Alaska is the largest and most sparsely populated state in the USA. On this 11-day tour, departing Anchorage, you’ll explore its vast remote wilderness and pristine coastal environment. Go looking for moose, wolves, caribous and black and grizzly bears on a trek through Denali National Park, before taking a scenic flight over glaciers to Anchorage.
There’s the chance to go on a hell-hike across the Juneau Ice Field, and go whale watching at Point Adolphus, one of the best spots to spy humpback whales in the world. Accommodation is in boutique inns and rustic cabins.
Some traditions are a little stranger than others, and that’s certainly the case come October in Colorado’s Manitou Springs. The Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Parade attract 10,000 people who come to watch teams of four pushing a ‘corpse’ (really just another perfectly alive member of the team) along the street in a coffin. Why? Well, Emma, who was suffering with tuberculosis, moved to Manitou Springs in the late 1800s to take advantage of the healing waters of the local mineral springs. It didn’t work and Emma died, but not before she’d made her fiancé promise to bury her at the top of Red Mountain. In the years that followed erosion caused Emma’s coffin to become exposed and eventually it slid down the mountain. People in the town say you can sometimes see a young woman in Victorian garb looking lonely atop Red Mountain.
As any gastronome worth their salt (and pepper) knows, the best bit about any fine dining experience is when you voluntarily eat something that sets your own arse on fire. The world’s most angry edible ingredient, according to New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute, is Trinidad and Tobago’s moruga scorpion pepper, used in napalm-esque condiments such as Dek’s pepper sauce. In 2012, the Trinidad moruga scorpion chilli was named the world’s hottest, with an average rating of more than 1.2 million units on the Scoville heat scale (by comparison, Tabasco original red sauce has a Scoville rating of 2,500–5,000 units).
Like any local delicacy, it’s best tasted in situ – in the restaurants in Port of Spain – but if you can’t get to Trinidad and Tobago, or you want to buy a gift basket of the sauce for someone you really don’t like, it’s available from igourmet.com. Don’t forget to put the toilet paper in the fridge before you go to bed.
Think of animal migration and the great beasts of Africa thunder to mind, but one of the world’s most curious journeys is that of the humble monarch butterfly. Fleeing the paralysing winters of Canada and the United States each January, these delicate bugs travel up to 4,500 kilometres, fluttering into the depths of Mexico’s forests in the state of Michoacan, where they cling to oyamel firs, forming a layer of moving colour that coats the branches and bristles.
Grab your camera and snap them in whirling clouds at El Rosario Sanctuary, ride horses and hike mountainous terrain to see them at Chincua Sanctuary and make a final butterfly stop in dense vegetation at Piedra Herrada Sanctuary. Thriving in the warmth, these butterflies surpass their usual six-week lifespan, surviving until spring, when they return north. The following year their distant relatives will migrate to Michoacan to smother the same trees chosen by their ancestors.
When you’re not marvelling at fluttering insects, visit waterfalls, ruins and vibrant markets and discover the local culture, which is rooted in the Aztec belief that the souls of the dead are reborn as butterflies. This migration may lack thundering hooves, but the pulse of billions of beating wings is equally captivating.
Chicago winters can be punishing, so what better way to stave off the northern hemisphere chills than with a Painkiller No 3, loaded with two varieties of rum and the tropical bouquet of summer? Award-winning watering hole Three Dots and a Dash has Polynesian mixology down pat, with a heady menu of cocktails that will blast away the winter blues.
Named after a famous cocktail created to celebrate the end of World War II (in Morse code it stands for ‘V’ and, in the 1940s meant ‘victory’), Three Dots and a Dash serves up 20 cocktails and 250 varieties of rum. Park your behind under the thatched canopy at the bar, get both hands around a decorative tiki mug, and try not to be intimidated by the big dudes carved into the decor.
If you enjoy views with your Veuve it’s hard to pass up this westside beauty. Ensconced within the beachfront Hotel Shangri-La, Suite 700 blends old Hollywood glamour with modern chic, and is the only public open-air rooftop bar and lounge in Santa Monica.
The art deco lounge is sleek and inviting but, on a balmy night, it’s the rooftop that rules. Feel the Pacific breeze tousle your hair as you take in the 360-degree views. Chomp into a Korean BBQ slider, washed down with a signature lavender crush cocktail, and watch the sun set over the famous Santa Monica Pier.
We really dig bars that promote eco-living, not to mention discourage drink driving. Handlebar does just that with its cosy homage to the humble pushbike. Gold-painted retro bikes hang from the walls, and the furniture is vintage kitsch. Grab a beer or whisky and lounge on one of the patio chairs, or throw down a bowl of homemade meatballs and take in the sights and sounds of the vibrant Kensington Market. When the live music cranks up, head back inside and boogie the night away. Note: the bikes are bolted down so you’ll need to find an alternative ride home.
Seeking a fix the doctor can’t prescribe? The Keefer Bar knows a cocktail mix sure to cure what ails you. This apothecary-themed watering hole aims to soothe your soul and quench your thirsty condition. Award-winning bartender Danielle Tatarin takes a fresh approach to proceedings, sourcing ingredients from local markets and nearby herbalists to make the bitters, syrups and teas used in her unique creations.
Sip on a punchy Thai Pisco Sour or, if you’re feeling daring, down a Bowen Island Iced Tea – as well as vodka, lime and honey syrup, it also contains seahorse tincture. Asian-inspired small plates, including Peking duck sliders and shrimp miso shiitake tacos, are also on the menu.
Shy, elusive and shrouded in mystery, the enchanting white bears that roam the pristine river valleys of British Columbia are a rare genetic anomaly. Spirit bears – also known as the kermode bear or moskgm’ol (white bear) – are relatives of the black bear, but a single recessive gene causes one in 10 to be born with a white coat. Embark on a spirit bear tour during September when a banquet of salmon leaps from the water in a frenzied surge upstream.
Travelling by boat to the Great Bear Rainforest, you’ll traverse lush valleys and bubbling rivers on foot so your guide can bring you within a stone’s throw of these magnificent animals. Watch with wonder as they forage for berries or gorge on freshly caught fish. The bears are protected by the Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy – the only conservancy of its kind in the world – and the local Kitasoo Xaixais people have a vast knowledge of the species dating back thousands of years. Lean on their expertise for a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with these fur balls you’ll want to cuddle but definitely shouldn’t.
Pedal beyond Old Montreal and get a feel for neighbourhood life in one of the hippest cities around on a tour with Fitz & Follwell Co. Get in touch with the bohemian side of town from Mile End to Outremont and Little Italy, exploring some of the town’s trendiest laneways and cafe-lined boulevards off the tourist track.
Enjoy a thick espresso with the locals, discover art galleries, and learn what makes each borough tick. Munch on fresh bagels and gather a picnic lunch from the Jean-Talon Market. Your guides have so many pearls to share they often lose track of time, so leave yourself plenty so you don’t miss out on the gems.
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