Travel dispatches
From California to Peru, here are some best bets for places to go this summer and beyond.
By Carl Kozlowski 05/01/2011
Frank Lloyd Wright's legendary Fallingwater is on Smithsonian magazine's list of 28 places "to visit before you die," and you can check it off your own list during the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust's tour of the architect's legacy in the Pittsburgh area Oct. 1-4. The "Wright Way Pennsylvania: Fallingwater and Beyond" tour features a sunset wine-and-cheese reception at Wright's most famous residence, a National Historic Landmark. Guests, who will stay at the historic Omni William Penn Hotel and the Nemacolin Woodlands Spa and Resort, will also tour Wright's 1954 Kentuck Knob and 1957 Duncan House as well as Pittsburgh's notable art museums and historic homes and neighborhoods. The trip costs $1,995 per person double occupancy (excluding airfare), $1,795 for members.
Visit www.wrightwaytravel.org
Take the family on an exotic adventure amid Peru's stunning Andean mountains with a child-friendly tour of some of the world's most historic cultural sites. Wildland Adventures leads family hikes among Inca ruins, including the crown jewel of the Incan Empire: Machu Picchu. Along the way, explore rural towns and shop in the Quechua Indian markets of Cusco and the Sacred Valley. From Aug. 4 to 15, families with kids ages 11 and older can go on the Inca Trail Trek and Amazon adventure, which guides hikers and bikers along the Amazon by day; by night, set up camp beside ancient ruins and sleep under the stars.
Visit www.wildland.com
Shakespeare and sunshine make a merry match beginning June 2 at Vancouver's Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, presenting its 22nd season. The Bard's greatest works are staged in red-and-white tents that open onto a vibrant view of the surrounding mountains, sea and sky. Tickets range in price from $21 to $40, so order well in advance to avoid sell-outs.
Visit www.bardonthebeach.org
France's lush Burgundy region comes alive this summer with the Musique au Musée music festival on July 17, July 24 and Aug. 7. Early fall brings the Jazz à Beaune music and art festival Sept. 15--16. Frelons Fabulous France offers festival packages that include a stay at La Ferme de la Lochère, a private estate that accommodates groups of up to 10. From April through October, La Ferme offers hands-on cooking classes, private wine tastings and an array of other classes and day trips to such famous locales as the Abbey of Fontenay, the vineyards of the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits and the location for the film Chocolat, the Vineyard of Flavigny.
Visit www.frelonsfabulousfrance.com
Park City, Utah, may be best known for great skiing and January's Sundance Film Festival, but the post--Civil War mining town has plenty of charm year round. For sheer glamour and one of the country's best rooftop bars, head to the Sky Lodge in Old Town, a 33-room all-suite hotel with style to spare. The property incorporates Park City's history, maintaining 110-year-old wood columns and hand-planed hickory floors. The hotel's Amatsu Spa is touted as a zen sanctuary with a downtown vibe. Where do we sign up?
Visit www.theskylodge.com
Disney takes a tip from Lilo and Stitch's idea of paradise with the new Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, in Ko Olina, Hawaii, opening Aug. 29. The 21-acre resort includes 360 guestrooms and 481 villas as well as four restaurants, two lounges, a kids' club, pools, whirlpool spas, an 18,000-square-foot spa, a stream and even a rainbow reef for snorkeling. Idle hours can be filled with Diamond Head hikes, sailing on a catamaran, surfing lessons, kayaking, museum visits and more.
Visit www.disneyaulani.com
Northern California’s legendary food and drink is there for the asking at six prime inns and resorts in Mendocino County. And spring season brings last-minute getaway specials of up to half off peak room rates. Check out the Elk Cove Inn in the town of Elk (elkcoveinn.com) and the Stevenswood Spa Resort in Little River (where you can save up to 50 percent by reserving a room within nine days of check-in at stevenswood.com/lastminute.html). Last-minute online specials are also available at the Glendeven Inn & Wine Bar in Little River (glendeven.com/specials.html) and the rustic Brewery Gulch Inn in Mendocino (brewerygulchinn.com/specials.htm). And when you’re in Mendocino Village, don’t forget the
MacCallum House Inn and Restaurant (maccallumhouse.com) and nearby Anchor Bay, which offers a tempting “Procrastinator’s Special,” allowing guests to book a two-bedroom cottage at the reduced rate of a one-bedroom if all the one-bedroom cottages are already reserved (www.marvistamendocino.com).
The Cayman Cotton Tree, the only boutique luxury cottage hotel in the Cayman Islands, offers four pastel-colored cottages amidst a garden of tropical flowers and fruits, next to 400 feet of exclusive beach on the Caribbean. Soak up the atmosphere by taking a dip in the freshwater pool, engaging in water sports, going bird-watching or exploring Barker's National Park by bike. Dabble in art or culinary classes or get your zen on with yoga in the fitness center or a massage in an open-air pavilion among seagrape trees. Prices range from $330 for a garden-view cottage during the off season (May 1 through Oct. 13) to $1,300 for a two-bedroom sea-view cottage during the Christmas season (Dec. 15 through Jan. 2).
Visit www.caymancottontree.com
In most parts of the world, a nearly overflowing lake might be cause for concern, but at Lake Nacimiento in San Luis Obispo County (halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco), the fact that it has attained “full pool” status for the first time in 28 years has brought visitors running. That’s because the full lake and its gushing spillway offer the best boating, fishing and camping along the 165-mile shoreline in decades. Set up home base at Lake Nacimiento Resort’s full-service park, which offers furnished lodges and boat slips and rentals in the marina.
Call (805) 237-4927.
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