IT'S ALWAYS HALLOWEEN AT THIS MOTEL!
The Roxbury Motel in New York's Catskills — has multiple rooms that are never not in the Halloween spirit. The themed suites, known as Tower Cottages, were built in 2014 and range in decor from a classic villain scene to a fantastical fairytale.
"The property is intrinsic to the ultimate Halloween fan as costumes and this fantasy-world is at the heart of The Roxbury experience," owner Gregory Henderson told Travel + Leisure. "Guests wear costumes on a daily basis — even when it's not Halloween! Not a day goes by where I do not see someone walking through the grounds in costume and the best part is that they're never out of place. Basically, everyone who comes to The Roxbury wants to get dressed up and truly experience their creativity in ways that relate to the rooms they are staying in."
The Tower Cottages, albeit a unique experience individually, are all two stories — complete with a spiral or grand winding staircase — that boast two bedrooms and their own bathrooms. Kitchen areas all have a full-size refrigerator, microwave, and wet bar sink and common areas all have a sleeper sofa, making room for 6 guests in a cottage. To top it off, all cottages also have a screened-in porch that shows off the scenery of the Catskills.
"We've wanted to do a vampire room forever," Henderson, who owns the hotel with his husband, Joseph Massa, said. "We love vampire stories – particularly the Bela Lugosi classic. The Dracula's Fangs cottage actually uses many stills from Bela Lugosi."
In contrast, for fairytale fans, the Cinderella's Gown cottage features an enormous pumpkin morphed into a golden-carriage style bathroom and an 18-foot ball gown doubling as a bedroom canopy (fairy godmother makeover not included).
"Cinderella' was my favorite book as a child," Henderson. "I actually still have the book I used to read – which was an old scratch-and-feel – sitting in my office. Growing up, I was ashamed to say I was a boy who liked the 'Cinderella' story. In a way, creating a 'Cinderella' room is my way of saying I am who I am and I love it."
Aside from the Tower Cottages other studio-sized rooms at the Roxbury may be a bit smaller but still have larger-than-life decor, transporting guests into scenes of nostalgia like "I Dream of Genie," "The Flintstones," "Bewitched," "Gilligan's Island," "The Partridge Family."
"Our original plans were to create rooms inspired by television and films of the 60s and 70s as well as pay homage to the classic roadside motel and the Catskills region," Henderson said.
For a modern-day pop culture theme, "Game of Throne"s fans will love The Crown of the Pendragons Tower Cottage which includes a monarch-worthy, 85-gallon circular tub with a three-tiered, 20-foot-high chandelier hovering above and two massive throne chairs stand by awaiting the "Chief Dragon" and her/his mate to lounge and relax.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS TRIP TAKES YOU THROUGH THE ARTIC CIRCLE UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN!
This railway trip begins in Oslo, where guests will board for an 11-night expedition through the nation's most beautiful landscapes.
"We invite you to take your seat on an epic rail journey through tranquil landscapes peppered with majestic mountains, fjords, and waterfalls," the company shared on its website. "Alight at select spots to inspect nature at closer quarters — on foot, by boat, or even in a kayak. See the best cultural highlights, eat local food, and cross the Arctic Circle to enjoy never-ending summer nights under the midnight sun!"
From Oslo, the train will make its way to the Flåm Railway, Europe's steepest railway line, allowing passengers to descend nearly 3,000 feet into a fjord below. At the bottom, they will board a fjord cruise along the UNESCO-protected Nærøyfjord.
Guests will then head to the Hanseatic city of Bergen for a bit of self-exploration before boarding the Hurtigruten, which will dock in Ålesund, also known as the Venice of the North, the following afternoon.
Next, guests will get back on board for a journey along the Rauma Railway from Åndalsnes to Dombås, and then to Trondheim, home to the largest medieval cathedral in the North. They'll then hop aboard the Nordland Railway, which will finally take them through the Arctic Circle, where they'll spend the next few days exploring some of the most magical and rugged landscapes on earth.
And truly, these are the absolute highlights. There's far too much packed into this fantastic itinerary to share here, so head to Up Norway's website for all the details. The journey will be available for booking from June to September 2022, and prices begin at $4,056 per person for double occupancy.
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LAS VEGAS RESTAURANT REVIEW-LOS OLIVOS
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MY TIME IN POLAND
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As you can see, I'm back traveling again-with a full schedule. Finally!! I am exhausted though and retirement is looking better every day.
Off for my next cruise with Carnival on Sunday from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico with 5 friends from Las Vegas.
Until next time! Valerie
