For part two of our SoCal roundup, we visited a Long Beach getaway with luxurious Latin flair and a brand-new oceanfront resort just 20 miles south of LAX (left). We can’t wait to go back to both! (Photo credit: Terranea Resort)
Travel Archive
This is the time of year we start craving a change of scenery as the winter doldrums set in. While there will be travels back home for the holidays, that’s not the jolt of novelty that we’re seeking. What we need is a road trip, and fortunately, in Los Angeles, one of the cities we call home, nearby choices abound.
Earlier this year, we told you about Gilt.com, an invitation-only online shopping site that offers sample-sale prices on luxury brands such as Badgley Mischka, Cynthia Rowley, Versace and Vera Wang Lavender Label, to name a few. The 36-hour sales have been so successful that Gilt has expanded with three new sites — Gilt Fuse, Gilt Man and Jetsetter — and has a new iPhone app and desktop widget as well.
We believe in reformers — Pilates reformers, that is. (And cadillacs, too; not the kind you drive, the ones you find in a Pilates studio.) Years ago, we discovered our first Pilates-friendly vacation spot when we visited the The Royal Playa del Carmen, a beachfront resort south of Cancún, Mexico. The all-inclusive price for our sumptuous junior suite included meals at any of the resort’s seven restaurants, room service, in-room cocktail bar and a fitness center offering cycling classes, weights and as many group Pilates reformer classes our muscles could stomach.
While we love action-packed vacations — whether trekking up the Spanish Steps on a whirlwind tour of Rome or climbing through Mayan ruins — sometimes a relaxing weekend getaway is just what we need. “Inspirations — A Women’s Retreat” at the Wintergreen Resort in central Virginia, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, sounds like a perfect way to recharge before the holidays and winter months. The weekend package ($475) features yoga, spa treatments, hiking and wellness education sessions — including a chocolate-eating lesson!
On a recent trip to Puglia we learned some down and dirty little secrets you should know next time you’re shopping for olive oil. First, Italy does not produce enough olives for all the olive oil it exports. This means lots of olive oil from Italy is blended with — gasp — oils from other countries, like Greece and Spain. These countries produce excellent olive oil, but it’s not Italian. Sneaky manufacturers get away with this by bottling the foreign oil in Italy, so make sure to check that the oil is made from olives grown and pressed in Italy if you’re aiming to splurge on Italian.
When watching travel and nature programs, we often long to voyage to the same exotic locales. Now replicating a trip seen on a Discovery Channel show such as Man Vs. Wild or Discovery Atlas has become easier with the Discovery Adventures travel program. Choose from 18 destinations and 31 itineraries offering accessible, yet unique adventure travel experiences around the globe, from the Amazon to Zambia. The tours, which recently have been made available to book, begin departures in December.
We just returned from Rome, where we stumbled upon a fantastic little restaurant near the Spanish Steps called Babette, owned and run by two sisters committed to cooking with fresh summer produce, like zucchini and basil — two staples you’ll find at your farmer’s market. The dish that made us swoon was warm ziti coated with an emerald-green pistachio pesto, rich with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and garlic, yet lightened with zucchini. Brilliant!
Passport? Check. Collapsible tote bag? Check. Dramamine? Check. Oil and vinegar? Check. Until now you probably haven’t considered packing the makings of salad dressing, but then, there’s never been anything like Gourmè Mist, a line of eco-friendly, non-aerosol oil and vinegar misters that come in a nifty 3.5-ounce travel size.
When making reservations, savvy travelers take lodgings’ eco status — such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings of Platinum, Gold, Silver or certified — into consideration. Here are three green hotels worth checking out — and checking into.
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