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a world of

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awaits

the best journeys are measured
in memories, not miles.

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Adventure Awaits

in Canada Celebrated for its incredible landscapes,
magnificent wildlife, and vast open
spaces, Canada offers endless
opportunities to be in the moment and
expand your horizons. Whether you’re
looking for off-the-grid luxury at a
wilderness lodge, a once-in-a-lifetime
escapade such as polar bear spotting,
or a unique immersion into an ancient
culture, Canada has it all. And more.

BE INSPIRED BY NATURE

Throughout Canada’s 13 diverse
provinces and territories, you’ll find fresh
air, green space, and breathing room just
about everywhere. Take, for example,
Vancouver’s spectacular Stanley Park,
a nearly 1,000-acre oasis just blocks
from downtown. Rent a bicycle and set
off on the park’s 5.5-mile seawall to take
in gorgeous views of English Bay and
the Burrard Inlet—or explore the park’s
quiet forests and tranquil wilderness on
a Talaysay Talking Trees tour. On this
90-minute guided walk (one of many
excursions with Talaysay Tours), a First
Nations guide will teach you about the
park’s native trees and plants through
the eyes of the Skwxu7mesh Uxwumixw
(Squamish) Coast Salish people.

For more one-of-a-kind adventures,
set your sights further north to Canada’s
Arctic landscapes. View some of the
world’s only free-ranging reindeer in the
Northwest Territories, snap a rare photo
of the mysterious narwhal in Nunavut,
or take in the magic of the Northern
Lights on a tour with Arctic Range
Adventure, based in Whitehorse. The
Yukon boasts aurora borealis activity
from late August to mid-April, making it
one of the best places on earth to view
nature’s top light show.

Autumn color
at Stanley Park
in Vancouver.

Above: Northern Lights DISCOVER NEW PERSPECTIVES
in the Yukon. Right: Relaxing Immersive cultural experiences abound throughout
at Balnea Spa in Quebec. Canada. On the Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick, the
Historic Acadian Village is a living museum that invites
RELAX + REJUVENATE you to experience daily life in Acadia from 1770 to 1949.
Explore the historic buildings, chat with farmers and
Canada’s natural beauty and epic craftspeople, and join cooking and crafts workshops.
landscapes offer plenty of room to slow
down and just breathe for a while. If At Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
time is limited, try a half- or full-day in Nova Scotia, learn about the 4,000-year-old Mi’kmaw
package at a day spa, such as the Banff culture through a variety of programs led by local
Upper Hot Springs in Banff National Mi’Kmaq guides. Visit the park’s fascinating collection of
Park (featuring rare, natural mineral hot petroglyphs (the largest in North America), discover how
springs), or the Balnea Spa in Quebec’s the Mi’kmaq people respect their homeland and honor
Eastern Townships (known for a unique nature at the Mi’kmaw encampment, and witness the
thermal experience based on the ancient craft of birch-bark canoe building.
Scandinavian hot-cold-rest ritual).
Fans of the beloved novel Anne of Green Gables,
For a more complete escape, head by Lucy Maud Montgomery, won’t want to miss the
to a luxury wilderness retreat such eponymous museum on Prince Edward Island. Immerse
as Trout Point Lodge, which sits yourself in Anne’s world as you walk through the house the
on a secluded lake in the UNESCO author referred to as “the wonder castle of my childhood,”
Southwest Nova Scotia Biosphere stroll along the famous “Lake of Shining Waters,” and soak
Reserve. Or, treat yourself to a stay in the stunning scenery that is so beautifully depicted in
at one of the country’s most unique Montgomery’s writings.
getaways, the Fogo Island Inn, an
award-winning, sustainably built hotel To find your true north and plan your
that sits on a rugged island off the coast perfect getaway, visit canada.travel.
of Newfoundland and Labrador.

EXPERIENCES

The Game Changers courts. My first few games saw classic Anguillan
weather that was just hot enough to help me
In the Caribbean, tiny Anguilla is a tennis sweat out my daily ration of rum, but fresh
powerhouse—thanks largely to a grassroots effort enough to keep me from wilting.
to cultivate the island’s next generation of talent.
My playing partner was Sunzahra Liburd
By David Shaftel Banks from the Anguilla Tennis Academy (the
resort can pair interested guests of all skill levels
A N G U I L L A S I T S in the balmy with academy students; they can also play on
waters of the Caribbean Sea, the academy courts for a $10 fee). Banks, 20,
but its position at the region’s had been about to leave for Savannah State
northeasternmost point lends it a University on a tennis scholarship but, thanks
quirky geographical trait: there’s to the pandemic, was still honing her skills
nothing but ocean between the last winter on the island by playing with—and
island and Nova Scotia, 1,828 miles to giving lessons to—the hotel’s guests. She’s one
the north. That means there’s a near- of 13 locals who, in the past few years, have
received scholarships to American universities
constant breeze that vacillates from with the help of the academy.

a gentle breath of cool air to a stiff “Coach Mitch saw my potential and told
me how far I could go,” said Banks, who
gale—exhilarating conditions for tennis players began playing as a five-year-old in one of the
academy’s summer programs. “Coach Mitch”
in the punishing heat of a West Indies court. is Mitchelle Lake, who founded the academy COURTESY OF BELMOND
on two public courts in 1996 and established
Tennis is what brought me to Anguilla last its permanent home in the village of Blowing
Point in 2007. It’s become an incubator for
spring with my family, where we stayed at Caribbean tennis talent, with six tidy courts,

Malliouhana, Auberge Resorts Collection—

a retro-chic, 25-acre property with candy-

colored villas, three lush beaches, and two hard

52 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

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EXPERIENCES From far left: Shawn Romney, WHERE TO
head of the tennis program at PLAY IN THE
FROM TOP: COURTESY OF MALLIOUHANA, AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION; Anguilla’s Cap Juluca; Malliouhana’s CARIBBEAN
KEVIN ARCHIBALD/KSHARP MEDIA/COURTESY OF ANGUILLA TENNIS ACADEMYpools overlook Meads Bay.
Cap Juluca, a
an after-school program, and a constant of recommendation for a tennis Belmond Hotel
stream of visiting coaches from abroad. scholarship in the United States. Instruction on its
Now he’s paying it forward. special grass-like
The academy is also what makes Anguilla turf is provided by
so special for a tennis-obsessed tourist, At Cap Juluca, the courts are Anguilla Tennis
whether you’re a beginner or, like me, an nestled behind the sugary dunes of Academy students.
unhealthily competitive recreational player Maundays Bay and ringed by scarlet belmond.com;
whose first order of business before any trip bougainvillea. Shawn Romney, the doubles from $795.
is typing the word tennis into the search resort’s head of tennis, grew up
box of various hotel websites. The academy playing and working at the hotel with Four Seasons
sends coaches and hitting partners to both Lake. He attended college with him, Resort & Residences
the Malliouhana and Four Seasons Resort & too. Now he runs the place, hires Anguilla
Residences Anguilla. academy students, and is a role model Vallan Hodge
for the island’s tennis-obsessed youth. Richardson, the
Hotels, in fact, are the only game in town Anguilla Tennis
on most Caribbean islands—both for guests and Against Romney, I put up what I Academy COO,
the tennis-playing employees, who are allowed thought was a valiant fight, keeping teaches lessons at
a precious few hours of off-the-clock training. the set level for the first six games the hotel’s three
Mitch Lake is no exception. As a child, he would before he overwhelmed me with an courts. fourseasons.
hitchhike nearly seven miles from his home to accuracy achieved only by someone com; doubles
Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel, on the island’s who’s spent a lifetime on that from $625.
southwestern tip, where he was an assistant to specific court.
the head of the tennis program. It was there Four Seasons
that Lake met a patron who wrote him letters At Caribbean resorts, workers Resort Nevis
typically drift away from tennis Three surfaces
when they grow out of their jobs. (Astroturf, clay, and
But Romney and Lake have parlayed hard-court) on
the relationship into a situation that’s nine playing areas
genuinely beneficial to young locals. are managed
The hope is that many of them will by the famed
lead a new generation in a regional Peter Burwash
tennis boom. As for tennis tourists International.
like myself, Anguilla remains the fourseasons.com;
undisputed ace of the Caribbean. doubles from $854.

