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by maribeth
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Discovery Map and Me
Using My Discovery Map in Southampton
You may have noticed that I’ve been posting links to Discovery Map stories here at my blog for just over a year. Wait, don’t tell me you’re not familiar with Discovery Map? I bet many of you are–either through my blog posts–or having actually used one of these cheery, hand-drawn maps on your travels. If you’re not familiar with Discovery Map, I suggest you become acquainted with them. They have a presence–yes, in the form of super cute and handy foldout maps–in some 125 destinations across the U.S. and abroad.
Good news is that Discovery Map is actively developing their web presence. That’s where I come in. They are expanding their website in a variety of ways, including showcasing written descriptions about their destinations. There’s not much room for that on the actual maps but the sky’s the limit on their website.
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by maribeth
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Top Reasons to Go to Cape May and Rehoboth
Cape May
Rehoboth
It’s Friday afternoon and unless you’re in the path of Hurricane Florence, it feels like it’s time to hit the beach here on the east coast. I’m still in upstate New York typing in a tank top, barefooted and breathing easy outside on my Mom’s patio perched on a lounger. Yessirree, I plan on milking this sweet summer feeling until the snow flies.
Paddling Out for Fun in Cape May
And if I wasn’t so tied up with what life is currently throwing my way right now, I’d be planning a trip to the beach. Indeed, I feel that September is one of the best times to hit a beach destination, even if it isn’t way down south. The weather is typically beautiful (currently 80ish) and the crowds have gone home. The water still warms the body and soul, especially if you’re visiting destinations farther south such as Cape May, New Jersey or Rehoboth, Delaware.
Art & Culture Discovery Map Travel: art Artists Guild San Francisco Discovery Map John Petach map art maps Travel
by maribeth
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Crafting Vacation Memories with Maps
Map of Florence by John Petach
The Brush Used for the Map of Florence
John’s Napa Valley Map
Napa Brush
How many of you still use maps? I mean the old fashioned kind that you can actually hold in your hands and spread out on a kitchen table. You know, the maps that you can rarely fold up exactly how you found them. It is hard sometimes to line up the creases but when you do it’s oh-so gratifying. And when you don’t, you hopefully let it go, shrug and feel content with the big overall perspective that the map you just looked at provided.
Artist John Petach
You definitely don’t achieve that perspective or level of satisfactory map studying from an electronic map on one of your devices. No matter how much you zoom in and out, it just isn’t the same. And plus, that zooming business only works properly a fraction of the time. No, it’s nice to have something to hold in your hands, particularly since there’s so much beauty to be found in maps.
Through my work with Discovery Map, I even found someone that possesses a sort of map fetish. Artist John Petach loves travel and maps so much that he was inspired to create a collection of works that uses maps as canvas. I think they’re marvelous and I hope you’ll check them out here. You’ll see that he thinks Discovery Maps are great, so he created a number of pieces using their maps as the background.
Discovery Map Outdoor Adventures Restaurants The Northeast Travel: Block Island Discovery Map Narragansett Newport Outdoor Adventures Providence Restaurants Rhode Island The Northeast top reasons to go
by maribeth
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Top Reasons to Go to Newport, Narragansett, Block Island and Providence, Rhode Island
Seaside Summer Dinner
Beautiful Block Island
Historic Block Island Southeast Light
Fishing in Narragansett Bay
The Breakers in Newport
Yay, it’s summer! It’s almost the Fourth of July and that means barbecues, lobster dinners, boating and toes in the sand for many. With the sweltering heat wave seizing most of the East Coast this weekend, the beaches will be packed. You might just as well pick the best ones around. In writing for Discovery Map, I discovered that the little New England state of Rhode Island boasts some of the most beautiful beaches within the United States. It’s no wonder the wealthy industrialists of the nineteenth century chose to build their summer homes, or rather mansions, here!
Not surprisingly, Newport, Narragansett and Block Island are incredibly scenic and in addition to their natural beauty, all three of these destinations will woo you with their proliferation of fine food and drink establishments, history and Old World charm. I’ve summed up the highlights in my write ups entitled Dine and Drink Your Way Through Newport, Historic Newport, Outdoor Life in Gansett, Instagram-able Narragansett, Outdoor Fun on Block Island and Instagram-able Block Island. Check them out and let them point you in the direction of a fun summertime getaway to the Northeast.
You might just want to plan a vacation to all three and loop in Providence, Rhode Island as well. As I write in Providence Eats, this beloved city offers a vibrant food scene, one largely dominated by Italian cuisine–delizioso! There’s also a lot to do in this historic town as I’ve documented in The Almost Complete Guide to Providence.
Have fun exploring Rhode Island, even if it’s just through my written word.
Happy Fourth of July! Happy summer!
Thank you to Discovery Map, Amy Newman and Margie Hans for some of the above photos.
Arizona Discovery Map Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping The Southwest: Arizona Carefree Cave Creek Discovery Map North Scottsdale top picks
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Top Reasons to Go to Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale, Arizona
Desert Owls
Last week in my story Feeling English at Teatime in Arizona, I highlighted the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, Arizona. This spurred me into thinking about this destination, one of my favorite places in the Southwest. If you’re going to Phoenix or Scottsdale, you must add on a few days and spend some time in Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale. Or, you could make it a destination in and of itself–there’s that much to do there. From the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert to terrific dining, lodging, shopping and spa-going, this area enchants me in so many ways and I’m sure you’ll feel the same.
