LONG-TERM LODGING

With remote work and school, vacation rental sites see extended stays

BY MORGAN HINES

BRIAN CHESKY, CEO and co-founder of Airbnb, believes that the line between travel and daily life is becoming permanently blurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to sweep the globe.

People are starting to stay longer at Airbnb locations, rather than opting for quick getaways, making travel less of a special event and more of a way of life. “As length of stay increases, those two worlds start blurring together,” Chesky says. “Because people were traveling nearby — the places they were going — many of them didn’t even have hotels. They’re traveling and staying longer because they’re more flexible.”

The flexibility that comes with remote work and learning is also changing when people travel, according to Airbnb’s 2021 travel report.

“A significant percentage of Americans are more open to traveling during off-peak times of year and days of the week — one-quarter of those surveyed, in both cases,” Airbnb reports.

Another 24 percent of respondents “see themselves undertaking more longer-term stays.” Sixty percent of longer-term stays were by guests who worked or studied while at their rentals.

At its core, “work from home” can be substituted with “work from anywhere” — which is giving people greater flexibility when it comes to their lifestyle, according to Chesky.

But the trend goes beyond workrelated travel. Due to COVID-19, leisure travelers are less comfortable staying at bustling resorts or visiting crowded tourist districts. >

“They want to get in cars, travel just a couple hundred miles, not be around people they don’t know and gather in a space that feels like home,” Chesky says. “That private space is obviously quite good when you don’t want to come in contact with people, if you don’t know if they have the vaccination or what they have.”

Like other hotels, resorts and lodging options, Airbnb is helping protect its clientele and ease concerns about the spread of the coronavirus by implementing health and safety protocols.

Airbnb’s Health Safety Attestation will be a “voluntary tool” that will give hosts the option to request guests “attest they are clear of common COVID-19 symptoms and have not knowingly been recently exposed to COVID-19,” according to the company.

“Health and safety is something we are going to continue to be focused on,” Chesky says. l

The results of Airbnb’s 2021 travel survey are mirrored by competitors including vacation rental platform VRBO, which released a January report focused on how “pandemic-influenced travel habits are here to stay.” That includes mixing work and travel for what VRBO deems a “flexication”: it’s a term for a trip mixing work and pleasure.

In their survey, VRBO found that 52 percent of travelers who took a “flexication” in 2020 “found the experience of blending work and family vacation time refreshing.”

Sixty-seven percent of travelers would do it again, the report found.

The “where” part of the equation is changing along with the how: According to VRBO’s report, many families are choosing to take trips closer to home, including road trips.

“We expect families to continue taking road trips instead of flying, taking advantage of flexible schedules to mix work and play on a flexication, and seeking out destinations with access to open skies and fresh air in places they may not have considered before,” VRBO travel expert Melanie Fish said in a statement.

BY TONYAA WEATHERSBEE

In 1963, Margaret Walker’s neighbor, civil rights activist Medgar Evers, was assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist, in Jackson, Miss.

Five years later, more than 200 miles north of Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tenn.

Those tragic killings took place some 100 years after the end of the Civil War, yet still standing were Confederate monuments that fueled the white supremacist ideas that led to Evers, King and countless other Black people being killed, brutalized or discriminated against.

Many still stand today. In Mississippi alone, those monuments remain in 131 public spaces.

So, when Walker, poet and author of the neo-slave narrative Jubilee, founded the Institute for the Study of the History, Life and Culture of Black People in 1968, she ensured that the truths of Evers, King and countless others didn’t drown in a sea of Confederate myths. Now known as the Margaret Walker Center, it is a museum and archives based at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

“Margaret founded us in 1968, and to do that in Mississippi was an activist statement,” says Robert Luckett, associate professor of history at Jackson State and director of the center. “For her to have the courage and wherewithal to make that happen is a remarkable testimony to her, and to the strength of the idea. It is reflective of the kind of crucial roles these museums have been playing in preserving and promoting African American history and culture.”

In an age in which the nation is being challenged to reckon with its Confederate past, civil rights museums and archival centers will likely play an even larger role in helping to set the racial record straight, says Terri Lee Freeman, president of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.

“I think the role of the museum has always been to educate and to educate truthfully about the subject matter and about the topic,” Freeman says. “Just because you take down the Confederate statue doesn’t mean the history didn’t happen, so the role there is to be accurate and authentic in our interpretation of the history.”

The movement to topple Confederate statues, as well as a summer of protests against the killing of unarmed Black people by police officers and the >

disproportionate impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on African Americans, has likely generated more questions for which civil rights memorials and museums are uniquely positioned to provide context, says Tafeni English, director of the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Ala.

Part of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the Civil Rights Memorial includes the granite-inscribed names of 40 civil rights icons killed from 1955 — the year that 14-year-old Emmett Till was murdered by white men in Mississippi — to 1968, when King was killed.

The memorial, as well as the

Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which opened in 2018, pays homage to victims of slavery, lynchings and racial terrorism.

“The interpretive center is a full experience where we not only share the stories of the martyrs on the wall, but we also talk about the work of SPLC,” English says.

