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Newport Beach & The Island Hotel
By Mel and Ronnie Greenberg
Stunning sunsets, shimmering waters, and sandy beaches are daily sights in Newport Beach, one of the toniest resort beach cities in Southern California. Along the peninsula's shore, the busy harbor bustles with pleasure crafts and tour boats, while surfers tackle the hot spots along the city's beaches. Located midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, its amazing range and perfect mix of attractions make it a natural magnet for both couples and families.
Surrounded with gardens overflowing with bougainvillea and hibiscus, the uba-chic Island Hotel Newport Beach nestles in the heart of Newport Center. Adjacent to the legendary Fashion Island, this regal 20-story enclave boasts sweeping views of the shimmering Pacific Ocean and the natural beauty of the nearby isles of Balboa, Lido and Catalina. Reflecting Southern California's sun-splashed lifestyle the hotel's 295 spacious guestrooms and suites are luxuriously furnished in European style, and decorated in shades of peach, aqua, sage and terracotta. The beds are made up with luxurious linens topped with goosedown pillows, and the spacious marble bathrooms have thick cotton towels and plush terry robes. All accommodations feature a private balcony with either a garden or water view.
Hotel amenities include a whirlpool, a sparkling pool surrounded by padded lounge chairs and umbrellas, private cabanas and a towering stone fireplace. The poolside Palapa Bar offers an easy menu of tasty salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, and hotdogs, along with soft drinks, smoothies, cocktails, wine and beer. There are 2 lighted tennis courts, ping pong tables, and for the golfers, preferred tee times are available at the Pelican Hill Golf Club, one of the nation's premier courses.
The resort provides complimentary wireless access throughout the lobby and pool area, as well as complimentary high speed internet access.
Spa & fitness facilities
The Spa at The Island Hotel perfects the art of personal rejuvenation. Your restoration begins the moment you step into the tranquil reception area where a rippling water wall offers a calming effect. Trickling fountains combined with the aromatic scent of botanical oils further enhance this quintessential spa experience. Get to choose from a variety of treatments that include a Classic Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, reflexology or the special pampering of the signature Island-themed body rituals- an energizing Island Volcanic Detoxifying Therapy, the relaxing Island 'Boreh' Bali Spice Remedy, the invigorating Island Tropical Splendor, or the Island Nourisher. Facials include Honey Hibiscus Hydrating Facial, O.C. Facial Drench, Organic Carrot Vitamin Facial, Pearl Powder Facial and Collagen Infusion Facial. You're guaranteed to emerge invigorated and glowing. Amenities include private lockers with plush robes and slippers; soft linens and pillows; heated blankets; complimentary waters, teas and fruit plates.
The Fitness Facilities located adjacent to the resort's pool, features the latest in exercise technology, including 5 Life Fitness treadmills; 3 Elliptical trainers, 3 Lifecycles, 1 recumbent Lifecycle and 2 Stairmaster 4000s. In addition, a complete range of Life Fitness weight equipment and machines, stretching devices and exercise balls are on-site. Personal trainers are available by appointment.
Hotel dining
The hotel's fine all day dining Palm Terrace Restaurant overseen by Executive Chef Bill Bracken, specializes in a globally inspired seasonal selections, including his soulfully inspired "small bites," that allows you to customize your own tasting menu. He has introduced to the dinner menu specialties such as pistachio-dusted John Dory with roasted beets and celery root, carrot-cinnamon reduction; crab cake with Asian slaw and black bean remoulade; and bone-in Kansas City steak with garlic stir-fry broccolini and homemade truffle fries. To end the feast mouthwatering selections of luscious desserts will leave you purring with delight.
The Palm Terrace Lounge right off the lobby, is the ideal place to unwind. The eclectic bar menu runs the gamut from the Martini of the Day, to designer cocktails, beer and fine wines. Social Hour is from 4 to 8 P.M. with entertainment from 5 to 7 P.M.
The hotel features a unique In-Flight Menu for just going to the beach of traveling home. In addition to the "Air Fare" breakfast and dessert choices, main selections include Caesar salad with shaved reggiano and garlic croutons, chilled jumbo prawns with creamy cocktail sauce, The Island's chopped salad with shredded romaine, chicken, salami, mozzarella and red onions with a creamy herb dressing.
The Island Newport Beach is located at 690 Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach. For reservations phone: (888) 321-4752
www.theislandhotel.com
Nearby dining
Romantic Ristorante Mamma Gina gloriously set along scenic ocean canals of Newport Harbor serves mouthwatering authentic Florentine- Italian cuisine, accompanied by a fine selection of wines. Entrees include a wide selection of pasta, as well as ossobuco alla Florentine, scaloppini alla Toscana, pollo alla cacciatore, veal and chicken parmigiana, salmone al limone, calamari Luciana, Pesce spada Medit-erranean (grilled swordfish) and Branzino Porto Veneta (white sea bass filets.) Loxcated at 251 Pacific Coast Highway, for reservations phone: (949) 673-9500 or www.mammagina.com
Area highlight
Enjoy a delightful Summer Sunset Cocktail Cruise with Hornblower Cruises & Events onboard the Entertainer or the world renowned Wild Goose (once owned by John Wayne).The two hour cruise features complimentary appetizers and drink specials. The appetizer menu includes chips and salsa, fresh garden crudités with herbed ranch dressing, Jamaican seasoned beef skewers with mango-pineapple salsa, firecracker chicken with chili cream, and vegetable spring rolls with ginger plum sauce.