David Shaftel is the editor and a Half Moon
founder of Racquet magazine. Private lessons and
clinics on 11 courts
Mitchelle Lake on court with one of are offered at this
Anguilla Tennis Academy’s students. iconic Jamaican
resort in Montego
54 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021 Bay. halfmoon.com;
doubles from $300.

Malliouhana, Auberge
Resorts Collection
Guests of all skill
levels are paired
with one of Mitchelle
Lake’s protégés on
two hard courts.
aubergeresorts.
com; doubles
from $999.

Ritz-Carlton,
Grand Cayman
Along with tennis
lessons and clinics,
the resort offers the
only pickleball court
on the island.
ritz-carlton.com;
doubles from $519.



Toward F E W P EO PL E HAVE That fact is what has pushed me,
Justice as an adult, to learn more about his life.
challenged, shaped, King was born in Atlanta, and though
On a road trip through the and loved the world so he traveled around the world—meeting
Deep South, Kayla Stewart deeply and with such with leaders in countries like Ghana and
traces the life of Dr. Martin a resounding defiance India—much of his time was spent in the
Luther King Jr.—and of the status quo as Deep South, where Jim Crow laws had
reflects on how his legacy Dr. Martin Luther King created a world of legalized terror for
continues to evolve. Jr. Like most young Black Americans. To better understand his
Americans, I learned life, and how the South shaped him, my
The Edmund Pettus sister and I were inspired to pick up a car
Bridge in Selma, in South Carolina and trace King’s legacy
Alabama, where Dr. across the region. We decided to walk the
Martin Luther King Jr. same paths he had, visit monuments and
helped lead a series of landmarks of his influence in each place
marches to the State we stopped, and eat at the restaurants he
Capitol in Montgomery. enjoyed—plus others that might not exist
Right: A portrait of King today without his bravery. What I found
at Atlanta’s Ebenezer was a land that had been brutalized by
Baptist Church, where racism, but one that continues to be full of
he served as co-pastor. possibility, charm, and, thanks to some
of those who live there, hope.

SOUTH CAROLINA

My sister and I met up and spent the
first two days of our trip in Charleston.
Known for its Lowcountry cuisine and
well-preserved historic buildings, the
city was also the disembarkation point
for millions of enslaved Africans whose
servitude built the wealth of the South. In
1816, a group of them founded the Mother

about the pastor and

Civil Rights leader

in school; I heard his “I Have a

Dream” speech before I reached

second grade. A staunch pacifist,

King unapologetically protested

the Vietnam War and challenged

modern-day capitalism; when

he died, he was preparing to

support Black sanitation workers

fighting for fair wages. Despite his

elevation to the status of national

hero—and the widespread use

of his words across the political

spectrum—the majority of

Americans disapproved of him

while he was alive. And still, he

marched on.

56 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021 PH OTO GRAPH S BY DI WAN G VAL DE Z

Emanuel AME Church (motheremanuel.com), part of EXPERIENCES
the country’s first independent Black denomination
ILLUSTRAT ION BY L ARA COSTAFREDA and the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church Walking through a
in the South, in the heart of downtown Charleston. commemorative garden at the
This church has represented both freedom and Little Rock Central High School
tragedy, and is perhaps most familiar to outsiders as
the site of a horrific white-supremacist shooting that National Historic Site.
claimed nine Black lives in 2015.
GEORGIA
Despite the painful events the church has seen,
brighter days have existed within this simple white We got on the highway for the longest drive of our
building. King visited as a relatively new leader in trip, to Atlanta—King’s birthplace, and final resting
1962, urging the congregation to register to vote. He place. The city remains deeply influenced by his
returned in 1967 to speak to a much larger audience work, from its many HBCUs (historically Black
of about 3,000 people, all eager to hear his words of colleges and universities) to its current political
thoughtful resistance. To protect church members, landscape. Here, Black history is everywhere,
visitors are now required to make a reservation. even in the accommodations. At the Hamilton
Inside, stunning stained-glass windows preside over Howell House (hamiltonhowellhouse.com; doubles
the commanding pulpit where King once stood. As
I left, I placed flowers outside to pay my respects to
the Charleston Nine.

After the heaviness of the experience, we needed
peaceful lodging and comforting food. We spent
two nights at the endearing Dewberry Charleston
(thedewberrycharleston.com; doubles from $500),
which occupies a mid-century former office building
just around the corner from the church. We also got
our hands good ’n’ dirty at Rodney Scott’s Whole
Hog BBQ (rodneyscottsbbq.com; entrées $11–$24),
named for the lauded Black pitmaster who founded
the restaurant. The pulled pork and ribs are not to
be missed, nor are the deeply flavorful side dishes,
like collard greens and potato salad. On our way out
of town, we snacked on garlic crab from Ravenel
Seafood (fb.com/ravenelseafood; entrées $12–$23),
about 30 minutes west of the city.

TENNESSEE NORTH CAROLINA

Little Memphis
Rock

ARKANSAS Birmingham Atlanta SOUTH CAROLINA
MISSISSIPPI GEORGIA Charleston
Selma
ALABAMA

EXPERIENCES

from $164), we enjoyed sleeping in the John ALABAMA
Coltrane Suite—an ode to the great saxophonist.
Built in 1890 by African American architect From Atlanta, we drove southwest toward Selma,
Alexander Hamilton Jr., the massive house was a town still infamous as the site of Bloody Sunday.
purchased in the 1980s by Mtamanika Youngblood On March 7, 1965, police officers brutally beat
and her husband, George Howell; after his death, a group of peaceful marchers—led by King’s
Youngblood began converting it into a B&B, which colleague, future congressman John Lewis—as
opened in 2018. It is now filled with the work of they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge
Black designers and pays homage to influential in protest of the state’s discriminatory voting
Black creatives and intellectuals. restrictions. My sister and I followed their footsteps
in silence, reflecting on the terror that happened
After sleeping off our dinner from cult favorite just decades ago.
Slutty Vegan (sluttyveganatl.com; entrées $11–$19),
a Black-owned plant-based-burger joint, we walked The bridge is a few minutes from the National
just a few minutes to Martin Luther King, Jr. National Voting Rights Museum & Institute (nvrmi.com).
Historical Park (nps.gov/malu), where preserved As we walked through the somber space, we
landmarks like King’s yellow childhood home and were startled to see young faces; the museum has
Historic Fire Station No. 6, which was desegregated collected photos of many of the marchers, some of
in the 1960s, are open to visitors. Though we couldn’t whom were just teenagers at the time. Afterward,
go inside any of the buildings because of COVID-19 we stopped by Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot (2115 Minter
precautions, we were still able to visualize what Ave.; 334-874-4478; entrées $7–$10), a Black-owned
life might have been like in the middle-class Black barbecue joint that fed protesters and activists in
neighborhood of Sweet Auburn. the 1960s. We practically inhaled the perfectly sweet
ribs, baked beans, and potato salad.
We also visited Ebenezer Baptist Church
(ebenezeratl.org)—both the old location, where It was another two hours to Birmingham, also
King preached to hopeful congregants, and the known for its rich Civil Rights history. After a long
new building where Senator Raphael Warnock is day of travel, we ate at celebrated chef John Hall’s
pastor. My sister and I paid our respects at the tomb phenomenal Post Office Pies (postofficepies.com;
of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, which pizzas $12–$25), where good, hearty pizza reigns
is surrounded by a reflecting pool. For lunch, we supreme, before our stay at the Elyton Hotel,
stopped at Paschal’s (paschalsatlanta.com; entrées Autograph Collection (elytonhotel.com; doubles
$11–$18), a long-standing Black-owned restaurant from $299). Housed in the historic Empire Building
that was a favorite of King’s when he was in town. downtown, it’s named for an area that pre-dates the
After tasting the crispy fried chicken and candied city of Birmingham. The next morning, we visited
yams, I could see why. the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (bcri.org),
which houses a remarkable collection of artifacts