“The Emanuel Nine (Black parishioners who were murdered in a Charleston, S.C., church by white supremacist Dylann Roof in 2015) are included on the wall. ... White supremacy and terrorism still has strong holds in our country, and we don’t talk about it nearly enough.”

English says civil rights museums fulfill their educational responsibilities by presenting material and exhibits that add historical context to current issues.

“Overall, I think people see museums as being pretty static, that we tell a story and that’s it,” she says. “Well, no, that’s not how it works. As our communities change and as social justice issues emerge, museums are able to tell the full story.”

Next year, for example, Luckett says the of the Margaret Walker Center will host an exhibit based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Matthew Desmond, Eviction: Poverty and Profit in the American City. That work encompasses the impacts of racism and inequality.

And the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which opened in 2017, also offers a gallery space titled Where Do We Go From Here? to help visitors reflect on their experiences and offer ideas on how to continue to improve society.

“I would argue that (the Mississippi Civil Rights) museum, in the context of memorials and monuments, reflects a community-driven effort to reflect the kind of monument that we should all be proud of, because that museum is a $90 million project that is going to withstand the test of time,” says Luckett, who was on the team of scholars who helped plan it.

“The legislature stayed out of most of it, except for the funding, which was good,” he says. “It allowed us to drive a more honest narrative of civil rights in Mississippi. Community meetings were held throughout the state, and the main thing they wanted was for the truth to be told.”

But how do civil rights museums bring new and contextualized experiences to people?

Virtually all of them offer field trips and materials that supplement the social studies curriculum in schools.

Efforts such as the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project offer learning plans and other resources, while National Civil Rights Museum

BRANDON DAHLBERG/(MEMPHIS, TENN.)COMMERCIAL APPEAL; GETTY IMAGES; ROGELIO V. SOLIS/ASSOCIATED PRESS

educator Dory Lerner often makes presentations in Shelby County (Tenn.) schools.

Many times, the students learn something that helps them to educate their parents on civil rights history, English says.

“We had a fourth grader come through who was very attentive, and we get to the hallway before they get to put their name on this wall in which they’re going to take a pledge that they’re going to be on the side of right, and that they’re going to fight for everybody,” she says.

“Well this fourth grader, with all of his innocence, says: ‘My dad told me that the klan was responsible for keeping people straight, for keeping people in line,’” English recalls.

“There was so much genuineness there, in that he saw the Ku Klux Klan as law and order, and that they only attacked people if they were bad. But for a fourth grader to walk away with a different perspective, and to say, ‘My dad was wrong,’ that was something.”

Many adults often learn more than they expect, Freeman says.

“There are people who come to this museum often thinking that what they’re going to simply see is the King room,” she says of the National Civil Rights Museum, located in the former Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated. “They often are surprised to learn that this museum is not only a memorial to King and the tragic event that occurred on April 4, 1968, but that it takes people on a journey from Africans being stolen from their native land and brought to this country and spread throughout the diaspora, and then what happened after enslavement and beyond.”

Dave Tell, a University of Kansas communications professor and author of Remembering Emmett Till, has worked with the Emmett Till Memorial Project since 2014.

He’s secured grants and created an app for the project as a way of guarding against the constant vandalizing of Till’s memorial sign.

Tell says he believes civil rights museums have an important role to play in clarifying the past and contextualizing the current political moment.

“Museums and monuments play a huge role in what stories are going to be dignified and which stories are not. ... Museums are on the front edge of a contest that is being played out right now about what stories get dignified in public space.” l

— Tonyaa Weathersbee writes for the Memphis (Tenn.) Commercial Appeal.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

The newest Smithsonian museum, on the Mall in the nation’s capital, opened in 2016 and documents African American history and culture with around 36,000 artifacts. Recent exhibits pay tribute to Black Americans in the military from the American Revolution to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, how Black America has changed since 1968, stories from writer James Baldwin’s home in southern France and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign.

The institute, in downtown Birmingham, Ala., is across the street from the site of one of the most violent battles in the civil rights movement. On Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963, a bomb planted by white supremacists exploded under the steps of the 16th Street Baptist Church, killing four Black girls. King sent a telegram to Alabama’s segregationist Gov. George Wallace that said, “The blood of our little children is on your hands.”

King came to Memphis in April 1968 to support the city’s sanitation workers, who were on strike for better pay and working conditions. King’s assassination on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel rocked Memphis and the country, marking the loss of the nation’s most prominent civil rights leader. The site of the tragedy, including the boarding house where King’s assassin fired the bullet, has been turned into the National Civil Rights Museum.

The King Memorial, dedicated in 2011, is the first monument on the National Mall dedicated to an African American. It’s at West Potomac Park, not far from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where King gave his famous I Have a Dream speech in 1963.

The handsome brick Monroe Elementary School on the south side of Topeka, Kan., became the launch point for one of the most consequential civil rights breakthroughs in American history. When built in 1927, it was designated by the Topeka Board of Education as a school for Black children. By 1950, Topeka had established 18 neighborhood schools for white children, but only four for their Black counterparts. The following year, the Topeka NAACP went to court in a case that would come to be known as Brown v. Board of Education. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered school desegregation nationwide.

