- Nautical Intel: Just as the Frying Pan is reopening this Saturday April 18, there’s news of a sister lightship also docked in Lower Manhattan called Nantucket. The 128-foot vessel, however, does not offer free carousing and ping pong tables, only the chance to spend $395 per night in a captain-worthy stateroom in the North Cove Marina. [CapeCodTimes]
- Three Million Colorful Reasons to Celebrate Spring: Speaking of Nantucket, make sure to set sail between April 24-26 for the island’s annual Daffodil Festival Weekend. Especially for you folks who missed the NY Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show. [NantucketCVB]
- Little European Haven Opening in Long Island City: Add beer garden to Ravel Hotel’s rooftop bar and you’ve got yourself two reasons to love riding the N train. This May, 18,000-square-foot Studio Square will serve bratwurst, chicken kebabs, pulled-pork sandwiches with more than two dozen beers and house-made sangria to choose from. Multiple charming outdoor areas will be available. Astoria, we’ll still visit you too. [NYMAG]
- Feel Less Guilty About Driving: If you have to rent a car, partake in the TerraPass program at Alamo, National, and Enterprise, and help save the planet. [Jaunted]
- Two Big Film Festivals Come to Beantown in April: Boston is aiming to draw the movie buffs from Tribeca this month with the Boston International Film Festival (April 17-26) and the Independent Film Festival (April 22-28). There won’t be no De Niro, but keep an eye out for Charlize Theron, Mark Ruffalo, Zooey Deschanel, and a Wahlberg brother. [Boston.com]
Photo: Courtesy of fotopusch
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram