Places

Fall is made for festivals, hikes in the woods and scenic road-trips, with stops along the way for crisp red apples and stunning photo opportunities. This week, we highlight distinctly autumnal opportunities in Southern Vermont.

As I stepped off an airplane at Moi International Airport in Mombasa, Kenya, I immediately felt the African breeze and the distinct feeling of stepping into another world. After traveling for over 24 hours across three continents, I eagerly anticipated the adventures that lay ahead, and took a moment to take in the fact that I was on the other side of the earth.

A road trip along Western Australia’s southern coast will bring travelers to Cape Le Grand National Park, home to secluded beaches, including the remote Hellfire Bay. Wear comfortable walking shoes, pack a fishing pole, and prepare for the lengthy but rewarding coastal walk to the Bay’s glimmering turquoise waters.

There are no stores or businesses on Cayo Costa, so intrepid beach-goers will have to make like pirates exploring a deserted island. Located west of North Fort Myers in the Gulf of Mexico, this Florida state park offers a diverse selection of outdoor activities, but remains quiet and peacefully untouched, accessible only by private boat or passenger ferry.

When my dear friend and fellow “single gal in San Francisco” left the city to teach English in San Jose, Costa Rica, I was inspired by her independence and sense of adventure. I was also a recently dumped woman. How better to nurse my bruised ego than to visit an old friend and confidante in Costa Rica? I set off, determined to simply lounge on the beach by day and shake my booty by night, goals which turned out to be easily attainable.

Though given the name “black monastery” for the darkly clad monks who inhabited the island in the seventh century, Noirmoutier, off the west coast of France, touts sunny beaches, bright green grass and blossoming trees. Noirmoutier has been called “a displaced Mediterranean island” because of its whitewashed buildings, fresh cuisine and vivid landscape.

Rich with thousands of years of history, but divided by two cultures, Cyprus is really two islands in one, both breathtaking in distinct ways.

The 10 years that I spent as an American living in London felt like one long holiday.

Located in Long Island’s South Fork, the Hamptons is a classic country setting coupled with a sophisticated mood, and is the type of place that seems to perpetually outdo itself. With a mass influx of visitors showing up in May and lingering on through September, the Hamptons is a playground for opulent Manhattanites and jet-setters, as well as a mecca for regular beachgoers who long to escape.

Far removed from the sultry scene on many of Brazil’s beaches near Rio de Janeiro, Jericoacoara is a slow-moving, old-fashioned idyll on the South American country’s northeastern coast. Jeri, as locals affectionately know the beach, did not have electricity until about 20 years ago, and the village still experiences the occasional power outage. Visitors must endure an eight-hour bus ride, followed by a scenic off-road trek before finally arriving at Jeri’s sandy streets. Yes, the village streets are sand.

Seeing the documentary “Buena Vista Social Club,” first piqued my interest in Cuba: the music, the architecture and the personalities depicted in the film took my breath away. But it wasn’t until I was traveling in Mexico and met a feisty Englishman that I seriously considered going there. “You’re from the Land of the Free, but you’re not free to go to Cuba!” he pointed out. That’s all it took: I was going to Cuba.

Four days before Christmas, I was in Southeast Asia, far from my snowy Connecticut home. My traveling partner and I decided the best way to deal with the Christmas songs that made us long for home (“I’ll be Home for Christmas” and yeah, I’ll admit it, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas”) was to head to Thailand, soak in the sun and revel in the beauty and quiet of the beaches in the Land of Smiles.

Edinburgh was one of the first cities I visited while on my own in college. I instantly fell in love with the beautiful old city and the Scottish countryside. Both times I visited Edinburgh I traveled by way of London’s Heathrow airport and the train from King’s Cross station. The four-hour trip gave me an opportunity to see the beautiful British countryside.