Perhaps no more blood was spilled in the struggle for civil rights than in Mississippi. It was the site of the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till. Medgar Evers, who established the Jackson office of the NAACP with his wife, Myrlie Evers, was assassinated in his driveway in Jackson in 1963. Three civil rights workers — James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman — were abducted and killed in Mississippi in 1964. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum takes an unflinching look at the state’s history of racial violence.

The King Center in Atlanta describes its collection of American civil rights research materials as the world’s largest. It includes King’s papers and those of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,

the organization he co-founded. The archives include hundreds of oral history interviews with King’s friends, family and associates in the civil rights movement. Visitors can see the marble crypt where King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, are buried, and the eternal flame that symbolizes King’s vision.

King Center

— Curtis Tate

Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture and Industry of the Riverside Art Museum in California

BY LAURA CASTAÑEDA

history and contributions of Latinos, the nation’s largest ethnic group, are on the way: a Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, D.C., and Southern California’s Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture and Industry of the Riverside Art Museum. >

Although the facilities will be new, there is nothing novel about Latinos or their integral place in the story of America. “Latinos have played a foundational role in building this country and shaping its culture even before there was a United States of America,” says Eduardo Díaz, director of the Smithsonian Latino Center.

It took 27 years to obtain the official nod for the new museum, says Estuardo Rodríguez, president and CEO of Friends of the American Latino Museum, the organization that’s led the fundraising campaign. Before it opens (in an estimated 10 years at the earliest), he says about $700 million has to be raised and a location on the already crowded National Mall must be found.

Fortunately, there’s no shortage of Latino exhibitions at the Smithsonian, and more are coming. Since 1997, the Smithsonian Latino Center has helped embed cultural content across the Smithsonian’s museums and research centers. Díaz says exhibits have included Hispanic history and Chicano graphics and featured topics such as the Latino influence on baseball and design.

Less than 1 percent of the permanent works in the National Portrait Gallery featured Latinos until a Latina curator, Taína Caragol, arrived in 2013. Since then, more than 200 portraits of notable Latinos have been installed, Díaz says, adding that the Smithsonian American Art Museum now has the largest collection of U.S. Latino art among all major art museums in the U.S.

More Latino content is coming even before the National Museum breaks ground. The Molina Family Latino Gallery at the Smithsonian will be the institution’s first physical space on the National Mall dedicated to the Latino experience. The 4,500-square-foot space will be

Here are some other Latino-focused museums and centers:

uArizona Latino Arts & Cultural Center, Phoenix

uMuseum of Latin American Art, Long Beach uLa Plaza de Culturas y Artes, Los Angeles uCentro Cultural de la Raza, San Diego uArte Américas Cada de la Cultura, San Diego uMovimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, San Jose uGalería de La Raza, San Francisco

uMuseo de las Americas, Denver

uThe American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, Miami

uNational Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago uThe National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, Chicago uPuerto Rican Art Alliance, Chicago

uNational Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque

uEl Museo del Barrio, New York City uCaribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, New York City

uEl Museo Latino, Omaha

uTaller Puertorriqueño, Philadelphia

uMuseo de Arte De Puerto Rico, Santurce uInstituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan uMuseo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce

uLatino Cultural Center, Dallas uEmma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, Austin uMexic-Arte Museum, Austin uGuadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Antonio

located on the ground floor of the campaign featuring restaurants and Smithsonian’s National Museum of hotels such as the famous Mission American History because, as Díaz Inn Hotel & Spa to highlight the says, “Latino history is American city as a great weekend destination, history.” Oberjuerge says.

The gallery is scheduled to open in “We hear a lot from people who May 2022 and was seeded with a $10 haven’t been to Riverside and are million donation by the family of Long surprised by what’s here in terms of Beach, Calif., physi- arts and the hotels cian C. David Molina, and the historic founder of Molina downtown corridor,” Healthcare Inc., and she says. “We’re his wife, teacher Mary hoping people will Molina. come and discover

Universal design what Riverside has techniques are to offer.” being used to create The inaugural bilingual interactive exhibition at The exhibitions, hands-on Cheech will feature educational program- the glass sculptures ming and digital and lenticular initiatives. “We want works of Jamex to create a space that de la Torre and is accessible to anyone Einar de la Torre with physical, sensory The El Chico in a program titled or brain-based condi- Cookbook, Collidoscope: A De tions,” Díaz says. circa 1975 La Torre Brothers

The first exhibition Retro-Perspective. will be ¡Presente! A Attendance Latino History of the United States. Díaz for The Cheech, according to a says, “Some visitors will probably not local economist, could reach 250,000 know much about us. A typical Anglo visitors annually, Oberjuerge says. family from, say, Rapid City, South But even with pandemic restrictions Dakota, may not know much about that limit capacity, she believes it can our history. This is an opportunity for reach 100,000 a year. us to introduce the Latino community A real “community barn raising” to the American constituency.” took place to make the museum hap-

