situation.”

The best places to buy CBD products in Colorado

The most common place to buy CBD-infused products is at recreational cannabis dispensaries found across the state. There are dispensaries in most towns, but not all, as certain municipalities ban retail marijuana sales. CBD is also available outside of recreational cannabis shops in specialty CBD stores, regular retail stores, and infused in products like coffee and cocktails at cafes and bars. As long as you’re in a town of moderate size, finding a shop selling products is never far away. If you’re short on time in the state, though, experience the best of the best by hitting up these CBD joints — no pun intended.

Photo: p r e s s e d/Facebook

1. Pressed Coffee and Wine Bar — A coffee shop in the western Colorado town of Palisade, Pressed infuses coffee drinks with a shot of CBD upon request. Pressed brought the concept to the state’s western slope, but many shops in Denver, like Mattina Cafe and Drip Denver, have similar CBD options.

Where: 392 W. Third St, Palisade, CO 81526

2. Glazed and Confused— Located in Aurora, Glazed and Confused takes the cake — or dough — for the coolest way to consume CBD by straight-up injecting it into its doughnuts, though workers will gladly pump it into your coffee too.

Where: 2501 Dallas St, Aurora, CO 80010

Photo: The Nickel/Facebook

3. The Nickel — Inside the Hotel Teatro in downtown Denver is one of the first bars in the state to add CBD-infused cocktails to its drink menu — and plenty of bars around Colorado have followed suit. It will even teach you how to properly infuse CBD into your own cocktails if you sign up for the class on how to do so.

Where: 1100 Fourteenth St, Denver, CO 80202

4. Gelato Junction — Grand Junction’s spot for ice cream topped with CBD-infused honey, possibly the best after-work treat ever.

Where: 449 Main St, Grand Junction, CO 81501

Photo: Habit Doughnut Dispensary/Facebook

5. Habit Doughnut Dispensary — A Denver shop that also infuses its doughnuts, coffee, and cocktails with CBD through butter, tinctures, and bitters. It also directly infuses its doughnuts with booze through little pipettes, if you’re feeling extra naughty.

Where: 1553 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202 and 2200 California St, Denver, CO 80205

6. Althea’s Cheese by Design — A pizza shop located inside the music venue Quixote’s True Blue in south Denver that makes CBD-infused pizza.

Where: 2014 S. University Blvd, Denver, CO 80210

Photo: Nomad Taqueria + Beer Garden/Facebook

7. Nomad Taqueria and Beer Garden — This Golden taqueria has tacos made with CBD-infused mahi-mahi on a limited basis. Nomad is a 15-minute drive from Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, if you want to make a night out of it.

Where: 18485 W. Colfax Ave, Golden, CO 80401

8. La Xochitl — A Denver food truck that delivers via Uber Eats and infuses CBD into menu items on request.

Where: 2740 W. Alameda Ave, Denver, CO 80219

Photo: The ART, a Hotel/Facebook

9. ART— A boutique hotel just south of downtown Denver that offers a “CBDreams” package. Order it for $209 and your room will be complete with a variety of CBD products like lotions, edibles, and tinctures.

Where: 1201 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203

10. CVS — Keep it simple and affordable at CVS, which sells a variety of Colorado-made CBD products, including those from Veritas Farms. You can also buy its products online and ship them to all 50 states.

Where: Statewide


More like this: Can you take CBD on a plane? It’s complicated.

The post The ultimate CBD lover’s guide to Colorado appeared first on Matador Network.

90210 Peach Pit dinner pop-up

After scrunchies and mom jeans, it’s the turn of another ‘90s icon to make its comeback. The Peach Pit, the ‘50s-style diner where Kelly, Brenda, Brendon, Steve, Dylan, Andrea, and David of the original series Beverly Hills, 90210 used to hang out after their classes at West Beverly High, is headed to Los Angeles this August.

