36 Hours in Budapest
By EVAN RAIL
Published: July 28, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/travel/36-hours-in-budapest.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha210
LIKE much of post-Communist Europe, Budapest has replaced the image of the impoverished East with symbols of international luxury, like the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace and a new branch of Nobu, the high-end Japanese restaurant. But unlike many other cities in the region, the Hungarian capital’s brightest spots are often native-born, rather than imports. From stately Buda in the west to Pest’s shabby-chic streets east of the Danube, a range of new attractions show off the achievements of local artists, producers, vintners and chefs. Even if you don’t end up tasting every last domestic food specialty identified as a “hungarikum,” or tracking down every up-and-coming designer, a weekend here provides a glimpse of the city’s justifiable pride, as well as an authentic sense of place.
Friday
5 p.m.
1) GET YOUR KICKS
Buda has steep hills, while Pest’s long boulevards are seemingly without end. Get ready for legwork with new sneakers from Tisza Cipo (Karoly korut 1; 36-1-266-3055; tiszacipo.hu), the flagship store of a once-reviled Communist-era brand that was revived as a modern line of streetwear in 2003. Though the flashy colors, plush material and quality construction of today’s Klasszik model (19,900 forints, or about $105, at 190 forints to $1) are unlike just about anything from the former regime, no one will ever confuse the distinctively Eastern Bloc retro vibe for a pair of Nikes. Your favorite souvenirs? You’re wearing them.
7:30 p.m.
2) WINE KITCHEN
Home to the oldest classified wine regions in Europe, Hungary is also a fount of excellent Old World cooking. The two combine splendidly at the seven-month-old Borkonyha (Sas utca 3; 36-1-266-0835; borkonyha.hu), or “wine kitchen,” an airy, modern bistro with a list of about 200 outstanding domestic bottles, many of which are available by the glass. Homegrown fare like trout from the northern Hungarian village of Szilvasvarad or braised Mangalica hog cheeks with roasted carrots (2,350 forints) pair gloriously with unusual local varietals like Zoltan Gunzer’s 2009 kadarka (980 forints per glass), an elegant, dry red whose rich blackcurrant and blackberry notes compare with those of a great zinfandel.
10 p.m.
3) GARDEN BAR
In warm weather, vacant lots around the city are transformed into kert (“garden”) bars: grungy outdoor dives occupying a middle ground between beer gardens and anarchist squats, generally with a downmarket vibe. But one of the newest manifestations of the trend, Otkert (Zrinyi utca 4; 36-30-413-1173; otkert.blogspot.com), takes the idea upscale, creating what the English-language news and culture blog pestiside.hu called the “first posh kert” when it opened last summer. Find a quiet corner nook to chill out over a shot of pear or apricot palinka (880 to 950 forints), the local take on schnapps, then join the crowd of beautiful people for a spin on the open-air dance floor.
Saturday
11 a.m.
4) YOUR STYLE
First, check the Our Style online store, ourstyle.hu, in case one of its fashion pop-up shops is operating somewhere in the city. If nothing’s listed, head down to the area between the Dohany Street Synagogue, the Hungarian National Museum and the Danube, where numerous small boutiques like Black Box (Iranyi utca 18; 36-30-41-48-979; blackboxconceptstore.tumblr.com) offer everything from club wear to haute couture confections, all by local designers, often at very affordable prices. At the nearby Eclectick (Iranyi utca 20; 36-1-266-3341; eclectick.hu), colorful linen summer dresses, printed with bird motifs, cost 21,900 forints.
1 p.m.
5) ROCK HOSPITAL
Summers here can really cook. When the mercury rises, seek shelter at the oddball Sziklakorhaz (Lovas ut 4/c; 36-70-7-01-01-01; sziklakorhaz.hu), a former secret hospital and nuclear bunker, hidden deep inside the mountain under Buda Castle, that opened to the public as an unusual cold-war museum in mid-2007. No matter how hot it might be outside, remember to bring an extra layer, as the underground temperatures are always under 64 Fahrenheit. Hourlong tours in both Hungarian and English leave every hour on the hour, after which you can buy a Marka soda (250 forints) and such bunker-worthy tchotchkes as Communist-era military helmets and gas masks (1,000 forints).
3 p.m.
6) OFF THE LISZT
Expect to hear a lot about the local hero Franz Liszt — a k a Liszt Ferenc — this year. An up-to-date Web site (liszt-2011.hu) details the exhibitions, concerts and other events around town in honor of the bicentennial of the composer’s birth, including a “wine of the Liszt year” and even a Liszt-themed locomotive. On a smaller scale, the Liszt Museum (Vorosmarty utca 35; 36-1-322-9804; lisztmuseum.hu) has a single-room exhibition on the composer’s relationship to his city, running through March of next year, while permanent exhibitions recreate Liszt’s final Budapest apartment with tons of his personal belongings, instruments and furniture, including an original writing desk with its own three-octave piano keyboard.
7:30 p.m.
7) OVER THE TOP
Budapesters groaned when Prague became the first post-Communist capital with a Michelin-starred restaurant in 2008. But the Hungarians pulled ahead this March, with the four-year-old Onyx (Vorosmarty ter 7-8; 36-20-386-9157; onyxrestaurant.hu) earning their city’s second French asterisk, after the stylish Costes, on Raday Utca. Jaded diners might find the gold-on-black walls, heavy armchairs and oh-so-formal table service somewhat over the top, but dishes like goose liver torte with strawberry jelly and kolache (4,000 forints) and confit of beef shoulder with creamy carrot purée (7,000 forints) come across as remarkably accomplished, effortlessly bridging the traditional flavors of the country with contemporary international culinary techniques. For cheap dates, the lunch menu, served Tuesday through Saturday until 2 p.m., features much of the same excellent cooking at much lower rates, with three-course menus for 3,990 forints.
9:30 p.m.
8) ANCHORS AWEIGH
For years, the biggest exports from Hungary’s contemporary music scene have been D.J.’s and electronica acts like Yonderboi and Neo, but the country’s indie rockers are starting to make themselves heard. Just steps from bustling Deak Ferenc square in Pest, the spacious, year-old Anker Klub (Anker koz 1-3; 36-70-505-5480; facebook.com/ankerklub) hosts intimate concerts from new-folksters like Kistehen Tanczenekar, a k a Little Cow, and charmingly atmospheric singer-songwriters like Norbert Kristof.
11:30 p.m.
9) UP ALL NIGHT
Some of the best new bright spots here echo the glories of the city’s interwar period. A legendary fashion center when it first appeared in 1926, the giant Corvin department store is now better known as Corvinteto (Blaha Lujza ter 1-2, enter from Somogyi Bela utca; 36-20-77-22-984; corvinteto.hu), a club and after-hours lounge that has taken over the building’s top levels. Inside, concerts of dub, drum ’n’ bass and electroclash run year-round, but if it’s going to be a really late night, the enormous rooftop bar — open only from spring to autumn — might just be the best spot to watch a sunrise over the city skyline.
Sunday
Noon
10) TASTE TO GO
On Sundays, trendy locals and expats meet at the second Pest branch of Culinaris (Balassi Balint utca 7; 36-1-373-0028; culinaris.hu), a lunch counter with a separate specialty-foods shop that opened near the neo-Gothic parliament building in 2008. First, grab a loosely wrapped burrito (1,590 forints) or Cobb salad (1,490 forints) at the cool and bright counter. Then head around the corner to the shop with a collection of cheeses, cookies, crackers, pastas, wines and beers so extensive it could be a costly mistake to gawk on an empty stomach. Before you leave, think of a typical airport meal. Then order a to-go ham-and-cheese, custom-built on a fluffy, house-made black-olive loaf (1,790 forints), for a final taste that will stay with you at least as far as the departure gate.