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the pen, she says. Although the city will Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, contribute about $1 million per year Culture and Industry of the Riverside under a 25-year agreement to cover Art Museum is planning to open this operating costs, the Riverside Art December, executive director Drew Museum will fund the $13.3 million Oberjuerge says. renovation of the former public library

Located about 55 miles east of Los through a $9.7 million state grant and Angeles, the museum will house private donations. hundreds of paintings and drawings Historically, many museums have collected through the years by actor struggled to tell the complete true and Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong unbiased stories of America. “Cheech film fame. The Cheech, as it is known, says Chicano art is American art and will sit in a former 60,000-square-foot needs to be represented in museums midcentury-style public library in and exhibits. Families need to see Riverside’s historic Mission District, themselves reflected in art on the she says. walls to enforce that their stories and

The city is looking at the opening experiences matter,” Oberjuerge says. of the museum as part of its post- “Arts are key to civic engagement and COVID-19 recovery and plans an ad better understanding.” l

BY ERIN GIFFORD

e have hit the water on kayaks, canoes and stand-up

Wpaddleboards — the perfect social distancing activites during the coronavirus pandemic. It has been a cinch to be a paddle’s length apart on our local lakes and ponds.

Although many have received a vaccine by now, social distancing remains a wise protocol. Cautious adventurers are still heading outdoors and seeking refuge at remote campsites where they can keep at least arms’ length — or oar’s length — from strangers.

These isolated isles make it easy. Whether you prefer tents and sleeping bags or climate-controlled cabins with toilets and electricity, there’s a private island for you.

At Voyageurs National Park, every campsite is accessible by water, and all sites require a camping permit. Some islands have just one campsite, while other larger islands have multiple options.

Many of the most sought-after island campsites are on Kabetogama Lake, one of four major chain-oflakes at Voyageurs. Echo and Moxie islands each have just one campsite, while Sphunge Island has two sites — one east, one west.

The islands are not far from the kayak launch area, but may still require an hour or two of paddling, depending on the weather and other variables. Every campsite has food storage lockers, picnic tables, a fire ring and an outhouse.

“The most important thing to know is the kind of landing. Not all islands have sand landings, but that’s what you want,” says longtime paddler Barry Brahier, from Roseville, Minn., who has camped on the islands at Voyageurs more than a dozen times.

By day, paddle to islands that allow for exploration, like Cutover Island, also on Kabetogama Lake. Near the lake you’ll find the 2-mile Locator Lake Trail. Keep your eyes open for beavers, bald eagles, loons, red squirrels, swans and other native wildlife.

In New York’s Adirondacks region, Lake George is home to several clusters of stateowned islands that can be reserved for paddle-in day use activities or overnight camping. The Lake George Islands can be reached by canoe or kayak, even motorized boats and sailboats.

The area was once a fashionable summer spot for families to escape from the city. Photographer Alfred Stieglitz and his wife, Georgia O’Keefe, spent summers on the lake. Stieglitz, who often turned to the sky for inspiration, took a series of photographs of the clouds, called >

Equivalents, while O’Keefe took inspiration from the Earth in her paintings.

To spark your own creative journey, book your campsite at ReserveAmerica.com or take a chance on one of the first-come, first-serve options, which can only be reserved in-person at the ranger station. All islands have at least one toilet, a fire ring and a picnic table.

The Glen Island Group is a favorite with more than two dozen islands, including singlesite islands, like Perch and Little Gourd. Hermit Island is a top pick given its proximity to Glen Island, which is home to a ranger station and a general store for live bait, firewood, groceries, other supplies and ice cream scoops.

Maclellan Island is situated in the middle of the Tennessee River, just under the Veterans Bridge in downtown Chattanooga. This 18.8-acre wildlife sanctuary is a stone’s throw from the stunning Tennessee Aquarium and the creative energies of the Bluff View Art District.

Yet, Maclellan Island is worlds away. It’s the kind of escape you seek when you want a break from modern conveniences, if only for a weekend. There is no electricity, no water and no toilet facilities of any kind on the island, and that’s just the way some campers like it — a reminder of days gone by. As in, simple and quiet.

Maclellan Island takes one booking per night and can host up to 30 guests at a time. Hike the perimeter of the island along a 1.5-mile nature trail, then explore the rain shadow desert, a rugged, shrubby area under the Veterans Bridge that receives no sun and very little rain.

As an urban wildlife sanctuary, the in-town island is home to

songbirds, turkeys, raccoons, owls, opossums and ospreys. Place your kayak or canoe in the water at the ramp under the Market Street Bridge at Coolidge Park. From there, it’s a short paddle across the river for a beach landing at Maclellan Island.

BYOB (as in, bring your own boat) or rent a kayak or canoe from L2 Outside. “From Maclellan Island, you can see in between Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain,” says Darlene Carlson, executive director at the Chattanooga Audubon Society. “You’ll also enjoy one of the most beautiful skyline views in the area from the shore.”

