Inspirato Winter 2016

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WINTER 2016

IMAGINE

RELAX! THIS IS RIO UNCROWDED SANDS COUNTRYSIDE ESCAPES

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE MEXICO’S NEW FOODIE PARADISE

VERMONT JAKE BURTON’S PLAYGROUND

LAS VEGAS SIN CITY’S TOP GAMBLER (AND FAMILY MAN?)


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1:47 PM The moment you started writing your family history. The perfect vacation leaves you with a new perspective. It connects you to those experiences you wouldn’t encounter anywhere else. It doesn’t have to take place at a 32-acre, luxury oceanfront resort along the beautiful Kohala Coast on the island of Hawaii. It doesn’t have to feature waterfall massages, six restaurants, tropical rainforests and undersea worlds to explore. But it could. Welcome to Fairmont. Gateway to moments in over 20 countries. Fairmont.com

U N F O R G E T T A B L E . S I N C E 1 9 0 7.


WINTER 2016

CONTENTS FEATURES

90 A GOOD CALL Poker player Antonio Esfandiari shares his secrets to making the most of Las Vegas. BY MICHAEL SHAPIRO

82 RIO WILD, RIO MILD Brazil’s oceanside metropolis mixes contrasting forces like no other city on Earth. BY DINA MISHEV

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98

THE STATE OF SNOWBOARDING

GO BIG A look back at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s first 50 years. BY THE EDITORS

Jake Burton and the enduring appeal of Vermont. BY COLIN BANE

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

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CONTENTS

WINTER 2016

DEPARTMENTS 53

16 WELCOME LETTER 18 N EWS

Inspirato Members aboard the Silver Whisper on the Baltic Sea, at the Kentucky Derby and more.

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24 I NSPIRATO INSIDER

See what Inspirato Members and guests had to tweet and Instagram about.

INSPIRATION 26 CORBETT’S TAKE

Inspirato’s Chief Experience Officer shares secrets to getting the best out of the club.

63

30 CULTURE

Palm Springs’ annual Modernism Week might be the city’s best party of the year.

70

36 FACES

Get to know members Marcia Donziger (p. 36) and Darren Cahill (p. 44).

38 FOOD & DRINK

Visit San Miguel de Allende for the history, stay for the food.

46 SPORTING LIFE

Stalking redfish on Kiawah Island.

53 WELLNESS

Turn up the taste at these cooking schools in Italy, California, England and France.

63 STYLE & DESIGN

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What’s IN: Winter 2016. We searched the world to find the season’s hottest fashions, gadgets, events and restaurants.

70 MEMBER RECOMMENDED

A member competes in the Kona Ironman surrounded by his family.

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208 THERE I WAS

Inspirato Member Dean Lemman shares his true tale of catching a (very) big fish.

WINTER 2016

KIAWAH * LAS VEGAS * RIO DE JANEIRO * SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE * VERMONT

IMAGINE

WINTER 2016

RELAX! THIS IS RIO UNCROWDED SANDS COUNTRYSIDE ESCAPES

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE MEXICO’S NEW FOODIE PARADISE

VERMONT JAKE BURTON’S PLAYGROUND

LAS VEGAS SIN CITY’S TOP GAMBLER (AND FAMILY MAN?)

ON THE COVER Poolside at Inspirato’s Copa Caneel residence on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Photograph by Joe Rahim

INSPIRATO.COM

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INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


N O T A N E W T V. A N E W C AT E G O R Y O F T E L E V I S I O N .


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THE WARMTH OF LUXURY


Leaving home doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort. Avis and INSPIRATO have joined together to bring INSPIRATO Members exclusive benefits and up to 25% off to help you travel in comfort for less. As an INSPIRATO Member you’ll receive access into Avis President’s Club - an invitation-only program. To make a reservation and enroll, visit inspirato.com/avis

©2015 Avis Rent A Car System, LLC




Brent Handler FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Brad Handler

Brian Corbett

Martin Pucher

FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN

FOUNDER & CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER

FOUNDER

Jeff Hartman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Christine Rafanelli

Brian McCarthy

SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST

DIRECTOR OF BRAND MARKETING

PUBLISHER David A. Henry EDITOR Dina Mishev

MANAGING EDITOR Grant Davis

CREATIVE DIRECTORS Pete Schaer, Gary Serviss

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rachel Walker

COPY EDITOR Teri Vannoy

ART DIRECTOR Mark Lesh

PHOTO EDITOR Julia Vandenoever INSPIRATO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND CONTRIBUTORS Janelle Dekdebrun, Clare Frey, Nathan Hindman, Jake Jensen, Joe Rahim, Melinda Scholz

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Colin Bane, Georgia Alexia Benjou, Erin Beresini, Tom Bie, Emily Rapp Black, Michael Shapiro CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Amanda Friedman, Andre Klotz, Jason Stemple, Julia Vandenoever

PROJECT MANAGER Chris Rhodes

PRE-PRESS Lauren Pesce

NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES Megan Livadas DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS mlivadas@inspirato.com 720.361.4674

1637 Wazee • Denver, CO 80202 Inspirato.com • info@inspirato.com • 303.586.7771 INSPIRATO MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LANETERRALEVER

laneterralever.com • 303.296.4100

Inspirato magazine is published three times annually, © 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written consent of the Publisher. Inspirato® is a private travel membership club that requires a non-refundable Initiation Fee and Annual Membership Fee. Membership is subject to acceptance of terms and conditions and other reservation and use rules. Availability, benefits, minimum stay requirements and nightly fees may vary by residence, date and membership option selected. See website (www.inspirato.com) for complete details. Inspirato is owned by Inspirato LLC and operated by its subsidiary, Best of 52, LLC, 1637 Wazee Street, Denver, CO 80202, info@inspirato.com, 303.586.7771. Operator is registered as Florida Seller of Travel Registration No. ST38403; Washington Seller of Travel Registration No. UBI 603086598; California Seller of Travel Registration No. CST 2107465. ©2015 Inspirato LLC. All products and services offered and rendered by Inspirato® (including the operation and management of any vacation residence) are provided solely by Inspirato LLC, Best of 52, LLC, or their respective agents and affiliates, and not by the American Express Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

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EVERY STAY A STORY Sip and savor at Michelin Star-rated Solbar. Relax and refresh at the award-winning Spa Solage. Explore the best of wine country, lounge by the pool or indulge in a rare afternoon nap in the comfort of your studio. Reconnect at Solage Calistoga, where every stay is a story.

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WELCOME

PARTNERS IN PARADISE St. Regis, Aspen

THE MOST IMPORTANT MILESTONES

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

who gave us the privilege of helping them celebrate a special milestone of their own, from marriage proposals to family reunions to fulfilling lifelong dreams. That tells me a lot about how we are doing as a club, because I know our members won’t trust us with their once-in-a-lifetime moments unless we earn their confidence by doing all the little things right on each and every trip. To show you what I mean, we’ve shared a few exciting member milestones in this issue of Inspirato magazine. On page 20, see how we delivered an unforgettable member experience at the iconic Kentucky Derby, with access to some of the best parties and seats at Churchill Downs. Next up (page 70), member Jonathan Lucenay recounts how Inspirato helped him combine competing in the Ironman® Triathlon World Championship in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii with a large family reunion.

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And our back page features a true bucketlist moment: member Dean Lemman’s world-record blue marlin catch off the coast of Hawaii. That’s a seriously huge fish! From all of us at the club, we wish you an excellent fall and winter travel season—and success with any milestones you are imagining for yourself. Those are the moments that really matter. Enjoy the journey, BRENT HANDLER FOUNDER & CEO INSPIRATO

nathan hindman (inset)

We were fortunate to reach two important milestones at Inspirato over the past few months. First, we introduced our new Hotel & Resort collection, adding accommodations at more than 75 hand-selected luxury brands and boutique properties for members to enjoy at tremendous value. The reception has been phenomenal (see page 109 for details). Second, we welcomed our 10,000th member. We are thrilled to be growing, not only because we get to share the Inspirato experience with more and more people, but also because growth enables us to continue adding more destinations, homes, hotels and resorts to our curated collection. As a business, these were significant achievements. But they aren’t the most important measures of our success. That’s because the way we see it, it’s not our milestones that matter—it’s yours. Every day at Inspirato I hear about a member

INSPIRATO.COM


Baggage: Check. FROM SKIING IN VAIL TO SUNBATHING IN CAPRI, YOUR PERSONAL STYLIST CAN OUTFIT YOU FOR ANY OCCASION. WHERE’S YOUR NEXT TRIP TAKING YOU? TRUNKCLUB.COM/INSPIRATO

Premium Clothing. Personal Stylists. Zero Membership Fees.


MEMBER NEWS BALTIC SEA CRUISE

JULY 2015

O

n what’s become an annual reunion of sorts, Inspirato Members from around the world boarded the Silver Whisper luxury cruise liner in Stockholm for an unforgettable seven-day tour of the Baltic Sea region. The members-only voyage made stops in Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Copenhagen, as well as charming villages in Estonia and Sweden. The far northern latitudes provided a glorious summer setting with daylight that stretched well into the night. Members enjoyed superior white-gloved service from the crew and culturally rich shore excursions into some of Europe’s most historic and vibrant cities. Among the highlights: a stop at the medieval walled town of Visby on the island of Gotland in Sweden and an evening tour of St. Petersburg and its glorious cathedrals.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

WE MEET AGAIN (Clockwise from top)

S.S. Inspirato For seven days, 300-plus Inspirato Members took over the Silver Whisper.

All Aboard Members Cheryl Allen, Carol Polumbo, and Lynn and Woody Wallace aboard a sailing ship in Helsinki.

Nobel Prize Members dined in the Golden Hall in Stockholm, site of the annual Nobel Prize banquet.

Never-Setting Sun Thanks to 17 hours of daylight, members had plenty of time to explore the summer resort village of Visby, Sweden.

Medieval Europe The walled Old Town of Tallin, Estonia is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cocktail hour on the top decks was a highlight of each evening.

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nathan hindman

Among Friends

INSPIRATO.COM


MEMBER NEWS

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (From top)

Spirit of St. Pete The street lights and white nights of the Russian summer illuminate the intricate decoration and colorful onion domes of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg.

Voices of Angels A choir group performs a private concert for Inspirato Members inside the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

INSPIRATO.COM

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INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


MEMBER NEWS

KENTUCKY DERBY MAY 2015

I

nspirato Members at this year’s Derby Weekend enjoyed a winning experience in more ways than one. Upon arrival, the ladies were presented with their own Derby hats, custom creations by famous designer Kokin. The next day was the 141st running of the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Pink is the traditional color of the day, and both male and female members dressed the part. Platinum Package guests took a private VIP tour of the paddock and had exclusive access to the front row for Saturday’s first race, the Race of the Secret Status, which was sponsored by Inspirato. On Derby Day, members took their seats on Millionaires Row at Churchill Downs to watch the first leg of history. American Pharoah won the race and by June he had won the Triple Crown, the first horse to do so since 1978. For everyone lucky enough to join Inspirato for the weekend, it went down as the ultimate “I was there” experience.

SOUTHERN SPRING (Clockwise from top)

And They’re Off A full house at Churchill Downs.

Winner’s Circle Pink is the traditional color of the Kentucky Oaks race, held the day before the Derby. Here members and guests meet the winning jockey and horse’s owners from the Race of the Secret Status, an Inspirato-sponsored race run earlier that day.

Mad Hatter Female Inspirato Members picked up custom Derby hats designed by Kokin.

Mint Julep Special Guests received a special bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon.

Paddock Station Members had VIP access to the paddock ahead of the races.

Front Row Seats John and Elena Dorsey take in the view from Millionaires Row. Inspirato guests Melissa and Greg McCabe on Derby Day.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

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joe rahim

Kiss Me for Luck

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MEMBER NEWS

JAY CUTLER FOUNDATION

MVP MATERIAL (Clockwise from top left)

Fun-raiser Silent auction items

JULY 2015

included a racing helmet from NASCAR

I

driver Kevin Harvick.

nspirato teamed up with NFL quarterback and Inspirato Member Jay Cutler to host a family day and kids football camp at Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tenn. outside Nashville. The mid-summer event served as a fundraiser for Cutler’s foundation, which benefits youth suffering from diabetes. Kids took to the field under the guidance of Cutler and the school’s coach, Justin Geisinger, who played with Cutler at Vanderbilt University. After the kids worked up a sweat, the adults bid on signed gear from across the pro sports spectrum. It was a win for everyone: Cutler enjoyed a successful return to his college town. Tomorrow’s football stars learned insights on how to play the game.

Member Moment Inspirato Members David Haspel and Jay Cutler.

VIP Treatment Inspirato sponsored Cutler’s football camp.

Coach Cutler Jay welcomes the attendees.

Drills & Skills Campers warm up before taking the field.

Field of Dreams Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tenn. served as the venue for the camp and fundraiser.

CHRIS ANTHONY/ CLIMB TO GLORY

FILM BUFFS (Clockwise from top left)

On the Spot Chris Anthony takes a question from the crowd after the film.

Roll Film CinéBistro in Vail

JULY 2015

hosted the screening

hris Anthony put Inspirato Members staying in Vail over 4th of July weekend into the patriotic spirit. The big-mountain skier, filmmaker and head of the Youth Initiative Project, hosted a private screening of Warren Miller’s Climb to Glory for members with a Q&A session at CinéBistro followed by an open house at the Inspirato Member Lounge at Solaris. The film, produced by Anthony, documents the exploits of 10th Mountain Army Ski Troopers from World War II and how they shaped U.S. skiing in the decades after the war, including the development of the mountain and resort at Vail.

Inspirato guests Matt

for Inspirato Members.

For the 4th

C

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

Hoover and Shelby Vervalin take an Independence Day selfie.

The Kids Are Alright Gianna Scalercio, enjoyed the festivities at the Inspirato Member Lounge at Solaris.

Red, White & Blue Crew (From left) Chris Anthony with Rowan and Hadley Warner; Ava, Josephine and Wyatt Spisito; Zach and Emma Levy; and Brody Rasmussen.

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david clifford (bottom 5), blakeley guerriere (top 6)

Kids of all ages, including

INSPIRATO.COM


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Fifteen Beacon hotel is your private residence away from home. Our 1903 landmark Beaux Arts building stands at the crest of Beacon Hill and unites cutting edge technology with extraordinary Jeffersonian styling. Successfully fulfilling the needs of both business and leisure travelers, award winning Fifteen Beacon hotel and Mooo.… restaurant continuously raises the bar of perfection. Bask on our roof top in summer, warm by your fireplace in winter, or have our courtesy Lexus car transport to any in town destination. Call us now to experience the perfect combination of sophistication and comfort with discreet personalized service and luxurious amenities.

Voted #1 Hotel in the United States - Condé Nast Traveler


INSPIRATO INSIDER

Wherever you go with Inspirato, we invite you to share highlights with your Inspirato family.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES The summer’s best tweets and Instagrams from Inspirato Members and friends.

TWITTER @INSPIRATO @CoreyAStewart COREY STEWART @inspirato Pretty amazing sunrise this morning at the Punta Ballena Beach Club.

@thewhiskydog THE WHISKY DOG Well, this is where I’m sipping my morning coffee thanks to @inspirato

VACATIONS ON THE GO

@gassigirl88 CASSI MITCHELL SMITH @inspirato We are giving a HUGE shout out to our concierge Dana! She made our visit to Puerto Rico extra special!

The new Inspirato iOS app for iPhone and iPad features user-friendly destination searches, vacation-planning tools and a rich library of resources to make traveling with Inspirato convenient and enjoyable. To download the app, visit inspirato.com/mobileapp.

INSTAGRAM @INSPIRATO

@TheFermtdFruit THE FERMENTED FRUIT A big thank you to Nora from @Inspirato for the great welcome gift! It’ll be perfect for the concert in #Healdsburg!

@johnmcburney JOHN MCBURNEY Loving this place #inspirato #nofilter

@lenisebrown LENISE RUFF/BROWN Everywhere I travel has to have a handstand photo. #HandstandsAroundTheWorld #GymnastForLife #GrandCayman #Inspirato #Yoga #MyYogaLife

@whitneycadams WHITNEY Packing up our treasures. #inspirato

@ismaeldeleonh ISMAEL DE LEON HERRERA #canoeing #inspirato #familytrip #whistler #whistlerunfiltered #greenlake

@yogimagee NATALIE MAGEE Quite possibly one of my favorite #selfiestick group photos from the trip this far at the top of Signal Mountain overlooking Jackson Lake and the Tetons #yogimagee #yogimageeexpeditions #elevateyouryoga #neverstopexploring #jhole15 #jacksonhole #tetons #jacksonlake @inspirato

facebook.com/inspirato

@inspirato

youtube.com/inspirato

instagram.com/inspirato

pinterest.com/inspirato

Check in regularly with inspirato.com for additional content and to learn about the Inspirato Collection.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

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Entirely Manufactured in Italy

LUCIANOBARBERA.COM


CORBETT’S TAKE

Inspirato’s Chief Experience Officer, Brian Corbett, shares his secrets to getting the best out of the club.

As a founder and the Chief Experience Officer for Inspirato, I travel the world to uncover the unforgettable destinations offered to our members. Every year people ask me, “What’s your favorite place to go?” Truth is, my answer changes all the time, which gets to my point: break out of your traditional holiday or vacation destination rut and try something different. Odds are, you’ll rekindle the same wonder and togetherness that made your original choice your go-to spot in the first place.

IF YOU LIKE…

THEN TRY...

LOS CABOS

PUNTA CANA

HAWAII

COSTA RICA

VAIL

TELLURIDE

TAHOE

WHISTLER

TUSCANY

PROVENCE

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

You get a Latin flavor like you do in Cabo, but with a Caribbean twist. Best golf in the region.

Costa Rica is what Hawaii was 30 years ago. The beaches are warm, not hot, and, like Hawaii, there are a lot of activities and adventures to try.

Telluride has a southwest vibe to it without the Front Range day-skier influence. It’s a true destination resort, and you’ll meet people from all over the world.

In some ways, it can feel easier to get to Whistler than Tahoe, depending on where you’re coming from. And everything’s bigger in Whistler, except the crowds.

Provence shares many of the attributes that make Tuscany so appealing: similar obsession over great wines and fine foods against a backdrop of ancient ruins dating back to the Roman Empire.

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www.robertgraham.us SCOTTSDALE, AZ | VENICE, CA | MOHEGAN SUN, CT | BOCA RATON, FL | SARASOTA, FL PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL | SHORT HILLS, NJ | NEW YORK, NY | GARDEN CITY, NY LAS VEGAS, NV | DALLAS, TX | HOUSTON, TX | BELLEVUE, WA


TROPICAL INVESTMENT The U.S. bought St. Croix, along with fellow Virgin Islands St. Thomas and St. John, from the Netherlands nearly a century ago for military reasons. While it’s debatable that the U.S. needed these islands, no one can deny that the U.S. purchased three Caribbean jewels. Consider this tick list and imagine yourself in the middle of it: Miles of white sand beaches, including the largest nesting site for leatherback turtles in the U.S. Rolling hills covered by lush forests of mahogany, kapok, mango, red birch, samaan and breadfruit trees on the island’s west end. In the drier east, it’s prickly pear and pipe organ cacti. Snorkel and dive some of the clearest water in the world. On St. Croix visitors can wander downtown Christiansted’s charming streets that are still lined with 18th century Danish buildings painted in pastel colors and roofed with bright tiles. In all, we think you’ll agree that the U.S.’s money was well spent. Inspirato is pleased to offer two spectacular homes on St. Croix, including the all-new Copa Caneel residence pictured here and on the cover. How you choose to recharge your physical and mental batteries here is up to you. —THE EDITORS

joe rahim

* FOR MORE DETAILS ON INSPIRATO’S ST. CROIX RESIDENCES, TURN TO PAGE 189.

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ST. CROIX POSE POSSÉ Yoga on the pool deck at the Copa Caneel residence.

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INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


CULTURE | PA L M S P R I N G S /C O A C H E L L A VA L L E Y

MAD FOR MIDCENTURY

R PALM SPRINGS

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

obert Imber slows his silver Honda Odyssey to a stop in front of a one-story white slump stone wall perched in the foothills of Palm Springs. This, he says to me and two other passengers, is a classic example of midcentury modern architecture—think Mad Men style. “This is minimalism at its finest,” Imber says. “It’s all about symmetry and balance. Constraint.” Imber, 65, is the city’s premiere architectural aficionado. He’s been hosting this three-hour, 35-mile minivan tour since 2001. His enthusiasm and stories are captivating. I just didn’t realize there’d be so many walls involved. Not long after seeing the white wall, Imber will stop the van in front of a similar brown wall. It’s the front of a home

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that I’ll admit, I find less than inspiring. A large front lawn, some hedges and palm trees soften the bricks up a bit, but it’s a plain brown wall nonetheless—or so it seems. With the help of iPad photos and the gusto of a magician performing sleight of hand, Imber reveals the walls are not in fact just walls; they are an expertly planned architectural element concealing two of the world’s most exquisite midcentury modern homes. “The no windows in the front is a privacy thing—it’s a celebrity home,” Imber says. “In addition, it’s a statement. It’s the angularity of it; it’s the situation. It’s about the allure, the sense of arrival and expectation, and [he pauses] the drama. And, of course, when you get through the doors, it’s an endlessly large glass house!”

nancy baron

There’s only one week a year you can get inside Palm Springs’ iconic celebrity homes. Meet Palm Springs Modernism Week. BY ERIN BERESINI

INSPIRATO.COM


CULTURE | PA L M S P R I N G S /C O A C H E L L A VA L L E Y

beaumonde villas

F R A N K S IN AT R A WA S KNOWN TO RAISE A J A C K D A N I E L' S FLAG BETWEEN HIS HOME’S NAMESAKE T WO PALMS TO LE T HI S S TA R NE I GHB O R S K N O W C O C K TA IL HOUR WA S ON.

INSPIRATO.COM

STAR HOMES (Left) Piazza di Liberace; (This page) Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms.

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INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


CULTURE | PA L M S P R I N G S /C O A C H E L L A VA L L E Y

GO MODERN (Left) Bus tours; (right) Edris House. (Opposite) Frey House II; David Bowie Tribute Party; CAMP Modernism, the week's central hub.

This house in particular belongs to one Leonardo DiCaprio, who, much to Imber’s delight, has restored that brown wall with adobe bricks matching the originals used in 1964, when the house was built for Dinah Shore. The white-walled home? That was Max Palevsky’s, the late billionaire tech pioneer. It still houses what’s left of his storied art collection. If you want a peek behind those private, dramatic walls—a taste of the well-preserved desert lifestyle that has lured Hollywood stars and dignitaries for more than half a century— you could park in the driveway, ring the front doorbell and hope for the best. (“Private homes, public streets,” Imber says. “I can count on one hand the number of gated communities in Palm Springs.”) Or you can come back when the owners of midcentury gems like these open their doors to the public—and doubledecker tour buses roll in for a better vantage point—during Palm Springs Modernism Week, February 11–21, 2016. The event had humble beginnings 15 years ago as a furniture sale. Since then, it’s exploded into an 11-day annual celebration of all things midcentury modern, now attracting more than 60,000 attendees from all over the world. The double-decker bus tour is a must, but that’s just one of more than 180 official events. There are also lectures, retro cocktail parties (costumes highly encouraged), antique furniture and car sales—even a Kodachrome slide-assisted humorist—all celebrating the designs of the mid-’40s to the late ’60s. And then there are the

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

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home tours. Epic home tours, including a look at Frank Sinatra’s infamous Twin Palms estate (complete with original twin palm trees), and, when President Obama isn’t staying there as he did in 2013 and 2014, the Sunnylands Estate in nearby Rancho Mirage (its pink roof matches the color of the sunset on the nearby foothills). “It’s people who are having a good time and love to revel in all of the classic design,” says Daniel Salzman, a Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based green home builder and Modernism Week devotee of the past six years. “Take some of these iconic figures, the designers, builders and architects, the landscape and the Hollywood lore of it all, and it makes for some pretty awesome storytelling.” The tales of silver screen stars and the blooming of Palm Springs’ iconic architecture are, in fact, intertwined. “Some of the big stars—and there were hundreds of them, some big names— they had a 100-mile clause in their contract; they weren’t to be more than about 100 miles from Hollywood,” Imber says. “So in case Mr. Mayer need them for a lunch or something they wouldn’t be off in Africa on a safari. So they came here just to party and hang out.” (Some celebrities who’ve owned houses in Palm Springs: Bette Davis, Gene Autry, Sammy Davis, Jr., Elvis Presley, Howard Hughes, Bob Hope, Liberace and Frank Sinatra.) Midcentury modern designs were going up all over the country, Imber says, “but Palm Springs was such a moneyed and

clockwise from left: gregg felsen (2), davide a. lee, david dixon

B E P E R S I S T E N T. S O M E O F T H E MOST POPULAR EVENTS TEND T O S E L L O U T Q U I C K LY, B U T T H AT D O E S N ’ T M E A N Y O U ’ R E T O TA L LY OU T OF LUC K . “I WA I T ED FOR 45 MINUTES AND GOT IN TO SEE FREY II WHEN A COUPLE OF PEOPLE D I D N ’ T S H O W U P, ” H A R G R E T T S A Y S . “I WA S S O H A P P Y I DID, I T WA S S U C H A H I G H L I G H T O F M Y T R I P. ”

INSPIRATO.COM


CULTURE | PA L M S P R I N G S /C O A C H E L L A VA L L E Y

clockwish from top: gregg felsen, david a. lee (2)

“ F O R M E T H E M O S T E N T E R TA I N I N G PA R T I S T HE C O S T UME S ,” V O S S L E R S M I T H S AY S . “ P E O P L E B R I N G T H E I R FAV O R I T E V I N TA G E ITEMS AND LIVE THE DON DRAPER L IF E S T Y L E W HIL E T HE Y ’R E HE R E .”

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social place that it was particularly abundant.” Architects who were drawn to Palm Springs for its dramatic landscape—10,833-foot Mount San Jacinto looms in the background of the Sonoran desert— were given the financial freedom to experiment. Bob Hope’s John Lautner-designed estate is perhaps one of the best examples of star money creating something spectacular. The hillside 23,366-square-foot manse was designed to resemble a volcano, though to many it looks more like a spaceship or a giant mushroom. “The dome sheath in copper was painted over because it was blinding the airline pilots,” Imber says. Architects not working on star homes found the plentiful and cheap desert land offered them creative freedom as well. “The early modernists are the original green builders,” Salzman says. “The topography and weather necessitated a totally different approach to home building.” The 15 or so architects now called the “desert modernists” championed the idea of incorporating the local landscape and bringing the outside in, whether by designing homes around trees and boulders, or crafting disappearing walls for unobstructed views. They also promoted energy efficiency through proper positioning of windows, walls and brise-soleils. Stunning examples of these concepts abound, both private and civic. Architect Albert Frey is the mastermind behind about 200 Palm Springs buildings, including City Hall and Frey House II. Frey fashioned his 1,100-square-foot personal home around a hillside boulder in the mid’60s. “He left it to the art museum with the stipulation that people live there from time to time,” Imber says. As a sometimes residence, it’s rarely open to the public—except during Modernism Week, when Frey II becomes a tour highlight. As does Vista Las Palmas, an entire neighborhood filled with butterfly roofs, breezeways and backyard pools—all still largely intact thanks, in part, to a period during the ’80s and ’90s when Palm Springs fell out of favor with elite seasonal residents.

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CULTURE | PA L M S P R I N G S /C O A C H E L L A VA L L E Y

A RARE SIGHT The living room of Frank Sinatra's former residence, Twin Palms.

“The McMansion is the enemy of midcentury architecture,” says Lisa Vossler Smith, Modernism Week’s executive director. People seeking larger, more opulent homes in those decades began building in less developed Coachella Valley cities. But being unpopular for a while turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it left thousands of Palm Springs’ midcentury modern buildings alone. The city is now home to the world’s highest concentration of midcentury modern architecture, a veritable treasure trove rediscovered—and restored—over the past decade. “People have been living the midcentury modern lifestyle for a long time,” Salzman says; “clean lines never really go out of style." But since Mad Men, AMC’s show set in the 1960s advertising

world, came out in 2007, “it’s just pervasive.” Furniture store Design Within Reach began reissuing classic modern designs, like the famous Eames chair, making the look more attainable for the masses, while baby boomer nostalgia, Imber says, also played a role in modernism’s resurgence. As a testament to the style’s revival, other cities, including Tucson and Detroit, now host modernism weeks. But ultimately it’s the “extreme terrain, natural light and resort lifestyle,” Vossler Smith says, that continue to make Palm Springs the premiere destination for modern design, inspiring architects, builders, decorators and anyone with an eye for style. Or a Zillow obsession. The laid-back attitude, Miami-based collectible designer Lina Hargrett adds, is another big draw. “The beauty of Palm Springs is that it’s so chill,” she says, after visiting for the first time during the 2015 Modernism Week. While the week is certainly an open, fun celebration for all ages, it’s not all parties and tours and costumes and hanging out at base CAMP (Community and Meeting Place), the hub of all daily activities. It’s also an opportunity to give back to the city and the people working to preserve its unique features. Though there are more than 20 free events, the average activity costs $25. Revenue from 2015 tour ticket sales alone “generated more than $463,000 for the neighborhood organizations and HOAs to fund improvements such as landscaping, new signage and common area restoration,” Vossler Smith says. The nonprofit organization also awards scholarships to high school graduates going on to study architecture and design. There’s just nothing quite like Palm Springs, Imber says, from its friendly locals to the dramatic landscape to, of course, the special party-slash-architectural education that is Modernism Week. “Everywhere you go is something quite amazing,” he says. “Quirky, one-of-a-kind and amazing.” Los Angeles-based freelance writer Erin Beresini is the author of Off Course: Inside the Mad, Muddy World of Obstacle Course Racing. Her work appears in the New York Times, Outside Magazine and Entrepreneur.

INSPIRATO RECOMMENDS

Members can choose from three large Inspirato Residences in the Coachella Valley, each with its own pool and luxurious indoor/outdoor spaces.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

SPEED FREAKS: Get behind the wheel of a BMW sports car at the Thermal Club racetrack, home to the BMW Performance Center West.

Kealy Twede’s picks

Inspirato Destination Concierge

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR INSPIRATO RESIDENCES IN PALM SPRINGS/ COACHELLA VALLEY, PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 163.

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SHOPAHOLICS: The valley's premier shopping destination is The Gardens on El Paseo. STAR TREATMENT: The historic Ingleside Inn serves a dose of Hollywood glamour at Melvyn's Restaurant and Casablanca Lounge.

March 7-20, 2016 BNP PARIBAS OPEN Stadium tennis takes over the valley as the world's best compete in one of the biggest tournaments of the year, one which bills itself as the 5th Grand Slam. April 15-17, 22-24, 2016 COACHELLA MUSIC FEST A must-see-and-be-seen event for fashionistas, popculture mavens and music lovers, Coachella has drawn headliners such as Jack White, Drake and AC/DC.

nancy baron (top)

Palm Springs

The Residence Club at PGA West contains the Ocotillo and Saguaro homes, each with 3,365 square feet, three bedrooms and views over the golf course's lush fairways. The 3,500-square-foot Villa Rejuvenation comfortably sleeps eight in four bedrooms in a convenient hillside location on the northwest side of Palm Springs with grand views of the valley and minutes from downtown.

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FA C E S | D E N V E R , C O L O R A D O DIFFERENCE MAKER

MARCIA DONZIGER LAST SUMMER, Marcia Donziger’s nonprofit MyLifeLine.org launched an Instagram campaign to honor those affected by cancer by sharing snaps of people posing in the shape of a cancer ribbon and tagging it #Ribboning. Donziger had no idea it would take off around the world. From fashion designer Zac Posen and NBA coach George Karl to a mention on People.com, people affected by cancer responded with #Ribboning posts from all 50 states and seven continents (Yes, even Antarctica). Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper helped as well, declaring July 16 a statewide day of #Ribboning. before social media and blogging sites existed. Building your own website was complicated and expensive.” To remedy that situation, Donziger set out to build a free platform where cancer patients could keep their network informed. “My twin boys had just been born, and I had time— constantly interrupted time—to figure out how to launch a nonprofit and build MyLifeLine into what I wanted it to do,” she says. That was in 2007. Since then, MyLifeLine. org has served more than 130,000 people impacted by cancer. Last summer the organization launched a partnership with the American Cancer Society to provide social and emotional support services to patients and their families, a validation that she and her team are making a difference across 20 countries. “My dream is to translate MyLifeLine into more languages and offer it to the world.” —THE EDITORS

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CHANGE AGENT Marcia Donziger, founder of MyLifeLine, at home in Denver.

MARCIA ON TRAVEL Required Reading One book I recommend to everyone who’s interested in travel is The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner, a foreign correspondent for NPR. It’s an interesting way to see new countries, and it’s opened my eyes to pay closer attention to the different cultures I experience when I travel.

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The Inspirato Way I went on the Baltic Sea Cruise last summer, and it was a bucket-list trip: six countries in seven days. Thanks to Inspirato’s itinerary and shore excursions I got an intense taste of each country that was just long enough to get a sense for each place. For a mom with a full-time career and no time to spare, the cruise was an extremely satisfying experience.

julia vandenoever

The program’s success is yet another chapter in the Denver resident and Inspirato Member’s ability to leverage technology to help the cancer community. A survivor herself—she dealt with ovarian cancer at age 27—Donziger launched MyLifeLine.org after being inspired by Lori Arquilla Andersen, a tech savvy woman who died of brain cancer at 35. “I knew from my own experience the guilt and stress of keeping loved ones up to date on my progress,” Donziger says. “When I would come out of chemo, my husband would hand me a yellow legal pad filled with pages of people who had called to check in, and I couldn’t bear to reach out to all of them one by one. It was overwhelming. But I saw on Andersen’s website that she could put up one post and reach everyone at once, and everyone could comment. It was so powerful, and it helped her reach so many more people than she would have otherwise. Remember this is 2003,

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Mustique, a private island providing a haven for the discreet and discerning, is regarded as the most exclusive address in the Caribbean. The island’s legendary Cotton House Hotel with just seventeen suites and rooms offers guests fabulous hospitality and personal service, in one of the most unique and stylish locations in the world.

The Cotton House www.cottonhouse.net Tel +1 784 456 4777


FOOD & DRINK | SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, ME XICO

SOUTHERN COMFORT Go to San Miguel for the art and architecture, feast on its food BY EMILY RAPP BLACK

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIA VANDENOEVER

he first time Alma Luz Villanueva wandered into Mama Mia’s in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico a decade ago, “I felt instantly that I had journeyed home,” she says. A central fountain was filled with flowers. Birds fluttered from branch to branch in the old growth trees inside the restaurant. (Sometimes a bird swooped down for a tidbit of food.) During the day, the restaurant’s top floor, which looks out on the city’s innumerable, crenelated church spires rising over low-slung houses with famously colorful doors, was open to the sky. At night, if it was clear and warm, the canopy stayed open so you SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE could look up at the stars.

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FOOD & DRINK | SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, ME XICO

LOCAL COLOR (Left) Walking on Aldama Street in the evening; (This page) Cacti at the Saturday farmers market.

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CASUAL CHARM (Clockwise from top left) Making tortillas; A door in the historic area of the city; Mama Mia’s breakfast buffet.

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Today, Mama Mia’s is very much the same and Villanueva eats breakfast there most Saturday mornings. For 10 years, the same waiter, Jorge, has allowed her to skip the buffet line. As soon as he sees Villanueva, he makes up a “Big Plate” for her: scrambled eggs in green chili sauce with onions, peppers, cactus, a pot of spicy beans, a pot of rice with onions and peppers and freshly made corn tortillas hot from the griddle. And Villanueva never misses the cinnamon coffee. Served in a clay cup, it’s “my absolute favorite,” she says. “Everyone I bring to Mama’s has at least four cups of it.” Villanueva eats at Mama’s every Saturday because she loves it so much, not because it’s one of the only restaurants in town. Yes, 10 years ago, Mama’s might have been one of a few options, but that has changed. Nearly 500 years old, San Miguel was named the world’s best city to live in by Condé Nast Traveler in 2013. Long treasured for its eclectic population of artists and writers as well as its colonial architecture—its historic center is a World Heritage Site—the city is now the burgeoning hub of a different art form: food. Although it’s one of the latest hot spots on the international food scene, long-time residents know the city has always been a place where dining out with strangers often feels like dining in with family, and where there’s always been good, simple food. That hasn’t changed. What is changing is the arrival of celebrity chefs, who longtime restaurant owners and the area’s farmers, many of whom have grown organic produce for decades, are welcoming with open arms. This summer, all of these groups came together at the city’s historic Instituto Allende for the first San Miguel de Allende Food Festival. The idea was to showcase the city’s new

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culinary culture, whether it was high-end cuisine or street food. Producers from around Mexico were invited to exhibit and cook. Cocineras traditionales from Oaxaca and Puebla came as did guest chefs from around the world: Carlo Mirarchi (Roberta’s/ Blanca, NYC), Ted Torrado (Drake Hotel, Toronto) and Lily Jones (Lily Vanilli Bakery, London), among others. It was like the famous writers who come to give presentations at the city’s annual (February) San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival, but with food. Instead of books, it was ingredients such as edible flowers, insects, pork belly, chocolate and octopus. There were mezcals from Oaxaca, cheese from Puebla and wines from Valle de Guadalupe, Baja’s wine country. There were also chef’s table lunches and dinners, and, on the final day, a brunch. Each of these meals, in keeping with the town’s low-key, intimate vibe, was limited to 20 people. Also keeping with the town’s personality was diversity: next door to a five-course meal, which included champagne and wine pairings by top regional chefs Juan Emilio Villaseñor, Armando Prats and Enrique Farjeat, was a laid-back Argentinian barbeque by Monterrey chef Dante Ferrero. The city’s charm, like its cobblestoned, sun-dappled central plaza, el Jardin Principal, is the same as it ever was. Now there are just more ways to taste it. In the last two years, the dining has become “as diverse as the population,” says Patricia Wynne, owner of Abrazos, which sells all manner of kitchen and cooking goods. At Casa de Cocinas, bite into chef Michael Coon’s Okonomiyaki pancake—cabbage and shallots topped with crispy pork belly, bonito flakes, Japanese mayo, bull dog sauce and toasted nori—and tell us you don’t feel transported to Japan.

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FOOD & DRINK | SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, ME XICO

LIFE OUTSIDE (Clockwise from top left) B’ui restaurant; A corn dish in B’ui’s changing seven-course tasting menu; Capilla del Calvario.

