George Wendt and Martin Litton are trying to stop two development projects which they say threaten aquifers that feed the Colorado River in its course through the Grand Canyon.
George Wendt, founder and owner of river rafting company, O.A.R.S. has thrown down the gauntlet against developers who, he says, would threaten aquifers that feed the Colorado River in its course through the Grand Canyon.
At issue is the proposed Tusayan development that would add 2,200 homes and collateral services and amenities less than two miles from the South Rim entrance to Grand Canyon National Park.
And in another section of the Canyon, Wendt hopes that sufficient forces can be brought to bear against the creation of a gondola designed to transport upwards of 4,000 tourists daily from the rim to the river. This is known as the Grand Canyon Escalade project.
The National Park Service has already expressed serious concerns about the environmental impact these projects could have on the Grand Canyon.
“These two very real development projects are threatening to impact the canyon in a big way. Anyone who has intimately experienced the canyon’s amazing tranquility, or hopes to someday, should be very concerned,” Wendt warns. “We have definite feelings that both would be harmful to the long-term integrity of the Grand Canyon.”
The Tusayan development planned for the area just south of the main South Rim entrance to Grand Canyon National Park would have many impacts, he believes. Companies who do business in this region and most visitors have expressed that the area is already almost full to capacity much of the year and that crowding in more people would negatively impact the experience of those who are presently coming to the canyon.
“More significantly, however, we share the feeling of the National Park System that there is not enough water in the Tusayan area to support further development without tapping into deep wells that almost certainly would divert water from the limited number of natural springs that feed the eco system of the Colorado River and its surrounding side canyons. For this reason, we are opposed to the major development presently contemplated for the Tusayan area,” Wendt continues.
The Escalade project would bring people down into the Canyon to river level at the confluence of the Colorado River and the Little Colorado River, he explains. “The construction of the gondola close to river level would be very impactful from a visual and wilderness perspective. Although the operators probably would try to prevent people from leaving the gondola terminus to go hiking, we worry that almost invariably the new access would lead to multiple additional impacts from hikers who found it irresistible to try to use this easy access point for extended hiking excursions into the fragile area. Native American groups consider the Little Colorado Confluence area sacred and they likely will also have strong concerns about the potential impact from a gondola into the Grand Canyon.”
“Buried within the Tusayan and tramway proposals is the belief that a tiny circle of entrepreneurs has the right to profit at the expense of everyone else by destroying a piece of the commonwealth — a landscape that is the birthright and the responsibility of every American,” wrote Kevin Fedarko in an Aug. 9, 2014, op-ed piece for the New York Times. (Fedarko is the author of The Emerald Mile, a riveting story about a legendary river run through the Grand Canyon.)
A contributor to O.A.R.S.’ legacy of wilderness preservation is Martin Litton whose Grand Canyon Dories company Wendt acquired in 1988. Litton at age 97 is a legendary environmental crusader who is largely credited for his success in defending the Grand Canyon from two proposed dams in the 1960’s.
Championing the rights of rivers is nothing new to Wendt, founder and owner of what may be the world’s best-known river rafting company, O.A.R.S. Over its 45-year history, O.A.R.S., one of the world’s best known river companies, has contributed more than $3 million toward the preservation of the environment and to conservation initiatives worldwide.
Wendt, an activist like Litton, has also joined various battles throughout the years to protect natural places that were threatened by dam building projects, including the fight to save the Grand Canyon, the Stanislaus and the Tuolumne Rivers in California and the Bio Bio River in Chile.
O.A.R.S. has been providing whitewater rafting vacations to some 500,000 guests since 1969. Over the decades the company has set the standard in first-class rafting, sea kayaking and multi-sport adventure, with destinations and unparalleled experiences on over 35 rivers and coastlines around the world. O.A.R.S. caters to active travelers of all ages and abilities with more than 75 unique itineraries, including one-day and weekend escapes. In 2013, for the seventh consecutive year, Condé Nast Traveler recognized Mindy Gleason, O.A.R.S. Reservation Manager and International Adventure Travel Consultant, as Condé Nast Traveler’s standalone Top Travel Specialist in the River Rafting category. In 2013 OutsideMagazine, America’s leading multimedia active-lifestyle brand, named O.A.R.S. one of the top two outfitters in the world in its annual Active Travel Awards recognition program.
Grimaldi Lines and Eurail have augmented their partnership, offering Eurail Pass travelers even deeper discounts on ferry crossings between Spain, Greece, Sicily and Sardinia.
Eurail’s benefit partner Grimaldi Lines offers a 20% discount on ferry crossings and a 10% discount on accommodation supplements such as Pullman seats, berths and cabins to Eurail Pass travelers who purchase a Eurail Pass on or after this date. These discounts apply to standard as well as special fares such as advanced booking offers. The discounts are also applicable in the off-season, providing even more value for money by saving 40% when booking ship passages between September 15 and December 21, 2104. Eurail Pass travelers can make reservations and redeem these special discounts via Grimaldiˈs Contact Centers and at its points of sales in Italy and Spain. For more information, please visit www.grimaldi-lines.com.