58 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

From far left: A guest ARKANSAS
room at Atlanta’s
Hamilton Howell Our trip through King’s life story culminated in Little
House, which features Rock. In 1958, then relatively unknown, he had
décor by Black artists attended the graduation of Ernest Green, the oldest
and designers; collards, of the Little Rock Nine—a group of Black students
mac and cheese, and who became the face of education desegregation
pulled pork at the in the city. Little Rock Central High School (nps.
James Beard Award– gov/chsc) is still in operation and now serves a
winning Rodney Scott’s diverse population, but a museum across the street
Whole Hog BBQ, in highlights the tumultuous years during the late 50s
Charleston; customers known as the Little Rock Crisis, which culminated
outside Rodney Scott’s. with President Eisenhower sending in federal troops
to quell white supremacist riots. The anger and
from Alabama and throughout the country. King vitriol directed at the teenagers was condemned
was arrested in the city in 1963, and while detained around the world, and set off a new chapter in the
he wrote his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Civil Rights movement.
a manifesto on the inherent rights and sovereignty
of Black Americans, and a damning assessment of A stay at the regal Capital Hotel (capitalhotel.
race relations in the United States. The museum com; doubles from $195), opened in 1876, gave us
includes a sobering replica of the prison cell King a peek into old Little Rock. Located in the center
was confined to for eight days. of the city, it’s just a quick drive from the House of
Mental (fb.com/thehouseofmental; entrées $10–$15),
TENNESSEE a Black-owned restaurant that offers delightful
vegan versions of Southern favorites. Over garlicky
My sister and I braced ourselves for the most “shrimp,” okra, and rich macaroni and cheese,
emotional part of the trip on the 250-mile drive to my sister and I reflected on an unforgettable trip,
Memphis. On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated tracing a remarkable life that has directly impacted
with a single bullet at the Lorraine Motel, a Black- our own. Even for just a few days, we had gotten
owned motor inn that had hosted the likes of to know better a man whose legacy can never
Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Nat King Cole. fully be captured—but who will forever continue
The Lorraine has since been transformed into the shaping this land.
National Civil Rights Museum (civilrightsmuseum.
org), and the sense of tragedy, even 53 years later, Scenes from the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, where King was killed.
remains palpable. Inside, guests can learn about The site now houses the National Civil Rights Museum.
King’s final days, which were spent working on the
Poor People’s Campaign, and view the rooms he
and his colleagues occupied before his untimely
death. A replica of the wreath laid at the spot of his
assassination remains there today.

To catch our breath, we stayed at the Central
Station Memphis (centralstationmemphis.com;
doubles from $219), an eclectic hotel inside an active
train station. In historically Black South Memphis, we
stopped for some classics, like fried chicken, green
beans, and corn bread, at the Four Way Soul Food
Restaurant (thefourway901.com; entrées $9–$16),
a major hub for activists during the Civil Rights
movement and another known favorite of King’s.

5 9T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

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1,300 stores, a Fashion Avenue precinct dedicated to high-end, luxury
brands, and its own aquarium and underwater zoo. The Mall of the
Emirates is another legendary stop—it’s expansive enough to house an
indoor ski resort, two hotels, and more than 630 shops.

VIBRANT MARKETS

Souks are traditional marketplaces selling a vast array of wares, such as
handwoven fabrics, perfumes, and other curios. In the Deira district, the
Gold Souk is a shimmering treasure trove of jewelry-makers and artisans
with a 3.1-mile-long Celebration Chain made of 22K gold on display. At
the nearby Spice Souk, wind through colorful piles of herbs, dried fruit,
blended teas, and other sundries. Or, for a modern spin on the bazaar, visit
a weekly makers’ market.

MODERN GEMS

For a new wave of fashionable finds, head to Al Wasl Road, where you’ll find
O’de Rose, a one-of-a-kind repository of jewelry and home accents. Inside
this wonderfully imaginative concept shop, explore a treasure trove of
intricately crafted accessories by local talents and designers from the region
and beyond. Peruse vibrant kaftans and kimonos, embroidered clutches,
and graphic flatware, such as forks, knives, and spoons with checkerboard
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Basking in the glow of
the aurora borealis on
Breiðamerkurjökull,
a glacier in Iceland’s
southeast.

ENJOY THE SHOW

This winter could see a star turn for the northern lights. Stephanie Vermillion offers expert
advice for improving your odds of seeing this don’t-miss spectacle.

6 3T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

SPOTTING THE CHARTREUSEINTELLIGENT TRAVELERThe igloo-style guest rooms at Greenland’s Hotel Arctic overlook Ilulissat Icefjord.

swirls and violet spires of the FROM TOP: COURTESY OF HOTEL ARCTIC; COURTESY OF HOTEL RANGÁNational Oceanic & Atmosphericdark-sky map can help do-it-yourself
northern lights is a dream experience spotters pin down prime viewing
for many travelers, but the past Administration (noaa.gov), track the locations. Travelers can also bank
few years have been a relatively index, which follows a zero-to-nine on an inky atmosphere by booking
uneventful time for aurora spotters. scale. A subdued level three signifies at hotels built specifically for
Because the phenomenon is a that aurora sightings are only likely northern-lights chasers. On Iceland’s
by-product of the solar wind, the near the Arctic Circle, in places such Ring Road, Hotel Rangá (hotelranga.
magnitude of those colorful ribbons as Iceland. But should the number is; doubles from $376) features an
waxes and wanes in reaction to the tick above five, lights could dance on-site observatory and can place
sun’s 11-year cycles. After reaching as far south as northern Wisconsin wake-up calls to guests whenever the
what scientists call solar minimum in and North Dakota—close enough phenomenon appears. At Greenland’s
December 2019, the cycle is back on for a last-minute road trip. Apps like Hotel Arctic (hotelarctic.com; doubles
the upswing as it builds toward the My Aurora Forecast (jrustonapps. from $281), isolated igloos open
next solar maximum in around 2025. com) and SpaceWeatherLive (space May through October promise
“The next few years may be prime weatherlive.com) go further, offering jaw-dropping aurora displays above
time for aurora watchers,” says John K-index predictions, location- the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World
Barentine, formerly the director of based viewing probabilities, and Heritage site. On Michigan’s Upper
conservation for the International real-time maps. Peninsula, Fresh Coast Cabins (fresh
Dark-Sky Association (darksky.org), coastcabins.com; doubles from $150)
an advocacy group. Here’s how to Seek suitable skies. is open from May through November.
boost your odds of seeing the magic It has accommodations with Lake
in person. The less light pollution, the brighter Superior views, and frequent
the show. Resources like the IDA’s aurora sightings, too.
Crunch the numbers.
Leverage technology.
The key figure that aurora hunters
swear by is the planetary K-index, While the human eye takes up to
a holistic indicator of northern- 30 minutes to adjust to the dark,
lights activity and visibility. Many newer smartphones like the iPhone
organizations, including the 12 and the Google Pixel 6 Pro—not
to mention DSLR and mirrorless
Iceland’s Hotel Rangá has an cameras—can pick up the swirls right
observatory for stargazing and long- away. On nights with high aurora
exposure photography. potential but no immediately visible
spectacle, it’s often possible to take
images of the northern lights with a
tripod and a long exposure setting.
And capturing the experience for
posterity can feel almost as magical
as seeing the aurora itself.

64 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

INTELLIGENT TRAVELER

Extra Credit resort in French Polynesia, regularly
hosts lectures and educational
Travel has long been a way to learn about the world. Now presentations from visiting scientists,
a range of next-gen educational vacations are making it easier anthropologists, and other experts.
to learn about history, pick up a language, or gain a better Read on for our pick of the best
understanding of our planet. By Devorah Lev-Tov teachable moments for travelers.