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FOOD & DRINK | SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, ME XICO

FROM FANCY TO INFORMAL (Clockwise from above) Chef Matteo Salas of Aperi; Salas’ Rice Chicharron; El pastor tacos from Andy’s Tacos; Andy himself with the goods.

Recently, Italian-born, French-trained Matteo Salas opened Áperi here. It’s not unusual for residents of Mexico City to make the nearly 200-mile trip for a meal at this warm, woody spot, especially if they can reserve the chef’s table in the kitchen. Latin for “open,” Áperi’s seven-course tasting menu (four courses at lunch) constantly changes but always uses the region’s freshest ingredients. It is “really important to make simple food with a great taste and flavors,” Salas says. Fresh ingredients are one of the many reasons chefs are drawn to San Miguel. “We can get crayfish, pigeons, goats, suckling pig, beef and any kind of vegetable,” he says. It was 2008 when American chef Donnie Masterson, formerly of Bice in Beverly Hills, The Hay Adams in Washington D.C. and Manhattan’s Tavern on the Green, opened The Restaurant. (He had moved to San Miguel several years earlier for the lifestyle.) There guests dine on what Masterson calls “global comfort food”—shaved Brussels sprouts and kale salad; duck confit tacos—served in an 18th-century flagstone courtyard. Wynne, who moved here 15 years ago from north Berkeley, says The Restaurant “exceeds anything you will find in Berkeley or Mexico City for a fraction of the cost.” (Masterson also chairs

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San Miguel’s largest annual culinary event, Sabores San Miguel, another summertime festival.) His newest venture, Tacolicious, opens in November. Ten kilometers outside of the city at B’ui, restaurateur Daniel Estebaranz, one of the founders of the San Miguel de Allende Food Festival, tapped Mexico City superstar Marko Cruz to be executive chef. In the Otomi Equestrian Center, B’ui is ranch-totable: think whole artichokes in creamy goat’s milk mozzarella and roasted chicken. Don’t expect to have to make reservations months in advance for any of these though. The only place you’ll likely have to wait is at Andy’s Taco Truck. (But it’s worth it. Wynne says Andy’s serves the world’s best al pastor tacos.) Another one of the busiest places is the city’s Saturday morning market. In el Jardin Principal, purveyors sell produce alongside traditionally prepared foods. Nicholas Gilman, the author of Good Food in Mexico City: A Guide to Food Stalls, Fondas and Fine Dining and a writer for the New York Times says he recommends the market for those looking for authentic Mexican food. Don’t be surprised to find yourself picnicking next to local families and some of the 10,000 strong expat community. San Miguel now has celebrity

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FOOD & DRINK | SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, ME XICO

chefs and “Top Chef” might have filmed three episodes here in January, but there’s still no pretension. This being Mexico, tequila rules. Müi Bar inside the boutique Hotel Matilda is one of the few places in town offering Casa Dragones, a small-batch, limited-edition tequila created by Mexico’s only female master tequilera, Bertha Nieves. If you’re not into tequila, Müi’s mixologist Alberto Morales Perez Riesler’s cocktail menu is as creative as the dining menu at the hotel’s Moxi Restaurant. In 2012, Enrique Olvera of Mexico City’s Pujol, which is currently ranked as the 16th best restaurant in the world on San Pellegrino’s annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, took over the menus at both Moxi and Müi. Olvera had no problem finding local purveyors that met his exacting standards for organic herbs, vegetables and fresh goat cheese. With as many locally sourced ingredients as possible, Olvera creates traditional Mexican dishes, but uses the latest techniques and cosmopolitan concepts. The end result is a changing menu with a Mexican soul and an international palate. Susan York, a San Miguel food blogger, also recommends La Azotea for drinks. The sleek rooftop bar off the Jardín doesn’t just have phenomenal people watching—the fashionable Mexico City set, sporting Mexican designers like Alejandra Quesada and MíTu Calzado—but also extraordinary views of the pink, spired Parroquia church. Come here at sunset, order a jicama taco “they’re a truly authentic experience,” York says—and watch the sun set over the Guanajuato Mountains. “I saw [Chicago] evolve into a major food powerhouse,” says York, who lived in that Midwest city for 25 years. “San Miguel is fast becoming a new culinary center in Mexico and it is so exciting to watch.”

EASY SOPHISTICATION (Left) Making a cocktail at Müi Bar; (Right) Octopus salad at The Restaurant.

Emily Rapp Black is the author, most recently, of the memoir The Still Point of the Turning World.

INSPIRATO RECOMMENDS

San Miguel de Allende Make yourself at home at Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada, a boutique luxury hotel housed inside the stone walls and compounds of six mansions.

Ricardo Jiménez’s picks Chief Concierge Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada

WALK THIS WAY: San Miguel is one of several historic and culturally cherished cities in the region that are revered in Mexico. A guided walking tour is the best way to see and learn about them. Reserve a three-hour tour of San Miguel before you arrive. You’ll learn the lay of the city and see its highlights. Ninety minutes east of San Miguel sits the cultural soul of Mexico, Guanajuato City, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Zone. Home to classic architecture, the city hosts Latin

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SUITES AT BELMOND CASA DE SIERRA NEVADA, TURN TO PAGE 181.

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America’s biggest cultural festival, Cervantino, in October. Dolores Hidalgo, 30 minutes from San Miguel, is the cradle of Mexico’s independence and home to Talavera ceramics. For a taste of Mexico’s mining heritage, visit the silver mine ruins at Mineral de Pozos, originally established in the 17th Century. FOUR-LEGGED TOUR Saddle up for a half-day horseback ride into the surrounding hill country, wrapping up your equine adventure with a sumptuous meal at a local ranch.

October 31- November 2, 2015 LA CALACA This Day of the Dead celebration explores life and death through art, music and parties throughout the city. November 11-15, 2015 JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL Since 1994, this festival has drawn musicians from around the world. February 10-14, 2016 SAN MIGUEL WRITERS’ CONFERENCE Acclaimed writers Joyce Carol Oates, Scott Simon and Luis Urrea, among others, discuss the craft of storytelling.

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FA C E S | L A S V E G A S , N E VA D A

SHOT CALLER

DARREN CAHILL THE DAY AFTER SIMONA HALEP lost to Serena Williams at the Western & Southern Tennis Open in Cincinnati last August, Inspirato Member Darren Cahill switched roles from ESPN’s on-air tennis analyst to Halep’s coach, a juggling act he’s maintained for a variety of top pros since 2007. “Leading up into the events I’m a coach. As soon as the matches start, I’m a TV analyst,” Cahill explains. “Thankfully, not working any women’s matches with ESPN has allowed me the flexibility to continue to help Simona in New York.”

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won’t change. My job is to figure out how to get them to see it.” Cahill credits his upbringing in Australia as the son of a professional Australian rules footballer for his ability to bring a successful and healthy approach to tennis. “I grew up playing Aussie football. I wanted to be like my dad,” he says. “Tennis was something he and I did together for fun. I only got serious about tennis at age 16, which is very late for developing tennis players, but I believe I came to the game as a much more wellrounded athlete and with a much better head on my shoulders.” Before he put on his ESPN hat for this year’s U.S. Open, we asked him to share his one tip for anyone looking to improve their game: “Don’t try to be perfect in everything. Each time you come onto the court, work on one thing— your serve, forehand, backhand or returns. Do that and odds are you’ll walk off feeling good about your experience instead of frustrated at everything.” —THE EDITORS

AUSSIE RULES Darren Cahill, his wife Victoria and their children at home in 2014.

DARREN’S TAKE Tennis Today We’re in the middle of one of the greatest moments in tennis history. The men’s game has four once-in-a-generation players at the top of their games: Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. On the woman’s side, Serena Williams’s pursuit of the Grand Slam (winning all the Grand Slam events in a single year) at age 33 is simply amazing. It’s more difficult for her to win at this age, but she’s finding a way to compete.

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The Inspirato Experience My wife, Victoria, son (14) and daughter (11) and I went to Grand Cayman recently and it was stunning. My kids still talk about it all the time—swimming with the manta rays, the beach, the house. I swear Victoria checks out Inspirato’s website a couple times a week trying to decide where we’re going to go next. As Australians, all I know is that it’ll involve sun and water, so Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean are on the list.

peanut photography

Cahill’s split career also extends to coaching; in addition to guiding Halep to a No. 2 ranking ahead of the U.S. Open in New York City last September, he’s working with Angelique Kerber, who entered the tournament ranked sixth. He’s also spent the last seven years running the Adidas Player Development Program from his home base in Las Vegas, helping the sportswear giant discover and develop its sponsored pros. What ESPN, Adidas and the world’s best tennis players want from the 49-year-old Cahill are the insights gleaned from his own days as a pro (He was ranked in the top-25, before knee injuries derailed his career), as well as his experience coaching both the youngest ranked No.1 player in the world, Lleyton Hewitt in 2001, and the oldest, Andre Agassi in 2003. His secret sauce appears deceptively simple: “You have to coach through the player’s eyes,” he says. “It may be obvious what a particular player needs to work on, but until he or she sees what needs to be done from their perspective, they

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SPORTING LIFE | KIAWAH ISL AND, S OU T H C AR OLINA

SIMPLY REDS Fly-fishing South Carolina’s Kiawah Island BY TOM BIE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON STEMPLE

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As he’s bringing it to the boat, a man yells “Fore!” from an adjacent golf course, and I instinctively duck my head. Such are the risks of fishing in coastal South Carolina. Kiawah is a barrier island along the South Carolina coast, sitting about 20 miles south of Charleston. It is known primarily as a golf destination—a fair assessment, considering that five acclaimed courses weave around the island’s 11 square miles, including the Pete Dye-designed Ocean Course, host of the 2012 PGA Championship. But many anglers have discovered that Kiawah and the surrounding area is also an exceptional fly-fishing destination, especially for tailing redfish found in the Spartina-grass salt marshes.

s we round a grassy, flooded corner of Kiawah Island, moving slowly in Capt. John Irwin’s flats boat, all three of us onboard begin scanning the shoreline for fish. Irwin spots one first. “We’ve got a belly-crawler at 2 o’clock, about 20 feet in,” he announces. “You see him?” Charleston-based angler/artist/musician Paul Puckett is standing on the bow, fly rod in hand. He sees the fish a split-second after Irwin does, and makes a perfect cast, landing the fly 6 inches in front of the feeder’s nose. It pounces without hesitation, coming clear out of the water to eat the fly and connect Puckett with 5 pounds of hard-fighting red drum, a.k.a. redfish, one of the most popular game fish in America.

KIAWAH ISLAND

A NEW DAY Casting at sunrise.

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SPORTING LIFE | KIAWAH ISL AND, S OU T H C AR OLINA

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SPORTING LIFE | KIAWAH ISL AND, S OU T H C AR OLINA

WALK THIS WAY Wading through the marsh.

“The endless interconnected creeks and rivers here make it easy to forget that you’re fishing close to civilization,” says Puckett. “Even with some of the best shops and restaurants really close by, Kiawah’s not quite as developed as other towns, so whether you’re wading or in a boat, you feel like you’re on your own private island.” Indeed, most of Kiawah is a private island. Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission, through a partnership with Kiawah Development Partners, offers a beautiful public beach on the west end of the island called Kiawah Beachwalker Park. But beyond that, Kiawah is essentially a gated community, albeit one with many rentable vacation properties, where it’s possible to find fish on foot or in a rental car without even leaving dry land. “There are brackish ponds on Kiawah that hold lots of big redfish,” says local photographer Jason Stemple, who spent five years as the staff photographer for Kiawah Development Partners, exploring the island every day, including its creeks and marshes. “It’s pretty hit or miss. Sometimes you can pull up to a pond, hop out and see fish right away. Other times you can cast for hours and never see a thing. But each little creek is unique, and has the possibility of holding belly-crawling, shrimpgobbling redfish.” (Kiawah also has a few freshwater-fed springs and

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ponds with good largemouth bass fishing, along with other fish that can survive in brackish water, like carp and tarpon.) These belly-crawlers that both Stemple and Irwin refer to are redfish that have come into very shallow water at “flood tide” to feed, swimming half-exposed—sometimes even their eyeballs are above water—through stretches of Spartina grass that look like a flooded hayfield. A flood tide is the term for the highest high tides of each month. The food chain on these flooded flats goes something like this: flyfisher chasing redfish; redfish chasing blue crabs or fiddler crabs; crabs chasing the snails that cling to the stalks of grass. The result is a unique and challenging visual fishery for three or four days on both sides of a new or full moon. “Tailers” are redfish that are nose-down, eating in the mud or grass, with their tail sticking above the water, often wiggling from side to side. “We usually get two sets of flood tides each month between May and November, which keeps us pretty satisfied,” says Puckett. “There’s just something special about being able to see a fish before you catch it.” Stemple adds that shooting pictures of redfish during a flood tide offers the best opportunity to photograph them without a human involved. “It’s the only time they take a part of their body

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SPORTING LIFE | KIAWAH ISL AND, S OU T H C AR OLINA

and place it in our world,” he says. “Flood-tide tailers give you the best chance, whether fishing or photographing, of stalking an individual fish in the most visual way possible.” As great as flood tides are, however, they’re certainly not the only time to catch redfish. Nor are redfish the only quarry worth chasing around Kiawah Island. On two consecutive mornings fishing with Irwin and Stemple, a black drum at low tide was my first fish of the day. Black drum are a close cousin to red drum, but grow even larger, with a few recorded catches of more than 100 pounds. Mine were both about 4 pounds, and were just losing the vertical dark stripes they sport as juveniles— markings that sometimes cause them to be mistaken for another Lowcountry specimen, the sheepshead. The state fish of South Carolina is the striped bass, but with stripers falling on hard times of late, visitors to Kiawah target everything from dorado to cobia to seatrout to sharks to amberjack to false albacore— even the occasional tarpon. We saw several fishermen targeting sharks close to shore, but offshore options are also available, especially during summer months, when bluewater captains use bigger boats to target species like wahoo, snapper, grouper, tuna, mackerel and billfish.

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We caught redfish each day on both dropping and rising tides. Some were tailing in the shallowest water of a small bay, some were milling about near the mouths of creeks, waiting for the tide to rise, and a few bigger fish were found cruising alone or in pairs, looking for unsuspecting shrimp, crabs or glass minnows, or working the oyster beds, which they love. All of this was sight-fishing—the best kind of fly-fishing—and would not have been possible without clear water, which doesn’t always occur, especially in summertime. Nor is it possible without the eyes of a competent guide, which Irwin certainly is. It doesn’t hurt, either, that he grew up spending summers on Kiawah, or that his father still lives there, giving him easy access to boat ramps, as well as the occasional golf game. “I spent seven years guiding for trout in southwest Montana,” Irwin says. “But I decided to return home in 2001, get my captain’s license and focus on the fish I grew up with. Plus, it’s warmer here.” Trading south Montana for South Carolina also allows Irwin to guide year-round—a huge bonus for a career that’s often seasonal. To accommodate both inshore and near shore clients, he has an 18-foot skiff for redfishing and other shallow-water endeavors, and a 23-foot V-hull boat for trips to the ocean side of the barrier islands, when chasing migrating fish like dorado (also called mahimahi or dolphinfish.)

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THE HUNT (Clockwise) The tail of a redfish; assuming the ready position; Kiawah’s version of fishing nirvana.

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SPORTING LIFE | KIAWAH ISL AND, S OU T H C AR OLINA Come fall, flood tides in South Carolina can last longer than in spring or summer, which keeps most fly-fishers targeting redfish. But as temperatures drop during winter, crabs start hibernating, causing fewer redfish to feed on the flats during high tides. While this reduces the number of tailing redfish, it causes them to school up into larger groups. Winter is when some of the biggest schools of reds can be found, sometimes along the beach, but also in the same marshes they occupy the rest of the year. It’s also when redfish will push into very skinny water to try to avoid dolphins (the mammal, not the dorado)—one of their major predators. If you’ve ever seen an Internet video showing dolphins “herding” redfish and mullet onto dry land, chances are it was filmed near Kiawah Island. The climate of Kiawah makes redfishing a year-round sport, and with several guides offering early morning or late afternoon options to match the best fishing conditions, it’s possible to get in nine holes or a game of tennis and still have time for fishing the same day. Three great fly shops in the area—Charleston Angler in Charleston, Lowcountry Fly Shop in Mount Pleasant and Bay Street Outfitters in Beaufort—all have knowledgeable staff that can outfit you or connect you with a guide. In addition to Irwin, Captain Mike Tucker lives and works on Kiawah, offering anglers both fly and light-tackle charters. If you’re interested in lessons instead of, or in addition to, a chartered trip, Bay Street Outfitters offers several one-day “Redfish Schools” throughout the year, focusing mostly on casting, knots and flies. Irwin teaches seminars as well, which are run through Charleston Angler. He also hosts several twoday redfish schools throughout the year, scheduling them to coincide with flood tides. “Having the two-day classes works best,” Irwin says, “because it allows people to screw everything up on the first day, and still redeem themselves on the second.” It also provides what all anglers want from every redfishing trip we take: one more day on the water.

WILD LIFE (Above) A great blue heron; (Below) a redfish about to be released.

Tom Bie is the founder, editor and publisher of the fly-fishing magazine The Drake.

INSPIRATO RECOMMENDS PARADISE GOLF: Kiawah Island is home to four courses including the Ocean Course, which has hosted every major PGA event and was once named “America’s Toughest Course” by Golf Digest.

Kiawah Island The Lowcountry beckons with four Inspirato Residences ranging from the 6,200-square-foot Monarch residence that sleeps 12 to the 3,700-square-foot Beachcomber house with infinity pool. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR INSPIRATO RESIDENCES ON KIAWAH ISLAND, TURN TO PAGE 143.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

Lea Lempesis’s picks Inspirato Destination Planner

SUNSET TOASTS: Grab a table on the back porch of The Ryder Cup Bar and Grill, order a cocktail and enjoy the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. MAIN STREET KIAWAH: Freshfields Village serves as the island’s town center and meeting spot. Everyone passes through to shop or dine.

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THE IN CROWD: Take a day trip to Charleston and head to Upper King Street, the city’s hippest district. Here you’ll find Proof, where the locals claim the city’s best gin and tonic is served, and Charleston Distilling Company, which offers tours along with vodka, gins and whiskey. Update your beach look at Channels, a men’s and women’s boutique started by a Charleston native along with a long-time surfer. The result is a fresh mix of styles that move easily between day and night.

December 12, 2015 KIAWAH ISLAND MARATHON Run a flat 26.2 miles (or the half-marathon) along the island’s tree-shaded neighborhoods, bays and oceanfront. January 15-February 14, 2016 WOMEN’S TENNIS WEEKENDS Up your game and make new friends with an all-inclusive experience including instruction, matches, food and drinks. March 10-13, 2016 FRIENDSHIP CUP A top tournament for male amateur golfers held on Kiawah Island’s famed Ocean Course.

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SCHOOL LUNCH The appetizer from Italy's Osteria di Passignano cooking school in Tuscany.

THE JOY OF COOKING stefano sactÀ (courtesy osteria di passignano)

Fresh and simple cuisine can be delicious. These schools show you how. BY RACHEL WALKER

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id-July, and the theme at the Healdsburg SHED in the heart of California’s wine country is pie, pickles and preserves. Inside the award-winning building—equal parts restaurant, café, fermentation bar, shop and community gathering space (a.k.a. the Grange)—is a weathered, 12-foot-long wooden table on which lies a mélange of rolling pins, pastry flour and pie plates. These are for sale, along with Mason jars and instructional books, baskets of seasonal fruit and gourmet sugars. The selection is carefully curated to inspire, and inspire it does. Patrons browse the goods and inquire within, delighted to learn that in addition to purchasing the wares, there are a range of classes available where they can learn to use them. “Most of our students are interested in the whole picture of agriculture rather than just eating or following a recipe,” says Grange manager Stephanie Callimanis. “We teach food crafting—everything from how to understand how your food was grown and who grew it, to how to prepare it, and then how to bring that knowledge home with you.”

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Cooking classes at SHED generally correspond with the everrotating monthly theme—you could sign up for a class on beekeeping or fermentation. It's a curriculum that heralds a new direction for cooking schools, and today more than ever, schools such as SHED open their doors to all those who love food, aiming to deliver an inclusive, casual immersion. We found schools staffed by animated chefs eager to share their culture’s tastiest samplings and that welcome students of varying ability, focusing on imparting knowledge in a relaxed, supportive environment. Which is why learning to preserve California-grown fruit or to coax eggs and flour into authentic Italian pasta while on vacation sounds so appealing. These schools are fun: learn to braise your own lamb shanks, boil your own bagels and toss your own green salad in vinaigrette made from scratch. Visit the local market with your instructor (who speaks the local language and knows the purveyors) and learn to identify the best eggplant or prime cut of meat. Then lose yourself in the school’s kitchen as you gain skills that will last long after your vacation. INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


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FONTE DE MEDICI AT OSTERIA DI PASSIGNANO

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ATIA BARCIULLI wants to simplify your cooking and inspire your spirit. Executive chef at Osteria di Passignano on the Antinori estate, a Tuscan destination that features a restaurant, wine cellar, cooking school, and wine shop, Barciulli coordinates all of the property’s cooking classes and teaches the majority of them. His philosophy is alluring: “You eat 21 meals in a week. Eighteen of them must be to survive—fruits and vegetables and all that good stuff. The other three must feed your soul. All of them must be delicious.” To that end, the classes at Fonte de Medici introduce you to traditional Tuscan cuisine: homemade pasta, sauces, chocolate and more. The courses showcase the simplicity of Tuscan cooking—“with two eggs and a bunch of flour, you can feed 10 people,” Barciulli says. While making pasta or gnocchi from scratch might be intimidating, anyone can do it.

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“My job,” he says, “is to give the guests the freedom to move easily in the kitchen when they are home by themselves. I am here to make people happy, and through the creation of these dishes, through making their own pasta, I succeed.” Barciulli insists that using select, choice ingredients is key to crafting nourishing meals. “We Tuscans are simple,” he says. “We use beautiful ingredients. They are fresh and natural, and we don’t overwork them.” Simple does not mean boring. Here you’ll learn how to incorporate chocolate into a range of dishes—both sweet and savory—and how to cook meat in a way that renders it tender and juicy. And you will do it all on the stainless steel countertops of Osteria di Passignano’s kitchen classroom in a rustic stone cottage. Following class, tour the ancient cellars beneath the Abbey of Passignano and then dine on the fruits of your labor—with wine pairings, of course. osteriadipassignano.com

(top left) nathan hindman; osteria di passignano (2)

THE GOOD LIFE (Clockwise from top left) Executive chef Matia Barciulli leads a class; the ancient wine cellar at the Badia (Abbey) di Passignano; Gnocchi made with pheasant ragu.

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©2015 CARDINALE WINERY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


WELLNESS |

HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA

SHED

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WHITE APRON, chef’s hat cooking school this is not. SHED, one of Sonoma County’s hottest destinations is not, in fact, even a school. Nor is it entirely a restaurant, a retailer or a farm. Rather it is a unifying space where you can taste fresh and seasonal food prepared from the surrounding farm’s bounty at the café, find a package of seeds and gardening gear in the shop and then take a class. “Ours is a multifaceted experience with food and farming, the big picture of what the region offers,” SHED manager Stephanie Callimanis says. Founded in 2013 by Cindy Daniel and Doug Lipton, SHED aims for the agrarian mindset lauded by Wendell Berry, which is “rooted in good cooking, good farming and good eating.” Classes at SHED address a wide range of topics from

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biodynamic viniculture to preserving seasonal bounty and more. With a grain mill on-site, SHED offers whole-grain baking classes and soba-making classes using buckwheat. Fermentation classes give you insight into the processes taking place downstairs at SHED’s fermentation bar, which has beer and wine on tap along with kefir, kombucha and mead. Local and visiting chefs, such as cookbook author and executive chef Tom McNaughton of San Francisco’s Flour + Water, teach classes on their specialties. As enticing as the actual class content is SHED’s ambience. The 10,000-square-foot space, a modern steel-and-glass building with roll-up garage doors and an open floor plan, won the 2014 James Beard Best Restaurant Design Award. Callimanis says classes at SHED are casual and comfortable, and appeal to diverse skill sets. healdsburgshed.com

kevin anderson (courtesy of shed)

FOODIES UNITE (Clockwise from top left) SHED; lettuce harvested from SHED's HomeFarm; ricotta with fruit; cheesemaking class.

I TA LY, C A L I F O R N I A , E N G L A N D , F R A N C E

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introducing

GEO 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

Estate Grown | Single Vineyard Napa Valley

SPECIAL OFFER FOR MEMBERS _______________________________ 15% OFF THE RETAIL PRICE OF $75 ______________________________

LIMIT 12 BOTTLES PER MEMBER OFFER EXPIRES DECEMBER 31, 2015 _______________________________ Please contact Heidi Wiss 707.259.6632 or Antoinette Williams 707.259.6610 of the Silverado Vineyards Member Services team to redeem your offer, or email Wineclub@silveradovineyards.com

Silverado Vineyards | 6121 Siverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558 | 707.257.1770 | silveradovineyards.com


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DEVON, ENGLAND

RIVER COTTAGE COOKERY SCHOOL

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T’S EASY TO GET DISTRACTED during a course at the River Cottage Cookery School. With 100 acres of organic farmland outside its windows and the ocean just beyond, you could get lost in the idyllic nature of it all. Fortunately what goes on in River Cottage’s classroom is just as intriguing as the scenery outside it. “Everything is hands-on here,” says head chef Gelf Alderson as he ticks through the course offerings: “Catch and Cook” (fish), “Nose to Tail” (butchering and preparing all cuts of meat), “Build and Bake” (clay ovens and bread). There are many more; you could opt to learn cheese making or how to forage for mushrooms or take a class focusing on vegetarian cooking. Almost every ingredient here comes from River Cottage’s own farm. Ingredients that can’t be sourced on-site are from nearby farms, a delightful change from what most students are accustomed to at home, says Alderson. “Most of us are very used to our food

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arriving washed and wrapped in plastic looking perfect,” he says. “We want to take a step back in time to where you know the farmer who grew your vegetables or raised your animal.” Most popular is a one-day class that covers a little bit of everything. The day starts with tea or coffee and treats from the kitchen before diving into bread making, preparing dough you’ll return to throughout the day—to knead, shape and bake. Next is the pudding course, followed by a session on meat that goes well beyond the ordinary. “We use ingredients that people don’t usually use, like the liver and kidney, also known as offal,” Alderson says. “We change the way people see those sort of cuts.” Next you’ll learn to cook fish and also make quick and tasty vegetarian snacks. “A simple carrot or cauliflower can be turned into something amazing,” Alderson says. For the grand finale, you’ll pull it together and add some final touches. And then you’ll eat it. rivercottage.net

courtesy river cottage cookery school

ENGLISH LESSONS (Clockwise from left) Bread making course at River Cottage Cookery School; pasta made during a pizza and pasta class; lunch in the Kitchen Garden.

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B R E A T H T A K I N G is what we do

The unmistakable energy and natural beauty of Southern California is perfectly captured in the fresh, legendary luxury of The St Regis Monarch Beach. Find yourself moved in every way where intimate private beach meets championship-caliber oceanfront golf course and award-winning spa, all nestled along the dynamic Orange County shoreline. Endlessly indulgent, always exciting, thriving has never felt this exquisite.

STREGISMB.COM | 866.716.8135 Š2014 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, St. Regis and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.


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PARIS

LE FOODIST

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OCATED IN THE HEART of Paris’s Latin Quarter, minutes from two open-air markets (Place Monge and Maubert Mutualité), Le Foodist is the dream of Frenchman Fred Pouillot. (Pouillot’s first career was as a chemical engineer.) Founded three years ago, Le Foodist offers multiple hands-on classes in a week, some with visits to the markets mentioned above. In addition, the school is a short Metro ride from the famous grocery store La Grande Épicerie and also from St. Germain’s covered market. (Depending on your class, you may end up at either location on a field trip.) Classes are intimate—11 students max and an average of seven—and foster the love of food that is so integral to French culture. While all are welcome, you’ll feel most at ease here if you already know your way around a kitchen. “The vast majority of our students make food a central part of their travels and are quite well educated,” Pouillot says. “It’s very exciting because they are passionate about food and quick learners.”

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Using raw, fresh ingredients, you’ll prepare classic French recipes that Pouillot has modernized or adapted to a class setting—Carpaccio of scallops and root vegetables with a curry vinaigrette, coq au vin in the Parisian style, potato mash in the style of Joel Robuchon, salmon tartare with a yuzubased vinaigrette served on a turnip poached in a soy syrup or Mediterranean lamb stew with glazed vegetables. You’ll also learn the arts of plating and pairing wines with food before class ends with eating the meal you’ve helped prepare. “I love it when people have what I call an ‘a-ha’ moment—when they understand why things are done a certain way, or how to simplify their life in the kitchen by adapting a technique,” says Pouillot. “Students leave Le Foodist having experienced a true French meal.” lefoodist.com  Rachel Walker is the magazine's Associate Editor.

photos courtesy le foodist

LA MANIÈRE FRANÇAISE (Clockwise from top left) A traditional cream puff; Le Foodist; the dining room; the prep area in the professional kitchen.

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Anguilla’s Ultimate Destination

Nestled in the crescent curve of Rendezvous Bay, CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa celebrates the ultimate Caribbean escape. Guests are enticed by the magnificent beach, renowned dining options, rejuvenation at the Venus Spa, and challenging golf at the 18-hole Greg Norman Signature Design Golf Course.

Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla • General Information 264.498.2000 • Reservations 800.943.3210 www.CuisinArtResort.com

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ELEMENTS OF COOL This winter, treat yourself (or your favorite people) with our picks of the season’s best style, gadgets and experiences that promise to make this season your coolest ever.

compiled by grant davis style by georgia alexia benjou photography by julia vandenoever

GREAT TIMING Fine mechanical watches are a thing of beauty. If you’re looking for a brand beyond the usual suspects, turn to German watchmaker Nomos Glashütte. Only founded in 1990—that’s young in the watch world—Nomos marries clean, modern design (think Bauhaus) with traditional

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watchmaking craftsmanship. The company has just released its first dive watch, the Ahoi Atlantik. Its sporty good looks feature dynamic color, from a glossy Atlantic blue dial to a lacquered red second hand. Then there’s the illuminated green hour

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and minute hands—easy to see when diving down to its 200m depth. It’s not all high-seas drama though. Nomos adds whimsical charm with a mesh strap inspired by the lanyards used at German public swimming pools. $4,060, osterjewelers.com

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WHAT’S IN | WIN T ER

FOR HER

CHLOE

ULLA JOHNSON

DREW PEBBLED LEATHER MEDIUM CHAIN SHOULDER BAG The best way to accent soft winter neutrals? With a handbag color that works the same vibe. Pick a bag in the same color family without worrying about matching the shades exactly. $2,050, neimanmarcus.com

ODELE SHEARLING COAT Johnson’s pastel pink shearling is a statement piece. Pair it with soft winter neutrals (grey, white, cream, cognac). $2,760, ullajohnson.com

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

BRUNA HAND-KNIT ECO BABY ALPACA CABLE TURTLENECK Playing up different textures gives your look a subtle spin. $460, ullajohnson.com

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CREPE ARMY CARGO PANTS This draped version updates cargo pants with a drop-rise and cropped leg. $310, ullajohnson.com

AGGIE STUDDED SUEDE BOOT Understated details and supple suede give these black boots a more relaxed feel. $550, p45.com

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SLICE OF HEAVEN The homemade pies sold at Vernon’s Grocery in Hope Town on Abaco in the Bahamas are worthy of a side trip. Vernon’s key lime pie is famous, but his lemon meringue and apple pies are just as tasty.

SURF ROCKET What do you get when a rocket scientist designs a surfboard? The Varial, designed by SpaceX engineer Edison Conner and his lifelong friend Parker Borneman. They use a super-dense, proprietary foam core that boosts their board’s stiffness and lightness. On the water that translates into better maneuverability and longer rides. Available from various board shapers.

MAUI STYLE Designing Wahine and Hale Zen, two small, family-owned boutiques in the heart of Lahaina on Maui, sell linens, furniture, jewelry, furnishings and women’s fashions— all procured from across Polynesia. But it’s their private label collections that make the stores. Bu Tiki embodies their Hawaiian approach to casual elegance with pieces that go from poolside to dinner with ease. Their luxury linens and pillows fall under the Maka Sea label. designingwahine.com

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SAY “CHEESE!”

SPEED OF SOUND

PRIVATE BEACH

At the restaurant and farm shop Meat & Cheese on Hopkins in Aspen, owner Wendy Mitchell sources her goods from her other business, Avalanche Cheese Company, which raises its own goats nearby.

Rapha, the high-end, high-performance cycling clothier, teamed up with the audio gods at Bang & Olufsen to create the H6 headphones. Your ears will enjoy rich bass notes, clear tones and super-soft leather earpads made from African Hairy Sheep, the same breathable and sweatresistant stuff that goes into Rapha’s cycling gloves. $429, rapha.cc

Playa Penca on the Cacique Peninsula in Costa Rica is accessible only by 4x4 and even then you have to trek 10 minutes through the jungle to reach it. But once there you’ll likely only share its white sand beach and turquoise waters with the chattering monkeys in the trees.

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WHAT’S IN | WIN T ER

COACH NYLON MA-1 FLIGHT JACKET This fall is all about the flight jacket. The difference between it and a bomber jacket? The nylon version came about with the development of the B-15 bomber during the 1950s. Coach’s update puts a contemporary spin on this military classic. $495, Coach Men’s stores nationwide or coach.com

FOR HIM

COACH SHEARLING GLOVES Keep your hands toasty warm in any cold-weather town with a pair of shearling gloves. $248, coach.com

VINCE

ETRO

SPECKLED MOTO SWEAT PANTS From the narrow fit to the motocross-inspired stitching around the knees, these joggers will keep you looking casual and smart. $225, neimanmarcus. com

WOOL CABLE-KNIT ZIP CARDIGAN You could opt for a cashmere hoodie, but a cardigan—or even a hefty turtleneck sweater—in a cable-knit, thick rib or marled yarn shows off luxurious textures. $670, neimanmarcus.com

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

FAÇONNABLE BALENCIAGA ARENA HIGH SNEAKERS Everyone from celebrities to athletes have been spotted wearing this cult favorite, and it’s no wonder; the shoe’s bold colors and high profile make a big statement. $625, neimanmarcus.com

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COTTON CHECKED SHIRT Give your look an extra hit of color and pattern with a novelty check shirt. $195, faconnable.com

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POWDER DAZE After a big dump of fresh snow in Telluride, Colorado, locals in the know beeline it to Log Pile, an expert tree run accessed off the Plunge Lift where the pines are spaced far enough apart to let them find a rhythm through the deep snow.

DESERT RUM The collection of 111 rums available at the year-old Toro, a Latin rum bar and restaurant at the famed TPC Scottsdale golf course, is reason enough to venture to this far corner of Scottsdale, Arizona. But it’s the view of the mountains and the Stadium Course’s 18th hole from Toro’s sprawling patio that make it a signature Arizona experience.

WALL-TO-WALL The tiny UO Beam HD projector links up with your smartphone, tablet or computer to stream 720p high-def movies onto any blank space up to 12.5-feet wide. It pulls it off by using laser diodes, instead of LEDs, to project video. The result is crisper, sharper colors from a box that’s roughly the size of a Rubik’s Cube. $420, uobeam.com

SIDEARM SHOOTER Plug the new DXO One camera into your iPhone, and the palmsized digital camera morphs into a near DSLR-quality rig with a 20.2-mega-pixel lens that can capture 1080p HD video and allows you to control the aperture down to f/11, all while letting you use your phone’s screen to operate the camera. $599, dxo.com

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SKI HERO The new big mountain Blizzard Bodacious skis earned rave reviews for their ability to confidently hold precise, high-speed lines in deep backcountry powder and frontside groomers. In short: They’re the skis that will take your skiing to expert level. $800, blizzardsportusa.com


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SAMA LA JOLLA AVIATORS Sama’s aviators in laser cut titanium have a handwoven, carbon-fiber inlay at the bridge and an exclusive Japanese polarized lens with anti-reflective mirrored coating for 100% UV protection. $660, samaeyewear.net

CHIEF TRUNK JOURNEY DUFFLE Luggage doesn’t have to be basic and boring—just look back at the Golden Age of Travel, when stylish steamer trunks ruled. American luxury travel brand Oshkosh Trunk Company, launched in 1898, outfitted early 20th century travelers with trunks wrapped in its well-known Chief stripe pattern. Fast-forward to today and Chief Trunk has revived the brand and their signature canvas and leather bags. $595, sullyandco.com

SHOT CLUB Enjoy a distinctly local take on your après cocktails in Vail this winter with a shot of 92-proof bourbon distilled locally at the 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Co. $25, 10thwhiskey.com

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DIOR

THE GOOD STUFF

BLOCK-LENS SUNGLASSES Taking color blocking to a whole new level, Dior’s futuristic sunglasses combine warm and cool tones, with just a hint of a minimalist gold wave frame. $500, neimanmarcus.com

Open a bottle of Silverado Vineyards’ 2012 GEO cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley and you open perfection. It’s the result of a darn near perfect growing season and an un-rushed harvest of grapes at their peak ripeness. For wine growers, this wine’s full body and flavor is a welcome reminder of how sweet the vineyard life can be when Mother Nature plays nice. $75, silveradovineyards.com

MIU MIU PIRITE LEATHER SANDALS Whether you’re entering or exiting a room, these brilliant metallic sandals with crystal inset heels will stand out. $750, nordstrom.com

ALEX SOLDIER EMM KUO GUGGENHEIM CLUTCH Ladies know that glamorous accessories make an outfit, especially when dressing in vacation basics like white jeans and a T-shirt. Emm Kuo’s mixed media hard case clutch in exotic materials—try mother-of-pearl, rose gold, snake, quartz and brass— does the job perfectly. $770, emmkuo.com INSPIRATO.COM

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CORA & LEAF CUFF Fine jeweler Alex Soldier’s 18-karat gold and silver Cora & Leaf cuff features his signature metalwork, which creates the illusion of a diamond inlay. from $2,200, alexsoldier.com

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MEMBER RECOMMENDED

SWIM, BIKE, RUN, FUN An Inspirato Member brings his own cheering section to the Ironman World Triathlon Championships on Hawaii’s Big Island. BY JONATHAN LUCENAY

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HAWAII

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hen I qualified for the Ironman World Championship at Ironman Florida in November 2013 by winning my division in the Executive Challenge series, it was the culmination of a five-year journey that started when I was 75 pounds heavier and was told by my doctor that a future with Type 2 diabetes was inevitable. But simply reaching triathlon’s ultimate race in Kona wasn’t the goal; I wanted to compete—and I wanted my family and close friends who’ve supported me all these years to be there to share the rewards of all my training. As soon as I confirmed my entry into the World Championships, I reserved three Inspirato homes on the Kohala Coast. One was for my parents and my wife Holly and I and our three daughters, ages 2, 5, 8; another for my sister and brother-in-law (who are also Inspirato Members) and their kids and the third for my brother’s family and some lifelong family friends. Between all of us, there were 10 children under the age 10 in our group—the youngest was 4 months old. I arrived at the Hale Kai house on the Big Island two and a half weeks ahead of the race to acclimate myself to the heat and time difference while I wrapped up my training (Kona is six hours behind Atlanta, where we live). I’d work in the morning and train in the afternoon. Tina, our Inspirato Destination Concierge, set me up with regular massages at the house and meals—I’d tell her what foods I needed to eat and she’d find a restaurant that would accommodate me, and she even offered to deliver it to the house. I didn’t have to think about anything beyond work, train, eat and sleep. Everyone else arrived a couple days before race day and again, Tina took care of everything: airport pick-ups, stocking the houses with food. She and Inspirato changed my whole race experience for the better. I didn’t need to worry about playing host— quite a relief. While Inspirato’s homes on the Big Island aren’t clustered together in the same resorts, they all had wonderful beach access and pools, and the separation actually helped. Tina worked with each family to come up with their own agendas and activities months ahead of time. We could all come together for a meal or go off and do something on our own.

