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Arizona Week—Enchanting Enchantment

It’s not until you leave the town of Sedona and make the 15-minute drive to Enchantment that you realize the resort is smack dab in the middle of one of the most spectacular settings in America. Nestled against the red rock walls of Boynton Canyon without any other signs of civilization beyond the property, this is the quintessential Arizona landscape one dreams about when booking a trip to the southwest. Tall, serrated mountain ledges, once home to a Native American population is now an ideal playground to hike, bike, and unwind at the world class destination spa, Mii Amo. I was last here a decade ago to pen a story on Sedona for The Boston Globe. Lounging in the hot tub after a morning of hiking in the canyon and not passing any other hikers, I can’t understand what took me so long to return. The free-standing casitas are spacious, furnished with an adobe-style fireplaces and balconies to savor the vista every morning as the hot Arizona sun illuminates the rock. At night after dinner, everyone heads outside to look at the stars while sitting around the fire pit. The pools and children’s program attracts families, the destination spa attracts women on a spa package, and the junior suites are ideal for honeymooners. This is one place worth the splurge. 

 

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Happy 100th, JFK

May 29th marks the 100th birthday of John F. Kennedy. To commemorate the occasion, The National Portrait Gallery is displaying photographs from his life in a gem of show simply titled, “Celebrate: John F. Kennedy.” 72 portraits from the museum’s collection are on view through July 9 including a wonderful pastel by Shirley Seltzer Cooper. You’ll see well-known images of JFK holding John John’s hand in the White House along with rarely seen early shots of Jackie and JFK dating. 
 
As if you needed another reason to visit the National Portrait Gallery, one of my requisite stops every time I visit DC. Home to the official portrait of every president, Nixon never looked so good in a painting by Norman Rockwell and Bill Clinton never looked so bad in a painting by Chuck Close. The building also houses the Smithsonian Collection of American Art, which includes epic-sized works by Albert Bierstadt, Frederick Church (a marvelous depiction of the Northern Lights) and Thomas Hart Benton. Afterwards, grab a latte and rest your weary feet in the courtyard. 
 
John F. Kennedy (1961), by Shirley Seltzer Cooper
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Wife Carrying Championship This Weekend at Sunday River, Maine

Still no plans for Columbus Day Weekend? Head on over to the Sunday River Ski Resort in Bethel, Maine, tomorrow and watch the 11th Annual North American Wife Carrying Championship. Winners qualify for the World Wife Carrying Championship in Finland, held next July. Last year’s winner, Dave and Lacy Castro of Lewiston, Maine, beat out 46 other couples from as far away as California. Their time was a speedy 54.45 seconds. Whatever you do, have a great weekend and do something active!
 

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Top 5 Eco-Resorts in Central America, Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

I’ve been receiving a slew of requests from clients lately about sustainable lodging choices in Central America. Here are the ones I consistently send folks to, time and time again, because they love the experience and the environmentally friendly practices. 

 
At the southernmost tip of Costa Rica, Lapa Rios is a 1000-acre private rain forest perched above the Pacific Ocean. 16 spacious bungalows feature hardwood floors, bamboo walls, and vaulted thatched roof ceilings created from local palm trees. Lie on a hammock on your own private deck or take a shower outdoors in a secluded garden. You might be woken in the morning by the loud cry of the howler monkey. Then rise and shine on a three-hour morning hike with a naturalist through the rainforest to a waterfall and swimming hole, stopping to view spider monkeys, scarlet macaws, toucans, parrots, and many other native birds. In the afternoon, sea kayak in the ocean around Matapalo Point, surf the Golfo Dulce, or saddle up those horses. At sunset, head outdoors to see a family of neon green scarlet macaws sitting on a tree in front of you. 
 
Sure, those outdoor showers are solar-powered and more than 70 percent of the materials used are renewable, but take a look at the big picture. Nearly 1000 acres of valuable rainforest have been saved from deforestation and the wildlife within those borders free from poaching, pollution, and real estate development. More than 45 local families are employed on the property and the resort has been instrumental in providing primary education for children in the area.  
 
