ML
TRAVEL
THE SETTING
From the airport in Calgary, count on a two-hour-plus drive through Banff National Park to reach this hideaway. Perched on the Pipestone River, it’s just two miles from Lake Louise; the ski lifts are a quick shuttle ride away.
THE VIBE
A luxury summer camp of old: warm, intimate and comfortable. Though the setting is rustic, men often don jackets for dinner in the cozy log-walled dining room.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
Swiss hoteliers (and brothers) André and George Schwarz’s attention to detail, which is evident at every turn. Guest rooms are immaculate, the cuisine is the area’s finest, and the staff treats each and every guest like kin. Come summer, flower boxes burst with blooms, and in winter, wood-burning fireplaces are always aglow.
DON’T MISS
Afternoon tea on the lawn, dessert in the cozy fireplace lounge and, if it’s on the menu, chef Hans Sauter’s take on fresh British Columbia salmon.
BEST ROOM
The Watson House, your very own 3,000-square-foot mountain lodge on the banks of the Pipestone River.
INFO
THE RANCH AT ROCK CREEK PHILIPSBURG, MONTANA
From $345 per night. 800-661-1586, posthotel.com WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON
INN AT ABEJA
Located near the historic mining town of Philipsburg in the heart of western Montana, not far from Missoula and Butte, the guest ranch sprawls across 10 square miles of rugged land that includes miles of trails, stocked trout ponds and a Blue Ribbon stretch of Rock Creek.
THE BEST
HIDDEN GEMS
“True Grit” meets the Ritz
Never needing to open your wallet: Each stay includes everything you could want to eat or drink, plus one morning and one afternoon activity per day. Accommodations in the Granite Lodge, private cabins and log homes juxtapose rough with luxe: pretty armchairs cozy up to stacked-stone fireplaces, rustic birch beds are topped with Frette linens, and polished clawfoot tubs rest atop weathered wood floors.
ESCAPE TO THE HIGH COUNTRY FOR SOME SUMMERTIME SOLITUDE AT ONE OF THESE OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH RETREATS
STORY BY CHRISTINE DEORIO
THE SETTING
A century-old farmstead in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, just minutes from Walla Walla in Washington’s sleepy southeastern corner. Meticulously restored farm buildings now house a winery and guest suites, all surrounded by 35 acres of lush lawns, gardens and vineyards.
THE VIBE
A storybook farmhouse with an extra room—and seat at the breakfast table—just for you
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
The charming accommodations, each located in one of the farmstead’s original outbuildings, including the old carriage house, summer kitchen and chicken coop. In addition to amenities that help you stay connected (satellite television, wireless Internet), you’ll find extras designed to help you unplug, from field guides and binoculars for birding to books and games—and private patios to enjoy them from.
Horseback riding through the ranch’s 6,000-plus acres of terrain, fly-fishing its four private miles of Rock Creek, and the sore-muscle-soothing “Rock Creek Ritual” at the spa.
DON’T MISS
The creekside Canvas Cabins look like tents, but with private baths and fireplaces, they live like luxury hotel suites.
BEST ROOM
From $1,900 per night. 877-786-1545, theranchatrockcreek.com
INFO
A visit to the onsite winery (and a taste of Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon) housed in a former horse barn.
We love the little Bunk House, complete with a retro kitchen, clawfoot tub and views of the Estate Viognier vineyard. From $215 per night. 509-522-1234, abeja.net
LAKE LOUISE, ALBERTA
POST HOTEL & SPA 40
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