Picture Perfect Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
It was the first destination I wrote up for Discovery Map; check out Embrace the Desert and Desert Dining and Shopping to find out the top reasons why you should visit this part of America. I also chose to start with this destination because Discovery Map Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale is owned by Margie Hans, a childhood friend. She lives in Carefree, practically across the street from the breathtaking Boulders Resort & Spa (more on this fabulous place later). She became involved in the map business via her brother, Peter Hans, another old friend of mine, who is the owner of Discovery Map International. Yes, it’s a franchise business with well over 150 maps across the U.S. and beyond.
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by maribeth
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Discovery Map Is Coming to Telluride
Me with Peter Hans and Laura Potter from Discovery Map
I love being a travel writer and sometimes I really love being a travel writer. As much as I like to write, the sitting on my butt part (whether in a desk chair or on my couch) can be rough. (Yes, I do stand sometimes but I don’t have a stand up desk per se.)
So often the travel writing part I like the most is the research phase. That aspect of my job is even better when it involves lots of good connecting with people, great skiing and memorable food. Such was the case this winter when Discovery Map International came to Telluride to carry out an important phase of their map-making process. Yes, they came to Telluride because as of next fall, there will be a Telluride Discovery Map added to their community of over 150 maps within the United States and beyond.
Loving Raclette with Laura and My Boyfriend Steve
I’m happy to be involved in writing web content for this dynamic company. Read Fun Times in Map Making, a Map Geek story I wrote for them, to find out more of the back story that goes into the Discovery Map process and most especially how it all went down in Telluride.
Brian Lewis of Discovery Map Telluride
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Care-taking and Top Picks for Falmouth, MA
My New Mantra
I’ve come to know Falmouth, Massachusetts quite well these past few years. So when it came to writing about this alluring Cape Cod destination for Discovery Map, I found it hard to limit myself to just two pages of content for Falmouth, Mashpee & Woods Hole. But I did because that’s what the assignment required. Take a look at Instagram-able Places and Eat Your Way Through Falmouth, Mashpee & Woods Hole to find out some of the reasons why you should visit this beautiful New England coastal area.
So how have I come to know Falmouth so well? I am lucky enough to have a few friends that live there, however, I haven’t been able to spend much time with them. The main reason I’ve visited Falmouth a lot these past few years–especially this past year–is because of my mom’s oldest and dearest friend. Let me call her El. She’s like an aunt/second mother/good friend to me and since she doesn’t have any children–or even many family members left in her life–I’m like a daughter to her. I love her dearly and have been happy to visit her in her little Cape Cod house (and during one visit by her bedside at the hospital) numerous times in recent history to bring comfort, aid and hopefully a bit of cheer.
Autumnal Glow in Falmouth
That was my mission this past holiday weekend when I cooked up a plan to drive my mom to Falmouth and spend Thanksgiving with her best friend. Well, like most of you perhaps, I took on too much and as I digest the events of our visit, I’m sifting through and cherishing the good moments and yes, well, letting the shit go. Don’t get me wrong–we had a lovely visit and there’s plenty to savor. But dealing with two very strong-minded 84-year-old ladies suffering from an array of health issues is a tall order. Add to that all the stress that comes with holiday gatherings–no matter how small–and you’ve got a scenario best handled by the truly robust. I must admit that’s not me these days because I have been working through my own health issues.
Discovery Map New England Travel Writing & Books: Discovery Map franchises mapmaking Stowe tourist maps Travel Vermont Waitsfield
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Discovering Discovery Map
The Evolution of a Discovery Map
I hope you’ve had a chance to read my story Touring Country Stores in Stowe, Vermont with Mom. I think the photos are pretty nice, too. I give most of the credit to the subject matter–everywhere you turn there’s another photogenic scene in this endearing New England state.
Actually my main reason for heading up to northern Vermont was to meet the folks at Discovery Map. You can tell from my Touring Country Stores story, however, that mom and I were a bit sidetracked. Oops! Shopping and touring can do that to you, especially when it involves mothers and daughters in Vermont country stores.
Discovery Map
But just about forty minutes south of Stowe, on our drive home, we pulled into Waitsfield, Vermont, a charming town in the heart of the Green Mountains that serves as home to Discovery Map International. Whether the name is familiar to you or not, I’m sure you would recognize the cheery, hand-drawn maps that you pick up in travel destinations all over the U.S. You know–the colorful ones full of whimsy that highlight restaurants, shops, places of lodging, cultural sites and a flourish of other attractions?
A Veritable Library of Discovery Maps
Checking Out a Map
Looking in the Map Drawers
People might never imagine that most aspects of the production of these maps take place in a sleepy little town in rural Vermont. Yay! Their origins are as heartfelt and homespun as the maps themselves. With well more than a hundred maps throughout the country and beyond, it’s hard to believe that they are all born here. But it’s true and I hope you will enjoy meeting the team behind them through the photos in this post.
Since I started to write content for Discovery Map’s website, I’ve had a lot of email contact with Susan Klein, the oh-so efficient Operations Administrator who is clearly a multitasker extraordinaire. So, of course, I wanted to put a face to a name, even if it was just a brief encounter.