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Luxury Resort Openings in the Fall

Having just returned from Virtuoso Travel Week, Lisa will update you on the resorts she found most intriguing from her 386 meetings in our September newsletter. This includes one Phuket property that offers unlimited spa treatments. Also in our January newsletter, we always report on the hotels we’re most excited to see open or reopen. I’m sure the Ritz in Paris, closed since 2012, will lead that list now that it will finally reopen next spring. But I just wanted to keep you updated on a handful of upscale lodgings opening later this year that are already starting to garner excitement in the travel world. 
 
Leading the list is the new Aman resort, Amanera, in the Dominican Republic. Overlooking the north coast’s Playa Grande Beach, the 25 casitas are surrounded by 2,000 acres of virtually untouched jungle and a nearby mountain range. It will also be the first Aman Resort to feature a golf course, this one designed by Robert Trent Jones. Another opening creating a lot of buzz is Faena Miami, opening in November on a six-block span across mid-Miami Beach. Baz Luhrmann, director of Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, has been tapped to the lead the design team. So this will be the place to be during Art Basel. Finally, another Ritz-Carlton Reserve resort, Mandapa, will open later this month on the island of Bali. The third in the brand’s ultra-exclusive collection, suites at this Ubud property start at 1,000 square feet and and keep growing to 2 and 3-bedroom villas with private pools overlooking the rice terraces and rainforest. 
 
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Bermuda Beckons

Soft and cushiony, with a shade of pink to enhance the dramatic effect, the sand on the beaches of Bermuda is better than advertised. Hemmed in by jagged rock formations and backed by cliffs, the finest beaches are a mix of horseshoe-shaped coves filled with tanning bodies and small jewel-like pockets of sand with just enough space to contain a couple or two. This sublime stretch of coastline serves as the ideal welcome mat for the weary waves that have rolled some 600 miles from the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, the closest landmass to the west. May and early June are the ideal months to visit this 23-mile speck of land in the Atlantic. The surge of travelers, many venturing here aboard cruises in the height of summer, have yet to arrive, so you can see the island in its natural relaxed state. Stay at the newly revamped rooms and suites at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and they’ll escort you by jitney to their private beach. Or try the resort that’s been receiving rave reviews since its debut the summer of 2017, The Loren. Flights are direct and only 2 hours from New York, Boston, and DC. If you need suggestions on what to do while you’re there, please see my Boston Globe story. ActiveTravels is here to help check lodging availability and pricing. 

 
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Acadia National Park Week: Enjoyed Our Stay at Bar Harbor’s West Street Hotel

After hiking on Mount Desert Island’s Quiet Side, biking Acadia National Park’s secret Schoodic Peninsula, and hitting the Atlantic via a historic Friendship Sloop and a sea kayak, our last day was spent driving the popular Park Loop. The ideal way to end a trip to Acadia is to bike the historic carriage path trails around Eagle Lake and toast your outdoor accomplishments with an iced tea accompanied by hot-out-of-the-oven popovers at Jordan Pond Gatehouse. The view of the small rounded mountains they call the Bubbles on the other end of Jordan Pond is second to none. 
 
After each day’s outing we would return to the relatively new West Street Hotel and its inviting nautical décor to shower and then swim on their rooftop pool. Overlooking Bar Island and Sheep Porcupine Island and all the boats docked in between, the view from the rooftop pool and our fourth floor balcony was breathtaking. I had the privilege of writing most of these blogs while taking in that mesmerizing seascape. The front desk will also tell you that you can swim at the Bar Harbor Club across the street. By all means, go! Their Olympic-sized pool, perfect for families or doing laps, is situated right on the edge of the ocean overlooking the expanse of sea and mountains. 
 
West Street Hotel was within easy walking distance to all the restaurants in town. Some of our favorite dishes included the zesty grilled fish tacos at Side Street Café, the blueberry pancakes at 2 Cats, the sublime lobster roll at Beal’s (in Southwest Harbor), the seafood stew at Paddy’s, the kale salad at A&B Naturals, the heavenly black raspberry ice cream at Ben & Bills Chocolate Emporium, and a pint of Bar Harbor Real Ale at the Atlantic Brewery (off Route 3). 
 
I want to thank Charlene Williams and the folks at Maine Tourism for arranging a memorable week of activity. I’m looking forward to returning next year and participating in the all the festivities surrounding Acadia’s big 100th birthday. Enjoy the weekend. I’ll be back on Wednesday after a much needed break.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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