The countdown is on. The weather gods have spoken: temperatures have dropped, snowmaking has begun, and Sugarloaf is planning to open this Friday. And no wimpy Boardwalk or Landing, first trail open will be Tote Road, serviced by the SuperQuad.
On Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23, you can ski or ride for $25, if you bring three or more cans of food to donate to the annual Tin Mountain Round Up for local food banks.
Well, not exactly, but the slopeside Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s Ski for Free package isn’t too shabby, either. On the package, a Fairmont room begins at $259 Canadian, including two daily lift tickets. That’s a decent deal, made even better by the strengthening U.S. dollar.
Although a Fairmont room is the hotel standard, it’s well equipped, and here’s a tip, join the Fairmont Club and Wifi is free. A downstairs cafe offers good food at reasonable prices, or head out to the countless restaurants and cafes salting the pedestrian-friendly village. Another plus: the hotel has a full-service ski concierge, and overnight gear storage is free.
Whistler is host site for the 2010 Olympic Alpine and sliding events, and this year sees the opening of the new Peak 2 Peak gondola bridging its two peaks, Whistler and Blackcomb. You get a lot of bang for the buck at this humongous resort.
Still to rich for your blood? Not to worry, I expect, given the souring economy, we’ll see a lot of great deals this season. I’ll share the best of what comes across my desk.
A Tripso poster provides the real definitions of all those airline and airport terms. (Warning: not to be read with a mouthful of tea or coffee, or expect to clean your keyboard).
Downtown Liberty, Maine, comprises a barely handful of businesses, yet it draws visitors by the thousands each year. It’s a bargain-hunters find.
For starters, there’s Liberty Tool, a three-story building where tools fill every nook and cranny of the first floor and mingle with antiques, junktiques, books, and what-have-you on the upper floors. Across the street, the former Banks’ Garage has been reborn as the power-tool annex, a Craftsman extravaganza.
The shop is a must-stop for trades-people, collectors, renovators and home hobbyists, but it’s not the only reasons to visit this sleepy loop off Route 3 between Augusta and Belfast.
Upstairs in the former Masonic Hall adjacent to the Annex is the Davistown Museum, a wealth of local history and historic tools and even artwork.
And downstairs is the outlet for Liberty Graphics, which prints tee shirts using water-based ink on organic cotton. Bins overflow with seconds, rejects, and test tee shirts for an amazing range of products and places. Tee shirts that would retail for $20 or higher are often $5 or less here. Just paw through it all and you’re bound to find one or, more likely, five you simply must have.
So, when you’re looking for something to do as November weighs heavy on the landscape, and you’re looking for innovative, yet cheap, Christmas presents for loved ones, you might brighten the bleakness and lighten your wallet in Liberty (but check the website for seasonal days and hours of operation).
Sorry to report on a couple of closures.
In Presque Isle, Heidi’s Tea Room has shut its doors, a real loss. The combination restaurant/gourmet shop/antiquarian bookstore served excellent fare and had a mind-boggling assortment of teas. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Heidi, a trained chef, finds her way into another local kitchen.
In Bethel, the Prodigal Inn and Gallery has closed the B&B operation, but Tom White’s impressive bronze gallery remains.
In Kennebunkport, The Inn at Harbor Head (in Cape Porpoise) is no more.
And in York, Food and Co., the combo gourmet food store and cafe in York, is also out of biz.
Chefs from both Suzuki’s and Lily Bistro have been invited to create a seafood dinner at the renowned James Beard House, on Feb 25, 2009. If you haven’t been to either, now’s a good time to go: between the falling economy and the lack of tourists, it’s far easier to get reservations. Don’t take walking in for granted, as both have strong local followings.
Talk about a fab view!
Gouldings Trading Post is a historic property in Monument Valley, Utah. Not only is there a motel with divine views, but also a good restaurant–homestyle and traditional, nothing fancy (and no alcohol as it’s on the Navajo Reservation)–also a small theater that shows John Wayne flicks, and a museum filled with all sorts of memorabilia, from the Navajo nation, the Gouldings who established the post and brought John Ford here during the Depression years and ultimately John Wayne and other stars. Yeah, tons of memorabilia is here.
Even better, Gouldings is just minutes from Monument Valley Tribal Park, the iconic setting for all those classic westerns.
But here’s another treat: On Dec. 6, updated to Dec. 31, The View, a hotel, will open at the visitor center within the park. Either way, you can’t go wrong.
First, apologies for the long period without postings. I’ve been in Arizona attending a conference, and I’m now traveling with family through northeastern Arizona. Spent last night in Winslow, where yes, we were standing on the corner… more later on Winslow, but a quick plug for La Posada, a wonderful historic hotel, one of the original Harvey Houses. Later closed, empty for close to 40 years, then refurbished and revitalized. Also here is The Turquoise Room, which is alone worth the trip.
Second, I’ll be on the road through the rest of this week, but will try to squeeze in a few posting when time and Internet access permit. Tonight we’re in Canyon de Chelly, staying at the Thunderbird Lodge, a simple motel with cafeteria and gift shop. Food’s good, rooms are basic but clean, Wifi is free.
Finally, I’ll try to post about earlier experiences this trip in Scottsdale area. Stayed five nights at The Boulders, a fancy-schmancy resort, where the conference was held. The setting is magical, especially at sunrise and sunset, when the red-rock boulders practically glow in the sunlight. Sixth night was the historic Camelback Inn, Marriott’s original resort property, which recently underwent a multi-multi-million-dollar renovation. Dinner at BLT Steakhouse was nothing less than divine. Again, more on that later.
We’re planning to tour Canyon de Chelly tomorrow, then on to Monument Valley for two nights.
