Travel News: April 2023

Cuyama Buckhorn

Courtesy of Cuyama Buckhorn

Helllllooo, summer! We here in rainy San Diego thought you’d never come. To celebrate, we’ve unearthed a secret wine country BBQ soiree, the largest Pride event on the West Coast, and an artsy forest vacay sure to make food lovers swoon. It’s finally time to stash the umbrellas and grab the sunglasses for summer jaunts.

Cuyama Buckhorn Sauna

Courtesy of Cuyama Buckhorn

Eastern Santa Barbara County remained out of the Central Coast spotlight until Cuyama Buckhorn transformed a 1952-era motor inn into the hippest spot for miles. It’s hidden in a blink-and-you-miss-it inland town, best known for its pistachio groves, that boasts a 1952 vintage store as its greatest treasure. The funky hotel and restaurant are about an hour away from the 5 freeway and the 101.

Expect kitschy rooms with cowboy hats and cowhide rugs for décor, a lively pool area with a sauna under a starry sky, games galore, movie nights with popcorn and hot cocoa, and a restaurant slinging Santa Barbara wines and locally sourced burgers and fries without pretension.

On the third Sunday of the month through summer, the hotel hosts its popular Chuck Wagon BBQ, where chef Daniel Horn prepares a feast of smoked meats paired with live music, local wine and beer, and just a dash of debauchery.

Per L’Ora

Photo Credit: Wonho Frank Lee

The largest Pride celebration on the West Coast takes over La La Land this month. West Hollywood’s fiesta runes June 2-4 with headliners Grace Jones and Carly Rae Jepson. Megan Thee Stallion and Mariah Carey headline Pride in the Park at Los Angeles State Historic Park, June 9 and 10.

For a more subdued affair, LGBTQ-owned N/NAKA just earned a James Beard Award for chef Niki Nakayama’s seafood-forward Japanese kaiseki tasting menu. Stay at DTLA’s chic new Hotel Per La—just steps from Grand Central Market food hall’s insanely popular Eggslut and Pershing Square’s Summer Concert Series.

Chill out at Hotel Per La’s infinity-edge rooftop pool with a spritz and truffle fries, enjoy high tea in its Instagrammable Per L’Ora restaurant and bar (check out the bathroom, a former bank vault), or unwind ensuite on custom-made Italianate beds and floral sofas overlooking downtown. Before heading out of town, explore The Broad museum’s new Keith Haring exhibit.

Orcas

Photo Credit: Jeff Friedman

Washington state’s San Juan Islands aren’t just reserved for outdoor adventurers hoping to kayak with orcas anymore—they’ve become a sustainable food destination, too. This month, San Juan Island’s Madrone Winery kicks off its summer winemaker’s lunch under the apple trees. The wine flows, and the quality of the salmon and regionally sourced vegetables is unparalleled.

Seeking some education from the masters? Ferry over to Lopez Island to learn sustainability tips on S&S Homestead Farm’s monthly farm tours (second Saturday of the month). Don’t miss dinner at Orcas Island’s acclaimed Matia Kitchen, which just relocated its hyperlocal tasting menu (and the homemade sourdough with cultured butter) into sleek new digs adjacent to its sister restaurant Monti, a Roman-style café. Get in touch with your inner hippie at Doe Bay Resort’s off-grid yurts scattered throughout 38 coastal acres.

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Spring break, spring training, a little R&R, or all three—seems like the Grand Canyon state’s dialed up the allure. Need more coaxing? How about a couple of highbrow cultural events, a Nordic spa under the stars, and a dreamy new hotel? Okay, Arizona, we hear you.

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Looking to catch a Manny Machado homer at Cactus League spring training? On March 26, the Padres play at the intimate Peoria ballpark, which is in the greater Phoenix area. At the end of the month in another Phoenix ’burb, the spring Festival of the Arts in Tempe takes over the lively Mill Avenue District with 350 artists from around the globe hawking everything from turquoise bracelets to abstract, found-material sculptures.

Afterward, grab a Crowd-Surfer Mexican Lager at Tempe’s newest female-owned brewery, Hundred Mile Brewing Co. (FYI, these brewers perfected their hops right here in San Diego.) The newest hotel in the area, Westin Tempe, might be known globally for its brand’s marshmallowy soft beds, but in this college town, sipping a spritz on a poolside daybed at the hotel’s Skysill Rooftop Lounge is the claim to fame.

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Sedona’s bringing some serious luxury with the February opening of the long-awaited Ambiente, A Landscape Hotel. Nestled into three acres overlooking the Verde Valley’s iconic red rocks and vortexes are forty glass cube domains that cost $1,800 a night.

Besides a swanky, sustainable design that includes a kitchen stocked with local goodies like Northern Arizona wine, a deep-black soaking tub, a private rooftop lounge to watch shooting stars, and a seat at its exclusive restaurant, Forty1, the hefty price tag foots the bill for regenerating the ancient waterway flowing through the property and restoring the landscape.