The San Juan Islands have long been revered by outdoor enthusiasts thanks to a multitude of camping, hiking and paddling opportunities. Paddle-in campsites can be found on islands, peninsulas and state parks all along the Cascadia Marine Trail in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

For a remote paddle-andcamp experience, look to teeny-tiny marine parks, like Posey Island Marine State Park, one of the smallest in >

Washington. With just two campsites, it’s possible to have the entire 1-acre state park to yourself. Walk the perimeter to study time-worn Yew trees and brightly colored wildflowers.

During the day, kayak north to Spieden Island to see — from a distance — sika deer, horned mouflon sheep and other safari animals grazing on the savannalike grasses.

The private Spieden Island was a game park for a short time in the 1960s. Stepping foot on the island is prohibited, but wildlife can be seen from the water.

In the afternoon, savor the sweeping views from the Posey Island shoreline. There is no electricity or potable water source, but there is a composting toilet on the island. Sites can be reserved online through Washington State Parks.

Coney Island may be part of the name, but this retreat is not even close to Brooklyn. It’s actually inside the New River Gorge National Park, recently redesignated as a preserve in the National Park System.

Here, you’ll find The Cabin on Coney Island, a climate-controlled shanty that can sleep up to 10 people

between two bedrooms and a loft with three twin-size trundle beds.

Coney Island is located at the confluence of the New and Greenbrier rivers in Hinton. The cabin features amenities, like flush toilets, a full kitchen, electricity and air conditioning. It’s a quick paddle, too; it’s the length of a football field from the boat launch to the island. An in-town outfitter can also taxi you over to the island.

Beyond a well-appointed cabin, you’ll find 7 acres of hiking trails and a small sandy beach. Bring your own food for lunch and dinner. Breakfast basics, like fresh fruit, cereal, oatmeal, coffee and tea, are provided. The cabin is also stocked with cleaning supplies, paper products and firewood.

“Guests who come to the island for a vacation want to stay on the island,” says Holli Lathroum, marketing manager, MountainPlex Properties, which operates the cabin. “They want to kayak around the island, go fishing, listen to the river and not do a lot of anything, just relax.”

When you want to be in the city, but you want your space too, there’s Sharp’s Island in Richmond, Va. This 1-acre forested island with a beach sits in the middle of the James River, wowing with winning views of the 108-year-old Mayo Bridge and the downtown skyline.

Overnight guests can set off in a motorboat from Ancarrow’s Landing or put a kayak or canoe on the river near the south end of the Mayo Bridge to reach Sharp’s Island. Bring your own tubes or buy a few from the island’s owners for a carefree float along the James River or to simply chill in one of dozens of refreshing swimming holes.

Watch the sun set, then toast marshmallows over the island’s fire pit at the end of the day. Andy Thompson, one of the island’s owners, noticed he had the perfect socially distanced escape last summer. “People realized they could get out and camp with their families and be totally separated from anyone else,” says Thompson.

Little Whortlebury Island is one of only a handful of private islands for rent on Lake Winnipesaukee. There is no cabin or abode of any kind on the 4-acre

island, so plan to bring your own tents and sleeping bags. This does not mean the island is free of amenities. In fact, the island is stocked with cooking utensils and tableware. There is also a large dining table, a stone barbecue pit, food prep tables, tent platforms and a composting toilet.

Bring your own or rent a boat from Melvin Village Marina for the short hop to Little Whortlebury Island. Spend your days fishing in the lake or tuning in to the haunting calls of the majestic loons. Make time to paddle or motor out to Liliuokalani’s Ice Cream Shop for a scoop or two.

Staying on Little Whortlebury truly allows you to get back to basics, like blueberries. “One of the great things about the island is that there are tons of wild blueberries to feast on, especially in August,” says Sabra Gandhi-Sellers, daughter-in-law of the island’s owner, noted American architect David Sellers. l

BY JENNIFER BRADLEY FRANKLIN

Many travelers hunt for the perfect beach-side room, but travel connoisseurs realize that sometimes the best view — and with it, relaxation and privacy — can be found from above. “Being in or near the mountains just calms me in a way no other landscape can. It’s also easy to be alone in the woods or mountains, which is really hard to do on a beach if you’re not wealthy,” says Emily Farris, a lifestyle content creator based in Kansas City, Mo. “I’ll take a cabin over a cabana any day.”

Farris and her husband stayed in a yurt in Cape Lookout State Park on the Oregon coast as part of their Pacific Northwest honeymoon. “It’s technically on the beach, which is actually part of what made it so magical,” she says. “From our yurt at night, we could see the stars and hear the ocean.”

Farris isn’t alone in her preference for peaks. “Many (of my clients who request mountain trips) are city dwellers, and they want to be in wide-open places, taking in the majesty of mountain peaks, towering trees, rivers, lakes and wildlife,” says Cristina Buaas, Houston-based owner of CSB Travel. She notes that having space to distance within nature became a particular draw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While mountains draw snowseekers in the winter, these highelevation destinations are popular year-round. “For example, Jackson Hole’s peak season is summer, not winter,” says Buaas of the popular Wyoming destination. “Activities like hiking, biking, rafting, fly fishing and horseback riding are very popular.”

