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Hello all— It’s been the headiest five years I could have imagined after creating a travel section for The Daily Beast, but I’m moving on to another opportunity. It’s nerve-wracking because this has been home since I left college. But I’m excited and I’m immensely proud of the work we’ve done.
Many of you have followed my byline for some time and are also lovers of The Daily Beast, but I want to take a moment to stress just how special a place this organization is. It is always interesting, always in the mix, and it does so with a leaner team than many of its competitors. The list of major journalistic talent that got their shot here is long, and I’ll always be grateful to have gotten mine.
At Beast Travel, we tried to be both useful and a bit of an indulgence. I wanted to inspire people to go certain places or see them anew, but also to enjoy reading about somewhere they might never get to go. We created a series in It’s Still a Big World that spoke to one of contemporary travel’s greatest ills–overtourism. I’ve never gotten such nice and appreciative mail from readers of all persuasions as I have from those who were proud their hometown was getting its just due in the national press. Our Room Key series took you to cool new hotels, Just Booked kept tabs on wanderlust-inducing coffee table books, Eat Sheet gave a unique approach to dining guides, and our column on beautiful libraries elevated a space long deserving of such a focus. In between all that we were very, well, Beast-y. We published stories about solo travel at 64, falling for hot Jesus at a Christian theme park, forest bathing trends, how awkward hotel spas can be, deadly hiking trails, and chimeric beasts overrunning Texas.
Of course, I have some favorites I wrote. Two about the White House come to mind–Tiffany’s long lost overhaul and how the people’s house almost became a huge palace. There was the tale of America’s most hated statue–of a nude George Washington. Road trips to the Arctic, in the mountain West, on South Africa’s Garden Route, and one in Belarus that led me to an abandoned palace with an incredible history. And, of course, many a story from Mexico, my favorite country. I did a deep dive into the rich tale of Chapultepec Castle, shed some light on the oft-overlooked history of the world’s largest pyramid, gushed about the Baja Peninsula, and marveled at a surrealist palace built in the jungle.
I’ve loved this job, and your interest in what interests me has made it possible. So, thank you. Starting with this newsletter, I’m going to be just like all of you–a fan of Beast Travel from the outside. So, enjoy! — William O’Connor, Travel Editor |
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“It is filled with people wearing cowboy boots and hats and sporting shiny belt buckles. Steak is on every menu. There are horses, rodeos, country music, margaritas, and around every corner, the lingering scent of barbecue.” |
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| Thanks to Amazon Prime Day, you can score this next-level wireless Bluetooth-powered sleeping mask for just $25 (normally $40). This multi-purpose travel sidekick is a no-brainer for jet setters or occasional travelers alike—especially if you have trouble falling (and staying) asleep on the plane. The mask is engineered with high-quality audio and features noise-canceling functionality to help you focus on work or sleep. —Scouted by Mia Maguire |
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Go Inside the Original Gilded Age Mansions |
You can’t really blame them for it, the thousands of tourists who flock to Newport, Rhode Island to gawk solely at the great turn-of-the-century stone palaces. In fact, it might be a blessing for the visitor with a keen eye and a more curious soul, as the real treasures of Newport, the houses that make it the city for understanding pre-modern American domestic architecture, are overlooked. Newport Cottages 1835-1890: The Summer Villas Before the Vanderbilt Era, a gorgeous book from historian Michael C. Kathrens, is a beautiful companion for those discerning visitors to Newport. |
Kathrens makes leading men (back then they were all men) out of the architects who once designed for the mighty but are often overlooked today. In these pages, George Champlin Mason Sr., Richard Upjohn, Peabody & Stearns, and Dudley Newton are given their due. The charm of Champlin’s work, in particular, stands out. But the book also has an emotional secret weapon. Many of the houses selected no longer stand. Readers will no doubt lament the fates of jaw-dropping homes like Linden Gate, the Reef, or Rockhurst. Don’t miss our other selections for our series on gorgeous travel-related coffee table books, Just Booked. |
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