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The terraced organic garden that steps down the hillside in front of the Stanford Inn (above Mendocino Bay) provides some of the vegetables and herbs for the innovative cuisine in the hotel’s Ravens’ Restaurant. A stroll through the farm, with a visit to the donkeys and horses and llamas, helps work up an appetite for the vegetable-based whole-food meals that raise the bar on all-vegan fine dining. Innkeeper Jeff Stanford puts his ethics on the plate: Vegan for both health and philosophical reasons, Stanford collaborates with certified nutrition consultant Sid Hillman and the Ravens’ chefs to create dazzling meals, including one of the most innovative and tempting brunch menus I’ve ever encountered. The Inn, a large boutique hotel with panoramic ocean views, an organic farm, luxury amenities, and a bookstore and wine shop, gains additional points for being dog-friendly--even in a special dining area.

Camelback Inn is offers my dream staycation. This AAA 5-Diamond hotel has maintained its excellence since it first came around in the 1930’s. it has an old pueblo-style feel that really exemplifies Southwestern culture. You’ll get the most amazing treatment here from the moment you walk in. Granted you’ll be paying for it. They offer larger property options where you have access to your own private swimming pool. It’s really one of the most historic hotels in Phoenix.

Petroglyphs are always worth a stop. About 40 minutes north of Globe, on US 60/AZ 77, as the highway winds down through its hairpin curves to the bottom of the Salt River Canyon, stop at ‘Hieroglyphic Point.’ (It’ll be on your left.) This pull-off overlooking the river divides the San Carlos Apache Nation to the south from the White Mountain Apaches to the north. Keep your eyes open for the darker boulders strewn about: they’re covered with pre-columbian petroglyphs dating to centuries before the Apache ever called this area home...

In an otherwise flat and forlorn section of desert between Tucson and San Diego, exit 67 on I-8 is a sweet pit stop: Dateland! A grove of date palms was planted beside the railroad tracks here in the 1920s. Today, it’s more than just a typical refueling station—it’s a true road-trip oasis for your sweet tooth. Sample the variety of caramel ovals, and then get a milkshake! The date shakes are definitely “local-" if not “world"-famous, and prickly pear cactus fruit is also a flavor option. Look for the palms on the horizon about an hour east of Yuma; it’s not a mirage.

Joshua Tree in the Mojave Desert is as weird as the shapes of the trees that make it up. While beautiful in its sparse vastness, it is no surprise that alien enthusiasts have taken to the area. For a taste of this, try a rejuvenating soundbath at George Van Tassel’s Integratron which was originally built on top of a “magnetic vortex” as a time machine. If you find yourself with time to kill before or after a soundbath, drive to Giant Rock, the self-proclaimed “largest boulder in the world”. While walking around the poorly graffitied boulder, watch out for motorcross riders that appear out of the dust like ghosts.

If these cabins could talk, their stories would reveal tales of prohibition, Polish immigrants, and Latvian priests. Rustic cabins, canvas tents, and a teepee now showcase a jumble of old books, antique lanterns, and the odd chipmunk. Guests can fish, launch a row boat, play shuffleboard, and hike in the surrounding forests. Cabin decks are outfitted with rocking chairs for taking in views of Elkhorn Lake, while the tree house is the perfect place to spend an afternoon absorbed in a book at the lounge (don’t miss the antler chandelier), in the loft bed, or on a hammock outside.

From $200, wandawega.com

OK, America has plenty of beautiful little mountain towns. I just happened to catch this one on a quiet, low-season day and I was utterly charmed. The secondhand bookshop was a thing of joy - run by a woman who knew her Dorothy Parker from her Dorothy L Sayers - and the Dripolator coffee shop, above, had a great vibe, with its beaten up sofas and community notices pinned all over the walls. And then there’s the mountain views, and the clear air. If you’ve had a big night out in Asheville, I can’t think of a better place to deal with your hangover.

How to choose between sweet potato biscuits, truffle grits, and the free-range lamb meatloaf sandwich? Try them all! (Just kidding) As a solo diner, I skipped the sweet potato biscuits (sadly). The grits and sandwich looked and tasted like perfection, to the point where two passersby commented how delicious the sandwich looked and ended up eating there. Outdoor seating in a petite pedestrian mall makes for lovely ambience as well. No loud motorcycles here!

This bakery just opened across the street from Woodshop. It’s a godsend. It’s been rough finding good coffee out here, but they serve Blue Bottle Coffee and breakfast sandwiches on house-baked biscuits.”

A blue horse on a balcony? Why not...”Seattle Blue” is the name of this mosaic-covered-statue by artist Paul Pearman, located on a quirky corner in Augusta, GA, a riverside city of underrated architectural history... This brick building was built at the end of the 19th century as a butcher shop, with the family residence upstairs; located on the SE corner of 6th and Ellis St., just a few blocks from the Riverwalk. (For more information about the artist: www.mosaicbuckles.com)

I’m not one for posting food photos, but I had to make an exception for this one. I was seated at a table at the Le Puy bed and breakfast in Newberg, OR. As this wonderful dish was placed in front of me, the innkeeper informed me that the eggs used to prepare this meal were taken from the farm right out the window. Now, I’ve heard the phrase “farm to table,” but I’ve never eaten a meal where I could actually SEE the farm FROM my table. Breakfast was great, and I applaud the innkeeper and the chickens.

