Matador Network's Blog, page 959

Rent a castle in England under $500

There are some pretty creative rental properties available around the world, but spending the night in a castle is a classic that’s pretty tough to beat. On HomeAway, you can book Tawstock Castle, an 18th-century castle located in the bucolic village of Tawstock, England. The castle sleeps eight people, and is close to Barnstaple and North Devon’s beaches, so your castle getaway can also double as a beach vacation.

Photo: HomeAway

According to the listing, the castle “weaves its magic over the Devonshire countryside with 360 degree views over the Taw Valley and Saunton Sands.” It features four bedrooms — two of which are en suite — as well as access to a castellated roof terrace and a reception room with an ornate panelled ceiling, luxurious sofas, and fireplace.

Photo: HomeAway

You might think this castle would be out of your price range, but it’s actually only around $475 per night (with a two night minimum). Divvied up between eight people, that’s an absolute steal for a castle retreat in the English countryside.


More like this: 11 insanely beautiful castles you can actually stay the night in

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Best Palm Springs winter hikes

Say you’re going to Palm Springs and people picture you day-drinking poolside or playing round after round of golf with your grandparents. In either scene, a big, bright sun undoubtedly hangs overhead in a cloudless sky, like summer in a still frame. Only, in Palm Springs, that perfect summer sun actually comes out during winter, when the temperature drops from oppressively hot to pleasantly warm and rarely dips below 60 degrees.

Though hiking may not be the first activity that springs to mind when you think of the Sonoran Desert, December through February is the ideal time for cold-phobic trail fanatics to lace up their boots and hit the Southern California wilderness. These are the best winter hikes around Palm Springs to put you in touch with your outdoorsy side while (mostly) avoiding the snow.

Riding the tramway to one of Southern California’s tallest peaks

Photo: Cameron Cross/Shutterstock

Standing guard over the Sonoran Desert at nearly 11,000 feet, Mount San Jacinto is without question the peak to bag while in Palm Springs. According to some, including famed naturalist John Muir, it ranks among the finest hikes in California or anywhere in the world.

In Muir’s day, summiting San Jacinto Peak meant plodding up the mountain from the desert floor. Today’s visitors can kick off their excursions on the world’s largest rotating tramway, which connects Valley Station just outside of Palm Springs to Mountain Station in Mount San Jacinto State Park, a stop on the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s a 10-minute ride packed with views of granite peaks, sub-alpine forests, and cities scattered across the sands. Though relatively quick, the tramway cuts out over a mile of steep, rocky incline.

Don’t expect a cakewalk up to the summit once you’re at the top, however. There’s still six strenuous miles to go on foot from Long Valley, a short walk from Mountain Station where you’ll find the park’s trailheads. Self-register for a permit at the ranger station before following Long Valley Creek to Round Valley, where there are campsites should you prefer backpacking to day hiking, then on to Wellman Divide, and up to the summit of San Jacinto Peak.

While winter is prime hiking season in Palm Springs, it’s worth noting that, on average, Mount San Jacinto State Park is about 30 degrees cooler than the flats, and it can get snowy up at the top. Waterproof hiking boots are recommended, as are warm layers and accessories like gloves and a beanie. Pro tip: Stop at Peaks Restaurant once you’re back at Mountain Station to warm up, refuel, and toast to your successful climb.

Cactus to Clouds — the long route to San Jacinto Peak

Photo: AJ9/Shutterstock

Memorable as the tram ride is, some hikers may want the bragging rights to climbing Mount San Jacinto from base to peak. For them, there’s the grueling, yet rewarding, Cactus to Clouds hike, which starts in downtown Palm Springs and largely follows the Skyline Trail to the summit. This isn’t a route to be tackled by just any hiker, particularly during winter when it may get icy. Experienced trekkers should come prepared with the appropriate winter-hiking gear.

To set off on the Cactus to Clouds ascent, find the trailhead near the Palm Springs Art Museum. From there, the hike can be broken up into roughly a dozen different sections ranging in distance from less than a mile to more than 15. (In total, the Cactus to Clouds Skyline Trail spans just under 25 miles.) On the descent from San Jacinto Peak, we recommend taking the tramway back down to the desert floor from Mount Valley. Even without hiking all the way back to Palm Springs, budget for about 15 hours of total hiking time.

