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Farewell’s Trip Tips Whether you’re still looking to squeeze in a getaway this summer, planning ahead for a quick escape this fall or even starting to think about where you’ll go next spring or summer, here are some trip ideas worth considering. Inside the Heart of France Imagine a week of floating on the narrow waterways through the French countryside, days punctuated by multi-course meals, vineyard tours, wine tastings and chateau visits. Afloat in France—which is part of Orient Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises—just might be the most relaxing and luxurious way to explore this poetic landscape. 
The company has five exquisitely appointed barges with select itineraries on canals and rivers through Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, Franche-Comté, Languedoc-Roussillon, and the Rhône-Alpes and Provence Alpes-du-Sud. Three of the barges are reserved for private charters (accommodating between four and eight people) and two can be booked on a hotel basis or hired exclusively. Each one has an enthusiastic crew that caters to your every need. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of all is that guest “cabins” are actually stately bedrooms with plenty of room to spread out and marbled bathrooms you’d expect to find at five-star hotels on terra firma. 
The barges slowly move along the waterways, in some cases, passing through locks. While there are many opportunities to get out and walk or bike alongside, it’s tempting to simply stay put and take in the pastoral scenes while you sip local wines and take an occasional dip in the plunge pool. For complete details, including prices and itineraries, visit www.afloatinfrance.com. Now this is Green 
It’s one thing when a hotel goes through a major renovation. Happens all the time. It’s another, when the hotel becomes an attraction in itself. So is the case with London’s five-star Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair, a beauty inside and out now, within walking distance of Buckingham Palace. The internationally-renowned French architectural botanist Patrick Blanc (author of The Vertical Garden: From Nature to City) , has created a “living wall” reaching up ten floors on the hotel’s exterior. As it grows, this vertical garden will wrap around the hotel’s façade to create what Blanc calls a bridge between the urban and natural worlds – “a breath of wilderness in the midst of a city.” This living tapestry is planted in a specially designed self-irrigation system that allows plants to grow without soil. There are more than 260 plant types—mostly rare species from around the world—that Patrick collected for the project. In addition to its attractiveness, over time, the greenery will become a valuable shelter for birds, bees and butterflies, adding nature to the daily life of not only hotel guests but of London’s residents as well. www.athenaeumhotel.com. |
Romance Within Reach Want to celebrate an anniversary? Or just take a breather from the kids, the dogs, the house, the yard? You don’t need to drive very far to find one of the most romantic inns imaginable. Right up in the Litchfield Hills, you can take your pick of fantasy accommodations at Winvian. Fifteen New England architects contributed to the distinctly different free-standing cottages here. Among them: an honest-to-goodness treehouse suspended between trees and 35 feet off the ground and a suite centerpieced by a full-size gloriously restored helicopter with all the bells, whistles and lights you can imagine. Less dramatic is a stone cottage that offers sort of an upscale Flintstone experience (complete with leather-skin curtains) and another one that brings the outside in with living trees, a waterfall, and pedestal sinks made of tree trunks. As “rustic” as some of them may be designed, all have at least one wood-burning fireplace, a screened porch and large whirlpool tub with separate steam showers in the bathrooms. Meals prepared by Chef Chris Eddy, who holds the Grand Diplome from the French Culinary Institute, are unfailingly good. Go see for yourself: www.winvian.com. Hiking Hut to Hut If you love getting out in the woods and hiking, take a look at the hut-to-hut offerings the Appalachian Mountain Club has. With this long-established organization, you can take some of the most beautiful hikes in the northeast staying in simple but comfortable family-style huts. Their network of huts allow hikers of all abilities (from novice to experienced climbers, kids of all ages) to have access to wonderful backcountry adventure. A great starting point is the AMC’s Highland Center, right at Crawford Notch in New Hampshire. From there, you can take your pick of hikes ranging from a couple of hours to several days. No need to worry about buying all sorts of gear for you and yours. They’ll get you completely outfitted with everything from windbreakers and fleece jackets to walking sticks and backpacks from their extensive selection of L.L.Bean clothing and equipment available for free use. 
Hut stays include family-style dinners and breakfasts and accommodations in co-ed bunkrooms. Trips can be organized and naturalist-led or independent. They also offer paddling and climbing excursions, and come winter, snowshoeing and skiing. Complete details can be found at www.outdoors.org. |
