Three Escapes That Redefine What a Vacation Can Be

Twin Farms

Barnard, Vermont

⬡ 2.5 HRS FROM BOSTON · 5 HRS FROM NEW YORK CITY

There are luxury resorts, and then there is Twin Farms — a category unto itself.

Tucked into 300-plus acres of rolling Vermont countryside in the quiet village

of Barnard, this legendary Relais & Châteaux property represents one of the

purest expressions of all-inclusive luxury in North America. From the moment

you turn down that long wooded drive, the outside world simply ceases to

exist.

"300 acres of New England forest, and not a single moment where

you feel anything but completely, luxuriously alone."

The resort offers 28 total accommodations spread across a beautifully curated

collection of structures. The main building houses four elegant suites, but it's

the eight treehouses that capture the imagination — perched among the forest

canopy, each one is a fully appointed retreat that manages to feel both

adventurous and deeply sophisticated. The remaining accommodations

include a variety of cottages and standalone structures, each individually

designed with its own distinct personality. There is no generic room category

here.

Being fully all-inclusive means that virtually everything — exceptional farm-to-

table cuisine, fine wines and spirits, non-motorized activities, and the use of the resort's facilities — is woven into one seamless experience. You never

reach for a wallet. You simply live.

TOTAL

ACCOMMODATIONS

28 Rooms &

Cottages

SIGNATURE STAYS

8 Treehouses

NEW OPENING

Spa +

Indoor/Outdoor

Pool · December

PICNIC EXPERIENCES

12 Private Locations

on Property

NEAREST AIRPORT

Lebanon, NH · ~40

min

BURLINGTON

AIRPORT

~1 hr 20 min

One of my favorite things about Twin Farms is what I call the "picnic secret" —

the property maintains twelve distinct private picnic locations, each set in a

different landscape pocket across those 300 acres. Whether you choose a

meadow overlook, a lakeside perch, or a shaded forest clearing, your culinary team will set the scene as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It is,

without question, one of the most romantic gestures I've encountered at any

resort, anywhere.

The new spa and indoor/outdoor pool opening this December is a genuine

reason to book ahead. Given the intimate scale of Twin Farms — only 28

guests on property at any one time — securing your dates well in advance is

not optional advice, it's essential.

Getting there is part of the experience. Lebanon Regional Airport (LEB) is

your closest option at roughly 40 minutes. Burlington Airport (BTV) is about

an hour and twenty minutes — a scenic drive worth the extra time in foliage

season. From Boston, I arrange a private car for my clients; budget

approximately $650 each way for a comfortable, door-to-door transfer. For

New York travelers, the five-hour drive through western Connecticut and

Massachusetts is genuinely beautiful — though many of my clients prefer to

fly into BTV and be done with it.

Eleuthera, Bahamas

⬡ 70 ACRES · TWO PRIVATE WHITE-SAND BEACHES · 22

ACCOMMODATIONS

I have recommended a great many Caribbean and Atlantic island properties

over the years. The Cove Eleuthera occupies a singular place among them.

Set on 70 acres of one of the Bahamas' most unspoiled islands, this boutique

resort is the antidote to the overcrowded mega-resorts of Nassau and Paradise

Island — intimate, genuine, and quietly breathtaking.

"Two white-sand beaches, 22 rooms, and every single one of them

facing the water is not a coincidence — that is a philosophy."

Twenty-two accommodations. That's it. And every one of them faces the water.

When I tell clients that, they often ask if I'm exaggerating for effect. I'm not.

The design intention is absolute: wherever you are on this property, the

Atlantic is in your sightline. The beaches — one on the Atlantic side, one on

the calmer Caribbean — offer entirely different moods within a short walk of

each other.

The resort also features its own swimming pool for those afternoons when you

want still, flat water. But honestly? With those beaches, the pool feels almost

beside the point.

PROPERTY SIZE ACCOMMODATIONS BEACHES

70 Private Acres 22 · All Water-

Facing

2 White-Sand

Beaches

SEASONAL NOTE

Closed October ·

FROM MIAMI

AA Direct

FROM ATLANTA

Delta Direct

Getting to Eleuthera is one of those logistical puzzles that sorts itself

beautifully once you know the options. American flies direct from Miami, and

Delta connects through Atlanta. Tradewinds Aviation operates service from

Fort Lauderdale for those who prefer a smaller, more direct experience into

the island. The combination of a short Miami-to-Eleuthera hop and the intimacy

of what awaits you makes this one of the more efficient luxury escapes in the

Atlantic.