Not up for all that but keen on a tram-free summit experience? The shortest route kicks off from the Marion Mountain Trail near Idyllwild-Pine Cove. Easier than Cactus to Clouds, it’s still a tricky 13-mile trip that’s only appropriate for advanced hikers. You’ll even break a fierce sweat on the six-mile uphill, which is only occasionally broken up by switchbacks or flat paths.

Exploring Mount San Jacinto State Park

Photo: Supannee_Hickman/Shutterstock

Not all hikers are peak-baggers. Mount San Jacinto State Park has more than 50 miles of trails suited to everyone from amblers to experienced trekkers. For something gentle, follow the 1.5-mile Desert View Trail loop, which is dotted with scenic lookouts where you’ll get eyefuls of Coachella Valley and miles beyond.

For a bit more of a challenge, consider the six-mile, out-and-back Suicide Rock Trail. Beginning near Idyllwild-Pine Cove, about an hour from Palm Springs circumnavigating the park, it’s steeper than the Desert View Trail but still moderate enough for most with sturdy shoes and a can-do attitude.

To step it up another notch without committing to the whole peak, do just the Round Valley to Wellman Divide leg of the San Jacinto Peak hike. Alltrails has good information on the park’s various trails, and visitors can now download the OuterSpatial app to help plan and navigate their ideal hikes.

Other winter hikes in and around Palm Springs

Photo: David Calhoun/Shutterstock

There’s a good chance you’ll catch the hiking bug after dipping a toe into the Sonoran Desert outdoors scene. Luckily, there’s no shortage of wilderness in the surrounding area. Palm Springs is within driving distance of Joshua Tree National Park, Coachella Valley Preserve, Indian Canyons, Whitewater Canyon, the San Bernardino Mountains, and more, all of which offer excellent hiking. These are a few of our favorites:

Palm Canyon Trail to the Stone Pools: It only takes a few hours to hike this six-mile out-and-back in Indian Canyons, the traditional territory of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, but you should probably budget extra time to admire the water features. As this trail is located on the Agua Caliente reservation just south of Palm Springs, there’s a $9 fee to hike.

Vivian Creek Trail up San Gorgonio: Good luck summiting Mount San Jacinto and Mount San Gorgonio, the tallest peak in Southern California, during the same visit. The Vivian Creek Trail is the quickest, steepest way up to the top, totaling around eight miles and 10 hours to complete. Some hike Mount Baldy in preparation for Mount San Gorgonio while others treat San Gorgonio like a training ground for Mount Whitney about five hours northeast.

Ryan Mountain Trail in Joshua Tree National Park: Some say that standing atop Ryan Mountain yields the most impressive panoramas in all of Joshua Tree. The hike to the summit is relatively manageable, around three miles there and back, and the view offers yet another perspective on Mount San Jacinto. It’s not to be confused with the Ryan Ranch Trail hike, a sweet but simple jaunt through the park to the ruins of an old homestead.


More like this: The best places to go camping in the desert

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The three sites delisted by UNESCO

Just about everyone can name a UNESCO World Heritage site, be it Vatican City, Machu Picchu, or the Taj Mahal. In some cases, these designated landmarks are all people know about what the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, actually does. Yet the World Heritage List, which recognizes and conserves monuments of “outstanding universal value” all over the world, wasn’t established until 1975, a full three decades after the organization was founded.

Among the first sites inscribed for their natural, cultural, or dual significance were the Galapagos Islands; the Historic Center of Kraków, Poland; the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia; and Yellowstone National Park. To date, there are 1,121 World Heritage sites across 167 countries.

New sites are added each year, both protecting our global heritage and inspiring new travel plans. On rarer, sadder occasions, World Heritage sites have also lost their designations. Though 53 are currently considered endangered — meaning they’re at risk of being critically damaged or destroyed by human conflict, natural disasters, climate change, tourism, and other threats — only two have been fully removed and a third partially delisted. These are their stories.

1. Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, Oman

Photo: Katiekk/Shutterstock

Of the four antelope species that belong to the Oryx genus, three are native to arid regions of Africa while one traces back to the deserts and coastal hills of the Arabian Peninsula. Though the Arabian oryx was classified as extinct in the wild in 1972 due to poaching and habitat degradation, the species was successfully bred in captivity in the United States and eventually introduced back into the Omani wilderness a decade later.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said established the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in 1982 to restore the antelope population in Oman, a move that UNESCO acknowledged in 1994 when the sanctuary was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Along with the hundreds of oryxes released, which numbered 450 in 1996, the nature reserve was also a breeding site for the Arabian wolf, Arabian gazelle, endangered houbara bustard, and other significant species. Sadly, the reserve’s glory days were short-lived as the Omani government slashed its size by 90 percent in 2007 after oil was discovered within the reserve’s bounds. By then, due in part to a resurgence of poaching, the Arabian oryx population had dwindled down to double digits.

Following Oman’s decision to drastically reduce the park’s size, and compromise the oryx’s viability, the World Heritage Committee made the difficult decision to remove the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary from the World Heritage List, making it the first site to be delisted in June 2007.

2. Dresden Elbe Valley, Germany

Photo: Haidamac/Shutterstock

Two years after Oman’s Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was delisted, Dresden’s Elbe Valley, a cultural crossing throughout history that was once compared to Florence for its contribution to the European architectural landscape, also got the boot from the World Heritage Committee.

It was originally added to the World Heritage List in 2004 for its more than 10 miles of artifacts lining the Elbe River, which include everything from the baroque Pillnitz Palace to bridges and funiculars dating back to the Industrial Revolution and any number of 18th- and 19th-century urban developments. The valley was also recognized for its scenery and flora, be it found in large swaths of meadows, grand gardens, or relics of early viticultural practices.

Though much of the valley was destroyed during the bombing of Dresden during World War II, the valley’s most impressive monuments were restored long before receiving UNESCO status. You may be wondering what, then, rendered the rebuilt Elbe Valley no longer eligible for UNESCO’s stamp of cultural approval. That would be the four-lane Waldschlösschen Bridge.

After years of back and forth, and pleas from the United Nations and German government to abandon the project, the Dresden City Council rejected federal funds offered to build a tunnel and went forth with its plans to build a bridge across the Elbe to ease traffic congestion. The majority of residents supported the plan, despite warnings that it would forfeit the valley’s UNESCO World Heritage status and, in turn, much of its tourism. Construction began on the controversial Waldschlösschen Bridge in 2007 and finished in 2012. Midway through in 2009, the Dresden Elbe Valley was removed from the World Heritage List.

3. Bagrati Cathedral, Georgia

Photo: monticello/Shutterstock

Only two UNESCO sites have been officially delisted, but there is a third that lost half of its heritage status. In 1994, the Bagrati Cathedral and neighboring Gelati Monastery in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second city after Tbilisi, were inscribed as icons of Georgian architecture and hubs of community life from the 10th and 12th centuries on, respectively. Following major renovations to the medieval Bagrati Cathedral that seriously compromised its authenticity and historical worth, the holy site was removed from the World Heritage List in 2017 while the Gelati Monastery, with structures that were built between the 12th and 17th centuries, remains.

Photo: Vladimir Zhoga/Shutterstock

Unlike the Bagrati Cathedral, the Gelati Monastery has been largely unadulterated over time. Erected during the Byzantine Empire, its arched, stone exterior represents the golden age of Georgian architecture while the interior preserves mosaics like the artwork of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus decorating the apse of the main church, as well as striking frescoes and intricate wall paintings. One of the largest medieval Orthodox monasteries, it also doubled as an academy that inspired years of scientific and academic progress, securing its place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as one of Georgia’s most historic, best-preserved landmarks.