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photos courtesy jonathan lucenay

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HE EARNED IT Inspirato Member Jonathan Lucenay at the finish of the Ironman in Kona.

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On race day, my wife Holly and our girls were able to get out into the bay to watch the swim portion of the race from a Zodiac, and later I was surprised to see Holly and my sister-in-law, Kim, 30 miles up the bike route cheering me on. Tina graciously loaned them her two mopeds (the only motorized transportation allowed on the racecourse) after she told us that every rental moped on the island was booked that week. Seeing them gave me a huge shot of energy. After racing for 10 hours, 47 minutes and 25 seconds, I crossed the finish line and won the Executive Challenge Division by all of 74 seconds. Holly and our daughters greeted me, and that moment is still the best part of the entire six-year process. I couldn’t have done any of this without their support and for my girls to see the race and be a part of the day was incredibly important to me. The next week was a celebration of family, and we made the most of it. A couple days after the race, Tina set us up with a barbecue dinner at one of the other houses. We watched the sunset from the patio, and with all of my family there, it truly felt like home.

LET THE FUN BEGIN (Above) The swim start at the Ironman World Triathlon Championships. (Right) Inspirato Member Lucenay’s extended family cheering section included 10 children under age 10.

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photos courtesy jonathan lucenay

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The rest of the week was packed with activities. The kids had a blast at the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort, swimming with manta rays and playing on the beach. One night, we headed up to the telescopes high atop Mauna Kea to go stargazing. We saw the Andromeda galaxy and the planets up close. On another day, Tina set us up with a boat and we went snorkeling out on Kailua Bay, and a pod of wild dolphins showed up and swam with us. That’s an experience we will never forget. We also headed to the coral reef just off shore at Captain Cook Monument Kealakekua Bay, which has some of the clearest water and best snorkeling in Hawaii. Between the sea life we saw snorkeling and the stars and planets we viewed through the telescope, the experiences drove home just how special a place Hawaii is. As we were leaving, my oldest daughter asked me when we could come back to Hawaii, and then told me, “And Dad, it doesn’t have to be to race, okay?” —AS TOLD TO GRANT DAVIS

KOHALA COAST

IRONMAN BIKE COURSE (112 MILES)

HALE KAI

MAUNA KEA IRONMAN RUN COURSE (26.2 MILES)

KAILUA BAY IRONMAN SWIM COURSE (2.4 MILES) CAPTAIN COOK MONUMENT/ KEALAKEKUA BAY

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ON HAWAII TIME (Clockwise from top left) Scenes from the daily beach visit; Inspirato’s Hale Kai residence; Lucenay speeds through the area’s lava fields; Lucenay won the Executive Challenge Division; Mauna Kea rises in the distance.

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SNOWBOARDING Vermont is snowboarding聞s spiritual birthplace thanks to Jake Burton. BY COLIN BANE

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jeff curtes (courtesy burton)

THE STATE OF


THE PIONEER (Left) Jake Burton Carpenter; (This page) Stratton Mountain.

hubert schriebl

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and stop on a snowboard, he came to our director of operations and said, ‘We'd love to be able to ride these on the mountain.’” Stratton’s answer was, “Why not?” “He seemed to be on to something exciting,” Foster said. “We wanted to be a part of it. We were one of the first resorts in the country to allow snowboarding.” Stratton was right. Burton, who early on decided his middle name “Burton” made for a better brand name than his last “Carpenter,” was on to something. Forty years later, five different snowboarding disciplines, from half pipe to snowboard cross and freestyle, are Olympic sports. Burton Snowboards, which Burton still owns with his wife Donna, is estimated to be worth more than $100 million (privately held companies don’t have to disclose financials) and employs more than 900 people around the world. Half of everything snowboarding-related sold—from clothing to boots, bags, bindings and boards—bears the Burton name.

ake Burton Carpenter once said Stratton Mountain Resort, its 3,875-foot summit lording over southern Vermont, had probably done more for snowboarding than any other mountain on the planet. Still, in the mid-1970s—when he was an early 20-something freshly escaped from Manhattan’s corporate culture— testing prototypes of snowboards he made in a barn in nearby Londonderry, Carpenter had to sneak onto the mountain in the dark after lifts had closed. “Jake would take each new design up after the lifts closed and hike up Suntanner, which is one of our central runs, to test his boards,” said Myra Foster, Stratton’s director of PR for more than 25 years. Eventually the resort, which has a 2,003-vertical foot drop, agreed to allow Carpenter to ride his creations during the day. “When he became confident that he or anybody else would be able to turn

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hile Burton has retail stores around the world, its world headquarters remain in Vermont. Not in the barn—which belonged to Stratton’s ski school director—where Burton first toiled over prototypes, but on a campus for roughly 400 employees that includes an 84,000-square-foot prototyping facility, a flagship store and a 68,000-square-foot office complex. Walking into the lobby of the office complex, you’re greeted by a timeline display of wall-mounted snowboards dating back to the company’s founding in 1977 and a simple message: “You need to know where you’ve been to know where you’re going.” It’s an important reminder for Burton as the brand closes in on its 40th anniversary. Sliding down mountains sideways on a snowboard may still be a relatively young sport, and progression and innovation are still the name of the game, but four decades of dominance in the industry is also cause for celebrating some deep roots. Burton would be the first to tell you he didn't invent snowboarding. He skied as a kid and got his first taste of carving slopes sideways when he was 14, on something called a Snurfer. A rudimentary precursor to the modern snowboard, Snurfers were patented by Sherman Poppen in 1966. Among the many historic items in the Burton collection on display in the flagship store are a pair of even more rudimentary snowboards patented even earlier—in 1939 by the Bunker Sno-Surf company. Despite Bunker and Poppen, it is Burton's name that has become synonymous with snowboarding. After he first got hooked on the experience of surfing on snow, the self-identified “loser shop class kid” experimented with different materials, shapes and manufacturing processes, trying to figure out how to make snowboarding even more fun. And he’s been at it—“it” being making the sport more fun—ever since.

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hough Burton, 61, is a New Yorker by birth, briefly went to college in Colorado (he graduated from NYU) and has lived abroad, the Burton Snowboards story is pure Vermont. The first official board he launched his brand with in 1977—after spending a few years making hundreds of prototypes in that Londonderry barn—was dubbed the Burton Backhill, “BB1.” It’s at the beginning of the headquarters’ timeline wall and is also prominently featured

himself. “We answer to no one but snowboarders, and support everything we do with the quality and service that shops and riders have grown to expect.” In 1978, after the success of the Backhill, Burton moved the business out of the barn and set up a more proper shop in Manchester, 20-some miles west. In 1992 the company moved again, this time to the Burlington campus it still calls home. Although Burton is sold worldwide and is expanding into new markets like China—according to Bloomberg Business, as much as 10 percent of Burton’s business will

in a small museum gallery of the Burton archives that is open to the public by appointment. A limited-edition model based on the company's early boards, the Throwback, sold out in 2015 and is in wider release this season. After nearly 40 years of innovation, its popularity proves there’s still plenty of fun to be had in stripped-down simplicity, even as the company leads the charge in technical and technological innovation elsewhere in its line. “Since day one, we’ve charged ahead to innovate and give as much back to snowboarding as we’ve gotten out of it,” reads the manifesto summarizing the company’s goals Burton wrote INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

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be in China by the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing—the company’s home will never be anywhere but Vermont. Nearly all of the company’s first-hand testing with its research and development team still happens on the nearby slopes of Stowe. While Burton and his employees want the company to be profitable, they spend less time thinking about market share and growth strategies than they do thinking about the soul of snowboarding—how to define it, nurture it, protect it. “Progression on the mountain and innovation really go hand in hand,” said Burton archivist Todd Kohlman while leading a tour of the company archives and the company’s Craig Kelly INSPIRATO.COM

colin bane

Although Burton is sold worldwide and is expanding into new markets like China, the companyʹs headquarters will never be anywhere but Vermont. Nearly all of the companyʹs first-hand testing still happens on the slopes of Stowe.


CA N A DA

LA K E C H A M P L A I N

VER MONT BURLINGTON

BURTON HEADQUARTERS

N E W YO RK

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courtesy stratton (top), hubert schriebl (courtesy burton)

LONDONDERRY BURTON'S NEW MANCHESTER ENGLAND (Opposite page) A STRATTON vintage chairlift at Burton headquarters; (This page, top) Stratton's gondola; (bottom) a rider on a Burton Air 5.1 at the 1991 US Open.

Prototype Facility. The latter is named after a former, longtime sponsored rider and collaborator who died in 2003 in an avalanche outside Revelstoke, British Columbia. To employees, the prototype facility is simply “Craig’s” and it’s where tomorrow’s designs are born. “Jake always says the riders are in the driver’s seat,” Kohlman said. “They’re the ones directing the way snowboarding will go. They tell us what they need from us in order to do what they want to do.” Inside Craig’s, next to a small museum display honoring the first 30-odd years of Burton Snowboards history, Kohlman took us past a crew making boards marking the 20-year anniversary of rider Terje Håkonsen’s iconic 1995 signature board. The new boards are built with contemporary specs, but the Sprocking Cat design is vintage. Norweigen Håkonsen, who picked up the nickname Sprocking Cat because he always lands on his feet, signed with Burton in 1989, when he was only 15, and has worked with the company, designing boards ever since. “The boards we’re making right now were designed by Terje, using the trickest materials and the newest shapes, with just a nod to the history,” said Chris Doyle, Burton’s head of Prototyping R&D, as he waited for a rapid 3D prototyping machine to mock up a new helmet shape he’s been working on, while a high-tech CNC router in another room shaved and shaped ultra-thin milled wood cores into precise dimensions for a new whimsical-looking asymmetrical board design. The bulk of Burton’s manufacturing has moved overseas, both to China and Austria, but Craig's remains the heart INSPIRATO.COM

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and soul of the company. It’s here where all of the new products get their beginning, where special projects like Terje’s anniversary board are produced, and where personal boards for team riders like Olympic gold medalists Shaun White and Kelly Clark are made to spec. Next up on the facility’s docket are custom boards that team riders like White, Mark McMorris, Clark, Danny Davis and Enni Rukajarvi will use in upcoming competitions. Each rider collaborates and consults throughout the design and production process for their board(s). Prominently displayed on a wall inside Craig’s is another recently completed project, the very first signature deck designed by and for Jake himself. It’s named “The Stone Hut” after a favorite, 80-year-old backcountry hut of Burton’s near the top of Stowe Mountain Resort’s Mt. Mansfield. Its design is meant for powder and the deck features artwork from Burton’s favorite Jimi Hendrix album “Valleys of Neptune.” Craig’s is a Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for snowboarders. Burton likes to think Kelly would approve. “Craig was an engineer at heart,” Burton said shortly after the center opened in 2010. “It was what made our relationship tick once he got involved with Burton. He was so into board design, and he brought us so far. It seemed only appropriate we would name this place after him. I mean, I owe so much to that guy for teaching me to listen to riders and just what he did himself, pushing our board designs. There’s no other name that should be on the door than his.”

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jeff curtes (courtesy burton)

IN THE WHITE ROOM Jake Burton boarding the Canadian backcountry. INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

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n the day I visited, racks of a limited-run tribute model snowboard marking the 25th anniversary of Kelly's first signature Burton board greeted us. Kelly was one of the sport’s first superstars and one of its most engaging personalities, winning some of the first major snowboarding contests as he led the movement towards freestyle progression with an earto-ear grin pasted across his face. Burton was his board. But after winning four consecutive World Champion titles (1986–1989) and three consecutive US Open titles (1987–1989), Kelly walked away from competition to pursue big-mountain freeriding and backcountry snowboarding. Common today, such riding was revolutionary at the time. Some of Kelly’s other sponsors balked at this shift. Not only did Burton continue backing him, but they also allowed Kelly to design the gear that would make this new type of riding more fun. The building, which is available for tours by appointment, is symbolically protected by avalanche fences above the front entrance. Tour groups go into each of the prototyping rooms, but cameras are banned in most of them. During my visit, the engineering team was putting a new boot design to the test in a robotic torture device so classified we were asked to not

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even describe it here. Other trade secrets, like the process for creating Burton’s trademarked “Channel” binding attachment system, are even more heavily protected. “I’m a company guy, obviously, but I can honestly say we build the best snowboards and snowboard equipment in the world,” said Doyle. “I respect all of our competitors but I can respectfully say that we’re still the best.” “Jake is a true believer that last year’s trophies don't pay this year’s bills,” Doyle said. “He really doesn’t have a whole lot of time for nostalgia and sitting on one’s laurels. This is snowboarding, after all: the whole thing moves very quickly, and you have to stay with it. So when you come in here, what you’re seeing is the future being made.” “Here’s how I like to look at it: every board being put together is the potential energy for so much fun. Where is that board going to go? Who is it going to take to the top of a podium or somewhere amazing? You can feel that energy when you come through here. We’re not given total carte blanche, but we do have the freedom to try things and to do some weird stuff. We can prototype everything, and it allows us to play in a bunch of different directions. I’m pretty much ruined for working anywhere else.”

jeff curtes (courtesy burton)

MAKING WAVES Jake Burton lays it all out on a trip with Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing & Snowboarding.

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Whether a snowboard, boot or jacket, Burton products have one thing in common: the words “Burlington, Vermont.” It’s key to the brand’s DNA. “When I think of Vermont, I think of quality,” Kohlman said. “And when you’re talking about Burton, you’re talking about Vermont: that’s at the core. Jake and Donna are proud Vermonters, and Vermont is really proud of Burton and our culture. It’s a special place, and it ties in heavily to both our history and our future.” And it’s where Burton has always loved to ride. “I’ve heard him say he’ll ride all over the world, but some of his best days are still at Stowe,” Kohlman said. “There’s something about your home mountain and your special spots.

Vail, Colorado, he was diagnosed with Miller Fisher Syndrome, an extremely rare type of Guillain-Barre Syndrome that results in the body’s immune system attacking the nerves. It temporarily paralyzed him. He was on full life support for two months at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, but is now back at home in Vermont focusing on physical therapy. Burton spokeswoman Abby Young said he’s expected to make a full recovery, but it’s been a trying year. “What he’s done for the sport, his heart and soul, his enthusiasm, his overall drive, his hands-on approach—you see that in how he beat cancer and how he’s fighting this Miller Fisher Syndrome, too,” said Shawn Johnson, Burton’s global

"I've heard him say he'll ride all over the world, but some of the best days are still at Stowe. There's something about your home mountain and your special spots. On any given day you could run into Jake out there." — Burton Archivist Todd Kohlman On any given day at Stowe you could run into Jake out there, trudging up on a splitboard with his dogs in tow, or out testing our latest prototypes, or just riding with Donna and their sons [George, 25, Taylor, 22 and Timi, 19].” Stowe Mountain Resort is the closest resort to Burton HQ, and Jake and Donna have a home there. “You'd find Jake on the Bruce Trail,” said Doyle. “It’s an old backcountry trail, a great, long, fun run. It’s un-groomed, and to get out at the bottom you have to pole out along the cross-country trails, which sends the skiers into fits of apoplexy—we’ve learned to stay out of the groomed cross-country tracks! You better have your board waxed.” In 2011, Burton was diagnosed with testicular cancer. It is now cured, but last March, just after the Burton US Open in

development manager. “When he comes through he always asks, ‘What’s hot today? What are you working on?’ That’s where his heart is, and he’s always receptive to new ideas.” “It’s always been Jake’s passion to develop snowboarding, to keep making it better and better so we can get to wherever we’re heading, and to me that’s the heart of what this company is about,” Kohlman said. “The past is awesome and it’s worth celebrating, but Jake is always focused on ‘What’s next?’ ‘How can we make this better?’ It’s the future he’s interested in.”  Colin Bane writes for Snowboard Magazine, ESPN and Outside and he served as a screen writer and story consultant on the Teton Gravity Research film Higher.

INSPIRATO RECOMMENDS

photo credit tk

Stowe Inspirato Members stay in three- or four-bedroom residences within the Stowe Mountain Lodge, situated at the base of the ski resort.

Kiley Bonenfant's picks

Inspirato Personal Vacation Advisor

AUTUMN SPLENDOR: Hike into the thick of New England's fall colors and hidden waterfalls. Some trails start right from the lodge. If the weather's right, you can even take out a canoe for a paddle on a quiet, tree-lined lake. MOUNTAIN GOLF: If winter comes late, tee up at the Stowe Mountain Club Golf Course, which meanders along the slopes of Mt. Mansfield and Spruce Peak topping out at an elevation of more than 1,800 feet.

COFFEE EXCLUSIVE: The legendary Alpine Blend Coffee served at Stowe Mountain Lodge is the only place you can find it. FARM TO TABLE: Vermont is justifiably proud of its farm-to-table dining establishments. Try the Hen on the Wood in Waterbury (reservations required a month in advance), or Flannel at Top Notch Resort in Stowe for its warm atmosphere and killer mountain views.

January 17-24, 2016 STOWE WINTER CARNIVAL Since 1921, Stowe has celebrated winter with ice carving competitions as well as snow golf and snow volleyball tournaments. February 28, 2016 THE STOWE DERBY This downhill/XC ski race from the top of Mt. Mansfield to the village of Stowe is one of the oldest ski races in the country and draws more than 1,000 competitors.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR INSPIRATO RESIDENCES IN STOWE, TURN TO PAGE 194.

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DESERTED BLISS Head to the far western edge of the city to find a string of secluded hike-in beaches.

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WILD, MILD

Brazil’s oceanside metropolis melds contrasting forces like no other city on Earth, assuming you know where to look. BY DINA MISHEV PHOTOGRAPHY ANDRE KLOTZ

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“This place is true Carioca style,” Sergio says before elaborating. “Relaxed.” Here the water is clearer and more vibrant than at the eastern and central beaches.

COPACABANA CENTRAL (Above) Copacabana Beach stretches for more than 2 miles. (Right) The historic Belmond Copacabana Palace is a short walk from Copacabana Beach.

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e’re hiking to Rio’s praias selvagens, wild beaches, on a deserted, petrified dirt trail that cuts across a steep, vegetated hillside several hundred feet above the Atlantic Ocean, which stretches to the horizon. The only things between me and Namibia, more than 3,000 miles distant on Africa’s western coast, are a couple of fishing boats whose motors I can hear puttering below. When I decided to come to Rio, I expected beautiful beaches, and Copacabana Beach, a three-minute walk from my hotel, Belmond Copacabana Palace, delivered. Or so I thought. My hiking guides disagree. “These wild beaches are special,” says Sergio Tavares, a Carioca (native of Rio) and the founder of Rio Ecoesporte Adventures. Copacabana Palace has beach attendants who set guests up in chaise lounges and periodically stop by with chilled water and fruit. Copacabana’s sand is so white it looks like it’s been bleached, and it’s as soft as pashmina. That’s my definition of special.

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Sergio’s definition of special is something not directly accessible by road. “This means we must do some walking,” he says. Thankfully we don’t have to start our walk in Copacabana. Geographically, Rio is gigantic— covering 485 square miles. By comparison, New York City covers 306 square miles. A walk from Copacabana, or anywhere remotely near downtown, to the wild beach trailhead would take forever. Even driving there from Copacabana takes nearly two hours, mostly because we took the scenic, oceanfront route. From the car I see more beaches than I can count. They’re almost all equal to Copacabana in beauty, but have different personalities. Copacabana is flashy and full of beautiful people. There are games of beach soccer and tennis going on. Sit down for five minutes and you’ll be approached by people selling towels, leather bracelets and key chains and/or offering massages. Sao Conrado beach is smallish; paragliders and hang gliders who launch off Pedra Bonita land nearby. Surfers flock to

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VALE DAS VIDEIRAS, ARARAS DISTRICT

RIO WILD, RIO MILD

PETROPOLIS SERRA DOS ÓRGÃOS NATIONAL PARK

BRA Z IL G U A NA BA R A B AY

TIJUCA NATIONAL TIJUCA PARK

LAGOON

5 miles RIO DE JANEIRO

PRIAIS SALVAGENS BEACHES CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE

Prainha Beach, one of the city’s best surfing spots. Abricó Beach is the city’s sole nude beach. The last major beach you can drive to is Grumarí. We drive 15 minutes past it, climbing steeply up a rocky, verdant peninsula and then dropping down its far side into the neighborhood of Barra de Guaratiba. We’re still technically in Rio, but it doesn’t feel like it. Old men in bathing suit briefs play cards at plastic tables. Cats laze in the sun. “This place is true Carioca style,” Sergio says before elaborating, “Relaxed.” Two- and three-story stucco houses are painted every shade of the rainbow. The rainbow spills down a crescent-shaped hillside until the hillside meets the ocean. Here the water is clearer and more vibrant than at the eastern and central beaches because it’s further from the mouth of Guanabara Bay and its heavy shipping traffic. The trail to the wild beaches is hidden at the end of a residential road so steep and narrow I’d be nervous to drive it. I guess I’m not relaxed enough. Locals have parked cars along the sides all the way up.

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RIO DE JANEIRO

COPACABANA PALACE

ATLA NTIC

I manage to walk for 30 minutes before doing something very un-Carioca and asking, “Are we there yet?” Almost. Before we get our wild beach on Sergio recommends a short climb. “Then you can see all of the wild beaches and take your pick,” he says. Ten minutes later we’re atop Pedra da Tartaruga, Turtle Stone, a rocky double mound rising from the Atlantic, attached to the mainland only by a narrow isthmus, its tail. On the mainland side of the tail are the wild beaches. From the top of the turtle’s shell we look back to the wild beaches—four of them, separated from one another by small outcrops of snaggly cliffs. Rio is going to meet all of your expectations for a historic, populous, cosmopolitan beach destination. There’s traffic. The elegant Art Deco Copacabana Palace is relaxing and peaceful. The beaches are beautiful. Officials say it is the yearlong celebration of the city’s 450th birthday and the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics that power the city’s current energy. “Rio has always been a great location

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NOT YOUR EVERYDAY METROPOLIS (Clockwise from top left) Rio has more than 40 miles of beaches; Copacabana Beach near the Copacabana Palace; a small micos monkey in Tijuca National Park.

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STAR TREATMENT (Clockwise from top) Olympe is one of Rio’s four new Michelinstarred restaurants; Olympe’s dining room; sesame salmon, one of the courses from Olympe’s tasting menu.

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for tourists, but with all of the positive changes—in everything from transportation to the complete transformation of the port area—it’s even more so,” says Leonardo Gryner, General Vice Director of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee. I say it’s from the fun of going Carioca, of relaxing into the city and finding expectations are often exceeded. When Sergio first mentioned an outing to wild beaches, I imagined small pockets of sand tucked into coves pirate ships might hide in. Each wild beach is the size of many football fields though. Three of the four beaches have only a handful of people on them. The fourth, which Sergio says is about 2 miles farther, doesn’t have a soul. If I walked another 45 minutes, I could have an aircraft carrier-sized beach in Rio, a city of more than 6 million, all to myself. After enjoying Copacabana along with several hundred others, only having three couples share Praia do Perigoso, the first beach, with me is pretty special. Praia do Perigoso translates to “Danger Beach.” When I ask about this Sergio says, “It’s Carioca danger. The danger here is that you won’t want to leave.” Waves turn a dozen shades of green before cresting and breaking in a froth of white on the shore. Had I 1) thought to ask Sergio or the Copacabana Palace to pack a picnic lunch 2) didn’t have an appointment for a facial at the hotel’s spa in the late afternoon and 3) didn’t have dinner reservations that night for the seven-course tasting menu at Olympe, one of the four restaurants in the city recently awarded a Michelin star, I wouldn’t leave.

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y next chance to settle into a Carioca groove is on a day trip to the mountainous Serra dos Órgãos National Park, about an hour’s drive from downtown Rio. The park sits above the former imperial city of Petropolis, which spills over the range’s western, forested foothills. My intention is to pass through Petropolis and spend the majority of the day in the park, exploring its waterfalls and hiking trails. Petropolis was the summer home of Brazil’s emperors and royal family from 1845 until they were deposed in a coup in 1889. I can’t resist a trip to the former royal summer palace, which has been restored to its original color—the same pink you see inside a conch shell—and made into the Imperial Museum. Inside, exhibits include the pen Imperial Princess Isabel used in 1888 to sign the law that emancipated all of the country’s slaves and the gold crown of her father, Emperor Dom Pedro II, studded with 639 diamonds and 77 pearls. Across the street from the neoclassical Imperial Museum is The Enchanted, a quaint, 100-year-old French alpinestyle home. Walking around the historic center of town, where canals run down the medians of major streets and moss hangs from trees boughs like overgrown beards, I also find half-timbered homes that look like they’ve been transplanted from Bavaria, crenellated Italianate and Victorian villas and a French neogothic cathedral. All of these date from the 19th and early 20th centuries and were built for European expats, or as vacation homes for wealthy Cariocas or government officials. It’s the most charmingly schizophrenic historic architecture I’ve ever seen.

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Paia do Perigoso translates to “Danger Beach.” When I ask Sergio about this he says, “It’s Carioca danger. The danger here is that you won’t want to leave.”

RIO WILD, RIO MILD

CARIOCA LIFE (Clockwise from top, left) Cicero’s restaurant on one of the islands in Tijuca Lagoon; fruit stands dot the city; fresh coconut water.

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INTO THE HILLS (Clockwise from top, left) A roadside fish market; Galpão Caipira’s boutique; Galpão Caipira’s cafe; Duvale cachaçaria; caiman in Tijuca Lagoon; Galpão Caipira’s spa.

It is just before we tour The Enchanted that my guide, a Petropolis native, breaks the news: I’ve already spent too much time exploring Petropolis to do any justice to the Serra dos Órgãos. I feed my disappointment at the café in front of the Imperial Museum with a slice of moist, nutmeg cinnamon cake with custard filling and topped with chocolate and a double espresso. Despite Brazil being the world’s largest producer of coffee for at least the last 150 years, the country has only recently developed a coffee culture. With hints of citrus and cherry and a thick crema, the espresso is delicious. Our new itinerary has us driving out to Vale das Videiras, in Araras, a rolling agricultural district at the edge of Petropolis and home to a burgeoning food and outdoor adventure scene. Turning off the expressway, the transition from Petropolis’ historic downtown is as complete as that between downtown Rio and Barra de Guaratiba. Here, dogs and chickens run alongside the rudimentary road. Colorful roadside stands sell fresh eggs and cola. Traffic lessens with each hill we crest. Thirty minutes after leaving the expressway we stop in a bucolic cobblestoned plaza in front of a row of gleaming, fire engine red Specialized mountain bikes. The bikes belong to Galpão Caipira, a boutique/café/bike shop/day spa. The spa part is thatch-roofed, tucked away in the back and intimate. The placemats on the café’s tables feature a hand-drawn map

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of the area’s roads. I wouldn’t want to use one for navigation, but it gives me an idea of the amount of riding in the area: a lot. While the road to Galpão Caipira from the main highway isn’t bike-friendly, past here the roads are like well-groomed ski runs. Join several of them into rides between 10 and 30-odd miles. “And that just shows our road riding,” says Beth, the manager. “More and more trails are being built.” Most trails are doubletracks, suitable for riding or hiking. You can also tour them in Galpão Caipira’s vintage, yellow Land Cruiser. During a lunch of mushroom-stuffed raviolis handmade a few miles down the road, I learn a boutique cachaçaria is nearby and offers samples. Cachaça—pronounced ka-shah-sa—is Brazil’s answer to rum, but made from fresh sugarcane juice rather than molasses. Most cachaça, on its own, is like drinking fire; it’s best put to use in cocktails like the caipirinha. At Duvale, the cachaça can be sipped. In the shade of a pavilion overlooking two ponds, I can sample as many of their varieties as I want: cachaça aged in French oak barrels, cachaça infused with berries, cachaça aged in barrels that were previously used to age bourbon, cachaça aged for six months, cachaça aged for two years. The list goes on. After sampling two, I decide that I’m not at all disappointed to have missed the Serra dos Órgãos. Leaving, I give myself an “A-minus” for my Carioca-ness today.

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RIO WILD, RIO MILD

Before I can enjoy the panoramic views though, I must make it past the final section of trail, 117 steps carved into the granite. Once on top, little is hidden from Pico da Tijuca’s rocky, exposed summit, which rises out of the rainforest like an anvil. The entirety of Rio spreads out below. I can pick out Guanabara Bay, Bico do Papagaio Peak, Pedra da Gavea, the Christ the Redeemer statue, Maracanã stadium and Barra da Tijuca. To the north, past the oil tankers and fishing boats heading into or out of the city’s protected harbor in the bay are the Serra dos Órgãos. From here, it’s obvious how they came by their name, which translates to “Organ Range.” When seen in silhouette, their pointy spires resemble organ pipes. Later in the day, and eager to show Sergio my burgeoning ability to relax and go with the flow, I accept his offer of a water safari around Tijuca Lagoon. The lagoon is notorious for its polluted water and trash, and for the first five minutes of our cruise, that’s all I see in the water and the mangrove trees. But then I start noticing the birds—several species of herons, scarlet ibises, egrets, water chickens—everywhere. Some of the taller mangroves have nearly one dozen egrets perched in their branches, the birds’ white feathers popping against the dark green leaves. Looking back down at the roots, alongside the trash I now see mangrove crabs. And there are caimans, Brazil’s alligators. A lot of them. I see caiman with their heads resting on logs and swimming alongside the boat. Some are as long as I am tall. I ask Sergio if I need to be worried. No. “These are Carioca caimans,” he says, “They’re relaxed, like the people here. They’re no problem to you.” It appears even the animals here have adopted Rio’s approach to life.

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don’t totally give up on my wilderness trip. There’s a national park within the city itself, Tijuca National Park, found in the rainforestcovered mountains rising up behind Copacabana. At 15 square miles it is the smallest of Brazil’s national parks, but it is also one of the largest urban forests in the world. On clear days, from one of many of Tijuca’s summits, the Serra dos Órgãos, 30-some miles away as the crow flies, are clearly visible. I hike up Pico da Tijuca, the park’s tallest peak at 3,320 feet. While the purpose is to see the mountains that I missed in Petropolis, I don’t ignore the journey. I’m in the middle of one of the world’s densest cities, yet once inside the forest I hear no sounds of civilization. There’s never a time I don’t hear micos, monkeys about the size of a squirrel and a tail like a cat’s, or the slightly larger capuchin monkeys, rustling in the trees overhead. During the six hours it takes to hike up and down, I don’t see a single monkey. Evidently, the rosewood, eucalyptus and mahogany trees don’t just hide the honking horns, squealing brakes and wheezing shocks of the traffic below, but also monkeys. I don’t know what’s hiding the people. I see less than a dozen the whole time I’m out.

INSPIRATO RECOMMENDS

Rio de Janeiro Inspirato Members stay in the landmark Belmond Copacabana Palace, an Art Deco jewel situated across the street from famed Copacabana Beach.

Zac Gunnison’s picks Inspirato Vacation Specialist

EAT & DRINK BRAZIL: Head to the trendy Leblon district and Academia da Cachaça for their famous variety of cachaça liquor. The Caipirinhas are a must at this longtime favorite. Botafoto is the Beverly Hills of Rio and it’s where you’ll find Miam Miam and its fusion of French and Brazilian cuisine. Chocoholics need to stop in at Aquim Chocolatier, a boutique shop in Ipanema, which uses local cocoa and nothing artificial to create some of the best sweets in the city.

BEACH-EY KEEN: No time to head to Rio’s secluded beaches west of the city? Seek out Praia Vermelha (red beach) in the Portuguese Pão de Açucar. It’s less crowded, the views are amazing, and it’s within walking distance to the funicular that climbs to the top of Sugar Loaf. If you want to see Brazil’s beautiful people on display, Posto 9 (look for a numbered marker post in the sand) at Ipanema Beach is the place to go. Posto 7 is for surfers, while Posto 10 is for an older, upscale crowd.

February 5-9, 2016 CARNIVAL The biggest carnival celebration in the world must be seen to be believed. From the Samba Parade through the Sambodrome to parties throughout the city, it’s Latin America’s party of the year. August 5-21, 2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS Rio hosts the world’s largest sporting event with beach volleyball taking place on Copacabana Beach.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR INSPIRATO’S RIO DE JANEIRO SUITE, TURN TO PAGE 174.

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A GOOD CALL

Poker player Antonio Esfandiari settles into life in Las Vegas. By Michael Shapiro Photography by Amanda Friedman

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aiko drummers in feathered headdresses from Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère pound colossal drums so loudly the Amazon Room at Las Vegas’ Rio hotel vibrates. One of poker’s most charismatic players, Antonio Esfandiari, half dances and half skips in. He has paid $1 million to play in the richest poker tournament ever, The Big One for One Drop, which is raising funds for water development globally. Forty-eight players entered—eight are at the final table. Esfandiari is one of the eight. ESPN’s Kara Scott pulls Esfandiari aside for a quick interview. “A million dollars to play in a poker tournament is insane,” says Esfandiari. “To be at the final table is really a dream come true.” A dream because one of the eight people at the final table will win poker’s largest prize ever: $18.3 million. Then Scott asks: “If you win…?” Esfandiari breaks in: “I have to correct you. There’s no ‘if’— there’s ‘when’—so I’ll let you rephrase the question if you like.” “When you win,” Scott obliges. “When I win,” Esfandiari says with conviction, “I’m just going to take care of my family, travel a little bit more and take it easy.”

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HOUSE OF CARDS Antonio Esfandiari at Jean Georges Steakhouse.

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Though he never planned on settling in Vegas, Esfandiari has come to appreciate its allure beyond gambling. He’s a selfdescribed foodie with favorite restaurants on and off the Strip. That was the moment Esfandiari became the King of Las Vegas. He was already a celebrity in his adopted town, but winning poker’s richest prize made him Vegas’ poker superstar. Which is somewhat ironic because Esfandiari didn’t plan on living in Sin City. Or even the United States. “I grew up in Iran in the 1980s in a time of war,” he says. INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

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Two months after he was born the Shah was overthrown and the country became an Islamic republic; before his first birthday more than 50 Americans were taken hostage in Iran and held for more than a year. During the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, “my dad told me that when the planes would come my little brother and I would say, ‘Bomb, bomb, bomb’ and then we’d go look for place to hide. One time a building four or five houses away was blown up. I thought: that could have been our house. I was 6 years old—it was pretty scary. That’s when my dad decided to get us out.” Esfandiari, now 36, says he didn’t know much about the U.S. before coming to live near relatives in San Jose, Calif. He just knew it was “this big wonderful place that you only dreamt of, so I felt very fortunate and lucky.” Enterprising from a young age, he became a paperboy at age 9, and though he didn’t speak English well when he arrived, the precocious student quickly mastered the language. But his first year in San Jose wasn’t easy: “Third grade was really tough for me. There I am, a Middle Eastern kid, and Iran wasn’t exactly the USA’s favorite country. I got picked on more than my fair share.” Making things harder: His mother returned to Iran shortly after the family arrived in the U.S., so Esfandiari INSPIRATO.COM

corbis photo

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG TIME (Above) Fremont Street Experience; Esfandiari wins a tournament.

That was 2012. When Esfandiari, intensely focused and brashly confident, fulfilled his own prophecy and won The Big One for One Drop, his father Bejan and brother Pasha rushed to embrace him. As confetti rained down from the rafters, Esfandiari gave his dad the $350,000 Richard Mille platinum bracelet that was part of the winner’s prize. Friends, including many pro poker players, hoisted the barefoot champion onto their shoulders as the crowd showered him with cheers.


was raised mainly by his father Bejan who worked incessantly. “I didn’t have a very happy childhood,” Antonio recalls, “but I made the best of it.” He focused his energy on helping his family. “At 11, I was a newspaper salesman over the phone for the San Francisco Chronicle. It was a little office with a bunch of telemarketers. I was No. 1 in the area—I crushed it. When they found out I was 11, they let me work under my mother’s name to keep my job.” In his late teens, Esfandiari took up magic. “As soon as I did a couple of tricks, all of a sudden I went from being the most unpopular kid to a very popular kid. Magic helped me feel like The Guy,” he says. Esfandiari’s given first name is Amir, but he changed it then because “Antonio the Magician” sounded better. He practiced relentlessly and says he wanted to be the next David Copperfield—until he discovered poker at age 20. By the time he was 22, he says he was making “pretty good money” playing the game. A couple of years after he started playing, Esfandiari asked his father to come to a casino and watch. “That day I was so on point: I told him what people had before they flipped their cards over. I was right 90 percent of the time. And my dad—I will never forget—he was sitting behind me and he said, ‘Son, how in the world do you know what they have?’ I don’t know how I know, I told him—it’s just a process. I can sense when INSPIRATO.COM

someone is strong or weak or lying or honest. It comes pretty natural to me.” Esfandiari says his father looked over at him and said, “I believe—you have my support.” This meant the world to Antonio. “My dad is my hero, so it was really important when he said he’d support me.” By 2004, Esfandiari says he was “hungry, very hungry, to make a name for myself.” He’d finished as high as third in a World Poker Tour tournament but had never won one. “I knew that (to gain recognition) in poker you had to win a major tournament.” Playing poker the night before the L.A. Poker Classic, he’d lost $30,000, about half his bankroll, but that didn’t stop him from playing the next day. “It just felt like my time. I outplayed and outlasted and outhustled hundreds of players. And I won it,” he says. At the time, he was the youngest player, 25, to win a WPT event. Esfandiari drove home because, “I didn’t want him (his father) to hear about my victory from anyone but me. I showed up at his doorstep just after dawn with a backpack filled with $1.4 million—cash! ‘Dad, there’s something I really need to tell you,’ ” Esfandiari told his dad when Bejan groggily answered the door and squinted into the rising sun. “I could sense he was worried. I really like to mess with people. I just showed him the backpack. Then I opened it and said, “Dad, I won.”