In addition to the sunset cruises there are nightly dinner cruises and weekend champagne brunch. Boarding is at 2431 Newport West Coast Highway. For information and reservations phone (888) 467-6256 or hornblower.com
Green Fields & High Flying Sun: Vail & Beaver Creek
By Tim Wassberg
Snow covers up the greener intentions of high-altitude living. The Beaver Creek and Vail communities of Colorado hide a paradise under their wings full of blissful intentions.
Arriving into Beaver Creek (www.beavercreek.snow.com) via Colorado Mountain Express (www.ridecme.com), relative peace becomes apparent. Market Square Condominiums (vbcrp.com/vbcrp /info/market_square_beaver_creek.aspx) with its unprecedented balcony views, offers a full kitchen and a rustic flavored living area. Nearby, Spago Beaver Creek (www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/finedining/spago/beavercreek/) at the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch offers all the epicurean comfort of Beverly Hills while introducing more locally-inclined dishes from master chef Wolfgang Puck. Dinner began with a delightful and tangy pappardelle pasta sautéed in a red lamb Bolognese sauce. The main course consisted of a tender quadrant of four lamb chops centered around a mint vinaigrette sauce that was smooth and intense. Dessert followed with the flaky joy of a melt-in-your-mouth soufflé replete with bursting strawberries. As we walked home, a large plume tailed fox stopped to gaze at us and then continued on his merry way.
Riding the Centennial chair lift the following morning up to the Spruce Saddle at nearly 10,000 feet, the air becomes thinner and the clouds brighter. The snow-capped vista spreads out in radiant angles before the eyes. After the journey back down to the bottom, we set forth on an expedition up to the secluded and exclusive Trappers Cabin (trapperscabincolorado.com) where the wilderness reaches out into infinity behind the wooden deck. Pollyanna Forster, owner of Eat! Drink! Dish & Cut (eatdrinkinc.com), where all manner of gourmet lives, along with her head chef Kevin, prepared a luxury lunch that first highlighted artisan cheeses and grilled endives before unleashing a beautiful almond-topped pork chop balanced by a soft crab whose succulent meat slid down the throat.
The Allegra Spa at the Beaver Creek Park Hyatt (www.beaver creek.hyatt.com) continued the tranquility in the mineral-enhanced beauty of Aqua Sanitas, an enrapturing water sanctuary that worships the skin. Later, inside a calm porcelain smooth room, the creamy melting touch of a Warm Milk & Honey Sugar Scrub allows the skin to shine while soaking. The whole body is cleansed by warm water to reveal a glistening texture as the tenderizing of the muscles gives way to utter contentment.
Walking up the stairs into Splendido (www.splendidobeavercreek.com), the clouds turn the color of twilight. The satin tablecloth reflects the mirrored elements of yore as a lobster gazpacho wreathed with tender pieces of meat greets the senses and a 21-day aged 24 oz Rib Eye fills the eyes and the stomach with an edgy taste. Dessert consisted of chocolate crème brulee and crème-filled chocolate tarts which, when combined with a 1977 Kopke Port, was a perfect end to the evening.
The Lodge at Vail (www.lodgeatvail.rockresorts.com), only a few miles from Beaver Creek, sits in the cusp of a ripely bustling village at the heart of this area's ski culture. The rooms are pleasantly cozy. Rock Resorts Spa, hidden away within the heart of the Lodge, is a small slice of heaven. Smaller and more intimate compared to the labyrinth-like but ultimately impressive Allegra, this spa caters to the whims. A rosemary and peppermint soaked foot massage followed by a deep-back hot rocks treatment releases any stress built up.
Later, the Wildflower Restaurant at the Lodge looks out onto the dark cobblestones. Inside, amid some grand sparkling wine, a plate of seared Ahi tuna resting within a bed of sliced cucumbers and sea salt gives way to a hot and creamy bowl of asparagus soup and a tomato-mixed risotto. An after-hour lager on the top floor of The Tap Room (taproomvail.com), cater-corner to the Lodge, offers reflection and refreshment.
The Vail Dance Festival (vaildance.org) offers unparalleled artistic expression combining different elements of modern dance along with the athletic feats of classical ballet within the open air of the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Surrounded by the massive stillness of the surrounding forest, this beautiful canvas became muse for such renowned performers as composer/pianist Philip Glass, cellist Wendy Sutter, locally based flutist Eugenia Zukerman and a host of dance companies, most specifically Morphoses and the Paul Taylor Dance Company. From the hard hitting "Esplanade" where the performers are nearly jumping into open arms at full speed to "Cloven Kingdom" where four men in suits integrate like an eight legged chameleon to the dancing world premiere of the riveting "Song V" by Philip Glass with the silken Feng-Yi Sheu striding in sync to Sutter's violent cello brilliance, the soul was uncontrollably stirred.
In the soaking sunlight atop the Game Creek Lodge, exclusivity is the key. Their impressive brunch mixed everything from a filling seafood gumbo to fresh crab claws to the cheese-infused mingling of egg, parsley and veal. The grassy slope in the distance brought to mind the opening scene of "The Sound Of Music" as an extremely spicy Bloody Maria filled with pickled asparagus was consumed. The final dinner experience came at Kelly Liken's (kellyliken.com) optimizing a Sunday Harvest Menu which intermingled fresh ingredients from the Vail's Farmer's Market that very same day. Beginning with a tart blueberry mojito, the portions from the tasty sweet corn salad to the swift and brisk pappardelle pasta ingratiated with real morels and high-altitude spinach gave way to a light and flavorful peach soup which left the body satisfied but not overstuffed.
The reconciliations of these beautiful locations in the heart of the Colorado Rockies create the conception of a whole new world hidden beneath snow, a place where art and cuisine meld into a gentle and poignant vision of two villages where all is possible.