In addition, Eurail travelers can find detailed information about the Grimaldi Lines discounts on the Rail Planner App. This free and off-line app is available from the App Store or Google Play, providing travelers with valuable information such as a complete list of Eurail Pass benefits by country, a European railway timetable and more. For further details, visit: http://www.eurailgroup.org/railplanner
Grimaldi Lines, owned by the Grimaldi Group, is one of Europe’s leading shipping companies, offering ferry services to the most popular tourism destinations in the Mediterranean region. Grimaldi Lines connections are synonymous with convenience, comfort and safety, while its Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona routes, servicing Sardinia and Spain, offer facilities and services similar to those of cruise ships.
Eurail offers four types of Eurail Passes as part of its product portfolio to those residing outside of Europe: the Eurail Global Pass valid in 24 member countries, Eurail Select Pass, Eurail Regional Pass and Eurail One Country Pass. Eurail Passes are available from a worldwide network of Authorized Sales Agents. Please visit: www.eurailgroup.org/eurail-vendors.
This winter season, Bromley Mountain, Vermont, is adding 74 brand new high efficiency HKD tower guns, complete with hoses, and scrapping our 59 remaining energy-hog ground guns. The 100% efficient equipment eliminates the need to rent diesel powered air compressors (a first in Bromley snowmaking history!) and adds permanent tower gun coverage to four trails. One of the reasons Bromley was able to scrap the ground guns was Efficiency Vermont, which offered a new incentive for Vermont Ski Resorts (more on the statewide initiative here) last spring. “Get rid of all your inefficient guns, and receive really, really, REALLY good incentives to purchase new, state of the art high efficiency equipment.”
Other new and exciting happenings in the Bromley snowmaking world include: Collaborating with HKD to develop a new design for a portable tower gun. One side-effect to surrendering the ground guns is a loss of flexibility in gun placement for tricky spots, steep spots, spots the tower guns just don’t go. In order to maintain portable options, 6 of the new tower guns will be just 6’ tall, mounted on a stable tri-pod (instead of a sled, like other portable tower guns) with specially developed nozzles to allow moisture coming out of these shorter guns the appropriate “hang-time” necessary for making good quality snow with tower guns.
Is it possible to further maximize efficiency? In partnership with Efficiency Vermont, Vermont’s Sun Mountain plans to find out by installing the first Snowmaking Energy Index (SEI) in the United States this winter. This system will allow Bromley’s snowmakers to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of its snowmaking system in real time, giving its team the ability to adjust variables allowing for maximum output, best quality snow and lowest energy consumption possible at all times.
Bromley is also the first resort in Vermont to install an Intelli-Flow Controller, giving the option to increase snow output by maximizing available air from the compressors based on real time environmental factors. For greater detail on snowmaking improvements, check Bromley’s snowmaking blog.
Meanwhile, Bromley is making it easier to get into skiing and snowboarding
This season’s Start Fun, Start Free events have been set for December 21, 2014, January 19, 2015 and March 15, 2015, when up to 75 guests, ages 6 and up can enjoy a day on snow, free of charge. Registrants will receive an all-day Learning Zone lift ticket, an all-day Rental of ski or snowboard equipment, and instruction in the Learning Zone from 10:30am until noon. Call 802/824/5522 to pre-register.
Following the “free” theme, Bromley is introducing the Super Duper Ski Package, partnering its Kidsrule Mountain Camps program with Elan skis. This $599 package includes 6 Kidsrule lessons, a free pair of Elan Starr skis with Quick Trick bindings, a coupon for great deals on boots, poles and accessories, plus a Bromley Season Pass! (The Season Pass isn’t new… since Kidsrule’s inception in 2011/12, every child that completes 6 Kidsrule lessons receives a full Season Pass.) The package saves $223 on lessons alone, the free skis retail for about $220, plus the value of a season pass (check bromley.com for the current rates). Limited packages available; click here for full details.
Bromley Mountain is located at 3984 Vermont Route 11, Peru, Vermont, six miles east of Manchester. For information, visit bromley.com, 802-824-5522.
On Tuesday, September 2, the National Park Service and Congressman Timothy Bishop celebrated the recent restoration of Fire Island National Seashore’s wilderness boardwalk trail. The ¼-mile boardwalk replaces one destroyed during Hurricane Sandy and provides access to New York State’s only federally designated wilderness.
“The restoration of the wilderness boardwalk on Fire Island is an important step forward in our efforts as a community to fully recover from Superstorm Sandy,” said Congressman Tim Bishop. “In its 50 year history, the Fire Island National Seashore has provided a place for families to spend quality time together while exploring one of Long Island’s most beautiful areas. The restoration of this boardwalk will help to ensure that legacy continues.”
