summer travel fun! | WTN - Villa Sant'Andrea | Highlight - Maroon Bells

WHERE TO NEXT?

Hello!

I have missed writing you my usual weekly emails this summer! But I’ve also enjoyed having some extra time to take advantage of fun summer adventures. I hope you have too.

Each August as the kids prepare to go back to school, and in our case, college, I find myself asking the same question…

Where has the summer gone?!

Our summer has been full of the usual summer activities – hiking, biking, boating, kayaking, pickleball, golf, traveling, bbqs, seeing friends. Trevor and I also passed our NH boating certification and are now legal to captain on the rivers and lakes. TBD if we will get a boat – we’re thinking about that.

Trevor has been biking hundreds of miles a week and posts all of his rides to Strava. He inspired me to use my account that I started long ago. If you are the app, connect with me – I’m easy to find under Mimi Lichtenstein.

Looking for inspiration for next summer’s travels? Check out a sampling of where our clients been traveling this summer:

So many families and couples chose this year to visit Greece – island hopping, lounging at beach clubs, drinking crisp white wines, spending the day on a yacht in the Aegean Sea, eating fresh seafood and tasting mezzo platters, diving into Greek history and archeology, sunset catamarans with lobster bbqs, hiking the Byzantine Road. Summer in Greece has endless possibilities!
Alaska and Canada – sailing the Inside Passage, heli adventures in British Columbia, taking the Sea to Sky gondola and getting off the beaten path exploring Banff and Lake Louise.
A 2+ week adventure throughout Norway, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Staying in luxury glass igloos, arctic floating in dry suits, rib boating, kayaking, hiking with huskies, relaxing in floating fjord saunas, cruising the fjords, visiting the Van Gogh museum (one of my favorites!).
Honeymooning in French Polynesia – snorkeling with sharks and rays in the crystal clear waters, hiking Moorea to see panoramic views of the volcano and lots of relaxing leisure time.
A couple’s trip to Croatia – truffle hunting on the Istrian Peninsula with 3rd generation truffle hunters, seeing the blue waters of Plitvice National Park, island hopping the Pakleni Islands, wine tasting the best local organic wines, visiting an oyster farm off the Peljesac Peninsula to taste oysters right from the sea, walking the walls of iconic Dubrovnik and ending with luxuriating in Montenegro.
A multigenerational trip to Rome and Sicily. In Rome the kids had an immersive course in being gladiators, helped make and serve gelato at a real gelateria and explored with a local foodie to taste the best foods in Trastavere. Their leisure time was filled with cocktails on rooftops and dining at the best local trattorias. From their villa in Sicily they spent a day on a yacht in the sea, took a cooking class at a local villager’s olive and almond farm and enjoyed lots of leisurely chef prepared dinners at their villa together.
A couple’s Italian adventure starting with biking with a professional local cyclist, hiking to the UNESCO Tre Cime di Lavaredo, then multi-day hiking hut to hut in the Dolomites (one of the most beautiful places on Earth!), and ending in Venice with a cooking class and a perfect Venetian evening by private rowing boat stopping at bacari (small, informal wine bars) along the way for wine and cicchetto tastings. They also avoided the mob of guests who had descended on Venice for Jeff Bezos’ wedding.

Where have I been traveling this summer?

Since I last wrote you, I spent a fun weekend celebrating a girlfriend’s birthday in Hudson Valley. We stayed in Woodstock, NY in a room at Woodstock Way that was a bit like a treehouse, ate delicious food, had the MOST amazing frozen margaritas ever at Tinker Taco (I don’t normally like frozen margaritas. But when they are made from scratch and smooth as velvet dissolving on my tongue, I realized I do).

Then my friend, Julie, from Chicago joined me in visiting my daughter, Allison, in Crested Butte. I’ve been three times in the last few years and I love it every time. Hiking, mountain and gravel biking, fishing and great local restaurants. Read more about our bucket list hike to Maroon Bells and some of my favorite places in Crested Butte and Aspen below. The wildflowers were as beautiful as I imagined!

