Scenic Escapes

There's a reason why MASS MoCA should be on your family's bucket list. MASS MoCA is not your typical museum. The Berkshires offers a scenic New England weekend like no other; the concentration of cultural experiences amidst breathtaking scenery is the reason why I have been a regular to this area for over thirty years. The "Brooklynization" of the Berkshires has ...

The Cranwell Resort in Lenox, Massachusetts is an ideal family base for adventures in an area mostly visited by parents with kids away at summer camp, empty nesters and retirees. There are about two dozen historic Berkshire cottages remaining from the Gilded Age—many of those have been converted for lodging purposes. Cranwell is the most historic and upscale of these properties that also welcomes ...

The Harborview Nantucket is a fantastic hybrid of renting one of the most beautifully designed Nantucket cottages you can while enjoying a boutique hotel. Offering multiple on-site concierge services to its few pampered guests, it's Scout Hotel's premiere Nantucket property. Nantucket is a unique market for accommodations for families. There are several bed-and-breakfasts and smaller inns not welcoming families, and is, ironically one ...

Read on for highlights of four of my favorite areas for an Ireland family break ensuring a sample of some of the most luxe and kid-friendly castle hotels to stay in Ireland that offer the classic country estate past times like falconry, archery, horseback riding, and golf, as well as gorgeous, modern spas and pools. Ireland is a land of ...

Luxury Family Travel in Park City, Utah     Growing up when the weather got cold, my family was always more of the beach and ocean seekers while my husband’s family opted for cozy lodges, fireplaces and big family ski vacations.  He is adamant on including ski trips in our family repertoire, and Deer Valley proves to offer all that a ...

Kiawah Family Fun I’d never seen the South Carolina coast. As we boated through the marshes at dusk with dolphins escorting us on either side, I soaked up the colorful landscape wondering why I had taken so long to visit Lowcountry and enjoy a Kiawah family vacation. The Kiawah Island Golf Resort near Charleston has been a favorite destination for South ...

Luxury Family Travel to Boston     Ritz Kids at the Ritz Carlton Boston Common The Ritz-Carlton Boston Common serves business travelers every comfort, but it also offers an excellent location and the Ritz-Carlton commitment to welcoming guests of all sizes. After arriving at the hotel for a family weekend, my kids received an elaborate Ritz Kids check-in experience that is more aptly ...

Escape everything on Little St. Simons Island The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island offers a very specific type of vacation that may very well be your family's Garden of Eden. If you love empty beaches loaded with seashells, observing animals in their natural surroundings, and hanging out with naturalists who can answer every one of your children’s questions that ...

I was raised by a Southern interior designer and hostess extraordinaire and have lived my adult life in New York and Boston. So I was craving a homecoming of sorts, a deeply felt desire to be in grand Southern surroundings, where designers felt no restraint, where more is more, where tassels and fringe reign. The Cloister at Sea Island ...

It was after a first-rate dinner with newly made friends that I found myself on an expansive lawn next to a turtle pond drinking Veuve Cliquot and watching our preschoolers run through sprinklers wielding croquet mallets. They were getting soaked, and we didn’t care, as long as they weren’t swinging at someone’s head. We were parents on vacation enjoying ...

The Mandarin Oriental Boston opened in 2010 with the vision of being one of most elite and convenient addresses for residents and tourists alike. There's something about the hushed and quiet feeling of any Mandarin Oriental lobby I have visited that make even crying babies settle down. With a part spa and part library vibe, serenity is serious ...

“Look, I’m a butterfly in a cocoon!” my friend’s daughter cried as she wrapped herself in the large canvas hammock under the bright blue sky and then quickly opened it and pretended to fly away. My kids, who were also swaying in their hammocks in the warm breeze, copied her. Just the night before, my best friend and I ...

Local Mom: Annie Byrd Hamnett Annie is the founder of ByrdHouse PR, a local Charleston firm that works with chefs, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses in the area. She also founded and puts on the annual Lowcountry Field Feast, a farm field trip to benefit a local non-profit. As an expert local foodie and mom of two littles, ...

The Chatham Bars Inn Spa (check your dates for rates) is really a mini-resort within a resort, one created to provide the ultimate in relaxation, privacy, and luxury on Cape Cod. In fact, it is the best resort spa on the Cape, as well as one of the few Leading Spas in North America. The Chatham Bars Inn is a beautifully restored ...

If you live in New England, particularly the Boston area, one of the perks some people enjoy is a second home on Cape Cod, or at least friends who have great homes on Cape Cod. Yet what if your Rolodex fails you, and you still long for your own house next to one of the best beaches on ...

Nantucket with kids I sat in the back of a vintage fire truck from the 1930’s watching my son and other children beaming with mouths open like golden retriever puppies. We drove down the main cobblestone streets and by the beaches and exclusive Cliff Road area of Nantucket Island. The kids were determined to pull a rope that rang the truck's rusted ...

A world without whales, lighthouses, anchors, and lobsters on clothing is not New England. New Englanders are enamored with their rustic beach culture that often pervades onto their wardrobes. Old school ways have a tight rein on Cape Cod. Sometimes the simplest private beach clubs consisting of little wooden storage huts and a burger stand are the most ...

Since I am not a skier, I had never ventured to Stowe, Vermont, the skiing capital of New England, until our visit to Stowe Mountain Lodge. Vermont, however, offers an exceptional experience in many things: mountain scenery, winter sports, and ice cream. Surely at least one of those appeals to you—I’m partial to the first and last in that ...

One Spring evening in 1865, a stagecoach passing through Whitefield, NH flipped over in a treacherous storm. The two passengers walked to a farm owned by Mary and William Dodge and were welcomed to spend the night. When the passengers awoke in the morning to spectacular mountain views and a delicious pancake breakfast, they pleaded with the Dodges ...

The Omni Mount Washington Resort is one of the most quintessential New England resorts to experience a historic grand hotel. The Omni Mount Washington is part of the Bretton Woods ski complex that also includes a lodge and a more intimate inn. The Omni Mount Washington Resort The resort's white building and red roof contrast from its mountain setting, making a lasting impression when you first see ...

If you haven't spent anytime in downtown Boston in recent years, you have yet to experience one of America's greatest waterfront cities. The Boston Harbor Hotel has dominated this location in five-star glory since 1987 and can serve as your home base for a fantastic family vacation. I had called ahead and asked, "Do you have child-sized robes? "Yes, ma'am; we ...

Carmel Valley Ranch is a beautiful family playground located in the sunniest spot in of the Monterey Peninsula.  The enormous property is just minutes away from Carmel-by-the-Sea and about 15 minutes from Monterey.   We take an annual trip to the area, and this is—by far— one of our favorite destination because there is so much to do for ...