I returned recently from a European girls getaway with my three sisters and Florence was our first destination. What can I say, other than bellissimo!

With its red-tiled roofs, centuries-old architecture and open plazas, Florence is perfect for exploring on foot. Shortly after arriving, we walked over to Rivoire – a café conveniently located in the Piazza della Signoria. We visited with a friend over drinks and decadent desserts and soaked up the historic surroundings. The chocolate-covered profiteroles were the group favorite.

Since we were in Florence we had to visit the Duomo and even better, climb the 463 winding steps to the top. When we reached the top we were rewarded with amazing panoramic views of the city.

For art, we visited the Accademia museum where we saw Michelangelo’s famous statue of David. We also visited the Uffizi museum, which contains the Medici collection of Renaissance art and is located in a classic building overlooking the Arno River.

We had lunch one day at Trattoria Mario – a local hang-out where you sit at communal tables. We ordered the Bistecca alla Florentina (steak cooked rare) with rosemary garlic white beans (yum) and pasta. The Italian man we sat next to was so generous he offered samples of his dishes so we would know what to order — just one example of the Italian hospitality we found everywhere.

Artisans

Some of the things I enjoyed most about Florence were found by strolling down the narrow streets between the plazas. Florence is made up of tiny shops and artisan-based businesses. In one shop’s window I saw a man working on a cello, on another street a man was carving an ornate wood frame. In the Santa Croce leather district, at the back of a shop I saw a woman and her assistant creating leather jackets with exquisite workmanship. I saw a man embossing gold leaf to leather books, and a woman making jewelry using Murano glass. Walking past a building where an opera singer was practicing an aria just rounded out my Italian experience.

Last weekend we went on an epicurean girls’ trip to Sonoma for Wine Road. The idea is simple – you buy a weekend or day pass and can then stop in at wineries for a specially prepared wine and food pairing.

We stopped at quite a few wineries and sampled some great wine (red zins, cabs, chardonnay, port) and food: braised beef short ribs, fennel sausage over risotto, Mrs. Scorsese’s lemon chicken, bacon-wrapped dates, chocolate terrine - to name just a few. We also each got a cookbook with the recipes of what we sampled on the Wine Road to take with us.

Almost 100 wineries participated in the event – some had live music, one had a Texas BBQ and one had a soft serve machine with pumpkin ice cream!

All the places we stopped at were really enjoyable. Some of the wineries had beautiful settings - our favorites were Bella, Dutcher Crossing, Francis Ford Coppola, Mazzocco, Rued, Sbragia, Trentadue and Wilson. It’s no wonder this event is popular - buy tickets early because they sell out!

Wine Road

Recently I spent a fun-filled weekend in Toronto. I was there for a cousins’ get together and we stayed in the downtown Entertainment District. With a WalkScore of 97/100 it was within easy walking distance of Queen Street, CN Tower, Kensington Market and many theaters. CN Tower is the major landmark in Toronto’s skyline (kind of the Canadian equivalent to the Space Needle) and helped us get our bearings on more than one occasion.

Exploring the city in July, I saw many beautiful flowers adorning outdoor cafes and pubs. For shopping we headed to Queen Street. Some of our favorite stops included: GetOutside for shoes, Mujamba for an amazing collection of ribbons & shoe laces, and Fashion Crimes for every type of party dress you could imagine. If you’re on Queen Street be sure to stop in at Dufflet, known as the ‘Queen of Cake’ and best baker in Toronto. For lunch or dinner try the secluded patio at the Queen Mother Café which serves Dufflet cakes for dessert.

For more shopping visit Kensington Market to see a collection of funky, local shops and hear live music in the streets.

Take a streetcar or cab to the historic Distillery District to see some beautiful buildings, shop and then relax at Mill Street Pub with some local ale and sweet potato fries. If you have time, catch the short ferry ride to Toronto Island. Walk around the well-groomed park or rent a two or four person carriage bicycle to explore the island. The return ferry ride provides a postcard perfect view of the city.

Since Tucson is home to two destination spas we had to include a visit to at least one during our weekend visit. We’d all booked a Spa Day Pass at Canyon Ranch which included a 50 minute spa service, lunch and unlimited access to Canyon Ranch’s fitness classes and activities. Established over 30 years ago in Tucson, Canyon Ranch was one of the first destination spas in the US. Now with several locations around the country it’s a regular on Travel & Leisure’s Top 10 Destination Spa list.