“NOW MORE THAN EVER, pandemic, the company launched LANGUAGES
Context Learning, a digital platform
expertise matters,” says June Chin- offering live seminars by experts on a Apps like Babbel (babbel.
Ramsey, the new CEO of the tour variety of topics. Perhaps surprisingly, com), Drops (language
company Context (contexttravel. those virtual classes “are here to stay,” drops.com), and Duolingo
com). Chin-Ramsey has seen the Chin-Ramsey says. “Online learning (duolingo.com) can help
pandemic strengthen travelers’ urge can be a stand-alone adventure in travelers learn the basics
to really dig in to a destination. its own right.” before arrival, but
“These days, people don’t just want in-person classes like
to visit a city; they want to deeply Other players are adding those from Coucou
know and intimately connect with educational elements, hoping to (coucoufrenchclasses.
the history, people, food, and culture.” appeal to the growing number of com), which has locations
travelers keen to make each trip count.
Context makes that happen Beyond Green (staybeyondgreen.
through a network of scholars that com), a new hospitality brand focused
specialize in fields such as art history, on sustainability, requires each of
archaeology, cuisine, architecture, its nearly 30 member hotels and
history, and theology. These pros resorts to offer guest enrichment. For
offer private, custom, and small- example, the Brando (thebrando.com;
group walking tours in 60 cities doubles from $3,916), a private-island
around the world. During the

ILLUST RAT ION S BY D O NO U GH O’MAL LEY 6 5T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

INTELLIGENT TRAVELER in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, from $1,500 per person per Crafted Ireland (crafted as Adrianna Quintero of the
and New York City, can help night, all-inclusive) can ireland.com), which Energy Foundation, Jane
polish that all-important signal that they want staff connects guests with Cork Gideon from indoor vertical
accent. Idlewild (idlewild to teach them Tswana by historian Michael Martin, farm company Plenty, and
books.com), a travel- wearing a special bracelet. a Titanic specialist. His experts from the nearby
focused bookstore in New detailed tours illuminate NASA Ames Research
York City, moved its HISTORY the ship’s tragic history Center. At the Lodge at Blue
language classes online and its connections to the Sky, Auberge Resorts
during the pandemic, so The Efendi Hotel (efendi- country, from the Belfast Collection (auberge
now people anywhere can hotel.co.il; doubles from shipyard where the vessel resorts.com; doubles from
join sessions in Italian, $385), in the ancient city was built to its final port of $1,349), farmer Lynsey
Portuguese, or Spanish. For of Acre, Israel, offers a call in the town of Cobh. Gammon teaches guests
an in-country experience, four-day seminar focusing sustainable practices by
sister Costa Rican resorts on the history of the WINE letting them get their
Nayara Gardens, Nayara Crusades led by Efraim hands dirty irrigating
Springs, and Nayara Tented Lev of the University of The newly opened Four crops, cultivating
Camp (nayararesorts.com; Haifa. Lectures include Seasons Resort & vegetables, and planting
doubles from $390) can often-overlooked Jewish Residences Napa Valley seeds in the on-site
arrange a full immersion, and Muslim perspectives (fourseasons.com; greenhouse.
with language lessons and on the period, and are doubles from $1,800),
cooking classes taught complemented by tours which is the area’s first CLIMATE CHANGE
in Spanish. The Family of the area’s historic and only resort on the
Coppola Hideaways (the forts. A different sort grounds of a working A new vessel from
familycoppolahideaways. of history comes from vineyard, offers behind- expedition operator
com; doubles from $159) in the-scenes access to Ponant (us.ponant.com),
Belize and Guatemala Elusa Winery, with tours Le Commandant Charcot,
added both Spanish and of the barrel rooms and is slated to launch in
Creole language classes guided tastings of November with a scientific
in 2020. Grand Hotel Cabernet Sauvignon grown laboratory on board.
Tremezzo (grandhotel on its 7.4 acres. World of Guests will have the
tremezzo.com; doubles Wine (wow.pt) is a new chance to assist
from $710), on Lake Como, cultural district in Porto, researchers with ice-floe
Italy, uses its Cook & Portugal, set inside a studies, water sampling,
Conversation program to nearly 14-acre complex and placing data beacons
teach Italian through food. of renovated cellars. Its to monitor environmental
And guests at the three museums present a survey conditions. Expedition
Botswana safari lodges run of how wine has influenced cruises arranged by
by Belmond (belmond.com; human history, while Abercrombie & Kent
on-site classes tackle (abercrombiekent.com)
general subjects such as are often joined by working
“demystifying port” as scientists, including figures
well as more detailed like James McClintock,
explorations, such as a one of the world’s foremost
study of sparkling wines experts on the impact
from the Douro. of climate change on
polar regions. On one
SCIENCE upcoming itinerary (from
$12,995 per person for 13
The Ameswell Hotel (the days), McClintock will
ameswellhotel.com; lead multiple lectures
doubles from $259), in and accompany guests
Silicon Valley, organizes an to Palmer Station, the
ongoing series of talks with Antarctica base operated
technology insiders such by the National Science
Foundation.

66 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

© Imported by Winebow, Inc., New York, NY

CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI
DEL REG. UE N. 1308/2013
CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING
TO EU REG. NO. 1308/2013

HOW MUCH WOULDINTELLIGENT TRAVELER Comparisons (privatejet earn Medallion status and Private-jet companies
cardcomparisons.com), a SkyMiles on private flights. are also adding a growing
you spend to avoid standing CA IO GUATELL I/COURTESY OF WHEEL S UPwebsite that covers the number of once-in-a-
in line at a crowded airport sector. “But after a lot of Another operator lifetime adventures, like
terminal? For a growing service got cut because of forging new partnerships the Great Migration–
cohort of travelers, the COVID-19, a trip that was is Jet Edge (flyjetedge. viewing safari in East
answer is, whatever it takes. once easy to make became com; flights from $6,500 Africa from Wheels Up and
Interest in private-jet flights way more difficult.” per hour), which offers Abercrombie & Kent.
has already surged past pre- special rates for nonstops
pandemic levels, according That’s led to a splurge between any Montage or Other firms are betting
to VistaJet (vistajet.com; surge. NetJets (netjets. Pendry Hotels & Resorts on semiprivate flights that
flights from $12,000 per com; fares upon request), properties. And Tradewind aren’t as exclusive—but
hour). The hottest growth which owns and operates (flytradewind.com; flights still bypass big-airport
is in longer-haul trips, a fleet of more than 760 from $2,300 per hour) now chaos. One example is
including a 135 percent aircraft, aims to add more arranges private flights to JSX (jsx.com; flights from
increase in routes between than 100 new planes by numerous hotels across $129 one-way), which
the U.S. and Europe, the the end of 2022 to keep the Caribbean and the operates 30-seat Embraer
company says. up with demand—which eastern U.S. 145 jets connecting VIP
is so steep the company facilities. Another is
Those types of flights temporarily suspended Verijet (verijet.com; Set Jet (setjet.com; flights
can easily cost six figures, sales this summer. Wheels flights from $3,000 per from $450 one-way),
but it’s no surprise they’ve Up (wheelsup.com; flights hour), which launched which serves private
become wildly popular, from $5,795 per hour) has in 2020, flies smaller, terminals; passengers pay
aviation expert Doug expanded its reach with six-passenger jets at more both a membership fee
Gollan says. “Even before new partnerships: it offers accessible prices. (Verijet (from $100 a month) and
the pandemic, there flight credits and discounts is also an outlier thanks to a fare for each flight. It’s
were a lot of people who to holders of the American fuel-efficient Cirrus SF50 not quite “flying private,”
could afford to fly private Express Platinum Card, Vision Jets that generate but skipping the airport
but didn’t,” says Gollan, and a collaboration with a much smaller carbon crowds is pretty much
who is also the founder Delta lets passengers footprint than typical priceless—right?
of Private Jet Card light aircraft.)

Rarefied Air

Private-jet travel has never been more popular, as adventurers ditch
the hassles of commercial for something once considered off-limits.
Maya Kachroo-Levine reports on why the trend is taking off.

68 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021 A Wheels Up jet at Miami-Opa locka Executive Airport.

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THE PRO’S GUIDEINTELLIGENT TRAVELER
TO A CROWD-FREE
SKI GETAWAY FROM TOP : I AN Z INNER/COURTESY OF ARAPAHOE BASIN; COURTESY OF GRAND TARGHEE RESORT

Outdoor adventure remains in demand,
so this winter is bound to be busy.
But that doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck in
interminable lines—as long as you follow
these strategies from expert skiers.

By Maya Silver

Carving the powder In the glades at
at Arapahoe Basin, Wyoming’s Grand
in Colorado. Targhee Resort.

C R OW D S I N T H E M O U N TA I N

West have long been a concern, but
lately hassles such as long lift lines,
traffic jams, and over-tracked snow
have become more noticeable—for
locals and visitors alike. Last year,
the U.S. saw its fifth-busiest ski
season on record; Utah notched its
biggest numbers ever, with more
than 5.3 million resort visits. With
pandemic uncertainty driving
continued demand for activities
outdoors, there’s good reason
to expect another record winter
on the slopes.

Yet there’s more than enough
terrain to go around, veteran ski
patrollers say. To outsmart the
masses, choose the right destinations
and practice these easy travel hacks.