IF YOU GO
Design hotels can sometimes feel insubstantial. Not so the Palazzo Zichy (Lorinc pap ter 2; 36-1-235-4000; hotel-palazzo-zichy.hu), a stylish, chic 80-room establishment that opened in 2009 in a restored 19th-century mansion, whose thick walls lend a sense of solidity. The mix of original, neo-Baroque stairwells and modern minimalist décor probably shouldn’t work, but it does. Prices vary based on occupancy, though high-season doubles generally start at about 80 euros (about $112).
Closer to the action in Pest, just off touristy Vaci utca, is the new La Prima (Pesti Barnabas utca 6; 36-1-799-0088; laprimahotelbudapest.hu), a self-styled “fashion hotel” that opened this spring. A Web search for mid-August found double rooms with breakfast at 95 euros.
Copyright by The New York Times 2011.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
36 Hours in Aspen, Colo.
36 Hours in Aspen, Colo.
By BONNIE TSUI
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: July 21, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/travel/36-hours-in-aspen-colo.html?hpw
IT’S an open secret that Aspen isn’t just a glamorous winter resort. As the lineup of private jets at the tiny airport will attest, summer is when the mountain town’s festival scene brings in celebrities of almost every category — the likes of Yo-Yo Ma for the seasonlong Aspen Music Festival, Mario Batali for the Food & Wine Classic and Sandra Day O’Connor for the Ideas Festival. Along with them come classical-music fiends who carry their own scores and Food Network fans who go wild for live knife-skill demos from the stars of “Iron Chef.” Your seatmates on the puddle-jumper from Denver, however, are just as likely to be semi-pro cyclists or whitewater hounds sniffing out the best place to shoot the rapids. They know that summer in Aspen is when nature is in full swing, and the glowing fields of wild blue flax, prairie smoke and sunflowers, framed by snowcapped peaks and groves of aspen, do a fine job of wooing attention away from the glitterati. Not that you have to choose one world over the other. It’s entirely possible to go high-adrenaline by day and highbrow culture by night.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) MEET THE LOCALS
The nonprofit Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, or ACES, offers a bounty of guided hikes, beekeeping seminars, mushroom-foraging classes and photo safaris. Stop in for a late-afternoon visit at the Hallam Lake Center (100 Puppy Smith Street; 970-925-5756; aspennature.org; open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday) to get acquainted with rehabilitated birds of prey — currently a golden eagle and a great horned owl — that call the center home. Check the ACES calendar for programs that might coincide with your visit; outdoor classes in astronomy and field sketching are scheduled for August.
5 p.m.
2) DOWNTOWN ORIGINAL
After you stop by Ute Mountaineer (210 South Galena Street; 970-925-2849; utemountaineer.com) for last-minute gear, maps or guidebooks for your excursions, head to the Aspen Brewing Company’s new downtown tasting room (304 East Hopkins Avenue; 970-920-2739; aspenbrewingcompany.com), where framed old photos and hand-drawn maps line the walls and a relaxed T-shirt-and-flannel atmosphere rules. At the polished teak bar, order a pint ($4) of local craft beer, like the Ajax Pilsner, Ajax being the nickname for Aspen Mountain. This is a true Aspenite bar — as Brad Veltman, an owner, will tell it, a place where “you can bring your dog, watch an old Warren Miller ski video and enjoy a beer.”
6 p.m.
3) A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
The summerlong Aspen Music Festival (980 North Third Street; 970-925-9042; aspenmusicfestival.com; $10 to $76 for ticketed events) offers opportunities to watch classical stars perform at venues ranging from the Victorian-era Wheeler Opera House to the local library. Many of the events, which include symphonies, chamber music, master classes and lectures, are free. Grab a seat on the lawn at the Music Festival campus for one of the evening concerts, frequented by picnicking families and other music lovers who bring wine and cheese to pair with the crisp notes sailing out into the cool night air (those with paid tickets sit inside the tent). Coming in August: the violinist Sarah Chang, and a performance by the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet with the Aspen Concert Orchestra.
8:30 p.m.
4) TASTE OF ITALY
The jet set will be excited to see an outpost of the Miami hot spot Casa Tua (403 South Galena Street; 970-920-7277; dinner for two, $100), a restaurant and private club created by the Italian-born hotelier and restaurateur Miky Grendene. The recently opened location has a lovely outdoor patio, creamy burrata straight from Italy (with basil and heirloom tomatoes, $22) and colorful house cocktails. Try the Casa Tua Aspen, a bubbly mix of prosecco and Martini & Rossi rosato ($15).
Saturday
8:30 a.m.
5) FARM FRESH
Pick up smoothies and fresh croissants at the Aspen Saturday Market (corners of East Hyman Avenue, South Hunter Street and East Hopkins Avenue; 970-925-1940; open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; aspenchamber.org) for a breakfast picnic in nearby Wagner Park. Then return to the market, which fills three downtown blocks and sells everything from mountain goat cheese and locally raised lamb to hand-blown glassware and antique bicycles. The bikes are restored by Billy Taylor and his son, Michael, under the moniker Re-Cycle Art Aspen (970-948-9888; recycleartaspen.com), adding such touches as Japanese Crane brass bells, vintage saddles and retro chrome pedals (from $490).
10:30 a.m.
6) A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
Eleven miles out of town is the Ashcroft Ghost Town, in the spectacular Castle Creek Valley. It is the starting place for a four-hour naturalist walk called Green World Day Hike, with ACES (aspennature.org; reservations required; 3.5 miles round trip; $75); the price includes lunch, which may be venison and smoked trout at the Pine Creek Cookhouse, overlooking the still-snowy peaks of the Elk mountain range. You are likely to see great blue herons cruising above the creek, beavers in their ponds, and maybe even elk or a bear (as evidenced by markings on trees along the path).
3 p.m.
7) A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
Stand-up river paddleboarding is becoming all the rage in water-sports-crazy Aspen, and Charlie MacArthur, the owner of Aspen Kayak Academy (970-925-4433; aspenkayakacademy; half-day class, $85), is leading the charge. An adventure racer and champion kayaker, he tested and co-designed the first stand-up paddleboard for the river. Sign up for a lesson paddling the pristine Stillwater section of the Roaring Fork River, five minutesfrom town along the meadows of theNorth Star Nature Preserve, an elk migration corridor and calving ground.
7 p.m.
8) DINNER SCENE
After 13 years, the Aspen branch of Matsuhisa (303 East Main Street; 970-544-6628; matsuhisaaspen.com; dinner for two, $120), a collaboration between the chef Nobu Matsuhisa and the designer Nobuko Kang in a renovated downtown Victorian, still dazzles a packed, corporate-card-wielding crowd night after night. Knockout dishes include thinly sliced scallop dotted with chile and yuzu ($25) and mussels in spicy garlic sauce ($12), and there is a laid-back upstairs lounge with an acid-jazz soundtrack. The eclectic wine list includes a fine syrah ($75 a bottle) from the Colorado-based Infinite Monkey Theorem label (pair it with the tender Washugyu beef tataki, market price: about $17 an ounce).
9 p.m.
9) SWEET TREAT
The light lingers until after 9 p.m., so stroll over to Paradise Bakery (320 East Galena Street; 970-925-7585; paradisebakery.com) for an ice cream cone; each one comes topped with a chocolate-chip cookie ($3.50 for a single scoop); try the cappuccino and toffee crunch. Then, head over to the Belly Up Aspen (450 South Galena Street; 970-544-9800; www.bellyupaspen.com), a beloved live-music club that attracts an energetic crowd to its intimate all-ages shows; recent acts include Matisyahu, Chris Isaak and Maceo Parker.