On Saturday after a quick check-in, we found ourselves at Canyon Ranch’s hiking center. Outfitted with a pair of high-powered Bushnell binoculars and a day pack, we headed out for an early morning bird watching walk. It was a gorgeous Arizona spring day and the birds didn’t disappoint us. We almost immediately spotted our first Gila woodpecker in a towering saguaro cactus, followed by iridescent hummingbirds, cactus wren, quail and many others.

With the spa offering over 40 fitness activities a day there was plenty to choose from. We tried a sampling of yoga, zumba, world beat with live drummers, foot fitness, stretch class and hiking. Between classes, massages and facials we had a leisurely lunch at the pool-side café.

People go to destination spas for different reasons – all out pampering, meditation, relaxation and fitness. At Canyon Ranch the focus is on exercise/fitness and – if you can afford it - it’s a great place to kick-start a change to a more active lifestyle.

I’ve mentioned before how I think the best way to really experience a city is on foot.  But when you’re new to a city, how do you know where the best walking districts are?  One very cool site makes this easy for you.  Walk Score helps you to quickly find the best walking neighborhoods within a city.  After ranking over 2,500 neighborhoods in the 40 largest cities in the U.S., they show you the top walking districts for each city along with detailed Google maps of walkable destinations.  

Created as a tool for home buyers, this is also a great resource when choosing a hotel and seeing how well located it is in the city.  I just entered the address of the Hotel Andra, where I stayed during my last visit to Seattle and here are the results from Walk Score (green = best districts).   

Wouldn’t it be nice if every neighborhood were ranked a “walker’s paradise”! Unfortunately it’s more of a rarity than the norm in many cities.  It’s good to know there are tools like this that make finding the best walking districts a breeze.

Recently I read a book that made me think of vacations in a brand new way.  Most of my vacations in the past have focused on family and relaxation. The vacations described in the book, The 100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life, focus on improving yourself and the world.  Author Pam Grout describes arts & crafts getaways, volunteer vacations, learning retreats and wellness escapes designed to give you an expanded perspective on life. 

If you’re looking to become more creative, you could paint at Georgia O’Keeffe’s ranch, make a film in New York City, or design your dream home in Frank Lloyd Wright’s studio.  These are just a small sampling of the creative opportunities listed in the book.

For volunteer vacations, you could pick orchids or harvest coffee beans at an organic farm in Hawaii, protect loggerhead sea turtles on Georgia’s sea coast, or help unearth history at Mount Vernon.

For an educational retreat, you could learn about marine science and bird life at a remote research island in Maine, learn Spanish in a quaint village in Mexico, or choose from over 1200 summer seminars at an idyllic New York learning institution.

There are several options listed in the wellness escapes section – yoga retreat destinations and historic spas being among them.

According to Pam, most people want “to contribute, to create and to grow”.  If that’s true for you, this book will give you a wealth of ideas for your next vacation.

Amazon link

I just ran across a travel tool that I think is extremely cool.  You know when you’re exploring a new city - maybe shopping or visiting a museum – and your travel group decides they want to grab some Mexican food?  Or maybe during dinner you decide to catch a current movie and you want to know what’s playing nearby along with show times.

Now you can find nearby restaurants, movies and much more with just your cell phone.

Here’s how it works.  First you send a text message to 466453 (GOOGLE on most phones) and in the message body include what you want to find out.  Google will send you a text message back for free with the information you asked for. 

Examples:

For the complete list of message phrases, see the Google Mobile page.

Send a message and give it a try!
 

A trip to Florida conjures up images of crowded beaches and jam-packed highways. If you want to see what Florida was like when your grandmother was young, visit Amelia Island. The main road through this seaside paradise seems built more for horse and carriage than automobiles. 

Located 30 minutes from Jacksonville, Amelia Island offers plenty of outdoor activities with its miles of beaches, winding trails for bike riding, natural marshlands with boardwalks, golf, tennis and shopping. 

During our visit, we took a Segway tour given by Amelia’s Wheels. It took a few minutes for us to learn to navigate since we’d never used a Segway before, but with the help of our guide, we ended up like regular pros exploring the scenic island with all its moss-covered oak trees and exclusive homes. 

Walking along Centre Street in Fernandina Beach’s small downtown is also a fun activity. Centre Street is part of a 50 block historic district with Victorian style architecture.

There’s a whole range of lodging options on the island.  If you don’t mind splurging, stay at the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge, a beautiful Nantucket style B&B located right on the beach.  But, if you’re looking for a resort, stay at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island or the Amelia Inn & Beach Club.  To see the whole range of lodging choices including condos within the plantation, check out the island’s detailed list.

See also: Amelia Island  |  Amelia’s Wheels  |  Island Events