70 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

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(Ski Getaways, continued from p. 70)INTELLIGENT TRAVELER

Seek out new spots. IAN ZINNER/COURTESY OF ARAPAHOE BASIN

If resorts like Monarch Mountain (ski
monarch.com), Showdown Montana
(showdownmontana.com), or Silver
Mountain (silvermt.com) don’t ring
a bell, that’s a good thing. Travelers
often gravitate to brand-name
destinations like Aspen and Jackson
Hole—for good reason—but thinking
outside the box often pays off. Joëlle
and Stuart Griffin, a husband-and-
wife team who patrol in Crested
Butte, Colorado, have their sights set
on Taos Ski Valley (skitaos.com) in
New Mexico this year, with an eye to
the resort’s short lines and light, dry
snow. Park City, Utah, patroller Eric
Anderson likes the North Cascades
in Washington, where Mt. Baker Ski
Area (mtbaker.us) often sees far fewer
guests than bigger alternatives.

Go against the grain. The vintage Pali Lift at Arapahoe Basin.

One way to find untracked powder putting the camper on my truck (brightonresort.com). Those with
and less-crowded pistes is to head and cruising the Powder Highway” flexible schedules can often dodge
to the edges of a resort, Stuart (powderhighway.com), a 630-mile crowds later in the season, too; many
Griffin says. “I try to avoid runs that route through B.C. with eight ski resorts stay open through early
terminate at the base area,” he says, resorts, 20 backcountry lodges, and April. On rare occasions, a few—like
as these tend to be the busiest. Sierra notoriously deep powder. Replicating Utah’s Snowbird (snowbird.com)
Prothers, a patroller at Utah’s Deer that strategy is easy with multi-resort and Arapahoe Basin—have kept
Valley Resort, says she often strikes up tickets, like Ikon Pass (ikonpass.com) slopes open as late as July 4. If you’re
chairlift conversations in an effort to or Mountain Collective (mountain only able to ski over the holidays,
glean intel from locals on which runs collective.com), which offer access patrollers concur that the morning
or glades are less-trafficked. Advanced to numerous destinations, including of December 25 and afternoon of
terrain is another good option, if less-visited spots such as Colorado’s December 31 are almost always
you’re up for the challenge, Joëlle Arapahoe Basin (arapahoebasin.com), uncrowded—as is Super Bowl Sunday.
Griffin adds. “It’s very unlikely that Taos Ski Valley, and Wyoming’s Grand
someone will get in your space on the Targhee Resort (grandtarghee.com). Avoid the après crush.
moguls.” Leaving the crowds behind
is the point of snowcat skiing, in Time your turns. Base-area bars are often just as
which a small group rides up a pitch teeming as the slopes. Follow the
to get fresh turns down. At Colorado’s Remote work has enabled East locals to the parking lot, where,
Loveland (skiloveland.com), snowcat Coasters to take calls in the morning thanks to last season’s pandemic
passes come free with lift tickets, and before skiing the Rockies in the closures, the tailgate scene at many
Utah’s Powder Mountain (powder afternoon—or taking twilight turns resorts has taken off. Pack your own
mountain.com) offers rides to the top at resorts known for night skiing, party, from camp chairs and grills to
of Lightning Ridge for $25. like Oregon’s Mount Hood (mthood 12-packs and T-bones, and toast the
territory.com) or Utah’s Brighton great outdoors.
Stay flexible.

Rather than spending her ski trip
in one possibly jam-packed spot,
Prothers dreams of cruising from
stash to stash in British Columbia’s
Kootenay Rockies. “If I had a week
or more,” she says, “I would be

74 T R A V E L + L E I S U R E | N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1

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INTELLIGENT TRAVELER

ALMOST A SURE BET with cruise lines, we can book multiple trips
that overlap,” says Joshua Bush (joshua.bush@
With unpredictability a given, calling a clued-in avenuetwotravel.com), the CEO of Avenue Two
travel advisor—and trying a clever new strategy Travel in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. “Our clients
called “trip stacking”—can ensure long-awaited deserve a break, so we’ve built a pipeline for
escapes actually happen. By Paul Brady them to ensure they get one.”

F O R M A N Y P E O P L E , a savvy travel agent has In one case, Bush booked a client on both
long been the secret to the ultimate vacation, a a Silversea cruise from Athens to Rome and
string-puller who can help clients explore the a vacation in Hawaii for the same week. The
Uffizi Gallery after hours or secure the best suite former offered a 30-day cancellation policy
at a Maui resort. These days, the right advisor with the option to apply the deposit to a future
is even more important: in an era of canceled sailing; the Hawaii itinerary let the guest cancel
flights, border closures, and unpredictable as little as seven days ahead of time for a full
pandemic restrictions, he or she can still make refund. “If the cruise is a go, they cancel Hawaii.
magic happen. If the cruise gets pushed, they still have some
aloha coming their way,” Bush explains.
That’s because advisors are increasingly
booking clients for multiple trips, sometimes The trip stacking strategy isn’t for everyone,
over the same dates—a strategy that’s taken off advisors warn. Booking multiple itineraries
thanks to newly relaxed cancellation policies. requires multiple deposits, for one. Then
there’s the fact that, even in the best-case
“I’m definitely seeing more ‘trip stacking,’” scenario, at least one planned trip will have
says Kareem George (kgeorge@culturetraveler. to be canceled or rescheduled. Lastly, there’s
com), the founder of Culture Traveler in the question of sifting through maddening
Franklin, Michigan, and a member of T+L’s amounts of fine print, which explains why
Travel Advisory Board. “Take a client who many would-be trip stackers turn to travel
normally books two trips a year. That person advisors for help.
is now booking four or more trips so that, if
they’re not able to go on one or two, they’ll still “We’ve become masters of the terms and
have something.” conditions,” George says. “As we hit certain
dates, we check in with clients, review the
Other travel advisors have noticed the same situation, see how they’re feeling, and go over
phenomenon. “With flexible terms, particularly their options.”

After more than a year and half of
uncertainty, knowing that a pro is keeping an
eye on everything is almost as relaxing as a
dream vacation itself.

ILLUSTRAT ION BY FREDERICO GA STALDI 7 7T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

INTELLIGENT TRAVELER The Log Cabin cottage at
Vermont’s Twin Farms.
FROM TOP: COURTESY OF TWIN FARMS; COURTESY OF THE BREAKERS
BETTER THAN HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Christmas season—many of them
favorites of T+L readers.
This festive season, hotels and resorts are putting an
over-the-top spin on familiar traditions. By Hannah Selinger For the Breakers (thebreakers.
com; doubles from $1,250), in Palm
“ W E A L W AY S S T R I V E to be more Beach, Florida, “work on our annual
like a lovely home than a resort,” says holiday décor begins in January, right
John Graham, managing director after the previous year’s celebration,”
of Vermont’s Twin Farms (twin general manager Tricia Taylor says.
farms.com; doubles from $2,250, all- The resort is known for its over-the-
inclusive). But the always-in-demand top displays, including “thousands
20-room property is particularly of soft white lights adorning our
inviting over the holidays, Graham 100 royal palms and Canary Island
admits, when suites and cottages date trees.” But the Breakers also
are outfitted with holiday décor delivers plenty of more homey
and live Christmas trees. “It’s a amenities, like in-room teddy bears
wonderful setting.” and holiday-themed sweets.

After last year’s missed holiday Nassau’s Baha Mar (bahamar.com;
trips, this December promises doubles from $300) recently opened
maximalist celebrations and some chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Marcus at
familiar traditions at hotels that Baha Mar Fish & Chop House, which
come into their own during the will offer a Bahamian-inspired
holiday dinner this season. The
80 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021 multi-hotel resort, says Grand Hyatt
Baha Mar general manager Ulrich
Samietz, is also known for its
holiday concerts (Dua Lipa played in
2018) and an artificial “ice” rink that
allows for skating despite average
high temperatures of around
80 degrees.

Holiday trimmings at
the Breakers, in Palm

Beach, Florida.