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US cuts flights to Cuba

Traveling to Cuba has always been a complex endeavor for Americans, but it’s about to get even more difficult. The Trump administration has already imposed harsh sanctions on Cuba — including banning cruise ships from visiting the country — to pressure the Cuban government to hold multi-party elections, stop harassing political opponents, and end its support of the regime in Venezuela. Now another strict sanction is being added — flights from the US to nine destinations around Cuba will be cut.

The flight drawdown is being enacted to deprive the Cuban military of its tourism-related income, as the army runs much of the country’s tourism industry. President Trump is acting on his promise to Cuban-Americans that he would be tougher on Cuba.

Although the sanctions are an effort to force Cuba into improving its human rights record, conditions have arguably worsened since Trump took office. Government critics continue to be arrested without cause, and dissident groups are still experiencing persecution. It remains to be seen whether these new tourism-based sanctions make a difference.


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Kansas City free public transit

Traveling around Kansas City, Missouri, is about to get a whole lot cheaper. Although the city’s light rail is already free, a new ordinance just approved by the city council would also make bus transportation free. The ordinance requires the city manager to include a funding request in the next fiscal year budget to make fixed-route public transportation free throughout the city. Before it goes into effect, the city manager must report on the financial impact free transit would have on existing city services, contracts, and programs, and must work to craft policies that guide transit priority on city streets to improve safety and efficiency.

The ordinance would make Kansas City the first major city in the US to introduce completely free transit. Other cities, like Columbia in South Carolina, are also considering the merits of such a policy.

The push toward free transit in many cities has been spurred by the growing idea that residents have a right to accessible, affordable mobility. Making it easier for people to travel to work, school, and everywhere else is always a good idea.


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Greta Thunberg Time’s Person of Year

It might not come as a surprise to many, but Greta Thunberg has been named Time’s Person of the Year for 2019. The 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist has taken the world by storm, putting a young face on the climate crisis and crusading to raise global awareness of the imminent danger of global warming.

Thunberg, who started her movement by skipping school every Friday to stand in front of the Swedish Parliament holding a sign that read “School Strike for Climate,” has inspired youth from all over the world to strike in the name of addressing climate change. This was the catalyst for the global climate strike in September, when millions of people protested across the world.

“In the 16 months since [the global climate strike],” Time wrote, “she has addressed heads of state at the UN, met with the Pope, sparred with the President of the United States and inspired 4 million people to join the global climate strike on September 20, 2019, in what was the largest climate demonstration in human history.”

Despite being one of the most prominent and recognizable climate advocates — and now Person of the Year — Thunberg has always maintained that she doesn’t want any celebrity. In September, she told US lawmakers, “I don’t want you to listen to me, I want you to listen to the scientists. I want you to unite behind the science and I want you to take real action.”

She may not want the spotlight, but knowing that she won the title over Donald Trump, who was also being considered, probably feels pretty good.


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Top 10 trending travel destinations

Few things say more about the collective human interest than what we search for online. For better or for worse, Google is what we turn to when we’re looking for somewhere to eat, need a new anything, and when we’re too embarrassed to ask something out loud. Also, as more than 1.4 billion people travel internationally per year, we turn to Google when we’re curious about a destination.

On December 11, Google released its 2019 Year in Search, which shows the top trending searches. These are the queries that had the highest traffic spike compared to 2018 (not, it should be noted, the absolute top searches or most searched things in 2019). Google broke down the data into a “trip to” category, and the results give some insight on the top trending destinations people in the United States wanted to travel to in the last year of the 2010s.

Costa Rica
New York
California
New Orleans
Alaska
Mexico
Las Vegas
Bora Bora
Japan
Maldives

The Maldives has seen an uptick in luxury hotel openings the past couple of years, including a 60-villa JW Marriott resort, the private COMO Cocoa Island, and bungalows from US hotel brand The Standard — which just adds to an underwater museum and the world’s first underwater villa. Other appearances on the list seem like old standbys: New York, Las Vegas, California, and New Orleans. In Japan, interest is ramping up a year ahead of the 2020 Olympics.

