HIT THE ROAD

An Active Retreat

Just a short drive on I-20 from Birmingham, Reynolds Lake Oconee has been drawing Magic City visitors for years. Long known for its exceptional golf program and stunning setting on Lake Oconee, this Ritz-Carlton resort has something for everyone. The five-story property has rooms and suites of various sizes to accommodate a variety of guests, but larger parties may choose to book one of the six separate cottages that front the lake itself. Imagine settling in with your best girlfriends for a weekend of wedding planning and spa visits. For those who live, eat and breathe the pursuit of that small, white ball, there are four other suites which overlook The Oconee Golf Course, one of five worldclass courses on property.

Beyond spa and golf, Reynolds Lake Oconee has expanded its recreational offerings to include tri-toon boat rentals, water skis, Jet Ski, paddle boarding, wakeboarding and canoe rentals. One of the more recent additions to this property is Sandy Creek Sporting Grounds, which is nestled into 100-acres of pristine East Georgia countryside. Great Britain’s internationally-acclaimed shooting champion Justin Jones and his team have worked tirelessly to develop the property and make it a luxurious, world-class shooting destination. Sandy Creek features a 20-station sporting clays course, five-stand shooting range and sporting clays. Women make up the fastest-growing sector of the shooting market, so even if you’ve never picked up a 20-gauge shotgun before, we challenge you to try your hand at this sport. It is thrilling!

Of course, no getaway would be complete without great food, and this is one more way Reynolds Lake Oconee shines. There are a number of on-site restaurants that can be intimate respites for two, or host a large group of revelers. Book one of the cottages, and you can have chef-driven meals brought to your own private domain and never lift a finger.

Once your celebration or honeymoon has ended, you may find yourself not wanting to leave Reynolds. That is just the way they like it! Recent years have seen a huge rise in permanent relocation to the area where homesites have been selling like hotcakes. The development of the residential side of Lake Oconee has been one founded upon intention and authentic hospitality like no other. There is character and community here that has drawn new full-time residents who cherish being active and being taken care of in a naturally-wondrous setting. You may come for a weekend but end up staying for a lifetime.

reynoldslakeoconee.com

Located in the heart of Western North Carolina, The Swag is a storied property with a history of hospitality and a warm embrace of its environs. First established as the private retreat for Deener and Dan Matthews and their friends and family, The Swag is named for that part of the landscape where two mountains come together. That physical act of coming together is the foundation for what this property is all about.

Let’s start by saying this: take note of the temperature gauge on your car when you first turn onto The Swag’s driveway. As you make the 15-minute drive up the mountain, crossing the terrain on switchbacks, you can watch the temperature drop degree-by-degree. Better yet, just roll down the windows and let that fresh mountain air erase whatever cares you may have inadver-

tently brought along on this getaway. We promise that by the time you arrive at the welcome reception area, your breathing will become deeper and your smile will become wider.

As only the second stewards of this property, Annie and David Colquitt –themselves long time guests at The Swag before purchasing the property – built this welcome area as a way to set the tone for what is to come.

Atop the mountain lies the main guest lodge where you’ll gather each afternoon for a pre-prandial cocktail or enjoy a repast with other guests. Just across the driveway of the 250-acre property is a long, seemingly endless, rustic wooden fence which is all that separates guests from the wonder of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Pause for a moment to take in the chatter of woodland life, feel the cool and earthy breeze that comes whispering through the centuries-old growth. This may be just the setting you desire for a honeymoon or a relaxed couples retreat.

Rooms are available in the lodge’s main Swag House, where Deener and Dan once had rooms for each of their children to come and visit. These are spacious mountaintop rooms with truly elegant amenities not often found at this altitude. One of the most coveted rooms might be the one with the large copper tub on the porch. Picture yourself taking in the moonrise, enveloped in and sipping on bubbles. Adjacent Chestnut Lodge features five other spaces while seven cabins and suites across the property provide truly intimate privacy. The Balsam Cottage is one of our personal favorites with fireplaces, a sauna, an outdoor shower and soaking tub, beckoning you after a long hike.

The Great Smokies Daytime on the mountain is your time – hours to explore the GSMNP on foot, with or without a guide, like one of the experts-in-residence who have been coming to the property for years. You may choose to amble down the lawn to one of the nooks tucked into the rhododendron-lined hillside, taking along the lunch that the kitchen made for you this morning. Or, stake your claim on a rocking chair on the porch, cracking open a new hardback, losing count of all the hummingbirds that also call The Swag home.

The Colquitts recognized and relished the respite of The Swag, having been guests and friends of the Matthews for so many years. But, in taking the reins of ownership, they have endeavored to add even more luxury to the mountaintop: adding a spa, fitness center, wine and cocktail tastings, as well as a soaking pool with breathtaking views of the area. Tours of the garden on site are rounded out with cocktail-crafting classes where guests are invited to try their hand at mixology. Stave puzzles have always been standard fireside entertainment here and continue to be a cherished afternoon activity. theswag.com

For some, there is no getaway like a beach getaway. We get that. For those folks, we suggest something different than your typical 30-A trip: The Hotel Don CeSar in St. Petersburg, Florida. Also known as The Pink Palace, this grand hotel sits majestically on the sugar-white sands of St. Pete, just a short drive from the Tampa airport.

The Don (as it is also known) enjoys a rich romantic past that is honored still today. Real estate tycoon Thomas Rowe built the resort in the height of the Great Gatsby era of 1928, as a tribute to the love of his life. The property attracted a number of notable guests, including F. Scott Fitzgerald himself and was quite the destination in its heyday before Rowe’s untimely death in 1940. Two years later, the United States Army purchased the property and used it as a place for returning WWII injured airmen to convalesce. After that, the hotel languished for several years before a group of investors lovingly brought it back to life.