For folks wanting to explore Sedona’s vibrant native history, the newly reimagined Trail of the Indigenous Peoples provides visitors with a curated hike to seven notable Native American heritage sites.

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Arizona’s first Nordic-inspired spa, High Country Motor Lodge, is ready for its close-up. Kitschy fun touches at Flagstaff’s revamped lodge include mixtapes (and OG cassette players) in cosmic cottages, a game room stocked with a pool table, and a restaurant, The General Store, serving mudwater cocktails (Guinness and Jameson) and Roman-style pizza. All of this complements the Nordic experience of rotating through the sauna, cold plunge, and warm pool, best enjoyed under the dark sky.

When the fingers and toes get too pruny, head over to celebrity chef Rochelle Daniel’s Atria, where you’re in luck if the Two- Fisted Fried Chicken Sandwich graces the menu. The vibe here might look like an upscale botox studio waiting room (think understated decor highlighted with hanging greenery), but don’t fret—the chill vibe allows the creative seasonal cuisine to dazzle.

Sanctuary Camelback Resort

Courtesy of Sanctuary Camelback Resort

Check out a hot music festival, chow down at a highly anticipated new mountainside restaurant, or book a table at a buzzy new joint so close to the Super Bowl you might just spot Rihanna.

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If the snow’s calling, sojourn to Mammoth for a few nights at the new Sierra Nevada Resort, reimagined by EDG Design (known for sprucing up luxe hotels like the Four Seasons Westlake and Andaz Scottsdale). The massive timbered lobby begs visitors to cozy up with a bottle of California cabernet by the fireplace. Rooms layer modern aesthetics like gear walls constructed from upcycled timber salvaged from nearby forest fires, with cozy touches like illustrated maps and forest hues. The property’s vintage arcade room, gear rentals, and adventure planners elevate the fun.

In the village, ski into the just-opened art deco–designed restaurant Vulcania, helmed by celebrity chefs Brian and Michael Voltaggio. Even if you don’t have kids, order the elevated take on SpaghettiOs. Want further inspiration? Check out the daredevil athletes touring with the snowboard World Cup, in town February 3 and 4.

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As Super Bowl fans descend onto Arizona, escape for a retreat at the quiet Sanctuary Camelback Mountain. Recently purchased and spruced up by the Long Island, NY based Gurney’s Resort team, the resort is best known as Beyonce and Jay-Z’s surprising honeymoon pick. Beyond the typical bougie accouterments, highlights include a private mixology class, a brand spanking new Asian-inspired couples spa treatment room fronting the Zen meditation garden, and the plush rooms that mix far eastern aesthetics (think deep-soaking tubs) with desert flair like white stone walls.

Mingle with the local see-and-be-seen set at Cala at Senna House, a buzzy, boho restaurant paying homage to Mallorca. Big windows, macrame plant hangers, and plenty of wicker make this an Instagrammable destination for folks to sip the Mez-Cala cocktail (a mezcal and CBD infusion), best paired with lumache alla vodka, a pasta dish proving to be a crowd fave.

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San Francisco celebrates the 30-year anniversary of the city’s most eclectic music festival, Noise Pop, from February 20 to 26 with headliners Yo La Tengo, Duster, and Boy Harsher, plus a collection of indie bands playing throughout the Bay Area. Book a few nights at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency, located in the Embarcadero. Boasting the world’s largest hotel atrium, designed by John Portman, gussied-up rooms pay homage to the architectural brutalist nature of the original structure with stylish touches like natural wood and concrete, but evoke a homey vibe with diverse color splashes on local art and textiles.

Pop into the always-evolving Ferry Building (an architectural marvel in itself) to sample the new darlings Señor Sisig (ahhh, that sisig burrito) and Reems California for a dreamy mana’eesh (a Mediterranean flatbread) paired with cardamon cold brew. Or Bart down to the Mission District where the beloved Delfina Restaurant has finally reopened with a facelift that blends redwood and bamboo décor with the original subdued elegance. The spaghetti pomodoro is still, thankfully, on the menu.

Sensei Porcupine Creek

Courtesy of Sensei Porcupine Creek

Adios pandemic revenge travel. Global explorers are making 2023 about transformative adventures, manifesting culinary dream trips, high-tech pampering, and wanderings that push their physical abilities to limits unseen.

Andaz Mexico City Condesa Hotel

The handsome new Andaz Mexico City Condesa Hotel overlooks the bougie nouveau architecture and wide jacaranda-lined lanes of the trendy Condesa neighborhood. Chill at Mexico City’s tallest rooftop pool sipping matcha or hit up their “Wooftop” Bar for a margarita with attendant pooches bedazzled in Swarovski (seriously). Elsewhere in Condesa, this month at House of Gaga, Mexican artist Fernando Palma Rodriguez’s trippy sculptures take on environmental issues plaguing Mexico’s indigenous communities.