Whether you’re looking for a vacation destination that combines elevation with the coastline or a land-locked property surrounded by mountain peaks, here are some prime spots to consider:

If you can’t bring yourself to choose between the mountains and the sea, Oil Nut Bay on Virgin Gorda’s North Sound gives you the best of both worlds, showcasing the cobalt water and rugged coastline. Accessible only by boat or helicopter, the exclusive property’s 26 accommodation offerings range from cliffside one-bedroom suites to six-bedroom villas, some as high as 700 feet above sea level. The 400-acre landscape offers five hiking trails for sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea, tennis and pickleball courts and an onsite barn for rescued animals including retired racehorses, an emu and flamingos. Venture into the water for snorkeling, reef diving, sea kayaking and sailing and refuel with an alfresco meal and a cocktail at Nova, the resort’s new overwater restaurant and bar.

Unplug and disconnect at Post Ranch Inn, perched 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean in the Santa Lucia Mountains. Choose from 40 guest rooms and suites, spread across 100 acres, according to your preferences. Tree House rooms tower on 9-foot stilts among massive redwood trees; Mountain House rooms offer striking views of the surrounding peaks, and the Ocean Houses showcase the waves crashing on the rocks below. All come without alarm clocks or televisions for optimum relaxation and are powered by a 990-panel solar array, the largest such project in California. Take part in free meditation classes, guided nature hikes and nightly stargazing through the inn’s 12-inch Meade telescope. On a clear night, you might see the rings of Saturn.

Natural beauty is a top draw at Amangani, where all 40 luxury suites have floorto-ceiling windows, perfect for taking in the spectacular Grand Tetons and the Snake River Valley. The resort sits at 7,000 feet above sea level within the largest contiguous forest in the United States. Since Jackson Hole is less than 60 miles to Yellowstone National Park and only 5 miles to Grand Teton National Park, guests can take advantage of hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails and nature safaris to spot elk, white-tailed deer, moose, black and grizzly bears, as well 300 species of local birds, including bald eagles. The Snake River offers opportunities for fly-fishing to reel in trophy-sized cutthroat trout and exciting whitewater rafting through the canyon. Horseback riding through wildflower-covered trails, yoga sessions with panoramic views, spa services and swimming in the 377-foot long pool round out the experience.

For relaxation with a side of adventure, take a trip to Canyon Madness Ranch, a new sportforward property that opened in April. The main house, Teepee Lodge, was designed by architect Alejandro Uribe. It features twin teepee-shaped peaks over 18,000 square feet of indoor space with two levels of metal-alloy decks that overlook the rushing Canadian River. The remote and intimate allinclusive experience accommodates 16 guests across eight rooms. Pick your activity level and take part in an extensive sport shooting program (including a military-style firearms experience), river kayaking, archery and hiking. Equestrians of all levels can saddle up for rides on pristine wilderness trails, while history buffs can explore the remnants of homesteads and search for Native American artifacts.

Hawaii’s first and only Relais & Châteaux property, the adults-only Hotel Wailea is designed for romance and exclusivity. Seventy-two spacious suites are spread across 15 acres, perfect for easy social distancing. Borrow one of the resort’s three vintage 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster replicas to explore Maui’s upcountry peaks, some of which top out at more than 10,000 feet above sea level; try your hand at Hawaiian outrigger canoeing to see the sunrise over the Haleakalā volcano; or join the Surf Safari tour to hang 10 on some of the island’s best breaks. Spring for the sevencourse tasting menu in a private treehouse set among the mango trees to cap off the unforgettable experience. No matter where you are, adjacent mountain islands set a jaw-dropping scene.

You’re not far from the water at The Caves, and the elevated position is perfect for thrill-seekers to jump from the limestone cliffs 30 feet into the turquoise waves below (shorter jumps are available for lessbold visitors). Settle into one of 12 pastel-hued suites and cottages, and kick your vacation into high gear with a cocktail at the Blackwell Rum Bar, named for resort owner Chris Blackwell, the Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer and legendary record producer. Snorkel in search of the colorful parrotfish and squirrelfish that make their home among the volcanic limestone, or take a trip to nearby Bloody Bay for some of the island’s most vibrant coral reefs. Don’t miss the sunset views before tucking into a private candlelit dinner in the caves.

Situated on a bluff on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, Lagarta Lodge sits above verdant mangroves and rainforest bordering the Pacific Ocean. The boutique eco-lodge consists of 26 junior suites, designed with teak furniture crafted by local artisans and adorned with a global art collection. Guests have access to the property’s 90-acre nature reserve, home to tropical birds, iguanas, rainbow-hued butterflies and howler monkeys. Take an aerial yoga class and kayak the Rio Nosara through the primeval forest or venture off-property to Playa Ostional, one of the world’s largest nesting grounds for olive ridley sea turtles. Finish the day with dinner set with a backdrop of panoramic ocean views as the sun sinks below the horizon.