Important planning note: The Cove closes for the month of October — plan

around this. Shoulder season bookings in late spring and early fall offer the

best combination of value, weather, and availability. The resort's intimate size

means it books up quickly, particularly for winter. I always advise a minimum

of four months' lead time for high season.

VIRGINIA · CHESAPEAKE BAY · COASTAL WATERFRONT

Tides Inn

Irvington, Virginia

⬡ ~1.25 HRS FROM RICHMOND · CHESAPEAKE BAY

For clients who want a luxurious coastal escape without an international flight,

Tides Inn on the Chesapeake Bay is one of the most underrated

recommendations in my repertoire. Tucked into Irvington, Virginia — roughly

an hour and fifteen minutes from Richmond — this property wraps itself

around the gentle rhythms of the Bay with an ease that feels entirely unhurried.

"Chesapeake has a particular quality of light in the late

afternoon. Tides Inn was built to make the most of every single

minute of it."

The aesthetic throughout is classic coastal — think sun-bleached blues, natural

linens, whitewashed wood, and the kind of maritime details that feel earned

rather than themed. Boat rentals allow you to explore the Carter's Creek

waterway and the broader Bay at your own pace. It's the sort of place where

an afternoon on the water with a cooler and no itinerary constitutes a perfect

day.

A hidden gem for the Eastern Seaboard traveler who has "done" the

Hamptons or the Vineyard and is looking for something quieter, more

southern, and considerably more genuine. Pair it with a night in Richmond

on either end for a complete Virginia escape.

ARIZONA · RED ROCK CANYON · SEDONA

Enchantment Resort

& Mii Amo Spa · Sedona, Arizona

Sedona is one of those destinations that photographs cannot fully prepare you

for. The scale of the red rock formations, the quality of the light at golden

hour, the almost physical sensation of being held inside an ancient landscape

— these things require presence. Enchantment Resort gives you the finest

possible base from which to experience all of it.

"Boynton Canyon is considered sacred land by the Yavapai-Apache

Nation. To stay here is not just to visit a place — it's to be received

by it."

The resort's 24 accommodations are exclusively adult, which sets an

immediate tone: this is a place of intention. The Southwestern design

language runs throughout — terracotta, turquoise, hand-woven textiles,

exposed adobe — executed with the precision of a property that understands

its landscape rather than merely borrowing its palette. Every sight line has

been considered. Every terrace faces the canyon walls.

The centerpiece of the Enchantment experience — for many guests, the entire

reason to come — is Mii Amo, one of the most celebrated destination spas in

the United States. Set within the canyon, Mii Amo offers multi-day journey

programs that combine bodywork, Native American-inspired healing

traditions, meditation, and nutritional cuisine into something that transcends

the standard spa concept entirely. Many of my clients who come for the hiking

and scenery find themselves quietly converted by day two.

ACCOMMODATIONS

24 Casitas · Adults

Only

SETTING

Boynton Canyon,

Sedona

SIGNATURE

EXPERIENCE

Mii Amo

Destination Spa

ACTIVITIES

Hiking · Mountain

Biking · Red Rock

Exploration

AESTHETIC

Authentic

Southwest · Adobe ·

Canyon Palette

NEAREST AIRPORT

Phoenix Sky

Harbor (PHX)

For the active traveler, the hiking and mountain biking trails that radiate out

from Boynton Canyon are extraordinary. The resort provides guided options, from Boynton Canyon are extraordinary. The resort provides guided options,

but the trails are accessible independently for those who prefer their own

pace. Sunrise hikes are, in my professional opinion, non-negotiable.

Book Mii Amo well in advance and separately from your resort stay — the

spa's multi-day journey programs fill up far ahead of the rooms. Spring and

fall offer the most temperate conditions for outdoor activities. Summer is

stunning but intensely hot; plan your hiking for early mornings only. The

adults-only designation makes this particularly well-suited to couples' retreats

and solo wellness travel — I send a great many solo female clients here and

the feedback is consistently exceptional.

Conclusion

Each of these properties represents a different answer to the same question: what does it mean to truly get away?

Vermont's forest solitude. The Bahamas' undiscovered coastline. The Chesapeake's easy grace. Sedona's ancient grandeur.