“The federal funds secured by Congressman Bishop made it possible to restore one of Fire Island’s most popular boardwalk in time for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and for Fire Island National Seashore’s own 50th anniversary,” said Seashore Superintendent Chris Soller.
The $273,000 project was completed in April with federal storm recovery funds and visitation has increased since it was completed.
“People come to Fire Island’s wilderness for a unique and peaceful experience and this boardwalk enhances that experience,” said Soller.
“The new wilderness boardwalk was designed to be more sustainable,” said Seashore Facility Manager James Dunphy. Although Hurricane Sandy destroyed 2,500 feet of boardwalk in the wilderness area, Dunphy said “the storm gave the National Park Service the opportunity to reconsider its location.” The new boardwalk was built with composite lumber made from recycled materials and relocated inland to the site of a former boardwalk to allow for greater protection from future storms.
The Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness is accessible year-round, with parking available at the adjacent Smith Point County Park.
The Seashore will host “Wilderness Weekend” on September 6 and 7 with special programs to highlight Fire Island’s wilderness and the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.
Wilderness Weekend events include: “Walk in Wilderness,” “Junior Ranger Wilderness Explorer,” and a “Leave No Trace Workshop.”
“Songs of Wilderness,” an exhibit featuring artwork inspired by Fire Island’s wilderness by mixed-media artist David Adams will be on display at the Wilderness Visitor Center through October 13.
The Seashore will continue to host special programming at the Fire Island Wilderness throughout its year-long 50th anniversary celebration starting mid-September.
Fire Island National Seashore encompasses 26 miles of ocean and bay shoreline, lush backdunes, maritime forests and residential communities on Fire Island, a barrier island situated south of Long Island, New York. Fire Island’s dynamic coastal landscape is home to a diversity of plants and wildlife and offers a retreat from nearby metropolitan New York. For more information visit www.nps.gov/fiis.
Bravocar, an online portal for local and international ridesharing trips currently based in Norway but hoping to expand internationally aims to make the “thumbs up” hitchhiking symbol passe.
The venture started around the idea that Norway’s major cities are plagued with traffic congestion, despite various collective transportation solutions.
Faced with this problem, three friends traveling in Norway decided to create a local carpooling platform. Within a matter of weeks of looking at their design and brand, that they understood that this could actually bring the venture to an international level.
“People need to have alternative solutions, but they need good solutions that not only will help them to cut down costs of transportation on daily basis, but also something that addresses climate issues like Co2 emissions, traffic congestion and lack of social interactions.”
Bravocar offers also “special categories” such as “Ladies only rides” reserved for women to book their trips, “Shopping rides” for the shopping enthusiasts, “Airport rides” and “Event rides”.
Their solution uses geo-localisation technology, allowing rides “that matters” to the users to be highly visible on the portal.
Security is a key priority, “To be able to post a ride on our site you need to have genuine identity, therefore we have phone number verification, email verification and pictures verification, we have a strict policy when it comes to security and want to provide trust to our users”
Here’s how it works: After you have been through the registration process you will be able to “post a ride”, they have developed a price calculator with color codes as a guideline for a “driver” a green color means the price is under their guidelines and therefore a good deal, a black color price follows their guidelines when a orange color is overpriced, by doing so they believe that people might compete against each-other in the beginning but this will stabilize by the time passing.
Each booking is paid online, the company holds the funds until the trip has been completed, only then the driver will receive its “Due” minus an 8% fee for the site.
“Driving a site like this costs money, however we want to provide a solution which is not directed to profit-only therefore we take a small fee, cheaper than any other carpooling sites on the web, so users can get the most out of it, in addition to this we intend to use a great deal of our profit in environmental solutions by investing in projects that matters.”
The platform launched in March 2014, and with the interest shown in Norway and Germany, they are looking for investors but also created a “crowd-funding” campaign at Indiegogo.
Bravocar was registered in March 2013 after being supported by “The Open Project”.
The company is owned by: Rodolphe Delloye, CEO; Frederick Richard, Project Manager; and
Frederic Patry, Key Account Manager.
HomeExchange.com, one of the largest home exchange communities in the world, continues to broaden its North American member base—and in turn, its collection of homes available for swap—with the acquisition of Only in America Home Exchange (OIA), a home trading travel site based out of San Francisco.
Adding 3,000 new properties to its ever-growing network of more than 55,000 listings, this acquisition gives HomeExchange.com an opportunity to expand on the geographical reach of its home listings available across the US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, the primary regions of OIA members.
As part of a concerted global strategy by the HomeExchange.com team as they look to capitalize on opportunities for their members to exchange homes in more cities, the move will immediately incorporate the new property listings onto HomeExchange.com and include more houses in key US exchange markets such as California, New York, and Florida.