Sunday
7:30 a.m.
10) HEAD START
Grab an espresso ($2.75) and a breakfast sandwich with organic eggs ($10) at Victoria’s Espresso Wine Bar (510 East Durant Avenue; 970-920-3001; aspenespressobar.com) before setting out to the trailhead for 11,866-foot Cathedral Lake, one of Aspen’s most iconic hiking trails. It is a 5.6-mile round trip with a lung-busting 2,000-foot elevation gain (White River National Forest, Aspen Ranger District, 970-925-3445; fs.usda.gov/whiteriver). Start early and you’ll have this amazing trail, edged with delicate white and lavender Rocky Mountain columbine (Colorado’s state flower) and wild sage, to yourself.
11:30 a.m.
11) FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Back in town, refuel at Pyramid Bistro (221 East Main Street; 970-925-5338; pyramidbistro.com; lunch for two $50), an open-air cafe that serves organic fare with fresh, bright flavors: cashew-crusted kale chips ($6), free homemade bread with pesto spread, lemon grass tofu with black (“forbidden”) rice ($12). Later, get lost downstairs in the well-curated stacks of Explore Booksellers (970-925-5336; explorebooksellers.com), where the bohemian feel is deliberately cultivated; go ahead and camp out in the memoir section with a copy of Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” — she’d approve.
IF YOU GO
For affordable luxury, check into the Limelight Lodge (355 South Monarch Street; 800-433-0832; limelightlodge.com), a historic ski lodge in town that was completely rebuilt in 2008. It’s now an airy certified-green building with spacious rooms, a pool and mountain views. Doubles from $125, with breakfast.
The elegant Hotel Jerome (330 East Main Street; 970-920-1000; hoteljerome.com) was built in 1889, the first hotel in the state with electricity and indoor plumbing; today, the luxuries extend from pressed-tin ceilings to sumptuous rooms with white marble tubs and access to a 77,000-square-foot spa. Doubles from $298.
By BONNIE TSUI
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: July 21, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/travel/36-hours-in-aspen-colo.html?hpw
IT’S an open secret that Aspen isn’t just a glamorous winter resort. As the lineup of private jets at the tiny airport will attest, summer is when the mountain town’s festival scene brings in celebrities of almost every category — the likes of Yo-Yo Ma for the seasonlong Aspen Music Festival, Mario Batali for the Food & Wine Classic and Sandra Day O’Connor for the Ideas Festival. Along with them come classical-music fiends who carry their own scores and Food Network fans who go wild for live knife-skill demos from the stars of “Iron Chef.” Your seatmates on the puddle-jumper from Denver, however, are just as likely to be semi-pro cyclists or whitewater hounds sniffing out the best place to shoot the rapids. They know that summer in Aspen is when nature is in full swing, and the glowing fields of wild blue flax, prairie smoke and sunflowers, framed by snowcapped peaks and groves of aspen, do a fine job of wooing attention away from the glitterati. Not that you have to choose one world over the other. It’s entirely possible to go high-adrenaline by day and highbrow culture by night.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) MEET THE LOCALS
The nonprofit Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, or ACES, offers a bounty of guided hikes, beekeeping seminars, mushroom-foraging classes and photo safaris. Stop in for a late-afternoon visit at the Hallam Lake Center (100 Puppy Smith Street; 970-925-5756; aspennature.org; open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday) to get acquainted with rehabilitated birds of prey — currently a golden eagle and a great horned owl — that call the center home. Check the ACES calendar for programs that might coincide with your visit; outdoor classes in astronomy and field sketching are scheduled for August.
5 p.m.
2) DOWNTOWN ORIGINAL
After you stop by Ute Mountaineer (210 South Galena Street; 970-925-2849; utemountaineer.com) for last-minute gear, maps or guidebooks for your excursions, head to the Aspen Brewing Company’s new downtown tasting room (304 East Hopkins Avenue; 970-920-2739; aspenbrewingcompany.com), where framed old photos and hand-drawn maps line the walls and a relaxed T-shirt-and-flannel atmosphere rules. At the polished teak bar, order a pint ($4) of local craft beer, like the Ajax Pilsner, Ajax being the nickname for Aspen Mountain. This is a true Aspenite bar — as Brad Veltman, an owner, will tell it, a place where “you can bring your dog, watch an old Warren Miller ski video and enjoy a beer.”
6 p.m.
3) A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
The summerlong Aspen Music Festival (980 North Third Street; 970-925-9042; aspenmusicfestival.com; $10 to $76 for ticketed events) offers opportunities to watch classical stars perform at venues ranging from the Victorian-era Wheeler Opera House to the local library. Many of the events, which include symphonies, chamber music, master classes and lectures, are free. Grab a seat on the lawn at the Music Festival campus for one of the evening concerts, frequented by picnicking families and other music lovers who bring wine and cheese to pair with the crisp notes sailing out into the cool night air (those with paid tickets sit inside the tent). Coming in August: the violinist Sarah Chang, and a performance by the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet with the Aspen Concert Orchestra.
8:30 p.m.
4) TASTE OF ITALY
The jet set will be excited to see an outpost of the Miami hot spot Casa Tua (403 South Galena Street; 970-920-7277; dinner for two, $100), a restaurant and private club created by the Italian-born hotelier and restaurateur Miky Grendene. The recently opened location has a lovely outdoor patio, creamy burrata straight from Italy (with basil and heirloom tomatoes, $22) and colorful house cocktails. Try the Casa Tua Aspen, a bubbly mix of prosecco and Martini & Rossi rosato ($15).
Saturday
8:30 a.m.
5) FARM FRESH
Pick up smoothies and fresh croissants at the Aspen Saturday Market (corners of East Hyman Avenue, South Hunter Street and East Hopkins Avenue; 970-925-1940; open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; aspenchamber.org) for a breakfast picnic in nearby Wagner Park. Then return to the market, which fills three downtown blocks and sells everything from mountain goat cheese and locally raised lamb to hand-blown glassware and antique bicycles. The bikes are restored by Billy Taylor and his son, Michael, under the moniker Re-Cycle Art Aspen (970-948-9888; recycleartaspen.com), adding such touches as Japanese Crane brass bells, vintage saddles and retro chrome pedals (from $490).
10:30 a.m.
6) A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
Eleven miles out of town is the Ashcroft Ghost Town, in the spectacular Castle Creek Valley. It is the starting place for a four-hour naturalist walk called Green World Day Hike, with ACES (aspennature.org; reservations required; 3.5 miles round trip; $75); the price includes lunch, which may be venison and smoked trout at the Pine Creek Cookhouse, overlooking the still-snowy peaks of the Elk mountain range. You are likely to see great blue herons cruising above the creek, beavers in their ponds, and maybe even elk or a bear (as evidenced by markings on trees along the path).
3 p.m.
7) A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
Stand-up river paddleboarding is becoming all the rage in water-sports-crazy Aspen, and Charlie MacArthur, the owner of Aspen Kayak Academy (970-925-4433; aspenkayakacademy; half-day class, $85), is leading the charge. An adventure racer and champion kayaker, he tested and co-designed the first stand-up paddleboard for the river. Sign up for a lesson paddling the pristine Stillwater section of the Roaring Fork River, five minutesfrom town along the meadows of theNorth Star Nature Preserve, an elk migration corridor and calving ground.
7 p.m.