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GO EAST The Fremont East Entertainment District in downtown.

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He looked down in shock and said, “What did you win?” “This big tournament in L.A.” “How much did you win?” “Over a million bucks.” “I wish I would have filmed it—he almost melted,” Esfandiari says. “He almost fell to the ground in shock he was so happy. He laughed, he cried, he hugged me. It took time for reality to sink in. But when he looked back down and saw my bag stuffed with packets of hundred-dollar bills, he got it. He believed, and he knew that finally our family’s American dream was coming true.” After winning this tournament, Esfandiari found himself traveling from his home in San Jose to Las Vegas “all the time,” he says. “I never wanted to live [in Vegas], but I bought a home here to not spend so much money living in the Bellagio, and I ended up moving here. It just kind of happened that way.” With his black-rimmed glasses, slender physique and casual style, Esfandiari has GQ panache—he’s not a grizzled, hard-drinking, cigar-chomping poker player. “Despite his outward suave, gamblin’ man appearance, in some ways I see Antonio as the antithesis of Las Vegas,” says World Series of Poker broadcaster Lon McEachern. “To the people he knows, Antonio is warm, caring, genuine, vulnerable and a family man.” Bejan is frequently on the rail at poker events, cheering on his son. And when Antonio goes out to celebrate, he insists

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dad come clubbing with him and his friends. World Poker Tour broadcaster Mike Sexton, who was there for Esfandiari’s 2004 win, says Esfandiari now treats success differently than in his youthful years. “He was a very Vegas guy early in his career. He was partying in every club in town every night. He got the best tables, and they would welcome him with open arms. He was single, having a big time, living a big life.” He burned through a lot of money, and had a few years without much success. Now he’s back with several big wins since his huge take at One Drop, Sexton says. “But I don’t see him doing that (partying to the hilt) again. I see a far more mature Antonio Esfandiari, much more professional. He just recently became a father, and he just has a different attitude now.” In a post last February on the poker website Bluff Europe, Esfandiari shared his joy: “On January 7th at 8:01 am, I became a father of a beautiful son. It was a moment that truly cannot be explained, only experienced. I am shocked and transformed, and my life has changed forever. The arrival of a child into my world has given birth to an everlasting love, a nurturing love that has weaved itself into the fabric of my being. It happened instantly, and watching my child enter this world was nothing short of a true miracle.” He also recently married but asked the magazine to refrain from sharing further details about his family life.

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A BIRD’S EYE VIEW (This page) Esfandiari at his condo overlooking the Strip; (Opposite) Vintage neon signs from Vegas businesses past are on display at the Neon Boneyard.

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ONLY IN VEGAS (Clockwise from top left) Binion’s Casino in downtown; The Perch restaurant in the Downtown Container Park, a shopping area constructed of repurposed shipping containers and locally manufactured Xtreme Cubes; inside Eat, voted one of the city’s best breakfast and brunch spots; Golden Nugget Casino; the original Hacienda horse and rider sign, now restored and on display at the Neon Museum.

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Though he never planned on settling in Las Vegas, Esfandiari has come to appreciate its allures beyond gambling. Not that he doesn’t gamble at home: when not traveling the world for tournaments, he can sometimes be found at Aria or Bellagio. “Those are the only two poker rooms where you can really find a big game with a buy-in of more than $10,000,” he says. He also plays at the Rio when it hosts the annual World Series of Poker Tour, between lateMay and early-July. Esfandiari is a self-described foodie and appreciates that he can find innovative cuisine, from noodle bowls to Wagyu filet mignon, at almost any hour. For the latter, he goes to Jean Georges Steakhouse at the Aria. For Italian, it’s Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn. “But really, my favorite places are off Strip. There’s a Japanese grill place called Raku that I think is the best restaurant in the world,” he says. “I am a huge ramen guy—I love soup. I go to Jinya for late-night soup, super good. And there’s a sushi place that’s dynamite called Kabuto.” Though Esfandiari doesn’t go out nearly as often as he once did, his go-to club is the Marquee at the Cosmopolitan, with its indigo-lighted dance floor and sleek design. And, after years of neglect, downtown Vegas is showing signs of life, Esfandiari says. “There’s a really cool little restaurant called Eat, and there are some speakeasy bars downtown; it’s got a little bit of a London vibe going.” Just a couple of miles north of the Strip, downtown was once the heart of Vegas. Remnants of its old hotels remain at the downtown Neon Museum, where, among other relics, you can see the sign for Binion’s Horseshoe, where the World Series of Poker was held from its debut in 1970 until 2004. Though Esfandiari is not a typical Vegas guy, he and Sin City share “a devil-may-care attitude,” says McEachern. “No matter where he goes, Vegas goes with him. Whether it be his slick, quaffed Rat Pack look, his ability to be the center of the party, or his drop-of-the-hat tendency to accept a bet

on just about anything, he is one of those rare people whom everyone knows when he is in the room—and everyone wants to be noticed by him.” For the past couple of years, Esfandiari has joined McEachern in the broadcast booth for WSOP’s Main Event final table. “He has treated me like a friend from the first moment we met and continues to do so,” McEachern said. “He’s always on time, ready to go. Antonio will use his ‘cold read’ on those in a hand, and more often than not, give us a pretty darn good read on the cards they hold. It’s impossible to be spot-on 100 percent of the time, but he’s right enough to drop the jaws of us neophytes around him and those watching on ESPN.” Esfandiari now has earned more than $26 million in sanctioned tournaments, according to the poker magazine Bluff, and who knows how much more in cash games. “He wants to be best at anything he does,” Bejan said. Despite his success, Esfandiari remains down-to-earth. “Antonio is just so good with the people,” says Sexton, the WPT broadcaster. “There are very few players who are really fan favorites, and he’s in that elite group. He takes photos with them, he laughs with them, he jokes with them, and he gets along with them.” In 2013 Esfandiari traveled to Central America to meet people benefiting from the water projects the One Drop tournament helped. “I was very touched by this trip. I will never forget those families,” he says. Esfandiari realizes how lucky he is to be playing a game he’s so passionate about, and to be making a good living from it. “Antonio is one of those guys who gets it,” Sexton says. He’s fortunate to have found his calling, and Vegas is lucky this one-time magician has made this city of illusion his home. Michael Shapiro covers gambling for the San Francisco Chronicle and authored the travel-writing book A Sense of Place.

INSPIRATO RECOMMENDS

Las Vegas Settle into a two-bedroom luxury apartment high above the Strip, located within the Vdara Hotel & Spa. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR INSPIRATO RESIDENCES IN LAS VEGAS, PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 147.

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Lee Sullivan’s picks

Inspirato Personal Vacation Advisor

SKI VEGAS: Yes, you can ski near Sin City and this year’s El Niño weather pattern should sock the mountains with snow. Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort sits at an elevation of 8,150 feet and is a scenic 45-minute drive from the Strip. ON THE STRIP: Sit down for a French dinner at Michael Mina’s latest restaurant Bardot Brasserie, located inside the Aria, and you’ll feel like you’ve landed in Paris. The High Roller is currently the

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world’s largest observation Ferris wheel, topping out at 550 feet. The Park is a new outdoor shopping and dining area where you’ll find a Shake Shack and Tom’s Urban outpost.

November 4-15, 2015 SANTANA Mandalay Bay’s House of Blues hosts the legendary guitarist as he plays his greatest hits in an intimate setting.

ART SCENE: The Strip isn’t the only spot for live performances. The Smith Center for the Performing Arts hosts Broadway musicals, opera, ballet and a slew of family-friendly shows during the holidays.

December 3-12, 2015 NATIONAL FINALS RODEO Every December, Vegas turns into the center of the cowboy universe with conventions, country music concerts and, of course, the best rodeo riders in the world competing in front of sold-out arenas.

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GO BIG

Jackson Hole turns 50. It’s always been, and still is, America’s best for steeps and thrills. It’s grown up to be among America’s best overall ski resorts as well.

courtesy jackson hole mountain resort

“I

thought some of my ski buddies were yanking my leg,” said Jerry Blann, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) president since 1996, after first hearing Jackson Hole Mountain Resort had been rated the No. 1 overall ski resort on the continent for 2014 by SKI Magazine readers. “SKI Magazine’s No. 1 rating wasn’t something we ever aspired to or that was even a target for us. We just never thought it was a possibility.” Also, Forbes magazine has ranked Jackson Hole as the best resort in America two years running now. Today’s JHMR executives might not have been going for a No. 1 ranking, but, 50 years ago when Jackson Hole Mountain Resort first opened, that is exactly what the future founders Paul McCollister, Alex Morely and Gordon Graham envisioned. “It was always intended to be a world-class ski area,” says Morley, who is now 96. “We planned on bringing people in from everywhere. Back then there weren’t the rankings there are today, but we knew that the mountain and what we were going to create on it were going to be the best.” As visionary as the founders were, it actually took the Kemmerer family buying the resort from McCollister in 1992—Morley and Graham had previously sold their stakes—and annually investing an average of $6 million since, to get it to the top. Since its aerial tram first took skiers to the 10,450-foot summit of

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Rendezvous Mountain, just outside the boundary of Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole has been equally loved and feared by extreme skiers and snowboarders for its challenging terrain and 4,139 feet of vertical and powder. As recently as a decade ago though, skiers and riders at every other level just plain feared it. The majority of the resort’s runs were black diamond. Grooming wasn’t a priority. The only thing in shorter supply than intermediate terrain was a base area with amenities. Want to pamper yourself with an afternoon at the spa? Good luck. This season Jackson Hole turns 50 and is as family-friendly and amenityrich as most any destination resort. The transition is almost unbelievable. But not quite. What is unbelievable is that the resort has gone from punishing to polished without sacrificing its soul. “We’ll never be a megaresort or pure vanilla,” Blann says. “We’ll never be all things to all people. We have our mountain and we’ll be us.” Jackson’s “us” is “a small town where everyone helps everyone else out,” says Jackson native and former World freeskiing champion Jess McMillan. “It may feel like this huge resort, but, at the same time, everyone will say, ‘Hello.’ It still has that small town camaraderie to it.” This year it also, as a birthday present to itself, has a new high-speed quad. The Teton lift, which accesses intermediate and advanced terrain previously only available if you had the strength and will to hike to it, is the best kind of gift: One that we all get to enjoy. —THE EDITORS

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either Paul McCollister nor Alex Morley had experience building a ski resort. Morley had originally looked at Buck Mountain in Grand Teton National Park as a location for the resort, but was eventually persuaded Rendezvous and Apres Vous mountains would be a better location. On Christmas 1962, Morley, McCollister and a couple of friends climbed partway up Rendezvous. Their descent that day was their first turns on what was to become their resort. (Opposite page) A worker installing the original tram.

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courtesy jackson hole mountain resort

Paul [McCollister] and I met skiing. Looking around the valley, we both saw that some of the mountains were better than Snow King (the ski area in downtown Jackson that opened in 1939) by 10 times, so we decided we’d look into making a new ski resort. We studied topo maps. We climbed up different peaks on skins. After our studies, Rendezvous Mountain was the logical place. We hired a professional to do an official study. His report came back saying it could be one of the best ski resorts in the world. —alex morley, co-founder

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courtesy jackson hole mountain resort

Everybody, from long-time locals to first-time visitors who’ve only spent a few days here, thinks they own this place. This resort—its mountains—is a very special place that people connect with. Whatever else here changes, I never want to lose that. —connie kemmerer, co-owner of jhmr since 1992

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rominent U.S. ski racer Buddy Werner, who was selected for the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympic teams, was hired to be the first director of the Jackson Hole ski school, but died in an avalanche the year before the resort opened. Austrian Olympic Champion Josef “Pepi” Stiegler (shown above near his namesake Pepi’s Run) was then offered the position. “For me, it was a rather big deal to be offered this job,” Stiegler says. Stiegler directed the ski school for 29 years.

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courtesy jackson hole mountain resort

“Rendezvous Mountain is a beautiful mountain and it is something that not many ski resorts—then or now—were: steep. At the beginning ‘steep’— was not a good word. We’d go to ski shows in New York and when people learned we were from Jackson Hole, they’d say, ‘Oh that’s the one that is steep and cold.’ The steepness of the mountain worked against us.” —pepi stiegler, olympic medalist (silver in 1960 and gold and bronze in 1964) and jhmr ski school director from its opening until 1995

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courtesy jackson hole mountain resort

The people who watch just the number on the snow report sometimes miss out. The snow report doesn’t tell everything here. It can report 6 inches yet you’ll be skiing thigh-high all day long. —overheard in the tram line

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ackson Hole’s original tram carried 52 skiers at a time 4,139 feet to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain for more than 40 years. A 2005 report showed it could last several more years, but the resort’s owners decommissioned it before it became a safety hazard. Demolition began the day after the end of the 2006/2007 season. Jackson Hole was tram-less for one season. The new tram, “Big Red,” opened in December 2008.

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When you look back at the vision that Paul and Alex had, it was bold, really bold—to take a mountain like this in the middle of nowhere and develop it as a major resort. No one today would do that. No one today could do that. —jerry blann, jhmr president

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wade mckoy / focus productions

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enny Wilson (shown above) founded the Jackson Hole Air Force (JHAF) during the winter of 1984. A prolonged blizzard had closed the tram and Wilson and friends thought about what they’d do once it opened again. In its early days, the JHAF was a small band of locals that shared a love of exploring the backcountry accessible from the resort. At the time though, this was against the resort’s policies. The group adopted the motto “swift, silent, deep.” In 1999, JHMR became one of the first resorts in the country to open its backcountry gates. JHAF still exists, although it’s grown to about 100 members. Look for the “swift, silent, deep” skull-and-ski pole patches in the tram line.

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The most intimidating aspect of Corbet’s is standing at the top, staring at what looks like a bobsled track that goes straight down. This wouldn’t be too bad except the bobsled track goes around a blind corner. So not only does the route look vertical, but you can’t see around the corner. After you collect the courage to drop in, the scary part is when you rip around the corner to find you’re heading Mach 10 into a granite wall. Make a quick turn to avoid the wall, or this is where things can go wrong. You could end up taking the tumble of your life. —jess mcmillan, jh native, freeskiing world tour champion and u.s. freeskiing champion

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wade mckoy / focus productions

ince 19-year-old Jackson Hole ski patroller Lonnie Ball first skied it during the 1966-1967 season, Corbet’s Couloir has been at the top of the list of most expert skiers. In the late 1980s, with a crowd looking on, Doug Coombs, the 1991 and 1993 World Extreme Skiing Champion, showed how to ski Corbet’s with style.

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The resort has changed a lot in 50 years, but the Hobacks on a powder day haven’t. 50 years ago, 40 years ago, 30 years ago, 20 years ago—if you catch it right it’ll be one of the best runs of your season.

—pepi stiegler

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ne of the pioneers of freeskiing and an early Freeskiing World Champion, A.J. Cargill finds fresh powder within JHMR’s 2,500 acres of in-bounds terrain. The resort’s 4,139foot vertical drop is the biggest continuous drop of any resort in the U.S.

INSPIRATO RECOMMENDS

Walk to the resort’s base village from Inspirato’s three-bedroom Elk Meadow home, your family’s perfect basecamp. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR INSPIRATO RESIDENCE IN JACKSON HOLE, PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 141.

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Meredith Landino’s picks Inspirato Destination Concierge

EAT & DRINK: Start your day with an order of fresh-made waffles from Corbet’s Cabin at the top of the tram at 10,450 feet. The peanut butter and bacon waffle is worth the trip.

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The Tuesday Tastings @2 served at Gather in downtown Jackson are worth missing an afternoon of skiing. You’ll help craft the chef’s menu for later that night. One of the hottest après spots in the village is The Spur. Drinks and an order of jerk chicken nachos and fries topped with elk gravy will help refuel your quads from a day on the slopes. Recently opened by two longtime locals south of town, Jackson Hole Still Works, the town’s first distillery, makes vodkas, gins and whiskeys.

February 5-7, 2016 50TH RETRO REUNION & THROWBACK WEEKEND Jackson Hole Mountain Resort goes old school in celebration of its 50th. Each night features a dance party themed to a different generation. March 18-20, 2016 JH RENDEZVOUS Free concerts at the resort and downtown Jackson wrap up JHMR’s 50th winter season. Last year, Michael Franti and Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys performed.

wade mckoy / focus productions

Jackson Hole

VIRGIN TERRITORY: The new Teton Lift, right on the resort’s boundary with Grand Teton National Park, takes intermediate and expert skiers and riders to terrain previously only accessible to those willing to hike.

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BEYOND EXPECTATION The St. Regis Aspen Resort extends a privileged invitation to experience the finest expression of luxury and an unrivaled commitment to service excellence in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

The pursuit of perfection redefined at Aspen’s best address. Your journey awaits. 315 e dean street aspen, colorado stregisaspen.com 1.877.stregis

a legacy of luxury. now at over 30 of the world’s finest hotels & resorts. stregisaspen.com

©2010–2013 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, St. Regis and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.


Frederic Delivert Winemaker

Barry Waitte Vintner & Proprietor

Thomas Brown Consulting Winemaker

Meticulously Hand-Crafted Wines 1251 Tubbs Lane Calistoga, CA 94515 | 707.942.2100 | www.tamberbey.com


THE INSPIRATO COLLECTION In the early days, Inspirato was all about spacious luxury vacation homes that provided a better way for family and friends to vacation together. Today, we’re about so much more. We help people connect wherever, whenever and however the inspiration strikes.

Our growing portfolio of 400+ curated luxury vacation options still includes the stunning residences for which we are known, but we’ve also added a global collection of Hotel & Resort partners featuring top luxury brands and an impressive roster of custom members-only experiences. Add it all together, and Inspirato is changing the way more than 10,000 families experience the world.

WHY INSPIRATO?

HOW DOES IT WORK?

CURATION

Joining Inspirato is easy, with a one-time Initiation Fee and Annual Membership Fee. To start, we’ll welcome you with a personal tour of our carefully vetted collection of luxury vacation options, so you can begin dreaming about all the places you want to explore. With hundreds of trips to choose from, your personal advisor will help you find the perfect one for you and your family.

We hand-select only the very best luxury vacation residences, resorts, hotels and experiences for our members.

SERVICE

We save you time with exceptional service before, during and after every trip, including access to expert advance planning and on-site concierge.

VALUE

Our everyday low rates and weekly Jaunt specials provide exceptional savings. And our Hotels & Resorts include top brands at amazing members-only values you have to see to believe.

CERTAINTY

We stand behind every Inspirato vacation, handling all the details so you have the peace of mind that your trip will be great. INSPIRATO.COM

Then you’ll be off to your destination, with access to on-site concierge every step of the way. Enjoy an amazing trip with your loved ones, discover how good club vacations can be and return inspired to see even more of the world. Which is perfect, because we’ll have plenty of great ideas waiting for you for your next getaway. What’s more? You pay only for the vacation nights you travel. There’s no long-term commitment. No catch. No hassles. At the end of the year, your membership will renew automatically, and you can continue taking more amazing club vacations, or let us know if you’d prefer to walk away.

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NOT A MEMBER YET? Ready to discover a better way to vacation? Call 888.546.5008 or visit INSPIRATO.COM to learn more.

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I S

G O O D

AT

I N S P I R ATO

INTRODUCING OUR NEW HOTEL & RESORT COLLECTION Making membership with Inspirato better than ever before!

Enjoy chic boutique properties and top luxury brands, including Fairmont, Six Senses, St. Regis, Belmond, Waldorf Astoria and more. Explore more than 55 destinations, with choices ranging from individual rooms to multiple-bedroom suites. Book trips and realize amazing savings, all backed by our Inspirato Member Value Guarantee.*


1 HOTEL SOUTH BEACH

MIAMI/SOUTH BEACH, FLORIDA

SIX SENSES LAAMU

LAAMU, MALDIVES

TAJ 51 BUCKINGHAM GATE SUITES AND RESIDENCES

LONDON, ENGLAND

SONNENALP HOTEL

VAIL, COLORADO

TO LEARN MORE CALL 888.546.5008 OR VISIT INSPIRATO.COM/HOTELS

* See www.inspirato.com/guarantee for full terms & conditions Inspirato® is a private travel membership club that requires a non-refundable Initiation Fee and Annual Membership Fee. Membership is subject to acceptance of terms and conditions and other reservation and use rules. Availability, benefits, minimum stay requirements and nightly fees may vary by residence, date and membership option selected. See website (www.inspirato. com) for complete details. Inspirato is owned by Inspirato LLC and operated by its subsidiary Best of 52, LLC, 1637 Wazee Street, Denver, CO 80202, info@inspirato.com, 303-586-7771. Operator is registered as Florida Seller of Travel Registration No. ST38403; Washington Seller of Travel Registration No. UBI 603086598; California Seller of Travel Registration No. CST 2107465. ©2015 Inspirato LLC. All products and services offered and rendered by Inspirato® (including the operation and management of any vacation residence) are provided solely by Inspirato LLC, Best of 52, LLC, or their respective agents and affiliates, and not by the American Express Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates.


INSPIRATO COLLECTION

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RE SIDENC E S, R OOM S & S UI T E S

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114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139

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Anguilla, British West Indies Aspen, Colorado Austin/Lake Travis, Texas Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico Bali, Indonesia NEW Beaver Creek, Colorado Bordeaux, France Boston, Massachusetts Brush Creek Ranch, Wyoming Cacique Peninsula, Costa Rica Cannes, France Cape Cod, Massachusetts Chamonix, France Charleston, South Carolina NEW Chicago, Illinois Con Dao, Vietnam NEW Dana Point, California Deer Valley, Utah Doonbeg, Ireland Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico Douro Valley, Portugal NEW Florence, Italy Fort Lauderdale, Florida Grenada, West Indies NEW Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163

Isle of Palms, South Carolina Jackson Hole, Wyoming Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii Kiawah Island, South Carolina Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii Laamu, Maldives Lake Michigan/Harbor Country, Michigan NEW Las Vegas, Nevada London, England NEW Los Cabos, Mexico Miami/South Beach, Florida Mont-Tremblant, Quebec Mustique, St. Vincent and the Grenadines NEW Nantucket, Massachusetts Napa Valley, California NEW Naples, Florida Nevis, West Indies New York, New York Newport, Rhode Island Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam NEW Northstar, Lake Tahoe, California Ojai Valley, California NEW Orlando, Florida Palm Springs/Coachella Valley, California

164 Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina 165 Paris, France 166 Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica 167 The Poconos, Pennsylvania NEW 168 Provence, France 169 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 170 Punta de Mita, Mexico 171 Qing Cheng, China NEW 172 Rancho Palos Verdes, California 173 Real del Mar, Mexico 174 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil NEW 175 Riviera Maya, Mexico 176 Roatรกn, Honduras NEW 177 Rose Hall, Jamaica 178 Rosemary Beach/ Scenic 30A, Florida 179 San Diego, California 180 San Francisco Bay Area, California 181 San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 182 Santa Barbara, California 183 Scottsdale, Arizona 184 Sea Island, Georgia

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185 Seattle, Washington NEW 186 Sonoma County, California 187 Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, California 188 St. Barts, French West Indies 189 St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 190 St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands 191 St. Martin, French West Indies 192 St. Michaels, Maryland NEW 193 Steamboat Springs, Colorado 194 Stowe, Vermont 195 Telluride, Colorado 196 Tortola, British Virgin Islands 197 Turks and Caicos, British West Indies 198 Tuscany, Italy 199 Vail, Colorado 200 Vancouver, British Columbia NEW 201 Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands 202 Wailea, Maui, Hawaii 203 Washington, D.C. NEW 204 Watch Hill, Rhode Island 205 Whistler, British Columbia 206 Woodstock, Vermont NEW 207 Zighy Bay, Oman NEW

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER CUISINART GOLF RESORT & SPA

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Anguilla is a true escape thanks to its ban of cruise ships, casinos and high-rise hotels. The luxurious, whitewashed CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa on Rendezvous Bay captures this low-key vibe like nowhere else on the island. Limited to 98 suites and villas, it feels intimate, yet leaves no need unmet. Its Venus Spa is a Carribbean destination in its own right, as well as the Greg Norman-designed championship 18-hole golf course, the only one on the island.

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ANGUILLA HIGHLIGHTS SENSATIONAL SNORKELING

There’s great diving, but the abundant calm bays around Anguilla and its outlying islands make for easy snorkeling in which you’ll see worlds of bright fish and coral reefs. Shoal Bay Scuba rents gear by the day or week. Want to dive deeper? Special ‘D’ Diving Charters will get you up close to coral reefs teeming with reef dwellers and fluorescent-colored fish.

BRITISH WEST INDIES

A DAY ON THE BEACH

There are more than 30 powdery beaches on Anguilla. Stroll along Mead’s Bay, take the kids to the Cove Bay beach or indulge in barefoot dining at Sandy Ground.

authentic Anguillan barbecue. Get your groove on at the Pumphouse, home of the island’s best nightlife and the island’s signature drink, Pumphouse Rum Punch.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Anguilla Residences & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

RELAX AND UNWIND FINE DINING

With a population of just under 15,000 residents, you’d never guess that Anguilla could house so many outstanding restaurants. Chefs prepare cuisine with influences from Asia, Africa, France and more. Don’t leave without sampling some

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Swim, dive, kayak, paddleboard, boat, fish—all the delights you desire in or over the water. Bike, shop, golf, dine—simply unwind, relax and reconnect. Have breakfast delivered to your villa, lunch served on the beach in the sand and dinner prepared poolside.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE STEINWAY 5 BED / 6 BATH

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There are enough hip boutiques and gourmet restaurants in Aspen to rival the world’s greatest luxury destinations and the St. Regis Aspen Resort puts you steps away from them all, as well as the famed ski slopes of Ajax Mountain. After charging down the ski runs, recharge with a massage in the resort’s award-winning Remède Spa. The Chef ’s Club restaurant features menus from the hottest chefs in the country, hand-picked by Food & Wine magazine.

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ASPEN HIGHLIGHTS ASPEN, YOUR WAY

All of our Aspen properties and hotel options feature an upscale, mountainhome feel with tasteful appointments and generous layouts to make you feel right at home. Whether you pick the 6,458-square-foot, fivebedroom Steinway for a group get-together or the 4,278-square-foot, fourbedroom Silver Queen for something slightly more intimate, our Aspen vacation options deliver whatever you desire.

COLORADO

MAROON BELLS

If you buy a postcard in Aspen, the photo will likely be of the spectacular Maroon Bells, some of the most photographed mountains in the world. They’re shrouded in snow all winter but come summer, these 14,000-foot peaks are covered in a riot of wildflowers. FOUR FOR ONE

Skiing or snowboarding Aspen means choosing between four different ski areas: Ajax, the iconic original hill rising right out of town; the steeps

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of Aspen Highlands; Buttermilk’s familyfriendly runs; and the long, fast intermediate groomers at Snowmass. FASHION FORWARD

Join the celebrities who shop for the latest international styles at the boutiques on Galena Street. And check out the local shops for chic skiwear, high-end Western apparel and unique pieces of art. WINING AND DINING

craving expertly prepared Colorado game, decadent comfort food, world-class sushi or a burger at the White House Tavern. And wherever you go, you can count on the perfect glass of wine or a local craft beer to pair with your meal.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Aspen Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato. com/destinations

Aspen restaurants are a destination unto themselves, whether you’re

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE WATERSTONE LODGE 5 BED / 4.5 BATH

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AUSTIN / LAK E TR AVIS

Expect the laid-back, embrace the offbeat and prepare for a different kind of luxury vacation on Lake Travis in the Texas Hill Country. Flat plains give way here to wooded canyons, spring-fed rivers and the occasional cave. Along these hills, the more traditional Texas culture bows to the eclectic, from the unique German settlement of Fredericksburg to Marble Falls, the center of the Highland Lakes area.

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HIGHLIGHTS FLOAT AWAY

Floating the scenic Guadalupe River is popular here; visitors and locals will spend a few hours on inner tubes being pushed by the slow-moving current. Also try canoeing and kayaking. For the best currents, head to Kerrville Schreiner Park.

TEXAS

bird hunting, trail tours, swimming and even exotic game tours with more than 50 types of animals.

residents and visitors. Order a burger, sit at a picnic table and soak up the Texas sun.

GOLF

WINE COUNTRY

Members staying at Waterstone Lodge have golfing privileges at Barton Creek Lakeside Country Club, a famed private club with an 18-hole course designed by Arnold Palmer.

There are more than 30 wineries dotting the Hill Country. We recommend taking a rolling drive through the area’s famous bluebonnets to discover local wineries housed in a 100-year-old barn, a stone château, an Italian villa and other unique spaces that add personality to the beautiful surroundings. Here are a few of our favorites: Becker Vineyards,

GAME ON

HUNTING PARTY

Visit the famous Y.O. Ranch, a 40,000-acre working ranch with plenty of ways to fill the day: horseback riding, big game and

Take a drive to local watering hole and onestop shop: The Hunt Store. Over time, this quaint store has become a favorite of

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Fall Creek Vineyards and Flat Creek Estate.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Austin/Lake Travis Residence at inspirato. com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE ALELI 3 BED / 4 BATH

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Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club in Puerto Rico is one of only 21 resorts in the world to be designated as a Certified Gold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary and is the only resort in the Caribbean with this distinct honor. El Yunque National Rainforest neighbors the resort’s 483 acres, and the dedicated staff pride themselves on protecting the natural environment and its inhabitants.

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BAHIA BEACH HIGHLIGHTS

glowing creatures light up around you.

GOLF

World-famous golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed the scenic fairways at Bahia Beach and it has been named the “Best of the Best” by global luxury magazine Robb Report.

BEACHFRONT

Bahia Beach unfolds in 2 miles of stunning white sand beach. The sparkling blue water is swimmable and shaded palm trees provide a peaceful oasis. The sun and sand here are enjoyable year-round.

NIGHT LIGHTS

Travel 40 minutes to Laguna Grande in Fajardo to see bioluminescent dinoflagellates light up the mangrove-lined lagoons. Enjoy a two-hour kayak tour as millions of

THE BOATHOUSE

The resort offers complimentary equipment and gear for various activities: You and your group can explore 70 acres of canals and lakes on the

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PUERTO RICO resort grounds. Nearby is the Espíritu Santo River, should you feel like venturing a bit farther. Kayaking and paddleboarding are traditionally offered on the resort’s lake. If you would like to head out to the ocean, the resort can arrange your plans. A canoe is the perfect vessel for navigating the property’s canals, with more than 4 miles to explore. Spin fishing is common on the resort’s docks. A variety of saltwater fish species inhabit the water: mangrove snapper, jack

and mullet, to name a few. For the more adventurous, windsurfing and sailboats are available.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Bahia Beach Residences at inspirato.com/ destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT SUITE DELUXE POOL VILLA 1 BED / 1 BATH

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Cool off with a plunge into the waters of your private pool outside the door of your spacious villa at Belmond Jimbaran Puri resort. Or dive into the tropical waters that softly crash onto the talcum-powder soft sand of the serene beach just beyond the resort’s freshwater pool. Water, if you couldn’t tell, is the main attraction at this Balinese gem, both for its ability to soothe the senses and refresh the soul.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

BALI HIGHLIGHTS

INDONESIA

temple, or Mount Kawi, a sacred mountain.

slides, euro bungy and water balloon blaster.

BEACHSIDE MASSAGE

There’s a massage, then there’s a Balinese massage. The Beach Spa at Belmond offers a variety: from a spice or coffee grounds scrub to a hot stone treatment right on the beach.

JIMBARAN FISH MARKET

DIVINE DINING

TOUR A TEMPLE

At the northern end of the bay, fresh catches are sold every day. For the most options, visit between 6 and 9 a.m. Ask your concierge to book a cooking class with your executive chef to prepare your purchase together.

Tirta Gangga translates to “water from the Ganges” and this water palace is composed of a maze of pools. Visit Tanah Lot, a series of rock formations and home to a pilgrimage

At the Belmond, you can enjoy dinner right on the white sand at the restaurant Nelayan, which combines Western and Indonesian cuisine with fresh fish. At Tunjung, enjoy a buffet breakfast overlooking lily ponds and the neighboring shore.

The kids will be thrilled with Waterbom Bali. Billing itself as a top attraction in Asia, this water park offers a lazy river, pipelines, high-speed

one-hour class to learn the expressive art of the Balinese dance. If you have two left feet, opt for a private session.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Bali Suite at inspirato.com/ destinations

KIDS’ FUN

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BALINESE DANCE

Hindu tradition is rich with dance serving as a form of storytelling. Belmond Jimbaran Puri offers a

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE HIGH ROAD 6 BED / 6.5 BATH

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Fall in love with Beaver Creek—a cozy alpine hamlet in the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Along with neighboring Vail, these vibrant communities boast thousands of skiable acres, posh residences and an array of year-round amenities.

BEAVER CREEK HIGHLIGHTS CONVENIENT ACCESS

Beaver Creek is the super-exclusive little sister to popular Vail. Savvy travelers flock to the convenient winter activities at Bachelor Gulch, Beaver Creek and Arrowhead. SKI/SNOWBOARDING

Vail may be bigger, but it’s Beaver Creek that hosts the annual World Cup skiing competition—and hosted last winter’s FIS World Skiing Championships. Take your turns on the same slopes that have

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COLORADO

challenged Olympic champions and hopefuls for years.

seafood menu of hot and cold dishes.

DINING

Explore this valley on foot or by bike in the summer and fall to experience beautiful golden aspen glades, multicolored wildflowers and highaltitude overlooks.

NATURAL COLOR

Start your day off with the best breakfast in the Vail Valley at local favorite, Northside Coffee Kitchen, located down in Avon. Be sure to pick up an order of their homemade doughnuts or pastries to go. Open since 2013, Hooked has already become a member favorite for its combination of sushipreparation techniques and flavors of the West. The result is an eclectic

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NIGHTLIFE

When the sun sets on Beaver Creek, mellow evenings await. Start with a handcrafted martini at the Beaver Creek Chophouse or try Vin 48 for fine wines and an ever-changing

menu of rustic American fare made with local, organic ingredients. Don’t miss Splendido at the Chateau with its unique and refined Euro-American cuisine.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Beaver Creek Residences at inspirato.com/ destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE CHÂTEAU VERDOT 4 BED / 4 BATH

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Known as one of the world’s finest wineproducing regions, Bordeaux welcomes oenophiles and romantics alike to the home of merlots, cabernet sauvignons and cabernet francs. Each one grows a short distance from your classic French château in the Libourne subregion on the banks of the Dordogne River in southwest France.

BORDEAUX HIGHLIGHTS ANCIENT HISTORY

At the junction of the Isle and Dordogne rivers, the village of Libourne was originally fortified in 1270. The remaining Gate of the Great Port from the 14th century is the largest section of the city walls built when Libourne was developed as an important export center for the region’s wines. FINE DINING, FINER WINES

the area’s vineyards: Saint Émilion Grand Cru, Saint-GeorgesSaint-Émilion, Pomerol, Fronsac, Bordeaux Côtes de Castillon, Côtes de Castillon, Lussac and more. Tuck into a meal on the terrace at Troplong Mondot overlooking the vineyards of the stone Château Saint Émilion and prepared by the villa’s chef, who sources a menu from the surrounding area and prepares it to perfectly match the estate’s wine.

Some of the best wines in the world come from

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FRANCE BORDEAUX

Situated on the banks of the Garonne River, this regional capital has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage City for its outstanding urban and architectural mix that has remained intact from the 18th century—a fact that has made it attractive to period-film productions for decades.

the Romans first planted grapes in the area. You’re less than 5 miles to the market town of Libourne and its fine dining, markets and wine shops.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Bordeaux Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

PRIVATE CHÂTEAU

Enjoy your own private plunge pool and garden overlooking the vineyards and Saint Émilion’s ancient Roman wall, built when

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL ROOM BEACON HILL STUDIO 1 BED / 1 BATH

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Make yourself at home in the cozy yet luxurious Beacon Hill Studio, complete with a gas fireplace and jetted tub at the historic XV Beacon Hotel, situated downtown. A short walk takes you to the Freedom Trail, the shops along Newbury Street or to enjoy the fall colors of the Boston Common. Complimentary hotel transportation can deliver you—and pick you up—to appointments or reservations further afield.

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BOSTON HIGHLIGHTS TAKE TO THE STREETS

Faneuil Hall / Quincy Market is renowned for its street theater. Guests of Mistral, Boston’s best French Mediterranean restaurant, can use their complimentary car service for transportation within metro Boston.

MASSACHUSETTS

Old North Church, Paul Revere’s House, the site of the Boston Massacre and the U.S.S. Constitution. THE NORTH END

WALK THROUGH HISTORY

Head to Boston’s historic Italian neighborhood, the North End, where the scintillating North End Wine Tour takes you to the city’s fine establishments such as Aragosta, The Wine Bottega and Gennaro’s.

Follow the red-painted bricks of the Freedom Trail as they lead you to 16 different historic sites and buildings in downtown Boston, including the

Hop aboard Scudamore’s Punting Company for a tour of the city up the Charles River past Cambridge and

WATERFRONT VIEWS

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back. Or head to sea for a sunset dinner cruise on the Voyager III for a trip to Stellwagen Bank, a popular spot for whales and dolphins. The lights of the city will guide you back to port.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Boston Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

SHOPPING EXCURSION

The Rodeo Drive of the East, Newbury Street is a shopper’s paradise with an eclectic mix of independent boutiques as well as shops from international fashion icons such as Diane von Furstenberg and Giorgio Armani.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

PARTNER EXPERIENCE TRAILHEAD LODGE, BRUSH CREEK RANCH

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BRUSH CREEK R ANCH

Travel to the West as it used to be (and still is). The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch sits on 15,000 acres of rolling foothills west of the Medicine Bow National Forest outside of Saratoga, Wyoming. Spend your summer days in the saddle on trail rides into the mountains or fly fishing along the North Platte River. Nights are for meals in the great house and relaxing spa treatments at this all-inclusive Western resort.