What we love: A true five-star stay in the heart of a booming city

The Highlights:
- Diverse on-site dining options
- Spacious rooms with thoughtful details like sink-side ring holders
- The best hotel spa in town

The Review:
Thank Tilman Fertitta—the billionaire visionary behind the Landry’s Inc. restaurant group, the Houston Rockets, and numerous entertainment and hospitality ventures—for Houston’s only AAA Five Diamond hotel. Determined to give his booming hometown the luxury hotel “it deserves,” Fertitta oversaw every detail of The Post Oak’s creation, from choosing the art (you’ll find pieces by Frank Stella, Robert Motherwell, Donald Sultan and others, many from Fertitta’s own collection) to working with the designers and adding useful touches to the rooms (like sink-side ring holders and shaving mirrors in the showers). The 250 rooms and 20 residences are spacious and sophisticated, crafted with top-quality materials and furnishings (Fertitta estimates that about $1.5 million was spent per room, and it shows). All have showers and tubs, tablet control systems, and original photography on the walls; residences have full kitchens and dining rooms. For added perks, book a room on the Concierge Level and gain access to a food-and-drink-stocked lounge that overlooks the surrounding Uptown neighborhood.

As befits a restaurateur of Fertitta’s level, there are several drinking and dining options on site, including the locally inspired Bloom & Bee, Mastro’s Steakhouse, Willie G’s Seafood, H-Bar, Craft F&B for wood-fired pizza and pub grub, and Bouchee Patisserie for homemade sweets. When you’ve inevitably indulged in a meal or two, work it off on the hotel’s 20,000-square-foot wellness level, which includes a state-of-the-art gym and a spa with treatments both decadent (like pampering two-hour rituals) and high-tech (facials performed using the latest machines). If you really want to visit like a VIP, know that the hotel also features a helipad on top of the building, a pet salon, a 30,000-bottle-strong wine cellar that hosts private dinners, and a two-story auto showroom lined with Roll-Royces.

When the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel first opened for business in 1912, Beverly Hills was just a suburb of Los Angeles, and the hotel provided a place for people to stay when looking at parcels of land to live on in the area. But as the city of Beverly Hills developed, the hotel—nicknamed the Pink Palace—became a perennial favorite among the Hollywood set ranging from Golden Age stars like Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe to modern day celebrities like the Kardashians, Saweetie, and Mark Wahlberg. Today the hotel is run by the global luxury hotel group Dorchester Collection, and the famous cursive sign, whose font was created by architect Paul Revere Williams, one of the few Black architects at the time in L.A., still greets guests upon arrival.


The 210 guest rooms in the main building and 23 bungalows sit on 12 landscaped acres. The guest rooms feature midcentury modern–inspired design, some of the most comfortable hotel beds in the game, and marble bathrooms. They include a dreamy one-bedroom, Rat Pack suite in the Crescent Wing that was a favorite of Frank Sinatra; it’s decked out with a full bar, grand piano, and a patio. Each bungalow is unique: Some are themed after famous former patrons. The Marilyn Monroe bungalow is resplendent with touches of pink while the Howard Hughes is aviation themed and features dark woods and forest greens.



The Beverly Hills Hotel feels like an urban resort, with a 19,000-square-foot spa, an iconic pool and lounge area decorated in a Barbie-esque pink, a bar, and three dining options. The poolside Cabana Cafe is best for soaking up those Southern California rays (the McCarthy chopped salad is especially popular), while the Polo Lounge is said to be a favorite among Hollywood executives. The Fountain Room Coffee Room, famous for its pies, cakes, and breakfast options, was where Geffen Records signed Guns N’ Roses onto its label.

If you’re keen to experience the medieval practice of “kahve falı” or “fal” (fortune telling with Turkish coffee) then make an appointment at Symbol Café in Nişantaşı with Tunc, one of the few English-speaking coffee readers in the city. Once there, order a Turkish coffee with “sade” (no sugar), “az” (little sugar), “orta” (medium sugar), or “şekerli” (sweet), and savor the flavor of a rich aromatic coffee as you ponder your life’s ambitions. When the last drop leaves your lips and all that is left are the grinds sunk deep in the demitasse (small cup), take the saucer and gently seal it atop the cup. Swirl the cup and saucer clockwise three times and then flip them both toward you, holding them firmly so as not to spill the grinds. Relax as the grinds dry out, and wait for Tunc to find you in the cozy café filled with locals who are also eager for readings. When Tunc hypnotically gazes at the grinds to interpret the patterns before his eyes, expect to hear about your past, present, and future with uncanny accuracy (or at least that’s what happened to me). Facts about your life, love, career, money, family, and travel will spill out of the cup for Tunc to interpret without you mentioning a word. Symbol Cafe is at Valikonağı Caddesi (Street) No: 34 Nişantaşı - İstanbul - Telephone: (0212) 291 75 40. The closest train stop to Symbols Cafe is Osmanbey Metro Station, one stop from Taksim Square.

Luili is an ancient Chinese word for ‘glass art’. Showcasing over 250 glass pieces from the Warring States through the Qing Dynasty, history is present in this collection of crystal. But this isn’t just about an old art form, contemporary glass art is represented as well, not least of which is the signature collection for co-founders Loretta Hui-shan Yang. Often overlooked, but well worth a visit. Hours: 10:00-17:00, Closed on Mondays Tickets: 20 RMB for adults, free for kids