Excited about the Jubilee, London?

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Summer Schedule: Rocky Mountain Highs

Who said the Rockies were just for skiing? The hamlets of Aspen, Telluride and Vail come alive when the snow melts. Alex Pasquariello picks the can’t-miss dates on the high altitude calendar

JUNE

Race. Vail’s Teva Mountain Games (May 31 through June 3) see athletes compete for titles in 24 disciplines including freestyle kayaking, slopestyle cycling, and world cup bouldering. Too gnarly? There’s a film festival, live music and parties sprinkled in between.

Chow. Aspen’s Food & Wine Classic (June 15 - 17) toasts its 30 anniversary this year with cuisine by acclaimed chefs José Andrés, Mario Batali and Michel Nischan to the crooning of Elvis Costello & The Blue Beguilers.

Jam. Telluride Bluegrass (June 21 - 24) has set the standard for mountain town music festivals for almost four decades, managing to stay funky and authentic even as celebs and international jetsetters swoop in. This year’s incarnation coincides with the summer solstice; headliners include Leftover Salmon, Béla Fleck and Bruce Hornsby.

JULY

Fish. The trout swimming the streams around Aspen are biting by July, so book a fully outfitted, guided fly fishing trip with Aspen Trout Guides for access to rivers not open to other guides, including the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork.

Listen. The Philadelphia Orchestra opens its run at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival (July 6- 14) with new Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin leading the celebrated ensemble in Brahms’ Fourth and Tchaikovsky’s Sixth symphonies.

Bloom. The San Juans cradling Telluride erupt in a kaleidoscopic array of wildflowers blooms come late July. Indian paintbrush, columbine and kings crown line the cascading streams of Yankee Boy Basin and flourish amid ghost towns and long-abandoned silver mines in Governor Basin.

AUGUST

Bike. Aspen’s Snowmass Mountain transforms its slopes into some of the most hardcore, lift-serviced downhill mountain biking in the West in summer. Rent a rig (and a helmet) at Four-Mountain Sports and hit the Vapor Trail, which flows down 2.64 miles and 1,400 vertical feet over bridges and around six-foot berms. Or just watch the best in the business at the Blast the Mass Mountain Bike Challenge (August 3 - 5).

Climb. Presiding high above Telluride, 14,150-foot Mount Sneffels beckons alpinists and day-hikers alike in late summer. The experts at San Juan Mountain Guides can get you to the top, either via the classic (and easiest) south slope route or the southwest ridge, an advanced climb above snow couloirs and sparkling Blue Lakes Pass.

Swing. Take in stunning late-summer views of the Gore Mountains from Vail Golf Club’s stunning 7,024-yard mountain course where the hazards include aspen groves and beaver ponds. Best of all, the ball flies 10 percent further at altitude.

Where the cool kids are…

Like Williamsburg in New York and Hackney in London, the bohemian enclave of Lastarria is Santiago’s official cool quarter. Check-in at the Lastarria Boutique Hotel — the neighborhood’s newest hideaway — and explore the leafy, cafe-lined streets like a local.

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My Trip in Pictures: Athens

I spent an unexpected day in Athens last weekend, when my connecting flight to Santorini was cancelled. Never have I been so happy about a cancelled flight – not only do I love the city, but we needed a catch-up after a four year break. I had little over half a day in the end, since I arrived late at night, but since Athens is pretty small and eminently walkable, that was plenty of time for a whistle-stop tour. Here are my six hours in pictures – and if it gets you in the mood for Greece, check out our current sale on my final destination – Katikies Santorini.

My morning (obviously) revolved around the Acropolis. First stop: Acropolis Metro station – the Metro system in Athens isn’t just clean and fast, it’s a history lesson in itself. Stations have mini museums displaying archaeological finds that were dug up there; and the one for the Acropolis also has life-size casts of the famous Parthenon statues.

Before hitting the Acropolis itself I went to the new Acropolis Museum – the building itself, designed by Bernard Tschumi, is as spellbinding as its contents.

Had a quick brunch at the outdoor café overlooking the Acropolis, then it was straight up to the Acropolis itself to see the Parthenon…

…the city of Athens stretching down to the Aegean Sea…

…and a magical bird (a hoopoe?) tweeting away in front of the Lycabettus Hill.

Then it was time to get back to the airport. I walked down through Plaka, past the Roman Agora

Stopped in Monastiraki to make new friends

And popped into the Byzantine church in Monastiraki to get some good vibes for my rescheduled flight that night.

Six hours of perfection. If only all flight cancellations were like this.

