Tag Archives: Travel

Destination Travel: “Belle Époque Luxury” At Domaine Les Crayères Hotel, Champagne, France

From an Architectural Digest online article:

Domaine Les Crayères Hotel in Champagne, FranceChampagne is a lot bigger than it seems. Vineyards can be up to an hour away from each other depending on traffic, so it’s best to pick a home base in the heart of the region. The luxurious Domaine  Les Crayères was the former home of Madame Pommery’s daughter (Pommery was a 19th century French businesswoman who took over her husband’s successful wine business after he passed away). The space was transformed into a hotel in the early 1980s, where it still retains some of the Belle Époque sensibility from its previous owner.

Champagne FranceChampagne is one of those places in the world that there’s truly no bad season to visit. Yet, before you let the bubbles get to your head, remember to plan everything in-advance as many vineyards are small, independently owned, and can’t always accommodate walk-ins. The place is also very spread out, so you should consider renting a car or hiring a driver if you’re booking several tastings. Luckily, getting to Champagne is easy, as it’s only a two-hour train ride from Paris. In fact, some travelers even opt to simply make a day trip out of it. Time spent aside, the grandiose French architecture all the way to the glow of the vineyards will warm your heart (no, it’s not just the alcohol) and have you immediately wanting to come back.

To read more: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/design-lovers-guide-to-champagne-france

Top Camper Vans: Nomad Vanz Of British Columbia “Fits In All The Essentials”

From a Curbed.com online review:

Nomad Vanz camper van interiorOne of the most refreshing companies currently converting vans is Nomad Vanz. Based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Nomad Vanz builds custom vans for weekend adventurers or for full-time van lifers. Most builds use the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter high or low roof vehicles, although Nomad Vanz has done partial conversions for customers who own Ford Transits, Dodge ProMasters, and the Mercedes-Benz Metris.

We first met the Nomad Vanz crew at Overland Expo in 2018 where we ogled their showcase van Out of the Blue. Today we’re checking out their latest build, Jupiter, which transformed a bright red Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4×4 Cargo Van into a home-on-the-go. The high-roof van features the shortest wheelbase (144 inches) offered by Mercedes, but Nomad Vanz still manages to fit in all the essentials, and more.

Step into the sliding side door and you’re struck by the van’s bright colors. A yellow floor is both durable and cheery, and red kitchen cabinets match the van’s exterior. A feature Chilewich wall adds texture to compliment the other colors, while gray storage upper and central cabinets balance out the design.

To read more: https://www.curbed.com/2019/10/21/20924626/camper-van-for-sale-sprinter-conversion-nomad-vanz

Top New Travel Videos: “Albion” Is An Aerial View Of Great Britain (2019)

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Alex William Helin

Albion Short Travel Video In England by Alex William Helin 2019

Albion, another name for the island of Great Britain, is a journey through foggy English countryside via rocky limestone scenery to Scottish highlands.

Albion Short Travel Video In England by Alex William Helin 2019

Music: Aeons 2 by Mark Petrie/ Andrew Phralow

Website: https://www.awhelinphotography.com/

 

 

Travel Destinations: Isla Palenque Is An Island Eco-Paradise Off Panama

From an Architectural Digest online review:

Isla Palenque Resort Panama PoolAs a natural paradise rooted in sustainable luxury, only 5 percent of the island is developed, with the rest kept as a nature reserve. “It’s 400 acres of unspoiled jungle, lagoons, mangroves, and beaches that create intimate connections between the land and the traveler,” notes Benjamin Loomis, the architect and developer behind Isla Palenque Resort. From the people to the food to the design materials, everything is sourced locally (most even coming directly from the property).

Let’s strip it back to the basics. Imagine your own private island: 400-acres of lush rain forest with a rich archaeological history and secluded beaches accessible by foot from a beachfront casita. At Isla Palenque, a small private island on the western Pacific shore of Panama, this is exactly what guests are treated to: a sustainable and intimate escape that is the ultimate expression of barefoot luxury. A plane, an automobile, and a boat ride are the minimum requirements to get there, but once you arrive, allow the tide to kiss your feet while you sip a fresh fruit juice at sunset on a beach you have completely to yourself.

To read more: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/this-private-island-oasis-in-panama-raises-the-bar-on-sustainable-design-retreats

Nostalgia: New Book On “Holiday Magazine” Portrays It’s “Romance Of Travel” From 1946-1977

From the RizzoliUsA.com website:

Holiday The Best Travel Magazine That Ever Was By Pamela FioriThe first book on magazine sensation Holiday, which between 1946 and 1977 was one of the most exciting publications in the world. Renowned for its bold layouts, literary credibility, and ambitious choice of photographers and artists, Holiday portrayed the romance of travel like no other periodical.

At Holiday magazine’s peak, urbane editor, Ted Patrick, and visionary art director, Frank Zachary, invited postwar America to see and read about the world. On the journey, readers joined the magazine’s renowned roster of talent. Some of the most celebrated writing by Jack Kerouac, Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, Joan Didion, Truman Capote, Colette, and E. B. White (his piece “Here Is New York” was commissioned for Holiday in 1949) first appeared in its pages. Henri Cartier-Bresson documented a breathtaking Paris and other cities; Slim Aarons captured the glamour of travel around the world; and Al Hirschfeld and Ludwig Bemelmans contributed showstopping illustrations of places and personages.

Pamela Fiori writes about the magazine’s history, giving it context during the era of the jet age, world turbulence, and the rise of Madison Avenue advertising. Holiday was a vibrant original, inspiring travel magazines that followed and leaving glorious photography and art as well as thought-provoking journalism in its wake.

To read more: https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847866250/

Top New Travel Videos: “Remains Of The Fall” In Lapland, Finland (2019)

Filmed and Edited by: Timo Oksanen

Remains of the Fall Short Travel Film by Timo Oksanen 2019

In the end of September 2019 the leaves had fallen from most of the trees in Enontekiö, Finland, but the colours were still visible in the ground. I captured the remains of the fall foliage with my DJI Mavic 2 Pro with some help from ground-level timelapse cameras.

Music: Ian Post – Jump Jump

Remains of the Fall Short Travel Film by Timo Oksanen 2019

Website: http://timoksanen.fi/

Future Of Recreation: Winnebago’s Latest All-Electric, Zero-Emission RV

From a Curbed.com online review:

The RV industry has been slow to adopt electric technology, and the innovations that have occurred are stemming from Europe. In recent years we’ve seen a few eco-friendly concept RVs, like an RV covered in solar panels or a travel trailer that can be towed by an electric car. Most recently, a German company debuted the world’s first manufactured electric camper with a decent range of 249 miles. In the U.S., however, the closest thing to an electric camper is the yet to be produced Rivian truck that features a kitchen and tent for overland camping.

Winnebago RV All-Electric

Although years behind the auto industry, the RV industry is finally making making strides in efficiency and green technology. In the latest eco-friendly news, Winnebago Industries has announced that they will help fund the expansion of Motiv Power Systems, a provider of all electric commercial chassis.

To read more: https://www.curbed.com/2019/10/17/20919270/winnebago-rv-electric-camper-motiv-power-systems-investment

Travel Destinations: The Nikko Kanaya Hotel Is A “Glorious Relic From A Lost World” In Japan

From a Wall Street Journal online review:

Nikko Kanaya Hotel Japan HistoryFINICKY WESTERN EATERS would still be relieved to find filet mignon on the French menu of the hotel, now known as the Nikko Kanaya, a 90-minute drive from Tokyo. The dining room itself looks much as it did when it first opened, in 1893 and eagle-eyed diners might notice that the wooden pillars are decorated with flower carvings that echo those of the nearby Toshogu shrine. The views from the guest rooms are likewise unchanged—forest-covered mountains in the background, the same fastidiously manicured gardens in the foreground that the Einsteins strolled in 1922. Other parts of the hotel feel mildly haunted, like a Japanese version of “The Shining.” The wood-paneled lobby is well worn, stairwells creak noticeably and a shadowy cocktail bar features fading black-and-white photos of forgotten ’20s parties, with men in tuxedos and women in frocks smiling at the camera. 

THE 19TH-CENTURY FOREIGNERS who first ventured to the Japanese mountain town of Nikko came away enchanted by the scenery: ornate Shinto shrines set among rivers, forests and waterfalls. But those same visitors were less impressed with the lodging options. Many griped about the local inns, furnished with futon-beds set on the floor and paper walls that offered no privacy. And the food? Overly exotic at best. British traveler Isabella Bird offered a typical review: “The fishy and vegetable abominations known as ‘Japanese food’ can only be swallowed and digested by a few, and that after long practice.” In 1873, in an attempt to cater to Western sensibilities, Zenichiro Kanaya, a 21-year-old temple musician, opened rooms in his family house, serving guests simply-prepared poultry, rainbow trout and eggs.

To read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/this-japanese-hotel-is-a-glorious-relic-from-a-lost-world-11571314355

New Destination Hotels: Le Grand Contrôle At The Château de Versailles Opens In Spring 2020

From a Curbed.com online article:

Le Grand Contrôle Hotel Versailles FrancePart of the luxury hotel chain Les Airelles, Le Grand Contrôle is named for the building it will occupy—a 17th-century structure once used as the finance hub of the palace. The hotel will have 14 rooms, some of them apartments, as well as a wellness center, indoor swimming pool, and an Alain Ducase restaurant.

Its views include the ornate gardens outside of the Orangery, a building custom built for housing the palace’s array of tropical trees during winter.

Though the hotel is keeping mum about the details on the interior, The Spaces reports that Parisian designer Christophe Tollemer will render the hotel in classic 18th-century style, gold, glass, and molding. There’s no word on rates yet, but we’ll go ahead and guess they’ll be as haute as the hotel itself.

To read more: https://www.curbed.com/2019/10/16/20916473/versailles-france-hotel-le-grand-controle

Top Camping Sites: Sandy Pines Campground In Kennebunkport, Maine Added “Unique Retreats”

From an Inhabitat.com online review:

Sandy Pines Campground Kennebunkport, Maine sitesTo kick off the 2019 season, Sandy Pines installed some new glamping units that offer the best in luxurious camping. For guests looking for a trip back in time, there is a decked-out Airstream or two beautiful Conestoga wagons. Additionally, there are a few tiny cabins on site, including a minimalist A-frame with a fully opened facade. For stargazers, the transparent Oasis Dome or the Glass House would make for great stays. Most of the sites are for two people, with the exception of the family cottages, which can accommodate two adults and two children.

Located in the idyllic coastal region of Kennebunkport, the campground is surrounded by pristine forest on one side and salt marsh on the other. Designed to be a relaxing retreat, the site offers a variety of interesting accommodations.

Each glamping unit is tucked into a site overlooking the marsh, just steps away from the beach. All of the lodgings come with bed linens, bath towels and beach towels as well as private seating areas and fire pits.

To read more: https://inhabitat.com/kennebunkport-campground-offers-tiny-cabins-airstreams-and-more/