A half-mile hike sounds like a short walk through the woods, but the ranch’s golf cart driver dropped me, a novice hiker, at the Valley View Trail Head, made of Calistoga’s distinctive volcanic bedrock. Janet, my visiting friend from the East Coast and I were thrilled to embark on this slight incline, which to our delight was aptly rated “moderate.”

The last time I attended the Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a concert series, a beautiful Hawaiian woman jumped up from the audience to dance the hula. Barefoot, with a bright red hibiscus tucked behind her ear, she knew every step by heart. The crowd showered her with applause as she swayed in perfect time to the lilting melodies of old Hawaii.

My wife Maggie and I are Co-Captains of the Banquets Team, where you will usually find us presiding over wedding receptions and corporate events, orchestrating all the minute details from setting up 12-piece place settings to making sure the procession of courses and wine pairings goes smoothly. But I also lead a double life. As many mornings as possible, I soar like a bird high over Aspen as a paragliding instructor. It’s the most exhilarating feeling to see the four ski mountains—Aspen, Snowmass, Highlands, and Buttermilk—and the entire valley from such a high vantage point.

Shallow, clear, and like a bowl of tranquility, nearly one thousand kettle ponds dot the brilliant terrain of the Northeast. When my family and I first began to plan our trip to Mayflower Inn & Spa, I thought we would spend all of our time enjoying the area’s plentiful hiking trails through meadows and woodlands. But thanks to an insider tip, we ventured off-the-beaten-path to these isolated freshwater pools, where we had the water all to ourselves.

As you walk to Chileno Bay’s front desk, you will be greeted by a monumental steel sculpture by Sante Fe, New Mexico-based artist Will Clift—your first sign that art will surround you at seemingly every turn here. Enjoy a wide range of pieces from dozens of artists based right here in Los Cabos, elsewhere in Mexico, and across the U.S., showcased in the resort’s public spaces as well as in each guestroom, suite or villa. No two pieces are alike, though common themes of seascapes, desert landscapes, and natural elements abound.

News travels fast on a small island, and within days of Mr. Leon Roydon seeing Meads Bay, we all knew it was going to the location of a luxury hotel. Mr. Roydon had been shown Meads Bay by the tourist board, and he fell in love with the area that would become Malliouhana.

I'm Barbara Phillips, the horse thief. In 2013, I stole a mistreated horse from a very neglectful ranch and later named her Gracie. After hearing about the horrific abuse on the local news, I immediately got involved. The situation was grim. Only through police escort was I allowed to help any of the 140 horses involved. While helping with medical treatments, I spotted Gracie who had an infected, untreated wound. I convinced the officers to trailer Gracie to the veterinary hospital and I took financial responsibility for her. Several visits later, I loaded her in my trailer and took her to an undisclosed location.

Entering Amtrak’s 1950s-era domed railcar was like stepping back in time. With my feet kicked up and my Australian Shepard, Max, in tow, I never knew a two-hour, car-free connection on the Downeaster train from North Station in Boston to Wells, Maine, could be so enjoyable and land me only 5 miles from Kennebunk. From passing New England’s most beautiful stretches of pristine coastline to enjoying vistas of the idyllic countryside, I enjoyed my steamy cup of chowder from the Downeaster Café while Max chewed on his favorite bone. Seated in the train’s upper level with panoramic windows on all sides, this daytime adventure proved an added perk before my vacation even began.

There’s nothing like biting into a steamy fried clam roll while sitting on the beach overlooking Sakonnet River, the juiciness of the oyster seeping out to form the ultimate creamy combination with homemade mayonnaise. It’s hard to believe this sandwich, one of our most illustrious traditions, was all but unfathomable at the dawn of the 1900s when New Englanders only ate their clams steamed, raw on the half shell, or chopped in chowder.

Thwack. The sound of a machete slicing through the air is not something most people hear every day. Yet one balmy Friday morning in March, I found myself hearing that thwack over and over as our guide Ratu led a group of guests and hotel employees through an overgrown path toward his village. As we reached a clearing and got our first look at the village we’d come to assist in building water filters, I glanced over at my teenage son in time to see his eyes widen. It’s safe to say, coming from the urban sprawl of San Francisco, neither of us had ever experienced anything quite like this before!

To the rest of the country, Hunter S. Thompson might be best known as the godfather of gonzo journalism. Thompson lived and wrote on the edge in a style epitomized in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” which first came out in two installments in Rolling Stone before being published as a book that would end up defining the post-'60s counterculture. But to Aspenites, and especially here at Hotel Jerome, he’s best remembered for his 1970 run for sheriff of Aspen Pitkin County.

An unexpected friendship began at the open-air lobby during check-in, when we were greeted by Cal, the mild-mannered four-legged concierge with long white fur and a penchant for a petting. He crawled out of an emptied cabernet sauvignon wine barrel that lay on its side. The barrel’s top had been cut out and instead of wine, inside was filled with stuffed toys. Cal was carrying a stuffed toy monkey in his mouth and presented it to us as a personal invite to play. Fred, our Chihuahua, took the bait and the monkey.

Ahh, summer. The long awaited season of carefree afternoons, lingering poolside with bottomless glasses of crisp, refreshing, palate-pleasing Rosé. While this beautiful, multi-hued wine has long been the drinkable go-to for summer, Rosé has blossomed in popularity to become a year-round selection. Thanks to its food-friendly nature, Rosé now commands its own section in the supermarket wine aisle and has expanded beyond one or two offerings on restaurant wine lists to showcase domestic offerings from California and Oregon as well as international varietals from France, Italy and Spain, as winemakers expand on traditional Rosé styles and chefs and sommeliers embrace the versatility of Rosé as an ideal pairing companion.

How did Auberge capture your interest? Why did you choose Auberge?

How did this role capture your interest?

How did the hotel capture your interest?

I never knew I would find my perfect pair of Manolo Blahniks in the rolling hills of Connecticut. Beyond a pasture rife with bright red barns and hundreds of free-roaming cows, I traded in my exclusive invitation from the Mayflower to enter Arethusa Farm & Dairy, where Manolo Blahnik’s President and VP George Malkemus and Tony Yurgaitis have led operations since 1999.

We have a little secret brewing in Maine. Beyond our buttery lobster rolls, steamy chowders, and pillowy blueberry pancakes, Portland harbors the third-highest concentration of craft breweries in America. Though we’ve been ranked as one of the top 20 beer cities by publications like Travel + Leisure thanks to beer pioneers like Shipyard and Allagash, there’s something we have that those other cities don’t. While you may find craft beers flavored with pecans, bourbon, or even frozen lemonade elsewhere, our taprooms entice small-batch ale connoisseurs with what we know best: sweet and silky maple syrup.

In the early morning sun, just outside the family pool’s gate, I set out down a short path to the vineyard, which led me to Juan Luis, the son and assistant to the viticulturist on this 157-acre wooded paradise. I had no idea I would be embarking on a mystical journey filled with artistic transformations made with nature.

Whenever I travel, a full restaurant is a trusted choice as a place to eat, and Solbar was packed for lunch. Savory scents lured me inside and triggered a rumble in my stomach. With so many options on the menu, I took my seat to scope out the dining room for a view of what others were eating. The answer: fish tacos.