A Boutique Hotel Lover’s Guide to New Orleans
Down East on the Coast of Maine
Given Maine’s coastline is technically larger than that of California’s, four nights and five days road tripping down east barely allows you to scratch the surface—as I discovered on a recent visit. Vacationland’s craggy shoreline is made up of beaches, bays, peninsulas and inlets and a network of more than 4,600 islands, so the opportunities to be on the water are indeed endless. The landscape of forests and farmlands is lush and green. The charming and hospitable small towns exude that classic New England vibe and serve up fresh-as-it-gets seafood. Hello, lobster rolls and oysters!
Discovering Tasmania
Tasmania is remote and wild in the most delicious ways. The small island state off the south coast of mainland Australia faces Antarctica to its south and is home to vast areas of undeveloped lands protected as nature preserves. A big part of its beauty is it’s not on everyone’s radar—yet. Buzz about “Tassie” has been building since the opening of the outrageously daring MONA museum courtesy of an eccentric Tasmanian billionaire. The thriving culinary scene entices food and wine lovers and the great outdoors beckon hikers and campers. While it does get its fair share of visitors these days, Tasmania’s hidden gem quality remains 100% intact. Between the wildness and its smaller population size (just over half a million), Tasmania feels like its own little country or planet. There’s zero sense of hustle and bustle; even the biggest cities of Hobart and Launceston with the largest population concentrations feel quite chilled out. My six-day introduction to Tasmania included four nights on the rural east coast and two nights in Hobart.
A Week in Venice
Hotel San Cristobal
Looking for a laid back, un-crowded alternative to Cabo? Hotel San Cristobal just outside of Todos Santos is the answer. The only traffic in Punta Lobos comes in the form of fishermen heading out to sea every morning and bringing their haul back in. The super chill 32-room beachfront property is surrounded by undeveloped land and feels removed from civilization. Yet it’s a very civilized place to spend a few days or unplug for a whole week—and even better, it doesn’t feel like you’re in a resort bubble, separated from the real local culture. Many efforts have been made to connect you to the community, be it through surf lessons with a local entrepreneur, cactus-lined bike paths leading into town or one of the many guided tours that can be booked through the convivial concierge who personally hand-picked every partner they work with.
Four Points Adventures in Death Valley
This spring, I made my maiden voyage to Death Valley National Park with Four Points Adventures, a boutique outdoor tour company that specializes in camping excursions with an off-roading bent. The trip was led by owner/guide Todd Rogers, a search-and-rescue trained professional photographer and lifetime outdoorsman who made us glampers feel like we were in very safe, knowledgeable hands.
Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
