Live oaks draped with Spanish moss, white Doric columns and intricate ironwork are the indelible images of Savannah. The city is laid out in a grid, and dotted with lawn-sized parks.  You can’t go two blocks without stumbling into one of these mini sanctuaries.  It is the quintessential southern town and the kind of place where you just want to slow down and soak up the charm.  The setting of several major motion pictures, including Forrest Gump, The Legend of Bagger Vance and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Savannah’s Historic District is alive with the flavor of the Old South.  (more…)

When visiting the Biltmore I like to stay at the Grove Park Inn – a grand historic hotel that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains and the estate winery.  When you stand on the expansive rear balcony, you’ll feel like a member of the F. Scott Fitzgerald party, one of the Inn’s many illustrious guests that included the likes of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and eight U.S. presidents.

And good news for spa lovers - the Grove Park Inn is better than ever with a recent renovation and a brand new 40,000 sq ft full service spa.  (more…)

The Biltmore Estate, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, is one of America’s great estates. The mansion, which is the largest private residence in America, has 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, 34 bedrooms, a bowling alley and an indoor pool.  I loved the tropical feel of the indoor Winter Garden and touring the individual rooms. Each room is furnished with art and pieces collected from around the world.  As you explore the mansion, you’ll begin to experience a little of the Vanderbilts’ incredibly lavish lifestyle.  For a richer experience, get the audio guide or better yet, take the guided tour. (more…)

A quick hop from Seattle via the Victoria Clipper, there are few places more picturesque than Victoria.  Surrounded by water on the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island in Canada, Victoria has distinctive architecture and exceptional gardens.  The most popular time to visit Victoria is mid-June through mid-September when flowers seem to be everywhere. 

For accommodations, there are several nice hotels to choose from with harbor views. One of the major landmarks in the heart of Victoria is the Empress Hotel, a magnificent turn of the century hotel built in 1908.  If you’re staying at the Empress Hotel, you may want to upgrade to the Gold floor which has a lounge where you can stop by for goodies during breakfast and  appetizers in the evenings. Outside of Victoria, there are some wonderful places to stay like the Sooke Harbour House, the Aerie Resort and the Brentwood Bay Lodge and Spa. (more…)

Planning a trip to the Sonoma/Napa Valley region? Make sure you set aside a few hours to visit COPIA.  COPIA is a unique museum that “celebrates the culture of the collective table through wine, food and the arts”. 

On any given day you can take a class on wine, attend a cooking demonstration and take a guided tour of their edible gardens.  Be sure to stop at their “sensory stations”, which focus on the finer points of one type of food.  They have a rotating art exhibit usually with a food theme. When we visited COPIA the exhibit was “Icing on the Cake” which featured truly amazing cakes made by leading cake artists around the country. The exhibit also included creative displays like a full length coat made of Godiva chocolate wrappers. Check it out – it’s a great place to visit.