Norwegian Breakaway

Norwegian Breakaway from 48 Ink It has something for everyone, including a lot of amenities you have no idea you need but very quickly learn to enjoy. The Norwegian Breakaway, which recently began regular sailings between its home port of New York City and Bermuda, carries some 4,000 passengers–meaning that it’s also very, very big.  Its inaugural year kicked off earlier this month with a party at New York’s luxurious Ink48 hotel, and  two, two-day sailings followed by the first week-long trip to Bermuda. With a hull painted by Peter Max, to say nothing of its impressive size,  the ship is  impossible to miss as it bobs serenely at Pier 88 in NYC or at King’s Wharf in Bermuda. 

On board you’ll find endless activities for kids and teens, making it a great family vacation venue, as well as every amenity for traveling couples and foodies.  The restaurant Ocean Blue by celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian shouldn’t be missed if you’re celebrating a special occasion on board.  I search out bistros wherever I travel and thoroughly enjoyed the Breakaway’s Le Bistro with its country French cusine. I also liked Savor, one of the three main dining rooms.

Traveling alone? Norwegian Breakaway is among a handful of cruise ships offering small rooms for solo travelers, eliminating the need to pay for a double room for just one passenger. By contrast, if you’d like to sail in luxury, the ship offers The Haven, a private key-club enclave of 42 suites at the top of the ship. In between there are plenty of options–staterooms, mini-suites, balcony suites, and even suites located close to the spa for the ultimate in pampering.

Highly recommended all around, as is Ink48, a Kimpton hotel, which is an easy walk to and from the ship. Bermuda, of course, is a lovely destination with its pink beaches and excellent restaurants of its own. In the fall, the Breakaway will sail to the Bahamas.

Springtime in Maine

Sea smoke rises over the water on brisk April morning in Maine
Sea smoke rises over the water on brisk April morning in Maine

After a snowy winter, it’s great to see tulips and daffodils popping up at last and trees getting their first buds. That’s not to say that we don’t still have some cool days ahead as winter breathes its last gasps of cold air. From my office window this morning, I watched sea smoke rise over the water….a phenomenon that hapens when cold air moves over warmer water.  It’s an eerie kind of fog that shrouds everything in a silvery light.  It soon passed as the day began to warm up, but it’s a reminder of how fickle New England weather can be. My little Maine island remains quiet for the time being, but before long the first summer people will be arriving to open up their summer homes and another busy summer will begin.

If you’re planning a trip to Maine or elsewhere in New England this summer, you might want to check out my guidebook, Backroads & Byways of New England: Drives, Day Trips and Weekend Excursions (Countryman Press) for ideas of things to see and do along with some very easy-to-read history of the area.  Happy spring and happy travel planning, everyone!

The Calm Before the Storm

Here we are, getting ready for the third major storm to move into Maine this month. Of course it’s great for skiing and other outdoor sports, but at this point I can’t help looking ahead to spring. The gardening catalogs have arrived, filled with photos of daffodils and tulips, and hard as it is to believe, looking at the mounds of snow already on the ground, somewhere under there are all the perennials I  planted last year. But until the warm weather comes again, it helps to get out in the brisk winter weather , go skiing, make a snowman with the kids, go ice skating, and otherwise enjoy all that winter in Maine has to offer.

It’s quiet here on my island. The summer people are still tucked away in their warm winter quarters, with many of them not returning until June. Meanwhile,  life goes on with house parties, church suppers, roaring fires in the fireplace, and a chance to slow down just a little bit.  But not for long….by next month, the first ads will appear from stores and restaurants looking for summer help and the pace of life will slowly pick up as we move into spring and summer. Meanwhile, there’s that snowstorm making its way here: Time to haul in some wood, stock the freezer, find the flashlights in case the power goes out, and make sure the generator is gassed up and ready to go.  Then we’ll all settle in and see what Mother Nature has in store for us this time.

February on a Small Maine Island

Snow falls on a tranquil island in Maine.
Snow falls on a tranquil island in Maine.

Winter is well underway here in Maine, with crisp, cold days followed by even colder nights. Definitely a time to tackle big projects inside, but also a good time to enjoy winter sports and scenery. I’ve been especially enjoying the sight of snow and ice sparkling on the trees. It makes shoveling a whole lot easier when there’s something pleasant to look at along the way!

I spent a recent weekend in Portland, a great foodie city–no wonder lovers of great food come from all over to eat there. Needless to say, I made the rounds–necessary research of course, since I write a lot about food–but it was also my birthday and therefore a good excuse to indulge. Hugo’s continues to impress–fabulous atmosphere, good wine list, fabulous wait staff, and excellent food as always. They are about to close down for remodeling–perhaps have already–and I’m sure it will be even better when they reopen in the spring. It’s always fun to eat at a place where everyone takes such pride in what they do.

It appears that writing about food and travel has been in my blood for a long time. I’m told that as a small child I constantly wandered off on “adventures” and had to be chased down by my worried parents and older sister. And by the time I was old enough to talk, I was demanding Grey Poupon mustard instead of the “yellow stuff.”  I guess it’s natural that I’ve always gravitated to places with great cuisine–Portland, Boston, Paris, Lyon, and Vienna are a few of my all-time favorites, but I’m equally  happy to buy a lobster fresh off the boat from one of the local lobstermen and eat it on the dock with melted butter running down my arm (but I’ll wait for summer for that!).