8) DINNER SCENE
After 13 years, the Aspen branch of Matsuhisa (303 East Main Street; 970-544-6628; matsuhisaaspen.com; dinner for two, $120), a collaboration between the chef Nobu Matsuhisa and the designer Nobuko Kang in a renovated downtown Victorian, still dazzles a packed, corporate-card-wielding crowd night after night. Knockout dishes include thinly sliced scallop dotted with chile and yuzu ($25) and mussels in spicy garlic sauce ($12), and there is a laid-back upstairs lounge with an acid-jazz soundtrack. The eclectic wine list includes a fine syrah ($75 a bottle) from the Colorado-based Infinite Monkey Theorem label (pair it with the tender Washugyu beef tataki, market price: about $17 an ounce).
9 p.m.
9) SWEET TREAT
The light lingers until after 9 p.m., so stroll over to Paradise Bakery (320 East Galena Street; 970-925-7585; paradisebakery.com) for an ice cream cone; each one comes topped with a chocolate-chip cookie ($3.50 for a single scoop); try the cappuccino and toffee crunch. Then, head over to the Belly Up Aspen (450 South Galena Street; 970-544-9800; www.bellyupaspen.com), a beloved live-music club that attracts an energetic crowd to its intimate all-ages shows; recent acts include Matisyahu, Chris Isaak and Maceo Parker.
Sunday
7:30 a.m.
10) HEAD START
Grab an espresso ($2.75) and a breakfast sandwich with organic eggs ($10) at Victoria’s Espresso Wine Bar (510 East Durant Avenue; 970-920-3001; aspenespressobar.com) before setting out to the trailhead for 11,866-foot Cathedral Lake, one of Aspen’s most iconic hiking trails. It is a 5.6-mile round trip with a lung-busting 2,000-foot elevation gain (White River National Forest, Aspen Ranger District, 970-925-3445; fs.usda.gov/whiteriver). Start early and you’ll have this amazing trail, edged with delicate white and lavender Rocky Mountain columbine (Colorado’s state flower) and wild sage, to yourself.
11:30 a.m.
11) FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Back in town, refuel at Pyramid Bistro (221 East Main Street; 970-925-5338; pyramidbistro.com; lunch for two $50), an open-air cafe that serves organic fare with fresh, bright flavors: cashew-crusted kale chips ($6), free homemade bread with pesto spread, lemon grass tofu with black (“forbidden”) rice ($12). Later, get lost downstairs in the well-curated stacks of Explore Booksellers (970-925-5336; explorebooksellers.com), where the bohemian feel is deliberately cultivated; go ahead and camp out in the memoir section with a copy of Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” — she’d approve.
IF YOU GO
For affordable luxury, check into the Limelight Lodge (355 South Monarch Street; 800-433-0832; limelightlodge.com), a historic ski lodge in town that was completely rebuilt in 2008. It’s now an airy certified-green building with spacious rooms, a pool and mountain views. Doubles from $125, with breakfast.
The elegant Hotel Jerome (330 East Main Street; 970-920-1000; hoteljerome.com) was built in 1889, the first hotel in the state with electricity and indoor plumbing; today, the luxuries extend from pressed-tin ceilings to sumptuous rooms with white marble tubs and access to a 77,000-square-foot spa. Doubles from $298.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
36 Hours in Bar Harbor, Me.
36 Hours in Bar Harbor, Me.
By GERALDINE FABRIKANT
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: July 14, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/travel/36-hours-in-bar-harbor.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha210
THERE are summer resorts that get busier and more chic over the years. And then there are the ones, like Bar Harbor, Me., that feel deliciously frozen in time. Don’t look for Starbucks, McDonald’s or Ralph Lauren here. Fashion shoppers stop at places with names like Cool as a Moose. Carmen Verandah and the Thirsty Whale are among the evening hot spots. Bar Harbor is the largest town on Mount Desert Island, and nearby Acadia National Park encompasses some 50 square miles. The rest of Mount Desert belongs to residents and a tony array of summer tenants: Brooke Astor summered here, as did myriad Rockefellers and, once upon a time, the town of Northeast Harbor had so many Philadelphia families that it was dubbed “Philadelphia on the rocks.” They all came lured by the striking setting of mountains, woodlands, lakes and ocean waves crashing against granite cliffs. Then and now, Mount Desert has served as a glorious nature camp for biking, hiking and boating. At day’s end, a visitor can cozy up with a blueberry beer and lobster. Evening strollers can watch sailboats drop anchor and the mist slip down over the hundreds of islands that dot the water.
Friday
6 p.m.
1) TOAST THE SUNSET
Take the two-hour cruise on the Margaret Todd, a four-masted windjammer that sails through Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands (207-288-4585; downeastwindjammer.com; $37.50). You’ll pass Ironbound Island, still owned by descendants of the painter Dwight Blaney, who with his contemporary John Singer Sargent and others painted the remarkable vistas of the bay and Acadia. A guitarist may serenade you, but if you want to toast the sunset, bring your own wine.
8:30 p.m.
2) SEAFOOD EXTRAVAGANZA
It may be called the Reading Room (7 Newport Drive; 207-288-3351; barharborinn.com/dining.html), but dining in a rotunda that overlooks the harbor feels more like eating on a ship than in a library. On weekends, a pianist usually plays old favorites. Lobster lovers can opt for the lobster pie ($36), but the broiled Maine haddock with butter crumb crust ($24) is also a treat. For something more exotic, try the red-walled Havana (318 Main Street; 207-288-2822; havanamaine.com), the Obamas’ choice when they visited last summer. The paella with lobster, mussels, clams and chorizo ($29) is worth the stop.
10 p.m.
3) BLUEBERRY BEER
Hang with the locals at Geddy’s (19 Main Street; 207-288-5077; geddys.com), a fun, funky pub filled with old photographs and local signage. Blueberry aficionados can try the Sea Dog blueberry draft beer ($5.30) or a blueberry margarita ($9.50).
Saturday
8:30 a.m.
4) MAINE BREAKFAST
By 8 o’clock the line is already forming at the cheerful Cafe This Way (14 ½ Mount Desert Street; 207-288-4483; cafethisway.com) on a tiny back street off the square, with bookshelves filled with classics and poetry. Mainers don’t stint on breakfast, nor should you; fill up on French toast with real maple syrup ($5.95) or a McThisWay sandwich of fried eggs, tomatoes, Cheddar cheese and bacon ($7.25). Those who want some oomph can try a mimosa or bloody mary ($6.50).
10 a.m.
5) EXPLORING ACADIA
There are numerous entrances to Acadia National Park (check nps.gov; 207-288-3338; $20 per car for seven days). Take a drive around the 27-mile Park Loop Road and head to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard. It was named after the French explorer who called himself Sieur de la Mothe Cadillac. He went on to help found Detroit, where the Cadillac was named after him. You cannot rent bikes or canoes within the park, but in Bar Harbor, Acadia Bike (48 Cottage Street; 207 288-9605; acadiabike.com) rents bikes for $21 a day. If you are not inclined to bike the steep 2.5 miles into the park, pack your bike on the free Island Explorer Shuttle (207-667-5796; exploreacadia.com; daily service from 9:15 a.m. at the Village Green to the Eagle Lake Carriage Road entrance). There are 45 miles of biking paths that wind through forests, along beaver dams and around lakes. Take a map — even the road signs can get tricky.
1 p.m.
6) POPOVERS IN THE PARK
Lunch at the Jordan Pond House (207-276-3316; thejordanpondhouse.com) shouldn’t be missed, with views across the park’s Jordan Pond to the Bubble Mountains. Popovers as rounded as the mountaintops are a specialty and come with everything from lobster salad ($20) to vegetable quiche ($12). If you bring your kayak or canoe, you can use them on the pond.