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INTELLIGENT TRAVELER It’s far chillier—but no less Course Correction
magical—in Montana, where guests of
COURTESY OF THE RESORT AT PAWS UPthe Resort at Paws Up (pawsup.com; With an eye toward combating climate change,
doubles from $1,640) decorate their America’s mountain destinations are pushing
own trees, customize stockings, and low-impact travel. Darrell Hartman hits the trails
attend the resort’s massive Christmas to find out just how carbon-neutral a long
Eve party, complete with hot cocoa weekend can be.
and sleigh rides. The yuletide spirit
extends from organized events like I N L E S S T H A N 1 0 M I N U T E S , the tough bike climb
the annual gingerbread-house up Snodgrass Mountain in Crested Butte, Colorado, had my
scavenger hunt to more spontaneous quads burning. That first pitch was worth it, though—and
ones. “Surprise snowball fights are a not just because it was the prelude to several miles of
Paws Up holiday signature,” resort beautifully winding single-track that was fringed by
owner Laurence Lipson says. blooming meadows and views of the surrounding Rockies.
This mountain-bike ride also helped offset the carbon
Mexico’s Rosewood Mayakoba footprint of my 1,400-mile flight from New York City.
(rosewood.com; doubles from $895)
encourages holiday-season guests That’s because earlier this year, the local tourism
to give back. “We don’t live in a authority, Gunnison-Crested Butte, bought $40,000
bubble here,” says Daniel Scott, the worth of carbon-offset credits. The group then launched
resort’s managing director. “We’re the Gunnison Valley Carbon Challenge (cbgtrails.com),
part of a greater community that’s which would cash in a fraction of those credits for every
very important to us.” The property
runs a year-round school for local IL LUSTRAT IO N BY K AROL I N S CHN O O R
children called K’iin Beh. On holidays,
including Thanksgiving and Christmas,
guests are encouraged to lend a hand
serving meals—a volunteer experience
that’s very popular, Scott says.

Community and togetherness are
also a part of celebrations at Twin
Farms, Graham says, even when not
everyone in the family can make the
trip. The resort can, upon request,
add framed photos of loved ones
to suites and cottages, to lend a
sentimental feel to stays. “We want
guests to feel that they truly belong.”

Sledding through the Montana winter at
the Resort at Paws Up.

82 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

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INTELLIGENT TRAVELER A closer 19. 6 l b s Amount of CO2 emitted by a typical passenger vehicle
look at the burning a gallon of gasoline
impact of
offsets. 2 2 l b s Amount of CO2 Gunnison–Crested Butte Tourism
offset for each mile traveled on area trails

1 , 6 10 l b s Approximate per-passenger amount of CO2 emitted
from round-trip flights between New York and Denver

$ 4 0, 0 0 0 Value of the carbon-offset tokens purchased by
Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism

$ 10 0, 0 0 0 Amount Mammoth Lakes, California, has committed
to its “trail-host” program

1,900,000 lbs Amount of CO2 offset so far by
visitors to the Gunnison Valley

mile that participants logged hiking, running, “Climate change is significantly impacting the
biking, or snowshoeing on area trails. With Lake Tahoe region,” says Colleen Dalton, CEO of
each additional crank of my wheels, I was Visit Truckee-Tahoe, in California. Wildfires have
atoning for the impact of my own trip, tracking intensified in recent years, and her organization
my progress on an app as I went. A 23-mile ride sees its growing corps of trail hosts as one way to
would be enough to offset a round-trip drive prevent them and protect the area’s future. “We
between Crested Butte and Denver; it would are one hundred percent planning to fund—and
take a 116-mile effort to compensate for a flight expand—our trail ambassador program going
from San Francisco. forward,” Dalton says.

Though carbon-offset schemes have been During my own stay in Crested Butte, I
much debated (critics say reducing overall managed two gut-busting bike rides with the
emissions is more effective than offsetting help of Campfire Ranch (campfireranch.co),
them), Gunnison-Crested Butte’s pilot program a campground and outfitter that rents premium
has had a global impact. It helped protect outdoor gear. I logged about 15 miles total,
carbon-scrubbing rain forests in the Democratic enough to offset about 22 percent of my
Republic of Congo by funding efforts to prevent trip’s carbon footprint. I covered the rest by
logging and incentivize sustainable farming. purchasing $16 in credits from a nonprofit
named Cool Effect (cooleffect.org). It was a
A new era is dawning in America’s mountain modest contribution, to be sure—as is the
towns, as COVID-19 spurred a rush outdoors and overall impact of the Gunnison Valley Carbon
the increasingly tangible effects of climate change Challenge. At press time, around 375 registered
have begun to invert the logic of marketing to users had collectively offset around 2 million
visitors. Now tourism associations in the busiest pounds of CO2, but a tourism official confirmed
mountain gateways have begun managing visits, that the app would go offline this fall.
in addition to simply promoting them, often with
sustainability as a prime concern. And yet a quick look at the leaderboard shows
the future promise of such programs. Plenty
A number of destinations have mobilized of visitors logged way more miles than I did,
teams of trail ambassadors to help deal with proof that there’s at least one underleveraged
the crush. These environmental monitors resource in the effort to mitigate emissions: the
are popping up from Colorado to Oregon competitive impulse in the age of social media.
and Washington; around Lake Tahoe, for Perhaps the same force that so often leads to
example, as many as 50 volunteers now go to overcrowding at brag-worthy outdoor spots
work each summer weekend, watching for could be redirected toward something positive.
illegal campfires and explaining leave-no-trace As I was pedaling and gasping on Snodgrass
practices to visitors. Nearby Mammoth Lakes, Mountain, knowing I was doing some good did
California, recently invested $100,000 in its own give me an extra nudge up the trail.
trail-host program.

84 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

THE ONLY VACATION BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD

ALL OF YOUR DREAMS.

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MEMBER FDIC AND EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

NOVEMBER 2021

Eastwind Hotel &
Bar, in the Catskills,
provides guests
with binoculars for
viewing scenery
and wildlife
(page 108).

Florida Modern Love PAGE 88 Thailand Gilded River PAGE 96
Switzerland Alpine Avant-Garde PAGE 102 New York Catskills Calling PAGE 108

PH OTO G RAPH BY TARA D O N N E. ALL MAP I LLUST RAT IO NS BY L ARA C O STAFR EDA 8 7T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

Developer Philip
Hiss’s studio, built
by Edward Seibert
in 1953 in Sarasota’s
Lido Shores
neighborhood.
Opposite: An egret
at Ringling Bridge
Causeway Park.

88 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

MODERN

LOVE

Cool and cubic, sleek and sexy, mid-century architecture inspires its fans to
seek out the places where it flourished. BOB MORRIS visits Sarasota, Florida,

a sunny coastal city that has been quietly attracting design devotees.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROSE MARIE CROMWELL

T O THE UNTRAINED

eye, the cube-shaped
house in Sarasota, Florida,
might be just a modest
home in a mid-century
suburban enclave. To
architecture lovers, it’s
instantly recognizable
as the Umbrella House,
Paul Rudolph’s 1953
masterpiece. The celebrated
and uncompromising
architect would go on to

design statement-making

buildings around the world,

including Yale University’s

Brutalist Art & Architecture

Building and a glass-walled

town house in Manhattan that became famous as the

home of fashion designer Halston. But Rudolph began his

attention-grabbing career in this lovely, low-key city on St. Paul Lutheran Rae Ramos of the Sarasota
Church, designed Art Museum and Anne-Marie
the Gulf of Mexico, where he was a key member, along by Victor Lundy Russell of Architecture
and built in 1959. Sarasota in front of Paul
with Ralph Twitchell and others, of what became known Rudolph and Ralph
Twitchell’s 1948 Revere
as the Sarasota School of Architecture. Quality House.