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HIGHLIGHTS RANCH LIFE OF LUXURY

Brush Creek is limited to 13 lodge rooms, nine cabin suites and 10 separate luxurious log cabins with two to three bedrooms. For a tight-knit family reunion or corporate retreat, reserve the Magee Homestead, which features its own private lodge and seven historically restored cabins that sleep up to 25, served by a dedicated staff. TAKE IT OUTSIDE

The ranch is home to more than 50 miles of

horseback riding trails. Shooting or hunting big-game with the Brush Creek Ranch Gun Club, paintball competitions and a ropes course are just some of the programs available to guests. All activities include gear and experienced guides.

WYOMING

TRAILHEAD SPA

CHILD’S PLAY

Rejuvenate your body at the Trailhead Spa, where guests can reserve a couple’s massage, manicure or pedicure. Exercise buffs can break a sweat at the state-ofthe-art fitness center with cardio and strengthtraining equipment.

Children can stay busy and enthralled with the ecology program, skijoring behind a galloping horse and more.

WINTER ON THE RANCH

Ride all winter inside the ranch’s indoor corral. Take to the trails on Nordic skis or snowshoes. Want more adrenaline? Head out on a high-speed snowmobile adventure across the wideopen landscape.

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DINING AT THE RANCH

Adventurous days call for hearty, fireside meals for small parties served with fine wines. Whatever your mood, Brush Creek has a menu and the level of service you desire.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Brush Creek Accommodations at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE SERENA 3 BED / 3.5 BATH

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CACIQUE PENINSULA

Guanacaste, on Costa Rica’s northwest Pacific Coast, is known locally as the “Gold Coast” for its sunny days. The region offers a treasure trove of exhilarating adventures. And all are within reach from the hillside residences on the breezy Cacique Peninsula, where the views and sunsets are a thrill in their own right with the beach five minutes away.

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HIGHLIGHTS EASY ACCESS

Thanks to the location of Liberia’s Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Playa Hermosa is the closest beach town to an international airport in the country. Inspirato’s residences offer easy access to the highway and with it, quick access to the wild interior of the Palo Verde National Reserve, whitewater rafting, zip line tours, ATV tours and much more.

C O S TA R I C A

OFFSHORE ADVENTURES

RIVERS WILD

Board a 45-foot sailing yacht and set sail for spectacular snorkeling spots and deserted sandy beaches. Dolphins are sure to follow along as you ply the Pacific for a full-day excursion complete with open bar and a sunset barbecue. The popular Tamarindo Beach is renowned for the mellow breaks that have introduced many people to the sport of surfing. More experienced surfers can catch waves at Witch’s Rock or Ollie’s Point.

The Gauchepelin Tour starts with a horseback ride to a waterfall. Then you’ll hop into a tube to float down the gentle rapids of the Negro River. After lunch, it’s up into the sky on a forestcanopy tour. The day wraps up with a relaxing soak in a naturally heated thermal spring. On the Rio Perdido Tour, exhilaration is the name of the game as you explore the dry forest and canyons near the Miravalles Volcano. Swim in crystal-clear mineral

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springs and then tackle the Aerial Canyoneering experience with its 15 zip lines, pendulum cable, Tarzan swing and more, all completed 300 feet over the Rio Blanco. The Tenorio River offers thrilling Class III and IV rapids as you churn down its 15-mile course.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Cacique Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE LA PALME D’OR 5 BED / 5.5 BATH

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Known by most for the Cannes Film Festival, this star of the French Riviera is so much more than a cinemalover’s dream. You’ll feel as though you’re the winning lead on the silver screen when you visit this city centered around an old port. Take advantage of your proximity to other towns such as Grasse (known for perfume), Antibes, St Paul de Vence and Nice.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

CANNES HIGHLIGHTS SHOPKEEPS

Cannes is well-known for its luxury retail options, and the hub of it all is Rue d’Antibes, the main shopping street. You’ll find everything from upscale designers to storefronts filled with freshly baked macarons. MUSÉE DE LA CASTRE

In the historic district of Cannes are the remains of a medieval castle and the Castre Museum, which features a collection of primitive art, early

FRANCE

musical instruments and phenomenal 360-degree views of the area. MOUGINS

A 15-minute drive away is Mougins, surrounded by forest and known for its verdant gardens. Stroll around Vieux Village and stop by any number of award-winning restaurants. Pablo Picasso and Édith Piaf were fans of Mougins. SET SAIL

Pierre Lambert is the captain of the Folly Too, a sailboat available for day

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charters throughout the French Riviera. While on board, you’ll indulge in a French lunch of fresh salad, fish, meats and Pierre’s famous homemade bread. NICE IS NICE

The deep blue waters of the Cote d’Azur and Nice, France, are only a 30-minute drive from Cannes. Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and the second-most popular amongst travelers, after Paris. Explore the Promenade du Paillon. Named “coulée verte” (the

green axis), the Promenade carves right through the center of Nice. Stroll past illuminated sculptures, soaking fountains for the kids, gardens and views of the sea. Afterward, explore the National Theatre of Nice and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, both nearby.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Cannes Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE STARBOARD 4 BED / 5.5 BATH

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Vacations on the Cape have been a hallmark of New England families for centuries. Start your own tradition with a family getaway packed with sunny days on the beach, rides on the rail trail, fresh seafood at the Cape’s finest establishments or a traditional clambake on the sand.

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CAPE COD HIGHLIGHTS

MASSACHUSETTS

NANTUCKET SOUND

residence. Then tick off Race Point, Chatham Light and the Nauset Lighthouse.

Protected from ocean swells, the calm and warmer waters of Nantucket Sound offer a more mellow beach experience than the ocean side. Try Ridgevale Beach, Cockle Cove and Hardings Beach.

The artistic heart of the Cape is Provincetown, home to dozens of art galleries showcasing works by both local and nationally recognized artists.

FINE ARTS

BEACONS OF LIGHT

DUNE TOURS

The historic lighthouses of Cape Cod are almost as famous as its sand dunes. Pay a visit to Truro’s Highland Light, the closest to Inspirato’s Starboard

Like his father before him, Rob Costa has been taking thousands of visitors on dune tours through the heart of the National Historic District

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of the Cape Cod National Seashore since 1946. Art started the company with a 1936 Ford Woody. Today, families can enjoy a safe and air-conditioned ride in a Suburban SUV. CONVENIENCE

Drive to the harbor in Provincetown to hire a boat for a fishing expedition by day and to take part in the village’s boisterous nightlife after the sun sets. Shoppers can head to the boutiques in Chatham for a piece of New England charm to bring home.

WHALE TALE

New England is one of the top 10 areas in the world for whale spotting, with humpback and finback whales being the most common. High season stretches from April through October.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Cape Cod Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE CHALET DES DRUS 7 BED / 7.5 BATH

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The expansive Chamonix Valley is in the French Alps with unparalleled views of the famed Mont Blanc and L’Aiguille de Midi. In the winter, Chamonix takes center stage as the European capital of winter sports; it was home to the first Winter Olympics in 1924. A cable car is accessible year-round. Massive peaks, valley views and unrivaled summits are just a few of the memorable qualities Chamonix offers.

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CHAMONIX HIGHLIGHTS COOL TRIP

Hop aboard the Montenvers train on a short ride up to the foot of Mer de Glace, France’s largest glacier. Here you can enjoy views of the peaks, tour an ice cave and discover the history of mountain people of the early 19th century. THE LONG WAY DOWN

In a good snow year, schussers can enjoy—or endure, depending on their fitness—one of the biggest vertical drops in the world, 7,326 feet from the summit

to the base. That’s more than a mile and a third of elevation. LOCAL FLAVOR

If you want to mingle with the natives, head to the lively Saturday morning market at Place du Mont Blanc. Enjoy a selection of local cheeses, fruits, vegetables and handcrafted goods, most of which will end up on the menus of the town’s 80-plus restaurants. FAMILY TIME

Take your family on the ride of their lives at Chamonix Leisure Park. Open year-

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FRANCE round, the Luge-Alpine is a 4,265-foot toboggan run on rails with jumps, spirals and night rides. Summer rides include slides, splash boats and more. TAKE FLIGHT

Whether summer or winter, your concierge can schedule a private helicopter tour of the Chamonix Valley to transport you into another world. The rugged mountains, charming town and sheer majesty of it all will sweep you off your feet.

MONT BLANC

The gargantuan glaciers of Mont Blanc (elevation, 15,781 feet) punctuate the skyline and set the stage for adventure. The area attracts adrenaline junkies from around the world to ski, board and climb its famous slopes.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Chamonix Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL PARTNER BELMOND CHARLESTON PLACE

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With its lush gardens and historic buildings, Charleston epitomizes southern charm. Belmond Charleston Place puts you in the heart of it all. The building houses the city’s finest boutiques, including Gucci and Louis Vuitton and a glassed-in, rooftop pool. The restaurant features live jazz and horsedrawn carrige tours of the city start right outside the hotel’s doors. Wrap up your night with a nightcap in your spacious suite.

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CHARLESTON HIGHLIGHTS HIGH CULTURE IN LOWCOUNTRY

From preserved cobblestone streets and the stately columns of antebellum mansions to Spanish moss hanging from ancient oak trees and courtyards fragrant with jasmine, Charleston offers the true beauty and grace of the Old South. Yet for all its tradition, the city greets visitors with modern charm in its worldclass cuisine, eclectic art galleries and family-friendly atmosphere. Whether you’re roaming Civil War remnants

SOUTH CAROLINA

in the Battery, browsing vibrant oil paintings or enjoying a bowl of rich Shecrab soup, you can be sure you’ll be treated to the finest in Southern hospitality in this beautiful city.

as the place in which the shots that started the American Civil War were fired. Today it offers selfguided or ranger-led tours and opportunities to learn about this historic site.

BATTERY PARK

GHOST WALK

This famed park sits on the waterfront and houses southern mansions, cannons, palmettos and incredible views of Fort Sumter and the Sullivan Island Lighthouse.

If you enjoy a good spooking, try the Ghost Walk. This ghostly tour of haunted homes in the historic district of Charleston lasts an hour and a half in 18th and 19th century neighborhoods.

FORT SUMTER

SWING TIME

Charleston Waterfront Park is a 12-acre coastal green space that runs along the Cooper River. Swinging benches are scattered at various spots along the waterfront and invite you and a loved one to stop and take in the view.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Charleston Suite at inspirato.com/destinations

Fort Sumter National Monument is best known

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL RESIDENCE LAKEVIEW 2 BED / 3 BATH

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With its first-class restaurants, shopping, museums and sports teams, Chicago boasts urban attractions that draw visitors from around the world. The Windy City is also very accessible, with miles of lakefront paths that invite a late-afternoon stroll and festive atmospheres at Millennium Park and Navy Pier. But perhaps the best way to take it all in is with a bird’s-eye view from your suite in the spectacular Trump International Hotel & Tower® Chicago.

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CHICAGO HIGHLIGHTS

American Girl, Pratesi Linens and Tod’s.

THE HEART OF IT ALL

Inspirato’s residential suites are located on the higher floors of the Trump International Hotel & Tower® Chicago, which means you’ll enjoy unobstructed views of the Chicago River and the city skyline from every residence.

THE LOOP

The historical center of downtown Chicago, the Loop is chock-full of culture, art, attractions and notable landmarks. Willis Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Cultural Center are all found here.

THE MAGNIFICENT MILE

This eight-block stretch of Michigan Avenue features a staggering 460 stores, from high-end boutiques to offbeat bargain and specialty shops, including

MOLECULAR DINING

Alinea is a legendary venue and the brainchild of renowned chef Grant Achatz, winner of numerous awards for his

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ILLINOIS prowess in the molecular gastronomy movement. Be ready for a sensory overload with his 24-course tasting menu. CITY FISH

Out of all the amazing museums and attractions in Chicago, the Shedd Aquarium is certainly one that stands out as not to be missed. With 32,500 creatures in its building, you can rest assured that there will never be a dull moment.

THE HIGH LIFE

The Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, offers high-speed elevators to the observatory deck, 110 stories above the street. You’ll enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, and the north and south sides of the city.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Chicago Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT SUITE DELUXE POOL VILLA 1 BED / 1 BATH

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The Con Dao archipelago is an untouched chain of 16 islands. Light in tourist traffic and protected as a marine and national park, Con Dao amazes with pristine natural beauty, including crystalclear water that’s home to more than 1,400 marine species. This is the best scuba and snorkeling destination in Vietnam. The beaches are silky and white—and empty.

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CON DAO HIGHLIGHTS H2GO!

Instead of swimming, let the calm breezes do the work for you. Your butler at the Six Senses resort can arrange for a Hobie catamaran so that you can sail in peace past lazy fishing boats and toward the horizon, where the sky and sea seem to become one. Both Green and Hawksbill sea turtles come to Con Dao to nest on the island’s 13 beaches from May to October. This is the only place in Vietnam where the turtles enjoy full National

VIETNAM

Park protection. The life of the reef looks a lot different at night and the experience of hovering in the warm salt water, flashlight in hand, feels like nothing else. The experience starts in the late afternoon so you can witness a spectacular sunset from the boat. A guide leads you down to the reef, where an entirely different host of marine life appears at night, including small bamboo sharks. Local expert Captain Thien has fished the waters around Con Dao for more than 25 years and his traditional, simple fishing boat is the

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best choice for finding a fresh catch. The scenery is spectacular as well.

Plantation, Ong Dung Bay and possibly encounter long-tailed macaques and black squirrels.

SUNSET BEACH

The beach called Bai Nhat only appears in the afternoon, during low tide. It’s lovely, to say the least, and includes numerous boulders where you can sit to watch the sun disappear behind Love Peak.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Con Dao Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

RAINFOREST STROLL

Head away from the beach into town and find an exciting and unique activity: hiking a tropical rainforest. You can reach the So Ray

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER ST. REGIS MONARCH BEACH

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The sprawling grounds of the five-star rated St. Regis Monarch Beach epitomize the best of coastal Southern California. Private beach access, preferred tee times at the 18-hole golf course (which climbs and dives throughout the resort’s hilly terrain), five-star rated Spa Gaucin and the Sandcastle Kids Club ensure that every member of your party will come away with warm memories of this luxurious destination.

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DANA POINT HIGHLIGHTS SHOPPING

Along South Coast Highway and Forest Avenue you’ll find dozens of high-end boutiques, art galleries and historic buildings. Local favorites include C.J. Rose Fashion Boutique and home furnishings store Vertigo Home. CRYSTAL COVE BEACH

With 2,400 acres of woodland and an underwater park, Crystal Cove State Park attracts hikers, swimmers, mountain bikers and scuba

divers. Take a hot coffee on a serene, foggy morning walk. Later, explore the tide pools or stake out a secluded sandy cove for the afternoon. PACIFIC MARINE MAMMAL CENTER

Animal lovers will love a stop at Pacific Marine Mammal Center, whose mission is to inspire ocean stewardship through education about seals, dolphins and more. Admission is complimentary and donations are appreciated.

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CALIFORNIA SURF BUTLERS

St. Regis Monarch Beach offers on-site Surf Butlers to take care of kayak rentals and the scheduling of private body boarding or surf lessons. If you’re just looking to relax, Surf Butlers will wait on you hand and foot with lounge chair service. FRESH GOODS

churned in their backyard each day. Visit for brunch and try the crab hash with bacon scrambled eggs and citrus cream.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Dana Point Rooms & Suites at inspirato. com/destinations

In the heart of the Los Rios Historic District in San Juan Capistrano sits the Ramos House. The herbs used in the dishes here are grown right outside in the garden. Handmade ice cream is

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE HAWKEYE 4 BED /5.5 BATH

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Some devotees believe that Utah has the best powder in the world. Others say it has the most beautiful summers and autumns. We think both are right. Deer Valley’s aspen-covered hillsides, copious amounts of light powder snow, summer concert series and exceptional service make the resort a five-star experience no matter the season.

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DEER VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS WILD WEST LUXURY

impeccably groomed runs that are a Deer Valley hallmark.

Slopeside with the convenience of ski trails nearby, several of our Inspirato Residences are situated in the heart of Deer Valley Resort. Rich wood finishes, granite countertops and warm decorations add to the inviting mountain-lodge feel of Inspirato’s stylish accommodations.

The Hawkeye residence’s living room includes a vaulted ceiling, a floorto-ceiling stone fireplace and two-story windows that overlook Deer Valley Resort. When you’re ready to hit the slopes, the Northside Express is just steps away.

ROOM WITH A VIEW

U TA H meadows. Thanks to the resort’s Mountain Bike School, you can learn proper riding techniques to tackle the trails with confidence. Private lessons and clinics are available. HIGH-ALTITUDE GOLF

When the snow melts, spend some time at Hawkeye’s private community putting green before heading out for a round at a nearby course.

OUTDOOR CONVENIENCE

ROLL WITH IT

PARK CITY

Inspirato’s residences offer deluxe accommodations and easy access to the

Deer Valley offers exciting mountain biking on beautiful alpine paths and

Chances are good that you won’t want to leave the comfort of Deer Valley,

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but if you do, Park City is just minutes away. You’ll find a wide variety of great restaurants, boutique shopping and fun nightlife options, including the famed Egyptian Theatre, home to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival held each January.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Deer Valley Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF LINKS & HOTEL IRELAND

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As you cross the stone bridge into Doonbeg, you’ll feel the mystical allure of this coastal village and its environs of rugged coasts in a spot that is both magical and unlike any other place on Earth. Within the picturesque village, Inspirato Members will vacation at the five-star Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland, noted for its exceptional service and celebrated links course.

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DOONBEG HIGHLIGHTS GET MEDIEVAL

Tour 15th-century Bunratty Castle, then stroll through Folk Park, a recreation of rural life in the 19th century. You’ll delight in the period buildings, crafts and costumed characters. Stay on for a Medieval Banquet (reservations required). CLIFF HANGER

The majestic Cliffs of Moher, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, are one of Ireland’s most spectacular sights. The views are astonishing, and on a clear day you can

see to the Aran Islands, as well as the valleys and hills of Connemara. The cliffs are about 45 minutes from your residence, but are well worth a visit. Rock climb and rappel on the limestone cliffs of the Burren. No experience is required and a skilled instructor will be on hand at all times. All equipment is provided, along with detailed instructions to help you have a safe and fun experience. GARDEN PARTY

Elaborate stone fences enclose the Vandeleur

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IRELAND Walled Garden, where you can wander through a horizontal maze, enjoy water features and a Victorian-style glass house. Kids will love the butterfly trail, sandcastle area and a giant chess set. HORSE SENSE

Riding horseback through the countryside makes for a perfect afternoon. Tours from one to four hours are available in various locations. Your concierge can help you decide whether to visit a scenic bog or clop peacefully along the coastline.

PUB AND PINT

An evening at a local pub is simply a must when visiting Ireland. Friendly natives are happy to regale you with tales of the area and its people. Coupled with local food, music and drinks, your pub visit is something you won’t forget.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Doonbeg Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE LA VIVELISSE 5 BED / 4.5 BATH

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Inspired by original developer Laurance Rockefeller, Dorado Beach is a private Caribbean sanctuary on a glistening coastline. Guests retreat here to tee off on the three championship golf courses, sink into bliss at the open-air spa, splash in the pools and water slides of the Watermill and jump into glorious lagoons with snorkels and surfboards.

DOR ADO BEACH HIGHLIGHTS MAKE A SPLASH

From the sunny golden sands of Dorado Beach’s private sands, you’ll find protected lagoons for easy swimming, coral reefs for snorkeling and opportunities for windsurfing. The beach club includes a family pool and an adult lap pool, poolside cabanas and a hammock garden, shaded by tall palm trees. GOLF

The avid golfer will appreciate that Dorado

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Beach is the only Caribbean resort offering 54 holes. Even better, the three courses, originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., have been restored to maximize Caribbean sight lines and speed on the greens. These courses have hosted PGA tournaments and golf legends since their beginning in 1955. EXPLORE THE JUNGLE

The only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System, El Yunque National Forest is located 90 minutes from the resort. Lace up your hiking shoes

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PUERTO RICO (and bring a bathing suit) to enjoy trails through a lush jungle canopy, with waterfalls along the way.

open-air treatment room perched among the tops of the palm trees at Spa Botánico.

DINING

OLD SAN JUAN

Zafra serves delectable New World and Caribbeaninspired cuisine with views of golf course fairways and mountains in the distance. Dine on fresh ceviche of the day and a classic Criollo sandwich for lunch, or herb-roasted half chicken, mahimahi casserole and rack of lamb for dinner.

San Juan’s history dates back to 1521, when Ponce de Leon founded the original walled city now home to more than 400 restored 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial buildings.

THE SPA

Book a massage in the

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Dorado Beach Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER SIX SENSES DOURO VALLEY

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With a diverse geography that ranges from the dry western shore of the Iberian Peninsula to rugged mountains and all the vineyards in between, the Douro Valley is a romantic European landscape for the ages. During your stay at Six Senses, sign up for a wine course or let a resident sommelier guide you through a wine library that brims with local vintages.

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DOURO VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS

Ever bird watched from the air? Bird watching is a treasured pastime in the Douro Valley and guests of the Six Senses can take advantage of a helicopter tour to get on the same level as the creatures in flight.

line down into the River Cabrum Falls. Once at the bottom, you can hike the wet trails and sightsee. A guided mountain bike ride through the neighboring rural paths can be arranged by the resort and tailored to your specific level of fitness. This activity is highly recommended for wine lovers looking to cruise to a vineyard.

ACTION-PACKED

SPA DAZE

If you’re physically fit and up for a challenge, ask your butler to make arrangements for an adventure to rappel or zip

A heated indoor pool with water jets and 10 treatment rooms are just a few of the benefits of the on-site spa at Six Senses.

same family for more than a century.

WINE COUNTRY SAFARI

Best known for its specialty in port and vinho varietals, Portugal has been a top wine-producing region for centuries. At Quinta de Ervamoira, the average age of the vines is 30 years—see them via a private 45-minute helicopter ride from the Six Senses resort. In the heart of the valley, you’ll find Quinta do Crasto, a vineyard specializing in reds, whites, rosés and fortified wines that’s been owned and operated by the

PORTUGAL

FLY WITH THE BIRDS

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Book a grape, papaya or wine-based massage for the members of your group to recharge for the next day’s adventures.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Douro Valley Suites at inspirato.com/destination

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE LA LIMONAIA 4 BED / 6.5 BATH

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The cradle of the Renaissance, Florence still dazzles with its elegant combination of history and glamour. Peruse its famous jewelry shops on the Ponte Vecchio and high-fashion boutiques scattered throughout this pedestrian-friendly city. Dine in a restaurant owned by a prince and take in one of the world’s great Western art collections at the Uffizi. The best of Italy awaits.

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FLORENCE HIGHLIGHTS SHOPPING

Mercato de San Lorenzo, located in Piazza San Lorenzo, is where you’ll find a lively and swirling mix of leather goods, clothes, jewelry, wines, cheese and meats for sale much in the same way they’ve been sold here for decades. WHEN IN FLORENCE

Eat like an Italian. Try the ravioli de brie con carciofini Morelli (ravioli stuffed with brie, dressed with artichokes) at La Giostra,

which was founded by a prince who loved cooking. At Il Latini, communal tables are the norm and ordering off the menu is discouraged by waiters who will offer their suggestions for the night’s best options.

I TA LY PIAZZA DEL DUOMO

LAUNCHING PAD

Really a collection of sites, this world-famous square features the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Campanile, the Baptistery of San Giovanni and the Loggia del Bigallo.

The classic Tuscan countryside starts minutes outside the city. Day trips to Siena, Pisa or Lucca are an easy train ride away.

THE LOCATION UFFIZI GALLERY

Designed by Vasari for Cosimo de’ Medici, the beautiful Uffizi is even more famous for its treasures within, including works by da Vinci, Botticelli, Titian, Raphael and Rembrandt.

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Walk to the most famous Florence landmarks, including the Uffizi Gallery, Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral and Palazzo Pitti.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Florence Residence at inspirato.com/destination

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE GRAND CANAL 3 BED / 3 BATH

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Known as the Venice of America due to its elaborate canal system, Fort Lauderdale boasts a semitropical climate, fantastic beaches and a big city’s amenities without the showy glitz of its southern neighbor, Miami. Members will check into a suite with a view at the five-star Ritz-Carlton® and enjoy access to the resort’s sprawling pool deck overlooking the ocean.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

FORT LAUDERDALE HIGHLIGHTS RIVERWALK

The Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District strings together the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and the Museum of Art as it continues west from Las Olas Way, the heart of the city’s dining and shopping district.

pick for best meal in the city, and 65 upscale boutiques that can outfit men, women and families in high style. WATER TAXIS

Rather than battle beach traffic, hail a water taxi as it travels the Intracoastal Waterway to beaches in the north and along the Riverwalk district. SPA DAY

DINING AND SHOPPING

Speaking of Las Olas Way, this quaint, pedestrianfriendly district offers more than 30 alfresco dining options, including Yolo, our

The Ritz-Carlton® is home to Fort Lauderdale’s largest luxury spa and the only one in the area to offer “SkinCeutical” anti-aging facial treatments, which

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FLORIDA

use a precise application of Vitamin A to help rid the skin of wrinkles and maintain results longer. The spa’s other signature treatments feature variations on sea salt therapies and gentle exfoliating body scrubs.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Fort Lauderdale Residence at inspirato.com/destination

BEACH

There’s plenty of room to find a quiet spot on Fort Lauderdale’s expanse of sand, but for peoplewatching—and plenty of dining and drinking options—take a stroll or pedal a beach cruiser down the Beachfront Promenade.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE HUMMINGBIRD VILLA 5 BED / 5.5 BATH

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At the luxurious Calabash Hotel, located in the exclusive Amber Belair community, guests enjoy access to the white sand beach of Prickly Bay along with an on-site water sports and diving center that loans out complimentary snorkeling gear, kayaks and even a Hobie cat. Amenities at the Hummingbird Villa include 10,000-squarefeet of indoor and outdoor space, including a private infinity pool.

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GRENADA HIGHLIGHTS WHALE OF A TIME

Chartered through the Luxury Villas at Amber Belair, a four-hour boat tour on the water will lead you to sightings of sperm and pilot whales. The boat trip includes onboard drinks and snacks.

WEST INDIES

TURTLE SPOTTING

DAY TRIP

Large, five- to sevenfoot leatherback turtles are native to Grenada. This endangered species is protected by local conservation efforts and can be spotted wandering ashore to dig a hole and bury their eggs.

Neighboring island Carriacou is a two-hour ferry ride away. On its rustic shores, admire homemade boats and schooners. The friendly islanders are self-sufficient to this day, growing their own produce and raising their own livestock.

the Calabash garden or whiskey rice pudding.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Grenada Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

FLOAT PARTY FALLING WATER

An hourlong hike through scenic rainforest ends at Seven Sisters Falls, a beautiful waterfall and swimming hole. As the water might be shallow, do not jump from the top.

The Balthazar River, nicknamed the “great river” by locals, is where you’ll find local outfitters offering tours on inner tubes over the chilly currents. Drink a hard-earned rum punch at the end of the course.

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LOCAL EATS

Make a reservation to indulge in a meal at Rhodes Restaurant in Amber Belair. Try their crispy pork fritters, pan-fried tiger prawns, vegetables straight from

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE STARLET 4 BED / 4.5 BATH

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GR AND CAYMAN

Relaxation and adventure intersect on Grand Cayman, where your perfect itinerary might include swimming with stingrays in the morning, picnicking in the afternoon and enjoying fresh seafood on an open-air patio with views of the brilliant sunset. A reef just offshore provides not only hours of magnificent snorkeling, but also acts as a barrier to keep the coastline calm and gentle.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

HIGHLIGHTS

can swim with a colony of stingrays in the open sea.

FRONT-ROW SEATS

Any closer and your toes would be in the water. Our spacious condominiums and boutique residences are a stone’s throw or short walk to the lapping turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Some with private terraces offer unobstructed views of Seven Mile Beach. SWIM WITH STINGRAYS

Experience Grand Cayman’s marine life up close and personal with a stop at Stingray City, where you

PLAY’S THE THING

Kids will love splashing in the calm waters or snorkeling the colorful coral reef. Miles of white sand beaches invite sunbathers to unwind with a good book and a daiquiri. For a four-legged walking—or trotting— tour of the beaches and the inland hills, guided horseback rides offer a different perspective on the island’s sights and sounds.

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C AY M A N I S L A N D S DINING

Island classics like conch stew at Vivine’s Kitchen on the East End and inventive twists such as a jerk-spiced burger at Macabuca Oceanside Tiki Bar & Grill will get you in the laid-back, local islander mood. INDULGE

If the calming blue waters and the gentle ocean breeze aren’t enough, the Silver Rain (a La Prairie Spa at The Ritz-Carlton®) can help you fully unwind with a range of hydrotherapy and massage treatments,

no matter your pampering preference. SNORKELING

Cemetery Reef on Seven Mile Beach is a popular snorkeling and reef-diving spot with easy access from the beach, all found in a picturesque setting.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Grand Cayman Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE SWITCHGRASS 6 BED / 6.5 BATH

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HILTON HEAD ISLAND

With miles of wide, sandy beaches accessible by bike, it’s easy to unwind on Hilton Head. But don’t be fooled by the island’s small size. Hilton Head packs a lot into its 60 square miles, including exceptional golf courses, a diverse array of restaurants, charming boutiques and shops, spas and more. It’s no wonder that Hilton Head ranked high on Condé Nast Traveler’s “Best in the World Reader’s Choice Awards” in 2011.

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HIGHLIGHTS SETTLE IN

Our residences on Hilton Head offer the finest in private luxury paired with a convenient location. Enjoy light-filled interiors and extensive outdoor living areas, replete with private pools and many other amenities.

FAMILY FUN

INDULGE AND UNWIND

Hilton Head is an ideal family destination. Kids will enjoy playing on the beach, bike rides on the many paved paths or challenging Mom or Dad to a game of tennis. More interested in water? Rent a kayak or canoe to explore the Lowcountry on a guided tour with a naturalist.

Choose from one of the many treatments and packages available at The Ocean Tides Spa, conveniently located near your residence.

BEACH TIME HIT THE LINKS

Hilton Head is a world-class golf destination and features more than 20 championship courses including the three championship courses at Palmetto Dunes.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Three miles of premier beaches are right outside your door. Get active with an early morning jog, an afternoon game of bocce ball or just relax and let the tide roll in.

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SUNDOWNER

Sunsets are a treasured time on Hilton Head. Find prime viewing and good eats at the Quarterdeck in Harbour Town Marina, San Miguel’s in Shelter Cove Marina and the Old Oyster Factory overlooking Broad Creek.

music and top-shelf libations. The Lodge offers a more relaxed atmosphere in which you can settle in by one of two stone fireplaces with an expertly crafted martini.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Hilton Head Residences at inspirato.com/destination

NIGHTLIFE

Head to the Jazz Corner for an upbeat evening of great

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE WATERWAY 5 BED / 5.5 BATH

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Close to Charleston, South Carolina, yet another world away, Inspirato’s residence in the beachfront Wild Dunes Resort introduces visitors to the best of Southern charm on a peaceful barrier island with pristine beaches that have been a luxury vacation spot for South Carolinians since the 19th century.

ISLE OF PALMS HIGHLIGHTS WATER WORLD

With the ocean on one side and lagoons and the Intracoastal Waterway on the other, canoeing, kayaking, boating (including kitesurfing and jet skiing) and fishing are the names of the game. You can stay on the sand if you want and take an eco tour along Boneyard Beach—the name refers to the eroded skeletal remains of oak tree trunks sticking out of the surf. CHILD’S PLAY

The Wild Dunes Resort and

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its award-winning Island Adventures® program will enchant your little ones, thanks to activities ranging from family golf and tennis to nature expeditions and haunted ghost and graveyard tours in nearby historic Charleston. Too scary? There’s always a visit to the South Carolina Aquarium to consider. SWING SET

With 36 holes of championship golf available to guests, golfers can tackle two distinct tastes of South Carolina golf on the Tom Fazio-

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SOUTH CAROLINA designed Links Course along the oceanfront and lagoons and salt marshes that mark the Harbor Course. CHARLESTON

Recognized as one of the top foodie towns in the country, Charleston is bursting with original menus and comfort foods done to perfection. Try Husk, recently named Best New Restaurant in America by Bon Appétit. On the flip side, snack on boiled peanuts and fresh seafood at the Wreck of the Richard & Charlene on Shem Creek.

After dinner, take a stroll through the Southern gothic neighborhoods in the city’s famous Historic District, where grand homes and their secret gardens harken back to the state’s pre-Civil War heritage.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Isle of Palms Residence at inspirato.com/destination

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE ELK MEADOW 3 BED / 4 BATH

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Surrounded by the breathtaking Teton Mountains, Jackson Hole combines the charms of the rustic West with the luxuries of an upscale resort. Our spacious home offers convenient access to Teton Village. With so much to do—whether skiing, sledding, snowshoeing or shopping—you will delight in retiring to your comfortable mountain home after an active day spent with friends and family.

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JACKSON HOLE HIGHLIGHTS THE SETTING

Jackson Hole draws outdoorsy types and culture hounds from around the globe with its breathtaking landscape, national parks and Old West charm. At the base of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the Teton Village features a combination of Swiss and modern architecture and all the amenities you would expect from an internationally renowned vacation destination, while still retaining a quaint charm. Visitors enjoy

delicious restaurants, inviting cafes, cozy aprèshike hangouts and eclectic shopping. THE WILD WEST

A visit to Jackson’s Town Square is like stepping into the Wild West, complete with friendly cowboys and an authentic saloon. OUTDOOR THRILLS

Summer is bright and warm with hiking, fly fishing, golfing, live music and cultural activities galore, while the crisp and clear winter brings powder hounds to the Mountain

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WYOMING Resort to tackle more than 3,000 acres of legendary mountain terrain with a 4,000-foot vertical drop and deep powder for worldclass skiing, named best in the U.S. by SKI magazine in 2014. PERFECTLY LOCATED

Our home provides easy access to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Teton Village, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, the National Elk Refuge, the town of Jackson and so much more. From walls of windows that frame amazing mountain

views to expansive deck and patio spaces and tasteful furnishings, you will love how our Jackson Hole home integrates the dramatic natural elements outside with elegant comforts found inside.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Jackson Hole Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER MONTAGE KAPALUA BAY

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Within minutes of arriving at Kapalua in northwest Maui, you’ll understand why Condé Nast Traveler readers voted Maui “Best Island.” Kapalua’s impressive lava fields extend like outstretched fingers from the lush mountains toward the cerulean Auau Channel and the deep Pacific beyond. Our residences are located in the heart of Kapalua’s ethereal Polynesian beauty, basking in the bright sunshine and mere steps away from the area’s dramatic volcanic sands and shore.

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K APALUA HIGHLIGHTS RAINFOREST HIKES

A hike through the Kapalua Maunalei Arboretum Rainforest is an activity that sets this destination apart from beach resorts throughout the islands. The roots springing from banyan trees above are a natural wonder. You can eat a wild guava right off the tree. The view from the top of the trail will take your breath away. SNORKELING

Grab a mask and fins and dive into Kapalua Bay. Natural reefs located just

M AUI, H AWA II

offshore in a sheltered, white sand crescent of calm water boast a spectacular array of marine life. Expect to see butterfly fish, parrotfish and a plethora of crustaceans and invertebrates in one of the best snorkeling spots on Maui. GOLF

Tee off on the Plantation Course at Montage Kapalua Bay and you’ll understand how you compare to PGA Tour pros, who play a tournament here each January. The 7,411-yard stunner is

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considered one of the best courses in the country, which helps attract the likes of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh to the PGA event. The Bay Course at Montage Kapalua Bay is no slouch either thanks to its 6,600 yards of undulating fairways and exquisite water holes. To beat the course record of 62, you’ll have to avoid its biggest water hazard, the blue waters of Oneola Bay. LOCAL EATS

wonderful option for an informal breakfast and lunch—or to put together a picnic for the day. The Farmers Market Maui in nearby Honokowai sells fresh Maui produce, including gold pineapples, strawberry papayas and macadamia nuts.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Kapalua Residences at inspirato.com/ destinations

Located in Kapalua, Honolua Store is a

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE VERBENA 5 BED / 6.5 BATH

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K IAWAH ISLAND

Experience the charms of the Old South and the luxury of modern conveniences on this intimate, 13-square-mile island untouched by and worlds away from the hectic pace of everyday life. Kiawah Island is not (and never will be) overdeveloped and its shoreline is actually growing. A contrast to the dry landscape of Mexico and the tropical climes of the Caribbean, Kiawah’s topography features lush forests, tidal creeks and freshwater ponds.

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HIGHLIGHTS ANIMAL KINGDOM

Separated from the relative metropolis of Charleston by a short causeway, the island is a natural playground teeming with wildlife. Out here you can catch a glimpse of everything from dolphins to red foxes, Loggerhead sea turtles and white-tailed deer.

ultimate in relaxed island luxury. They’re close to the beach, golf courses, shopping, restaurants and all that Kiawah has to offer.

Ocean Course, Turtle Point and Oak Point. As always, your Destination Concierge can arrange tee times, club rentals and other logistics.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

GARDEN PARTY

With 30 miles of gentle bike paths, Kiawah is best toured on two wheels. Pedal down the quaint village lanes and boardwalks or cruise down to the beach for a picnic.

A family visit to Middleton Place, the oldest landscaped gardens in the U.S., is another way to enjoy the great outdoors and the historic ambiance that permeates the entire island. Modeled after European classics such as Versailles, the grounds at Middleton will inspire people of all ages to smell the flowers.