4 p.m.
7) LOCAL WARES
Window Panes (166 Main Street; 207-288-9550; windowpanesMDI.com) is a good stop for coasters made from local granite ($15). If you get chilly, Cool as a Moose (118 Main Street; 207-288-3904; coolasamoose.com) is a place to grab a sweatshirt ($40). Or immerse yourself in Maine lore at Sherman’s Book and Stationery Store (56 Main Street: 207-288-3161; shermans.com), where you might want to pick up a copy of “Time and Tide in Acadia” by Christopher Camuto ($24.95) and “The Maine Wild Blueberry Cookbook” ($14.99). For the Lilly Pulitzer look of hot pink, orange and blue tops or straw hats and summer bags, pop over to the Romantic Room (130 Main Street, Northeast Harbor; 207-276-4005; theromanticroom.com).
7 p.m.
8) IT’S ALL ABOUT LOBSTER
Any Maine stay is about, well, lobster. Nowhere is that fact driven home more bluntly than at Thurston’s (Steamboat Wharf Road, Bernard; 207-244-7600; thurstonslobster.com), in a half-plastic, half-canvas tent overlooking a working harbor and surrounded by stacks of lobster pots. You choose your live lobster, they cook it and you pick it up on a plastic tray. The result: high turnover and low prices (recently a large lobster went for $12.65 a pound). For variety try the lobster stew ($8.95). If you prefer a cottage setting, try Abel’s Lobster Pound (Abels Lane off Route 198, south of Junction 233; 207-276-5827), a lively family-owned restaurant set in a spruce grove on a fjord, where you eat on picnic tables illuminated by tiki torches overlooking the yacht basin or in the knotty pine dining room. A 1.5-pound lobster is $35 with baked potato.
10 p.m.
9) LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT
To unwind after a day outdoors, climb the steps to Carmen Verandah (119 Main Street; 207-288-2766; carmenverandah.com) for an evening of bands, karaoke or open mike. Cover charge is $2 to $5.
Sunday
9:30 a.m.
10) THE MANICURED SIDE
At the Asticou Azalea Garden (Peabody Drive and Sound Drive; 207-276-3727; gardenpreserve.org; free), a mix of pines, hemlocks, Korean firs, Japanese maples, azaleas and blueberries are set around a pond. The garden’s hybrid of styles includes a small Japanese karesansui garden composed of Maine granite island stones in a sea of raked white sands. Lanterns and stepping stones heighten the Japanese mood. Nearby, on Peabody Drive, is the Thuya Garden (207-276-5130; also gardenpreserve.org; free), named after the house built by the landscape architect Henry Curtis, who summered there. The lodge is now a horticultural library, and the setting features a broad array of trees, shrubs and an English-style garden with everything from wood lilies to Beverly Sills iris. One can drive or climb to the garden, but the climb, which affords broad views of Northeast Harbor, is well worth the effort.
11 a.m.
11) TRULY LOCAL
Take the mail boat to Little Cranberry Island from Northeast Harbor, and you may find yourself helping locals unload their groceries on the dock (207-244-3575; cranberryisles.com/ferries.html; $28 round trip). Stop at the Islesford Historical Museum, with its collection of ship models, tools and dolls (10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Marina, 207-244-9224; acadianationalpark.com/bar_harbor_maine_attractions), and then have brunch or a drink at the Islesford Dock Restaurant (Marina, Islesford; 207-244-7494; islesforddock.com). The harbor setting and views capture the Maine atmosphere, and the place was mentioned last summer in Martha Stewart’s blog (she is a Seal Harbor summer resident). Try the Maine lobster fritter and grits ($8).
IF YOU GO
The elegant Asticou Inn overlooks the water in Northeast Harbor (15 Peabody Drive; 207-276- 3344; asticou.com). With its flowered wallpaper, chintz-covered chairs and ruffled curtains, it has the feel of a roomy, old Maine home, but one with a tennis court and heated swimming pool. There are 48 rooms and cottages, with rates from $195 in July, from $220 in August.
For a prettily decorated, cheerful B&B near the water, try The Inns at Ullikana (16 The Field, 207-288-9552; ullikana.com). Each room is decorated with a panoply of colors and fabrics. Rates, including afternoon refreshments, start at $160.
By GERALDINE FABRIKANT
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: July 14, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/travel/36-hours-in-bar-harbor.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha210
THERE are summer resorts that get busier and more chic over the years. And then there are the ones, like Bar Harbor, Me., that feel deliciously frozen in time. Don’t look for Starbucks, McDonald’s or Ralph Lauren here. Fashion shoppers stop at places with names like Cool as a Moose. Carmen Verandah and the Thirsty Whale are among the evening hot spots. Bar Harbor is the largest town on Mount Desert Island, and nearby Acadia National Park encompasses some 50 square miles. The rest of Mount Desert belongs to residents and a tony array of summer tenants: Brooke Astor summered here, as did myriad Rockefellers and, once upon a time, the town of Northeast Harbor had so many Philadelphia families that it was dubbed “Philadelphia on the rocks.” They all came lured by the striking setting of mountains, woodlands, lakes and ocean waves crashing against granite cliffs. Then and now, Mount Desert has served as a glorious nature camp for biking, hiking and boating. At day’s end, a visitor can cozy up with a blueberry beer and lobster. Evening strollers can watch sailboats drop anchor and the mist slip down over the hundreds of islands that dot the water.
Friday
6 p.m.
1) TOAST THE SUNSET
Take the two-hour cruise on the Margaret Todd, a four-masted windjammer that sails through Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands (207-288-4585; downeastwindjammer.com; $37.50). You’ll pass Ironbound Island, still owned by descendants of the painter Dwight Blaney, who with his contemporary John Singer Sargent and others painted the remarkable vistas of the bay and Acadia. A guitarist may serenade you, but if you want to toast the sunset, bring your own wine.
8:30 p.m.
2) SEAFOOD EXTRAVAGANZA
It may be called the Reading Room (7 Newport Drive; 207-288-3351; barharborinn.com/dining.html), but dining in a rotunda that overlooks the harbor feels more like eating on a ship than in a library. On weekends, a pianist usually plays old favorites. Lobster lovers can opt for the lobster pie ($36), but the broiled Maine haddock with butter crumb crust ($24) is also a treat. For something more exotic, try the red-walled Havana (318 Main Street; 207-288-2822; havanamaine.com), the Obamas’ choice when they visited last summer. The paella with lobster, mussels, clams and chorizo ($29) is worth the stop.
10 p.m.
3) BLUEBERRY BEER
Hang with the locals at Geddy’s (19 Main Street; 207-288-5077; geddys.com), a fun, funky pub filled with old photographs and local signage. Blueberry aficionados can try the Sea Dog blueberry draft beer ($5.30) or a blueberry margarita ($9.50).
Saturday
8:30 a.m.
4) MAINE BREAKFAST
By 8 o’clock the line is already forming at the cheerful Cafe This Way (14 ½ Mount Desert Street; 207-288-4483; cafethisway.com) on a tiny back street off the square, with bookshelves filled with classics and poetry. Mainers don’t stint on breakfast, nor should you; fill up on French toast with real maple syrup ($5.95) or a McThisWay sandwich of fried eggs, tomatoes, Cheddar cheese and bacon ($7.25). Those who want some oomph can try a mimosa or bloody mary ($6.50).
10 a.m.
