If you’re into architecture and design, and prefer not to share your vacation with strangers, a rental house from Boutique Homes is the way to go. Often times, it’s cheaper than a hotel for the week, and the kitchen means you can save some dough on food. Like a well-curated VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner), Boutique Homes offers design-oriented vacation homes for rent all over the world. Here are some of my picks for truly unique vacation experiences…
Desert Nomad House (Tucson, Arizona)
Poustinia Hermitages (Tipperary, Ireland)
Off-grid Ithouse (Pioneertown, California)
Rolling Huts (Methow Valley, Washington)
Berkeley Masterpiece (Berkeley, California)
…cause it’s out of this WORLD. Check out these flavorful, colorful, somewhat overkill passport cases from Flight 001. Let Europe know that you’re there on a student visa and you’ve got a sense of humor.
Above: Paris (Opera de Paris); London (Regent Street)
If it were up to the boy, we would travel from Apple store to Apple store. The last one we visited was in New York’s Meatpacking District. I may be on board with his philosophy of travel with the opening of the new stores on Regent Street in London and in Paris opposite the Opera de Paris. I’d put on my i-beret and put up with hours of fanboys discussing cables and pixels to hang out in these architectural beauties. Destination Apple shopping may just become a thing. Me oui!
Above: Shanghai
I give you, the future. Teleportation module chic, Apple has a way of saying, we live in glass houses, so what.
Above: NYC (Fifth Avenue); interior shot; Paris (Louvre)
I may be overcompensating because our Providence Apple Store is in a mall. Is it too much to ask to buy my smart phone in a massive glass pyramid located in the courtyard of a world renowned art museum housing the Mona Lisa? I think not.
Travel journals by Kristin Crane are made from maps and handbound into beautiful pieces of art you can tuck into your carry-on or backpack. And, hey, you never know when a snippet of a map of Brazil may come in handy. Also, Kristin is a local Providence (RI) artist who happens to be one of the lovely minds behind Craftland, a must-see handmade crafts boutique in downtown Providence. A fan of travel, and a big fan of Hawaii from what I read, Kristin’s work gets me psyched to hit the road. These journals inspire me to hop the next train to who knows where and write about who knows what. Hemmingway style.
Located in Normandy, France, Mont-Saint Michel is a medieval city with a population of 41 accessible by car only at low tide by a natural land bridge. With a history dating back to the 6th century, you’ll feel like you’re in a fairy tale. Quaint shops and narrow roads lined with stone walls wind up to an Abbey. This is a must-see if you venture to the region of Brittany in Northern France. It’s not a far drive from Saint-Malo, just be prepared to do a lot of walking, and bring a poncho. It only rains a little in Brittany…every day, as the locals say.
I was a young, stupid, hungover American kid when I rented a car in Paris and drove out to the French countryside. I woke up in St. Malo, and slipped out of the hotel room with my camera on a rainy morning. I had arrived in the dark the night before, so I hadn’t gotten the full scope of this walled Breton city. The people there didn’t speak French, per say, so my phrase book and broken french was not of much use. I felt terrible, and it was overcast, but standing alone on a sea wall, I decided that this place was my favorite place in the world at that moment. Maybe, I was a naive kid, but I felt an affinity for the stone city nestled on the sea. Who knows if I’d feel the same way now, but I still think of it in this way. A place where I had a really good feeling and watched the sea touch the stone.
To be in Paris on the French Independence Day (Bastille Day) is quite the spectacle. The streets fill with people, and cars become stranded in crowds of pedestrians. Fireworks pop over the city, and parades march past. But if you’re looking to enjoy the fireworks from the comfort of your room, here are some sweet hotels with an excellent view as they pop over the Eiffel Tower.
Hotel De Sers (Roof deck, what?!)
Hotel Plaza Athenee (Pricey, but tres chic.)
Hotel Banville (Off the beaten path, but in a cute neighborhood.)
It’s Bastille Day eve, so in the spirit, I’m posting about one of my fave places of the french persuasion. Montreal is the love of my North American life. A European-esque city accessible to the Northeast US by Amtrak’s Adirondack line, Montreal is all underground malls, outdoor music fests, hockey, and incredible architecture. When I travel to Montreal, I stay at The Gault in Old Port, and while it is great to take advantage of all the music festivals during the warmer months, you can find some excellent deals in the winter. Check their tourism website for festivals and hotel deals, and be sure to watch their super, crazy video on the front page to get an idea of the neighborhoods in Montreal.
If you do choose to brave the winter, there’s always Igloo Fest, a mid-winter outdoor electronic music festival. I attended last year, and it was twelve below zero (farenheit) with thousands of snowsuit clad enthusiasts partying outside. That would never happen in Rhode Island. Two syllables: e-pic. My summer festival recommendation is Piknic Electronik, which happens every Sunday May through October.
If this isn’t enough to persuade you, all I have left to say is french fries WITH GRAVY ON THEM. Bonjour!
In honor of Beatles Day, I give you a Beatles themed boutique hotel in Liverpool, England. A Hard Day’s Night Hotel has suites like the Lennon Suite (top) and the McCartney Suite (below), four Beatles themed pubs and restaurants on site, and they offer live performances from the world’s top Beatles cover bands. Cheers, mate.
The Coachella music festival in the Coachella Valley desert of California just outside Palm Springs offers Safari tent rentals, complete with AC, backstage/all access festival passes, golf cart transportation to and from the stages, showers and restrooms, security and more.
While $5,000 seems like a lot to pay for a weekend in the desert, have you seen their line up? Jay-Z, Grizzly Bear, MGMT, Fever Ray, Dirty Projectors, the XX, etc. And, for those of us who may not want to party like we used to, suffer for the awesomeness, get really dirty and rock out outdoor festival style, it may be an excellent way to experience a weekend of incredible tunes. And for someone like the boy, who can’t live without power outlets and wifi, doesn’t do music fests unless he’s playing them and doesn’t enjoy “multi-human campout fests,” this may be the only option. Then again, there’s always the Ace.