INSPIRATO RESIDENCES

Our Kiawah Island residences comfortably accommodate 10 to 12 guests, depending on the property, and offer the

SOUTH CAROLINA

GET TO THE GREENS

You could easily spend your entire vacation on the immaculate, world-class golf courses, including the

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SOUL FOOD

Chef Donald Drake and his team use traditional ingredients and cooking techniques to create upscale Southern cuisine. Try the Lowcountry bouillabaisse, grilled chicken Creole or bourbon-glazed porterhouse pork chop.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Kiawah Island Residences at inspirato.com/ destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE SUGARCANE 3 BED / 3 BATH

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KOHALA COAST

The greatest thing about the Big Island is that it offers something to entice everyone: long stretches of sandy beach for families and locals’ beaches accessible only by SUV; world-class dining as well as fresh local produce from a farmers market; thrilling activities from helicopter tours and scuba diving to hiking a volcano and exploring a rainforest; and the relaxation of a champagne sail at sunset.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

HIGHLIGHTS VISIT A VOLCANO

Whether by land or air, you have to visit Kilauea Volcano, the most active island volcano in the world, whether it’s by land or air. Take a two-hour helicopter tour in which you will likely see the volcano in its full fury. Better still, hike through the ancient rainforest to a newly lava-paved crater. BEST BEACHES

If you feel like relaxing in a cabana lounger, head to the south end of the nearby beach and enjoy the sea

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breezes. For a wider expanse of sandy beach that’s great for a morning stroll or for the kids to build sandcastles, we recommend Hapuna. Nearby Kikaua Point Beach has soft sands and calm waters that make it one of the island’s best family beaches.

SNORKELING

SCENIC SUNSETS

Why hike when you can kayak to Captain Cook’s Monument? Kayakers cross Kealakekua Bay, where dolphins greet you in one of the world’s most pristine snorkel and dive areas. Bring your snorkel gear for the calm waters on the other side.

Take a cruise on the Body Glove Sunset cocktail tour. While cruising the historic coastline, watch as the spinner dolphins come out to play. Sit back, relax and enjoy the air flowing through your hair with cocktail in hand.

Consistently rated as some of the island’s top courses, Mauna Lani Resort boasts a North and South course under the legendary Francis H. I’i Brown moniker. These championship courses

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GOLF

host the PGA Senior Skins Tournament each January. TRAIL TOUR

Discover the captivating Waipio Valley as you journey into its mountains on a horseback tour through lush trails, taro patches, magnificent waterfalls and historical, spiritual sites.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Kohala Coast Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER SIX SENSES LAAMU

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The Indian Ocean islands that comprise the Maldives have become a coveted destination for travelers who appreciate a combination of rustic adventure and comfortable luxury. Located in the southern Maldives, Laamu is partially encircled by an atoll, creating a crystalline lagoon where kids can swim, snorkel or wakeboard. Island hop via speedboat for a day or sail a catamaran to peaceful coves.

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LA AMU HIGHLIGHTS DESERT-ISLAND DINING

Ask your butler from the Six Senses resort to arrange for a speedboat excursion to a nearby deserted island. You can stock up on provisions at the Attitude Cellar & Deli. It’s a great place to get picnic provisions. Closer to home, but no less intimate, have your butler arrange for a private barbecue on your own sandbank.

MALDIVES

SURF’S UP

From the resort, you can see the white spray from Yin Yang. Take a morning or afternoon trip to nearby island Hithadhoo. The breaks here are surfed almost exclusively by resort guests. The best time of the year is April through October. SCUBA LOVE

Dive the reef off the beach from Laamu Atoll, perfect for beginners. The Kandus dive spot attracts manta rays and giant whale sharks that feast on the rich plankton. Thilas is

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noted for its caves and crevices that are home to an abudnance of sea creatures. At the Wrecks, a collections of sunken ships and boats host a wealth of marine life and history.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Laamu Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

LOCAL FLAVOR

For a true look into Maldivian life as a native, visit Hithadhoo Island. You’ll have the rare opportunity to see inside a local’s home. Visit the mosque, grocery shops and a lake in the heart of the island.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE GRAND BEACH ESTATE 7 BED / 5.5 BATH

LAK E MICHIGAN/HARBOR COUNTRY

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If you’ve ever had the honor of seeing Lake Michigan in person, you’ll agree that a Harbor Country vacation feels like an oceanfront getaway. Southern Berrien County has dazzled its visitors for decades with its sprawling white sand beaches and charming shops and restaurants. Channeling the atmosphere of maritime settings such as Cape Cod or Nantucket, Harbor Country is a destination ideal for families.

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HIGHLIGHTS ROAD TRIP

Grand Rapids is less than two hours north of your accommodations in Grand Beach. Take a morning or afternoon to drive up the western side of Michigan, stopping at charming spots and towns along the way: Sawyer: Your first stop should be the taproom at Greenbush Brewing Co. to sample one of their 50 beers. Locals love the blueberry cream Imperial stout, pumpkin ale and Belgian strong ale.

St. Joseph: Travel back in time and take a ride on the Silver Beach Carousel. Choose a horse, tiger, bear or even a clown fish and saddle up under the twinkling lights. Grand Rapids: The city is home to award-winning chefs and food trails. We recommend dinner reservations at Grove Restaurant, where you can tuck into a bowl of shrimp and grits, or Marie Catrib’s, which serves up a hearty stew that will fuel you for the drive back to Grand Beach.

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FORE!

Brookwood Golf Course and Cottage and Whittaker Woods are all relatively close to your accommodations in Grand Beach. To assure your time on the fairway, ask your Member Services team to book tee times in advance of your trip. TO THE DUNES

Located in Sawyer, Michigan, Warren Dunes State Park spans 1,952 acres of dunes rising a couple hundred feet off the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Six miles of hikes

MICHIGAN

can easily make this a halfor full-day trip. WHEEL DEAL

Visit Dewey Cannon Trading Company & Bicycle Museum to rent one of their lovingly maintained bikes. Take your two wheels to the Backroads Bikeway Trail System and choose from rides that range from 5 to 60 miles.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Lake Michigan/ Harbor Country Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL RESIDENCE HIGH STAKES 2 BED / 2.5 BATH

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The luxurious suites at Vdara Hotel & Spa put you in the middle of the best of the Vegas Strip, but its casinofree lobby offers a quiet retreat from the 24/7 bustle of the city. Walk to internationally renowned dining and shopping at Crystals at CityCenter or the luxurious casino at Aria right outside the main entrance to the hotel.

LAS VEGAS HIGHLIGHTS SANCTUARY IN THE SKY

The sprawling two-bedroom suites at Vdara, with their fine appointments and stunning views of the city, offer a welcome homebase to explore the energy and action of Vegas. Members enjoy pool and cabana privileges as well as access to Vdara’s spa and golf at Shadow Creek and DragonRidge. FINE DINING

The number of chefs with gourmet venues in Las Vegas grows every year:

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Joël Robuchon, Michael Mina, Charlie Palmer, Tom Colicchio, Alain Ducasse, Andre Rochat and more have created showpiece restaurants that serve unforgettable menus. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

Although Cirque du Soleil is an international organization, it seems as if Vegas is their spiritual and creative home, with several completely different shows held in various resorts along the Strip. You really have to see their unique combination of dance and

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N E VA D A dexterity, live theater and acrobatics to believe it. NIGHTLIFE

If Las Vegas doesn’t sleep, should you? From gaming at one of the many casinos to the most exclusive nightclubs that attract DJs from around the world, there’s something fun and vibrant for every visitor under the bright Vegas lights. VEGAS FOR KIDS

Las Vegas isn’t all about decadence; there’s plenty for the whole family to do. From the Shark Reef

Aquarium at Mandalay Bay to Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, a wild ride on top of the Stratosphere, watching the dancing fountains at the Bellagio or the pirate ship and volcano at Treasure Island, Vegas delivers.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Las Vegas Residences at inspirato.com/ destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL SUITE FALCONERS SUITE 2 BED / 2 BATH

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In London, tradition and ceremony meld seamlessly with the fast pace of a global financial center and a vibrant, modern aesthetic. Mixed in are diverse neighborhoods, world-renowned restaurants, beautiful public parks and history. Around for millennia, England’s capital city pays homage to its past.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

LONDON HIGHLIGHTS TRADITIONAL TEA

When Downton Abbey is airing in Britain—usually mid-September until midNovember—Grosvenor House has a tea inspired by the show. The rest of the year, it’s Anna’s Afternoon Tea, a wonderfully English treat. Sit in the Park Room’s plush chairs looking out on Park Avenue and Hyde Park while sipping tea and nibbling on warm buttermilk scones with Devonshire clotted cream, cream puffs, French pastries and finger sandwiches.

ENGLAND

EXPERIENCE IT ALL

It’s only a short cab ride from Inspirato’s accommodations to London’s famous neighborhoods, shopping locations and restaurants. Stroll through the scenic passageways of Mayfair and Knightsbridge— two of London’s elite neighborhoods—spend the day at Hyde Park, visit international treasures at the British Museum, Tate Museum and National Gallery or pay a visit to Westminster Abbey. WEST END THEATRE

Only New York’s Broadway can compete with the

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West End. Famous movie actors appear on stage here frequently and it’s also known for its many amazing restaurants, making this an unforgettable evening experience.

has three floors of viewing platforms almost twice the height of any other viewing platform in London. Ask your concierge for information. Floor 72, the highest of the three viewing levels, is open-air.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Great for families, the Queen’s official London residence features 775 rooms, lavish décor and is the site of the Changing of the Guard. THE SHARD

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our London Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

The city’s tallest building (1,016 feet) and one of the most visually arresting in Western Europe, The Shard

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE VILLA BUENAVENTURA 5 BED / 7.5 BATH

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Ask several people why they visit Los Cabos and they’ll all cite a different reason. For sport fishers, Cabo is a billfishing mecca. For golfers, the ocean-view championship courses are a must. The nightlife in Cabo San Lucas is endlessly entertaining. If you have kids, a zip line tour over desert canyons might be more your style. Everyone can agree on the beauty of this shimmering jewel by the Sea of Cortez.

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LOS CABOS HIGHLIGHTS SIT BACK AND RELAX

Members staying at the Auberge Private Residences at Esperanza Resort and Punta Ballena Resort have world-class dining and spa access to what Condé Nast Traveler readers call two of the top resorts in all of Mexico. Head down to the beautiful pools, try an awardwinning spa treatment or dine at any number of unforgettable restaurants. Whatever your pleasure, you’ll love your new home on the Baja peninsula.

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GOLF

CONVENIENT LUXURY

Los Cabos is home to six championship courses. Test your skills on the desert terrain with the Sea of Cortez as a backdrop.

With stunning ocean views and five-star amenities close at hand, your family won’t need to go far to enjoy the best of Los Cabos.

THE SERVICE

From room service to poolside attendants at many of the residences, your every need is managed. THE SPA

The Spa at Esperanza regularly appears on Travel + Leisure’s best-of lists.

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THE SELECTION

With 19 residences, you have a variety of options for the perfect place to dwell. Your refrigerator will be stocked with everything you request, from bottled water and cervezas to fresh fruit. And you won’t spend a second fretting about dinner reservations or how to schedule that whale-

watching tour or round of championship golf; your Destination Concierge will handle it all.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Los Cabos Residences at inspirato.com/ destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER 1 HOTEL SOUTH BEACH

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MIAMI/SOUTH BEACH

Miami Beach’s famed South Beach neighborhood envelops the southernmost blocks of Florida’s main barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. In a word, this international entertainment and nightlife destination is beautiful—both in terms of stunning scenery and gorgeous people. Even the architecture is enticing.

HIGHLIGHTS HOT SPOT

If you’re in Miami Beach, there’s only one place to be: South Beach. A stay at the the legendary Fontainebleau or 1 Hotel South Beach is as good as it gets. These hip oceanfront accommodations feature beachside pools, views of the ocean, as well as access to world-class spas and fitness centers, valet parking and beach attendants ready to serve you surfside.

clubs, bars and other establishments, South Beach is one of the world’s hottest nightlife destinations.

THE CLUB SCENE

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antique shops, fashionable galleries, quirky boutiques and retail outlets. Lincoln Road, an open-air pedestrian mall, is the premier shopping area.

frame Miami’s waterfront, the petite Art Deco District makes a statement with more than 800 beautifully restored buildings in just 1 square mile.

GLOBAL DINING

Gourmands flock to South Beach for its global cuisine, fresh ingredients, celebrated restaurants and notable chefs. Whether you desire elegant dining, traditional Latin spice, fresh sushi or anything in between, you will find it in South Beach.

SUN WORSHIP

A collection of Miami’s barrier islands constitute sunny South Beach, and wherever you choose to stay, eat and play in this neighborhood, you’re never far from the water.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Miami Rooms & Suites at inspirato. com/destinations

ART DECO ECLECTIC SHOPPING

With hundreds of

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South Beach is bustling with couture labels,

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Tucked amidst the skyhigh resorts and chic, contemporary venues that

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE LA TRAVERSE 3 BED / 2 BATH

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Northwest of Montreal lies Mont-Tremblant and its famous national park, which includes hundreds of bodies of water and more than 900 square miles of alpine highlands in the Laurentian mountains. Best known for its world-class skiing conditions and 94 trails, the Mont-Tremblant area is also a mecca for fishing, hiking, cycling and golfing.

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MONT-TREMBLANT HIGHLIGHTS SKI THE EAST

European charm with Canadian sensibility: that’s what skiers and boarders get when they trek north to Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort. Topping out at an easy-breathing 2,871 feet, the ski mountain still features a sizable vertical drop at 2,116 feet. With close to half the mountain dedicated to advanced and expert terrain, Tremblant attracts serious winter enthusiasts to its 662 acres. Inspirato Members can

take advantage of the mountain’s First Tracks program and carve highspeed descents on empty runs or through virgin powder before the resort officially opens. If you want to earn your turns, the resort’s alpine touring trails will guide you to the top. Your reward: the chance to make your own trail through untouched powder on the way back down. More than 1,000 snowmaking guns ensure that there’s good snow no matter how early or late in the season you visit.

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QUEBEC

OFF-PISTE

FLIGHT TIME

Take a break from the slopes and head to the Mont-Tremblant Activity Centre where there’s no shortage of options for family fun. Dogsledding, snowmobiling, camping in a treehouse on the lake and sleigh rides are just a few of the possibilities. At the Aventures Neige Tube Park located nearby, you can choose from eight different flavors of tubing hills ranging from mellow to high-speed thrills.

Year-round, Heli-Tremblant provides helicopter tours of the Quebec countryside. This is a photographic opportunity to get above the famous ski resort. Transfers to Montreal and Ottawa are also an option.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Mont-Tremblant Residences at inspirato.com/ destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER THE COTTON HOUSE

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MUSTIQUE

Mustique is a 1,400-acre island nestled in the West Indies just 100 miles west of Barbados. More than 50 years ago, an aristocrat purchased the island. As a wedding gift, he gave a princess friend a plot of land and in the decades since, celebrities and luminaries have been charmed by the secrecy and solitude of the island. Rock-strewn points, unspoiled beaches and rolling hills comprise this historical gem. Take it all in from Cotton House, an exclusive boutique retreat near Endeavor Bay.

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HIGHLIGHTS ISLAND HOPPER

The Grenadines consist of 600 islands within a Caribbean chain. Take a day trip on a sail or powerboat to Canouan, Palm, Union, Petit St. Vincent and Bequia. Ask a staff member at the hotel for a suggestion. BEACH MENU

On the north easterly side of the island, slightly bigger waves appeal to surfers and body boarders. To snorkel or paddleboard, the hotel recommends the beaches of Lagoon, Gelliceaux and

S T. V I N C E N T A N D T H E G R E N A D I N E S Endeavor Bay on the south westerly side. A favorite spot for sand lovers that favor quiet and seclusion on Mustique is Macaroni Beach, home to beautiful turquoise water. This is a peaceful and private location for a family day.

TRAIL RIDES

The Equestrian Centre features daily trail rides on the island. If you’re a beginner or haven’t ridden in a while, take a lesson beforehand. Ponies are available for the younger set. Helmets and boots are provided for riders.

DIVE TIME

Mustique describes itself as a top destination for scuba diving. Certified PADI instructors can tailor a scuba trip to all levels of ability, from beginner to divemaster. At Mustique Water Sports, children as young as 8 can dive.

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spa features a full menu of facials, treatments and other restorative services.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Mustique Room at inspirato.com/destinations

JET LAG CURE

Speed your transition to island time by booking a Prana Vitality massage at the Cotton House Spa, which uses juniper berries in the treatment to help relieve jet lag. Already on island time? The

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE SHEARWATER 5 BED / 5 BATH

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Nantucket’s mere 47 square miles belie the number of ways there are to play on this charming island. You can explore the peaceful beaches lining the island’s many idyllic inlets and bays, take to the water in a rented boat or on a guided tour or simply spend a long afternoon engrossed in a good book or tracking the graceful flight of coastal birds.

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NANTUCK ET HIGHLIGHTS HAVE IT YOUR WAY

From charming seaside cottages to an in-town escape or a sprawling seaside estate, our residences offer the best of Nantucket any way you’d like to approach it. And of course, they all feature touches and amenities that meet Inspirato’s exacting standards.

MASSACHUSETTS

raw, unpopulated stretches of coast where the only amenities are what you bring, Nantucket’s beaches offer an experience to suit every taste. FRESH CATCH

BEACHES IN ABUNDANCE

The Lobster Trap has been catching tourists and locals alike for more than 40 years. With a lobster tank up front, your hand-picked dinner awaits. This go-to seafood spot always serves up the best the island has to offer.

From seaside service, watching the evening colors settle over the ocean with your favorite cocktail, to

The Nantucket Historic District, which encompasses

HISTORICAL SIGHTSEEING

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the entire island, seamlessly blends a rich maritime history with upscale shopping, restaurants and other amenities. Be sure to visit one of the island’s museums, including the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum and the Whaling Museum. BIKE TOURS

Nantucket may be only 3.5 miles wide and 14 miles long, but it boasts more than 25 miles of bicycle trails. Ask your Destination Concierge to arrange rental bikes to explore the island.

LOCAL ONLY

The fine shopping on Nantucket has a distinctly local flavor—so local, in fact, that no chain stores or restaurants are allowed on the island.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Nantucket Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER SOLAGE CALISTOGA

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For the hottest springs and the coldest wine, there is no better retreat than Solage Calistoga, nestled at the upper end of Napa Valley, one of California’s most celebrated destinations. The resort sits on the edge of the still-quaint town of Calistoga. It’s small-town California at its best, one that happens to be surrounded by some of the world’s finest vineyards and dining adventures.

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NAPA VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS The perfect Wine Country vacation is all about unwinding and uncorking, and at Solage Calistoga, those goals are easy to reach. Located just a quick walk from downtown Calistoga, the resort brings together everything you want from Napa Valley: Michelin-starred dining, stunning scenery and cozy accommodations. Your studio suite is a blend of contemporary chic and country rustic. Curl up in front of the sleek, modern gas fireplace, on your

patio or under plush down bedding. Everything else you’ll need is steps away.

CALIFORNIA THE AMENITIES

THINGS TO KNOW

Studio: • Two cruiser bikes to use throughout your stay

• Have an electric car? Feel free to utilize the on-site car charging stations

THE FEATURES

• Spacious studio surrounded by oak groves • An offbeat yet convenient location within walking distance to downtown Calistoga • Semiprivate outdoor patio • Earth-tone and Napavalley decor • Modern gas fireplace • Pebble floor shower and separate soaking tub

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Full access to the amenities of Solage Calistoga including: • Outdoor adult pool and hot tub • Separate family pool, hot tub and cabanas • Award-winning 20,000square-foot Spa Solage • Michelin Star-rated Solbar • State-of-the-art gym and yoga and movement studio with daily complimentary fitness classes • Two bocce ball courts

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE SAND CASTLE 4 BED / 3.5 BATH

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With sun-drenched beaches, temperate waters and abundant natural beauty, Naples is an ideal setting for outdoor activities. You can play on the beach, head downtown to shop at eclectic boutiques and dine on local seafood or venture into the tropical wilderness of the Everglades.

NAPLES HIGHLIGHTS THE LOCATION

Our Sand Castle residence is centrally located yet feels like a private oasis. The home features a gourmet kitchen with custom cabinetry, a large master suite with a private balcony and clawfoot tub, a spa and pool, a grand staircase and marble floors. SEASIDE ACTIVITIES

Explore the area’s pristine coastline with a snorkeling excursion or a fishing trip. Take to the skies for an exciting float-plane tour.

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FLORIDA

EXPLORE THE WILD EVERGLADES

Explore the nearby Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve with a guided kayak ecotour, jungle cruise or swamp safari. SEAFOODIE’S DELIGHT

In close proximity to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, Naples has no shortage of freshly caught local seafood. Domestic favorites, international flavors and chef-inspired fusions abound around town, whether you’re dining

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at a relaxed waterside restaurant or in one of the city’s many upscale dining rooms.

alfresco kitchen and gas grill, as well as a recently rebuilt pool and spa.

GOLF MECCA

Spend a day at the beach, browse enchanting boutiques or indulge in homemade gelato—it’s all just a short walk from your front door.

EXPLORING NAPLES

With more courses per capita than any area in the world, Naples is a golfer’s paradise. An Inspirato vacation gives you access to some of Naples’ finest and most challenging courses with unique designs and stunning views no matter where you tee off. GREAT OUTDOORS

Enjoy exceptional outdoor living spaces with an

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Naples Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE OUALIE 3 BED / 2.5 BATH

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When you unwind at the Four Seasons Nevis in the West Indies, you’re surrounded by stretches of pristine, quiet beaches and an appreciation of life at a slower pace. The 36 square miles of this island are populated by warm, friendly people. Our secluded residences are found in the development adjacent to the Four Seasons resort. You’ll feel right at home in this small-town atmosphere with access to swimming pools, world-class tennis courts and golf.

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NEVIS HIGHLIGHTS NATURAL SPLENDOR

Embark through the Upper Rawlins on an herb tour with a local islander. Michael will take you on a show-and-tell tour of the same bush medicine that the women in his family of generations past used to treat aches, sores, diabetes and infections. Wake up before dawn for a moderately challenging two-hour hike past two tropical ravines and into a cave that will lead you to a panoramic view of the island.

WEST INDIES

The slopes of Nevis Peak are home to both rainforest and the ruins of coconut plantations. This moderate hike will take you through trees, tropical plants, bamboo and massive volcanic boulders. If you’re in the mood for a more challenging hike, take the Butler’s Source route to see the Prison Farm (also known as Russell’s Rest). You’ll also see monkeys and cocoa trees. HISTORIC CHARLESTOWN

Charlestown is the birthplace of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton.

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Today you can tour his family home, which has been carefully reconstructed. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, visit Charlestown’s Market Place. Between March and April, watch cotton being harvested. MONKEY BUSINESS

Vervet monkeys inhabit Nevis. These social creatures have silver bodies and black faces. Four Seasons offers a Sunset Monkey Tour Excursion to take you to the monkeys’ natural forest habitat by way of a guided tour.

TEE OFF

Neighboring island St. Kitts is visible in the distance from the Nevis golf course, a Robert Trent Jones II par-71 layout. Built around a historic sugar mill, this spectacular course challenges players with elevation changes.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Nevis Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL PARTNER BACCARAT HOTEL NEW YORK

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No matter what your heart desires, New York reigns supreme with its world-class dining, culture, nightlife and more. In the city that never sleeps, one visit is never enough. Inspirato puts you in the heart of it so you can get the most out of your visit. HIGHLIGHTS DESIRABLE LOCATIONS

For theater goers, a room at the Royalton Hotel puts you mere blocks away from Broadway’s biggest venues. Its ultrachic

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NEW YORK CITY watering hole Forty Four is the perfect spot to kick off a night on the town. The Gramercy Park Hotel sits across from the key garden at Gramercy Park, one of the city’s most exclusive squares and close to NYU and the action around Union Square. The hotel distinguishes itself with embroidered chairs, red oak floors and marble bathrooms. Those wanting a Midtown hotel can stay at the Pierre, one of Manhattan’s most iconic luxury hotels, situated across Fifth Avenue from Central Park.

Members interested in a downtown location can check into a loftstyle suite on the sixth floor at the Mercer, a boutique hotel in SoHo. Longtime visitors to the Big Apple can try something new, an elegant room at the newly opened, French inspired Baccarat Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

NEW YORK of every description will find something to expand their culinary horizon. SHOPPING

Start with the haute boutiques on Madison Avenue, swing through Barneys, Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman, then head to the artist mecca-turned-stylishoutdoor-mall that is SoHo.

FINE DINING

NIGHTLIFE

From the most exquisite steakhouses to contemporary fusion bistros to favorite stops in Chinatown, foodies

Looking for an early dinner and a ticket to a Broadway show? Interested in hip clubs in your fancy attire? Or do you love live music

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from the celebrities of opera to the skinny jeans of indie rock? You’ll find all that and much, much more.

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ACCOMMODAITONS Explore our New York Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE CAMBRIA 4 BED / 4.5 BATH

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Take your place among the palatial mansions that were once home to famous yachtsmen and Gatsbyera tycoons at Carnegie Abbey, a classic club offering an equestrian center and tennis facilities. Inspirato’s residences sit alongside a Scottish-style links course. HIGHLIGHTS GRAND ESTATES

No visit to Newport is complete without a tour of the historic mansions that dot the rocky coastline. Check out the opulence

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

NEWPORT of the Breakers, mining heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs’ Rosecliff, based on Versailles, or the stately grounds of The Elms. Stroll the famous Cliff Walk for views of the back sides of these expansive estates. DINING

Order a steaming bowl of clam chowder from the Black Pearl on the town’s bustling waterfront or find a meal that everyone agrees on, from elegant seafood to family-style Italian, along Bannister’s Wharf. For a more intimate experience, book a

RHODE ISLAND

reservation for the Chef’s Table with chef Andy at Carnegie Abbey. Combine beautiful scenery with dinner on the Newport Dinner Train, which heads up the coastline.

Walk, Easton’s is where Newport comes to unwind with free weekly concerts, a carousel and perfect sand for constructing ambitious sandcastles.

NARRAGANSETT BAY

Guests at Carnegie Abbey can tackle the traditional Scottish-style links course with its sod bunkers and seaside location designed by Donald Steel to blend into the resort’s mature woods, wetlands and colonial-era stone walls. Equestrians can find peace exploring the resort’s 7 miles of picturesque trails

LIFE OF LEISURE

Rent sea kayaks and paddle along the rocky coastline, exploring coves and hidden bays. Schedule a sail on a classic America’s Cup racing yacht for a private matchrace on the open water. EASTON’S BEACH

As Newport’s only ocean beach, adjacent to the Cliff

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or take lessons on English riding from the instructors. The tennis facility and its staff work with the Newport Tennis Smash to bring pros such as Todd Martin, Stan Smith and Rod Laver to the resort for private clinics.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Newport Residences at inspirato.com/ destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER SIX SENSES NINH VAN BAY

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Kick off this unforgettable journey with an intimate cultural experience in a serene bay located on Vietnam’s beautiful east coast, just northeast of Saigon. Overlooking the East Vietnam Sea, you’re close to nearby Nha Trang, a small fishing village featuring ancient architecture and temples. You can travel up the Cai River for a traditional mud bath or trek into Ho Ban Forest through green lily fields.

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NINH VAN BAY HIGHLIGHTS WATER FUN

Ninh Van Bay is on a white sand beach and the resort offers a range of beach and water activities for kids. Spend a morning or afternoon on a kayak adventure to Bai Nho. Nearly half of the 800 species of coral in the East Vietnam Sea can be seen in Nha Trang Bay. Popular sites include Big Wall and Small Wall, the Coral Gardens, Moray Beach, Octopus Rock, Hon Mot Bay and Fishermans Bay. The stop at Marine Park

will show you something completely unique: fishermen living in floating houses, where they breed fish, lobster and squid. This will prepare you for the delicious seafood lunch on Bamboo Island. JUNGLE TREK

This journey takes you through spectacular scenery: green paddy fields, idyllic villages and towering mountains. After a stop for tea at a local temple, you’ll reach the forest for a guided trek through beautiful flora and fauna.

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VIETNAM LOCAL FLAVOR

Try the cooking class at the Six Senses resort to learn how to prepare authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Some regular menu items include hand rolls, hot and sour fish soup and seafood simmered in a clay pot. Drinks by the Bay is appropriately named, as you can watch beautiful sunsets each evening from a comfortable daybed. You can’t really go wrong choosing from the list of signature cocktails here, but we especially recommend Crossing the Bay: tequila, lime juice,

orange juice, honey and crème de cassis.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Ninh Van Bay Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE POLARIS 3 BED / 3 BATH

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NORTHSTAR

With 12 major mountain resorts in two states offering every imaginable sport and amenity, Tahoe truly has something for everyone—every season, every day and every night. You’re guaranteed to find adventure while visiting Lake Tahoe.

HIGHLIGHTS

alpine lake in North America via kayak, raft or catamaran.

ONE VILLAGE PLACE

Located at the base of Northstar California resort, your Inspirato residence at One Village Place takes what people expect from exclusivity and adds a dash of charm and convenience to the mix. THE LAKE

Surrounded by snowcapped mountains, Lake Tahoe’s pristine beauty is a must-see attraction. Experience the astonishingly clear, cobaltblue water of the largest

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L A K E TA H O E , C A L I F O R N I A

BIG SPRINGS EXPRESS

Direct, private access to an in-residence gondola means that you’ll never have to wait for a ride up the mountain. FAMILY SKIING

Northstar continues to be ranked among the best family friendly resorts in the country thanks to its diverse, beginner terrain. STAY ACTIVE

With a dozen major ski areas, golf courses,

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trails, streams, dozens of restaurants and unique shopping opportunities at every turn, Tahoe is the ideal destination in summer or winter. GAME ON

Travel to South Shore over the state border into Nevada and you will find opulent casinos like Harrah’s and MontBleu. Don’t want to test your luck? Shows are available most nights.

provides access to five-star dining, boutique shopping, private fitness centers and more. Kits for s’mores can be purchased at the Cabana Bars and you can relish them next to one of the fire pits in the village.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Northstar Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

THE VILLAGE AT NORTHSTAR

The mountain village

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE CASA ELAR 5 BED / 5.5 BATH

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The accommodations at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa are inspired by California’s original haciendas. Resplendent and rustic, the resort’s accolades include Condé Nast’s 2015 Gold List and Travel + Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels. The resort is serene, surrounded by rolling hills and mountains that have served as a backdrop for Hollywood films for decades. The village has long served as a spiritual retreat where locals place an emphasis on natural beauty and health.

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OJAI VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS ARTS AND CRAFTS

The on-site apothecary welcomes you to take a class in watercolor, silk scarf painting, basic drawing or Orizomegami. Beauty buffs will treasure the opportunity to blend their own perfume. CHILD’S PLAY

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa is an ideal retreat for families thanks to Camp Oak, a series of programming for kiddos ages 4 to 12. The younger set will enjoy outdoor activities, arts and crafts, swimming and nature exploration.

OIL FIELDS

On Ladera Road, Ojai Olive Oil Ranch is open for complimentary tours and tastings on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Visit the tasting room to sample the oil and buy gifts to take home. In addition to its edible wares, the ranch sells mandarin olive oil lip balm and soaps. On Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., find them at the Ojai Farmers Market downtown on Matilija Street.

CALIFORNIA sleepy piece of shore perfect for a long walk with the family. Benches along the way allow you to rest and admire the sunset.

Destination Concierge to book a private lesson with one of Ojai Valley Inn & Spa’s certified PGA professionals at the on-site, 18-hole course.

NATURE RETREAT

Hiking is pretty much a religion in this region of California and north of Ojai, Rose Valley Falls Trail is an easy hike (less than a mile total, out and back) with views of a waterfall and a terrain friendly to all fitness levels.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Ojai Valley Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

OCEAN BREEZES

A half-hour drive from your accommodations, Ventura Pier and Promenade is a

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GOLF

Ready to take your game to the next level? Ask your

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT SUITE WALDORF ASTORIA DELUXE SUITE 1 BED / 1 BATH

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Orlando is home to America’s most beloved theme parks: Walt Disney World®, Universal Studios Orlando®, Discovery Cove and Ripley’s Believe It or Not among them. From accommodations at the Waldorf Astoria, you’re close to first-rate shopping, hundreds of superb dining options and more than 2,000 lakes in the greater area—an ideal getaway for families and groups with a diverse set of interests.

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ORLANDO HIGHLIGHTS FIND YOUR THEME

One of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World® Resort, Magic Kingdom® Park is known for its firework displays over Cinderella Castle, musical parades, Adventureland®, Frontierland®, Liberty Square, Fantasyland®, Main Street, U.S.A.® and Tomorrowland®. Disney’s Hollywood Studios® is dedicated to the love of show business. Enjoy a 3-D Muppets show or play with one of

the dozens of interactive exhibits. Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure® is geared toward adrenaline junkies with coasters and other thrilling rides. The famous Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ is also found here.

FLORIDA GO GATORS

BARBECUE LOVE

Ever wanted to see 3,000 gators, 89 crocodiles and a variety of snakes all in a single place? At Gatorland, get up close and personal with these feared creatures by feeding, holding and interacting with them.

Stop at 4 Rivers Smokehouse on Fairbanks Avenue for a savory dinner. Be prepared to wait a while as this high-demand restaurant often has a line out the door.

FLOWER POWER

COAST IS CLEAR

Take a drive to Winter Park, where you’ll find Kraft Azalea Garden, an 11-acre retreat with tree-lined paths and thousands of azaleas. Bring a blanket and cuddle up for the spectacular sunset views over Lake Maitland.

Both Clearwater Beach and Saint Petersburg Beach are pristine, white sand retreats with beautiful Gulf water— perfect for a day trip.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE VILLA REJUVENATION 4 BED / 4.5 BATH

PALM SPRINGS / COACHELLA VALLEY

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Long a favored escape for Hollywood’s elite stars and star-makers, Palm Springs and the surrounding Coachella Valley is now a unique mix of resort-style leisure and amenities, stark desert, mountain landscapes and iconic mid-century modern design. Golfers, hikers and architecture fans will all find something to love about this antidote to the hustle and bright lights of Hollywood.

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HIGHLIGHTS

set on 550 acres of Native American tribal property.

100 WAYS TO GOLF

With more than 100 golf courses in the Coachella Valley, and warm, sunny days year-round, it’s not easy to choose where to tee up. Our faves: Escena Golf Club, a top-ranked 18hole championship course known for unobstructed sightlines of the San Jacinto Mountains and generous driving corridors, and Indian Canyons Golf Resort. Once upon a time, Hollywood celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope played this course,

pine trees and meadows await—and, in the winter, even snow.

GO REMOTE

The breathtaking boulder formations and gnarled branches of the Joshua trees inside Joshua Tree National Park make for a memorable day trip to a place that feels like the other side of the world. VIEW FROM ABOVE

Thanks to the Aerial Tramway, visitors can ride a gondola 2.5 miles up the flanks of Mount San Jacinto to 8,516 feet, where an alpine oasis of

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FAMILY ATTRACTIONS

Stay cool at the sprawling water park, Wet ’n’ Wild, with its series of pools and slides. Or pay a visit to the Living Desert, a zoo and conservation area where you can come face-toface with animals ranging from Mexican wolves to javelinas, giraffes and cheetahs in a beautiful desert setting. CULINARY STARS

Palm Springs contains

CALIFORNIA a wonderfully diverse restaurant scene. Our faves: Tinto, a Basque wine bar from Iron Chef winner Jose Garces; local favorite Spencer’s for its modern American fare (try the lobster potstickers with chili aioli); or Alicante for divine Mediterranean food as delicious as the people watching.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore Inspirato’s Palm Springs Residences at inspirato. com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE BLUE HERON 4 BED / 4.5 BATH

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PALMETTO BLUFF

Encircled by ribbons of rivers and streams trickling through marsh to a pristine Lowcountry landscape, Palmetto Bluff retreats from the modern world into its own peaceful splendor. Within the gates of this master-planned Montage resort community, you’ll bike the quiet streets, play a game of bocce on a perfectly manicured lawn and gently recline in rocking chairs on a spacious, screened-in porch.

HIGHLIGHTS LOCAL FLAIR

A number of unique festivals and regionally inspired events provide visitors with rich, cultural experiences in this beautiful region in a fun, vibrant setting. The ongoing Music to Your Mouth celebration is a local favorite, culminating in the weeklong Culinary Festival that showcases top chefs, winemakers, musicians and artists. DINING

For casual everyday dining with scenic views of

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

majestic oaks and pristine golf course fairways, the May River Grill at the Clubhouse can’t be beat. This Bluffton gem features delicious local dishes and contemporary American favorites in a relaxed yet upscale setting. STEP BACK IN TIME

When you really want to unwind, retreat to a more peaceful way of life. There are fewer people in this beautiful private community than on a cruise ship. The sunny neighborhood streets encourage relaxing on the

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SOUTH CAROLINA porch and spending quality together time. It’s the exclusive community that time forgot but discerning travelers will always remember. FAMILY FUN

Within this idyllic resort community, you’ll find a world of activities to occupy you and your kids for days on end. Ask your Destination Concierge to arrange horseback riding lessons or a family ride. Your kids can splash in the pool, catch the breeze on a boat and try their hand at bocce. There’s also a

shooting range and a boat center with kayaks and canoes. DAY TRIP

The historic city of Savannah is 30 minutes away and offers a wealth of Southern charm, including grand house tours of the Isaiah Davenport House Museum and the Mercer House.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Palmetto Bluff Residences at inspirato.com/ destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL RESIDENCE MAISON MADELINE 2 BED / 2 BATH

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Paris is the crossroads for the world’s best art, cuisine, architecture and many other marvels. The city is also your palette for opportunity. Enjoy a fresh baguette on the banks of the River Seine, photograph the majestic Notre Dame Cathedral, breathe in the Champs Élysées after a spring rain, pause to enjoy a streetside concert— Paris is truly a feast for the senses.

PARIS HIGHLIGHTS LUXURY AND CONVENIENCE

The spirit of luxury is evident in every detail of Inspirato’s accomodation at the La Réserve Hotel, found in an exceptional setting near the Place du Trocadéro Gardens in the upscale 16th arrondissement, home to diplomatic embassies and museums. The best of Paris is an easy walk away. FOODIE HEAVEN

When it comes to pleasing the palate, there’s no place like Paris. Follow your

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FRANCE

nose to the smell of fresh, buttery croissants baked at the corner bakery to the local fromagerie selling more than 100 varieties of artisanal cheeses. Wine lovers can take a seat at a bustling wine bar serving bistro classics with rare vintages. Or indulge in the elegant and sublime creations of the city’s Michelin-starred chefs. MUSEUMS

You can easily spend a full day exploring the treasures at the Musée du Louvre, but be aware that truly seeing the art of Paris

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involves the entire city. Centre Pompidou flaunts the largest collection of modern art in Europe, and any wine enthusiast requires quality time at the Musée du Vin. JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG

Revered for its role in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, the Luxembourg Gardens appeal to families and lovers alike with its tranquil setting and elaborate fountains. Stroll the pathways or relax on a bench and enjoy the most Parisian of scenes.