– Julia Buckley, Europe Editor

Adirondacks, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.: Surely everyone deserves to have a cabin on a lake with views like this?

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My Fashion Travels by Harper’s Bazaar Editrice Glenda Bailey

Harper’s Bazaar Editor-in-Chief and Jetsetter Curator Contest judge Glenda Bailey knows a thing or two about traveling in style. We persuaded her to give us her picks in five of her favorite cities

LONDON I’m British and go back to London whenever I can. It’s the capital of prints, thanks to designers Erdem, Christopher Kane, Peter Pilotto and others, and seriously fashionable right now. I stay at Claridge’s — I love its old-fashioned values — and have dinner at the Wolseley on Piccadilly, a busy, buzzy spot that does a great Dover Sole.

CHICAGO I can’t tell you how many glorious shops there are in Chicago now. Ikram is incredible for fashion — it’s like Alice in Wonderland, and there’s a fantastic café upstairs. I love PUBLIC hotel: The Pump Room restaurant serves a wonderful breakfast — it’s like an upmarket McDonald’s. For dinner, Next is my favorite — there’s no menu, you just tell the chef about your likes and dislikes.

NEW YORK I live on Central Park and often go to Robert, the café at the top of the Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle — there’s a lovely view. I’m also a fan of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurants — he’s magnificently talented and I particularly like his ABC Kitchen — I order the carrot and avocado salad.

PARIS If I have 20 minutes to kill between shows I go to A Priori Thé in Galerie Vivienne for a cup of tea. I sit outside and people-watch — it’s heaven. The show schedule is filled with formal dinners; Caviar Kaspia is my favorite invite. I’ll also dash to Lanvin and Colette if I have time — there’s always exciting fashion there.

MILAN I stayed at the new Armani Hotel the last time I was in Milan — the bathrooms were just wonderful: spacious, light and easy (it’s so important to have a bathroom you feel comfortable in when you travel often). There were chic black shower caps and slippers, flowers everywhere, great views of Milan, and of course the food was fab. 

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Many of us find inspiration for where to travel by the books we cary. So it’s no wonder world-renowned designers and architects look in the same place for innovative concepts. Pictured here is Francisco de Blas’ home in Madrid inspired by the complete poetry of Luis Cermuda. Check out the rest, as told by Flavorwire in 10 Beautiful Buildings Inspired by Famous Books.

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Downtime in Granada, Nicaragua

Jetsetter correspondent, Paige Penland, shares her tips for exploring the cobblestone streets of Nicaragua’s Granada — home to the restored mansion, Hotel La Bocona.

Explore See the city in the cool of the morning, when the remarkable light brings out the best in ancient adobes and churches. Behind the thick walls of Granada’s old colonial mansions are beautiful hidden courtyards; stop for breakfast and a strong coffee at the Garden Café (Calle Libertad y Avenida Cervantes).

A Day on the Lake Take a horse-drawn taxi from the park to Granada’s breezy, volcano-gray city beach on Lake Nicaragua. There are restaurants here as well — try Villas Mombacho or Puerto Asese for guapote, or rainbow bass, served whole, the local specialty. Or just hire a motorboat or kayak to explore the 365 Isletas de Granada, a serene and jungled archipelago stretching into the sea, with water birds, elegant mansions, humble fishing abodes and a Spanish fortress dating from 1784.

Lunch in the Park Grab a seat on Parque Colón, Granada’s shady central park, where you can enjoy the city’s specialty, vigarón. A pile of mashed yuca (manioc) is topped with tangy slaw and a pork rind, served on a banana leaf alongside a fresh fruit drink.

Swim in a Crater Lake Just outside Granada, Laguna de Apoyo is a clean, blue crater lake fed by effervescent thermal springs, dramatically ensconced in steep-walled, protected forests filled with howler monkeys. A handful of hotels right on the water offer day passes, allowing you to enjoy their docks, hammocks, and food service all afternoon.

Shop Just north of Granada, Masaya Old Market is packed with fine Nicaraguan handicrafts including hammocks, leatherwork, ceramics and more. Or, Granada’s best shopping is around the Central Park and La Calzada; don’t miss Exopiel, with exquisite handbags, and Olé, offering unique, high-quality Nicaraguan arts and crafts.

Dine on La Calzada Granada’s main thoroughfare and entertainment district is La Calzada, a pedestrian area lined with restaurants, cafes, and bars that pour into the streets with bistro-style seating, patrolled by musicians strumming guitars, dancers making the rounds, artisans hawking their wares and travelers telling tall tales. Take a seat at any of dozens of venues, all serving Nicaragua’s famous Flor de Caña rum, relax and enjoy the show.

