One of my favourite things about luxury hotels is the seemingly endless supply of designer toiletries – soaps, gels, lotions and shampoo – all in a conveniently compact, travel-friendly size.

Thinking sustainably… Pismo Lighthouse Suites

In fact, over the years I’ve amassed quite a collection in my own bathroom at home. But it seems not everyone has the same affiliation to mini bars of soap as I do and a California-based boutique hotel group has thought up a way to recycle its used toiletries.

With oceanfront hotels along Pismo Beach and nestled in the heart of Paso Robles wine country, Martin Resorts had sustainability in mind when they recently teamed up with Clean the World Foundation to collect used soap, shampoos, conditioners and lotions to help fight the global spread of preventable diseases.

To date, over two and half kilograms of used toiletries have been collected from five Martin properties and recycled into 22,614 new bars of soap to be distributed to impoverished communities throughout the United States and across the globe.

Waste not want not… recycled soap

“Knowing we should find a way to recycle our used soap products is a common discussion in the hotel industry, but having a partner to work with to convert our goods to soap and deliver them worldwide gives us the missing piece,” says Margaret Johnson, Chief Operating Officer of Martin Resorts.

Clean the World Foundation is the largest global recycler of hotel amenities and in just three years of operation has distributed more than 11 million bars of soap to children and families in more than 55 countries worldwide.

Each day 9,000 children around the world die from diseases such as acute respiratory illness and diarrheal diseases that can be prevented by washing with bar soap.

“Our hotel partners are the driving forces behind our global hygiene revolution,” says Shawn Seipler, CEO at Clean the World.

“By making a commitment to sustainable, socially responsible programs in the hospitality industry, hotel groups are using the leftover resources of soaps and bottled amenities to help save lives.”

www.martinresorts.com

Retail therapy embraces a similar logic, namely that impulse buying can curb feelings of sadness and despair and bring on a sense of frivolity and delight – and I, for one, am a firm believer.

Shopping heaven… Rodeo Drive

So too, it seems, is Karine Bulger, the Founder and Director of LA Experience, an Australian-based boutique travel consultancy offering shopaholics a personal shopping tour of the City of Angels.

The service offers a luxury “insider’s tour” of Los Angeles, exploring the glamour of its infamous retail district.

Bulger, an Australian native who lived in LA for several years and leads the tour as a shopping concierge, says finding designer deals is her business.

“I remember my first shopping exploration through LA’s diverse retail scene – I couldn’t believe the extraordinary choice and savings as I unearthed one great find after another. I knew other Australians would want to share my LA Experience, and hence the business was born,” says Bulger.

Bespoke shopping itineraries are tailored to suit all budgets, with unique experiences and deals the average traveller would otherwise not have access to.

Exploring brands like Coach, Kate Spade, Burberry and Barneys NY, each day includes a different shopping experience and all travel dates are planned to coincide with US retail holiday sales.

Along with five-star accommodation in Beverly Hills, the tour also schedules exclusive appointments with the iconic stores of Rodeo Drive, including personal stylists from Stylehaus, BCBG Max Azria and Macy’s.

Bulger’s launch trip will take place in May 2013.

www.laexperience.com

Amy Hughes

Most foodies want to experience local food trends, local chefs, and the local palate. Fork does all of these things, even with cheeky amuses bouches which wink at Philadelphia’s famous pretzels. Owner Ellen Yin is ever-present and makes a terrific ambassador to the city’s food culture, stopping at each table to welcome guests.

Fork is one of those fashionable restaurants where every night feels like Friday. Perfectly low lighting and music blend with chic, eclectic decor that feels ever so slightly Asian. Maybe it’s the murals, hand-painted by our waiter who’s an artist by day. The images of trees give way to a real white birch in the centre of the room, surrounded by sepia-toned paper chandeliers.

Supporting Philly’s food culture… Ellen Yin

Yin first brought the “farm to table” food concept to Philadelphia when she opened Fork 15 years ago. Since then, Fork has worked its way through a few popular chefs. Eli Kulp, formerly of Del Posto in New York, is Fork’s most recent arrival. His menu is a blend of Mediterranean, Moroccan and Middle Eastern. Dishes are ingredient-driven, and now, in the dead of winter, it’s no surprise the offerings are game heavy.