LA CINÉMATHÉQUE FRANÇAISE

The Cinémathéque offers daily screenings from its vast collection, the largest in the world.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Paris Residence & Suite at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE VENADO DIEZ 4 BED / 4.5 BATH

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PENINSULA PAPAGAYO

Welcome to Costa Rica’s most exclusive peninsula, where a private beach club, world-class marina and yacht club await and guests can tee off on the Arnold Palmer Signature golf course. Residences climb the lush hillside, offering a steady breeze and breathtaking views across the Papagayo Gulf.

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HIGHLIGHTS DIVE IN

Snorkel right off the beach in the shallows of the bay, keeping an eye out for an elusive tortoise. Kayak to the nearby sea caves in search of sea life hiding in the calm waters. Surfers can head to the break at Ollie’s Point. Don’t know how to surf? No problem; a lesson from the locals at Tamarindo in the beach town’s mellow surf break will have you up on your feet and shouting with joy inside an hour.

MARINA DISTRICT

Marina Papagayo is the country’s first and only luxury marina, with slips large enough for the Pacific’s most luxurious and largest yachts. HERO GOLF

Home to some of the most dramatic holes in the country, the golf course at the Four Seasons sits atop the highest plateau on the peninsula, affording views across the Bahia de Culebra and holes perched on cliffs high above the Pacific. Take note of the wildlife; the

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C O S TA R I C A

club is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary teeming with a diversity of wildlife, including howler and white-faced monkeys. BEACH CLUB

Drop down to the Prieta Beach Club and Spa for beachfront snorkeling, a lap pool, spa treatments and a relaxing day on the sand. It’s also home to the Peninsula Discovery Program, which offers a range of activities from camping safaris and trail rides to outrigger canoe trips and surfing lessons.

COSTA RICA WILD

In Rincon de La Vieja, partake in a day of the Borinquen Adventure. The tour begins with a horseback ride through the mountains, a canopy tour to zipline across canyons, lunch and a soak in geothermal hot springs.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Papagayo Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER THE LODGE AT WOODLOCH

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More than 150 acres of forested woodlands and a 15-acre lake comprise the expansive property at the Lodge at Woodloch, an award-winning retreat nestled in the Pocono Mountains. Travelers find comfort in this haven of wellness. The on-site spa was crowned #3 Destination Spa in the World by Travel + Leisure. Best of all, this tranquil setting is only 90 miles from the New York City area.

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THE POCONOS HIGHLIGHTS PERSONAL TOUCH

At one of the top spas in the country, you can expect something extraordinary from the 40,000-squarefoot spa at the Lodge at Woodloch. Among the highlights: The Caviar Facial uses protein-rich caviar to lift and hydrate your skin while a Gentleman’s Facial is designed specifically for the fellows. Add a hair and scalp treatment or eye rescue for the ultimate experience. Expectant mothers carry all the excitement of a

bundle of joy but a fair amount of stress on their body. Massages are tailored to be safe and supportive. Schedule a “belly facial,” which includes an herbal cleanser of green tea and cucumber and a gentle exfoliation service to hydrate and soothe. To facilitate maximum relaxation, reflexology, shiatsu, reiki and craniosacral services are just a few of the options within the bodywork menu at the spa. Haircuts and color, makeup and customized manicure and pedicure

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P E N N S Y LVA N I A treatments are available at Lotus Salon. Try their Muds and Suds Pedicure, which is inspired by Dogfish Head’s Hellhound On my Ale. GOLF AND TENNIS

Nationally recognized by GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest, the Country Club at Woodloch Springs is a par-72 course that caters to all levels of ability. Complimentary tennis can be enjoyed at Woodloch’s sister resort, Woodloch Pines.

Tomson hosts farm-totable dinners with pairings on-site at the Garden Shed. You can also participate in a state-of-the-art cooking or baking presentation in the Lodge’s upscale demonstration kitchen.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Poconos Suite at inspirato.com/destinations

CHEFS’ DELIGHT

Executive Chef Josh

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE VILLA MONTAUDEVERT 4 BED / 3.5 BATH

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When you enter southern France’s quaint and picturesque Provence region, you’ll understand how the area’s beauty inspired master artists to create some of the world’s most famous paintings. Stroll through fields of sunflowers in this sunny expanse framed by the Alps and the Mediterranean coastline. Explore hilltop towns or medieval fortresses and Roman ruins.

PROVENCE HIGHLIGHTS PERSONAL TOUCH

Your Destination Concierge has personal relationships with local growers and extensive knowledge of each town’s market day. Vineyards are available right outside the front door of your chateau. With Inspirato’s help, you’ll fully experience the pure flavors, culture and character of Provence and the Luberon Valley.

Inhale the delicate scent of lavender floating in the air.

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Your Destination Concierge knows a skilled lavender grower who also has a distillery in his field. You can see where the lavender oil is made and buy a fresh bottle. The scent of this completely pure product will evoke memories of your vacation for years to come.

wind through town. For antique lovers, this town is a paradise. Locals also come here for the fresh fish; order the trout almandine at le Vivier and your entrée will have been swimming minutes prior to arriving at your table.

TRUFFLE TASTING

In nearby Avignon, you’ll definitely want to see the famous Palais des Papes and the Pont d’Avignon. In addition, because the pope provided Jews refuge from the French king in the 14th century, the region boasts beautiful synagogues as

CATHEDRALS

The House of Wine and Truffles offers truffle education and wine tastings. ANTIQUE SHOPPING

FRESH LAVENDER

FRANCE

L’Isle sur la Sorgue is known as the Venice of Provence for the canals that

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well as cathedrals dating back to those days. DINING

Overlooking the Palais des Papes, La Moutardier delights with ambiance and cuisine alike. Friendly, impeccable service will help non-French speakers with the menu, which delivers classic French cuisine.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Provence Residences & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE CASA CANA 5 BED / 5.5 BATH

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Once an off-the-beatenpath destination, the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana is now home to one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean—and for good reason. La Altagracia province’s pristine, white sand beaches, the heart of the Punta Cana region, are tailor-made for lounging, and the aquamarine waters that lap at its ribbon of shoreline invite worldclass reef snorkeling.

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PUNTA CANA HIGHLIGHTS

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

offer a stunning backdrop for a day of sunbathing.

BEAUTIFUL COASTLINE

A trip to Punta Cana is all about dedicated, donothing beach time. For people watchers and water sports lovers alike, Playa Bávaro offers a gorgeous expanse of silky white sand punctuated by a string of resorts, restaurants and amenities. Or for sweet seclusion, head north along the coast, passing Playa El Cortecito and Playa Arena Gorda, to claim your beach towel territory on Playa Macao. The dramatic cliffs and sheltered cove

BOATING

Punta Cana’s dazzling beaches are even lovelier from the water. Charter your own speedboat from an adventure outfitter such as Bávaro Splash and explore the Punta Cana shoreline at high speed, or sail aboard a glassbottom power cat with Marinarium Tours for a more serene day at sea. GET LUCKY

If you’re feeling lucky, head to the new Hard Rock Hotel

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& Casino Punta Cana. It has lots of gaming options that include blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat, plus more than 380 slots and video poker games. DINING

Bamboo, a sophisticated venue at Tortuga Bay, is a treat for those who like their food and wine with a side of design. The elegant interior space, featuring contemporary plantationstyle furnishings and crisp, white linens, was conceived by none other than Oscar de la Renta— and the Mediterranean

cuisine will certainly not disappoint. GOLF

Some of the very best golf courses in the Caribbean curve along this dazzling coastal region, including courses designed by Nicklaus, Fazio, Dye and Faldo.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Punta Cana Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE EL TESORO 4 BED / 4 BATH

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Surrounded by lush jungle and the deep blue of the Pacific, Punta de Mita is a Mexican peninsula located on the same latitude as Hawaii and it boasts a similar climate. The peninsula’s natural charm attracts visitors year-round— specifically to the quiet oasis of Los Veneros Resort Residences and Beach Club.

PUNTA DE MITA HIGHLIGHTS BEACH LIVING

Removed from the hectic beach resort towns of Mexico, Inspirato’s penthouse residences at Los Veneros Resort Residences and Beach Club on the Punta de Mita peninsula offer a soothing oasis close to, yet removed from, bustling Puerto Vallarta. SAYULITA

This quaint fishing village 30 minutes away is the ideal destination for a family getaway to test

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your surfing skills, as it’s home to some of the best beginner surf breaks—and surf schools—in the world.

MEXICO surfing, snorkeling or just lounging. The private Los Veneros beach club offers dining, fitness options and more.

BANDERAS BAY

The seventh-largest natural bay in the world is home to migrating humpback whales who pass through from December to March. THE BEACH

Playa Destiladeras is literally steps away from our Los Veneros residences. This gently sloping beach is sheltered by rock formations on either side and is ideal for

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CATCH AND FEAST

Punta de Mita offers worldclass deep-sea fishing with a bounty of snapper, grouper, roosterfish and mahimahi. Once you’ve reeled in the big one, ask a local restaurant to cook your catch for a true oceanto-table experience. SURF’S UP

Warm water, a variety of breaks and gentle winds

make Punta de Mita an ideal surf destination. From zippy reefs to perfect point breaks and fun, white sand beaches, there is something for everyone. Also try stand-up paddleboarding, a sport that combines a great workout with incredible oceanic sightseeing.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Punta de Mita Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER SIX SENSES QING CHENG MOUNTAIN

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Qing Cheng is situated at the picturesque gateway to the mystical mountain of Qing Cheng, a famous Taoist highland. Surround yourself with verdant forest, thick shoots of bamboo and densely hanging fog in this cradle of civilization. Dotted with holy temples and cultural relics, the mountain is also home to a wild panda research center and near Dujiangyan, a UNESCO World Heritage and Natural Cultural site.

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QING CHENG HIGHLIGHTS PANDA-MONIUM

Pandas are a national treasure in China and a wild panda research center is just a 10-minute drive from your accommodations. You’ll have the rare opportunity to feed these gentle creatures in a controlled environment. TRAIL OF THE ANCIENTS

The Dujiangyan irrigation system was built in 256 BC and still functions in the present. A half-day trip booked through the resort includes a walk through

Qingxi Garden and up to spectacular views from Erwang Temple. NIGHTLIFE

Photography buffs will love a nighttime tour through the ancient city wall of Dujiangyan and its famous Nan-Qiao Bridge. Flying eave roofs, carved figures and delicate stonework make for beautiful subjects. QING CHENG MOUNTAIN

Named “the most peaceful and secluded mountain under heaven,” Qing Cheng Mountain holds a sacred

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CHINA place in history as one of the most significant Taoist mountains in the country. Learn the art of tai chi—the practice was created here—against the backdrop of the famed waterfalls. You can tour the gorgeous Jianfu Palace, built during the Tang Dynasty between 619 and 907.

Negative ions clear the air of allergens and bacteria.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Qing Cheng Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

OXYGEN WALK

Walk the trail through the Six Senses resort’s organic garden and rice fields at the base of Qing Cheng Mountain and delight in the rich negative oxygen ion air.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE CATALINA 4 BED / 4 BATH

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R ANCHO PALOS VERDES

Minutes from LAX, visitors to the 102 oceanfront acres at Terranea Resort on the far end of the Palos Verdes peninsula can enjoy a round at the on-site golf course or drop out for a day of pampering with an ocean view. HIGHLIGHTS CHILD’S PLAY

Kids can start their day at the Tide Pool Kids Club, led by expert naturalists, and learn about the fascinating array of marine life along

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the coast. If they want to dive in, they can grab a kayak or surfboard and try their hand at snorkeling. The day wraps up with s’mores and hot chocolate around a roaring, cliffside fire. CATALINA ISLAND

Visible from the resort, Catalina Island lies 22 miles offshore and is a short express ferry ride away. Explore the picturesque harbor village of Avalon Bay, snorkel in its clear blue waters or hike to the top of the island for a view of Los Angeles and the mountains beyond.

BEACH LIFE

The famed South Bay beaches stretching from Redondo Beach to Manhattan Beach, with their broad expanses of sand, volleyball courts, fishing piers and mellow surfing waves, lie minutes to the north via complimentary shuttle. ACCESS HOLLYWOOD

Explore filmmaking’s hometown, including the Hollywood Walk of Fame, shopping along LaBrea and Melrose avenues, a movie at the Chinese Theater or a concert in the hills under

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CALIFORNIA

the stars at the famed Hollywood Bowl. LOCAL FARE

Guests at Terranea can reserve a table at Mar’sel for a fresh twist on California cuisine. Catalina Kitchen offers stunning ocean views and a menu that ranges from roasted Petaluma chicken to swordfish melts. Nelson’s serves up comfort food, microbrews and gorgeous sunsets from their patio, while Bashi blends traditional Vietnamese flavors and contemporary dishes.

PARKLANDS

Despite being surrounded by the sprawl of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean, the hills above Terranea offer horseback rides and energizing hikes among coastal chaparral, all with views across the ocean to Catalina Island.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Rancho Palos Verdes Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE CASA DE LAS HAMACAS 4 BED / 6.5 BATH

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Settled in the 1930s, the sleepy fishing town of Real del Mar sits quietly on a stretch of the Bahía de Banderas on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, surrounded by the golden sand beaches of Destiladeras, Punta de Mita, Careyeros and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. This paradise of sun, sand and sea offers a plethora of quaint, artsy shops and galleries as well as activities for the whole family.

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REAL DEL MAR HIGHLIGHTS

Order yours “con todos.” That’s “with everything.”

LOCAL GOODS

Stock up on fresh fish, baked goods, local produce and salsas at the Sunday farmers market at the marina. If you come with an appetite, treat yourself to a plate of hot paella or a cone of homemade ice cream. Repeat visitors to Real del Mar describe Tacos on the Street as a must for a memorable dinner or late-night snack. Authentic tacos, tostadas and quesadillas are served up on homemade tortillas.

SHOP SAYULITA

Known as a laid-back surf town, Sayulita also has great shopping, with galleries and boutiques full of beachwear, glassware, pottery, clay works, jewelry and designer clothing. Don’t miss the market in the town center on Sunday.

MEXICO grouper, yellowfin tuna or snapper. Two of Mexico’s fishing records happened here: an 184-pound razor tooth wahoo and a 709-pound marlin. More interested in swimming with the fish? Your Destination Concierge can schedule a dive to one of countless sites in the Real del Mar area or book a snorkel to the magnificent coral reefs nearby.

RIVIERA NAYARIT

TURTLE LOVE

A fisherman’s paradise, you could hoist your line up to find a sailfish, mahimahi, wahoo, amberjack,

Annual releases of sea turtles and their offspring draw visitors to the Riviera Nayarit area, including

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Punta de Mita. Sea turtle releases occur from July to December every year on beaches throughout the region and can be seen on your own or with a guide.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Real del Mar Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER BELMOND COPACABANA PALACE

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Facing the popular two-mile beach of Copacabana, Belmond Copacabana Palace is described by many as South America’s most exceptional hotel. This Art Deco jewel opened its doors in 1923 and has since played host to dozens of glamorous celebrities throughout the decades including Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. Fred Astaire twirled Ginger Rogers in the famous dance scene in the movie Flying Down to Rio inside the Palace.

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RIO DE JANEIRO HIGHLIGHTS SAMBA RHYTHM

Get your Brazil on with a a one-hour class to learn the basics and then take your footwork out on the town for the real thing. Your concierge can recommend a local lesson. Take your new skills to Pedra Do Sal (“rock of salt”) a historic spot inside the neighborhood of Saúde. Belmond offers a day package to enjoy cold beer and a local meal before taking part in an authentic samba circle.

CRISTO REDENTOR

Arguably Brazil’s most famous landmark, the statue of Christ the Redeemer faces the city with arms outstretched. To get up close and personal, a cable car transports visitors to a better view at the top of the hill. Combine your visit with a drive through the largest urban rainforest in the world. COFFEE HEAVEN

Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer, responsible for nearly a third of it worldwide. Take

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BRAZIL advantage of this local delicacy sans import fees and order a café com leite (coffee with milk) between meals to live like a local. MEE TOO

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Rio de Janeiro Suite at inspirato.com/destinations

MEE, the Copacabana’s on-site restaurant, boasts sushi grade fish and a Michelin star. Try the Cantonese steamed pork dumplings or Kobe beef tataki. Sake lovers can treat themselves to 25 different varieties under the expert guidance of a sake sommelier.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER BELMOND MAROMA RESORT & SPA

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Inspirato’s accommodations are within the luxurious Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa— enviably positioned on 25 acres of Punta Maroma, where pristine sands, mixed with a fine powder of pink coral, meet the jungle. Its private marina offers sailing, snorkeling, Hobie cat sailboats, kayaks and jet skis. .

RIVIER A MAYA HIGHLIGHTS ANOTHER WORLD

Travel south along Mexico’s Caribbean coast to the Riviera Maya and you’ll enter a pristine world of Mayan archaeological wonders set among jungle preserves and white sand beaches. Members can choose to stay at the sprawling Banyan Tree Mayakoba resort or Belmond Maroma Resort. NATURAL WONDER

The natural reserve of Sian Ka’an, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is home

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to 800+ plant species. It provides a habitat for a variety of birds, monkeys, turtles and crocodiles. CENOTES

Pronounced “sea-no-tays,” these natural wonders are hidden worlds unto themselves with their underwater caves, limestone formations and diverse marine life. THE MAYA

About an hour from Inspirato’s resort options sit the famed ruins of Tulum. Built on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean,

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MEXICO the ancient site features more than 60 preserved Mayan structures dating from the 12th to 15th centuries. Tour the ruins and head down the stone staircase to the stunning beach below. PLAYA DEL CARMEN

Europeans have been vacationing here for decades and as a result it has more of a European spin on Mexico than other spots along the coast. Enjoy shopping and a vibrant nightlife driven by DJs that fly in from around the world.

COZUMEL

East from Playa del Carmen lies Cozumel (Island of Swallows), a tourist stop for cruise ships and a mecca for scuba divers and snorkelers worldwide. Spend the day walking the Mayan ruins or snorkeling the reef at Chankanaab Park.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Riviera Maya Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER MAYOKA LODGE

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The island of Roatán sits just off the northern coast of Honduras and the Mayoka Lodge is a gorgeous complement to its adventurous surroundings. The chic boutique hotel is caressed by tradewinds and offers direct access to water sports and kayaking. You’ll be close to the second-largest coral reef in the world, making this an optimal scuba destination.

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ROATÁN HIGHLIGHTS SCUBA’S MECCA

There are more than 7,000 dive sites on the reef alone. Multiple dive shops offer half- and full-day dive excursions with certified instructors. Alternatively, book a submarine through Stanley Submarines. NATURAL WONDER

Winner of TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence in 2015, the 160 acres of the Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum is a must during your stay. Pack a picnic to dine in “Tropical Eden,” hike

HONDURAS

quiet trails and wander the Butterfly Garden. Set on 20 acres in the West Bay of Roatán, Gumbalimba Park includes an animal sanctuary, freshwater pool, water activities, cabanas on the beach and a fishing pond. Don’t be alarmed if a monkey jumps right on your shoulders. Hiking, wildlife and a picturesque backdrop for nature photography can be found on the 40 natural acres of the Carambola Botanical Gardens.

LITTLE FRENCH KEY

On the south side of Roatán and adjacent to the second largest coral reef in the world, Little French Key offers horseback rides in the water, kayaks, guided tours of a zoo and zip lining through a jungle canopy. JEEP SAFARI

To better explore the island, Mayoka Lodge conveniently rents Jeep Wrangler 4x4s to guests. You’ll want one to ease your way to Sandy Bay.

Camp Bay, a charming local restaurant, for chilly conch ceviche and a heavenly version of key lime pie. Enjoy the sunset views with a cold rum punch.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Roatán Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

ISLAND FLAVOR

Hike up to La Sirena de

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE IRIS 5 BED / 5 BATH

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Situated along Montego Bay with its crystal-clear waters, soft white sand beach and palm trees, Rose Hall within the Half Moon Resort brings together a quintessential Jamaican experience of colonial charm, vibrant shops and bars along Gloucester Avenue.

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ROSE HALL HIGHLIGHTS NATURALLY JAMAICA

Inspirato Members have access to 2 miles of uninterrupted beach to stake out. Take a break from the salty sea and climb up spectacular Dunn’s River Falls and grab an inner tube to float through the river’s bubbling rapids as they spill into the Caribbean. The resort’s two bottlenose dolphins, Reggae and Toni, will be your swimming partners at the Dolphin Lagoon.

ISLAND CUISINE

For a one-stop dining experience that fuses together the many influences of the region, including Caribbean, European, Asian, African and American, book a table at the Sugar Mill Restaurant. If you’re craving Italian, head to Il Giardino Restaurant or find dual options at Prakash Indian and Thai.

JAMAICA buildings where kids can create puppets or listen to captivating island stories in the Tacoomah hut. PLANTATION HISTORY

KID FRIENDLY

Explore the historic Rose Hall Great House that once ruled over the former sugar plantation. You’ll hear about the ghost of the home’s former mistress, Annie Palmer, the White Witch of Rose Hall, and about the history of the property.

It’s always playtime at the Anancy Children’s Village, a model Caribbean village with brightly colored

Friday evenings, head to the weekly Beach

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FUN TIMES

Barbecue on Sunrise Beach for a delicious buffet and Jamaican treats while being entertained by local performers. Adults can grab a cocktail at Margaritaville and then take a ride on its waterslide from the upstairs bar to the ocean below.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Rose Hall Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE SUGARWHITE COTTAGE 6 BED / 6.5 BATH

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ROSEMARY BEACH/SCENIC 30A

Rosemary Beach and Grayton Beach are the perfect place for a family reunion or to simply get away with a few loved ones. With year-round musical and artistic entertainment, along with some of the country’s most pristine beaches, there’s a wide array of highly recommended venues and activities sprinkled throughout several charming neighborhoods.

HIGHLIGHTS FAMILY FRIENDLY

Rosemary Beach was designed with families in mind. Quiet streets invite exploration, and family oriented amenities and activities abound. Inspirato’s accommodations at the nearby WaterColor Resort sits adjacent to the pristine Grayton Beach State Park. MANSION IN THE PARK

Eden Gardens in Point Washington is a 163-acre state park on Tucker Bayou and the former home of

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lumber baron William Henry Wesley. Tour the 1895 mansion, stroll the garden trail or the lawns stretching down to the bay. ARTS AND CULTURE

With numerous fairs, festivals, exhibits and events taking place throughout the year, this is a culturally rich hub for crafts and artistry. The Bayou Arts Center is just one of many venues to take in some original imagination and talent.

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BEACH CRUISER

Rent a car and explore Scenic Highway 30A. Stretching 18.6 miles from Topsail State Park to Inlet Beach, this drive features everything from outdoor antique stores to art galleries to beaches of unimaginably white sand. Or you can rent a cruiser bike and pedal the bike trail. THE POOLS

Rosemary Beach offers access to four amazing beachside and parkside pools, open to residents and their guests. From cabanastyle to infinity-edge pools

FLORIDA meant for lounging, enjoy these beautiful areas to cool down and relax. GREEN FOOD

Restaurant Paradis boasts a commitment to using locally grown produce and produces its own sparkling and still waters served in reusable blue glass bottles.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Rosemary Beach/Scenic 30A Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE CALITA 5 BED / 3.5 BATH

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Set among the rolling, tree-lined hills of Rancho Santa Fe, Inspirato Members will find Rancho Valencia, where they can relax in their own private casita and garden. Dine alfresco or enjoy a nightcap in front of your private fireplace. Hit the courts for a spirited game of tennis—Tennis Magazine rates Rancho Valencia a top tennis resort in the nation— then soothe your body at the Spa.

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SAN DIEGO HIGHLIGHTS

CALIFORNIA

on a safari at the San Diego Zoo.

AHOY, LA JOLLA!

Explore the striking architecture of the Scripps Institute and the popular beach at La Jolla Cove (try snorkeling among the shallows just off shore). You’ll find some of the city’s best shopping and dining along Prospect Street. Everything is a short hop from Inspirato’s Calita residence.

PEDAL, PADDLE, PARAGLIDE

Whether by land on a bicycle, by air on a paraglider or by sea in a kayak, sightseeing San Diego need not be conventional. Your Destination Concierge can set up any type of tour you desire. FRUTTI DI MARE

LEGO AND ENJOY

There are few things more exciting to kids than a tour of LEGOLAND® or going

When you’re in San Diego, your menu selections are easy: order the catch of the day. Whether plucked from

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the waters right off shore or flown in fresh, seafood in San Diego is the way to go. There’s no shortage of ocean-minded eateries up and down the coast.

add one of the world’s few triple five-star resorts, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. You’ll quickly find out why TripAdvisor ranked it the top Luxury Hotel in the U.S. in 2014.

SWING TIME

Of the 92 golf courses in the area, Inspirato Members get to play the best of them, including the Tom Fazio-designed course at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, the famed oceanside course at Torrey Pines and The Farms Golf Club.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our San Diego Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

RESORT LIVING

Start with Inspirato then

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL RESIDENCE COCOA 2 BED / 2 BATH

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SAN FR ANCISCO BAY AREA

From the historic cable cars to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is one of the world’s most colorful cities. Perfect for young or mature couples, or small and large families, its attractions and personality fit every visitor. One vacation is never enough. Your Destination Concierge can plan the perfect trip this time and an equally great one the next.

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HIGHLIGHTS CONTEMPORARY DIGS

San Francisco’s waterfront Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood is home to Inspirato’s two-bedroom residence featuring city views, complimentary parking, dining options at Ghirardelli Square, ferry service to Marin County and easy access to the rest of the city. That same ferry can take you from Inspirato’s spacious Alexandrite residence at Casa Modrona in Sausalito into the heart of the city.

CALIFORNIA

ON THE WATER

EAT WHAT YOU WANT

When the skies are clear, there’s nothing better than gaining some perspective of the magical city from the water at its feet. Rent a kayak or take a chartered sailboat ride into the bay to see the famous bridges and sites.

Menus are so … restrictive. Unless you’re dining at the incomparable Gary Danko, where you can create your own tasting menu to match your mood. Pair the chef’s specialties, such as glazed oysters with Osetra caviar, with one of 1,200 bottles in the restaurant’s wine cellar.

TWO WHEELS

The trolley cars are a great way to tour the city. Much of it is easily walkable but, for a unique perspective, rent a bicycle and cross the Golden Gate Bridge’s 8,981-foot span via the wide, walkway.

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Golden Gate Bridge are almost as impressive as the pieces on display.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our San Francisco Bay Area Residences & Rooms at inspirato.com/destinations

ART TOUR

The Legion of Honor houses an impressive collection of fine European art spanning 4,000 years. From its perch atop Lincoln Park, the views of the

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT SUITE BELMOND CASA DE SIERRA NEVADA 1 BED / 1 BATH

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SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

The old-world charm of Belmond’s Casa de Sierra Nevada boutique hotel awaits Inspirato Members. Created out of a collection of six historic casas and mansions, the hotel blends into the city and offers its guests a slew of delights behind its walls and courtyards framed by arched colonades, from the private swimming pool to the Laja Spa’s suite of restorative treatments and the Sazón cooking school.

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HIGHLIGHTS SAN MIGUEL

This is Mexico as you have never seen it. San Miguel de Allende was declared a World Heritage Site due to its carefully maintained Colonial and Spanish structures. The historic center of the city is a 24-block stretch of walkable, cobblestone streets and alleys filled with authentic Mexican goods. Most famous for its art and culture, the city draws writers and artists from across the world. Walking tours of the

historic district and tours of Dolores, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Pozos and Patzcuáro are just a few of the opportunities available to familiarize yourself with the magical city. SPRING FLING

Don’t miss a hot soak in the public springs of La Gruta, a 20-minute drive from your accommodations. If you prefer a little more privacy, make a reservation for the underground, thermal tunnels at the Mayan Baths.

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MEXICO

GOLF

SADDLE UP

Ventanas de San Miguel is a Signature Nick Faldo golf course. The Ventanas golf course is an 18-hole, par 70. If tennis is more your speed, visit the courts at Malanquin Country Club for a match.

Xotolar Ranch is a family operated working ranch. See the surrounding national sites and local flora on horseback. Located on a high plateau overlooking the city, the views on these rides are hard to beat.

MERCADO DE ARTESANIAS

Nestled near the Mercado Ignacio Ramirez between Calle Colegio and Calle Loreto is the Mercado de Artesanias, a street market stretching three city blocks. It features local, handcrafted goods.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our San Miguel de Allende Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE CABRILLO 4 BED / 4.5 BATH

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At Belmond El Encanto set in the heart of town, Inspirato Members can cozy up with a king bed, toasty fireplace and a sitting area to spread out and relax. Outside, enjoy views of the garden and grounds. Grab dinner at the on-site Dining Room and Terrace, where Executive Chef Leo Andres Ayala cooks up coastal cuisine with Belmond El Encanto cheese freshly made from milk from Ellie, the resort’s cow.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

SANTA BARBAR A HIGHLIGHTS RIVIERA WEST

Known as the “American Riviera,” the city of Santa Barbara fuses the beauty of a Mediterranean coastal town with pure Californian spirit. The climate is typical of the state’s oceanfront communities, with breezes that keep the winters warm and the summers cool. The Santa Ynez Mountain Range is the perfect backdrop to the original Spanishinspired city’s blossoming, year-round beauty, culture and cuisine.

SHOPPING

La Arcada offers boutique shops and gifts, Arlington Plaza has luxury brand names, the Funk Zone waterfront neighborhood is home to bohemian shops and the Presidio District is a small group of artisan food shops. CHILD’S PLAY

The quaint Santa Barbara Zoo contains 500 animals on 30 acres. Your group can take part in a giraffe feeding, ride the zoo train and feed sheep in a barnyard. The underbelly of Stearns

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CALIFORNIA Wharf at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is home to marine life. Visitors of all ages are encouraged but this is an especially delightful stop for children to explore interactive exhibits.

EYE CANDY

With 60,000 square feet of exhibition galleries, a store, café, 154-seat auditorium, children’s interactive programming and a library the Santa Barbara Museum of Art is one of the leading art museums on the coast.

DESTINATION BURGER

Twenty-five minutes north on Highway 1, you’ll find the world-famous Jalama burger at Jalama Beach Store and Grill. Lean ground beef, fresh sliced veggies and secret Jalama sauce have kept happy customers returning for years.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Santa Barbara Residence & Rooms at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE SONORA 4 BED / 4 BATH

SCOTTSDALE

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It’s the incredible collection of golf courses that truly sets Scottsdale apart. Members can play a different course every day during their visit. From a central location at some of Scottsdale’s most exclusive addresses, Paradise Valley, the area’s 200+ courses are a short drive away. HIGHLIGHTS SWING SET

Did we mention the golf? Seriously, golf enthusiasts will salivate over access to these courses: Troon North Golf Club, Westin Kierland

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Golf Club, The Phoenician and Ocotillo Golf Resort. SHOPPING OASIS

Often referred to as “the Beverly Hills of the Southwest,” Scottsdale is home to the Biltmore Fashion Park, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Fendi and more. Farther east, Scottsdale Fashion Square houses Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Tiffany & Co., Ferragamo and others. For trendy boutiques on the cutting edge, pay a visit to the Mix Shops of Southbridge.

FOOD LOVERS

James Beard Foundation award-winning chef Douglas Rodriguez serves up what he calls Nuevo Latino cuisine at Deseo. Start with his tres ceviches or shrimp chicharron before moving on to lamb chops with truffle chimichurri. And don’t forget the wine list, considered one of the best in the state. Talavera strives to source its ingredients from local purveyors—even the olive oil comes from nearby—to create American cuisine that’s as fresh as it gets. Old-school charm denotes the French menu and small

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ARIZONA seating at Petite Maison, where classics such as escargot and cassoulet are always on the menu. SPRING TRAINING

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Every March, pro baseball players come to the area to gear up for the next season or make the cut and join the big leagues. Scottsdale is home to the facilities for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants. That’s in addition to the 12 other clubs’ spring-training complexes spread across the metropolitan area.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE ESTUARY 4 BED / 4.5 BATH

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The Lowcountry beckons you to the balmy Georgia coast and Sea Island, home to the storied Cloister Hotel, the seaside vacation choice for industrialists and U.S. presidents for more than 80 years. There’s PGA-caliber golf, shooting, fishing, worldclass shelling and even a historic bingo game that comes with a dress code.

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SEA ISLAND HIGHLIGHTS HUNT CLUB

At the Broadfield, the sporting set can practice their shots at the range, and during birding season, hunt for quail and pheasant across 500 acres alongside trained dogs. Try something different with Harris’s hawks, goshawks and peregrine falcons. The Sea Island Shooting School, nearly as old as the Cloister itself, has taught generations of visitors to handle a gun and shoot it the right way.

LABOR OF LOVE

Professional golfer Davis Love III calls Sea Island home, thanks to its three courses built around beaches, marshes and woods. The Seaside Course hosts the annual McGladrey Classic, organized by Love himself. GHOST BEACH

The unusual, stunning Driftwood Beach is renowned for the beautiful driftwood scattered on its sands as well as the giant oaks and pines buried upside down in the sand with their roots exposed to

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GEORGIA the sky. The effect is a tree graveyard that’s a sight to behold. CAMP CLOISTER

On any given day, the Cloister’s children’s program may involve sailing lessons, instruction at the shooting range and hands-on biology lessons from the resort’s naturalists that could vary from crabbing to tending a turtle’s nest. LOWCOUNTRY, GEORGIA

Other seaside destinations may promise turquoise waters and a landscape

scraped clean and replanted, but the Cloister’s is more comfortable: Spanish moss drapes the oaks and while the water isn’t crystal clear, it teems with life. The dunes capture the flotsam and jetsam of the sea—and make it a wonder to explore.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Sea Island Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL PARTNER HOTEL 1000

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The hills of Seattle have appealed to vacationers for decades thanks to its rich diversity of sea, rivers, lakes, surrounding Cascade mountain range and varied culture. In the heart of downtown, Hotel 1000’s contemporary, bright space is just a six-minute walk from Pioneer Square and close to dozens of Emerald City attractions, including superior coffee, upscale dining and sunset walks near the majestic Puget Sound.

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SEATTLE HIGHLIGHTS

WA SHINGTON

first Starbucks opened in 1971.

PIKE PLACE MARKET

Opened more than 100 years ago, Pike Place Market is one of the oldest farmers markets in the country. At the fish market, bystanders gather around market staff passing out samples to wait their turn in line to catch the famous fish in a wild toss across the counter. Order a plate of fresh oysters from Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar, the first oyster bar in the city. At 102 Pike Street, the

WALK TO A VIEW

For the best perspective of downtown, the Space Needle and Elliott Bay, head to Kerry Park on 211 West Highland Drive. On clear evenings, the Seattle skyline can be seen in a panoramic, glittering fashion. This is a postcardperfect photo op.

soak in 360-degree views of the city and the bay from the Observation Deck in the top house dome. Washington native Dale Chihuly’s world-famous glass work is exhibited in the Seattle Center next to the Space Needle. Tour the garden, glasshouse and bookstore or try an audio tour that narrates the creation of these beautiful pieces.

SPACE NEEDLE

LAKE UNION

A landmark on the city’s horizon, the Space Needle is also a national icon. At 605 feet above ground,

As befits a city surrounded by water, Lake Union just north of downtown serves as the city’s park,

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with regular regattas and recreational boaters filling its waters.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Seattle Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE VILLA DELLA LUNA 4 BED / 3.5 BATH

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You needn’t travel all the way to Bordeaux or Tuscany to enjoy a world-class wine destination. The hills and valleys of Sonoma, with its countless vineyards and tasting tours, make an ideal stateside getaway. The fun doesn’t stop when the bottle runs dry; outdoor activities like tennis, canoeing, golf and biking keep the action going.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

SONOMA COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS INSPIRATO RESIDENCES

Pick your version of Wine Country bliss, from sprawling hilltop estates surrounded by vineyards to intimate two-bedroom suites in town within walking distance to shops and restaurants.

with the wines you gather during your daily excursions.

tastings arranged by your Destination Concierge are available.

THE WINERIES

A GOURMAND’S DREAM

Visit some preferred vintners, including Cakebread Cellars, FerrariCarano Winery, Jackson Family Wines, Lancaster Estate, Terra Valentine and many more.

The amazing wines go on and on; some of our favorite wineries include Medlock Ames, Matanzas Creek and MichelSchlumberger but your Destination Concierge can direct you to dozens more.

THE GOURMET KITCHEN

Several residences contain gourmet, professionalgrade kitchens. To enhance your experience, arrange for a private chef to prepare an unforgettable meal expertly paired

CALIFORNIA

INSIDE TRACK

Our members can enjoy priority reservations at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, even on short notice. A variety of private winery tours and in-home

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HIKE IT OFF

The hiking trails in this area offer a charming preview of the country’s quaint ecosystem, set against the expansive Mayacama

Mountain Range. Explore trickling brooks and high vistas with scenic overlooks of the valley below. Get a glimpse of Mount Saint Helena as well as the coastal range far beyond the rolling hills of the valley.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Sonoma County Residences and Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE APEX 5 BED / 3.5 BATH

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SQUAW VALLEY

Squaw Valley is a vibrant, multiseason vacation paradise. Visitors relish the romance of early evening alpenglow and the buzz of extreme skiing and riding. With Inspirato, Squaw Valley is elevated to an undeniably extraordinary destination with personalized service among the peaks of the Sierra Nevadas.

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HIGHLIGHTS

L A K E TA H O E , C A L I F O R N I A

mountain resorts within an hour’s drive.

PASSPORT TO FUN

Squaw Valley is one of the reigning champions of American ski resorts, having been named the Best Ski Resort in North America by Outside magazine in 2012 and Top Ten in the U.S. by Forbes in 2013. It’s a legend that has stayed at the top of its game, dating back to before the Winter Olympics, which it hosted in 1960. If, for some unimaginable reason, you exhaust Squaw’s terrain, you can try out one of the 10 other

PRIVATE LUXURY

Apex features an expansive wraparound deck to watch the epic Tahoe sunset burn in coral hues for a breathtaking instant. Inside, the timber lodge ceiling of your great room soars to beautiful heights, and the full kitchen is truly a chef’s delight.

time to undergo revitalizing sessions. Booking a treatment here grants you access to the pool and fitness center. LADY LUCK

Travel to South Shore over the state border into Nevada and you will find opulent casinos like Harrah’s and MontBleu. Don’t want to test your luck? Shows are available most nights.

