Where does your mind wander when you close your eyes and imagine a place where you are relaxed, engaged and enlivened? Is it a soft sandy beach, dozing under an umbrella? Are you an active vacationer like me, up at sunrise to join a yoga class or renting a fat tire bike to explore a snowy path? Perhaps exploring a new climate, culture and cuisine ticks all the boxes for you.
As Americans and Atlantans, living in the home to the world's busiest airport, dreamy destinations are at our doorstep. For our May issue, we wanted to take you away, far away, and inspire you to find your next vacation while encouraging you to dream big.
To the beach, in luxury, Naples style. This vibrant beachside resort has service that just won't stop surprising you and a pool patio that is right out of old Hollywood. Ask about feeding time for the school of koi in the poolside garden and be sure to spend a full day at the beach, with chair and umbrella set-ups and waiter service. With a smile.
To the desert, to hike and breathe. We love a resort that encourages unplugging and this one gives you plenty of reasons to do so. Aerial silk classes, meditation circles and a healthy menu make clearing your head all the easier. Great location for nearby hikes in the Sonoran Desert.
Back east, Adirondack Great Camp, Rockefeller-built. I arrived after the kitchen had long-since served lunch but still, my hosts insisted I sit on the patio in the mid-afternoon sun and enjoy a little something. A perfectly dressed salad and house-baked bread satiated me until dinner, a black-tie affair (once a week at The Point). Later, I struck a match and lit a fire in the stone fireplace in the cavernous bathroom and soaked, watching the moon come up over Upper Saranac Lake.
Go west, look up, stay active. Skiing in Jackson Hole is classic. Spring hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing and lazier days around the resort pool at Four Seasons Jackson Hole will be your new favorite.
Nearby North Carolina lodge, with elevated service. Family-owned, this sweet inn built out their restaurant, smartly framing sweeping views of the Cataloochee Valley. The kitchen is chef-driven. It's the icing on the cake to have a gorgeous food and beverage program, a very short starry stroll from your room or cabin.
