California Week: Hotel Oceana

Our favorite new tradition (this is our second year) is to take off on a vacation on the last day of school. Last year we drove through Rhode Island and Maine, and this year we did a California road trip. We started in Los Angeles, and on this trip, we stayed on the west side at the Hotel Oceana, which is in Santa Monica, just outside of the mayhem of the 3rd Street Promenade, in a more residential neighborhood, although the Pacific Ocean is just across the road. I can't say enough good things about the property. At check-in, you're offered a glass of prosecco or water--such a thoughtful touch. All of the rooms surround the lovely pool, and the rooms are really spacious. When we got to the room, they had a beautiful fruit bowl for us, with the best tasting fruit we have ever had. Seriously. The note from the hotel management said they had picked it out from the Santa Monica Farmer's Market that morning...sweet!

Breakfast, which is included, is fantastic. It's a European style buffet breakfast, with options like smoked salmon, meats and cheeses, granola, muesli, and then scrambled eggs, some of the best sausages we've had, and then a juice of the day. (They aim for organic and local ingredients.) Sitting outside next to the pool eating breakfast..doesn't get much better than that.

I Love: Hotels With Organic Gardens, Part 3

I wrote about Mar Vista last March, as a spring break idea, and am reminding you of it now, since I'm in this 'hotel with organic garden' mode. We went to Mar Vista a couple of years ago, and it was such a great trip.  We had our own little cottage, with a fully equipped kitchen, and a porch, and plenty of space around it so we never felt like our neighbors would be inconvenienced if Clara was having a meltdown (or if we were). All of the cottages are all situated around a large grassy meadow and garden, with tons of room for kids to run, a rope swing, animals to look at, and a fantastic soaking tub. Then there are the chickens to gather eggs from, and the organic edible garden to harvest whatever is in season. (It's also where Clara pulled her first food out of the ground.) Across the road is the Pacific Ocean, so you have views of it from the property, and in five minutes walk, you are on the beach. Yes, it's a schlep from San Francisco (close to three hours), but it's so worth it, as long as you build in plenty of time to get there, and some stops along the way in Point Reyes to pick up some provisions for your kitchen at Mar Vista at Tomales Bay Foods and Toby's Feed Barn. After all, this is the kind of place you won't want to leave--you'll probably eat breakfast and dinner at the property, and go out for lunch and a little adventure. 

Cool Copenhagen Hotel

I've been keeping my eyes out for a hotel to suggest to my friends who are going to Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Legoland this June, because although we liked our hotel when we were there four years ago, I remember thinking the rooms weren't great for families. I was just looking through one of my new favorite design blogs, Minor Details , and saw her post about the Hotel Fox , which has themed rooms (from fairytales to Manga) designed by artists. Check it out!

Easter, Once Upon A Time

I was just going through my Easter pictures from a trip to Paris a couple of years ago.  We were lucky enough to be there on a scouting trip for Cookie Magazine, and even luckier, to be staying at the Ritz. What a different time that seems to be now.  If you happen to find yourself in Paris over spring break some year, (and I'm not assuming you would be staying at the Ritz), consider springing for a crazy Easter brunch there. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience--very old-school French decadent food, an Easter egg hunt complete with live bunnies, and then a tour of the pastry kitchen, and a chance to make chocolate eggs, bunnies, and roosters.

Northeast Indoor Pool Series: Omni Bedford Springs Resort

I've been wanting to write about this place since I started this blog, because I like it so so much.  But I held off, because I think most people don't think about driving into the heart of Pennsylvania in the middle of winter.  Now that spring is almost here, I imagine that you might read this and actually take the trip.  Today I'll write about the resort (and its beautiful indoor pool, that uses their natural mineral spring water), but all this week, I'll write about the road trip to and from...because if you want to build a whole trip around the getting there and the coming back, there is great stuff to do both ways.

  Here's the story with the Omni Bedford Springs Resort:  It has been around for forever--since the early 1800s--as it was a destination because of its eight mineral springs.  In 2007, it re-opened, after a brilliant renovation, that cost a whopping $120 million, and brought the hotel back to its historic grandeur, with just the right amount of modern.  It's really the best renovation I think I've ever seen.  Everything there is really perfectly done.  It's the kind of place that would make these kinds of people happy: history buffs, antique/vintage shoppers (great antiquing in town), food/wine obsessed, design obsessed, spa goers (world-class spa with well trained therapists and great products). The rooms are so well appointed, the staff is great, and the food is so good.  It's about four hours from NYC, so you really would want to stay at least two nights, to make the drive worth it...but enough talking about it--look at the pictures.

(the antique flag behind reception)

(1796 Room, one of three restaurant options at the property--the decor is so insanely perfect)

(The Crystal Room, where breakfast and buffet meals are served)

(the outdoor pool, which was lovely, but it was too cold to use.  note the shallow ledge that is perfect for toddlers, and the cabanas perfect for naps)

(outdoor fire pit/smore happenings)

(the spa indoor whirlpool, with cold plunge in the back, and the original water bottles from the bedford springs)

(a staircase in the hotel--just to show you the level of perfect renovation that happened)

(reproduction wallpaper)

(hand forged local room numbers and signage)

Easter at...The Greenbrier

I love an Easter egg hunt. And Easter egg baskets, filled with chocolates. I think Easter at the Greenbrier, in the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia, pictured above, must be pretty idyllic.  

Check out what they have going on for Easter weekend:

"Greenious H. Brier, The Greenbrier’s very own holiday hare, to preside over the Easter Fun Fest and Egg Hunt. Live children’s theatre performance and jelly bean guessing contest. Hippity Hop Dinner Dance Party, a dinner buffet on Saturday. Easter Sunday Brunch..."

Nonchalant Mom checks out the Postcard Inn

I did a post last week about a Times article that wrote up the Postcard Inn in St. Petersburg Florida...and I recommended it to a friend, who booked her family spring break there.  I always get a little nervous when someone takes my recommendation for a place I haven't actually been, so when I read that Nonchalant Mom just went there, and loved it, I was very relieved. No, I don't know Nonchalant Mom, but everything I read about her, I like.  Check out her post--her pictures (I'm only showing two of her many here) are also so much better than the Postcard Inn's website--I would book a trip just based on her pics and her comments.

(pictures from nonchalant mom)