“Only in America was founded with a distinct regional focus, but when our members developed an interest in home swapping opportunities overseas, it became clear we needed to look beyond North America,” says Helen Salem, who established OIA in 2002 after experiencing a home swap with her family. “With its dynamic business growth plan, unparalleled customer service, and an efficient platform that helps facilitate home exchanges in over 150 countries, HomeExchange.com ultimately offered the best home for our members – a place where I know they’ll receive the best treatment.”
The transition between platforms is seamless, allowing OIA members to retain their home swapping profile and photos as they’re automatically transferred over to HomeExchange.com. HomeExchange.com will honor active OIA memberships at their current rate, and all other OIA members will have an opportunity to join the site free of charge for one year.
Following the January 2014 acquisition of the online home exchange marketplace Aha! Go, this second purchase has helped set the foundation for HomeExchange.com’s aggressive expansion plan: to grow their active user community and offer a wider variety of property listings to their members by acquiring 2-4 home exchange websites each year.
“One of our greatest assets at HomeExchange.com is our dedication to our members. We want to be the go-to community for smaller home exchange networks looking to offer a larger selection of house swapping options around the world with a company that places members first in every decision we make,” says Chief Operating Officer Jim Pickell. “For owners of smaller companies seeking a welcoming home where their members will receive the best treatment, we’re the most obvious solution.”
Founded in 1992 by Ed Kushins, HomeExchange.com was a pioneer, early adopter, and promoter of the “collaborative consumption” movement. Building upon a foundation of trust and enthusiasm, HomeExchange.com has evolved into the largest and fastest growing online home exchange travel community in the world. This year, their 55,000+ members will make over 130,000 home swaps across more than 150 countries, eluding the cost of traditional accommodations and saving over 50% on each vacation. HomeExchange.com makes it easy to plan and enjoy a home exchange vacation in almost any country, city, or area of interest, and offers travelers a memorable, authentic ‘live like a local’ experience. The site is now available in 15 different languages. HomeExchange.com was named one of the fastest growing private companies in America in 2013 on the Inc. 500 / 5000 list for the third consecutive year.
In a time when the challenges of air travel only seem to become more complex and automobile travel more frustrating, the allure of train travel grows. Trains are easy on/off, allow continual WiFi use, have excellent on-time performance, and are affordable.
And now, you can reach one of the most sensational getaway destinations on the planet via passenger rail: Amtrak to Rhode Island.
Amtrak services Rhode Island via two routes: The high-speed Acela travels daily between Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC. The Northeast Regional includes those cities as well as smaller stations such as Kingston, RI, in the southern half of the state, close to the beaches and Newport.
Once in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s system of trolleys and buses makes navigating the entire state a breeze, especially the cities of Providence and Newport (see bus directions below to each destination) – not to mention superb biking (one of our favorite bike trails is the East Bay, which goes from Providence 14.5 miles, hugging the shores of Narragansett Bay to Bristol).
And Rhode Island’s great fall festivals and foliage excursions make visiting at this time of year all the more memorable. The great food scene here, from high-end, nationally-award-winning restaurants to waterside seafood shacks, is allure all by itself, and will only make your stay more enjoyable, no matter what your taste.
Making Connections
Getting around Providence is a snap, not just because it’s an eminently walkable city, but because RIPTA’s system of tourist-friendly public transportation is fantastic. RIPTA’s hub is located in Kennedy Plaza in the center of downtown Providence, a 5 minute walk from the train station. Check out the dozens of routes at www.ripta.com.
Getting to Newport is even easier. Regular bus service runs between Providence, Kennedy Plaza and Newport’s Gateway Center. Buses leave every 30 minutes.
Once in Newport getting around via public transportation is easy too! Newport’s public transportation hub is the Visitors Information Center at 23 America’s Cup Avenue in downtown Newport. RIPTA provides trolley and bus service to attractions throughout Newport, including the mansions, Cliff Walk, Beaches, Fort Adams, Downtown Newport, the Gateway Center, and more. Van/car service is available from the Kingston station to Newport. Call (401) 295-1100 for information and reservations (required).
Riders can buy a day pass or pay as they go directly from the bus driver. RIPTA riders pay just $2 for all-day parking at the Visitors Information Center and receive discounts to many area attractions, including mansion and harbor tours. For more information call: 401-781-9400 or log on to RIPTA.com or see specific schedules here:
Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races and Taiwan Day Festival (Sept. 6): The Blackstone Valley is one of the few places outside of China where you can experience these authentic and beautiful wooden dragon boats, made and shipped from Hong Kong, race. Boat crews consist of a drummer and 20 paddlers. The top team wins $10,000. The day also includes other festivities celebrating Asian culture. School Street Pier, Pawtucket, 401-724-2200. www.dragonboatri.com
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 11 in Kennedy Plaza towards R-Line North. The 11 departs every 20 minutes. In about 24 minutes, you’ll arrive at the Pawtucket Transit Center. Transfer to Bus 78. Travel three stops to School and Beechwood streets. Take a right and walk five minutes to the Pawtucket Boat Launch. Total travel time 40 minutes.