Commune with nature with a stroll along the cypress and jacaranda-shaded lanes of Parque Mexico. Sip pét-nat (sourced mostly from Baja) and snack on sardine tostadas with the after-work crowd at the low-lit Caiman Bar. Score a coveted seat in the arbored garden at chef Alejandra Navarro’s art deco Botànico to enjoy pork cutlets bathed in herbs or a rib-eye burger that woos the locals. Cap off the night on a barstool fronting La Clandestina’s floor-to-ceiling bright red bar to taste world-class mezcal.

Villa Mara Carmel

Winter brings the return of migrating gray and humpback whales to the Central Coast. Direct flights to Monterey make it a snap for San Diegans to access Monterey Bay whale-watching adventures where cetaceans put on a splashy show. Keep your cameras ready, as orca sightings might be on the menu, too.

Prefer landbased adventures? Pinancles National Park celebrates its 10th anniversary this month. Hike the rugged boulder-strewn trails of California’s newest (and smallest) park searching for endangered California condors. After dark, cozy up at the brand-new luxury B&B Villa Mara Carmel, where muted tones, deep-soaking tubs, and fire pits with peeks of the Pacific offer comfort on chilly winter nights. The new Stokes Adobe, located in a two-story historic home in downtown Monterey, has become the table to nab for perfectly roasted potatoes, Hokkaido scallops, and duck confit swimming in a chickpea stew.

Sensei Porcupine Creek

In the desert, Rancho Mirage’s exclusive new Sensei Porcupine Creek caters to the moneyed wellness crowd hunting for the next big thing. Created by Larry Ellison and Dr. David Agus, Sensei’s wellness guides use technology to tailor treatments (from a golf exercise regimen at their exclusive greens to a unique desert herb poultice oil massage) to each body. Nestled in the Coachella Valley, the 230-acre adults-only resort boasts all the luxe accouterments—worldclass tennis and golf, garden spa treatments, and a Nobu restaurant serving a date cake that is to die for.

If visitors can bear to take a break from all that decadence, they’ll be rewarded with a fun new vintage shopping experience at Market Market, where creative types source art deco and one-of-a-kind finds for their homes and wardrobes. Over in nearby Palm Springs, the beloved Bread and Flours bakery just opened a brick-and-mortar where locals line up twice weekly for sourdough worth pausing that new year diet. The Palm Springs International Film Festival returns in January, offering a wide selection of lauded films, celebrity-spotting, and lively celebrations around the valley.

The Landings, St. Lucia

There’s a new girl-power spa concept from the all-villa Landings Resort and Spa in Saint Lucia (the first country to be named after a woman). Sure, the flight’s a splurge (and a trek), but a few days of chilling on a white sand beach sipping rum and pineapple, capped off with spa treatments that send regenerative love to the vag, should melt away the stress of the jaunt. The spa uses female-made KaKo Organic products. Massages range from cramp or menopausal relief compression treatments to the premiere Diamond Well-Living Massage, which employs chia and seaweed to reset everything from insomnia to blood glucose levels to the sex drive.

One and Only Palmilla

The luxe One&Only Palmilla resort in Los Cabos has recruited four celebrated emerging Mexican chefs for their new monthly Culinary Art Series. For three days, guest chefs take the helm at Agua (the resort’s oceanfront eatery), guiding foodies on a culinary hopscotch through Mexico. November 25-27, Karen Drijanski and her son will deliver tastes from her Mexico City breakfast hotspot Niddo (fingers crossed they serve up some chilaquiles). Don’t miss December 20-22 when Valle de Guadalupe’s famed Fauna chef David Castro brings his distinctive flair (and hopefully his charred octopus). 2022’s series culminates December 26-28 with Xóchitl Valdéz of Merida’s Pancho Maíz, which pays homage to the ancient Mayan maiz criollo (a native corn). You don’t have to spring for the hotel if you are in town, but reservations are a must!

Rancho Villa

Todos Santos’ newest posh resort, Rancho Pescadero, is now open. Oceanfront rooms are gussied up in desert hues, some even boasting private soaking pools. Chill all day at the massive apostrophe-shaped pool fronting the Pacific, stroll the ranch’s fruit trees and educational gardens, or sample the organic goodies grown onsite at their three restaurants. This month, sea turtle hatchery season begins—volunteers can help restore coastal habitat and guide baby turtles to the ocean under the epic night sky of southern Baja. While in town, don’t skip Javier Placencia’s Sunday barbeque at his alfresco Jazamango.

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Bring the pooch and your hiking shoes to Joshua Tree’s newest digs, The Bungalows by Homestead Modern. The 14 new one-bedroom suites unify indoors and outdoors with massive floor-to-ceiling windows facing the native jojoba and creosote landscaping. Kitchenettes are stocked with organic goodies like Public Goods almond cookies and Wonder Lake coffee beans. After a day of hiking along the trippy rock formations of Joshua Tree’s Discovery Trail, soak in cold and hot pools, then trek up to Pappy And Harriet’s, where acts like Os Mutantes and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot take the stage later this month.