Fork is a place for serious foodies. Dishes are focused on specialty ingredients and unusual flavours not particularly suited for the meat-and-potatoes crowd. Courses are divided into Bites Raw Bar, To Start, Pasta and Mains. The advice is to sample a Bite or an item from the Raw Bar ahead of a Starter, which will still leave plenty of room for everything else.

Some things are extraordinary hits, others need a re-think. We plunge in with the stracciatella eggplant bite which is essentially a crisp cracker served with local mozzarella so fresh its thin strands are draped over a mound of smoky, sweet eggplant. The dish has great texture and flavour and I’m not ashamed to admit I could lick the board it’s served on clean.

The oyster in gazpacho vinegar, another bite, is also a success. It’s a subtle dish, with the gazpacho ingredients strained into clear vinegar, giving the oyster a clean, tangy tomato taste.

Scallop crudo arrives with a parsley kimchi which is perfect for those who like the sharp, piquant bite balancing out the sweet scallop (I do not, my companion does). Instead, I demolish the mozzarella di bufala (yes, more) cleverly served with cured cantaloupe. It’s a vegetarian’s version of prosciutto, except the sweet taste of fruit leather is a better balance for the salty, oozy bufala.

The crab-apple soup could be terrific, but there’s far too much soup for a starter, and its sweetness makes it feel more like a dessert.

Fashionable food… Fork

Somehow we’ve overdone it on the warm-up dishes, but it’s time for the mains. The branzino is, we’re told, a signature dish; with an interesting East meets West take. A thin rectangle of buttery bread is slow baked on top of the fish which sits on a layer of tamarind sauce, spinach and thinly sliced onions. The flavours are complex, and again, texture plays a big role with the crunchy bread.

The poached lobster has a lovely strong, preserved lemon sauce with a local sun choke puree. It’s exactly what I want – light, with a fresh flavour. Great thought has gone into even the simple dishes and it shows.

Service is terrific and our artist-waiter Anthony appears to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the menu. The one area where things go a bit wobbly is dessert. The chef who seems to master melding unusual pairings for the savoury dishes goes overboard with things like charred eggplant cake, which simply tastes like I’ve been forced to eat something blindfolded. But all that’s required is a shift from experimental to decadence to make Fork’s endings flow, because everything else, from the ambience to the service, to Yin’s personal touch, really works.

Fork: etc. just next door is a specialty market offering charcuterie, artisan cheeses and prepared foods from Fork’s kitchen.

Fork 

306 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

(215) 625 9425

www.forkrestaurant.com 

Sustainable travel is on the agenda in Oregon with the recent establishment of the Oregon Travel Philanthropy Fund.

The statewide program is the first of its kind and funds raised will be used to improve the environment, support local culture and enrich the destination for future visitors.

The fund supports one project from each of Oregon’s seven tourism regions, including the creation of the Mosier Plateau Trail, a sustainable non-motorised trail with direct access to the community of Mosier; support of the Sustainable Seafood Initiative; and in Portland, the Living Highways Project will plant and maintain over 5,000 trees along I-205, as part of the Greenspace Initiative.

Kevin Gorman, Executive Director of the Friends of the Columbia Gorge, says, “The Oregon Travel Philanthropy Fund is helping us create a European-type trekking experience that allows people to love the Columbia Gorge without loving it to death”.

Sustainable Travel International, together with Travel Oregon, will donate more than $14,000 to particular projects within the OTPF program.

Kristin Dahl, Senior Manager of Destination Development at Travel Oregon says, “We chose to donate to projects that represent some of the best work being done to steward the environment, build community and showcase the food and culture that make Oregon a great destination”.

“We’re thrilled with the engagement of tourism businesses and travellers across the state of Oregon so far,” says Jeremy Sampson, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications at Sustainable Travel International, and co-manager of the OTPF.

“Giving back is a fundamental tenet of sustainable tourism, and programs like the OTPF provide an easy model for businesses to implement and a compelling story to tell,” he said.