5) EXPLORING ACADIA
There are numerous entrances to Acadia National Park (check nps.gov; 207-288-3338; $20 per car for seven days). Take a drive around the 27-mile Park Loop Road and head to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard. It was named after the French explorer who called himself Sieur de la Mothe Cadillac. He went on to help found Detroit, where the Cadillac was named after him. You cannot rent bikes or canoes within the park, but in Bar Harbor, Acadia Bike (48 Cottage Street; 207 288-9605; acadiabike.com) rents bikes for $21 a day. If you are not inclined to bike the steep 2.5 miles into the park, pack your bike on the free Island Explorer Shuttle (207-667-5796; exploreacadia.com; daily service from 9:15 a.m. at the Village Green to the Eagle Lake Carriage Road entrance). There are 45 miles of biking paths that wind through forests, along beaver dams and around lakes. Take a map — even the road signs can get tricky.
1 p.m.
6) POPOVERS IN THE PARK
Lunch at the Jordan Pond House (207-276-3316; thejordanpondhouse.com) shouldn’t be missed, with views across the park’s Jordan Pond to the Bubble Mountains. Popovers as rounded as the mountaintops are a specialty and come with everything from lobster salad ($20) to vegetable quiche ($12). If you bring your kayak or canoe, you can use them on the pond.
4 p.m.
7) LOCAL WARES
Window Panes (166 Main Street; 207-288-9550; windowpanesMDI.com) is a good stop for coasters made from local granite ($15). If you get chilly, Cool as a Moose (118 Main Street; 207-288-3904; coolasamoose.com) is a place to grab a sweatshirt ($40). Or immerse yourself in Maine lore at Sherman’s Book and Stationery Store (56 Main Street: 207-288-3161; shermans.com), where you might want to pick up a copy of “Time and Tide in Acadia” by Christopher Camuto ($24.95) and “The Maine Wild Blueberry Cookbook” ($14.99). For the Lilly Pulitzer look of hot pink, orange and blue tops or straw hats and summer bags, pop over to the Romantic Room (130 Main Street, Northeast Harbor; 207-276-4005; theromanticroom.com).
7 p.m.
8) IT’S ALL ABOUT LOBSTER
Any Maine stay is about, well, lobster. Nowhere is that fact driven home more bluntly than at Thurston’s (Steamboat Wharf Road, Bernard; 207-244-7600; thurstonslobster.com), in a half-plastic, half-canvas tent overlooking a working harbor and surrounded by stacks of lobster pots. You choose your live lobster, they cook it and you pick it up on a plastic tray. The result: high turnover and low prices (recently a large lobster went for $12.65 a pound). For variety try the lobster stew ($8.95). If you prefer a cottage setting, try Abel’s Lobster Pound (Abels Lane off Route 198, south of Junction 233; 207-276-5827), a lively family-owned restaurant set in a spruce grove on a fjord, where you eat on picnic tables illuminated by tiki torches overlooking the yacht basin or in the knotty pine dining room. A 1.5-pound lobster is $35 with baked potato.
10 p.m.
9) LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT
To unwind after a day outdoors, climb the steps to Carmen Verandah (119 Main Street; 207-288-2766; carmenverandah.com) for an evening of bands, karaoke or open mike. Cover charge is $2 to $5.
Sunday
9:30 a.m.
10) THE MANICURED SIDE
At the Asticou Azalea Garden (Peabody Drive and Sound Drive; 207-276-3727; gardenpreserve.org; free), a mix of pines, hemlocks, Korean firs, Japanese maples, azaleas and blueberries are set around a pond. The garden’s hybrid of styles includes a small Japanese karesansui garden composed of Maine granite island stones in a sea of raked white sands. Lanterns and stepping stones heighten the Japanese mood. Nearby, on Peabody Drive, is the Thuya Garden (207-276-5130; also gardenpreserve.org; free), named after the house built by the landscape architect Henry Curtis, who summered there. The lodge is now a horticultural library, and the setting features a broad array of trees, shrubs and an English-style garden with everything from wood lilies to Beverly Sills iris. One can drive or climb to the garden, but the climb, which affords broad views of Northeast Harbor, is well worth the effort.
11 a.m.
11) TRULY LOCAL
Take the mail boat to Little Cranberry Island from Northeast Harbor, and you may find yourself helping locals unload their groceries on the dock (207-244-3575; cranberryisles.com/ferries.html; $28 round trip). Stop at the Islesford Historical Museum, with its collection of ship models, tools and dolls (10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Marina, 207-244-9224; acadianationalpark.com/bar_harbor_maine_attractions), and then have brunch or a drink at the Islesford Dock Restaurant (Marina, Islesford; 207-244-7494; islesforddock.com). The harbor setting and views capture the Maine atmosphere, and the place was mentioned last summer in Martha Stewart’s blog (she is a Seal Harbor summer resident). Try the Maine lobster fritter and grits ($8).
IF YOU GO
The elegant Asticou Inn overlooks the water in Northeast Harbor (15 Peabody Drive; 207-276- 3344; asticou.com). With its flowered wallpaper, chintz-covered chairs and ruffled curtains, it has the feel of a roomy, old Maine home, but one with a tennis court and heated swimming pool. There are 48 rooms and cottages, with rates from $195 in July, from $220 in August.
For a prettily decorated, cheerful B&B near the water, try The Inns at Ullikana (16 The Field, 207-288-9552; ullikana.com). Each room is decorated with a panoply of colors and fabrics. Rates, including afternoon refreshments, start at $160.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
36 Hours in Honolulu
36 Hours in Honolulu
By JOCELYN FUJII
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: July 7, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/travel/36-hours-in-honolulu.html?hpw
HONOLULU has never been hotter, and not just because it’s July. The city’s "it" factor has been on the rise since President Obama announced, two years ago in Singapore, that his self-described “home state of Hawaii” would host the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. This November, the 21-nation Pacific Rim summit may bring as many as 10,000 people to Waikiki, the renowned Honolulu destination on Oahu’s south shore. While the city primps for the media glare, it also brims with summer’s delights. Mangoes and sweet summer fruit add splashy colors to the market stands. Pikake, puakenikeni, gardenia and tuberose grace Chinatown lei stands, and Hawaiian music spills onto beaches from sunset-drenched oceanfront lounges.
36 Hours in Honolulu
Map
Honolulu
Friday
4 p.m.
1) A SPA WITHOUT WALLS
There’s nothing better than a summer moment at Kapiolani Park, the 300-acre recreational magnet at the foot of Diamond Head, the volcanic tuff cone and landmark the Hawaiians named Leahi. Work up a sweat with the joggers and rugby players while white terns soar above the ironwoods. Top that off with a sunset swim across the street, at the beach fronting the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel.
6 p.m.
2) HAWAIIAN TUNES
Sandy feet are not an anomaly at Duke’s Restaurant and Barefoot Bar (2335 Kalakaua Avenue; 808-922-2268; dukeswaikiki.com), where the stars of Hawaiian music play nightly at sunset. Maunalua, a trio offering contemporary Hawaiian music, usually plays on Fridays, and the guitarist-vocalist Henry Kapono, the self-proclaimed “wild Hawaiian,” is the Hawaiian-rock attraction on Sundays. The open-air spot has a vintage surfer feel and wall-to-wall tributes to the Olympic swimming legend Duke Kahanamoku. Parking is expensive, but there’s no cover charge.
7:30 p.m.
3) THE PALATE-PLEASER
Philippe Padovani, one of the 12 original founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, opened Padovani’s Grill earlier this year, just in time for the 20th anniversary of the culinary movement. Fans love him for his designer chocolates, masterful sauces, signature clam chowder (Manila clams, sweet corn from Oahu’s north shore and a soupçon of island seaweed) and risotto (truffle oil and several types of mushrooms). There are special touches across the board, including made-to-order sauces for the seafood and Black Angus beef dishes. The chef pays equal respect to vegetarians, with an excellent goat cheese ravioli and fricassee of mushrooms. For dessert, try the tarte Tatin and bourbon crème brûlée. A three-course dinner without drinks costs $55 to $65.
