Our couples are always delighted to learn that their wedding story can take place at three completely different spaces within our 157-acre canyon setting at Calistoga Ranch. Celebrate your love with each step—moving from the serene, natural splendor of our vineyard, to the tranquil lake and unobstructed canyon views of Lommel Lawn, to a romantic, indoor retreat carved deep into the hillside at the Wine Cave— and customize your wedding’s transition periods to make them your own.

Would it sound entirely ridiculous to say the Santorini Cherry Tomato changed my life? My first encounter with the locally-grown treasure was at Aktaion Restaurant, an unassuming traditional taverna that turned out to to be one of the oldest on the island, built over nearly a century ago. It was there that my wife and I first tasted a traditional korkosela made with eggs, fresh tomato and green bell pepper. It was unlike any dish I have ever had. As a backyard-tomato-farmer, the delicacy sent me into a frenzy to research the mystical Santorini Tomato.

3,600 years ago, there was a massive volcanic eruption that devastated Santorini. Many believe the event inspired the mystical legend of Atlantis mentioned in Plato’s dialogues. I’m somewhat of a hopeless romantic for ancient myths like these, and as my husband and I would walk amid Santorini’s white buildings boasting royal blue roofs and views of the endless, glimmering ocean, I couldn’t help but wonder if the story of the lost city of Atlantis was true. The island gifted us a newfound adventurous spirit, and we set out to explore the mysterious, abandoned shipwrecks and hidden, deep-sea treasures of the Aegean Sea.

While my usual happy hour always starts with a “cheers” and clinked cocktails, our evenings at Grace Hotel included multiple toasts— and not just because it was my birthday week. Every night, I could count on an inevitable second round of glasses to be raised when Santorini’s famed sunset colors called for their own salute. In perfect view from our dining table we would watch as a soft, orange glow met the rich blues of the Aegean Sea and washed the endless horizon in striking color. I remember looking at one another, speechlessly gesturing to the grandeur in awe, thinking that nothing could compete with this view. I was wrong.

At the annual Blues & Brews Festival, September sunlight saturates mountains cloaked in green and gold trees—setting a colorful stage for three days of funk, rock, soul, and blues. “This event is overshadowed by all the other Telluride festivals,” says General Manager Alex Rollinson. “But it’s my favorite—and one of the few family-friendly options where kids 11 and under are free.

Do you roam fields and forests or swim in the oceans and rivers? Do you leave tracks through the barren desert or soar through the starlit sky? You'll find these answers and more at our spa, where you can discover your animal spirit guide during a tarot reading from The Wild Unknown, a deck matching your authentic aura with the world's most mysterious wildlife.

If you’re planning on hiking Oat Hill Mine Trail, don’t let the weather deter you— foggy mornings are the best time for this hike. After stumbling upon this discovery by chance, the colder and mistier the morning in Napa Valley, the faster I grab my hiking shoes.

Named after the periodic table’s element 52, which is found in gold, our resort pays homage to Telluride’s rich past as a mining town—and on your visit, so should you! “Riding in a 4x4 is the best way to traverse bumpy switchbacks up to Bridal Veil Falls, where you start an eight-mile-roundtrip hike to Lewis Mine,”...

I've never had a green thumb, but I have an annual tradition of flying across the country to turn my fingers purple. Every fall during Napa Valley's harvest, Juan Luis takes me in as one of his own to show me the ropes of the winemaking process at Calistoga Ranch. Every day, I work outside from sunrise to sunset, pruning vines where honeybees buzz about fields full of fragrant, supple grapes. If I pass Juan Luis' ultimate vintner's test, I even get to take a few bottles home for myself.

I've been traveling to Costa Rica for almost 30 years, and I've been to plenty of the country's resorts. In all that time, I've never seen a place where both kids and adults can have equally incredible experiences than at Hacienda Alta Gracia. For kids, the stables are the best in Central America. Well-trained and easy for kids to ride and enjoy, my granddaughters fed and brushed the horses following their ride. Plus, a huge bonus - there are almost always baby horses on the property, which are always a hit! Back at the resort, the kids played at Kata Grande, conveniently located near a bar where parents can enjoy!

It took a killer hangover to get me on the bilibili. This floating Fijian bamboo raft isn't for the faint of heart but it offered my only deliverance after a night of tasting the island's award-winning rum. Drifting deeper into the forest canopy, I searched for a secret medicinal herb the island's first pirates once used while they were developing sugarcane for rum in the 1800s.

This past July I met up with the owner of Tiki Cabo Organic Farm at the annual pitaya (aka dragonfruit) competition in his hometown of Miraflores. Locals will tell you that this is where you can find the most beautiful women, the best organic produce, and the toughest cowboys. I promise I was only there for the organic produce.

Smoke curled around the man's feet as he leapt from stone to stone. Performing the sacred Fijian firewalking ritual, he was only one of a flock of fierce warriors who performed this straight-line dance across a pit of blazing coals, their sweat providing the only protective barrier between them and the fire.

“Just breathe,” he told himself as he navigated Telluride’s thrilling trek. Studded with steel rungs and strung with ropes, Via Ferrata—one of the few of its kind in the U.S.—soars 2,000 feet high and offers aerial views of a tree-littered valley and the town. The adrenaline-pumping, two-mile expedition includes navigating a rock wall, walking along a sheer cliff trail only a foot wide...

Studying to be a sommelier is no easy feat, but how many people can say they passed honeybee biology? I can, and just like the finest wines, honey has its own terroir, which is influenced by our flying friends, bees, that act as nature's pollinators. They have a knack for keeping vineyards healthy; plus, the nectar and pollen they extract from local flowers influence how our honey tastes.

I don't just plan trips, I change lives. When a couple comes to me in need of a romantic getaway, it's especially exciting to plan a travel experience that is not only out-of-the-box and inspiring but that also stops time. An insider tip I love to give my clients is the special opportunity to make their own scrubs at Hacienda AltaGracia's spa. The team of massage therapists assist you in mixing your bathtub blend with lush tropical oils, bottling the scent of Costa Rica for you to take home.

Each year, AAA announces all hotels and restaurants across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean that received the Four or Five Diamond Rating during the previous year. What an honor to be among the ranking and to receive our first 4-Diamond rating! Telluride is a town of great history, character and lore. It is where Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank and was the first city lit by Nikola Tesla’s method of alternating current electric power. More recently Telluride has been recognized as one of the best ski destinations in the U.S. and the world.