You’re never far from the sound of breaking waves at Cliff House Maine, the hotel set on the dramatic Bald Head Cliff, 70 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. The historic 226-room property with views of the Nubble Lighthouse has been serving guests since 1872. Visitors can indulge 70 acres of cliff-top walking paths and wooded trails, explore an on-site art gallery or work out the kinks in an oceanside yoga session. Rent a bike to explore the rugged shoreline, play the links at the adjacent 18-hole course or take to the water on a lobstering cruise, a classic Maine adventure. Craving a dip? Nearby Ogunquit Beach has 3.5 miles of sandy shoreline.

Settle into the Highlander Mountain House in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, originally built in 1885 and reopened as an inn in 2020 by hotelier Jason Reeves. Designed to evoke visions of an English country house, no two of the 18 rooms are alike; each is adorned with an eclectic mix of custom and vintage furnishings, bold wallpaper, Victorian-era taxidermy and collected art. At more than 4,100 feet above sea level, Highlands is the highest incorporated town east of the Rockies and boasts rich cultural exploration opportunities like the Appalachian-inspired folk art at The Bascom arts center and lectures, music and theater at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. Visitors of all ages will enjoy outdoor activities including rock climbing, hiking, lake sports, biking and more. After you’ve worked up an appetite, head back to the inn for locally sourced dishes at the on-site restaurant, The Ruffed Grouse.

ounging around like pampered royalty at the spa is so over! These retreats are all about active adventures like forest bathing, ropes courses, paddleboarding, horseback riding, even Bokken (Japanese sword fighting). Besides being energetic pursuits, these activities have something else in common: They take place outdoors. “Our panelists agreed that connecting with nature will continue to be a top trend in wellness,” says Beth McGroarty, the Global Wellness Summit’s research vice president. Think mind, body, spirit — and the great outdoors.

Because many have been deprived of the luxuries spas offer during quarantines and stay-at-home orders, it’s little wonder that they now want the works: indulgent treatments, healthy cuisine, life-enhancing seminars and immersion in glorious nature. Losing some of those pandemic pounds in the process is just a bonus. Here are some options that check all the boxes:

Lake Austin Spa Resort is known for its Texas-size array of water sports, including waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, stand-up paddleboarding, Hydrobikes and rowing. This year, “We are focusing on taking as many programs into the fresh air as possible,” says Cindy Present, fitness and activities director. Not just for pandemic purposes, but for the positive mental wellness effects, she says. With What not the combination of lake and to miss: The nature preserve, “We have P3, paddle- the ability to pair nature, board, fresh air and fitness — the picnic and perfect wellness trifecta prosecco, for mind, body and spirit,” experience. Present notes. The outdoor lineup for 2021 includes myriad fitness options: lakeside cross-training, fresh-air boot camp, paddleboard yoga, tai chi, macebells, bicycle boot camp, kayak interval paddling and a weighted vest class. Ever wanted to try Bokken, using wooden swords? This is the place. They offer several reflective activities too, like nature bathing, birding hikes, garden meditation and “glow paddle” (night paddling with glow sticks).

If the thought of hiking red rock cliffs and canyons makes your heart soar, this is the spa for you. Considered one of the country’s best hiking resorts, Red Mountain offers 55 acres of Southwest splendor, with another 7,400 acres just outside the door. This St. George neighborhood includes Red What not Mountain to miss: and stunThe Red ning Snow Rock Hiker’s Canyon Massage, State Park. perfect after Add-on exa day on the cursions to trail. nearby Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks are popular options. “Reflective outdoor experiences” (with a coating of red dust!) is the theme here.

Consider a mindful silent hike, a nature-inspired journaling trek, stretching classes, a scramble through a lava tube or a quad-testing hike with lofty vistas. Even an easygoing walk offers eye candy galore as you tromp on red rock, sand and lava. Beyond incredible hiking, Red Mountain offers 35-plus different fitness classes each week. To sample the active life Red Mountain style, book an adventure retreat; their Essential Retreat package includes lodging, meals, daily hikes, fitness and healthy life classes, personal discovery activities and events.

There’s an “intentional bias for happiness” theme at this award-winning wellness retreat in the Sonoran Desert.

Located near Scottsdale, CIVANA offers an approachable alternative to wellness resorts — meaning, more value-minded, with 70-plus free classes. “We believe an active body is a happy body,” says Julia Lavine, chief brand officer. “Every day, guests at CIVANA are invited to participate in more than a dozen complimentary movement and fitness classes, everything from a morning hike and aerial yoga to myofascial release and TRX training. There’s something for everyone.”

The pandemic prompted CIVANA to truly embrace the healing properties of the desert. Currently, most of their classes are outdoors, weather permitting. This includes morning meditation in the rose garden, twicedaily desert hikes, yoga, spin classes, sound healing, guided labyrinth walking meditation, a cardio circuit, bodyweight training, a TRX mix class and stargazing sessions. Water experiences add an oasislike feel. In addition to two pools, there’s an Aqua Vitality circuit with a hot/cold wading pool, a KLAFS sanarium (a sauna/steam room combo), a cold deluge shower and a Watsu therapy pool. If you overdo it, spring for a CBD-infused massage.

miss: It’s worth rising early for the 7 a.m. Quartz Trail hike, a beautiful 3.5mile desert walk amid glittery white quartz.