 

January in Maine

It’s a cold and snowy new year–time for a little cross-country skiing to replace my usual morning hike around the island. I like to get up in the morning after a light dusting of snow and see what has traipsed through my yard in the middle of the night. This morning the tracks were clearly from my neighbor’s cat sneaking a midnight run on the bird feeders and a couple of deer wandering through.

With the summer people gone and the holidays over, January through March are quiet months out here–time to tackle big projects and then relax in front of a fire in the fireplace.  I especially like snowy weekends when it’s impossible to get out of the driveway and curling up with a book and a pot of tea seems like the only reasonable thing to do.

When the ski slopes beckon, there’s great skiing right now at Camden Snowbowl, Saddleback in Rangeley, Sunday River,  and Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley. If you’d like more information on things to do in Maine during the brisk winter months,  go to visitmaine.com and check out my guidebook, Backroads & Byways of New England for some off-the-beaten-track ideas for things to see and do.

Wishing everyone good health and happiness in 2013!

Christmas Comes to Maine

“Tis the season! With wreaths on every door and twinkling lights in windows of old New England homes, the holiday season is well underway here in Maine.  It’s time for fun festivals — like the Earmuff Festival in Farmington last week, honoring the inventor of the ubiquitous ear warmers–and unique decorations such as the village Christmas tree in Rockland comprised entirely of lobster traps.  And we won’t forget church fairs and the seasonal decorations on every village green.  Don’t shy away from Maine in winter — it’s truly a wonderful season here and Santa has been known to arrive in all kinds of unique ways, from fire trucks to helicopters and lobster boats.  More later on all there is to see and do in Maine in winter!

Quebec City in Winter

The magnificent Fairmont le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City

For a great little getaway in a foreign country without the need to cross the pond, consider a weekend, or more, in beautiful Quebec City.  As Christmas approaches, more and more decorations and lights appear, illuminating the graceful old city.  If you love being outside in winter, bring your snowshoes, plan to spend the night in an ice hotel (hoteldeglace-canada.com) anytime between Jan. 5 and March 24, go cross-country skiing, or watch the individual and team sprints events that are part of the Cross-Country World Cup (Dec. 7-9).  In February check out the Carnaval de  Quebec, one of my favorite festivals (carnaval.qc.ca/en). You’ll enjoy outdoor sports, music events, and plenty of the joie de vivre that Quebecois do so well.  As for food and drink…well, no one does it better. The city has some of the best food in North America, from ritzy restaurants to cozy pocket-sized places where you can grab a glass of wine and a plate of cheese.  More on places to dine and stay later, but if you’re eager to book a place now, one of my favorite hotels  is the iconic Fairmont le Chateau Frontenac overlooking the city (fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec).  Go to quebecregion.com/en for more information about winter events.

Right now it’s time to gear up for Thanksgiving in Maine. There’s nothing better than a holiday in which the only agenda is to eat good food and spend time with family and friends.  More next time on how Maine, and most of New England, celebrates the holiday.

Evergreen, Colorado

The charming main street of Evergreen, Colorado.
I just returned from a family wedding in the charming town of Evergreen, Colorado. The snow-capped Rocky Mountains were breathtaking, even if the temperature did hover around 70 degrees! It’s a lovely place with great restaurants, its own mini-boardwalk lined with charming shops, and picturesque views everywhere you look. Lots of beautiful parks where elk roam freely, too. Would I trade it for Maine? Not for a moment. But it’s a great place to visit and filled with friendly, welcoming people. Surprisingly, a lot of them are young people from New England who have moved West for a while to try out a different part of the country. To a person, those I met mentioned missing the colors of a New England fall and, especially, the sight and sound of the ocean. It will be waiting when they return–once New England is in your blood, you never lose it.

More Leaf Peeping in Maine

The road less traveled is often the most rewarding.
Color is at its peak throughout most of Maine now. I love this photo of a road leading who-knows-where, but with the promise of something wonderful at the other end. It doesn’t matter that there are no houses or businesses or exciting historical sites to be seen — the foliage itself is worth the journey. For more information about visiting Maine and the rest of New England, check out my book, Backroads & Byways of New England: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions. Special thanks to my husband, photographer Nat Hammond, for these photos and others on this blog.

Leaf Peeping in Maine

Fall colors near Rangeley, Maine

Foliage is at its peak in northern Maine right now, with colors turning ever more glorious along the coast and in the southern part of the state.  I’ve just returned from my last boat trip of the season, a lovely sail from Portland to Bar Harbor and back. The fall colors really popped against the dark evergreens along the shoreline. Add autumn’s slanted light and it’s no wonder that  Maine has long attracted artists, poets, and writers. Here on my Maine island, days are comfortably warm and nights are crisp and cool — it’s a great time to visit anywhere in the state and take in some fall festivals, fairs, and church suppers.