Grab it: Grab a copy of “Andy Steves' Europe: City-Hopping on a Budget” by Andy Steves for $16.26 here.
The post Travel Book of the Week: “Andy Steves' Europe: City-Hopping on a Budget” by Andy Steves appeared first on Johnny Jet.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Travel Book of the Week: “Andy Steves' Europe: City-Hopping on a Budget” by Andy Steves
Wilderness Adventures in the Laurentians of Québec, Canada
Kayaks ready at Mekoos, which offers guided hunting and fishing
This story by Ann N. Yungmeyer features photos taken by Georgie Jet (unless otherwise credited), who traveled with Ann to Quebec's Laurentian region.
As home to Mont Tremblant, Québec's Laurentian Mountains are well-known for their winter sports, thanks to Ski Magazine naming the mountain the number-one ski resort in eastern North America for many consecutive years. But the vast forested terrain, sprinkled with more than 9,000 lakes and rivers, is equally attractive during the summer and fall seasons for fishing, boating, hiking, and camping.
The unspoiled landscapes of the Laurentian region offer the chance to enjoy nature in all its splendor, and I was pleased to join friends last August for a few days of wilderness adventure. Canoeing, kayaking and fishing were on our agenda, along with glamping (glamorous camping), a first-time experience for me.
Glamping in Mont-Tremblant National Park
Upon arrival, our group of six headed north from Montreal toward beautiful Mont-Tremblant National Park. We drove in rented vehicles about two hours to Saint-Saveur Valley, a village-style development with boutique shopping, restaurants, art galleries, and night skiing during winter. After buying our provisions for camping, we continued driving another hour to the park, where we had reserved a ready-to-camp site with Huttopia tents.
A convenient set-up, the tent came with electricity, a small fridge, a hot plate, and platform beds with foam mattresses that made cooking and sleeping easy. It was only the nighttime trek to the outhouse on a dark wooded path that was lacking in “glam.” For visitors wanting more in creature comforts, the park also offers cabins and yurts for rent.
Guide Camille from Parcs Canada
The following morning we stopped at the Visitors Center at Lac Monroe to learn about the variety of offerings in Mont-Tremblant National Park, founded in 1895. Three distinct sectors of the park offer activities from ranger-led programs and fireside chats to multimedia presentations (although most are in French). Canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and bikes can be rented, and guided kayak and canoe excursions are offered with opportunities to spot wildlife and hear the sweet call of a loon.
We booked a canoe tour with an English-speaking park naturalist on the river Diablé (meaning “devil” in French). Our guide, Camille, navigated downstream through a winding section called the Meanders, pointing out unusual geologic formations along the riverbanks and wildlife habitat frequented by beavers, black bears and various birds. We saw hikers cross a swinging bridge over the water but otherwise had the river to ourselves. Throughout our morning paddle, Camille's expertise and passion for the natural environment were evident, as was her cheerful joie de vivre, shared by many we met in Quebec.
Canoeing in the Diablé River in Mont-Tremblant National Park (Credit: Ann Yungmeyer)
Activities in the park are family-friendly, including two beach areas with swimming. Biking is popular on a new 14-kilometer bike lane along the paved park entrance, and hikers can enjoy panoramic views from observation decks over Lac Monroe's glacial valley and the Mont Tremblant massif. Marked trails lead to several impressive waterfalls, including the famous Chute du Diable and Chute aux Rats, accessible by bike or hiking.
Cabins at Mekoos
Our next adventure took us to Mekoos, a lakefront lodge named for the First Nation Algonquin expression meaning, “brook trout heaven,” where area lakes are home to native speckled trout, walleye and northern pike. Two fishing guides drove us on a rough dirt road through the woods to a private lake where we put in four small johnboats and set out to catch lunch. Our group of mostly novice fishermen and -women learned enough technique to master the motorboats and net plenty of pan-size brookies for our shore cookout-a campfire culinary feast prepared by the guides.
Enjoying lunch on the lake
In an unusual heat wave for Canada, a blazing sun beat down on us while our freshly caught trout sizzled in an iron skillet over a smoky campfire. I cooled my feet in the clear lake water as we watched the shore lunch preparation with the enthusiastic guides, who spoke good English, bantering back and forth in French as they tended the campfire. Having fished many times on Florida's Gulf Coast, I had eaten my catch at a shore cookout in similar fashion before. But this was Quebecois-style; there were no baked beans and slaw at this fish fry, as our fishermen chefs prepared a sumptuous spread of trout, pike, fried potatoes and leafy greens. With a nod to French favorites, the feast included a baguette, wine and chocolates for dessert.