2019’s list has some similarities with the travel destinations that made it on the 2018 one:

Spain
New Orleans
New York
Bora Bora
Las Vegas
Ireland
Bahamas
Iceland
Paris
Italy

That’s not to say people aren’t still interested in going to these places, but it’s some insight into the continued love for certain types of vacations. An island escape to Bora Bora, for example, will likely never get old. Iceland and Italy, however, are both facing major overtourism (though there is a good time of year to see Iceland, and there are alternatives to Italy’s tourism chokehold of Venice like Verona and Padua).

Google also broke down searches in a “where is” category. Some of the results are political, such as Sri Lanka, which had religious and governmental protests, and 21 Savage, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement this year. Others are sports related like Clemson, the NCAA football national champion, and Gonzaga, a school ranked high in the annual March Madness NCAA basketball tournament. The third top trending search for “where is” is “where is area 51,” which was no doubt inspired by the semi-serious movement to storm Area 51 led by a Facebook group.

This past year was a big one for travelers. Travel is easier and cheaper than ever before, though the huge impact travel has on our environment is also better understood. Thankfully, there are things like carbon offsets and knowing how to mitigate the impact tourism has on local communities through responsible purchasing. The trending places constantly change as does the way we get around, though one thing stays the same: It’s always a good time to travel responsibly. So where will you go in 2020?


More like this: The 25 coolest towns in America: 2019

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The best food halls in Denver

Anyone who lived in the Mile High City prior to the past decade knows that Denver wasn’t always thought of as “cool,” at least not beyond the lore of John Elway, Jack Kerouac, and Big Head Todd. This is no longer the case. Buoyed by recreational marijuana sales and easy access to the outdoors, Denver’s streets now run with lattes, and the pubs stock locally made spirits. Take the A-Line into downtown from Denver International Airport and you’re bound to hear no fewer than four languages spoken. But nothing signifies Denver’s emergence as an international destination more than the triumph of the food hall.

“Part of the reason that markets are blowing up is that cities, and especially industrial parts, declined for so long,” Justin Croft, vice president of development at Zeppelin Development, says. The company is behind two of Denver’s most prominent food halls, The Source and Zeppelin Station. “Developers are coming in and kind of building cities and neighborhoods from scratch, one big move at a time, in an effort to create compelling places for people to go.”

For Zeppelin and other developers, Denver is the perfect landscape for these spaces. Much of the area that now makes up the trendy neighborhoods of RiNo and LoDo — home to both of Zeppelin’s food hall developments, among others — was formerly industrial warehouse space that largely sat vacant until Coors Field was built for Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies in the 1990s.

“The reason market halls are happening is because there are interesting, independent brands with people who have devoted their lives to that endeavor,” Croft says. “Twenty years ago, that just wasn’t the case because cities were filled with chain restaurants in their core, making it extremely difficult for local entrepreneurs to find their way to a storefront. Market halls really make it possible for mom and pop businesses to come together with their limited budgets and operational capacity and draw people in to enjoy them together.”

And come together they have. These are Denver’s eight best food halls right now.

1. The Source in RiNO

Photo: The Source

The Source opened in 2013 as Denver’s first full-scale food hall. In addition to staples like a butcher, a barber, and a brewery, you’ll find locally renowned restaurants like Acorn from chef Ian Palazzola and the innovative Comida. There’s also a central bar called Bar Isabel, a liquor store, and The Source Hotel.

Highlights:

The Proper Pour — The best bottle shop in town to find special spirits — think locally made whiskey and bitters not generally available on this continent.
The Woods Rooftop Restaurant — Denver has a two-tiered skyline, natural and manmade, and the view from The Woods is a strong case that the manmade version deserves at least some of the attention. The space features experimental beer from the Colorado legends New Belgium Brewing for those looking to dive deeper than Fat Tire.

2. Avanti F+B in LoHi

Photo: Avanti F&B, a collective eatery/Facebook

In 2015, Avanti F+B bought a collection of shipping containers, renovated them, and arranged them into a massive two-floored warehouse with a patio overlooking downtown. The building is mostly populated by a rotating cast of chefs and restaurateurs trying out a new concept before bringing it to the brick-and-mortar market. If you want to learn about the dishes that will define the coming year in Denver’s restaurant scene, this is the place to try them. Stop by the bar to grab a cocktail as you enter, meander through the eight or so restaurant offerings until one catches your fancy, and, finally, find a seat outside overlooking the Platte River.