The 9th Annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival (September 19-21): Held in one of the most spectacular settings in America, Rosecliff and Marble House mansions, this remarkable weekend experience features hundreds of wines from around the world, fabulous food, cooking demonstrations by nationally-renowned chefs, live and silent auctions and a gala celebration. www.newportmansions.org
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 60 in Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. This bus departs every 20 minutes. In about an hour and 13 minutes, get off at Marlborough and Duke streets in Newport. Walk about a minute straight ahead to the next bus stop at Marlborough and Thames streets. Board Bus 67 and ride 9 stops to the corner of Bellevue and Narragansett avenues. Exit the bus and walk 5 minutes to Marble House. Total travel time is 1 hour 37 minutes.
WaterFire Providence (Sept. 27, Oct. 11, 25): A unique and beautiful artistic installation by Barnaby Evans, WaterFire, in its 20th year, is celebrated the world over. Featuring braziers placed along the middle of the Providence River and set aflame, WaterFire features music, artistic performers, food and drink and brings both locals and visitors out to celebrate the city. www.waterfire.org. (see slideshow).
To get there: Exit the Providence Train Station and make a left onto Gaspee St. Walk one minute and take a left on Francis St. Walk three minutes to the Providence River and the first viewing point for WaterFire, which starts at sunset.
International Polo Series (Through September): This royal sport has taken Rhode Island by storm. Polo matches take place every Saturday June through September. Spectators may rent tents or bring chairs and reserve space on the grounds for picnics. Teams competing come from throughout the world. Glen Farm in Portsmouth. www.nptpolo.com
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 60 in Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. This bus departs every 20 minutes. In about 55 minutes, exit the bus on East Main Rd opposite the corner of Glen Rd. Cross the street and walk about 10 minutes to Glen Farm Rd. and make a right. The polo fields will be 5 minutes down on your left. Total travel time is 1 hour 13 minutes.
The Jack O Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo (Oct. 2-Nov. 2): This annual festival features 5,000 artistically and intricately-carved pumpkins in all shapes, sizes and themes. Set along the pathways that lead throughout the Zoo, the lit-from-within pumpkins draw as many as 100,000 visitors for a part-beautiful, part-spooky celebration of the season. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, 401-785-9450. www.rwpzoo.org
To get there from Providence: In Kennedy Plaza, board Bus 22 towards Providence. It will turn into Bus 20. Ride for 18 minutes to the corner of Elmwood Ave. and Carlisle St. Exit the bus here and the entrance to Roger Williams Park is directly across the street. Enter the park and walk 6 minutes to the Zoo. Total travel time is 26 minutes.
Newport’s International Octoberfest (Oct. 11-12): This bona fide Bavarian weekend bubbles over with juicy bratwursts, yodeling and folk dance performances, a rousing entertainment lineup and more. This year, there will be three Biergartens and expanded outdoor courtyard space for endless amounts of festivities. A kid-friendly Kindergarten area rounds out fall’s choice festival as a place for the whole family to sample Oktoberfest’s multitude of flavors. All held along the beautiful Newport waterfront at the Newport Yachting Center. www.newportwaterfrontevents.com/event/international-oktoberfest/
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 60 in Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. This bus departs every 20 minutes. In about an hour and 13 minutes, get off at Marlborough and Duke streets in Newport. Exit the bus and walk straight ahead two minutes to Thames St. Take a left and walk 7 minutes to the Newport Yachting Center on the right side of Thames St. Total travel time is 1 hour 24 minutes.
Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival (Oct. 18-19): Honoring the “harvest of the sea,” the Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival offers copious amounts of seafood, continuous live music, and family fun, all beneath the wharf’s colorful tents. Neighboring restaurants and fisherman’s associations serve up their most celebrated seafood dishes (lobster dinners, clam chowder, stuffed quahogs, clam cakes, shrimp, scallops, raw oysters and clams, as well as a few dishes for landlubbers and kids). Under the music tent, live music – folk, Celtic, sea shanties and blues – are just a taste of what you’ll hear. Bring your dancing shoes, because these bands promise to get your feet moving! www.bowenswharf.com/events
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 60 in Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. This bus departs every 20 minutes. In about an hour and 13 minutes, get off at Marlborough and Duke streets in Newport. Exit the bus and walk straight ahead two minutes to Thames St. Take a left and walk 5 minutes to Bowen’s Wharf, on the right side of Thames St. Total travel time is 1 hour 22 minutes.
Blackstone Valley Fall Foliage Tour (Oct. 22): One of the most unique ways to see Rhode Island’s gorgeous fall foliage. Hop aboard the Blackstone Valley’s Fall Foliage Train. On Oct. 22 at 9 am the train departs Woonsocket for a day-long excursion to Putnam CT, where you can shop for antiques and dine. One Depot Sq, Woonsocket. www.tourblackstone.com
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 54 in Kennedy Plaza towards Lincoln. After 51 minutes, exit the bus at 113 Clinton St. near the corner of High St. Cross the street and make a right and walk one minute to Depot Square. Total travel time is 56 minutes.