The show is getting a reboot (BH90210) with its original cast on August 7, 2019, and to celebrate its revival, Fox and PopSugar are hosting the pop-up event on Melrose Avenue in LA between August 1 and August 3.

The Peach Pit After Dark will serve serve a maximum of two complimentary drinks on the first two days, and food and drinks will also be complimentary during the lunch openings on August 2 and August 3.

In a YouTube announcement ahead of the BH90210 launch, Jennie Garth said, “You and your friends are invited to come hang out at our favorite hangout, and have some diner food, some ‘90s nostalgia, and some fun photo ops.”

Tickets are currently sold out, but there is space for walk-ins.


More like this: The best restaurants and bars in LAX

The post The Peach Pit from ‘90210’ is headed to Los Angeles this summer appeared first on Matador Network.

Best fitness gadgets for 2019

With the best intentions, a healthy lifestyle is a year-round commitment. But the truth is that fitness tends to change with the seasons. Different variables such as weather, health, commitments, hobbies, and travel can impact our lifestyle hugely. Yet with these long sunny days and so many reasons to get outside, now is a great time to recommit to your fitness. If warm summer temperatures and sunlight aren’t enough to get out and move, these eight fitness gadgets might be the motivation you need. Try them out and see what technology can help you achieve your goals this season, and keep those achievements going all through fall.

1. Ozmo Active Smart Bottle

Photo: Ozmo/Facebook

Let’s start with arguably the most important component of summer fitness — hydration. The sun is hot and our bodies need water to stay safe, increase stamina, and perform our best. Stay on top of your hydration with the Ozmo Active Smart Bottle. This BPA-free,16-ounce bottle will vibrate throughout the day to remind you to drink up, and an LED light will show your progress. The Bluetooth connectivity will also sync to a smartphone so you can track your hydration habits.

2. Tangran Smartrope

Photo: Smart Rope/Facebook

As a kid jump-roping was fun; as an adult it’s a great workout. The Tangran Smartrope makes it even more enjoyable by doing the counting for you, both in-air and in-app. With each evolution of the LED-embedded jump rope, it will display your workout data mid-air. After your workout, the Smartrope syncs your data to a smartphone for easy fitness tracking. Bring the rope outside, enjoy the sunshine, and see if you can beat your jump streak. Also available in rookie or pure versions with slightly different features, such as an adjustable rope and longer battery life.

3. Bose Soundsport Free wireless headphones

Photo: Bose Headphones

Take advantage of longer days and warm evenings with a bike ride, hike, run, or walk. Stay energized by tuning into your favorite podcast or summer playlist. The Bose Soundsport Free wireless headphones will provide five hours of comfortable, reliable, clear sound. They’re engineered with the athlete in mind and are built to comfortably conform naturally to the shape of your ear. The headphones promise to make sound full and balanced at any volume so you can focus on taking your fitness to the next level, true crime podcasts, or whatever motivates you.

4. Garmin Forerunner 235

Photo: Garmin watches/Facebook

Now is the time to start thinking about end-of-year races. With fall being a popular time for some of the nation’s biggest runs, you’re still in time to train. The Garmin Forerunner 235 has all the features a runner needs without the extra distractions. Stay focused on your workouts with this fitness watch that tracks distance, pace, time, heart rate, daily steps, calories, and sleep. The Garmin Forerunner 235 connects to a smartphone for simple integration with other apps or access to the Garmin app. The Garmin app has easy-to-understand charts and graphs to track progress and make sure you’re ready at the starting line.

5. JaxJox KettlebellConnect

Photo: JAXJOX/Facebook

Even with the extra hours of sunlight, summer days go by fast. The JaxJox KettlebellConnect can help you save time with an in-home workout. This smart kettlebell is six weights in one and all you need for a quick, effective, full-body workout. The weight can be changed between 12 and 42 pounds in under three seconds, making it easy to switch from kettlebell swings to deadlifts. The JaxJox KettlebellConnect will hold a charge for 14 hours, connect up to nine users, and sync all data to an app. The app tracks reps, sets, weight, and rest time so you can track progress and get those gains.

