ThingsAmongMany

Having just come back from my (first) trip to the UK, this passport folio immediately caught my eye. After all, when you’re traveling, figuring out where to put your passport that it’ll be safe and you’ll still keep track of it is a pain. And, perhaps if I did more international travel, I’d have already gotten myself a passport wallet. But I digress.

Gus leather goods caught my eye immediately with their smart, no-nonsense designs. But the thing that sealed the deal for me with the passport holder was the SIM card slots. What a statement that attention to detail makes about the role that digital is playing in our lives these days! And, of course, the shift toward an “all plastic” lifestyle is also well-reflected in Gus’ goods.

While I’m not certain that my travel proclivities make the passport carrier a necessity for me, I’ll certainly be keeping their wallets in mind next time around.

While the value of linked content from that pile of friends on Facebook tends toward…less than impressive, every once in a while something makes it’s way through the fray that’s worth a look. I found just such a gem the other day in the form of The Other America.

Not just your “average blog”, The Other America is a new project by writer Josh Izenberg and photographer (and, if I recall, chef and longtime wanderer) Henry Dombey, both close friends-of-a-friend. A hastily hatched idea born to allow the two a creative outlet in the face of unemployment and random wanderings, the two have vowed to combine their skills in the form of one story a month for the next twelve. The first highlights a weekend trip up the coast of California and is presented with a combination of dry humor and random factoids - well worth a read during that post-lunch slowdown when you need a quick distraction to get through hump day.

A couple of weeks ago, we introduced you to Urban Escapes, a new adventure travel company based in NYC. They’re really getting things rolling with new trips posted for August and a new interim website to hold things over until the full experience launches. You can get all the info, and keep an eye out for the new site, at http://www.urbanescapesnyc.com.

August trips include two backpacking excursions as well as a combined hiking/whitewater rafting trip that sounds like a total blast! The guides at Urban Escapes handle all of the planning, most of the packing, and will keep an eye on everyone to make sure no one wanders off alone. Keep in mind, the price also includes transportation to and from a central meeting point in Manhattan and these guys have done the leg-work to hunt down some fantastic trip locations within a reasonable distance from the city. You seriously won’t believe that you can find all of this within a short drive of the concrete jungle! Don’t believe us? Have a look at the shots from a recent trip:

So, as much as we all love living in the heart of things where no one ever sleeps and rent costs half your salary, sometimes you just need to get away. The problem is where? Many New Yorkers don’t have a car (and renting costs a fortune in the city). Montauk and the Hamptons have a certain…personality, let’s call it, that isn’t so agreeable to everyone. As does Fire Island. Atlantic City can be just a bit too much.

How about reconnecting with nature? We live in the one of the biggest concrete jungles in the world. Getting away from all of it - away from the car horns, the jackhammers, the screaching subways - is an amazing, wonderful thing. And it just so happens that a friend of mine has started a company that offers the perfect solution. Urban Escapes (have a look at the Facebook group for info; a website is coming soon) offers a variety of outdoorsy, adventurous trips that are perfectly suited for the city-folk who need to get away.

I had the pleasure of helping out on one of the first trips this past weekend. It had been way too long since I’d been out in the woods, and the experience was phenomenal. The group was awesome; everyone was excited to get outdoors and ready to help out wherever they could. And a good time was had by all.

There’s another trip planned for this weekend if enough people jump onboard. And the price is right considering that transportation to and from Manhattan, all food, entertainment, and experienced guides are all included. If you can’t make this weekend’s adventure, be sure to keep an eye on the Facebook Group - and soon, on the website - for an up-to-date schedule of trips.