Highlights:

Quiero Arepas — Quero Arepas is a Denver standby, and once one tries La Original, there’s no going back.
Street Feud — Styles of street food from around the world — think tacos al pastor and pork belly bao buns — are on the menu, and, this being Denver, so are both chips and salsa and loaded fries.

3. Denver Central Market in LoDo

Photo: The Denver Central Market/Facebook

Denver Central Market is the local incarnation of the European-style urban market. Basically, it’s everything the big-box specialty grocery stores try so hard to be but never actually pull off. In the grand hall you’ll find a butcher, an artisan bakery, specialty shops, and several deli counters serving the food that lured you from Larimer Street in the first place. A second outpost of Denver Central Market opened inside the airport in late 2018 — in case you missed the flagship while in town.

Highlights:

SK Provisions — A rotisseries grill that serves roasted meats and sandwiches, though the tacos speak for themselves as well.
Culture Meat & Cheese — A deli that carries on a tradition of, well, high-quality meats and cheeses. It’s a deli worth visiting, even if it’s just a quick stop for a sandwich and a pickle or one of their famous “meat cones.”

4. Zeppelin Station in RiNo

Photo: Zeppelin Station/Shutterstock

Named after the blimp, not the band, Zeppelin Station is the embodiment of what we meant by “international destination” above. Here, you’ll find Denver’s best banh mi at Vinh Xuong and the city’s only location of Nashville Hot Chicken chain The Budlong. Grab a meal and sit down at the bar on the main level to pair with a cocktail or glass of wine.

Highlights:

Dandy Lion Coffee — Nowhere else in Denver has mastered Vietnamese coffee quite like Dandy Lion. The upstairs bar has live music on weekends and also regularly hosts pre-parties for big-name concerts taking place at the nearby Mission Ballroom. Check the calendar to see what’s on.

5. Stanley Marketplace in Aurora

Photo: Stanley Marketplace/Facebook

The Stanley Marketplace is what happens when the generally understood idea of a suburban mall is re-thought to be an inclusive destination that’s actually a fun place to hang out at for people over the age of 17. Located in Aurora near the Anschutz Medical Campus, Stanley Marketplace has everything from a zero-waste store to a coworking space to a Japanese restaurant that flies fish in daily from California and Japan.

Highlights:

Cheluna Brewing — A Latin-owned craft brewery that started as a passion project and grew into the eastern metro area’s destination for Mexican-style ales.
Annette — Scratch kitchen from chef Caroline Glover that is actively familiarizing Denver residents and tourists alike with the wood-fired oven’s many uses beyond pizza.

6. Ecclesia Market in Castle Rock

Photo: Ecclesia Market/Facebook

Until about 20 years ago, Castle Rock was separated from metro Denver by a small but mighty stretch of open prairie south of Highlands Ranch along Interstate 25. Due to the state’s complete inability to curb suburban sprawl along the front range, it’s now as much a part of the metro area as Littleton or Englewood. Ecclesia Market stands as a beacon of hope among the endless stream of box houses and strip malls, a decidedly anti-streamline approach headlined by a former church that has been converted into a cocktail bar called Sinners & Saints.

Highlights:

Farmgirl Foods — Aside from a few joints downtown, good seafood in Denver is sparse. Farmgirl Foods gives the south metro area a piece of the action along with dishes built from an abundance of local produce.
Romo’s Street Tacos — No food hall could survive in Colorado without good Mexican food. Romo’s serves some of the best tacos this side of Federal Boulevard without the high prices.

7. Broadway Market in Golden Triangle

Photo: Broadway Market Denver/Facebook

A newer concept, Broadway Market is located just south of downtown along a stretch of Broadway that has been home to just about every incarnation of “hip” that Denver has attempted. Its modern approach to food hall presentation allows you to dine and shop at multiple spots on one tab, including a pour-your-own beer station, so you can be as sporadic and impulsive as you want. This is the place to pregame before hitting the clubs of the Golden Triangle or live music on south Broadway.