You’ll feel more relaxed upon arrival here, before you even set foot in this spa. It’s on an island, after all, with a 5-mile strand of golden sand standing between you and the Atlantic What not Ocean. The spa to miss: and fitness center An escape at Sea Island is a into sound, top-rated expericolor and ence on this private energy in the isle, located on St. Somadome Simon’s Island, off Therapy Georgia coast. Sunfish sailing in the bayous inspiration. If that’s not enough Pod. It’s the perfect and backwaters and even sailing action to suit you, there’s also bikplace to combine school. The spa/fitness center ing, golf, tennis, squash, horseback fitness classes and spa treatments is home base for 56-plus group riding — even falconry. with on-your-own water sports classes per week, with plenty of This is a great place to escape action. Saltwater kayaking and outdoor options, including Aquafit with your family. While they’re off paddleboarding lessons and rent- water aerobics, beach yoga and flying kites or on a nature walk, als are available, along with guided boot-camp-style Outdoor Fit, with you’re taking Pilates or blissfully kayak fishing, sunset kayaking, views of the beach and marsh for soaking in the hydrotherapy pool.

Last year, Miraval launched a chic, 380-acre spa in Lenox, with all the bells and whistles ... and horses and gardens. It also boasts a challenge course that offers wall climbing, zip lining and more obstacles. All of this is set within the bucolic landscape of the Berkshire Hills. What not Miraval makes the most of its natural to miss: The playground with woodsy hikes, bike rides and October kayaking in Laurel Lake, but what makes Miraval Mountain a marvel is the long list of unexpected alfresco State Forest activities. The summertime menu includes hike, a archery, ax throwing, forest bathing and equine 2.5-mile meditation. The outdoor adventure programming up-and-back is designed to challenge guests to stretch their trek with comfort zone, says Simon Marxer, director of woods and spa and well-being. “For example, our exclusive waterfalls. challenge course, High Wild Woosey, requires two guests to rely on each other as they move along a cable at 25 feet in the air. It asks (them) to overcome their obstacles as a collective and identify their communication strengths and weaknesses.” Not to mention, it’s really fun.

They even offer farm and garden activities, such as chicken rearing and beekeeping. Now that’s something you don’t expect at a spa! It’s life-enhancing to try new things in a friendly, nonjudgmental environment. Bonus: Many of the introductorylevel activities, like fundamentals of kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, are complimentary.

It’s easy to feel calm and centered at a spa, when someone else is making the quinoa and dusting the Buddha bust. How can you re-create that feeling (sort of) at home? Here’s some advice from spa experts:

inspires you, to repeat when needed, says Tracey Welsh of Red Mountain Resort. “Our mantra at Red Mountain is, ‘Be Inspired. Be adventurous. Be transformed.’”

“It’s a great way to create the spa vibe and sound to add to your meditation time,” says Welsh. uBuy a spa cookbook on-site. If you, love that healthful, tasty spa cuisine, get instruction on how to make your favorites at home, Welsh advises.

“One of the best contributors to ‘feeling like a spa’ is cleanliness,” says Megan Fitzgerald, executive director of the Lake Austin Spa Resort. Then, smudge or burn incense and open windows briefly. “Once your space is clean and clear, create ambiance by adding elements for each of your five senses,” she says. To do that, Fitzgerald recommends the following:

aromatic spray for that spalike scent. uSilence is best, but “if you prefer music, lean toward instrumentals that appeal to you,” Fitzgerald says. uStimulate your sense of taste. Try cool water with fruit infusions and/or warm herbal teas.

uSoothe your sense of touch with a dry glove exfoliation and then an aromatic shower, alternating warm and cool water in the shower to activate circulation. Follow up with a warm milk-and-honey bath (“The lactic acid in milk is an alpha hydroxyl acid which is excellent for gentle exfoliation, while honey is nourishing and antibacterial,” Fitzgerald says). The next step is self-massage with nourishing body oil. Finally, cozy up with a warm robe, cool sheets and a soft eye pillow.

54 My Town: Philadelphia 56 Serene St. Michaels, Md. 60 National Mall gardens 64 New England trails and ales

68 My Town: Tampa, Fla. 70 A distanced Disney experience 76 Virginia’s southwest corner 80 Nashville’s new music museum 84 Unchartered Charleston, S.C. 88 Kentucky mansion tours

94 My Town: Fort Wayne, Ind. 96 A floral Heritage Trail in Indiana 104 Missouri’s Bicentennial 108 National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Ohio

112 My Town: Dallas 114 Helpful llamas of Yellowstone 118 Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hike

122 My Town: San Francisco 124 Pedals and pinot in Sonoma County, Calif. 128 California coast adventures 132 A peek at Portland, Ore. 134 Fast fun in Seattle