Two short days after returning from that trip our family hopped on a plane to Croatia. We did a Backroads multi-adventure trip, bookended by a few custom days in Split on the front end and Dubrovnik on the back end. I was last there four years ago and I was so taken by the country, I knew I had to bring my family there. This time was even more fun because I got to share it with them. They loved it! And I know you will too. More on that in a future newsletter.

July’s most popular article was 10 Active Travel Trends For Your Next Great Hiking Or Cycling Vacation.

This week’s inspirational articles include under-the-radar European beach hotels, the 50 greatest luxury hotels on earth and cozy and countryside escapes for the fall.

Also articles on Japan, Croatia and the best honeymoon destinations.

The informational articles include a Vogue quiz “What does your European vacation destination say about you?,” what it’s like to work on the most luxurious superyachts and the WSJ and NYT both had articles on what to know about getting health insurance when traveling abroad.

My 2 favorites this week:

My Partner Got Upgraded to Business and I Didn’t — Can I Get Mad? (I will admit to doing this once)
27 Best Women’s Loungewear Sets for Long Travel Days

Next I’m heading to Morocco for my second favorite conference of the year – PURE Life Experiences.

The entire focus of the conference is about experiential travel.

No big brand names – it’s a highly selective group of hoteliers, experience creators, yacht companies and in-the-know experts from countries all around the world. I haven’t been in 3 years and I’m so excited to go! On top of that, I’ve extended the trip for a week to explore with a colleague visiting some new-to-me properties and some old favorites.

For me this conference is wild fun! But all with the purpose to connect with the people I collaborate with around the world to make your trips extra special. I know I will walk away with new contacts, fresh ideas, inspiring experiences and so much goodness to share with you!

If you are thinking of a place you want to visit and have a specific question about special experiences (the more unique the better!), send me a message and I’ll get an answer for you.

The biggest issue of this trip? A logistical challenge on my way back. The conference ends the same day as my son’s fraternity’s parents’ weekend starts. When looking at flights I realized it was impossible to depart Marrakesh at a normal time in the morning and get to his school the same day.

I came up with a brilliant (debatable?) idea to depart from Marrakesh at 1:30a (going straight to the airport from the final party) to Barcelona, have a 4 hour layover and then fly BCN>JFK>IND.

I was quite happy with this crazy idea. Until something out of my control happened. His school moved the home football game from Saturday to Friday night. So I’ll be arriving just as the game starts, and staying up for another few hours. Luckily a friend offered their box for the game. So perhaps there is a coach I can take a cat nap on if needed.

What we do for our kids?!

Because of my upcoming Morocco trip and my assistant, Michelle, will be hiking the Mont Blanc in Switzerland over the next two weeks, so that I can have maximum time to write up all of the learnings from Morocco for you, the next newsletter will arrive in your inbox September 10th.

Where to next for you?

Warmly,

Below:

Highlight – hiking Maroon Bells
Where to Next? Villa Sant’Andrea
Inspiration + Information

HIKING MAROON BELLS

My bucket list involves a lot of specific experiences. Ever since I learned about the famous wildflowers of Maroon Bells, hiking the trail has been on my list.

The wildflowers in summer are spectacular! They cascade across the rolling hills in brilliant waves of cerulean, amethyst, rose and gold. At the summit, the rich terra-cotta clay creates a striking canvas against the pristine blue sky—a breathtaking panorama that captures the raw beauty of this remote paradise.

What to know if you want to do this hike….

It is listed as Hard on the AllTrails app. 10.3 miles 2244 feet of elevation gain. (every bit worth it!)
The peak is 12,696 feet. If you live at lower altitude like I do, come in early and spend a few days to acclimate.
Most people do it one way. Your choice is Aspen to CB or CB to Aspen. My preference – Aspen to CB. Why? I drew you a photo below to illustrate.
At the summit we encountered a mountain goat who was gingerly walking on the tip of a rocky peak. His steps knocked loose some rocks, which tumbled towards hikers behind us. Luckily others shouted to warn them and they were safe. Always pay attention to your surroundings
There are some logistical considerations when doing a one way hike. A popular option is a shuttle. I’m happy to share the details if you want to plan this hike.
The hike can be done unguided, which is what we did. (But with a little extra help – my friend in Aspen who’s done the hike a dozen times came with us.)
If you want to experience this epic hike, but are looking for a more luxury option, then I know the right people to get you where you need to be and guide you over the pass.

