LETTER from the CREATIVE DIRECTOR
for seconds. For a more adventurous palate, be sure to read about the 11 foods to try while sailing the Inside Passage, including spruce tips and muktuk. If your journey leads you to the northeast, enjoy the delight of more fresh seafood and local dishes. And while you may know Maine for its lobster, whether in rolls or steamed, it might just be their blueberry pie that you find most impressive. Elsewhere, strolling through streets lined with gorgeous architecture and locals chatting in French, you might — if only for a moment — think you’re in Paris instead of Montréal. Read more about both of these places in the pages that follow. As with every fulfilling journey, you will find yourself exploring much more than the marquis attractions. Perhaps the highlight of your time in Juneau is a visit to the Shrine of St. Therese. There’s a chance that you will talk about the thrill of embarking on a fishing charter off the coast of Roatán or the silence of the bay just before a humpback whale breaches the surface for years to come. To inspire your next memorable moment, each article in this issue is paired with a collection of voyages that bring these destinations to your suite’s doorstep, because you really have to see North America for yourself .
introducing our readers to that unique musical style should be our opening article. The conversation naturally flowed into the musicality of one of Aruba’s local languages, Papiamento. I wanted to learn more, so we asked one of our favorite travel writers to shine a light on its history and teach us a few Papiamento words. By the time you’re done reading that article, you’ll be ready to practice a few phrases in the shops and restaurants of Oranjestad. Another local gem I didn’t know about until we were putting this issue together is the famous Soggy Dollar beach bar on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. While you can get there by land, arriving by boat only gets you so close, so visitors have to swim to the beach. Once ashore, you’ll want to reward yourself with BVI’s most delicious drink made by one of this bars most beloved bartenders, Leon Miller. In our interview with Leon, you’ll learn about the allure of the Soggy Dollar and the enduring tradition of the Original Painkiller cocktail. We also take you north to Alaska, to a town called Talkeetna. This tiny frontier village is home to a mere 1,200 year-round residents and one incredibly delicious food truck, Talkeetna Tako. Their tacos and quesadillas are made with Alaska halibut that will have you coming back
I spend the better part of my day talking about travel experiences. By telling stories about these moments, I get to relive the excitement and bring my listeners with me on a virtual journey. Whether I’m reminiscing about dog sledding in Alaska or sailing St. Maarten’s coast on an America’s Cup racing boat, I always find myself ending the story with the disclaimer, “You really have to see it for yourself.” Most avid travelers like yourself know that the smallest nuances often make your journey all the more special. Figuring out the denominations of the country’s currency, experiencing a dish you’ve had so many times as something entirely new, or the nervousness felt when speaking a different language are moments typically left out of the stories you tell yet never lost from the memories you hold. For this edition of EXPLORE Magazine: North America, I wanted to spotlight some of the small details set against the vast and beautiful backdrops of their destinations. The Caribbean alone comprises more than 700 islands, each with innumerable hidden treasures, so this was no easy feat. So, I engaged my team, and the gems began to shine through. As one of our creative team described her first time hearing the melancholic rhythm of Bachata while in the Dominican Republic, I knew that
Warmly,
Janice Davidson Vice President, Creative & Brand Experience Regent Seven Seas Cruises ®
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