Situated on the banks of the Columbia River, in the shadow of the Bridge of the Gods, is a glorified cafeteria called Char Burger—a symbol of my youth. Although its cuisine was nothing extraordinary, its décor, a combination of authentic and knock-off American Indian artifacts, had a lot of flavor. A stop at Char Burger became my family’s raison d'être, marking the end of our summer evening drives down the coiled Columbia River Highway.

by Jennifer O’Neill
Glacier National Park, known as the “Switzerland of North America,” offers a glimpse into America’s unspoiled natural past. Designated a National Park in 1910, Glacier has elevations ranging from 3,150 to 10,466 feet, and features stunning views from its myriad roads and hiking paths. Bears make a living in the park’s waters and moose roam leisurely through nearby towns. Whether you’re an adventurer, historian or a laid-back observer, you’ll find something that fits your personality in this park.

I’d reached my 21st birthday without ever visiting Europe, so when a friend who was abroad in London emailed me to see if I wanted to go backpacking in Spain, I figured I had nothing to lose. (At the time, the dollar wasn’t doing as badly.) Our plan was to hit Madrid, Seville, Granada and Barcelona in 11 days of travel and to pack in as much art and wine as possible.

Located a thousand miles from anywhere you’ve ever heard of, the island of Yap is a remote outpost of forest, swamp and steep coral walls, set beneath the most stunning Pacific sunsets you are ever likely to witness. Though the outside world grows closer with each passing year, Yap’s beautiful isolation remains: a rest stop on the way to nowhere.

A guide to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, which hosts “The Great Passion Play,” Thorncrown Chapel, gay-friendly events and the world’s largest wind chime.

Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, is “the chosen spot of all the earth as far as Nature is concerned,” as botanist Luther Burbank once said; what better place can there be for a weekend (or longer) getaway.

After graduating from college, I called the islands of New Zealand home for seven months. It was a time defined by apples, glaciers, beards, backpacks, mountains, beaches and unforgettable images and memories. It took me from Auckland to Christchurch, Wanaka to Oban, Wellington to Napier, and to all parts in between.

A ferry ride away from the frenetic bustle of Istanbul, the Princes’ Islands lie in the Sea of Marmara, a haven where cars are banned and life moves at a top speed of 10 kilometers per hour. The archipelago has hosted Byzantine-era prisoners, monks, Leon Trotsky and Marc Chagall.

It’s been almost four years since we first visited the U.S. Virgin Islands. At the time, my husband thought it would be the perfect place for a relaxing, secluded honeymoon, and he was right.

Vieques, Puerto Rico, is relatively unknown as a tourist destination: most know the island for its use as a training ground by the U.S. Navy from the 1940s until 2003. 

I never had strong feelings about Israel until I heard about the Birthright program, at which point I started to have very strong feelings about the possibility of a free vacation. The Birthright program sponsors trips for 18–26 year old Jews who have never been to Israel. Although I’m no longer a practicing Jew, I was intrigued by Israel, and three weeks after graduating college, I was off to explore my roots.

Travelers who want to visit an Irish town without going too far from Dublin should head for Malahide. I visited Malahide only once, but it was enough to leave a lasting impression.

I love Galway and that is not an overstatement. I’m not about to pretend to be unbiased, so if you’re looking for a completely objective report on the city, see the findingDulcinea Ireland Web Guide. For a love letter to one of the best places in Ireland, read on.

While studying in Galway, I took a road trip with four others to my friend’s home in Leitir Mealláin, one of three islands off the coast of Connemara.

As a child, my experience of Ireland wasn’t so much about visiting castles or carousing all night in a crowded pub with a pint of Guinness and a rugby match on the “telly”—that would come later.  Back then, it was simply time to be with family.  My granny had six daughters, one son and 21 grandchildren.  Only my mother and one sister had moved to the States, so visiting Ireland meant a few weeks’ playtime with a gaggle of children, a few teenagers and six harried-looking mothers who laughed off their exhaustion.

New York is America’s fashion capital, with a style that is simple and chic. In fact, those wardrobe staples, the miniskirt and the wrap dress, are the respective brainchildren of iconic, New York-based designers Betsey Johnson and Diane von Furstenberg. A day of homage at the city’s fashion altars is as easy as having a subway pass in the hand and ballet flats on the feet.

London has been accused of being a drab city, but for the fashion minded it’s as full of glamour as Milan and Paris. Though London Fashion Week is over, that “Cool Britannia” style lingers on. Learn where to be chic, and how to stay grounded, with this peek at all that’s fashionable in London.