There’s a little joke Nantucket Islanders play on their visitors. When giving directions, they’ll tell you to “just go down Centre Street and turn left at the gray shingled house with the white trim.”  The joke, of course, is almost all of the houses have gray shingles and white trim. That sort of lighthearted teasing is indicative of the spirit of this tiny bit of paradise located only a short ferry ride from the Massachusetts coast. (more…)

Besides shopping and exploring the village of Carmel, one of the things we enjoyed most about our Carmel trip was kayaking around Monterey Bay. Less than 5 miles from Carmel and home of the largest marine sanctuary in the country, Monterey Bay is teeming with sea birds, sea otters, harbor seals and sea lions.  Head over to Cannery Row and rent kayaks from Adventures by the Sea.  Even if you’re new to kayaking, the bay is normally calm and easy to navigate.  Once you’re in your kayak, paddle over to the kelp forest and look but don’t touch the otters often found rolling around in the kelp.  (more…)

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…)

Sue of Austin, Texas recently sent in a Getaway Tip and told us about the girl trip she has planned for the end of June.  She plans to “sail into her 50’s” and will be celebrating her 50th birthday with five of her book club girlfriends.

Here’s what she has planned:

“I will be sailing on the 70 foot True North luxury catamaran from Antigua to Dominica in late June for a ‘fantasy getaway’ girls trip with five book club friends. The weeklong charter is to celebrate 50th birthdays for several in our group. The trip will include sailing, scuba, snorkeling, island exploring, gourmet cuisine and more as our yacht travels from Antigua to Dominica. We’ll also spend time in San Juan before returning to the states. The boat is owned by a former Dell Computer exec & her husband. Our group is an eclectic mix of educators, executives and entrepreneurs.”

Sailing the Caribbean in a luxury yacht sounds like the perfect way to celebrate a birthday milestone.  Stay tuned when Sue returns and shares her trip with us!

Newport is one of my favorite New England destinations for a summer getaway.  With its coastal beauty, opulent mansions, yachting heritage, and summer music festivals, there’s plenty to see and do.

Newport is where the ultra rich spent their summers at the turn of the 19th century.  No longer just a playground for the super wealthy, even those of us on a budget can enjoy a day or a weekend here.  Home of the America’s Cup yacht race for many decades, Newport is probably best known for its “summer cottages”.  These Gilded Age mansions were built for the Vanderbilts and Astors during an age when wealth was flaunted with lavish parties and hundreds of guests on sprawling lawns that stretched to the coastline.   (more…)

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…)

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Pasadena?  Probably the Rose Bowl, right?  Pasadena was the destination for our girls trip last spring and we stayed at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel.  Built in 1907 by Henry Huntington, the Ritz has been a landmark hotel since it opened nearly 100 years ago.  The hotel is located on 23 acres of manicured gardens, has an Olympic-size swimming pool and a full service spa. 

We decided to upgrade our room to the Club Level, and I was glad we did.  As Club Level guests you can drop by the Club Lounge and enjoy five themed food presentations daily – all complimentary.  True to Ritz form, every time we dropped in - whether is was for breakfast, afternoon tea or early evening cocktails and appetizers - the food and drink presentation was perfect.  (more…)

Known for its important collection of rare books, arts and botanical gardens, the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens is definitely worth a visit when in Los Angeles.
Henry Huntington, a railroad and real estate magnate, created the Huntington estate and filled it with exquisite items he collected from around the world.

The estate is situated on 207 acres on the outskirts of Los Angeles and includes the Huntington Library, the Huntington Gallery and 120 acres of botanical gardens.  When visiting the Huntington Library you’ll find an original manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a Gutenberg Bible, a beautiful folio edition of Audubon’s Birds of America, early editions of Shakespeare’s works, as well as original letters of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Lincoln.

The gardens at the Huntington are spectacular and include 14,000 different species of plants.  When we visited last spring, we took the free guided walking tour of the gardens. The walking tour covers most of the gardens which include the Rose Garden, Shakespeare and Herb Gardens, Desert Garden, Japanese Garden, Australian Garden, Subtropical and Jungle Garden, Palm Garden, North Vista, and Camellia Collection.

If you’ve seen The Wedding Planner or Memoirs of a Geisha you’ll recognize places on the estate where scenes were filmed.  Remember to bring a camera when you visit. The Japanese Garden is a perfect backdrop for a group shot.