I always prefer a longer uphill hike and minimizing the downhill time. Because Aspen is lower altitude than Crested Butte, when you start from Aspen you spend the majority of your hike on the uphill.

A few photos of our incredible day…

The summit!

The above photo was take at 2:10PM, shortly after it started raining. Then it stopped. Then started again. In Colorado, you want to be prepared for all types of weather on your hikes!

By 3:52PM we were soaking our feet in the cold waters of the river waiting for our shuttle to CB. With a tired feet and a sense of accomplishment.

A few of my favorites:

Crested Butte
Camp 4 Coffee – they make an excellent flat white. I love the decor – the outside is covered with vintage license plates.
Bonez – Mexican. Great indoor and outdoor seating. I love that they bring the guacamole ingredients to you in a molcajet and you mash it yourself.

Secret Stash – owned by the same people who own Bonez. What to order? You must get these two pizzas:

Notorious F.I.G. – Winner of the World Champion Pizza Challenge: Mozzarella, bleu & asiago cheeses, thinly sliced prosciutto, dried black mission figs & a drizzle of truffle oil
The Hamptons – Olive oil base, mozzarella, prosciutto, lemon pepper crust, garnished with arugula, shaved parmesan & a lemon crown.

And if up for it, I also suggest Crack fries – tossed in parmesan, white truffle oil & cracked black pepper.

Slogar – fried chicken and shared platters of all you can eat sides (perfect for after a big hike!). Their wall says…

Aspen
Drinks at Hotel Jerome – Bad Harriett, the J-Bar or the outdoor Courtyard. It was here that I met a friend of a friend. He’s developing the new Aman property in downtown Aspen. It’s hard to believe Aspen has room for more luxury.

Stop at Kemo Sabe for a custom hat. If you are prepared to splurge, go beyond the ropes where the upstairs bar can be privatized for you.

You likely know when I book villas, apartments and houses for you, I only work with providers that are vetted, where I have a trusted connection who has been to the property and knows the owners. Which means I don’t book AirBnBs for clients because the quality is not guaranteed and we have no way of knowing if what’s described is accurate. However, on this trip we stayed at my friend’s beautiful, cozy house in Aspen and it is darling! And she rents it. You can see the listing here. If you are interested, I’m happy to personally connect you with her.

🌟 Our clients recently spent two weeks in Sicily with 4 incredible nights at the Villa Sant’Andrea, A Belmond Hotel near Taormina. Recent guests said, “Close your eyes and think of the quintessential Sicilian beachside resort. This is it. Great food, I promise, best spaghetti and clams you’ve ever had. The private pool overlooking the bay is as good as it gets!”

Why is Villa Sant’Andrea so special?

Originally a 1919 villa, it still has the feel of an elegant seaside residence.
Located right on Taormina’s Bay of Mazzarò with private beach access and gorgeous balcony views.
The Lido Villeggiatura Beach Club has chic cabanas, cocktails and a sunset cinema.

Do as much or as little as you like:

Join yoga, Pilates or mediation sessions on the beach.
Relax at the private beach or infinity pool with panoramic views of the bay.
Hike or tour Mount Etna, explore local villages or enjoy a wine tasting the volcano’s slopes or take a yacht out for the day.

‼️ Don’t miss…dining at Brizza, set right on the Bay of Mazzarò. There are only five intimate tables for two next to the water. Dine with your toes in the sand on fresh seafood and Sicilian wine. One of the most private and romantic dining experiences in Sicily! We booked a table for our clients. They loved it!