9:30 p.m.
4) FROM TATTOOS TO DRAGONS
The indie jazz scene is thriving at the top of a steep stairway in Chinatown, in a former tattoo parlor the size of a cozy living room. Some of the best musicians in town gather at the Dragon Upstairs (1038 Nuuanu Avenue; 808-526-1411; thedragonupstairs.com) to jam and entertain in grand bohemian style. Most nights it’s the spectacular Japanese/local contemporary jazz pianist, Satomi Yarimizo, with her drummer and bass player. Because many in the audience are musicians, there are surprise performances galore in a seriously music-loving room.
Saturday
9 a.m.
5) DIAMOND HEAD FOOD FEST
Yes, it’s possible to have breakfast on the slopes of Diamond Head, at Honolulu’s busiest farmers’ market. A bonanza for early-bird foodies, the Saturday farmers’ market at Kapiolani Community College (4303 Diamond Head Road; 808-848-2074; hfbf.org) is the raison d’être for many a local food lover. Take your own bag and go early to find parking: it’s worth it. Everything there is local. The rainbow of products is edible Hawaii in full color, whether it’s persimmons, homemade ginger and guava drinks, mangoes, goat cheese, local honey or scones and banana bread.
11 a.m.
6) IT’S ALL ABOUT ART
With the merger this summer of the Contemporary Museum and the Honolulu Academy of Arts (900 South Beretania Street; 808-532-8700; honoluluacademy.org), and a new director, Stephan Jost, the buzz is all about art. A $25, two-and-a-half-hour tour of Shangri La, the Islamic museum founded by the Doris Duke estate, begins and ends at the Academy, which runs the Shangri La tours. A 20-minute shuttle ride takes you to the 1930s oceanfront mansion-turned-museum with its Iznik tiles, Central Asian textiles and 13th-century prayer room. When you return to the Academy, leave time for the Hawaii collection in the John Dominis and Patches Damon Holt Gallery, with works by Jules Tavernier, Lionel Walden and other Hawaiian masters.
1:30 p.m.
7) ART AND THE PLATE
The Pavilion Cafe (900 South Beretania Street; 808-532-8734; honoluluacademy.org/394-pavilion_cafe), the restaurant for the Academy of Arts, scores high points for its Mediterranean menu and its alfresco location next to a waterfall and Jun Kaneko sculptures. The menu, while not fancy, is ideal: white bean salad with arugula and wilted radicchio ($12.95), hearty sandwiches (feta, tapenade, tomato; chopped salmon steak), a pasta of the day and desserts like chocolate pot de crème and fresh fruit crisp ($5.95 each). At the Academy boutique a few steps away, books, cards, textiles and handmade jewelry make it one of Honolulu’s stellar shopping attractions.
5:30 p.m.
8) SUNSET SERENADE
Halekulani’s House Without a Key (2199 Kalia Road; 808-923-2311; halekulani.com) is a magnet at sunset. A century-old kiawe tree is gracefully backlighted by the late afternoon sun, the mai tais ($12) are heroic, and the views of the ocean and Diamond Head make you forget about the neighboring high-rises. When the hula dancer Kanoe Miller takes the stage, small talk ceases. It could be a postcard from the 1940s, the heyday of Waikiki. On Ms. Miller’s nights off, Debbie Nakanelua fills the stage with her own brand of hula magic.
8 p.m.
9) THE RAW RAGE
Last year, Masaharu Morimoto, a star of the program “Iron Chef America,” opened his first Hawaii restaurant, Morimoto Waikiki. Sharing a pool and lounge with the Waikiki Edition hotel, the sleek, high-concept restaurant offers yacht-filled harbor views, indoor-outdoor dining, a fire pit, a sushi bar and a bar. Outdoors, lanterns light poolside picnic tables where urbane networkers linger over designer cocktails and tapas. Coral sculptures and panels of green algae encased in acrylic are a bold interior statement by the designer Thomas Shoos. Raw dishes, such as sashimi, toro tartare and the popular lamb and wagyu carpaccio, are classic Morimoto ($13 to $30), but the noodle dishes ($10 to $18), occasionally too salty and overcooked, are less successful. The wagyu steaks have a reverential following ($50 to $85), and the light-as-air tofu cheesecake ($12) is a favorite.
Sunday
10 a.m.
10) THE TURNING POINT
The Makapuu Point Trail, at the easternmost part of the island, is the tour de force on a drive full of special moments. Pack sunscreen and a hat as you head south along Kalanianaole Highway past Hanauma Bay and Sandy Beach. Koko Head Crater on the left has created striated cliffs that nearly run into the lava shoreline, and you’re driving between them both. Once past Sandy Beach, park at the Ka Iwi State Park lot and follow the trail to Makapuu Point along a two-mile 500-foot ascent. The 1909 Makapuu Lighthouse completes the package with views of the eastern coast and small offshore islands.
12:30 p.m.
11) THE BUZZ ABOUT BURGERS
Continue the drive along the windward coast, where sea turtles feed among fishermen and snorkelers. About 20 minutes from Makapuu, you’ll reach Kailua Beach, lined with ironwoods and dotted with paddlers and windsurfers. The local watering hole, Buzz’s Original Steakhouse (413 Kawailoa Road; 808-261-4661; buzzssteakhouse.com), is across the street with a charming veranda, and a tree growing through the center of the dining room. While it’s basically a burger joint, there are some standouts, including the kiawe-grilled fresh fish burgers ($11.95). Bloody Marys and beer flow freely from the koa and bamboo bar.
IF YOU GO
The year-old, style-centric Waikiki Edition (1775 Ala Moana Boulevard; 808-943-5800; editionhotels.com) has 353 rooms on 17 floors; rates range from $379 to $995. At the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel (2863 Kalakaua Avenue; 808-923-1555; kaimana.com) has a sleeker look with its refurbished interiors. Rooms start at $150.
Outrigger Reef on the Beach (2169 Kalia Road; 808-926-1959; outriggerreef-onthebeach.com) is on Waikiki Beach, with online summer rates from $179 to $369.
Specials and promotions are ongoing, so be sure to ask. Nightly Hawaiian music at the Kani Ka Pila Grille is a find for any music lover.
By JOCELYN FUJII
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: July 7, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/travel/36-hours-in-honolulu.html?hpw
HONOLULU has never been hotter, and not just because it’s July. The city’s "it" factor has been on the rise since President Obama announced, two years ago in Singapore, that his self-described “home state of Hawaii” would host the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. This November, the 21-nation Pacific Rim summit may bring as many as 10,000 people to Waikiki, the renowned Honolulu destination on Oahu’s south shore. While the city primps for the media glare, it also brims with summer’s delights. Mangoes and sweet summer fruit add splashy colors to the market stands. Pikake, puakenikeni, gardenia and tuberose grace Chinatown lei stands, and Hawaiian music spills onto beaches from sunset-drenched oceanfront lounges.
36 Hours in Honolulu
Map
Honolulu
Friday
4 p.m.
1) A SPA WITHOUT WALLS
There’s nothing better than a summer moment at Kapiolani Park, the 300-acre recreational magnet at the foot of Diamond Head, the volcanic tuff cone and landmark the Hawaiians named Leahi. Work up a sweat with the joggers and rugby players while white terns soar above the ironwoods. Top that off with a sunset swim across the street, at the beach fronting the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel.
