Travel about an hour south of San Jose off 101 and you’ll come to the charming town of Carmel-by-the-Sea.  Carmel, for short, was once a bohemian haven for writers, artists, actors and photographers. The strategic location and scenic beauty of the California coastline has transformed this sleepy village into a posh escape for the well-heeled.  Though the sky-high real estate has chased many of the bohemians from the area, Carmel retains the feel of a small European village.
   
For lodging, stay at the La Playa Hotel - located in the village and only two blocks from Carmel Beach.  This vintage Mediterranean style villa was built as a private residence in 1904 and includes five private cottages and a pool.  (more…)

If you plan to be in Newport during the summer, reserve your hotel accommodations early.  With all its music festivals, Newport can book up quickly.  For out of the ordinary lodging, stay at Castle Hill Inn – which has spectacular views of Narragansett Bay and its own private beach.  For a luxurious bed & breakfast, stay at the Francis Malbone Inn or the Cliffside Inn. 

For dinner, stop by the Cheeky Monkey Café  on Perry Mill Wharf.  This  whimsical restaurant features creative food that’s perfect for sharing.  Scales & Shells on Lower Thames Street serves (what else) the best seafood in Newport.  For a place with atmosphere, have dinner at the White Horse Tavern, which has been operating as a tavern for over 300 years.

With its lush vegetation, palm trees and up-scale setting, Naples is the jewel of the Florida Gulf Coast.  Check into the luxurious Ritz Carlton – surprisingly affordable June through September – and then head out to the beach, just steps from the hotel.  The white sand beaches are wide, clean, un-crowded and full of colorful shells.  In fact, the Travel Channel chose Naples as their 2005 “Best all-around beach in America”. (more…)

Usually when you go out to eat, you have to make a choice between healthy fare or indulgent desserts.  Fortunately the Urth Caffé offers both.  With spinach salad, quiche, panini, and fresh soup, there are plenty of good choices with all-organic ingredients.  For dessert, there’s a changing selection of chocolate cake, carrot cake, cheesecakes, pies and pound cakes. To avoid the dilemma of choosing just one, select a few and share among yourselves.

The Urth Caffé is legendary for its organic coffee which has been declared “the best” by the Los Angeles Times, CitySearch, Los Angeles Magazine and Zagat’s.   When you order a cappuccino take a moment (and a picture!) to appreciate the artwork in the foam. 
  
With a few locations scattered around Los Angeles, the original and most popular Urth Caffé is located in West Hollywood on Melrose Avenue.  It’s also a prime place for people watching with celebrities and models. Cameron Diaz and Meg Ryan are regulars here.  You may have to look hard to find them because it can be very crowded at times.  Finding an available table either inside or outside on the terrace can be a challenge, so be prepared to wait or visit during an off peak time.

Hours: 6:30am – midnight
(310) 659-0628
8565 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood

At the top of my short list of favorite restaurants in Seattle would be the Dahlia Lounge.  Located near 4th and Virginia, it’s just a few short blocks from Pike Place Market.  The Dahlia Lounge’s cozy interior and flamboyant fish art provides an unpretentious setting for enjoying some outstanding Pacific Rim cuisine.  Owner Tom Douglas received the James Beard award for Best Northwest Chef and Food and Wine magazine named Dahlia Lounge the “Quintessential Seattle” in 1999.  Since creating the Dahlia Lounge, Tom and his wife Jackie have created three other restaurants in Seattle: Etta’s, Palace Kitchen and most recently Lola. 

Although the Dahlia menu is constantly changing, you can always order their famous crab cakes. Before dinner, sample their rustic artisan bread, which is baked next door in the Dahlia Bakery.  For dessert, have a slice of the mile-high, triple coconut cream pie. It’s completely decadent with loads of fresh coconut and white chocolate. After you try it, you’ll want to stop at the Dahlia Bakery next door to buy a whole pie to take home with you. 

Looking for something to bring on your next girls trip?  Chocolate is always a good candidate and fine Italian chocolate is even better. Here’s an excerpt from this month’s Food & Wine:

“Late last year, I grew curious about an Italian chocolate brand called Amedei. I mean curious in the same sense that sharks are curious about surfers. Amedei, founded in 1990, is the joint project of a 42-year-old Italian named Alessio Tessieri and his younger sister, Cecilia; he buys the cacao and she turns it into dark, glossy bars. In November, a competition in London awarded a gold prize to one of Cecilia’s handiworks, a single-plantation chocolate called Chuao. Two other Amedei products tied for silver.

Both the visionary French pâtissier Pierre Hermé and the visionary Spanish chef Ferran Adrià have said that Chuao might, in fact, be the world’s greatest chocolate. And yet Amedei is sold in only a handful of stores in the U.S., and—while a new importer has big plans for the brand—few Americans have heard of it.”  [more]

Amedei’s Chuao bars are so popular they’re sold out on most retailer sites.  Fortunately you can order from Amedei’s site as well. If you can get your hands on some, sharing Chuao chocolate with your girlfriends is sure to be a hit.  

[Via Food & Wine]

From May to September, there are few places more beautiful than Seattle. This northwest city has a unique combination of natural beauty, sophistication and environmental consciousness.  One of the best places to stay in Seattle is the Inn at the Market, a boutique hotel located in the heart of the city.  The Inn has an ideal downtown location across from world-famous Pike Place Market and is close to the Seattle Art Museum, Pioneer Square and Westlake Center.  Guests that stay at the Inn can enjoy panoramic views of Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound from the rooftop terrace. One of the Inn’s three restaurants is Café Campagne, a cozy bistro which serves among other things, a truly delicious cassoulet.

Explore Pike Place Market and you’ll discover an amazing selection of fresh fish, flowers, fresh produce, art, clothing and other items.  The market area is also a great place to sample fresh fish and several of the cafes have counter-side seating.  A trip to the Market wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the original Starbucks coffee shop, which opened in 1971.

Be sure to get out on the water before you leave.  Argosy offers some fun cruises on weekends that will give you a good sense of the unique waterfront lifestyle that surrounds Seattle and the Eastside. Take one of the Washington State Ferries to Bainbridge Island and spend an afternoon walking and shopping in the charming town of Winslow. 

For something more active, rent a kayak at Agua Verde on Lake Union or a canoe at the University of Washington Waterfront Activities Center.

Just north of downtown San Diego is Balboa Park, home of the world famous San Diego Zoo. Besides the zoo, the park also includes several museums and gardens including the Alcazar, Rose, Japanese and Desert gardens.  You can stroll around, admire the gardens and visit the San Diego Museum of Art.

One of the most exclusive areas around San Diego, La Jolla is the place to go for upscale shopping.  Stroll down Prospect Street for antiques, art galleries, jewelers, boutiques and specialty stores that will keep you happily shopping for hours. Stop into Bo Danica for hand-blown glassware, dinnerware and other home accessories. For a break, have lunch on the roof-top terrace at George’s on the Cove.  Our lunch on the terrace was excellent and the panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean were spectacular. 

Point Loma is well worth a visit and the site of the Cabrillo National Monument and an ecological preserve.  Learn about Cabrillo, an early Spanish explorer, and enjoy stunning views of downtown San Diego.  Take a nature walk along Bayside Trail to see indigenous plants or visit the tide pools where starfish, anemones and sea cucumbers live.