6. Powerdot Pain Reliever

Photo: Powerdot: Smart Muscle Stimulation/Facebook

Recovery is another important part of fitness, especially in summer when the spike in temperatures can make workouts more strenuous. The Powerdot Pain Reliever is an FDA-approved, smart muscle, and recovery performance tool that will keep you feeling your best. The device connects to a smartphone app that controls more than 10 electric muscle stimulation programs. The technology is designed to help you recover faster, massage out knots, avoid training fatigue, increase muscle strength, prevent injury, and more. It’s also sleek and TSA-approved, so the Powerdot Pain Reliever can go wherever your travels bring you this summer.

7. Vyper 2 Vibrating Fitness Roller

Photo: Hyperice/Facebook

Foam rolling continues to be an effective way to warm up or recover from a workout. The Hyperice Vapor 2 brings foam rolling up a notch — literally. The fitness roller has vibration technology with three different speeds resulting in deeper muscle activation. It can be used before or after workouts for increased flexibility, circulation, and reduced muscle soreness. The roller is also made of eco-friendly material and is TSA-approved.

8. Withings Body Cardio

Photo: Withings/Facebook

Scales can be a hard thing to recommend because weight only tells a small part of a person’s health. Especially during the summer where long runs end with ice cream and gym sessions are followed by BBQs. That’s why the Withings Body Cardio is a good option for monitoring health data without getting too hung up on pounds lost. Along with weight, this scale also sends an imperceptible electrical charge through you to measure bone mass, body fat, heart rate, and water weight. It sends the data to your smartphone for ongoing tracking and can differentiate between family members.


More like this: The best 10 beauty products for female black travelers

The post The best fitness gadgets to commit to a healthy lifestyle this summer appeared first on Matador Network.

Are Revel mopeds safe?

New York City’s newest form of transportation looks like something out an advertisement to tour Italy by Vespa. Revel, an app-based electric moped rental company, has covered the streets of Brooklyn and Queens with Mediterranean-blue moped scooters that are equal parts convenient, fun, and yes, risk.

Revel’s mopeds are somewhere between scooters and motorcycles. The mopeds reach up to 30 miles per hour and are street legal, but you can’t take them on highways or major bridges. You don’t need a motorcycle license or any previous motored two-wheel driving experience, but you do need to be 21 or older with a valid driver’s license and a (relatively) clean record. Their larger size means they can’t be piled up on some corner, like the Bird scooters out West. Yet there’s one quality that makes Revel more like a bike share than anything else: all it takes is $19 and about a 15-minute verification over the app to start.

It’s easy to be a little taken aback by the simplicity of it all. I picked one up after brunch in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn on a recent summer day. My friends and I spotted them outside the restaurant. Next thing we knew we were ignoring the scrapes up the side of the helmets and jumping on. Start to finish, it took about 20 minutes before we were cruising the streets as if we were in a Brooklyn remake of Roman Holiday.

How to ride a Revel moped

Photo: Revel

Finding a moped is easy. All you have to do is select a Revel on the in-app map. You can either reserve it 15 minutes ahead of time or book it right then and there. The reservation allows you to take your time walking to the moped’s location before it’s scooped up by another rider, but I’ve had multiple instances over the past month and a half where the one I reserved wasn’t where the app said it was.

Each ride is $0.25 a minute while riding, and $0.10 a minute when you pause your ride. There’s also a $1 fee to start for one rider, and $2 for two riders. There’s a 40 percent discount for anyone on public assistance programs. From my experience, the cost is a couple dollars more than taking the subway (and a lot less walking), but a couple dollars less than taking a rideshare like Uber or Lyft. Each Revel has a range of 60 miles, and the company monitors the mopeds and swaps the batteries whenever they get low.

The first minute on the moped is free so you have time to adjust your mirrors and put on the remarkably clean helmets locked in the cargo hold (apparently they clean them “every few days,” but Revel wouldn’t substantiate that for us). Then you’re good to go.

The first ride is the hardest because it’s far too easy to underestimate how touchy these mopeds are. Once you get that down, however, it’s similar to riding a bike that goes 30 mph. Top speed is right in that balance of fast enough to keep up with other vehicles in the city’s notorious traffic yet not so fast you feel like your life is in danger.

The mopeds have to be parked by backing into a spot on the street in a legal parking spot. Watch out for street cleaning days and which areas are restricted — it’s harder than it sounds for anyone unfamiliar with parking in NYC. The last person to ride the moped is responsible for any tickets or fines for 24 hours after parking though your responsibility ends as soon as another rider rents the moped. In late June, the company told The Verge, each of the 1,000 mopeds averaged six rides per day.

Are Revel mopeds safe?

Photo: Revel

I reached out to Revel through the brand’s contact page with questions about safety. I received a call from a public relations company shortly after wondering what the story was about and then an email with a standard fact sheet that avoided the questions.

Perhaps the company has reason to be defensive. The New York Times wrote that it’s alarming how easy it is for people to rent and drive. Vice went with the headline, “Revel Mopeds Won’t Fix the Transit Crisis and Might Get People Killed.”

Then there are the statistics. According to the New York City Department of Transportation, two percent of registered vehicles in the city are motorcycles, yet they account for 14 percent of traffic fatalities. Comparing a motorcycle to a Revel isn’t perfect, but it’s not exactly apples to oranges, either (New York classifies the mopeds as “Class-B limited-use motorcycles”). The majority of motorcycle fatalities were on city streets, not highways, and 43 percent of fatalities involved a rider who wasn’t properly licensed to drive it. If you’d rather think of Revel’s mopeds as closer to bicycles with a little more umph (despite not being able to ride in bike lanes), it’s not great either. New York City is in the middle of a bicycle death crisis with 17 cyclists killed since the start of 2019 and riders staging “die-in” protests in Washington Square Park with a goal of securing better regulations.

Anecdotally, the most dangerous part of using Revel is other drivers. I’ve had cars cut in front of me and slam on their brakes, people jaywalk without looking as I swerve around them, and cars suddenly make turns in front of me without using their blinkers. While I’ve never been in a moped accident in the 15-plus rides I’ve taken, I’ve ridden plenty of mopeds with crash marks and have had to use the moped’s loud horn more than I’d like to admit.

Revel didn’t get back to me regarding questions about the city’s already overcrowded streets, issues with parking and driving tickets, and backlash against people parking in no-park zones. The company also refused to answer a question about what Revel’s responsibility is to first-time riders from a safety standpoint.

Avoidance aside, it’s not a total free-for-all. Each moped is safety certified by the US Department of Transportation and registered with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. There are two helmets, one large and one small, and the mopeds and user are insured with third-party liability insurance for up to $50,000. Revel offers driving lessons though they’re not required.

Riders are out in the open, so it’s not as safe as a car. Overall, though, the vast majority of rides don’t feel unsafe.

Where you can ride Revel in New York City

There are 1,000 mopeds on the streets of Brooklyn and Queens. In Brooklyn, the service area reaches the top of Greenpoint to the north, the edge of Bushwick to the east, down to Industry City in the south, and along the waterfront of Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights, and Red Hook. Service is limited to Astoria, Sunnyside, and Long Island City in Queens. Operating hours are 5:00 AM to midnight.

Each Revel is tracked by GPS. If a driver goes out of the allowed service area, the company states in a fact sheet that they will “get in touch with riders to tell them to turn around.”

Bridges and highways are forbidden — including the bridges that connect Brooklyn and Queens. Despite the restrictions, there are few better ways to get around in the boroughs, both of which lack subways for people who want to go north and south.


More like this: Bird Scooters have taken over LA and SF and are headed to your city next

The post NYC’s new rental mopeds are both the most fun and most risky transportation appeared first on Matador Network.

