Travel Finds and Deals
Destination Gifts – Get Away and Play
Sometimes the best gift is an invitation to spend time with someone you love….even better if it’s in a charming location where you can discover new landscapes, activities, shops and restaurants.
MacCallum House Inn and Restaurant is the perfect escape in the seaside town of Mendocino, California. Beautifully restored with luxurious but comfortable amenities and sitting in the middle of town means a weekend listening to the waves crash down along the beach or walking around, enjoying the art galleries, locally owned shops and world-class restaurants that reflect the bounty of the land and sea of Mendocino County and its Coast. Other Inns in the area that would make wonderful gifts getaways include Elk Cove Inn and Spa, Little River Inn, Inn at Newport Ranch, Sacred Rock Inn in Elk and Brewery Gulch Inn. In the famed wine country of Anderson Valley, enjoy The Boonville Hotel and The Madrones, both with their own fine dining restaurants.
Also on the California Coast, but a bit farther south in Sonoma County, take time to commune with nature while dining on elevated California cuisine and listening to waves crash on the rocks below at Timber Cove Resort. Here the buildings embrace the outdoors and the entire vibe reflects nature from its cozy big entrance room in the lodge where a fire roars and there are dozens of board games to grab and play with friends or family. The staff here is superb and brought in from all over the world to raise the profile of this fairly remote resort property. A little further north and closer to the Mendocino line is the legendary Sea Ranch Lodge and homes, newly refurbished and adding a restaurant to breathe fresh air into this resort built to blend in and reflect its coastal setting.
In winter, Arizona makes for a wonderful escape and even better when the ambiance of your chosen hotel is from an earlier yet trendy era of American architecture. The Hotel Valley Ho is stunning in its renovation to midcentury glory with bright bold colors, built-in furniture, clean lines and architectural curves. Mid century made super comfortable and set on a few acres with original oval swimming pools and scrumptious restaurants, ZuZu, as well as low lying and hip common spaces.
The Ho’s sister hotel, Mountain Shadows Resort is tucked into Paradise Valley between Camelback and Mummy Mountain. Another mid-century gem, the enormous rooms here and views are unmatched in a boutique property. The resort is built around two lon pools that allow easy lap swimming as well as catching rays on the cozy pool loungers. Harvest ‘61 is one of the best restaurants I’ve enjoyed in Scottsdale and their staff is kind, gracious and unparalleled in their knowledge of wines and food.
In California Wine Country, find mid-century design, California cuisine and spa treatments (including the famous mud baths Calistoga is known for) at the newly renovated Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs. Even better, these hip yet comfortable accommodations sit across the street from the newly restored and reimagined Calistoga Depot. This historic train stop has been restored and made even better by Jean-Claude Boisset (JCB), a man who adores wine, spirits, gastronomy and design almost as much and he treasures history. For this reason, JCB set out to renovate and repurpose the train terminal and several train cars. Now find a full scale spirits tasting room, cool restaurant concepts, one train car with Champagne and Caviar, another upscale Mexican food, one a speakeasy and plenty of live entertainment every weekend. Everyone who visits will find something to drink, eat and a reason to celebrate.
Preferred Hotels and Resorts is your guide to the best properties in the world and a gift certificate to Preferred opens up a world, truly, of possibilities in all kinds of sizes, styles and shapes. Just perusing the Preferred Hotels website will send you daydreaming about your next – and then the one after that one – vacation. This winter I will head to The Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in lovely Sonoma County for a staycation and, the best part aside from the sleep you will get in the calm and rural quiet of the setting, is the multi-course meal you will enjoy in The Farmhouse Restaurant under the guidance of Chef Craig Wilmer and Pastry Chef Amanda Hoang. Enjoy dinner paired with wines from neighboring vineyards and those from the Foley Wine and Food Society, or take a leap and pair dinner with the spirit brands of the Foley Family.
In Mexico, Puerto Vallarta has come on strong with new all-inclusive luxury offerings with incredible cuisine and luxurious accommodations. The real key is signature experiences at Velas Vallarta and Grande Velas and they pull out all the stops to make guests feel special and cherished, especially when celebrating a special occasion. Food at these resorts is creative yet honors their Mexican roots. I just adore the room serivce!
For a truly special once-in-a-lifetime getaway, try any of the cruises offered by Windstar Cruises in either their sailing ships or newly expanded and renovated small ships. Although the ship is small, the suites are huge in size for a cruise line and designed for comfort and elegance. The cuisine aboard all of the Windstar ships is extraordinary and however long you spend on board, this will be a vacation to remember. I highly suggest a cruise to French Polynesia with stops in Moorea, Bora Bora and more. Snorkel, dive for pearls, earn local native customs and take in the sun and clear blue waters. This is a vacation that will blow wind back into your everyday sails and refresh your spirit for the year ahead.
I just love to travel to popular tourist destinations in the off seasons and I can’t say enough about touring Ireland in the Fall and Winter. In fact, next Thanksgiving I am already planning to celebrate in Ireland because, as we all realize in the crowded airports during that week of insane travel crowding and frustration, staying in the U.S. for this typically American holiday can make you rip your hair out! Instead head elsewhere like the Wild Atlantic Way on Ireland’s western coast or Dublin where the city will be decorated for Christmas and the Christmas markets will be open. Off-season also means more reasonable flights and hotel costs. Other ideas for off-season travel are Berlin, Germany for opera and ballet or Vienna, Austria, for symphonies and markets.
Or, if depressed by the creeping early darkness that creeps in in November and stays around through February, head south to Peru, Chile or Argentina where they are in the middle of summer. More exotically, think of The Cook Islands, New Zealand or Australia, all having the sun of summer while we in North America struggle through darkness and the heavy spirit it brings with it. In Chile, visit wineries and their luxury hotels like the one considered the most luxurious in the country, VIK Hotel and Winery, an architectural masterpiece with 360 degree views of the vineyards and countryside, elevated cuisine and luxurious accommodations. VIK Wine is some of the best coming out of Chile, too.