“We are optimistic the program will continue to grow at an exponential rate, providing more funds for tourism infrastructure in Oregon’s communities.”

www.traveloregonforever.com

Amy Hughes

There’s a new, or perhaps old, kid in town and it’s pulling both the punters and the posh crowd to Philadelphia. The Barnes Foundation is probably THE most talked about opening in the art world these days. Its list of holdings alone is staggering: 181 Renoirs (the largest single group of the artist’s paintings), 69 Cézannes, 59 works by Matisse, 46 Picassos, and 16 Modigliani’s are just some highlights. Barnes also befriended and collected American painter William Glackens (70 of his works reside at the Foundation).

Impressive... the 'new' Barnes Foundation

But like so many things, it’s not just the big names that make the Barnes Foundation such a captivating place; it’s the back story. I’ll tell you the nutshell version.

Albert Barnes came from a working class family. Born in the late 19th century, he was intelligent and highly motivated. Barnes earned a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and went on to study chemistry in Germany. While working for a pharmaceutical company in Philadelphia he and a colleague struck gold when they invented an antiseptic called Argryol. The product would not only bring Barnes’ fortune, but also a chance to educate himself, and his staff about a subject he was passionate about: art.

Barnes bought out his partner, and structured his employees’ work day to include two-hour seminars to read and learn about art. He also resumed a friendship with a chum from high school, American artist William Glackens. The irascible self-made Barnes sent Glackens to Paris to acquire a collection of fine art, which eventually would include Glackens’ work, too.

Barnes did post-grad work at Columbia, refining his eye, and went on his own collecting trips to Europe, becoming close friends with Leo Stein (Gertrude’s brother), developing a fondness for the expat who introduced Barnes to the works of Matisse, Picasso and others.

Throughout his life, those early, meagre beginnings, would define Barnes. He was a crusty character, who took pleasure in denying the privileged access to his art. Instead, he preferred to spend time and money ensuring his working class staff became more critical thinkers through their examination of art.

Contemporary... Matisse's Le Bonheur de Vivre

Barnes died in 1951 in a car accident with his dog next to him. His foundation, established in 1922, with its school, Barnes’ art collection and an arboretum had always been located in Merion, a suburb about half an hour North West of Philadelphia and more importantly, closed to the public. I’ll spare you the details of all the court proceedings, but as the result of litigation, the Foundation was finally forced to open the Gallery two days a week. A few years ago, facing financial problems, the board won the right to move the Gallery collection to Philadelphia, where it is now finally open to the public every day except Tuesdays.

The Foundation is embracing the public’s interest and it shows. Every Friday the gallery stays open until 10pm with a wide range of events like live jazz, sake tastings, Arab music to orchid lectures. Families are encouraged with free programmes every weekend.

Despite the fact that Barnes would have hated the general public trouncing through his gallery, it appears to be one of the most popular galleries to have opened in some time, anywhere. It’s so busy, tickets are timed, though on a recent Friday night it wasn’t too busy to affect the viewing. In fact, the only thing that was a bit bizarre were the guards who hovered like the National Guard, objecting to even my iPhone note-taking. Perhaps they were trained by Barnes himself.

There’s no doubt the Foundation is worth all the hype it’s been receiving. The building is an architectural feat, with water features, an LEED certificate for its green-ness (rain water is recycled), and it’s outdoor space, and it’s massive, open rooms and high ceilings incorporating local materials.

And the art…if the list I rattled off didn’t make you sit up and take notice, let me be clear; this is an amazing, well-rounded, carefully constructed collection. There are Degas which thankfully break from the balletic tradition of the painter, and several other examples of work which are clear departures from the norm of usually identifiable Cézannes, Renoirs and Seurat’s.

I could have lingered for hours reading correspondence between Barnes and the few he confided in, and shared his love of art with.

If you’re headed to New York and have even half a day to spare, it’s worth the 90-minute ride in a plush seat aboard Amtrak to take in this collection. It’s a short cab ride from the station, and can be taken in an hour to an hour and a half. My suggestion – wrap up a week in New York with a Friday night in Philly. Few things compare to a live jazz soundtrack while staring at one of the best private art collections in the world.

Barnes Foundation

www.barnesfoundation.org

Unchartered territory... Voyager 1

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has reached an exciting stage in its journey. Data sent directly to NASA has revealed that the Voyager 1 is progressing quickly towards exiting our solar system and eventually entering interstellar space.

The 34-year old spacecraft’s latest data package has travelled over 17 billion kilometres, and has given Voyager scientists clues as to the spacecraft’s whereabouts. An increase in intensity of charged particles beyond our solar system suggests the Voyager 1 is nearing the edge of the solar system.

Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, is excited about the changes in data.

"From January 2009 to January 2012, there had been a gradual increase of about 25 percent in the amount of galactic cosmic rays Voyager was encountering," he said.

"More recently, we have seen very rapid escalation in that part of the energy spectrum. Beginning on May 7, the cosmic ray hits have increased five percent in a week and nine percent in a month."

A slower decline in energetic particles from inside the heliosphere (the bubble of charged particles, containing our solar system) has been apparent, however, the particles have not dropped off immensely, and this is expected when the Voyager 1 eventually breaks through the boundary of our solar system.

Voyager scientists are hoping to receive another data set that confirms their suspicions. While within the heliosphere, Voyager 1’s magnetic field lines run east-west. As it moves into interstellar space, the scientists believe the lines will shift into more of a north-south direction. Determining this change will take some time.

Voyager 1 and 2 were launched in 1977 as part of the Voyager Interstellar Mission. The aim of the mission was to explore beyond the solar system. The NASA Voyagers are the furthest active human representation in space.

http://www.nasa.gov/voyager

Boston’s a city dear to my heart. I grew up just a couple of hours south, in Connecticut, a small state that straddles New York and New England; the best of both worlds. Boston, with its dozens of universities, is one of the best cities to earn your diploma, and your beer license in… and then on to New York for the soul-crushing experience of life in the real world.

Quincy Market, Paul Revere’s ride and the Freedom Trail, the JFK Library and the Aquarium were the big sights back then, but Beantown (it’s nickname), has come a long way. Those are all sights worth seeing, for sure, but Boston’s got a funky, new groove with a collection of spots to take in the green, and spend a bit of it, too.

Urban growth... the Greenway Gardens

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society designed the Greenway Gardens, which cover six acres and public art populates open spaces.

After taking in the scenery, it’s time to hit Boston’s gentrified South End. When I was in school, it had an artsy, off-beat feel to it, but was also where most students went looking for cheap rent. Now, it’s even more creative, and hosts the SoWa (South of Market) art and design market. Every Sunday, a changing group of artists, designers, chef and farmers hawk their goods, from gourmet food trucks, to clothing, jewellery, house wares, and produce. The market is sensory overload – in a good way.

Mobile boutique... The Fashion Truck

What the market does best, is show off the innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of the city’s inhabitants. Emily Benson rolls up every week with her Fashion Truck, a mobile shop of curated clothing and accessories in a van turned boutique.

Two years ago, with a passion for fashion and visual merchandising, Emily considered pursuing a graduate degree. Instead, she took inspiration from the popular food truck trend and put her retail experience to use, fitting a van with dressing rooms, displays and carefully selected merchandise. Nothing she sells is mass-produced.

The Fashion Truck relocates to other areas the rest of the week, and hosts personalised shopping parties. The two-hour event takes place in a driveway, with the van door flung open, and refreshments all around.

SoWa also hosts a mobile vintage shop. From a 1954 Bellwood trailer, “Punky” sells her vintage clothing, jewellery and accessories.

Sure, there’s lots more to see in Boston. But if you’ve ticked the guidebook list, or fancy an alternative tour, make sure you include a Sunday visit to the church of SoWa and clear your head alongside the Charles.

www.rosekennedygreenway.org 

www.sowaopenmarket.com 

www.fashiontruck.com

www.haberdashvintage.com

It’s a bright, sunny afternoon as the summer starts to take hold in Boston. I’ve just arrived for my college reunion, I’ll leave the year a mystery, and already I’m transported back to dorm life. It’s nothing to do with the accommodations, but rather the location. When I attended Emerson College, best known for its artsy-fartsy-ness where the saying went, “the guys are gay and the girls are desperate,” and Back Bay location, it was a school without a proper campus. Instead, the city was our campus. So we relied on a few key areas and avenues as hang-outs, central spots close to the brownstones and townhouses which housed our lectures.

One of those was Commonwealth Avenue, or, the locals and students say, “Comm Ave.” As a student, I only knew it as the pretty boulevard where many of my friends shared apartments, particularly a few members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the coolest fraternity on our non-campus campus. Years later, with the benefit of having visited umpteen cities in France, I spot the parallels. It’s so unusual for an American city; a main artery with a center lane just for pedestrians, lush with rows of trees either side. It begs a jog, or at least a stroll.

French-inspired luxury... Hotel Eliot

The Eliot (as it’s known), is also right around the corner from the only other two street names you need to know: Newbury and Boylston. The parallel roads run from where you turn the corner, all the way up to the Boston Commons, the city’s biggest and most beautiful patch of green, and the theatre district (where Emerson has since relocated). It’s about a 30 minute walk from one end to the other, or just a few stops on the T, Boston’s user-friendly subway system.

I’m greeted warmly at check-in and within a few minutes various requests are met. I’m shown to a lovely suite with views of the Charles River. The decor is traditional French (they saw the parallels, too) and the canopied beds are a rare, and enchanting treat. And not too girly, either.

Everything works, and seems intuitive. A night light activated by a light switch is ingenious.

After a quick breather, I’m off to meet old friends at the Island Creek Oyster Bar. Twenty minutes walk down Comm Ave in the other direction takes us to Kenmore Square, home of the Red Sox, Boston’s hometown baseball team. You can always tell when it’s game night. All the bars are packed, including the very subtle one at ICOB. The atmosphere is sophisticated beachcomber. If you’ve ever visited the New England coastline, or Cape Cod, you’ll recognise the pale grey washboard panels. The TV is discreetly centered among them above the bar and the place quiets as the game starts.

Casual dining... Island Creek Oyster Bar

It’s all lobster, scallops, shrimp, Pollack and carrots. “Something about those carrots is delicious,” is the next comment.

We can’t find room for dessert, but their descriptions alone are worth writing about: chocolate hazelnut puff with roasted banana ice cream, or how about doughnuts with lavender cream? It’s enough to dream about as I head back to the Eliot where a featherbed awaits, and a wonderful night’s slumber.

Eliot Hotel

www.eliothotel.com

370 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA (617) 267-1607

Island Creek Oyster Bar

www.islandcreekoysterbar.com

500 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA (617) 532-5300

It’s a warm Friday night in June on Boston’s Boylston Street, lined with restaurants, boutique shops and people spilling out of busy bars. The after-work crowd is pushing happy hour into overtime when we arrive at Abe & Louie’s, a steak and seafood restaurant with no shortage of alpha males in the house. You’d be mad to come here without a reservation, and the bar is packed, the Red Sox game fuelling extra drink orders. The wine list is long, and varied, but this is the sort of place that demands Mad Men-style drinks. This is a place for martinis and whiskey.

Classic Steakhouse... Abe & Louie's

We start with a serious protein hit of lump crab meat cocktail, which is actually Maryland blue crab, but despite a bit of extra mileage, it’s delicious and well, very meaty. The chopped salad draws a decidedly authentic remark, “This is my kinda’ salad.” It’s got the right amount of feta and onion without being overpowering, and nuts and seeds complement it well.

When in New England in the summer, there’s only one thing to eat – Maine lobster. A two-pounder is delivered to the table with the classic drawn butter on the side, grilled asparagus and spinach with mushrooms and garlic. The lobster is good, but the swordfish steak is the sleeper dish. The wood-fired grill has left it crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The roasted taste reminds me of countless summer barbecues.

Over at the other table, four grown men are getting giddy over classic steakhouse salads of iceberg wedges, beefsteak tomatoes and blue cheese before the Mecca part of their meal arrives. It’s steaks all around, and they’re too busy inhaling iron to give more than a quick thumbs-up and wide, satisfied smiles.

If you know anything about great American steak places, you’ll know what to expect from the dessert menu – apple pie a la mode, New York cheesecake, and ice cream, for sure. But what we weren’t expecting was a plate of fresh baked, warm cookies and house-made chocolate sauce (none of that thin Hershey’s syrup), lemon sorbet, and my favourite, a mound of dark, fresh berries.

Abe & Louies will remind you of the sort of place your father may have come to close a business deal, but on a Friday night, with a few gin and tonics, and a peek through the bar to catch the Sox at the bottom of the ninth inning, it feels like the perfect place to kick off the weekend, which is, in fact every night, if you’re a tourist.

Abe & Louie's

www.abeandlouies.com

793 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116 (617) 536-6300