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Looking at a map of this trail might cause a little bit of confusion considering the name, since the shoreline it follows is that of an ancient lake that covered most of what is now northwest Utah. Lake Bonneville, which was a freshwater lake, existed in its largest form around 14,500 years ago. Today, the Great Salt Lake is all that is left of the Pleistocene-era lake that was nearly the size of Lake Michigan. The trail that is being built along this long-ago shoreline is currently in segments totaling 100 miles, but there is a proposal to expand the trail into 280 continuous miles stretching south from the Idaho border to the town of Nephi, Utah.

About an hour’s drive south of Barcelona, past scruffy beach towns along the Costa Dorada, Le Meridien Ra Resort and Spa stands out from its neighbors on a beautiful length of the Mediterranean. Inside the resort gates, an elegant central building, buffed out for the 21st century, does not fail to impress. Originally built as a tuberculosis hospital for children, the hotel has turned its focus from illness to wellness: A three-story modern addition contains the Explore spa, with treatments ranging from all sorts of massages and facials to ayurvedic experiences and thalasso body masks with iodine-rich algae. After treatment, clients are encouraged to prolong the self-care vibe with a visit to the roof, where an indoor-outdoor complex offers glamorous sun beds on a deck, steam and sauna rooms, as well as a pool with stations for bubble jets of varying intensities as well as shoulder-massaging water spouts and soothing currents. Guest rooms are spacious and cleanly modern with midcentury design touches (an angular sconce beside the bed, a curvy Hans Wegner-inspired chair and stool) and a mild color palette. Generous cabinet space speaks to the resort’s summer season—many repeat guests come for a week or two. (For additional space, families can opt to rent one of the on-site apartments.) The resort’s kitchen, which draws inspiration from Catalan traditions, is inventive and playful, employing some molecular gastronomy techniques without any fussiness. Small dishes—accompanied by tiny pearls filled with local vinegar or topped with foam or served in paper cones—are perfect for summer appetites (and can be augmented by more traditional seafood, fish, and ham dishes). The beach itself is a wide, sandy stretch planted with a few palm trees and several rows of beach loungers and umbrellas. Beach servers ferry food and drink from the airy dining pavilion, and a masseuse offers complimentary chair massages. The Mediterranean here, a vivid blue, contains 10% more iodine than elsewhere—a health benefit espoused both by the religious order who ran the sanitarium and by the resort now. As a brand, Le Meridien supports local arts and culture and this hotel is a bright example of that ethos: among many offerings, it hosts literary festivals, visits to the nearby studio of a ceramic artist, cooking lessons on the nuances of Catalan rice dishes, winery tours, live music in the gardens, and is home to four grand bronze sculptures by Salvador Dali. But for all these options, days can pass lazily, too, with a lunch under the grape arbor, or a round of backgammon on the shady terrace facing the beach, accompanied by a glass of rosé. ¡Salud!

The first new building to be constructed on the Bund in 60 years, the terraced, granite Peninsula opened in October 2009. Celebrating the city’s Roaring Twenties, the standalone hotel creates a grand sense of arrival with a sweeping driveway. Art Deco design elements occur throughout the property, and traditional decor employs lacquer, marble, granite, wood, and original art. Rooms and suites come with spacious dressing rooms with a full-length valet box for discreet delivery of laundry and packages; they also feature Peninsula’s industry-leading, intuitive in-room technology, with room functions controlled at the touch of a button, and VOIP telephones that allow guests to make free local and international calls. For arrival and departure in style, book the hotel’s Rolls-Royce Phantoms or 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II. The property also has China’s first hotel private yacht, a British-built Princess 54 model.

Commissioned in 2006 by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, Royal Mansour is like a medina within the city’s Medina. Fifty-three private riads, each three stories high, feel like mini-palaces, with open-air courtyards and on-call butlers. Every detail is an homage to Moroccan craftsmanship, down to the gorgeous zellige ceramic tiles, intricately carved woods, and molded plasterwork created by local artisans.


From April onward, access to a pool is essential to your enjoyment of Marrakech—and canny entrepreneurs have ensured there’s something for every budget. The city has some mega-luxury treats within walking distance of the medina, like the poolside pavilions at the Royal Mansour’s Le Jardin and the pool that launched a thousand photo shoots at La Mamounia. Expect to spend upward of $80 just to get in. There are also plenty of accessibly priced options a little out of town. The top of our list are the ultra-deep, black-tiled, 115-foot long twin pools at the Beldi country club, where $40 gets you a pool pass, a sun lounger beneath the olive trees, and a slap-up barbecue lunch. It gets busy, though, so if you’re after something a little more serene, book a car to take you out to the Jnane Tamsna in the middle of the Palmeraie, where gloriously scented gardens and five serene turquoise pools are hidden away among the date palms. Pool access, including a three-course lunch that fuses Moroccan Mediterranean with more fiery Senegalese flavors, is about the same price. Out at the Fellah Hotel, up-close views of the mighty Atlas Mountains can be soaked up from a shabby-chic poolside terrace over lunch (not included) while rubbing shoulders with the foundation’s artists in residence. Pool access costs $22.

In a fantastic location just a few minutes walk from the Honky Tonks lining Broadway, Holston House Nashville is a fun new Music City sleep that also happens to be very dog friendly (this author’s service dog, Bobbi, had a fabulous visit). And if you’re traveling without pup, but find yourself in need of a little canine loving, don’t fear, the Holston House has plans to adopt a house dog, who will reside at the property. The hotel, which is part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, has partnered with Miranda Lambert’s non-profit MuttNation that promotes and facilitates the adoption of shelter pets and will adopt the pup through this organization. Additionally, MuttNation receives 100% of the fees the hotel charges for your pup’s stay.

Dogs aside, the Holston House is an eye-catching meticulously restored 1920s Art Deco boutique property that comes with a side of modern country flourishes like sliding barn doors. Even the standard rooms are quite spacious for a city sleep with the most delightfully comfortable beds draped in silky sheets and soft duvets and plenty of light streaming in from big windows overlooking the city. The bathrooms are massive with toilets separate from the shower space. There are also four plush one-bedroom suites and two signature 12th-floor Penthouse Suites that are massive and come with stunning views and catchy decor.

The food and beverage program here is excellent with the signature restaurant serving up hearty portions of southern American comfort fare that is hard to stop eating: it is that good. The TENN Bar is responsible for the delightful craft cocktail menu that includes a number of locally distilled spirit choices served in a speakeasy style environment overlooking the lobby with a performance stage for live music. Up on the rooftop you’ll find TENN on Top, the bar next to the vibey outdoor swimming pool — it becomes quite the scene on hot summer weekends, although it is not open to the public — that offers stunning city views and more drinks from the in-house mixologist.

Away from the hotel there is much to experience in Nashville, where country music stars from Taylor Swift to Blake Shelton got their starts, including amazing live music at seemingly every bar on Broadway. And country music aside, Nashville is one of America’s top music cities in general and is home to Jack White’s Third Man Records Studio where visitors can cut their own track on a 33 RPM single using the 1947 Voice-O-Graph recording booth White first debuted with Neil Young on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon for just $20.

Why we love it: An iconic spa resort remade as a chic, eco-friendly retreat

Highlights:
- A digitally disconnected philosophy that allows guests to unwind and engage
- Meals at the fantastic on-site restaurant included in the room rate
- Dark sky–friendly lighting and other sustainable design elements

The Review:
Once the preferred haunt of the American aristocracy, Castle Hot Springs, located just an hour’s drive northwest of Phoenix, attracted families like the Pews, Wrigleys, Vanderbilts, and Rockefellers. In 1945, John F. Kennedy even convalesced here, hiking the high-desert trails and soaking in the hot springs that have served as a place of healing for the native Yavapai tribe for millennia. A 1976 fire set the resort on the path to decline, but as of 2019, it’s back and wowing guests with old glamour and new green elements.

The resort, now freshly renovated, comprises a main lodge, 12 contemporary bungalows, and 19 cabins (complete with telescopes for stargazing), all designed by the team behind Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Hotel Valley Ho. Following the property’s “digital detox” ethos, rooms don’t have TV or Wi-Fi, but more than make up for it with luxurious bedding and deep-soaking tubs. When not relaxing in privacy, guests can dine on fresh, local fare at on-site restaurant Harvest (which works with more than 150 varieties of fruits and vegetables grown on the hotel’s organic farm) or take a dip in the 125,000-gallon swimming pool fed by the surrounding hot springs. Also on property are two natural soaking pools, a rock grotto, and a serene spa right next to the spring. For those who wish to venture off-site, the staff can arrange hikes or horseback rides through the Bradshaw Mountains.

Covering nearly ten miles over the sandstone slickrock just outside of Moab, this 4x4 route is considered one of the best in the region, if not the country. The best part? A half-mile spur from the one-way loop brings visitors to a cliff-edge overlooking the Colorado River. Along the trail, check out Mickey’s Hot Tub, a deep depression in the sandstone where 4x4s drive through, and sometimes get stuck. If you get out of the Jeep, you may also see fossils preserved in the lower Jurassic Sandstone (about 190 million years ago). The route can be done on your own but requires a high-clearance 4x4 vehicle. A number of commercial guide outfits based in Moab provide tours with a driver or allow visitors to rent ATV’s and attempt the trip themselves.

