Find an alternative to a hotel room

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You can find a warm bed … and four normal walls … in just about any hotel room. So, if you’re looking to defy convention every step of the way, opt for a yurt, treehouse or prison, instead.

Unusual Hotels of the World (the name explains everything) says that you can crash in an igloo anywhere from Finland to Quebec, but be sure to bring a coat. Or, you can climb into bed after climbing into a treehouse. Out ‘n’ About Treesort in Cave Junction, OR and Winvian (near Litchfield, CT) are on the list.

Closed spaces are accommodated by any number of cave hotels. You can spelunk to the lounge in Turkey and Spain, or you can just go to Parthenon, AR, where the Beckham Creek Cave Haven can be found.

[Via Toronto Sun via Associated Press]

[Photo by Bill Janis]

New Haven Diary: The best coffee hangout you’ve never heard of

by Jerry Guo on

There’s watching the leaves fall on the green, wolfing down a slice at Pepe’s, and now, drinking coffee? Yes, it just might be worth a daytrip to stop in New Haven for some joe, especially if you find yourself riding Amtrak between Boston and New York and you’re feeling sleepy. I recently visited a West-Coast-hip all-organic / all-fair-trade coffee shop, one of a handful in the Northeast, and the coffee here is possibly worth the pilgrimage.

But first, if coffee isn’t your thing, see my series from March on what to do, see, stay, and eat in New Haven.

Now then.

Apart from his duties at Bare Beans Coffee in Fair Haven as owner, barista and floor sweeper, Mark Orintas holds a part-time job as a perfume salesman. His keen nose for fragrances bestows a sommelier’s touch to what may otherwise seem like a rather pedestrian drink. He’s fond, for instance, of describing his signature concoction – a blend from Sumatra, Peru, Bolivia, and Guatemlala – as having “oaky aftertones” with “floral notes.”

“This place is for organically minded people who like the finer coffees and teas,” Mr. Orintas said. As one of the state’s few organic and fair-trade cafes, Bare Beans, open only on weekday mornings, exudes an understated West Coast hipness. There is no flashy sign, the brick walls stand exposed, and patrons must satisfy themselves with two simple tables and a few more bean chairs.

But when it comes to coffee, the selections are eclectic and often as hard-to-find as the establishment itself: Mexico El Triunfo Biosphere, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Dominican Republic Barahona, among others.

Organic teas from SerendipiTea, which include Darjeeling Green and Mango Magnus, and biscotti (lemon-cranberry, pistachio, coconut macadamia), scones and muffins, at $1.95 each, are also available. A 12-ounce cup of any tea or coffee (equivalent of “tall”) is $1.65; 16 ounces (“grande”) is $1.95. One-pound bags of any beans, which are roasted fresh to order in the back, sell for $12 to $14.

And don’t even think about that quad-shot latte with extra foam. Bare Beans caters to the purist at heart, where even synthetic sugar is banned in favor of agave, a succulent nectar from Mexico.

Mr. Orintas hopes to offer light lunch fare soon, but for now he’s sticking to monthly cuppings (like wine tastings, but with coffee) that are free to the public. One recent cupping attracted a dozen enthusiasts, who were reluctant to leave. “I like good coffee and good people,” said Garrett DiFazio, 36. “Here, there’s both.”

Bare Beans Coffee, 14 East Grand Avenue, New Haven; (203) 260-1118 or www.barebeanscoffee.com (online orders). Open Monday to Friday, 6:30 . to 10 a.m.

And the best fall foliage is… all around you!

by Meg Massie on

We recently asked Gadling readers to tell us where they find the best fall colors. As expected, no two answers were the same. No matter where you are in the US or Canada, you’re probably not very far away from a vibrant autumn.

Some of our reader picks were:

  • New Hampshire’s White Mountains — New England is certainly renowned for its fall colors, and Gadling readers agree. The hikes in this area are spectacular any time of year, but climb a mountain in the fall and you’ll be treated to leafy fireworks in the valleys below you. For vacation information in New Hampshire, try this website.
  • Reader Marilyn casts her vote for Connecticut — Staying in New England for now, Connecticut also boasts a beautiful fall. This is also a great place to visit if you love to check out old architecture. Being here can feel like walking through the pages of a history book.
  • Don’t discount the south! Several readers backed me up when I said Virginia has some of the best leaves around. The best hiking and views are in and around the Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but a couple of Gadlingites suggest the view from Thomas Jefferson’s plantation, Monticello, and I have to agree… Even though my heart belongs to the Hokies, no one can argue against the beauty of the University of Virginia grounds, of which you’ll get a lovely view from Jefferson’s home.
  • Going still farther south, reader Dick recommends a visit to Lookout Mountain, offering spectacular views of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. While you’re there, go underground to see Ruby Falls, America’s deepest cave and largest underground waterfall accessible to the public.
  • Northeast Canada received a few votes from our readers. A reader recommends the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton for some of the best leaf peeping.
  • Donna recommends a visit to Hiram, Ohio for the best leaves. She says she’s compared it to the south as well as New England, which are no match. Not exactly a bustling metropolis, Hiram could be a wonderful place for a quiet fall getaway.
  • Skipping now to the left coast, Gael calls Northeast Washington state “one of the best kept secrets in the U.S.” Her highest recommendation is for Pend Oreille County for its scenery and history.
  • Certain Oregonians wonder why we East Coasties call our hills “mountains.” For real mountains and valleys, and truly spectacular fall colors, they say, nothing beats the Cascades in Oregon. I’ll be able to speak to the truth of this soon enough — I’m spending October in Oregon, and I hope what they’ve been telling me is true!
  • Finally, a dark horse candidate for best fall foliage comes from our own Jamie Rhein, who says the aspen trees in the mountains of New Mexico make for the most gorgeous autumn.

If you’ve got more suggestions, we’d still love to hear them. You can also share your favorite fall foliage photos with us in the Gadling Pool on Flickr.

I think the best way to enjoy fall foliage is to hike right through it. My husband is already drawing up hiking routes for us for our time in Bend, Oregon, and also at Mount Hood, and I’ve never been more excited about a walk. To find a great hike near you or your vacation destination, check out Intelligent Traveler’s “Walk Into America” series, featuring a list of reader favorites.
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New Canaan, Connecticut: What can you do in the town with the wealthiest residents?

by Jamie Rhein on

Whenever there’s a list of cities or neighborhoods like the ones that are dying or thriving the most, I flip through them looking for a connection.

I was surprised to find one on the list of Top-Earning Towns. It’s not where I generally hang out–trust me, I couldn’t even afford to live in a garage there, but I’ve been to New Canaan, Connecticut several times. It’s the town near to where relatives of mine used to live until last year when they headed for new digs in North Carolina.

When I think of New Canaan, and the area around it, I don’t think of big houses, but of a place where country roads still wind through woods of enormous trees edged by stone walls.

Sure there are big houses, but the area has retained the beauty of the natural environment. New Canaan, described on a realty company’s Web site as evoking images of a Norman Rockwell painting, is a place where people’s clothes are pressed. There is even a park called Bliss Park where the New Canaan Nature Center is located.

Besides visiting the town, this is a region of the U.S. to see fall foliage, and take in fruit and vegetable stands and antique stores along the way. This is also the land of small white churches with graveyards of weathered tombstones on gentle slopes of hillsides. Picturesque with a capital P.

This part of the United States is not one that crackles with excitement, but because it’s close to Manhattan there are a lot of famous folks who have called New Canaan and other close by towns home–David Letterman and Katherine Heigl, for example. Although, Letterman may have moved, and Heigl left here for California.

One place that my relatives always took me whenever I visited is Cannondale Crossing in Wilton, the town that is virtually next door to New Canaan.

Also referred to as Cannon Crossing, this cluster of buildings looks a bit like a village, although this is the type of village where no one lives. Instead, the assortment of historic houses and buildings were moved here long after they served their use in their original location. Here they were restored and turned into shops and galleries.

The red school house, however, now a restaurant, is original to the location. Cannondale Crossing is the kind of place you can find good deals on unusual, more upscale holiday items after the holidays. That’s what I’ve bought. I have a hard time passing up bargains.

When I first visited my relatives, I was told the story of how the Cannondale Crossing was created by the actress June Havoc, who is the same June as the girl in the musical “Gypsy.” “Gypsy” is based on June Havoc and her mother’s life back when June was a child performing in vaudeville. She later grew up to be a successful actress and director.

Finding out that “Gypsy” was based on a true story and that June grew up to create her own faux village impressed me as much as the houses where the affluent folks live.

Read my New York Times story on the world’s strangest collectible shop

by Jerry Guo on

If you’re ever in Westport, Connecticut (home of Martha Stewart and other moguls), check out this see-to-be-believed collectibles shop, though it’s not technically open to the public.

Run by 48-year-old John Reznikoff, University Archives holds the world’s largest collection of hair from celebrities. Oh, and they also have priceless artifacts like a cosmonaut suit, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, and one of Monica Lewinsky’s dresses :-).

My New York Times piece about John centers mainly around his hair collection and the growing interest in this strange–but lucrative–hobby. If you have any questions, shoot me a comment below and I’ll be happy to answer your questions. Read the full story here or pull out a copy of The New York Times Sunday Style section tomorrow morning at the breakfast table.