With its walkable downtown and sparkling white-

sand beaches, Sarasota has a snowbird population that

has been flocking here for decades. But it also has a

progressive spirit that has kept the city young and diverse,

with forward-thinking initiatives and innovative municipal

planning. Sarasota’s cultural gems compete with—and For the next few days, Russell guided me
around this high-octane city at a frantic clip.
even outpace—those in the far glitzier and more touristed A dynamic art historian, she was the founding
director of the striking new Sarasota Art
Palm Beach and Miami. More recently, its world-class Museum, a contemporary art gallery that is
part of the Ringling College Museum Campus.
Modernist architecture has been luring aficionados, too. And she has big plans to raise the profile of this
city, which is packed with enough distinctive
This past spring, I pulled into the driveway of the Umbrella buildings to rival Palm Springs. That California
town hosts a week devoted to mid-century
House, parked my car under palms and banyan trees, then design every February. Now Sarasota has a
“Mod Weekend” each November, to show off its
stepped into a home so carefully considered it brought to own trove of innovative buildings.

mind a ryokan or a Shinto shrine. We started out the next morning at the
Overton, an outdoor café in the artsy Rosemary
Anne-Marie Russell, the executive director of District, near downtown. The avocado toast
was as impeccable as the minimalist setting.
Architecture Sarasota, gave me a tour of the compact An added attraction, beyond the open-air
design, was the discreet filming of two willowy
yet dramatic property, pointing out the artfully dropped women for the MTV reality show Siesta Key.

ceilings; the sunken living room; an upstairs bridge Next door, we could see dancers training
inside the glass-walled Sarasota Ballet School.
that unites the two sides of the house; and the passive Around the corner, architects toiled away in

energy system, inspired by tropical architecture, that uses

cross-ventilating louvers. “The house is such an efficient

machine,” she said. “Its beauty comes from its function.”

I stayed at the Umbrella House—named for its

innovative slatted roof—for five nights, an experience that

Architecture Sarasota, an organization for preservation

and promotion, will soon offer to the public, along with

tours. While I would have loved nothing more than to

shake myself a martini and take a dip in the rectangular

pool, there was just too much to see.

90 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

offices set inside an artfully renovated African The former studio
Methodist church. A couple of blocks away is of Philip Hiss, now
the Sarasota Modern hotel, which has a sleek a private residence.
pool and a restaurant—Rudolph’s, named for
the architect—with an alligator hanging upside- College of Art & Design, which has trained some of the
down over the bar. best animators in Hollywood. “But there’s a lot of money
to support culture, too.”
“ W H E N I I N T E R V I E W E D for a job here,
I thought of Florida as a place for retirees,” Decades ago, in fact, when founding artistic
said Jeffrey Schwartz, an artist and associate director Nate Jacobs envisioned adding his Westcoast
vice president of academic affairs at Ringling Black Theatre Troupe to the city’s impressive roster of
professional theaters, he was surprised to find so many
supportive benefactors. “Our audiences are completely
diverse,” he told me. “You go to our galas and you’d think
you were in New York, Los Angeles, or Washington,
D.C.” The theater opened its new building right before
the pandemic with the musical Caroline, or Change.
Meanwhile, Michael Donald Edwards, the producing
artistic director of Asolo Repertory Theatre, thinks of
Sarasota as a slice of Lower Manhattan: “People who come
here realize they need a life of the mind, and that pleasant
weather isn’t enough.”

On a day in mid-March when the entire Northeast was
facing another blizzard, pleasant weather was nothing
to sneeze at. Russell and I zipped around in her vintage

9 1T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M



Paul Rudolph’s The Center for
1959 addition Asian Art at the
to Sarasota Ringling Museum,
High School. designed by
Machado Silvetti.

white Mercedes convertible with the top down, A Future-Perfect Tour
passing notable modern buildings on every of Sarasota
other block. The sleek 1966 city hall by local
architecture star Jack West impressed me with WHERE TO STAY vibe. whitneylbk.com;
its elegance, as did the 1960 William Rupp and entrées $10–$25.
Joe Farrell building that’s the headquarters of Architecture Sarasota
Architecture Sarasota, which has an exhibition This organization offers WHAT TO DO
space that Russell manages year-round. I was exclusive stays at select
dazzled by Arquitectonica’s 2006 Herald- mid-century homes to Asolo Repertory Theatre
Tribune Media Group headquarters, on a support its preservation Updated classics and
nearby street. And just outside downtown, program. architecture contemporary work
I admired Victor Lundy’s St. Paul Lutheran sarasota.org. staged in two historic
Church, where the two curved sides of its roof theaters. asolorep.org.
swoop up to form a giant spire. Sarasota Modern
An urbane 89-room Marie Selby Botanical
Down the road, Twitchell and Rudolph’s hotel with an inviting Gardens
1948 Revere Quality House, with its glass walls pool in the Rosemary Nestled on the shoreline
and open-plan layout, could have been the District. thesarasota of Sarasota Bay, this
setting for a David Hockney pool painting. modern.com; doubles park spotlights native
And then there’s the Cocoon House, which was from $179. flora and regional his-
designed by the same team on a lagoon on the tory. selby.org.
barrier island Siesta Key. Built in 1948 as a kind WHERE TO EAT
of beach shack, the place is a charming curved- The Ringling
roof oddity that feels like a cross between The Indigenous A world-class museum
Jetsons and The Swiss Family Robinson. It has Chef Steve Phelps built by circus impresa-
opposing jalousie walls for cross-ventilation emphasizes local sea- rio John Ringling in a
and an extremely light footprint that food and seasonal pro- Venetian-inspired
anticipates the tiny-house trend. duce. indigenous palazzo. ringling.org.
sarasota.com; entrées
The only thing better than visiting Cocoon $19–$33. Sarasota Art Museum
House would be sleeping there, which will A new showcase for
soon be possible through Architecture Sarasota. The Overton contemporary art in a
An all-day café in an repurposed 1920s
Anne-Marie Russell, left, and a colleague industrial space that school building on the
review documents relating to Philip Hiss opens up to the out- Ringling College Museum
at the Overton café. doors. The menu ranges Campus. sarasotaart
from grain bowls to jack- museum.org.
fruit tacos, with cocktails
on tap. theovertonsrq. Westcoast Black
com; entrées $9–$13. Theatre Troupe
Plays and musical
Whitney’s revues that celebrate
This restaurant in a ren- the Black American
ovated 1950s gas station experience. westcoast
in Longboat Key has live blacktheatre.org.
music and a beachy

9 3T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

“I spent ten days here listening to the mullet jump under Tampa
the full moon and I never slept so soundly,” Russell told Sarasota
me. “It’s a nice reminder of how little we need to live well.”
F LOR I DA
Russell examined the vintage martini shaker on the
coffee table and some old copies of Life and Look, and Miami
considered Sarasota in its Modernist heyday. “All the
architects were just kids when they were building here,” Whitney’s, a
she said, citing their boozy lunches at the now-defunct restaurant in a
Plaza restaurant. “They were on fire and super-alive.” remodeled 1950s
service station.
What brought them? First of all, Sarasota had been a
cosmopolitan center long before the postwar boom. It partners). By the early 50s, he was, along with ILLUSTRAT ION BY L ARA COSTAFREDA
was the adopted hometown of John Ringling, who, with Lundy, West, and others, putting his mark on
his siblings, founded the Ringling Brothers traveling notable homes and buildings that responded
circus; the city was thus populated by musicians, circus to the Florida landscape and subtropical
artists, and costume designers from Europe. Next to his climate. “Visual delight,” Rudolph said in a 1961
home—Ca’ d’Zan, a Venetian Gothic fantasia—Ringling speech for Voice of America, is an “architect’s
opened an art museum, a pink Renaissance palazzo primary responsibility.”
containing a world-class array of European masterpieces.

In this fertile environment, innovative developers and
builders were able to attract a group of young architects
influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Mies
van der Rohe, and other interpreters of the European
International Style. Rudolph studied under Bauhaus
founder Walter Gropius at Harvard and brought his ideas
to Twitchell’s office in Sarasota (they would later become

94 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

The pool area Paul Rudolph’s
at the Sarasota 1953 Umbrella
Modern hotel. House, with its
distinctive
slatted roof.

striking homes, each more curious than the next. It was like

being in an outdoor design museum of artfully intersecting

glass walls, steel beams, and flat roofs—a tropical vision of

mid-century sophistication that any visitor can easily tour

on foot or by car.

“It was an exciting time without building restrictions,”

Muffi Hiss, the developer’s daughter, told me. “It wasn’t

about love of money for that generation, but ideas.”

Hiss was so inspired by Modernism that, in order to

impose his vision on the public-school system, he ran

for and won a seat on the local education board. One

poetic result is Lundy’s Butterfly Wing at the Alta Vista

Elementary School. Rudolph’s spectacular addition to

Sarasota High School is another. On my second day in

town, I stood under its stark white canopies and marveled

at how something so innovative could have been built in

Visitors at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. the late 1950s.