Highlights:

Maria Empanada — A stronger case could not be made for the superiority of the Argentinian empanada. Beyond standard empanada fillings, the gallega might be the best way in town to eat tuna.
Mother Tongue — You won’t find doner kebab done like this elsewhere in Colorado.

8. Denver Milk Market in LoDo

Photo: Denver Milk Market/Facebook

Not limited to milk and milk products, Denver Milk Market gets its name from the legacy of Denver’s Dairy Block (though it is home to a cocktail lounge called Moo Bar). It has 16 permanent resident kitchens that draw influence from around the globe and is the only place in town that can boast that a salad joint is its most unique attraction. The Green Huntsman makes salads that even the heartiest of carb-lovers will crave.

Highlights:

The Stranded Pilgrim — It takes innovation for a brewery to stand out in a city where craft beer is found on every corner. For The Stranded Pilgrim, innovation means exclusivity, as it serves beers you won’t find anywhere else — including the taprooms of the brewpubs that make them.
Fem Crepes — Fem stands for the three ingredients — flour, eggs, and milk — that go into Fem’s crepes. Crepes are serious business here. Try the smoked salmon and peach cobbler.



More like this: 7 bars that prove Denver is the next great cocktail city

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US Go Everywhere Pass

A new tourist pass, released on December 10, could make the perfect holiday gift this year for yourself or another traveler, particularly if a cross-country road trip in the United States is on the docket for 2020. It’s called the Go Everywhere Pass, and it offers admission to museums, aquariums, and tours in 14 cities around the country in 2020. And it’s quite a steal, at least right now — the pass is available for $20.20 for the first 100 buyers.

Passholders receive admission to over 800 sites in cities like Chicago, San Diego, and Miami, as well as the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where you can enjoy a sunset dinner sail and walk through some of the historical sites at Pearl Harbor. In Miami, explore the Jungle Island adventure park and Miami Seaquarium. Chicago highlights include the Art Institute of Chicago and a sightseeing river cruise on the Chicago River.

If you were to visit all of the sites on the pass, a feat of Herculean proportions that would require a months-long road trip, you’d save about $3,800 on entry fees. But if you don’t think you’ll get your mileage out of the pass, Go City, the creators of the pass, also offers discounted tickets and admission to popular sites in major cities across the US in general. The Go Everywhere Pass puts top attractions in each of their cities together in one place for the first time — and makes for a pretty great stocking stuffer.


More like this: Chicago’s 10 best spots for a picnic

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Harry Potter and other themed igloos

Spending the winter in an igloo might not sound like the most appealing pastime, but when those igloos are on the beach, and come with warm blankets and other luxurious amenities, the proposition is a bit more enticing. Gurney’s Montauk and Gurney’s Newport are setting up themed igloos at their Hamptons, NY, and Newport, RI, properties. Each hut will offer guests warm blankets, treats, activities, and music according to the igloo’s specific theme.

Photo: Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa/Facebook

One of the igloos at Gurney’s Montauk, for example, is astrology-themed. It comes with tarot cards and a crystal ball for photo ops and “fortune-telling.” If you prefer something a bit more realistic, you might choose the Harry Potter igloo, outfitted with potions and wands, with the movie’s soundtrack playing in the background. Best of all, since the igloos are completely transparent, you’ll have a great view of the water no matter which theme you choose.

Photo: Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa/Facebook

Other themes at the Montauk location relate to Santa’s workshop, log cabin, astronomy, aprés ski, and tropical summer. Newport will only have three igloos — Santa’s Workshop, Astrology, and Tropical Summer.

The igloos are available through March 1 at the Montauk location and through February 29 at the Newport location. To partake in the experience on weekends, however, you’ll have to make an advance reservation. Igloos can fit eight people at a time and can be reserved for up to two hours at $25 per person. Proceeds from the Montauk location will go toward the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and from the Newport location, they’ll go to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Rhode Island.


More like this: 10 best beach towns in the US to explore during the off-season

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