Honeymoon in the U.S.A.
From the craggy beaches of Rhode Island to the mountainside pools of Palm Springs.
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(Photo: Courtesy of the vendor) |
Palm Springs, California
Glitzy hotels continue to pop up in Palm Springs�the Dolce, a project from Kimpton, and Arrive (courtesy of a Facebook mogul) are all on the way, and the past two years have seen the opening of Sparrows Lodge (from $200; sparrowslodge.com) and the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage (from $529; ritzcarlton.com). The former is a rustic hideaway with nary a mid-century-modern detail, a barn turned bar, and horse-trough bathtubs, and the latter is an opulent retreat (request a terrace firepit room so you can drift from your Frette-outfitted bed to your outdoor fireside lounge) with impressive views of the Santa Rosa Mountains, and a spa with treatments that last nearly two hours (the Spirit of the Mountains treatment is a massage inspired by the desert surroundings that ends with a warm lavender-oil scalp rub). Log time poolside, hike the myriad trails nearby, visit the newly opened Architecture and Design Center for a mid-century education, sample tequilas at El Jefe, tee off at the Indian Wells Golf Resort, and revel in the throwback wonder (complete with piano man) that is Melvyn’s Restaurant.
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(Photo: Beall + Thomas Photography) |
Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
Nashville’s food scene has flourished in recent years, and things have also gotten a lot more vibrant three hours east, deep in the Smoky Mountains. Splurge on a lavish suite�massive feather beds, wood-burning fireplaces�at the Blackberry Farm (from $695; blackberryfarm.com), a mecca for those eager to experience what has come to be known as �foothills cuisine,� courtesy of James Beard Award�winning chef Joseph Lenn. Tour the abundant gardens, which supply the on-site Barn restaurant, take a cooking class or get schooled in cheese by resident maker Ryan Burger, and sip the Classic Saison (it’s already won a Good Food Award) at the newly opened Blackberry Farm Brewery. You can’t drink the locally sourced buttermilk at the new Wellhouse spa, but it’s incorporated into an indulgent manicure and pedicure, and comes from neighboring producer Cruze Farm Girl, which is also worth a visit. Allan Benton, the so-called rock star of country ham who doles out goods to many a New York chef, owns a cinderblock smokehouse in Madisonville (about a half-hour drive). And don’t leave without getting your hands on local BBQ at Dead End, and hike it off in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, roaming from one waterfall to the next (like Laurel Falls and Hen Wallow Falls). Note: Dollywood is only an hour away.
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(Photo: Courtesy of the Resort at Paws Up) |
Greenough, Montana
Montana’s Resort at Paws Up (from $1,355 per couple; pawsup.com) was made for glampers. And the bucolic 37,000 acres of wildly beautiful wilderness in the Blackfoot Valley northeast of Missoula provides quite the backdrop. The six tented campsites have all the creature comforts you could possibly want (plush beds, grand in-tent bathrooms, private decks, and a butler). Request one of three honeymoon tents, which feature copper tubs for post-trek soaks. Other activities include fly-fishing or kayaking the Blackfoot River, which snakes through the property; honing your archery skills à la Catniss; and for the more adventurous, ATV-riding and rappelling Lookout Rock. Come nightfall, experience Paws Up’s beloved chuck-wagon dinner experience (a horse-drawn cart takes you deep into the woods for an authentic chuck-wagon feast of prime rib, corn, and cobbler) or settle in by your campsite’s fire pit and stargaze.
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(Photo: Courtesy of the vendor) |
Las Vegas, Nevada
For a less Vegas-y Vegas experience, head to Sin City’s newly revitalized downtown. There, you’ll find the Downtown Container Park, a mass of shipping containers turned into a shopping and entertainment destination. You can also scope out the vintage signage at the Neon Museum; booze up at the Downtown Cocktail Room, the Griffin, or the Vanguard Lounge; see who’s on the open mike at Don’t Tell Mama; and catch a concert at the forthcoming Wheelhouse. But no trip here would be complete without heading Strip-ward. Much like everything else in Vegas, with hotels, you can pick your pleasure: For a more classic experience, there is the Linq (from $79; caesars.com/linq), which opened this past fall at center Strip, and will unveil an expansive new pool area and Vortex roof-deck this year; while the new Delano (from $200; delanolasvegas.com) in Mandalay Bay feels more like a retreat thanks to its sprawling Bathhouse spa with eucalyptus steam rooms and redwood saunas and, come this year, a new restaurant by Alain Ducasse. Speaking of celebrity-chef restaurants, new additions include Giada (the first-ever outpost from Giada De Laurentiis), L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, and Bazaar Meat by José Andrés. Drop your winnings at the posh shops (Balenciaga, Gucci, Hermès) at Crystals and have tableside martinis while gawking at contortionists at supper club Rose. Rabbit. Lie. Need a different kind of thrill? Strap yourself in for a vertical plunge at the Big Shot at the Stratosphere or rev an engine that isn’t yours at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.