Get Away

by Christine Koubek Flynn

Soothe Your Senses

Everything about Springs Eternal Spa is softness: plush towels, calming music, seasonal teas and snuggly blankets as you sink into a plump-cushioned chaise set by the fire or overlooking the gardens. And that’s just the spa’s cozy relaxation room at Pennsylvania’s historic Omni Bedford Springs Resort.

Set in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, the resort makes frazzled guests feel refreshed—which may be why it has played host to 13 U.S. presidents. (President James Buchanan made it his summer White House in the mid1800s.) Originally renowned for the purported healing effects of the area’s mineral springs, the 2,200-acre property today includes a golf course, tennis courts, 25 miles of hiking and biking trails, lawn croquet, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool complex and the 30,000-square-foot spa.

Renovations during the pandemic included the addition of Evitt House Coffee café, a fitness center, an archery range and off-road vehicle trails, as well as Tally Ho Outfitters, where guests can book yoga and Pilates classes or private sessions, guided hikes (including a meditative walk), carriage rides, horseback riding and equipment rentals for biking and fishing.

The resort’s 220 rooms and suites (some pet-friendly) feature high-end down comforters and sheets. Several also have balconies with rocking chairs, and some have bathrooms with soaking tubs. Guests can dine on classic American gourmet fare in an 18th-century setting at the 1796 Room. The outdoor pool opens in May, and daily

children’s activities begin Memorial Day weekend. A “Spring Into Wellness” weekend—think spa, sunrise yoga and lazing about in a hammock—is June 2-4, and the Tally Ho Outfitters’ fishing tournament is June 18. Room rates begin at $274. Omni Bedford Springs Resort, 2138 Business 220, Bedford, Pennsylvania; 814-623-8100; omnihotels.com

Bloom’s lounge inside the Ulysses hotel

Bed Down in Charm City

Opened in the fall of 2022 in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, the Ulysses hotel is named for James Joyce’s mythical novel, as well as a ship that brought Bavarian immigrants to Baltimore.

To curate the property’s eclectic style, designers for parent company Ash Hotels hit Maryland estate sales and traveled to India, Europe and Vietnam to collect furniture and art. American filmmaker and Baltimore native son John Waters’ brand of counterculture served as inspiration for the hotel’s campy elements, from suite themes to carved wooden flamingo side tables.

The 116 guest rooms and suites feature hand-beaded lampshades, ornate dark wood furniture, four-poster beds and handmade quilts. All-day bistro Ash-Bar, inspired by steam train dining cars, serves up everything from coffee and house-made pastries to pasta, fish and veggie dishes. Try the popular 24 Hour Pressed Potatoes. Sip cocktails—Midori sours and oldfashioneds are favorites here—at Bloom’s, the colorful feast-for-the-senses lounge. Rates begin at $179. Ulysses, 2 E. Read St., Baltimore, Maryland; 443682-8578; hotelulysses.com

Spirits at George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill

Drink Washington’s Whiskey

Did you know that at the time of his death, our first president was one of the nation’s largest whiskey producers? After a nearly 200-year hiatus and multimillion-dollar reconstruction, George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill restarted the production of spirits 16 years ago, using Washington’s original methods and powered in part by a 16-foot waterwheel. Tours of the operation began in 2022.

Led by team members who personally distill the product, the tour highlights Washington’s expertise in whiskey production, including U.S. patent No. 3, the Oliver Evans automated gristmill system; heirloom grains; and how the team produces unaged rye whiskey, just as Washington did.

Tours are available through October with a George Washington’s Mount Vernon admission ticket, or a distillery and gristmill-only ticket for $10. Better still, you can sample three spirits on a whiskey tasting and tour, held Saturdays and Sundays in May, June and September from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets: $50 for Mount Vernon members; $60 for nonmembers.

The distillery is located less than 3 miles from the Mount Vernon estate, with shuttle service between the two. The whiskeys are served at the Mount Vernon Inn restaurant and also can be purchased at whiskey.mountvernon.org

The distillery also serves as a gateway to the American Whiskey Trail, a collection of sites in Virginia and beyond that tell the history of spirit production in the United States. George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill, 5514 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria, Virginia; 703-780-2000; mountvernon.org