The first time I traveled solo, I was 15 years old. A shy and budding tennis player, I spent two months crisscrossing Austria, Switzerland, and Germany via Eurail on a junior tennis tour.
29.08.2023 - 14:01 / cntraveler.com
Even if you have status on every airline under the sun, jet lag is no joke. Whenever I find myself embracing my inner zombie too much, I do two things: hike and hydrate. Both activities instantly wake me up. It doesn’t matter where I am—and as a travel writer, I go through countries like a golden retriever goes through tennis balls—this is my modus operandi. Walk, water, repeat. That said, I don’t carry cumbersome water bottles that leak or constantly need refilling. Whether I’m hiking the Appalachian Trail or exploring Incan ruins in the Andes, the Camelbak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack is always on my back.
My friend Lian, a mountain biking Matthew McConnaughey look-alike from Cape Town, first introduced me to Camelbak’s hydration packs. While borrowing one of his bags to bag a peak in South Africa, I discovered I loved being able to comfortably carry three liters of water and stay hydrated, hands free. So, the second my return flight touched down at JFK, I was on my phone, ordering the best-selling Camelbak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack (the letters stand for Medium to Ultra Long Endeavors). I bought it on Amazon—where it has an impressive 4.8-star average rating from more than 2,200 reviews—because that’s where it was cheapest. Currently, it’s $115.
My first trip with the Camelbak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack was to Botswana, where I used it on Natural Selection’s seven-day cycling safari. While this pack is designed for mountain biking, it’s also ideal for hiking, paddleboarding, and kayaking because it can easily fit a lightweight rain jacket, snacks, and sunscreen. There’s also a convenient and secure side pocket for my phone, and the larger front exterior pocket is great for carrying a wet bathing suit or umbrella.
While it’s great for gallivanting in Mother Nature, I don’t just use this bag outdoors. It’s become my go-to personal item when I fly. I just make sure I empty the bladder before going through TSA. Then, when I arrive at my destination, I take the bladder out altogether and use it as a daypack for everything from museum-hopping in Paris to exploring Incan ruins in Peru. Regardless of how much stuff I’m carrying (this bag holds 12 liters total) I never have back or shoulder issues. The adjustable sternum strap and hip belt ensure that weight is evenly distributed, and the adjustable shoulder straps are pleasantly padded.
I also love that this bag’s harness is made of a breathable mesh so I stay cool even if I find myself hiking in 100 percent humidity. I definitely sweat less when I’m wearing the Camelbak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack—the back panel has sufficient air flow—than I do when I’m wearing other backpacks that lack ventilation. Of course, in addition to being comfortable and easy to wear, this
The first time I traveled solo, I was 15 years old. A shy and budding tennis player, I spent two months crisscrossing Austria, Switzerland, and Germany via Eurail on a junior tennis tour.
Seen from Paris’s Pont de la Tournelle, the eight-story facade of the landmark restaurant La Tour d’Argent looks about the same as it did when its third-generation owner André Terrail grew up there in the 1980s, deploying toy parachutists into quayside traffic. But the interior is no longer indifferent to the 21st century: Late last month, La Tour d’Argent reopened its doors after a yearlong renovation led by the Paris-based architect Franklin Azzi. “It’s my Tour,” says Terrail, who took over following his father’s death in 2006. “The same, but more exacting, more thoughtful.” The new look draws on the outsize history of the classically French fine-dining institution, which has been serving diners since 1582, taking particular inspiration from the streamlined motifs of its Art Deco era. On the seventh floor, the redesigned restaurant — overseen since 2020 by executive chef Yannick Franques — functions more than ever as a theater. The airy dining room, in shades of indigo and silver, looks onto an open-plan kitchen and an elevated platform where the restaurant’s signature pressed-duck dish is prepared nightly. Upstairs and downstairs are new bars suited to less formal occasions: Le Bar des Maillets d’Argent, an all-day lounge with a fireplace, andLe Toit de la Tour, a rooftop terrace. Given that it has the welcoming air of a boutique hotel, it’s no wonder that the building can now host overnight visitors in a private apartment on the fifth floor, complete with a touch of Scandinavian-style minimalism attributable, in part, to Terrail’s Finnish mother.
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For most French people, Provence conjures up the sound of the cicadas, the lovely accent of the inhabitants of the region, sunny weather, and olives. To most outsiders, Provence is all about lavender fields. No matter where you’re from and what you think Provence is like, you won’t be disappointed because it’s all the above. The historical region of Provence is an area of simple beauty and unhurried, uncomplicated pleasures, all of which are best enjoyed in the late spring and summer.
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These new partnerships will give members more ways to earn points and perks this fall and beyond.