A dapper gay man known for his high But then, like Rudolph, Hiss was a force. In the early
standards, Rudolph found a champion in the
equally dapper Philip Hiss. The local developer 60s he was instrumental in the creation of New College,
had come to Sarasota after a stint in Bali,
where he found the low-lying, airy buildings a groundbreaking liberal-arts school without traditional
compelling. In the early 1950s Hiss developed
Lido Shores, the neighborhood where I was grades that has become Florida’s elite state-funded honors
staying, as a Modernist enclave. There, he
inspired Rudolph, Edward Seibert, and others college. Its architecture was so important to Hiss that in
to conduct some of their earliest experiments
in innovative design. After a long day, I went for 1963 he ran an international competition that resulted in
a run around Lido Shores and passed countless
I. M. Pei’s designing a large part of the campus, including

the dorms. It seemed a bit cold and clinical at the time, but

it makes a stunning impression now.

“Daddy had a vision and didn’t let little details get in

the way,” said Muffi, who recalled a guest in her austere

childhood home aghast at the lack of railings to protect

the children. “Daddy just looked at her and said, ‘But that’s

what insurance is for.’” (Continued on page 118)

9 5T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

GILÐĘĐ RIVĘR

Sailing Thailand’s Chao Phraya may be the closest you’ll get to traveling back in time, as LAWRENCE OSBORNE
discovers on a trip that transports him from the buzz of Bangkok to the wonders of ancient Siam.

Photographs by CHRI STOPHER WI SE

The 19th-century
Aisawan Thipaya-
Asana pavilion, on
the grounds of Bang
Pa-In, a palace in
Ayutthaya province.
Opposite: Loy River
Song crew members
wear traditional silk

brocade jackets.

96 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021



Ę V E N A F T E R L I V I N G in Bangkok for nine years, below the main deck, and the effect is cocoon-like.
I rarely, if ever, leave the city by river. I am an I glimpsed the reflection of the water through the
anomaly, historically speaking, since the Thai capital window above my bed—an aquatic green that tinted
was built around a network of canals fanning out the ceiling. At night, the gentle rush of the river
from the Chao Phraya—the sacred waterway that propelled me to sleep.
flows from the city of Nakhon Sawan, in the country’s center,
through Bangkok and out into the Gulf of Thailand. The T H E B A N K S O F C A N A L S and rivers are always
Thai word for “river,” maenam, literally translates as “mother where Thailand seems most alive. These places
water,” and reveals the culture’s reverence for waterways as are not practical for real estate development and
the centerpiece of life. For centuries, civilization has evolved so they remain lush, a landscape where monitor
around the majestic Chao Phraya. lizards sunbathe on stones and children fish with
ease. The residents, among the country’s poorest,
So on a cruise run by Loy Pela Voyages last November, I felt live in makeshift wooden homes on stilts. The
a palpable sense of history as the boat plowed through sheets contrast on the Loy River Song sometimes felt jarring,
of hyacinths on the water’s surface and passed the low-slung especially during lunches, which were meals of
rice barges that still constantly ply the route. To leave Bangkok smoked-eggplant caviar with yellowfin tartare and
this way is to realize how ephemeral much of the city is today. baked barramundi with foie gras and apple purée.
When you leave by a taxi to the airport you never escape Afterward, I’d sit on the deck as we glided through
the urban claustrophobia. By water, however, you are taken the stillness of the forest.
away from the cement and the suburbs and into a seemingly
different country, all in the span of two hours. The first evening, we moored beside an old
royal temple called Wat Niwet Thammaprawat,
Our destination was the unesco World Heritage site of which was built in a disorienting European
Ayutthaya, founded in 1350 and mostly destroyed in 1767 style—King Chulalongkorn commissioned Italian
during the 11th Burmese-Siamese War. It’s only about
65 miles upriver from Bangkok, yet our itinerary was to last
two nights and three days. The cruise would be a journey
into Thailand’s past—and would prove surprising in its
haunting beauty.

Most modern visitors to Ayutthaya travel by car or bus, but
ambassadors and other dignitaries of the 14th to 18th centuries
would have arrived by boat, as the city’s planners intended.
Our vessel, the Loy River Song, was certainly fit for a stately tour.
The boat’s interior resembles that of a luxury yacht—intimate
and largely open to the elements. Four cabins, appointed with
dark teak floors, hand-painted walls, and antique ceramics, sit

98 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021

architect Gioachino Grossi to design it in 1876. The chapel is
dominated by a Gothic altarpiece that holds a polished-gold
statue of the Buddha.

Since it was not yet dark, we ventured farther to Bang
Pa-In, a summer palace built in the 1880s on top of an older
palace that had fallen into disuse. It is a curious, eclectic
fantasia of wedding-cake-white structures, opulent bridges
flanked by stone statues of Greek deities, and artificial ponds.
There’s also a massive royal residence that’s reminiscent of
Beijing’s Forbidden City. Successive Thai royals added to the
compound over the years, but most of it was conceived by King
Chulalongkorn between 1872 and 1889.

As closing hour approached in a hot and still dusk, squads of
young soldiers appeared around the palace complex as if ready
to eject any stragglers. It was a reminder that tensions in the
kingdom were high—back on the boat we heard reports that
street protests against the monarchy had rocked the capital.

D U R I N G T H AT E V E N I N G ’ S dinner, something that looked
like a comet flashed across the sky. It consisted of three orbs
in shades of yellow, blue, and red. “A satellite disintegrating,”
one of my fellow passengers suggested uneasily, without
knowing one way or the other. As the orbs plunged through

From far left:
The Loy River
Song docked in
Ayutthaya; modern
and traditional
architecture sit
side-by-side along
the Chao Phraya
River in Bangkok.

From top: River
prawn and pomelo
salad aboard the
Loy River Song;
the 63-foot-tall
Buddha inside
Ayutthaya’s Wat
Phanan Choeng;
children greet
passengers of
the boat.

Ayutthaya
Bang Pa-In

Garlands of Chao Phraya River
flowers, leaves,
and cloth adorn a THAILAND
tree in Ayutthaya.
Bangkok
A Buddhist monk
waits for a ferry on
the Chao Phraya
in Bangkok.

GULF OF
THAILAND

Earth’s atmosphere, they lit up the entire horizon in a burst restrictions kept the usual throng of international ILLUSTRAT ION BY L ARA COSTAFREDA
of pale-green lightning. A few on board let out a low moan visitors away, and the ruins of the Buddhist temples
of wonderment, and we recalled that in former centuries had an air of melancholy. The most magnificent
such a sight would have been interpreted as a sign of ruin is that of Wat Chaiwatthanaram, with its eight
approaching turmoil. towering spires, built just across the river.

It seemed, in retrospect, a fitting omen for a visit to Throughout the site are spread overgrown
Ayutthaya the next morning, a site steeped in violence. In the canals that were once the city’s arteries. Loy Pela
1700s, amid a centuries-long conflict, belligerent Burmese Voyages organizes longtail-boat tours to navigate
king Hsinbyushin took thousands of Ayutthaya’s inhabitants these smaller lanes, which let you burrow into the
prisoner and massacred the rest, leaving a ruined ghost city core of the city’s identity as a hub of culture and
behind. The capital moved to Bangkok as a result, and the commerce during the Ayutthaya Kingdom’s glory
Thai-Burmese relationship remains tense. days. We disembarked at one point to walk around
the Khmer-style Wat Ratchaburana, constructed in
Ayutthaya today is a paradox. The modern town is awash in 1424. It has somber stupas and long red-brick walls,
commercial billboards and ramshackle malls. But the unesco- which I fancifully imagined to be undulating from
protected historical core is remarkably coherent. Pandemic the effects of those battles almost five centuries
ago. It’s perhaps the most chilling and beautiful site
in Thailand.

There was something surreal about returning to
the water’s edge and simply re-embarking—to be
greeted on board by the warm and friendly crew
with an afternoon tea of strawberry pavlovas and
Thai-style coconut pudding. Such are the luxuries of
the Age of Tourism.

A heavy rainstorm fell the next day during our
return to Bangkok, which dramatically raised the
water level. Sitting on the deck as lightning flashed
over the distant skyline, I realized that this—much
like the frenetic, bewitching capital city we were
approaching—made the river seem even more
mysterious, and even more powerful.

loypelavoyages.com; one-to-three-night sailings on
the Loy River Song from $1,650, all-inclusive.

100 TRAVEL+LE ISURE | NOVEMBER 2021