6 p.m.
2) HAWAIIAN TUNES
Sandy feet are not an anomaly at Duke’s Restaurant and Barefoot Bar (2335 Kalakaua Avenue; 808-922-2268; dukeswaikiki.com), where the stars of Hawaiian music play nightly at sunset. Maunalua, a trio offering contemporary Hawaiian music, usually plays on Fridays, and the guitarist-vocalist Henry Kapono, the self-proclaimed “wild Hawaiian,” is the Hawaiian-rock attraction on Sundays. The open-air spot has a vintage surfer feel and wall-to-wall tributes to the Olympic swimming legend Duke Kahanamoku. Parking is expensive, but there’s no cover charge.
7:30 p.m.
3) THE PALATE-PLEASER
Philippe Padovani, one of the 12 original founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, opened Padovani’s Grill earlier this year, just in time for the 20th anniversary of the culinary movement. Fans love him for his designer chocolates, masterful sauces, signature clam chowder (Manila clams, sweet corn from Oahu’s north shore and a soupçon of island seaweed) and risotto (truffle oil and several types of mushrooms). There are special touches across the board, including made-to-order sauces for the seafood and Black Angus beef dishes. The chef pays equal respect to vegetarians, with an excellent goat cheese ravioli and fricassee of mushrooms. For dessert, try the tarte Tatin and bourbon crème brûlée. A three-course dinner without drinks costs $55 to $65.
9:30 p.m.
4) FROM TATTOOS TO DRAGONS
The indie jazz scene is thriving at the top of a steep stairway in Chinatown, in a former tattoo parlor the size of a cozy living room. Some of the best musicians in town gather at the Dragon Upstairs (1038 Nuuanu Avenue; 808-526-1411; thedragonupstairs.com) to jam and entertain in grand bohemian style. Most nights it’s the spectacular Japanese/local contemporary jazz pianist, Satomi Yarimizo, with her drummer and bass player. Because many in the audience are musicians, there are surprise performances galore in a seriously music-loving room.
Saturday
9 a.m.
5) DIAMOND HEAD FOOD FEST
Yes, it’s possible to have breakfast on the slopes of Diamond Head, at Honolulu’s busiest farmers’ market. A bonanza for early-bird foodies, the Saturday farmers’ market at Kapiolani Community College (4303 Diamond Head Road; 808-848-2074; hfbf.org) is the raison d’être for many a local food lover. Take your own bag and go early to find parking: it’s worth it. Everything there is local. The rainbow of products is edible Hawaii in full color, whether it’s persimmons, homemade ginger and guava drinks, mangoes, goat cheese, local honey or scones and banana bread.
11 a.m.
6) IT’S ALL ABOUT ART
With the merger this summer of the Contemporary Museum and the Honolulu Academy of Arts (900 South Beretania Street; 808-532-8700; honoluluacademy.org), and a new director, Stephan Jost, the buzz is all about art. A $25, two-and-a-half-hour tour of Shangri La, the Islamic museum founded by the Doris Duke estate, begins and ends at the Academy, which runs the Shangri La tours. A 20-minute shuttle ride takes you to the 1930s oceanfront mansion-turned-museum with its Iznik tiles, Central Asian textiles and 13th-century prayer room. When you return to the Academy, leave time for the Hawaii collection in the John Dominis and Patches Damon Holt Gallery, with works by Jules Tavernier, Lionel Walden and other Hawaiian masters.
1:30 p.m.
7) ART AND THE PLATE
The Pavilion Cafe (900 South Beretania Street; 808-532-8734; honoluluacademy.org/394-pavilion_cafe), the restaurant for the Academy of Arts, scores high points for its Mediterranean menu and its alfresco location next to a waterfall and Jun Kaneko sculptures. The menu, while not fancy, is ideal: white bean salad with arugula and wilted radicchio ($12.95), hearty sandwiches (feta, tapenade, tomato; chopped salmon steak), a pasta of the day and desserts like chocolate pot de crème and fresh fruit crisp ($5.95 each). At the Academy boutique a few steps away, books, cards, textiles and handmade jewelry make it one of Honolulu’s stellar shopping attractions.
5:30 p.m.
8) SUNSET SERENADE
Halekulani’s House Without a Key (2199 Kalia Road; 808-923-2311; halekulani.com) is a magnet at sunset. A century-old kiawe tree is gracefully backlighted by the late afternoon sun, the mai tais ($12) are heroic, and the views of the ocean and Diamond Head make you forget about the neighboring high-rises. When the hula dancer Kanoe Miller takes the stage, small talk ceases. It could be a postcard from the 1940s, the heyday of Waikiki. On Ms. Miller’s nights off, Debbie Nakanelua fills the stage with her own brand of hula magic.
8 p.m.
9) THE RAW RAGE
Last year, Masaharu Morimoto, a star of the program “Iron Chef America,” opened his first Hawaii restaurant, Morimoto Waikiki. Sharing a pool and lounge with the Waikiki Edition hotel, the sleek, high-concept restaurant offers yacht-filled harbor views, indoor-outdoor dining, a fire pit, a sushi bar and a bar. Outdoors, lanterns light poolside picnic tables where urbane networkers linger over designer cocktails and tapas. Coral sculptures and panels of green algae encased in acrylic are a bold interior statement by the designer Thomas Shoos. Raw dishes, such as sashimi, toro tartare and the popular lamb and wagyu carpaccio, are classic Morimoto ($13 to $30), but the noodle dishes ($10 to $18), occasionally too salty and overcooked, are less successful. The wagyu steaks have a reverential following ($50 to $85), and the light-as-air tofu cheesecake ($12) is a favorite.
Sunday
10 a.m.
10) THE TURNING POINT
The Makapuu Point Trail, at the easternmost part of the island, is the tour de force on a drive full of special moments. Pack sunscreen and a hat as you head south along Kalanianaole Highway past Hanauma Bay and Sandy Beach. Koko Head Crater on the left has created striated cliffs that nearly run into the lava shoreline, and you’re driving between them both. Once past Sandy Beach, park at the Ka Iwi State Park lot and follow the trail to Makapuu Point along a two-mile 500-foot ascent. The 1909 Makapuu Lighthouse completes the package with views of the eastern coast and small offshore islands.
12:30 p.m.
11) THE BUZZ ABOUT BURGERS
Continue the drive along the windward coast, where sea turtles feed among fishermen and snorkelers. About 20 minutes from Makapuu, you’ll reach Kailua Beach, lined with ironwoods and dotted with paddlers and windsurfers. The local watering hole, Buzz’s Original Steakhouse (413 Kawailoa Road; 808-261-4661; buzzssteakhouse.com), is across the street with a charming veranda, and a tree growing through the center of the dining room. While it’s basically a burger joint, there are some standouts, including the kiawe-grilled fresh fish burgers ($11.95). Bloody Marys and beer flow freely from the koa and bamboo bar.
IF YOU GO
The year-old, style-centric Waikiki Edition (1775 Ala Moana Boulevard; 808-943-5800; editionhotels.com) has 353 rooms on 17 floors; rates range from $379 to $995. At the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel (2863 Kalakaua Avenue; 808-923-1555; kaimana.com) has a sleeker look with its refurbished interiors. Rooms start at $150.
Outrigger Reef on the Beach (2169 Kalia Road; 808-926-1959; outriggerreef-onthebeach.com) is on Waikiki Beach, with online summer rates from $179 to $369.
Specials and promotions are ongoing, so be sure to ask. Nightly Hawaiian music at the Kani Ka Pila Grille is a find for any music lover.
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