New and exciting places to stay
The Urban Beach House at The Attwater, Newport
The Attwater is a design-driven boutique hotel with a chic and modern edge not often seen in historic Newport. Urban Beach House rooms feature “outdoor style” showers and a “sand lounge” gathering spot in the front yard of the hotel. Top-notch amenities and stylish comfort are the order of the day. 22 Liberty St., 401-846-7444, www.theattwater.com
The Dean, Providence
A brothel-turned boutique hotel, the 52-room Dean is an urban oasis for Downcity travelers. With a decidedly cool Brooklyn vibe (it was designed by Brooklyn-based ASH NYC), the hotel merges cool (there are bunk beds) with a homegrown aesthetic (many of the furnishings and accessories are crafted by RI artists). 122 Fountain Street, Providence, 401-455-DEAN, 401-732-3100. www.thedeanhotel.com.
For further information:
Newport Convention and Visitors Bureau, 23 America’s Cup Avenue, Newport, RI 02840, 401-845-9151, 800-326-6030, www.gonewport.com.
Summer is winding down but there’s still time to celebrate summer’s final days in the outdoors with park picnics, road trips, camping, water sports, hiking and much more. Americans logged 1.6 billion visits to national and state park lands last year. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers encourage people to get outside and enjoy America’s parks, forests, lakes and oceans responsibly during the last few weeks of summer.
The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers are teams educators that travel throughout the United States in their Subaru hybrids and reach millions of people each year. They conduct hands-on educational trainings and outreach, teaching the public about Leave No Trace principles while promoting stewardship of the outdoors, protection and preservation of our public lands and support of outdoor recreational activities.
“The best way to celebrate the end of summer is to get outside,” according to Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer, Dani Rowland. “With the growing number of visitors on our public lands, it’s easy for these natural areas to be negatively impacted. The teams travel the country teaching straight-forward skills to help people protect the outdoor places they cherish. Learning and practicing Leave No Trace goes hand-in-hand with your end of summer celebration.”
These five, new tips from the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers to help you Leave No Trace on your next picnic, camp outing or park visit are easy to implement and will help protect our nation’s favorite natural lands for years to come:
1. Keep Wildlife Wild
Human food is unhealthy for all wildlife and feeding them can have unfortunate consequences such as drawing them to people and roads and making them sick.
2. Get Muddy
A giant mud puddle in the middle of your trail? Get muddy and walk right though it to avoid trampling and the loss of important plants and small trees living along our trails.
3. Be Careful With Fire
Burn all wood to ash and be sure the fire is completely out and cold before you leave to avoid starting a wildfire.
4. Trash: A Burning Issue
Burning trash and leftover food in your campfire attracts animals and releasing harmful chemicals into the air. Put all leftover food and trash in a trashcan.
5. Water Wisdom
Keep soap, food and human and pet waste out of lakes and streams to keep them clean. We all depend on clean water.
To learn more tips on Leave No Trace and when the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will be in your area visit www.LNT.org.
Subaru has a long history of supporting active lifestyle enthusiasts and the organizations that are important to them. In 1999, Subaru of America and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics joined forces to promote responsible recreation across the United States. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer program consists of four teams of two educators that travel across the country in their Subaru hybrids teaching people how to protect and enjoy the outdoors responsibly. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers work with the general public, volunteers, nonprofit organizations, friends groups and governmental agencies to reduce the impact of recreational activities in selected endangered areas. In 2014, alone, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will reach 15 million Americans.
Leave No Trace is a national, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to protecting the outdoors by teaching people how to enjoy it responsibly. Since 1994, Leave No Trace has been the most widely accepted outdoors program used on public lands in the United States. Through targeted education, research, outreach, volunteerism and partnerships, Leave No Trace ensures the long-term health of our natural world. Their Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers are mobile teams educators that visit 48 states every year delivering Leave No Trace programs. Leave No Trace has mobilized more than 30,000 volunteers to provide outreach and training impacting more than 22 million people annually in the U.S. For more information visit www.lnt.org.
The documentary “Transit to Freedom,” produced by the Japan National Tourist Office sparked a Jewish heritage tour of Japan of sights related to destinations associated with Japanese Vice-Consul Chiune Sugihara in Lithuania, known as Japan’s Oskar Schindler, who issued the transit visas for 6,000 European Jews, saving them from Nazi extermination.
A portrait of an unknown Jewish woman featured in a short documentary film of the history of Japan tourism has been identified by her own children. The film was originally intended to trace the modern history of Japan tourism, but the photo led to discovery about the oldest Japanese travel agency’s little known role in helping Jewish refugees escape from Europe to the United States and is being used to cultivate more Jewish travel to Japan.
As Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) was researching the past 100 years of Japan tourism, there was an unexpected finding from World War II that showed Japanese involvement in helping Jewish refugees escaping Nazi Europe.
The finding led to a documentary, as well as a Jewish Heritage tour of Japan. And the documentary led to the identification of a Jewish woman by her children.
The documentary “Transit to Freedom” was a collaboration of the New York Film Academy and JNTO, and was premiered at Japan Week, the tourism promotional event at Grand Central Terminal in New York City in March 2014. The screening as well as the coverage in the New York Times, ignited public attention to the documentary, and the documentary was made available online to reach a wider audience.
The film was based on a true story in a book by Akira Kitade, a former executive at JNTO, that his former boss went through during the wartime.
Kitade’s former boss was assigned to escort European Jews when Japan Tourist Bureau (the predecessor of the Japanese travel agency, JTB Corp.) was contracted to transport them through the rough water of Sea of Japan between Vladivostok of the Soviet Union and a Japanese port city of Tsuruga.
The Jews on this ship were on so-called Sugihara visa, which was the transit visa signed by a Japanese Vice-Consul Chiune Sugihara in Lithuania, known as Japan’s Oskar Schindler, who issued the transit visas for around 6,000 European Jews, even if it was against the order from the Japanese government under the Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany and Italy.
I became familiar with Chiune Sugihara, during an exhibit, “Diplomats of Mercy,” organized by the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center and Archives at Queensborough Community College at the Village of Great Neck Plaza. “‘In a conspiracy of goodness,’ Sugihara persuaded Soviet officials to let Jews with Curacao visas pass through Japan. The Japanese government refused, but he did it anyway, signing 2,000 visas by hand before the consulate was closed by Soviets. After the war, he was dismissed from the foreign service as retribution.”
While escorting Jewish refugees across the Sea of Japan, the Japanese travel agent received seven portraits from the refugees as a token of gratitude.
Inspired by this first-hand story, Kitade submitted copies of these photos to the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. One of the portraits posted on the Yad Vashem’s website caught the attention of a Montreal resident Judith Lermer Crawley, a daughter of Sugihara Visa’s recipients. She perceived an undeniable resemblance to her late aunt, Sonia Reed (maiden name Zosia Gertler) in the young girl, and was convinced when she read the New York Times article on Transit to Freedom in March.
She contacted her three cousins who are Sonia’s surviving children in the United States and Aya Takahashi, a Vancouver-based journalist, who sent the web link of the documentary to them.
When they saw the 73-year old photo in the film, they immediately recognized the girl on the screen was their late mother. “My first reaction was one of surprise and amazement, chills and goose bumps. I know my sister and brother had the same reaction… I was struck by how young, beautiful, sad and vulnerable she looks in the photo, and was greatly moved by it,” says Deborah Reed, one of Sonia’s daughters. “I was greatly moved by what she wrote on the back (of the photo). [She wrote in Polish, “Remember me – to the nice Japanese person.”] To me, this speaks to the kindness of the Japanese people who were helping her and to her own feelings of uncertainty about her fate. It brings home both the tragic and difficult circumstances she found herself in, and her great good fortune in being helped, actually saved, by the Japanese people.” After finding a safe haven in Japan, many refugees were able to travel on to the United States and Sonia was one of them.
Deborah knew that her mother had escaped from Poland through Russia and Siberia to Japan, but she knew few of the details as Sonia almost never spoke to her children about her experience before and during the war years, though she remembers her saying how kind the Japanese people were to her. “The photo and the documentary gives me a window into her experience, makes it more “real” and profound to me than it had been. My own reaction (to this film) was, and is, a richer understanding of my mother’s experience, and very deep gratitude to Mr. Sugihara and the many other Japanese people who helped my mother and other Jewish refugees escape from Europe, survive and go on to create meaningful lives for themselves and their families.”
According to Sonia’s son David, his parents owned a small factory on Long Island, NY and they had a business trip to Japan in 1979. “They were extremely enthusiastic about their visit. They very much appreciated the Japanese culture. They were impressed by the (Japanese) industriousness and serious dedication to customer satisfaction…While my father evaluated the equipment, my mother supported his decision to purchase from a Japanese company. They were both very dedicated to America and frankly reluctant to purchase from a non-American source…It shows how appreciative she was of Japan that she endorsed this –for them a very major – transaction.”
With little funding available, the New York Film Academy volunteered to produce the documentary.
In addition to Kitade, Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, an expert on Jewish history in Asia and the author of “The Fugu Plan” (co-authored with Mary Swartz) as well as Dr. Sylvia Smoller who experienced the hardship firsthand and has written a book based on the lives of her parents,are interviewed.
You can view the documentary film “Transit to Freedom: How Ordinary Japanese Citizens Helped Jewish Refugees in WWII” here.