Why we love it: A food-focused retreat in the scenic Willowemoc Valley

The Highlights:

• 600 acres of private land for hiking, fishing, and more
• A nine-course dinner included with each stay
• Cozy common spaces for soaking up the peace and quiet

The Review:
Set on a ledge overlooking the Willowemoc Valley and its namesake river, The DeBruce brings a touch of sophistication to an otherwise quiet corner of the Catskills. Here, in a restored inn from the 1880s, guests find 14 modest rooms spread over three floors. Designed to create a sense of calm, all feature down duvets, Sferra linens, and tile-and-marble bathrooms stocked with Malin & Goetz toiletries, while some also include clawfoot tubs and expansive views of the surrounding scenery. Guests spend little time in their rooms, however, as The DeBruce is home to several cozy common spaces, including the Great Room (filled with antique couches and wingback chairs), the Conservatory (with an original fieldstone fireplace and comfy reading chair), and a serene pool (surrounded by lounge chairs, a firepit, and manicured gardens). The property also sits on nearly 600 acres of private land, which spans two mountains, a river, and several ponds. Simply walk over the private bridge for access to trails for hiking, birding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing, as well as a half-mile of river for fly fishing.

At the center of all of this is the restaurant—a glass-walled dining room overlooking the valley, where guests enjoy the a la carte breakfasts and multiple-course dinners included in their stay (one night is always a nine-course tasting menu). Chef Aksel Theilkuhl, formerly of BLT Steak Group in New York City, draws from a bounty of local, seasonal products for every meal, impressing with dishes like smoked trout and mushroom three ways. Should guests prefer something more casual, there’s also the Club Room in the basement, where Theilkuhl serves bar classics and small plates in an intimate setting. For more insight into The DeBruce’s culinary program, sign up for sessions with Theilkuhl and help with kitchen prep, sample new dishes, or forage the hotel grounds for ramps and more. Other activities like Pilates and yoga classes, exploratory nature walks, and fly-fishing lessons are also on offer, giving guests plenty of ways to while away their days in the Catskills.

Overall:
Housed in a restored 19th-century inn, the 14-room DeBruce is a warren of cozy common spaces that invite travelers to linger in wingback chairs next to stone fireplaces or chat on porch swings hung from the verandah. Guests may take a dip in the outdoor pool or join a fly-fishing or foraging excursion, but the main event is dinner. Chef Aksel Theilkuhl, formerly of BLT Steak Group in New York City, serves a nightly tasting menu in a 32-seat dining room facing the lodge’s ponds and rolling hills.

Ask anyone you know who grew up in the Bay Area about the Exploratorium, and they’ll likely be able to share stories of class trips and seeing their hair stand on end at an installation about electricity or fun-house mirrors that taught about optics and visual perception. This is not, however, a museum simply for kids—though curious kids will definitely be entertained while learning. Instead, its exhibits aim to raise the scientific literacy of visitors of all ages, by providing engaging, amusing, and hands-on experiences. Long housed at the Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium opened in its current, and much larger, space on Piers 15 and 17 in 2013. One advantage of the new waterfront location is the North Gallery and its outdoor spaces, focused on environmental phenomena like the wind, rain, and tides. The completely dark Tactile Dome and the disorienting Monochromatic Room may prove not just the highlights of your visit to the Exploratorium but the most memorable, or at least strangest, moments of your time in San Francisco.

As the first boutique hotel in Koreatown, the Line might have been able to get away with cutting a few corners while still attracting a cool clientele. It probably didn’t need to get the hottest young Korean-American chef in L.A. on board (to run one of the most comprehensive and exciting restaurant and bar networks yet seen, by the way), nor did the Sydell Group—the arbiters of cool behind the Nomad Hotel in New York—have to put their stamp on it. The hotel would have been nice enough had the concrete midcentury building not been entirely reimagined by designer Sean Knibb, known for designing half the cool spots in L.A. and more than a few celebrities’ homes. There didn’t need to be a desert greenhouse–inspired pool deck that’s become a hangout for beautiful people at all hours, nor did the famously trendy Houston Brothers (of no Vacancy and Harvard & Stone) have to throw in a midcentury-inspired cocktail bar. Nor did the typical hotel gift shop have to be reimagined as a design and lifestyle store curated by Poketo. The rooms and suites would have been just fine had they not been turned into artsy, industrial-style lofts, outfitted with original commissioned artwork, a minibar of Korean and Western snacks, and Baxter of California toiletries. Of course, all of this did happen, and now Koreatown is home to one of the hottest hotels in L.A.