Denver hotel brings puppies to rooms

Hotel room service typically consists of a pretty mediocre sandwich or, if you’re lucky, a plate of chicken parm. But this hotel is stepping up its room service game and giving its guests what they really want: puppies and prosecco. The Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Denver is offering a Puppies + Prosecco package, and yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. The property is celebrating National Dog Day — which falls on August 26 this year — by showing canine love on guests who book a Luxury Suite between August 23 and August 26.

If you do book during one of those nights, let the hotel know what day and time you’d like to receive your Puppies + Prosecco package, and they will arrange for puppies to be brought to your room, along with a bottle of sparkling wine and Italian cicchetti from Panzano. The number of puppies ranges from six to 10, and you will be able to spend an hour of private playtime. A puppy expert will also be provided to address any questions you may have.

Chris Guse, general manager of the hotel, said, “At Hotel Monaco, we are always looking for advanced elements of comfort and feelings of home for our guests. With that approach, puppies have naturally been incorporated into our evening wine hour program. The joy this activation has generated for everyone involved made it apparent we needed to take the concept to another level but in a more intimate setting.”

The best part is that half of the proceeds from booked rooms will go toward the Lifeline Puppy Rescue, a local no-kill rescue for puppies in the Rocky Mountain Region. And if you grow really attached to your little visitors, yes, they are available to adopt.


More like this: This luxe Santa Monica hotel will send gourmet room service to your dog

The post This hotel will deliver puppies and prosecco to your room appeared first on Matador Network.

Wind over coal as Texas power source

Historically, Texas has been known for coal-generated power, but that’s about to change. For the first time ever, wind power has surpassed coal in Texas. According to the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas, which manages most of the state’s electrical flow, 22 percent of the state’s electrical needs have been generated by wind this year compared to coal’s 21 percent. This is a huge win for wind power, as Texas produces and consumes more electricity than any other state in the country.

In 2003, wind made up just 0.8 percent of Texas’s power, then eight percent by 2010 before finally making the leap ahead of coal in 2019. In contrast, coal use has declined from 37 percent in 2013 to 24 percent last year and just 21 percent this year. Natural gas, however, still accounts for the largest portion of Texas’s energy, generating 44 percent of the state’s power. These trends are encouraging for climate activists who have long advocated a shift away from coal to cleaner, more sustainable energy.

The country as a whole, however, still has a long way to go. According to the Energy Information Administration, wind makes up just 6.6 percent of American energy production, but the agency predicts that renewable forms of energy, like wind and solar, will be the fasted-growing energy sources for the next two years and beyond.


More like this: How frequent flyers can offset their flight emissions

The post For the first time ever, wind surpasses coal as a power source in Texas appeared first on Matador Network.

Norwegian cancels US-Europe flights

If you were planning to fly Norwegian this coming winter, you might need to reconsider your travel plans. The low-cost carrier has just canceled 10 of its routes for the 2019-2020 winter schedule (starting October 10), equating to hundreds of flights. Many may resume during the spring and summer, but others are canceled indefinitely. The move is a result of the airline shifting its priority from growth to maintaining profitability.

Matthew Robert Wood, Norwegian’s senior vice president of Commercial Long-Haul and New Markets, said, “After a thorough review of our long-haul network and given that some US markets are highly seasonal, it is a natural step to focus our operations this winter on counter-seasonal routes that are more profitable, such as Asia, and also looking into growing our South America network.”

As Norwegian reduces its transatlantic output from 150 per week to 113 per week, the most affected cities this winter will be Los Angeles (losing three of its European routes) and New York (two). The following are the routes being canceled this winter season:

Boston to Paris
Chicago and Denver to London Gatwick
Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and JFK to Copenhagen
Los Angeles and Orlando to Oslo
Los Angeles to Rome
JFK to Stockholm



More like this: The worst US airports for delays that you should avoid this holiday season

The post Norwegian Airlines is canceling 25 percent of its US flights to Europe this winter appeared first on Matador Network.