“With this film, we hoped to help shine a light on a little known story of Japanese helping Jewish refugees during World War II,” said documentary director Michael Young. We were captivated by compassion and bravery shown by Vice-Consul Chiune Sugihara and by the members of the Japan Tourist Bureau. Despite their government’s close alliance with Hitler, individual Japanese opened their doors and their hearts to these homeless and persecuted Jews.” The New York Film Academy wishes to celebrate this story, and welcomes Japanese students and students from all over the world to shine their lights on other stories and make films to share with the world.
JNTO hopes to identify the rest of the survivors in photos by encouraging people to view the film. “We never had much opportunity to introduce our country to the Jewish community before, so we would be delighted if they feel intrigued by the film to know more about Japan,” says Yuki Tanaka, the executive director of JNTO New York Office. “Not many people know this but if you look back at the history, Japan has a surprisingly long relationship with Jewish people, so please come visit my country to discover an amazing link between us.”
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is a nonprofit tourism board committed to the promotion of inbound tourism to Japan. For information on travel to Japan, visit www.japantravelinfo.com.
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic in Antarctica
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has announced the guest speakers in their Global Perspectives Program aboard the National Geographic Explorer for the 2015/2016 season. Drawn from the top tiers of journalism, science, and world affairs to add relevant insights, the Global Perspectives Speakers have been chosen to share the expedition experience as active participants and fellow travelers, which allows guests to hear them in the context of their lounge talks, and to spend time with them throughout the voyage while cruising in a Zodiac, on a hike, or during dinner.
Depending on the expedition, guests can explore with a National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence; a scientist doing research in the region they are voyaging, an author, a foreign dignitary, or even a former head of state. A partial listing of the special guests include:
Jared Diamond: A professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles, Jared is the author of Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed and the widely acclaimed Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, which won him a Pulitzer Prize as well as Britain’s 1998 Rhone-Poulenc Science Book Prize. Antarctica, February 14, 2015
Barry Lopez: Best known as the author of Arctic Dreams, for which he received the National Book Award, he has authored 14 books of fiction and nonfiction. Among his other books are About This Life and Of Wolves and Men, a finalist for the National Book Award. Arctic Svalbard, June 8, 2015
Alasdair McGregor: Writer and historian, he wrote the definitive biography of the renowned expedition photographer/adventurer on Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Frank Hurley: A Photographer’s Life. Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands,November 7, 2015; Antarctica, November 27, 2015.
César Gaviria: Former President of Columbia, César Gaviria is known throughout Latin America as an advocate of democracy, staunch supporter of regional integration, and defender of human rights. An engaging and insightful speaker, President Gaviria will return to the National Geographic Explorer to welcome guests to his country and introduce them to the economic and political climate of Latin America. Coastal Treasures from the Panama Canal to Peru, September 27, 2015.
Captain Alfred S. McLaren: Capt. McLaren has explored beneath the Arctic ice on numerous expeditions, the last as commander of his own sub. After retiring from the Navy in 1981, he earned a Ph.D. in polar studies and focused his research on the Arctic’s role in climate change. President of the American Polar Society and Honorary Director and President Emeritus of the Explorers Club, in 2012 he received The Explorers Club’s highest honor, The Explorers Club Medal. Norway’s Fjords & Arctic Svalbard, May 19, 2015.
Edward J. Larson: Pepperdine University professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Edward Larson’s latest book, An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science, places the famed voyages of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, his British rivals Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton, and others in a larger scientific, social, and geopolitical context, much enlivened by his own Antarctic travels. Antarctica, January 7 & 17, 2015.
Gil Grosvenor: Grosvenor serves as Chairman Emeritus of the National Geographic Society’s board of trustees and its Education Foundation, as well as an Honorary Director of the Explorers Club. He retired in 1996, as President of the Society—the fifth generation of his family to serve in that position. Canadian Maritimes, September 11, 2015.
Dr. Joe MacInnis: Dr. Joe MacInnis is the first person to explore the ocean beneath the North Pole. He led ten research expeditions under the Arctic Ocean to develop the systems and techniques to make scientific surveys beneath the polar ice cap. His teams built the first undersea polar station and discovered the world’s northernmost known shipwreck. Antarctica, January 6, 2016.
Peter Hillary: Peter is the son of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to summit Mount Everest along with Tenzing Norgay. Peter has climbed the highest mountain on every continent, including Mount Everest, and established a new overland route to the South Pole. Antarctica, February 6, 2015; Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands, February 16, 2015.
Fen Montaigne: Journalist and author of Fraser’s Penguins: A Journey to the Future in Antarctica, Fen has long studied the impact of rapid warming. His work has appeared in National Geographic, The New Yorker and others. Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, June 22, 2015.
David Doubilet: Acclaimed leading underwater photographer David Doubilet has produced more than 70 stories for National Geographic magazine. In 2010 he was part of the Elysium Project, a team of explorers who followed in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton from the Weddell Sea to South Georgia, documenting the current state of this last pristine wilderness. Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands, February 15, 2016.