SKI HARD, SPA HARDER

The Resort at Squaw Creek offers private treatments to punctuate any kind of vacation. Reserve some

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FUN IN THE SUN

The mountain resorts of Tahoe don’t shut down for the summer; once all the

snow melts, Squaw Valley delivers a steady surge of monthly outdoor festivals and events. From the Fine Arts & Crafts Festival in late June or July to the Annual Alpen Wine Fest in early September, Inspirato Members will never be at a loss for fun.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Squaw Valley Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER LE SERENO HOTEL

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Boasting celebrityenticing accommodations, posh designer boutiques and upscale duty-free emporiums—not to mention miles upon miles of postcard-worthy shoreline—the très-chic island of St. Barts is a true Caribbean paradise. Add gourmet French, Creole and Caribbean fusion cuisine to its laundry list of assets and it’s easy to see why this petite volcanic isle is a perennial favorite among jetsetters.

ST. BARTS HIGHLIGHTS THE LOCATION

Your suite overlooks the stunning Grand Cul-de-Sac and is part of the small collection of 37 suites, villas and rooms at Le Sereno, each outfitted with furnishings designed by Christian Liaigre. Terraces among the landscaped gardens lead down to the pool and beach. HOSPITALITY IN ANY LANGUAGE

The island’s elegance is unsurpassable, primarily because of the Parisian

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FRENCH WEST INDIES

influence. Islanders speak French fluently and most speak English as well. You’ll find a welcoming smile everywhere you go. THE BEACHES

The dazzling white sand beaches are perfect for relaxing, and the Le Sereno staff will help you find the best spots and services. THE SAILING

St. Barts Sailing School, located at Public Beach, offers lessons to help improve your skills, and boat charters can also be arranged for members.

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KITESURFING

Kitesurfing is one of the most popular sports on St. Barts. Former kitesurfing champion Enguerrand Espinassou gives expert lessons at the Dive Center on Grand Cul-de-Sac Beach. RESTAURANT DES PÊCHEURS

Experience some of the finest dining on St. Barts without leaving Le Sereno. Restaurant des Pêcheurs serves a casual breakfast and lunch, but we especially recommend its more upscale dinner. The saffron-based bouillabaisse

with local seafood from chef Jean-Luc Grabowski is known island-wide as a meal you have to try. THE AMENITIES

Enjoy full access to Le Sereno’s resort amenities, including a beachfront swimming pool, fitness center and personalized beachside service.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our St. Barts Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE COPA CANEEL 5 BED / 5.5 BATH

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Much of St. Croix, the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is protected as part of national historic parks, including Buck Island Reef National Monument and Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. The colonial architecture throughout Christiansted and Frederiksted demonstrates the former influences of Spanish, French and Danish rule, and you’ll be warmly greeted by the local Crucians, known the world over for their hospitality.

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ST. CROIX HIGHLIGHTS SCUBA

The bays around the island are home to more than 500 species of fish, 40 types of coral and hundreds of invertebrates. You’ll encounter schools of blue tang, queen triggerfish, lobster, spotted eagle rays, seahorses and more. But the more ambitious dives are at the following walls: Cane Bay Wall. This is the most popular diving site on the island and rated as one of the best in the Caribbean. It’s easily accessed by beach entry

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

and has a wall that drops from 40 to 3,200 feet. Scotch Banks. This submerged peak east of Christiansted Harbor is populated by barracuda, angelfish, manta rays and the occasional whale shark. Salt River Canyon East Wall. The historic mooring was once secured by Columbus on his second voyage to the New World. In very clear water, you’ll likely see grouper, snapper, conch and crab. FARMERS MARKET

On Saturday mornings,

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behind La Reine Chicken Shack, a farmers market is set up. You’ll find tomatoes, peppers, bread, fruit, hot sauce, mauby tea, fresh jellies and even fishermen selling their catch of the day out of ice coolers. SEA TURTLES

In the spring, the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge offers night excursions to watch female leatherback turtles dig their nests and lay eggs. Seasonally, you might see hatchlings crawl to the ocean.

BOARD GAMES

The beaches of St. Croix lack crowds and are an ideal location for both kiteboarding and stand-up paddleboarding. Depending on wind conditions, Kite St. Croix offers quality lessons with certified instructors.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our St. Croix Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE ALLAMANDA 3 BED / 3.5 BATH

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St. John has the sugary sands you crave, aquamarine waters prime for snorkeling and warm, sunny days that hallmark the ideal beach vacation. With 60 percent of its land protected as a national park and no cruise ship docks, it’s also impossibly immaculate.

ST. JOHN HIGHLIGHTS TROPICAL HOME

Located within a private, gated enclave, Inspirato’s homes on St. John are elegant, Italian-inspired villas on a 5-acre estate nestled on a hillside overlooking Cruz Bay. Featuring gorgeous Caribbean views, these homes have airy and bright interiors. SAILING CHARTERS

The crystalline waters of the Virgin Islands are perhaps the best sailing waters in the world.

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U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Our favorite day trips include Jost Van Dyke, a snorkeling area where you may spot sea turtles and the Baths, where you’ll wade in tidal pools. DINGHY DO

One of the more relaxing and casual ways to explore St. John is to rent a dinghy and cruise from beach to beach. Start your beach hopping at Cruz Bay. Although you can’t drop an anchor, you’ll find it’s easy to pull your dinghy to shore.

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DINING OUT

Across the island on Coral Bay, a burger at Skinny Legs Bar & Grill is a tradition. At Rhumb Lines, the atmosphere is casual, and the fusion of Pacific Rim and tropical cuisine is excellent. Try the Thai crab cakes and spicy diver scallops. Enjoy live music during dinner and come back for the island’s best Sunday brunch. UNDERWATER PARK

St. John may very well be the Caribbean’s premier snorkeling destination. All beaches are protected as

part of the Virgin Islands National Park. A few of our favorite spots: Maho Bay Beach, home to green sea turtles, rays and, on occasion, nurse sharks and octopi. Hawksnest Beach was named for the hawksbill sea turtles here, but the real benefit is a beautiful reef just a few yards from shore.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our St. John Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE EGRETTE 4 BED / 4 BATH

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Belmond La Samanna sits on St. Martin’s finest beach, surrounded by picture-perfect Caribbean water. It’s one of only eight resorts to be profiled as “Best Resorts in the World for Wine” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Swimming pools, beach cabanas, tennis, sunset cruises and alfresco massages will relax your body and mind. This destination is also family friendly, with a dedicated team of childcare professionals and nannies on-site.

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ST. MARTIN HIGHLIGHTS MARIGOT

The French town of Marigot has a long history of sugarcane production, and many buildings still have their 19th-century facades. Today, it’s the headquarters of the sous préfecture (administration area) for both St. Martin and neighboring St. Barts. SHOPPERS’ PARADISE

St. Martin is the only 100% duty-free Caribbean island. Local boutiques carry high-end designer brands such as Cartier and Chanel,

FRENCH WEST INDIES

but it’s just as easy to find locally made clothing and artisanal jewelry. DEEP-SEA FISHING

A private boat that can host up to six passengers will take you on a fourhour deep-sea adventure beyond the reef. Not into fishing but love boating? Charter Sammy Girl, a private, Italiandesigned motorboat for a full- or half-day trip or island transfers. DINING OUT

St. Martin is known as the Cuisine Capital of the

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Caribbean, and on the French side of this island, you will find incredible French food at every turn. Trellis combines traditional French food with a jawdropping view of the ocean. At La Cave, your own tasting menu is offered by a private chef and paired with palatable French wines from its world-renowned cellar. Reservations are required at La Cigale, a family run establishment that’s home to the island’s best Sunday brunch and is a local favorite.

UNDERWATER EXCURSIONS

Several snorkeling and SCUBA diving excursions are available at the Water Sports Cabana at La Samanna. Dive into the waters of Baie Longue and beyond to discover a beautiful underwater world.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our St. Martin Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL PARTNER INN AT PERRY CABIN BY BELMOND

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Located on a long neck of Maryland’s eastern shore, the Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond sits on expansive, manicured gardens and grounds. The structure dates back to the Colonial Era; it was one of the first land grants that the English Crown made in the New World. St. Michaels is a regal stretch of land and was recently named one of the Top Ten Romantic Escapes in the USA by Coastal Living magazine and #7 in USA Today’s 10 Best Small Coastal Towns.

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ST. MICHAELS HIGHLIGHTS HEY, SAILOR!

The Inn is known for its sailing academy and many guests even arrive by boat. You can sail on the HM Krentz skipjack boat, one of the last operational oystercatchers in the U.S. CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM

One of the main draws to St. Michaels is the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, founded on Navy Point in 1965. This interactive museum spans 18 acres, 35 buildings

and the world’s largest collection of Chesapeake Bay boats. This waterfront campus is one of the most famous working shipyards in the U.S. and absolutely worth a visit. STAR ATTRACTION

Winner of the AAA Four Diamond Award, Stars restaurant is celebrated as the best seafood on the eastern shore. Overlooking the Miles River, dine alfresco. For a timehonored tradition, try their daily afternoon tea service.

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MARYLAND STAR ATTRACTION, PT II

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson fans will recognize the Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond as the site where the main wedding reception was filmed in the summer 2005 blockbuster hit Wedding Crashers.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our St. Michaels Suites at inspirato.com/destination

HISTORY LESSON

During the War of 1812, hanging lanterns were hung in the trees beyond the town, fooling British fire and causing the cannons to aim incorrectly. For this ruse, St. Michaels is often called “the town that fooled the British.”

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE HEAVENLY DAZE 5 BED / 5.5 BATH

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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

Although it has earned the moniker of Ski Town, USA for producing more winter Olympians than any other resort in the country and has trademarked its 26 feet of average snowfall as “Champagne Powder,” Steamboat Springs is still first a cowboy town. Since the resort opened nearly 50 years ago, the city of Steamboat has encountered some impressive development, from après-ski bars and haute cuisine to a brand new promenade at the base of the gondola.

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HIGHLIGHTS MOUNTAIN ELEGANCE

The Porches, home to Inspirato’s residence, are nestled on 16 acres at the base of Mount Werner. The home, with its expansive bedrooms, gourmet kitchen, custom ranch stone fireplace and generous outdoor living space, contributes to a sense of enduring quality and mountain-living ambiance. Members have access to the Porches’ amenities at The Barn, which includes a great room for family

gatherings, an outdoor barbecue deck with poolside fire pit, a fitness center and steam room. HOT SPRINGS

Venture just 7 miles from town to Strawberry Park Hot Springs, where natural beauty and relaxation meet. As you slip into the hot waters, you can instantly feel your aches and pains melt away. RIVERSIDE DINING

One of the main attractions of Steamboat Springs is the wild and free flowing Yampa River. The Yampa has the

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COLORADO

second largest watershed in the state and is a sight to behold. For beautiful patios and restaurants that line its banks, the Yampa simply makes for an unbeatable view as you enjoy the local fare. The Sweet Pea Market & Restaurant is dedicated to bringing the seasonal flavors of Colorado directly to your plate. Sourcing their food from around Colorado, Sweet Pea serves up natural, healthy dishes on their shaded riverfront patio. At the E3 Chophouse, right on the Yampa River, the fish

arrives from sea to table in 24 hours. Save room for dessert; an in-house pastry chef creates flourless chocolate cake, cast iron apple pie and jumbo chocolate chip cookies. Everything you taste at the Creekside Cafe is freshly made and from local product when possible. This is a definite breakfast stop.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Steamboat Springs Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE STERLING 4 BED / 4.5 BATH

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Beneath Vermont’s highest peak, Mount Mansfield, scenic hillsides drape this enchanting New England village. Stowe Mountain Lodge sits at its base with a network of trails to explore by snowshoe in the winter or hiking boots in the summer and fall.

HIGHLIGHTS STOWE MOUNTAIN

Inspirato Members have access to the Stowe Mountain Club at the ski area and its 485 acres and

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

STOWE vertical drop of 2,160 feet. Off the mountain, take the family for a traditional sleigh ride or hold tight on a dogsled tour through the woods. During the summer, golf clubs replace ski poles as players tackle the 36 holes that meander along the slopes of Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak, climbing to an elevation of 1,800 feet and offering unparalleled views of the New England countryside. Kids can race down the alpine slide and stay occupied for hours at the resort’s Summer Mountain Adventure Camp.

VERMONT

ALPINE CONCIERGE®

TASTE OF VERMONT

During the winter, members enjoy ski valet service, which allows guests to ship their equipment in advance and have it tuned and ready for the day’s snow conditions. Boots are heated and delivered to the gondola with guests’ lift tickets. Come summer, golf concierges will arrange tee times, carts and any additional equipment needs. Anglers can utilize the fly fishing service, in which fishing licenses, Orvis-certified guides and transportation logistics are arranged in advance.

A Taste of Vermont excursion takes you to the home of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream as well as the headquarters of Green Mountain Coffee. Taste the state’s famous Cabot cheese, locally pressed apple cider and Lake Champlain Chocolates. The optional Vermont wine tasting—yes, they make wine up here—is worth it.

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LOCAL FARE

Fresh produce is all but guaranteed in Stowe’s best restaurants. Hit the deck for tacos with a side of orange chipotle at Frida’s Taqueria + Grill. Locals love the friendly

vibe and open-kitchen pie spinning at Piecasso. For fancier fare, Solstice Restaurant at Stowe Mountain Lodge prepares tempting seasonal favorites. YOU WILL GO

To the Trapp Family Lodge, home of the Von Trapp family made famous in The Sound of Music.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Stowe Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE MEADOWLARK 5 BED / 4.5 BATH

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Set amongst the soaring peaks of the San Juan Mountains, Telluride is an eclectic Western town, a charming combination of raucous Old West roots and world-class mountain luxury—all delivered with a local flair that makes it a unique and welcoming destination.

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TELLURIDE HIGHLIGHTS CONVENIENT ACCESS

Inspirato’s Gold Hill home is conveniently located on the Telluride Golf Course in Mountain Village with access to the area’s famously efficient gondola system. Ask your Destination Concierge to stock the wine cellar before you arrive. At the Lumière, members can gaze down on the heart of the Mountain Village from their private balcony and reinvigorate themselves in the plunge pools.

WINTER THRILLS

Come explore Telluride Ski Resort’s 2,000-plus skiable acres, including the wideopen playground known as Revelation Bowl. But downhill isn’t the only way to go: Nearby snow-covered mountains offer hut-to-hut ski tours, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and the chance to bundle up for a tear through the woods behind a team of sled dogs. PERFORMING ARTS

Built by miners in 1913 for vaudeville performances, the Sheridan Opera House is the centerpiece of the

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COLORADO renowned Sheridan Arts Foundation. From music and dance to comedy and drama, the foundation fosters a stimulating variety of performing arts throughout the year. SUMMER FUN

When the snow recedes to reveal untold stretches of grand hiking and biking terrain, locals take to the hills. The town also plays host to almost weekly world-class events and festivals throughout the summer, including the life-list-worthy Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

FALL TRIP

Not too far from Telluride you’ll find Bridal Veil Falls, the longest free-falling waterfall in Colorado. It’s the perfect destination for an autumn stroll or invigorating snowshoe trek.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Telluride Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE FRENCHMAN’S LOOKOUT 5 BED / 5 BATH

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For devotees of sailing, power boating, scuba diving and deep-sea fishing, the 60 or so islands and cays that constitute the British Virgin Islands are a peerless destination. The largest and most popular of the islands, Tortola offers a bounty of marinas and charter operations that cater to every seaborne aspiration, as well as restaurants and world-famous beach bars, all just minutes away from your spectacular residence.

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TORTOLA HIGHLIGHTS OUTDOOR LIVING

With countless doors and only one window, all rooms at Frenchman’s Lookout lead to a wraparound deck with stunning ocean views. Frenchman’s Paradise overlooks West End Marina and also features spectacular Caribbean views. It’s a short distance to Soper’s Hole restaurants and shops, as well as some of the island’s best unspoiled beaches. TAKE TO THE SEA

From half-day boating

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

excursions and skiff rentals to staffed and provisioned full- and multi-day charters aboard an array of yachts and power cats, there’s a wide variety of options for exploring the waters around Tortola.

and fresh nutmeg—at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke. Charter a half- or full-day sailing excursion to the nearby island to try the original or mix one up right at your residence.

NIGHTLIFE

For one of the most memorable dining experiences in the islands, visit Brandywine Bay on Tortola, a spectacular Italian venue set amid gardens overlooking the sea.

BRANDYWINE BAY

The British Virgin Islands are teeming with beach bars, many of which feature live music on most nights. FEEL NO PAIN

Sip an authentic Painkiller cocktail—a delicious blend of local rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream

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MUST-SEE SPOT

The Baths—an iconic, naturally occurring

formation of boulders near Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda—are one of the top attractions in the BVIs. Hike through a series of rock caves leading out to the sea, then swim or snorkel back to the beach. The Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda is another great destination and offers a wide variety of water sports and sailing instruction for all skill levels.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Tortola Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE CAYA HICO 4 BED / 4.5 BATH

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TURKS AND CAICOS

Located in the British West Indies, Turks and Caicos is a group of serene islands prized by beach and water lovers around the world. These gorgeous, low-key islands are ideal for a relaxing family vacation or a romantic getaway. With easy daily flights, many members find that they can leave their homes in the morning and have lunch on the beach.

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HIGHLIGHTS ISLAND OASIS

Choose from a variety of residences on Turks and Caicos, each with unique decor. The Somerset on Grace Bay offers first-class service and top-notch amenities, including en suite spa service; or take a dip in the reverse-current lap pool, complete with an underwater sound system. At Caya Hico, the ocean breeze blows through this open-air residence with access to the secluded, 1.5-mile-long Babalua Beach.

BRITISH WEST INDIES

TOP BEACH

WILE AWAY THE DAY

DECADENT DINING

With its turquoise waters and pearl-white sands, Grace Bay Beach is routinely voted one of the best in the world. When you stay at the Somerset, you’re just steps away from this stunning stretch of shoreline.

With the Somerset’s water sports, a reading library and a regulation croquet lawn, there is constant fun for both the young and young at heart.

Take pleasure in the eclectic dining options. Indulge in a private chef for a meal on the terrace that you won’t soon forget.

ACTIVITIES ABOUND

Balance your beach time with snorkeling, water skiing, kayaking, horseback riding, cave exploring, windsurfing, parasailing and more. With so much—or so little—to do, a vacation in Turks and Caicos will soothe and refresh.

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EXCELLENT FISHING

Anglers of every experience level can enjoy bonefishing or deep-sea fishing. Bonefish are small, fast fish that swim around the low waters of Grace Bay. To catch them, you wade at the water’s edge or cast a line from an offshore boat. Head into open water and try to land the big one during a deepsea fishing excursion.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Turks and Caicos Residences at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE IL PRATO 9 BED / 9.5 BATH

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Tuscany was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance but the works of art that have fascinated generations are only part of its allure. You’ll find your eyes following the landscape of rolling green hills, dotted by olive groves and the grapes and trellises of carefully manicured vineyards. You can taste family recipes in the region’s trattorie and glimpse back to the 11th century in the venerable stone towers of San Gimignano.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

TUSCANY HIGHLIGHTS THE CHIANTI REGION

In 1716, former Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de’ Medici decreed that four area villages would be the only officially recognized producers of Chianti wine. One of these villages, Greve, is the site of a restored stone farmhouse that is now Il Bronzino. This Inspirato home can be combined as a ninebedroom villa or enjoyed as two seperate residences. Il Bronzino is located between Florence and Siena.

THE VILLAS

All of Inspirato’s spacious residences are situated amid impeccably manicured gardens and feature incredible views of the area’s rolling green hills, surrounding vineyards and olive groves. YOUR OWN WINE GUIDE

Your Destination Concierge is happy to arrange for an expert sommelier to guide you through the region’s outstanding Chianti, Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montepulciano, Montefalco Rosso and Super Tuscan

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I TA LY wines. Your Destination Concierge can also arrange for a private chef.

fashion. Instead, walk the pedestrian streets Via di Cittá, Banchi di Sopra and Via Dei Montanini in Siena.

SAN GIMIGNANO

The charming hill town of San Gimignano features stone architecture that dates back to the 11th century. Though you can see its 14 towers from miles away, there’s nothing like a stroll on the town’s ancient stone streets to really feel like you’ve stepped back in history.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Tuscany Residences & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

SHOPPING IN SIENA

You don’t have to go to Florence for high

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL PARTNER SONNENALP HOTEL

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At the Sonnenalp, classic alpine style meets quick access to the best of Vail Village. Stay in your roomy suite to lounge in handmade Bavarian furniture or your deep soaking tub. Step out to hit some of Colorado high country’s best shops, restaurants and skiing. Of course, you can get the best of both worlds with full access to the Sonnenalp’s amenities, including awardwinning restaurants and a sprawling spa. Mountain living is indeed easy.

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VAIL HIGHLIGHTS THE ACCOMODATIONS

Inspirato offers members a range of accommodations in Vail, from luxury residences high on the mountain to spacious, multi-bedroom apartments in the Village’s most luxurious addresses, including the Sonnenalp, featured here. THE AMENITIES

All Inspirato visitors to Vail enjoy exclusive access to the Inspirato Member Lounge in Vail Village at Solaris,where you can enjoy beer, wine,

COLORADO

complimentary light snacks and the company of your fellow members (hours vary by season; check availability with your Member Services team). Recharge from a day on the mountain at the Sonnenalp Spa, a 10,000-square-foot, European-inspired spa. Guests at both the Sonnenalp and Solaris properties can take advantage of ski and snowboard storage and concierge service.

Mountain is known as one of the largest—and arguably the most popular—ski resorts in the United States. It offers nearly 200 trails for skiers and riders of every ability to explore.

FRESH TRACKS

A quick drive down the valley means warmer

When the snow piles up, Vail

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NIGHTLIFE

Nobu Matsuhisa’s gourmet cuisine, Vail’s only movie theater and a stylish bowling alley are all within steps from each other in the heart of Vail Village. WARM-WEATHER ACTIVITIES

temperatures and expanded recreational opportunities. Saddle up for a trail ride with a local dude ranch, take a half-day Jeep tour, tee off for a game of golf at the semiprivate Sonnenalp Golf Club (located off-site) or cast a line into a blue-ribbon trout stream.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Vail Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL PARTNER FAIRMONT PACIFIC RIM

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Vancouver is an urban marvel, a combination of glittering glass highrises in the waterfront downtown area, sandy beaches just beyond, lush rainforests dotting the landscape and snowy peaks in the distance. The stylings of the Fairmont Pacific Rim are inspired by natural surroundings and the hotel’s five-star amenities will be your sophisticated home base during your time in the coastal city.

VANCOUVER HIGHLIGHTS URBAN OASES

Stanley Park melds history, an urban rainforest, and miles of waterfront walkways and beaches. Here’s where you’ll find Canada’s largest aquarium, home to more than 50,000 sea creatures. The VanDusen Botanical Garden covers 54 acres and is anchored by the center buidling, designed to look like an orchid. SWEET EATS

Inspired by the Pacific Northwest, the cuisine

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BRITISH COLUMBIA

at ORU puts an emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients. Warm up at lunch with West Coast clam chowder or coconut corn soup. For dinner, is there anything more appealing than lobster tagliatelle? The RawBar’s accolades include its status as the city’s first 100 percent Ocean Wise sushi destination, meaning the menu’s delicacies are always responsibly and sustainably sourced. Giovane café and eatery. describes itself as Italian fare in a modern space, but kids love it for its

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“candybar” of treats for the sweet-toothed. Macaron lovers will salivate over the treats at French Made Baking at 81 Kingsway. If you’d rather prepare them yourself, the café offers pastry classes. Stop in for a hot crêpe with salted caramel sauce.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Vancouver Suite at inspirato.com/destinations

CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE

On Hastings Street, the Vancouver Lookout Tower takes visitors on a 40-second ride 553 feet skyward to enjoy stunning 360-degree views from the observation deck.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE VILLA AQUAMARE 5 BED / 5.5 BATH

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VIRGIN GORDA

Welcome to virgin territory, a place where Laurance Rockefeller dreamed of a “wilderness beach,” where privacy ruled among endless beauty. Once a desolate island, Virgin Gorda was transformed into a must-see destination for discerning travelers when Rockefeller opened his resort at Little Dix Bay in 1964. Since then the sleepy island has kept its peaceful, captivating soul.

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HIGHLIGHTS THE BATHS

The signature natural wonder of the British Virgin Islands, the Baths are an unusual collection of giant boulders along the beach, which form caves and grottoes that house tranquil pools of ocean water, an ideal spot for swimming and snorkeling. Go early by car or boat to beat the crowds. SEA LIFE

The tropical waters just offshore from Inspirato’s residence, Villa Aquamare

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

on Mahoe Bay, host two spectacular reefs that start 15 feet from the beach and are home to turtles, parrotfish and hundreds of other species. Explore it by kayak or bask in the sun in the secluded cove nearby, Savannah Bay, a spot many local sailors consider one of the most beautiful beaches in the British or U.S. Virgin Islands. DOLPHINS

Dolphin Discovery inside Prospect Reef Port in Tortola brings you up close with the sea’s most magical creature. Pick one

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of the interactive programs and dive in to say hello to your new friends. AYE, CAPTAIN

Charter a sailboat for the day and set a course for your own island-hopping adventure, stopping in remote coves and secluded beaches where it’s just you and the Caribbean. From catamarans to power boats to sailboats, a wide variety of vessels can be yours for a sunset cruise, a day of island hopping or an overnight in your very own bay. You don’t need a boat

to explore the water, however, as jet skis and personal watercrafts are available for hire out of Leverick Bay Marina, a short 15-minute drive from your residence.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Virgin Gorda Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT RESIDENCE NALU 4 BED / 5 BATH

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You can truly have it your way on Maui. From exploring a lush rainforest and trekking to the top of a towering volcano to catching a wave or just digging your toes into the sand, the island is home to larger-than-life adventures and singular beauty. Your residences at Fairmont Kea Lani and Andaz Maui at Wailea put it all within easy reach.

WAILEA HIGHLIGHTS DON’T MISS

Looking for adventure? Hike above the cloud line on Haleakalā, Maui’s highest volcanic peak, or grab a surfboard and hit the waves. For more leisurely activities, Maui boasts 14 golf courses, several of which are considered among the world’s best. The unspoiled town of Hana is also worth a visit. THE RESORT LIFE

Home to four residences and two suites, the

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

M AUI, H AWA II

Fairmont Kea Lani offers three pools, beach activities, a spa and great restaurants—all without leaving the resort. Your generously sized and luxuriously appointed villa features a private lanai with plunge pool, deep soaking tubs and walk-in showers as well as access to the Spa Kea Lani, three resort pools, two whirlpools, complimentary transport to Wailea Golf Club and access to the Keiki Lani children’s program. You could leave the resort, but why would you want to?

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GREEN LIVING

The Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort offers luxury hotel amenities to go with Inspirato’s two oceanfront, LEED-certified villas, each with its own private lanai. BEST NEARBY BEACH

Polo Beach is just steps from your residence at the Fairmont Kea Lani, and its wide, sandy shores are perfect for boogie boarding. There are plenty of umbrellas, too. BEACH STROLL

The 3-mile Wailea Coastal

Walk takes about an hour to complete round-trip, but you’ll want to linger at one of five white sand beaches with swaying palm trees. A MEAL TO REMEMBER

There’s only one reason we would recommend a 45-minute drive to dinner: Hali’imaile General Store. It’s worth the trip.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Maui Residences, Rooms & Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL SUITE GEORGETOWN SUITE 1 BED / 1 BATH

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WASHINGTON

The Park Hyatt Washington puts Inspirato Members in the heart of DC, with easy access to the dining and shopping in Georgetown, DuPont Circle or the action around the White House and museums on The Mall. Guests enjoy complimentary car service to spots within 5 miles and the use of hotel bicycles for shorter trips around the neighborhood or down to the paths along the Potomac or Rock Creek Park.

HIGHLIGHTS A CAPITAL EXPERIENCE

Visitors flock to Washington, DC for a taste of American history, art history and the history of the world itself. They also feast at some of the best restaurants on the planet and revel at clubs of every description. While much of the city rushes about with meetings and agendas, we’ll ensure you’re instead a spectator to its more charming moments. MUSEUM ROW

Admission for all 15

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo is complimentary. Check out the Air and Space Museum, Natural History Museum and the American History Museum. EATS AND DRINKS

At Juniper, diners enjoy locally harvest ingredients, a rooftop that plays host to honeybees and a courtyard garden. Away from the National Mall, there is a burgeoning craft brew scene in Washington D.C. Visit Bluejacket Brewery, DC Brau Brewing Company,

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3 Stars Brewing Company and Atlas Brew Works for flights of cold beer. ART FIX

At the National Gallery of Art, you can appreciate the masterpieces of household names such as Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso as well as touring exhibitions and installations from a variety of award-winning collections.

display are Pulitzer Prizewinning photographs, historic artifacts, interactive exhibits and a 4-D theater.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Washington, DC Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

NEWSHOUNDS

Located between the White House and the U.S. Capitol, the Newseum is a well-known attraction. On

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT PARTNER OCEAN HOUSE, WATCH HILL

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The coastal village of Westerly in southwestern Rhode Island is marked by Victorian mansions and homes and is upheld as the epitome of a traditional American summer. Perched high on a bluff, Ocean House is the only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond hotel in the state, described by the New York Times as a place that “conjures up another age, when women wore white gloves to tea and golf was a newfangled pastime.”

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

WATCH HILL HIGHLIGHTS BEACH SCENE

With soft sand, fewer crowds and friendly waters, East Beach is billed by many as the best in Rhode Island. The beach is clean and safe but if you have little ones, note that there are no lifeguards on duty. NEW ENGLAND HISTORY

You’ll find the Old Lighthouse in nearby Stonington, Connecticut. This historic landmark has been open to the public since 1925. You can climb the 29 stone steps to the

RHODE ISLAND

tower to see a panorama of three different states. At the Nathaniel Palmer house in Watch Hill, you’ll learn about Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer, a seal hunter, captain and one of the first Antarctic explorers. His former residence is owned by the Stonington Historical Society and is open to the public for guided tours by local volunteers. SEA TALES

Jack Spratt is a wonderful storyteller as well as owner and captain of Trim Again, a classic wooden Catboat

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yacht that offers private charters in partnership with the Ocean House resort. FRESH CATCH

The food and dining options in Watch Hill are characterized by the wealth of seafood. Among the best: Chef Jeanie at Ella’s Fine Food & Drink serves up elegant Asian fusion and French food in a relaxed setting. The menu includes prix fixe options and mouthwatering sides such as wild mushroom bisque and double truffle lobster mac and cheese.

Don’t let the unassuming location in Merchant Square Plaza fool you; the dumplings at Beijing Dumpling are the real deal. Order yours with crab rangoons, wonton soup or scallion pancakes.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Watch Hill Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

INSPIRATO RESIDENCE CHÂTEAU MONDEAU 5 BED / 6 BATH

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WHISTLER

With nearby peaks and the Garibaldi Provincial Park, there will never be a lack of things to do when touring one of North America’s premier mountain destinations. Inspirato will ensure the finest alpine vacation you can find in British Columbia, providing you with first-class access to Whistler-Blackcomb’s year-round resort activities and the greatest experience in mountain living.

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HIGHLIGHTS CHÂTEAU MONDEAU

An impressive mountain road leads to Château Mondeau, a magnificent stone chalet standing among pine trees and pure serenity. The luxuriously appointed residence is a modern take on a majestic castle, with soaring ceilings and English colonial hardware, all surrounded by amazing valley views and easy access to Whistler’s world-class ski runs and hiking and biking trails.

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA PEAK EXPERIENCE

The twin peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains house a renowned mountain bike park in the summer. In the winter, they form the largest ski area in North America. Whistler also features a quaint Europeanstyle village, world-class dining and a hot nightlife scene unique to North American ski resorts. HELI-SKIING

After a few days of hitting the trails on the mountain, it’s time to get a little more daring. Let your Destination Concierge book a helicopter

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ski tour through Whistler Heli-Skiing and you’ll enjoy guided access to 432,000 acres of incredible backcountry terrain. VALLEY TRAIL

The Whistler Valley Trail connects in several places in the village and each way forks in different directions, so you can pick multiple routes on this scenic paved path that’s very popular for running, biking and rollerblading after the snow melts. NATURE TOUR

Open year-round, Ziptrek Ecotours is a peak-to-peak

zip line tour over creeks and forests. Those who want to stroll can try the canopy walk. DINING

Dusty’s, Whistler’s oldest hot spot, is also its best for an après-activity nosh. Dusty’s has been in business since 1965 and its interior is designed like a classic Western ski lodge. The sunny patio is a local favorite.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Whistler Residence at inspirato.com/destinations

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016


RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

HOTEL PARTNER WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT

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When Laurance and Mary Rockefeller sold the majority of their lavish resorts in 1986, they couldn’t say goodbye to the handsome wood beams of their favorite property, the 200-year old Woodstock Inn & Resort, which they kept near and dear to their hearts under new ownership of their non-profit foundation. Nestled against the Marsh-BillingsRockefeller National Park and surrounded by pristinely manicured lawns, Woodstock Inn is New England at its finest.

INSPIRATO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2016

WOODSTOCK HIGHLIGHTS BEAST OF THE EAST

Visiting Woodstock in the winter? It has its own ski area, Suicide Six, one of the oldest ski hills in the nation and home to 650 feet of vertical and a family-friendly mix of terrain. A little more than a half-hour drive from your accommodations, Killington Mountain & Ski Resort is the largest ski area in the eastern U.S. and features vertical drops of 3,050 feet. LOCAL TALENTS

Selling house-made pottery,

glassware, wood kitchen serving ware and apothecary items, Farmhouse Pottery is located on West Woodstock Road. Your second stop should be Vermont Flannel Company for some cozy threads.

VERMONT NURSERY COOL

A great day trip for the family is a 1.5-hour drive to Manchester. From mid-August through early November at Equinox Valley Nursery, a pumpkin patch becomes a Halloween playground for the kids.

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ACCOMMODATION Explore our Woodstock Room at inspirato.com/destinations

COVERED BRIDGES

Vermont is known for its various covered bridges. Over the Ottauquechee River, don’t miss the CornishWindsor Covered Bridge and Taftsville Covered Bridge. The Cornish-Windsor is actually in New Hampshire but only a half-hour drive from the Woodstock Inn.

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CHEESE HEADS

This family-owned farm welcomes visitors to sample 14 varieties of cheese and locally tapped maple syrup. Learn how maple syrup is bottled on a nature trail walk to sugar maple trees, visiting with farm animals as you go.

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RESIDENCES, ROOMS & SUITES

RESORT SUITE POOL VILLA 1 BED / 1 BATH

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Located northeast of Saudi Arabia on the Musandam Peninsula, Oman and adjoining Zighy Bay remain a hidden treasure to many travelers. On one side, dramatic mountains beckon you to go paragliding, canyoning, mountain biking and more. On the other side, blue waters welcome you to snorkel or paddle. Oman is a place for adventure; the famous Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s major oil portals, runs into the Gulf of Oman.

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ZIGHY BAY HIGHLIGHTS MIDDLE EASTERN TASTES

The dining at Six Senses resort include a memorable collection of delights. Senses on the Edge has you dining on a mountaintop with views down a canyon to the waters below. The Shua Shack is where you’ll dine on an authentic Bedouin meal of lamb slowly cooked in a sand pit. At Spice Market, diners enjoy a menu that includes assafir ferri, a date-glazed roasted quail with spiced citrus brown lentils topped with pomegranate sauce,

arayess lahm, grilled minced lamb in Arabic bread and fresh za’atar salad with tomatoes and pomegranate dressing.

OMAN boat that’s six meters high. On a popular half-day cruise, you’ll have the opportunity to snorkel, kayak and discover fjords, small bays and ancient fishing villages.

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ACCOMMODATIONS Explore our Zighy Bay Suites at inspirato.com/destinations

HISTORY LESSONS

The nearby village Sabatyn features petroglyphs and stone towers. Explore the plateau in a 4x4 in a daytime climb to panoramic views of Wadi Al Bih or the more peaceful sunset ride to enjoy canapés and a campfire and sunset. DHOW CRUISE

Dating back some 500 years, the Dhow is a local fishing

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DESERT TREKS

You’ll discover cascading waterfalls and freshwater springs within the renowned canyons of Wadi Wurayah. FISHING LINES

Handline fishing in Oman goes back centuries. Learn from the resort’s expert guide as he takes you to known fishing spots to cast for Hamour or reef cod.

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THERE I WAS LIFETIME CATCH

ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS (Clockwise fron top left) Tim Lemman, Dean Lemman, Adam Garside, Josh Little and Dean’s record catch.

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“On our first day out on the Luna, captained by Chip Van Mols, my son Tim hooked a 700-pounder that broke the hook and escaped after he’d reeled it within 20 feet of the boat. We knew there were big fish out there. Two hours into our second day, we were a half-mile offshore when we hooked a fish, and it was my turn to sit in the chair and reel it in. When the fish first hit the lure, it jumped out of the water numerous times about 150-200 yards away then took out most of the line. Three times it got close to the boat and then off she went taking all the line. Once, I got her within 50 yards and I saw how huge she was—at least 16 feet long and six feet around. For two-and-a-half hours, I was strapped into the chair while she’s doing everything she can to pull me out of it. It was the hardest, most exhausting thing I’ve ever done. I had to use my legs and back to pull back for every rep on the reel. Then she would run out the line, and I’d have to start all over. I was completely worn out after 30 minutes, but for

it to count as a record, world-class catch, I had to do it all by myself. I couldn’t accept any help. The fight ended after the fish died from the fight, which I didn’t want to happen. I’m a catchand-release guy, and I was ready to let her go. But since she died, we pulled her onto the boat, which was a 20-minute ordeal in itself. We got back to the marina and weighed her. A crowd of around a 100 people suddenly appeared and that’s when we realized that we had a record catch. I ended up giving her to the deckhand on the Luna and his brother who gutted it, smoked it and gave fillets out to locals. A week later, my hips and back started aching, and I’m still recovering a month later; the physical exertion was so intense. I dug deeper than I’ve ever gone in my life to stay in that chair. But now I’ve got the itch. My son and his friends are definitely going back. Our dream is to get a fishing boat and keep it docked in Kona or Los Cabos.” —AS TOLD TO GRANT DAVIS

photo courtesy the charter desk

DEAN LEMMAN, an Inspirato Member from Lake Oswego, Ore., traveled to Inspirato’s Kohala Coast property on the Big Island of Hawaii last May to fish for blue marlin and ended up reeling in a 1,226-pounder, which, at press time, was the largest fish caught in the world this year.

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