Famous since its 1998 opening as the place with the dancing fountains (further immortalized in the final scene of the 2001 film Ocean’s Eleven), the 3,933-room Italian-themed Bellagio is a Las Vegas icon. There is a fantasy feel about it, with its five courtyard pools, its indoor botanical garden and conservatory that change with the seasons, its lobby-dominating Dale Chihuly blown-glass flower sculpture, and its eight-acre lake, out of which rise the fountains. Yet following a 2015 upgrade, it also feels as modern as any hotel on the Strip. The Bellagio still does a few things the old-fashioned way: Along with the expected celebrity restaurants, there is a buffet (a long-cherished Las Vegas tradition) brought up to modern standards with an all-you-can-drink alcohol option. Throughout the hotel, service is tops, shopping is high-end, the Cirque du Soleil production O draws ’em in, and—another Las Vegas tradition—a casino with nearly the area of two football fields makes it all go ‘round, which is no doubt why everybody has to be out of the pools by 7 p.m.

We hopped in a pick-up truck with a bench in the back (aka a Caribbean taxi) & headed toward Honeymoon Beach, St. John. I never would have discovered this hidden beach if it weren’t for the wonders of social media, but thank goodness I did, as it’s possibly the most pristine stretch of sand I’ve ever seen. After a short walk down a dirt road, we arrived at the beach - nearly empty, despite the fact that it was spring break season. Virgin Islands Ecotours has a small stand there where a $49 day pass gets you snorkeling equipment, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, floats & beach chairs. We grabbed a tandem sit-on-top kayak & headed out into the pristine blue water. We paddled up & down the shore, exploring the waters near Caneel Bay Resort, admiring beautiful 50′ sailboats, checking out the National Park Service Head Ranger’s house & beaching our boat on Saloman Beach, where a friendly hiker helped pull us in. Before long, I could feel my legs beginning to get sun burned (& oh did they burn!) under the strong Caribbean sun & we decided it was time for a swim. Decked out in our snorkel, masks, fins & lifejackets, we snorkeled over to some rocks, where we explored the coral reef hand-in-hand. We saw a lot of black & white fish & a few sting rays. We swam back to the beach & lounged for a while before heading back out to snorkel where we saw sea turtles!

Visiting the Strip? Save time for its spas. One of my favorites: Qua, at Caesars Palace. The Roman baths make you feel like you’ve left Las Vegas behind, and the snow room is worth a (quick -- it’s cold!) stop. Then the treatments are out of this world. On my most recent visit, I got the Nagomi treatment, on the mini-menu for the new Nobu boutique hotel inside Caesars. It included a therapeutic massage and excellent facial with a new fizz-like layer that worked on my skin. I couldn’t think of a better way to start my day.

The sky above Jasper National Park comes alive at night. Celebrated as a Dark Sky Preserve, the national park is one of the best places in the world to stargaze. Light pollution is that orange hue often seen above cities, which is caused by the large amount of iridescent light omnipresent in populated areas. Jasper, home to only 5,000 people in a 10,000-square-kilometer area, is essentially light-pollution free. Because of this, the skies are darker—the area around Columbia Icefield is one of the darkest places in North America—so it’s possible to clearly see more stars than nearly anywhere else. Although the dark skies are best viewed in autumn and winter, from September to March, the best time to learn about the stars is during Jasper’s annual Dark Sky Festival that takes place at the end of October. The best part? It’s absolutely free.

The vibe in Waikiki is the most frenetic of all the spots in the islands, but there is an escape. The scene at the current iteration of the classic Hawaiian hangout, Duke’s, is a step back even by Oahu standards. Best approached via the beach to enhance the original feel and avoid the mall-like carnival from the street entrance, this is the kind of bar that welcomes sand on your flips. Slip in for happy hour and be prepared to jockey for a spot. Even with the crowd, the music, the food, the drinks are all designed draw you back to a simpler time when Duke was still riding the longboard. I’m partial to the beers and french fries, but will never refuse a fish taco. With a long relationship with the Kona Brewing brand, I opt for the Longboard larger or Fire Rock Pale ale. The umbrella drinks don’t disappoint, but neither do the gin and tonics. The local musical talent that ply the stage at Duke’s are traditional Hawaiian in style and like to keep the island theme front and center. There is a family vibe to the musical community, much like the rest of Hawaiian culture, and it’s not unusual to get a sibling or cousin to come up on stage and do some traditional Hawaiian dance or help out on a song or two. There was an 8 year old girl that got asked to come up on one of our visits and she blew the crowd away! The strip a Waikiki can be a bit daunting in terms of relaxation, but Duke’s remains my refuge from the madness. Aloha.