Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for luxury travel
Hunker Down in West Virginia
By Linda Tancs
The Greenbrier is a National Historic Landmark, an award-winning resort located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Surrounded by the Allegheny Mountains, the impeccably appointed Greenbrier offers superb amenities such as championship golf, fine dining, more than 50 activities, designer boutiques, a 5-star spa and a 103,000 square foot gaming and entertainment venue. So it might seem a bit strange that in the midst of these luxurious, pampering surroundings is a bunker. Yes, a bunker–as in the Cold War era, underground kind. Once a top secret Government facility, the now declassified bunker beneath the West Virginia Wing is a unique attraction for a luxury property. Boasting such sites as a decontamination area and power plant, the bunker is a piece of living history open for tours by the public and registered hotel guests alike. The Greenbrier is easily reached via Amtrak or flights to Greenbrier Valley Airport.
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Art and Architecture Tours
By Linda Tancs
For nearly 40 years National Trust Tours has been offering the intellectually curious traveler a world of cultural enrichment in luxurious surroundings through more than 70 distinct itineraries. With a special emphasis on art and architecture, tour members gain unprecedented access to private homes, gardens, castles and collections around the world. Upcoming offerings include art and architecture in Chicago, the imposing Biltmore estate in historic Asheville, North Carolina, and the Hudson River Valley fall foliage cruise aboard American Glory. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to saving historic places and revitalizing America’s communities. Want to share your passion for history and culture? Join Gozaic, their online community and destination guide for cultural and heritage travelers.
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A Retreat Fit for a Filmmaker
By Linda Tancs
Talk about star quality: Blancaneaux Lodge, a luxe resort in Belize, is the former family retreat of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. Lucky for us he decided to share it with the rest of the world over a decade ago. This hideaway in the rainforest is a birder’s paradise, offering the potential to view the ecosystem’s 300+ species like the Stygian owl, black-headed siskin, rufous-capped warbler, Great Pewee and solitary eagle. Voted #1 Best Resort in Central and South America in 2009 and 2010 by Travel + Leisure, the menu includes local favorites like shredded beef salad flavored with sour orange and cilantro and classic Italian fare from the Coppola family cookbook.
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A Mistletoe for Any Season
By Linda Tancs
There’s no need to hold out until the Christmas season to fall under the amorous spell of the mistletoe. At the Mistletoe Lodge outside England’s Amberley Castle in West Sussex, summer is the perfect time to play Cupid. Perched upon the beautiful sycamore trees by the Castle’s main entrance, the lodge is a tree house reached by a rope bridge and walkway, offering spectacular views of the 900-year-old Sussex castle and its lakes and grounds. The tree house is available for rental for a ‘dîner à deux’ from May to September (weather permitting), offering up seasonal fare and a floral ambience custom crafted to your liking. No wonder the luxury retreat is a favorite for marriage proposals.
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The Longest Wooden Pier in Europe
By Linda Tancs
It isn’t uncommon for a seaside city to boast of rejuvenative effects. In Sopot, Poland’s seaside city, they even say that the concentration of iodine in the air is heavier at seaside than on land. Whatever the merits of the claim, what is undeniable is that this small seaside resort sports the longest wooden pier in Europe at about 1676 feet. That’s quite a platform from which to view the town’s panorama of Art Nouveau townhouses, villas and historic parks. Not surprisingly, most hotels are situated along the shoreline, like the stately Grand Sopot. Spring and summer bring a slew of street and music festivals. Better hurry.
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Fine Wines in the Foothills
By Linda Tancs
The foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Walland, Tennessee may seem like the least likely place to yield up an epicurious haven. Yet that’s exactly what you get at Blackberry Farm, one of America’s most celebrated intimate luxury hotels set on 4200 acres. Now through 22 May the greatest producers in the world of wine make for a rare gathering at the Farm at the second annual Hospice du Rhone event. Featuring Christophe Baron, Greg Harrington, John Lancaster, Robert Perkins, Sara Perez and Rene Barbier, these giants of Rhone will share their knowledge and special vintages with oenophiles. Life on the farm never tasted so sweet.
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Putting the Glam in Camp
By Linda Tancs
For many of us, camping likely conjures up memories of pup tents, oversized sleeping bags and roasted marshmallows on a stick. Oh, how times have changed. Camping has gone glam. Glamping, or glamorous camping, is outdoors life taken to a luxe level, featuring luxury tents, fine wines, gourmet food and, of course, outdoor adventure. Are you ready for some glam in your camp?
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The Curious Class in Vegas
By Linda Tancs
Nearing a whopping $4 billion, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened in mid-December. A new luxe resort on The Strip, they aspire to cater to what they refer to as the “curious class.” Are you curious? Given the low fares to Vegas these days, you can afford to indulge it.
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Yachts Galore in Monaco
By Linda Tancs
The 20th edition of Monaco’s yacht show, the world’s largest superyacht exhibition, begins today through 25 September at Port Hercules. Although the economic downturn sent many yacht builders into receivership, you’d never know it by the lineup at this year’s event, sporting the worldwide debut of 30 new vessels. As the economy shrinks, the yachts get bigger, from an average 41 meters in 2006 to 43 meters this year. Eighty percent of the show’s visitors come from overseas. Will you be one of them?
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African Queen, Revisited
By Linda Tancs
In the 1951 movie The African Queen, Katharine Hepburn’s character convinces Humphrey Bogart’s scruffy old Charlie Allnut to sail a rusty 12-foot boat called The African Queen down the Ulanga River. Hardly a luxurious jaunt. Today’s African Queen is a much better appointed Zambezi Queen, charting the Chobe River in search of the Big Five sporting 14 cabins with picture windows and a top-deck whirlpool. Take a smaller launch to view game in their natural habitat or a 4×4 excursion to a local village for some cultural immersion. This is a redux even Charlie would no doubt enjoy.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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