Or elsewhere… If you aren’t up for another evening on La Calzada, there are more relaxed restaurants to enjoy. Favorites include El Zaguán, specializing in grilled meets and mariachi music; romantic Mediterraneo, with Italian cuisine; and Imagine, serving healthier fair. 

Sunset from La Merced Climb the bell tower of the oldest original church in Granada, Iglesia de la Merced, for the city’s finest sunset.

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Soho House Founder Nick Jones on Hotel Bête Noirs and Falling for South America

Nick Jones founded Soho House in London 1995 and now has members’ clubs and restaurants in New York, Berlin, Los Angeles and Miami. In between jetting between the Houses, and scouting new spots in South America, his current destination obsession, he’s finding time to judge our Curator Contest. We tapped him for his travel tips.

You fly across the Atlantic constantly — any tips for surviving a red-eye? 

Elasticated pants, a couple of glasses of red and an Ambien.

Carry on or check in? 

I never, ever check luggage because it either gets lost or takes too long to emerge, and I pack light — I find a t-shirt and a jumper covers all eventualities.

How would you describe the Soho House look? 

Comfortable and unpretentious. We respect the building and the city we’re in, and we throw in a bit of British — we have leather armchairs in Miami, for example.

You have Houses in London, Berlin, Miami, New York and LA — what are your favorite restaurants in each? 

In London the River Café — the food, the style, eating lunch on the terrace: it’s fanastic. All the food is delicious — they even make fish taste good (I need to be near water to eat fish).

In Berlin I love whatever club and restaurant owner Cookie does — he gets the vibe just right. Annoyingly his restaurant, Cookies Cream, is vegetarian — I’ve recommended he puts steak on the menu.

In Miami I like an Aegean tavern called Mandolin. The husband is Greek, the wife is Turkish, and the meatballs are to die for — they’re like mini hamburgers.

In New York my favorite is Minetta Tavern. Keith NcNally who, full disclosure, is a mate of mine, always gets it right—the drinks, the atmosphere, he’s clever. I order the steak. In LA, Mozza — it was the first pizza place I went that wasn’t mid-market. It made me think, why doesn’t London do this? Which is why I opened Pizza East.

You’re intimately involved with the details of each House — what’s the best idea you’ve had? 

A friend of mine in England introduced me to the concept of “one while changing” — a cocktail while you’re getting ready to go out and we’ve brought it to Soho Beach House. A barman comes to your room and mixes you a cocktail between 6pm and 9pm. We’ve now introduced a quick blow and a polish in your bedroom — a blow dry and a manicure (what did you think I meant?)

Where’s next for Soho House Group? 

South America. I want to go mad out there — Brazil, Colombia, I’m looking for potential Soho House spots everywhere. The vibe out there is infectious.

Do you have any hotel bête noirs? 

I find a lot of hotels really boring — I’ve been staying in Toronto and Chicago a lot recently because we’re opening houses there, and the hotels are very corporate. The other thing I hate is inflexibility. I hate not being able to get fried eggs after 9am, for example. There’s obviously a frying pan and an egg in the kitchen…

You’ve donated three nights at Soho Beach House to the Pinterest competition — what would you do with three days’ vacation there? 

I have to say, leaving the Beach House is tricky and regrettable — unless you’re going to Mandolin, of course. The beach is great, it’s quieter than the main South Beach drag 20 or so blocks to the south, and the evenings are fun — as well as One While Changing, make sure you have an Old Fashioned in the Club Bar.

Shoreditch House is just a few miles from the Olympic stadium — will you be going to the Games? 

Yes, you can see the stadium from the roof of Shoreditch House. I’m a very pro-Olympics chap and I think Britain’s going to go mad for those two weeks. I’m going to get as many tickets as I can for the main stadium and a few other events — I hear beach volleyball’s quite fun. We’re running our version of the Olympics at Shoreditch House with a competition every night there’s going to be ping-pong and swimming.

Finally, what will you be looking for when you judge the Pinterest Curator Contest boards? 

I’ve only just learned to take photos myself — I pressed my iPhone camera button accidentally, but I have strong opinions on other people’s photos. Pinterest is very girly at the moment — it seems to be all about clothes — so I’ll be looking for something a bit different when I judge the Curator Contest boards. I’m very into food — particularly things I’ve never seen before. I also like strong design… and beaches.

 Click here to get more info. Need inspiration? Check out Jetsetter’s Pinterest page!

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