Local craft beer at Mekoos
Mekoos' accommodations feature a log lodge and lakefront cabins in rustic-comfort style, and throughout the extensive property, wildlife can often be spotted including moose, deer and black bear. We kayaked along miles of unspoiled shoreline and swam in the refreshing green water while savoring the solitude of the environment and a memorable getaway trip. The Laurentian region, we found, is a peaceful destination for outdoor activities with friends, and a place in which it's easy to feel like you have nature's playground all to yourself.
A day at the office for Georgie Jet (Credit: Ann Yungmeyer)
If you go
Canada's French-speaking province is easily accessible for many US travelers, particularly East Coast-dwellers, who without even changing time zones can enjoy outdoor recreation as well as the vibrant French-Canadian culture, language and cuisine. The Laurentian (Laurentides) region is one of 21 tourist regions in Quebec offering year-round recreation. From Montreal's Trudeau International Airport, take a rental car with a good map to supplement GPS.
For more on travel to the Laurentianr region, visit laurentians.com. For more on travel to Québec, visit quebecoriginal.com.
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Suzuki Finds Silver Lining in Clouds Around Shizuoka Prefecture
After the Mitsubishi fuel economy scandal triggered a Japan-wide investigation into fuel economy claims, Suzuki is now in a similar situation as its diamond-starred competitor. But the reasoning behind Suzuki's misdeed is different: the automaker, it claims, was destitute. According to Automotive News, Suzuki blames its own fuel consumption rating scandal on a lack of funds. It couldn't afford to perform […]
The post Suzuki Finds Silver Lining in Clouds Around Shizuoka Prefecture appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Travel Tip of the Day: The Cheapest Times to Visit the Top 10 Summer Destinations
Happy Memorial Day! With summer here, and travel ahead, TripAdvisor's 2016 top vacation destination list is worth a look. The list showcases the ten most-booked destinations for summer and the cheapest weeks to visit them, along with some average costs you'd likely incur on a vacation there. Number 10 is below-and the full list is here.
10. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Average nightly hotel rate: $178
- Average domestic US roundtrip airfare: $513
- Average meal cost: $18
- Average tour cost: $121
- Average cost of a one-week summer trip: $2,374
- Least expensive summer week to visit: August 22-28, for $2,212 (10% below summer peak)
9. Paris, France………
For the full 10 and the cheapest weeks to visit each, check out the story here!
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Enjoy Your Memorial Day, Folks
There's a lot of you out on the roads today, heading back from relatives's homes or vacation spots. Or maybe you're keeping it local by attending a family barbecue or tackling a backyard (or garage) project. Summer's here, and that tarp-covered classic needs a once-over (or maybe a whole lot more than that) before it […]
The post Enjoy Your Memorial Day, Folks appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
CONFIRMED(?): Next-Generation Buick Regal Wagon Coming to U.S.
After news broke last week about the death of the Buick Verano, it seems the General's tri-shield brand is looking to bolster its next-generation D-segment offering by bringing a Regal Wagon to North America. According to a poster on the GMInsideNews forum, Buick showed the next-generation Regal to dealers, which will include a wagon, during a […]
The post CONFIRMED(?): Next-Generation Buick Regal Wagon Coming to U.S. appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Report: More Millennials Living with Parents than Any Other Living Arrangement
The nonpartisan Pew Research Center recently published the starkest evidence yet of the issues facing millennials versus those that faced boomers during the same periods of their lives. Millennials, who are now between 18 and 34 according to the study, are more likely to live at home than any other type of living arrangement due to changing […]
The post Report: More Millennials Living with Parents than Any Other Living Arrangement appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
How to do the Kentucky Derby Like a Champ
Tauck Kentucky Derby Tent
If you've been following me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and/or Periscope then you know that I took my dad to the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby! Horse racing is my dad's passion (don't ask me why) and when Tauck invited us, I couldn't turn this incredible opportunity down.
Johnny Jet, Ken Burns and at the Baseball Hall of Fame during Tauck Events
2014 Tauck's Baseball Hall of Fame Event in Cooperstown
If you've ever done a Tauck tour or attended one of their events, then you know they do everything right. It's not cheap, but with Tauck, you don't have to worry or really even think about a thing. I first experienced their tours in 2014 when I did Tauck's Baseball Hall of Fame event in Cooperstown, New York. They brought in award-winning documentarian Ken Burns, Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro and many others; it was the trip of a lifetime, and you can read about it here.
Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort
Day 1: Lexington, Kentucky
If you're a horse racing fan like my dad, then the Kentucky Derby Tauck event is the trip of a lifetime as it was for my dad and the other attendees. The trip begins the Wednesday night before the Derby (always held on the first Saturday in May), with a welcome reception at the host hotel. I wasn't able to make it since I was in Europe for work (on a Viking Ocean cruise) but my dad attended and wouldn't stop raving about the people, food and band. They had local entertainment by the Berea Festival Dancers and the Hog Operation Bluegrass Band, a Derby favorite. BTW: The host hotel is in Lexington because it's closer to the attractions they visit leading up to the Kentucky Derby. It also doesn't hurt that Lexington, Kentucky is the horse capital of the world.
