5 minute read
A HOP, SKIP, AND A JUMP
WEEKENDERS NOW ALLOW FOR MAXIMUM RELAXATION AT THESE NEARBY RETREATS
by DELANEY WILLET
With the reopening of the travel industry, I find myself incapable of staying in a single location for extended periods, fearing that in an instant I may be disallowed from exploring wherever my heart desires. Yet, I have developed an immense appreciation for the local haunts that provide convenient, convalescent escape within a hop, skip, and a jump. These gems adjacent to Santa Barbara celebrate the unique landscape and culture of Southern California, as well as their surrounding regions, sweeping me away from the mundanity of the day-to-day without sweeping me too far.
HOTEL YNEZ
Photos by KARYN MILLET
A glance in the wrong direction and you may miss Hotel Ynez. The hideout acts as a sister property to the iconic Skyview Los Alamos and proves to be no less of a mainstay, even in its infancy. Had the hotel not installed a soaring neon sign (of Skyview lineage) denoting the turn into the property, I may have overlooked the surreptitious enclave of chicly-outfitted bungalows, situated masterfully as the centerpoint between Solvang, Santa Ynez, and Los Olivos. Hotel Ynez flawlessly fuses community with privacy. A crescent of guestrooms guarded by personal hammocks branch from the hotel’s lobby in the heart of the property, which acts as the living room, concierge service, and market (offering local artisanal snacks, wines, and IPAs, as well as a wide selection of So De Mel swimwear). Firepits
and cuddle loungers dot the courtyard, which is illuminated by gargantuan lanterns hanging from an impressive oak covering nearly the entire expanse of the property. I indulge in the sunset cocktail hour, socializing with my fellow revelers and marveling at the sun’s blazing strokes over the valley as it descends. As hickory smoke fills the air, the courtyard noticeably clears, each guest retreating to their personal patios to prepare the night’s feast. Hotel Ynez’s most charming practice is its offering of barbecue kits to guests, replete with a choice of local meats and a personal grill on my doorstep, fostering the environment of a neighborhood cookout within immaculate accommodations. IPAs create a clinging cacophony of cheers as a soft glow dances between the strung hammocks, emanating equally from lamps left alight until late in the night and the faces upon which they shine.
CUYAMA BUCKHORN
Photos by KENNEDY WILLIAMS
As the world slowly adapts into our modified normal, it may seem that every local escape has been exhausted, no longer providing the initial thrill of a new destination that was once so desperately craved. This certain itch for the unknown is scratched, though, in the tucked away high desert of the Cuyama Valley, an enchanted landscape in which Cuyama Buckhorn is the centerpiece. The converted rest stop finds new life as a picturesque hotel, doubling as a culinary destination. Cuyama Buckhorn boasts the talent of Executive Chef Daniel Horn, who has revamped the property’s dining program to prioritize local ingredients and the region’s rich culture. Under Horn’s vision, comfort
food arrives at the table as a product of farm-fresh produce, and several course, ingenious tasting menus are served in the spectacular greenhouse on property, where guests are surrounded by the very gardens in which the dishes’ ingredients are grown. I decide there is no better way to precede such a grandiose dinner than with the happy hour—featuring house batched cocktails—hosted alongside the pool as the afternoon sun dips below the Caliente Mountain range. Cuyama is a place that encourages you to truly come as you are, whether that be in your most sophisticated dinner attire or with today’s bathing suit still drying underneath your clothes. I sip my herbal cocktail concoction in the latter state, utterly blissful. This location elevates my standard for all future weekenders. A twentyfour-hour room service menu and a decent PayPer-View selection will no longer do. Instead, complimentary s'mores kits, 360 degree views of the sunset over the valley, and dishes sourced from a farm I could walk to if I so desired are now tied for first on my list of vacation priorities.
FOUR SEASONS WESTLAKE VILLAGE
Photos by JORDAN DONOHOE
Exactly halfway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and only twenty minutes over the hill from Malibu, Four Seasons Westlake Village has established itself as a retreat in its own right. The property houses the California Health and Longevity Institute, an internationally-recognized destination effortlessly straddling the border between holistic wellness and medical practice. Health at the constant forefront of their mission and the hotel places similar emphasis on a well-rounded lifestyle; cooking classes fall into my itinerary on the flanks of a restorative massage session, and preceding dinner at the hotel’s
farm-to-table restaurant, Coin and Candor. The circular dining room is a splendor, boasting a wraparound terrace with views of the grounds’ expansive lawns and waterfalls, which act as the foreground on a tapestry of the Santa Monica Mountains, swathed in crimson during my 6 o’clock dinner. Coin and Candor’s menu sources from local farms, listed in their entirety beside the dishes in which they are featured, and focuses upon sustainable fare with the ultimate wellbeing of the guests in mind. Such an ethos guides the cuisine toward fresh vegetables and native California flavors (think a whole avocado, grilled and dressed with peanut salsa and honeycomb in place of a starter salad). The palate play is far from over, though, as the Four Seasons hosts two additional eateries of high acclaim: Onyx, the upscale sushi bar, and Prosperous Penny, the bright blue-hued speakeasy touting a range of creative cocktails, from salted, to sugared, to smoked. A spa extravaganza, two dinners, and a cocktail hour later, I have never been more grateful for the stylish kingsized bed that awaits my repose upstairs. The waterfall that commands my view in the daylight now serves as a welcome noise machine, lulling me into slumber under the most delicate duvet in which I have ever been enclothed. I am well-nourished of mind and body, free to doze off in utter contentment. Who knew pampering could be so exhaustive? *