Griffin Gate Marriott Hotel
Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa
The host hotel is the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa (1800 Newtown Pike, Lexington, KY 40511; Tel.: 1-859-231-5100). It's a nice hotel but it's not quite up to the caliber of what Tauck usually has on their tours. But since this is Kentucky, there aren't a lot of luxury options in the area that can hold 160+ guests and Tauck's staff. Don't get me wrong: the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa is a solid four star hotel and there's a lot to like about it but Tauck hotels are usually truly memorable. What I like about the Griffin Gate Marriot is that it's less than 15 minutes from the Lexington Airport and Keeneland Race Track, which is where they hold a private dinner (more on that in a minute). The resort has a spa, indoor/outdoor pool, gym, club lounge and has enough rooms and meeting space to hold large events. It's also the first hotel that I've stayed in that has the horse racing channel (TVG), which my dad watches as intensely as kids watch the Cartoon Network.
One of Tauck Kentucky Derby Tour Guides and Bus Drivers
Tauck Guides and Busses
While I was making my way from Paris to Lexington via Chicago, my dad toured around Lexington with his group. What's cool about Tauck is that they break everyone up into small groups to make it a much more intimate experience. My dad made friends right away and he loved his tour guide, Wayne Allen. Wayne was born and raised in Kentucky and has been doing this Kentucky Derby tour for decades. Another Tauck detail is that you don't have to worry about those people who rush to the front of the bus to score the best seats each morning and try to lay claim the whole trip. Instead, Tauck assigns seats every day and they rotate them so everyone gets a chance to sit in the best seats. I loved this and the fact that the bus had excellent, free WiFi, electrical outlets and a toilet in the back. They also don't pack the buses so each one had empty rows in the back, mostly to make room for the drinks and snacks they provide but I would go sit back there for more room to work on my laptop; as with all my travel, this was a working trip for me. FYI: For 160+ customers they provided five buses.
Good to know: Tauck guides call each customer a few weeks before the trip to get to know them and answer any questions or concerns. I had plenty of questions regarding my dad; in particular, I wanted to know that they'd make sure my 87-year-old father made it from the airport to the hotel without me at 11:30pm. He did!
Kentucky Sunset at Keeneland Racetrack
Day 2: Kentucky Heritage & Dinner at Keeneland
My dad and his group toured around the Lexington area learning about the heritage and traditions of Kentucky's Bluegrass region. They went on guided visits to historic sites. They explored the life of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay and his descendants on a guided tour of Ashland. This was the Lexington estate established by “the Great Compromiser” – an early horse racing patron and breeder of thoroughbreds – in 1806. I arrived just in time to join them for a very special dinner overlooking the racetrack at Keeneland, which is considered one of the finest thoroughbred racing facilities in the world.
Tauck Kentucky Derby Event with Chris McCarron
Chris McCarron
Earlier in the day, Tauck had legendary jockey Chris McCarron, winner of the Kentucky Derby in 1987 and 1994, come speak to the group and they he joined them for dinner. That's where I met him and he couldn't have been any nicer. My only regret was that I shouldn't have asked him who he liked in the Derby since the horse he liked (Creator) didn't even place-and of course I bet on it! Just goes to show, it's anyone's guess who will win a horse race. FYI: Chris was also one of the stars in the movie Seabiscuit, which Tauck sent everyone a DVD copy of a month earlier.
Awesome Again Horse
Day 3: Thoroughbred Horses, Bridles & Bourbon in Lexington
Some of the groups went to Louisville for the Oaks Day – the 142nd Running of the Kentucky Oaks, a 1-1/8 mile race for three-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs in Louisville, dubbed the Run for the Lilies. The Oaks dates back to 1875, and has been won by some of the greatest fillies in thoroughbred racing history. Most of the Louisville locals prefer to attend the Oaks but I opted to join those who didn't want to go to the Oaks for the chance to get an in-depth look at the enduring local traditions of raising and racing world-class thoroughbred horses. We went to Adena Springs about an hour away, which is a highly-awarded North American thoroughbred breeding farm and home to many important thoroughbred stallions. Some of the horses we saw were Mucho Macho Man, Ghost Zapper and Awesome Again. They breed to race and it's not cheap. I think they said it's $70,000 for the season where they guarantee a pregnancy. They breed from February through July and they want the horses to be born on January 1 or after. Not a day before.
Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Afterwards, we drove through Paris, Kentucky to Frankfort (the capitol of Kentucky) to have a private BBQ lunch at the 130-acre Buffalo Trace Distillery. The food was amazing and they had a bluegrass band, which everyone enjoyed. Then we went on an hour-long walking tour of the oldest continually operating distillery in America, for a unique, firsthand look at the art of distilling, aging and bottling fine Kentucky Bourbon. When we got on the bus to go back to the hotel, Wayne had left everyone a fun Blanton Stopper (they sell them in the gift shop for $2.75). It's the unique bottle top that adorns every bottle of Blanton's Bourbon, one of the distillery's most famous bourbons.
The Julep Cup in Lexington, Kentucky
Julep Cup Restaurant
That night, Tauck invited everyone to have dinner in town at a local favorite restaurant. What's unique about Tauck is that they will make reservations for several tables of six at popular local restaurants and pair couples up. Tauck pays for the dinner but not the alcohol. They also provide transportation to and from the venue. We went to the Julep Cup and I ordered arguably the unhealthiest item on the menu or any menu in the United States for that matter … a Kentucky Hot Brown, which is made of oven roasted turkey and spiral ham on sourdough bread smothered with Mornay sauce, cheddar cheese, tomato and bacon. ($15).
View from Tauck Kentucky Derby Tent
Day 4: Derby Day: The 142nd Running of the Kentucky Derby
Saturday was the big day everyone was waiting for and it began just like every morning with a huge breakfast buffet. The Tauck buses all left at 8:15am for the 77-mile drive to the derby. Tauck is smart to get there early to avoid all the traffic and craziness but it makes for a long day. Once we arrived at Churchill Downs, we walked to a trolley to get to the infield. What's a bummer is that you can't bring any professional cameras (nothing with a detachable lens or six inches or longer). So I was stuck taking photos with my iPhone 6 Plus instead of my big Nikon. Tip: If you use your phone a lot like me then bring a portable charger to juice up.
Mint Juleps at the 2016 Kentucky Derby
Did you know? On Derby day they sell 120,000 Mint Juleps (made with Kentucky bourbon, simple syrup, crushed ice, powered sugar and mint)!
Tauck Kentucky Derby Tent
Tauck's Derby Seats
Tauck offers a few different types of seating for Derby Day. The Jockey Club, which is as good as it gets except for Millionaire's Row (we were there in 2002) or a Start Gate Unit.. The latter are new to the Derby as of a couple of years ago. They are tents that are put up just for the event and are on the infield. You don't have a whole view of the track but you do have an amazing view of the Finish Line and the turf races. There are also all kinds of amenities like air-conditioning, regional cuisine, open bar, TV monitors, a self-service betting machine and a live Pari-mutuel teller! That means we didn't have to leave the tent, brave the crowd or wait in long lines to go bet. On top of that, they had luxe portable bathrooms that were nicer than most restaurant bathrooms. Of course, I walked around to take some photos, see a friend and admire all the hats. FYI: This Kentucky Derby had the second largest attendance with 167,227 people. Last year was the highest in history with 170,513. You can see all of my photos below.
2016 Kentucky Derby
Nyquist, the favorite, won the race and that meant it was the seventh favorite to win the Kentucky Derby since 2000.
The only negatives were that Tauck couldn't get all their tents together so if you had friends in other groups like my dad, it wasn't easy to visit with them. Also, the people next door wouldn't stop smoking cigars.
Tauck Kentucky Derby Farewell Dinner
Farewell Dinner
As Wayne predicted, Derby Day is a long but unforgettable day. I was impressed how well Tauck and Churchill Downs organized everything and kept traffic moving. We didn't wait in any traffic jams and made it back to the hotel by 8:30pm. The day wasn't over because Tauck had a farewell dinner in the hotel's ballroom with southern food and a fantastic country music band.
My Happy Dad at Griffin Gate Marriott Thanks to Tauck
Day 5: Journey Home
Sunday is when 99.8% of the participants left but I booked us an extra night in the hotel ($271) so my dad could rest and I could save some money. I spent a month monitoring flights out of Lexington and Louisville for the Sunday after and everything was triple the normal price. So we stayed an extra day and it was really great to relax, catch up on work and sleep. Flying out of Lexington on Monday was super easy as there were no lines at the ticket counter or at the TSA security check point.
Tauck Kentucky Derby Tent
Want to Go Next Year?
If you want to attend next year's Tauck Kentucky Events, the dates are Wednesday, May 3 – Sunday, May 7, and they'll have the same two itinerary options: Thoroughbred World (with Oaks Day) and Bluegrass Country (with additional sightseeing around Lexington). Prices haven't been set yet, but interested readers can certainly reserve space now. Once prices are announced, you can either confirm your reservation or cancel with zero penalty within two weeks.
