Easy, Labor Day Trips to Book in a Jiffy
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And just like that, summer 2021, which for most of us has briefly marked the first real semblance of normalcy since the pandemic began, is a month away from coming to an end. Now, with Labor Day weekend around the corner, it's not too late to plan that last-minute getaway to close the book on the season. Yes, the Delta variant is a growing concern, even among the fully vaccinated, but with the necessary precautions—and staying mindful of ever-changing rules—you can safely toast the end of summer from several postcard-perfect destinations, both domestic and international. Here are our top picks for Labor Day Weekend 2021.
Santa Barbara, California
Not feeling adventurous enough for a weekend jaunt to the south of France? Head to Santa Barbara instead, a city whose geographic location (and just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles) creates a uniquely Mediterranean climate, thereby earning it a nickname:ß American Riviera. Plus, you'll get pretty Spanish-Colonial architecture, proximity to wine country (the Santa Ynez Valley), and plenty of luxurious hotels to choose from, such as the Belmond El Encanto, with its sweeping, unparalleled views that stretch out to the Pacific, and San Ysidro Ranch, where Jackie and JFK famously spent their honeymoon. It's not hard to see why so many celebrities—Oprah, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—love to take refuge in Santa Barbara and its environs.
Read Reviews Belmond El Encanto
Read Reviews San Ysidro Ranch
The French Riviera
Now if you are feeling adventurous enough for a weekend jaunt to France, there is no place more fabulously legendary than the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, the crown jewel of the Côte d'Azur that also happens to be celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. You'll be joining a glittery guest list that once included names like Picasso, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Kennedy. As for activities, simply luxuriate in swanning down the Grande Allée every morning to claim your perch by the infinity pool overlooking the sea. Or maybe take advantage of the hotel's own bespoke yacht to get more deeply acquainted with the Mediterranean and its many hidden gems. Champagne included, naturally.
Read Reviews Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc
Chatham, Massachusetts
Cape Cod is a quintessential American retreat—and Chatham is arguably its most charming hamlet. The grandest dame in town is the Chatham Bars Inn, which was originally founded in 1914 as a hunting lodge for wealthy Bostonians. Today, its 217 rooms are sprawled out among 30 buildings on 25 acres, all the more making you feel like you're vacationing on the compound of a great American dynasty. Plenty of activities are available to fill up a long weekend, such as whale watching, fishing, sailing, tennis, and golf. Or rent a private beach cabana and get lost in a summer read. The on-site 8-acre farm provides fresh ingredients for the hotel's cuisine, which can be enjoyed from one of its many outdoor dining spaces.
Read Reviews Chatham Bars Inn
Sonoma County, California
With a stellar food scene to accompany its established wine scene, Sonoma County has quickly caught up to its glitzier sister Napa in recent years. What's more, here you'll get a decidedly more local vibe, though if you want the ultra-manicured experience, Napa Valley is an easy drive away. Great dining is ever-thriving—and growing. Favorites like SingleThread, Barndiva, and Valette have recently been joined by the Matheson, an ambitious tri-level farm-to-table establishment from chef Dustin Valette (of Valette) and Little Saint, a plant-based restaurant courtesy of the team behind SingleThread. As for where to stay, the cool new kid in town is the Montage Healdsburg, situated on more than 200 acres of vineyards and chock full of amenities, like an 11,500-square-foot spa.
Read Reviews Montage Healdsburg
Hampshire, England
The U.K. recently reopened its borders and lifted quarantine rules for vaccinated Americans, making the picturesque English countryside an especially relaxing and meditative way to bid adieu to summer. Stay at Heckfield Place, a sprawling converted 18th-century Georgian manor that sits on 438 acres of woods, meadows, gardens, lakes, and farmland. The hotel's Market Garden just received 100% biodynamic certification, becoming the first property in the country to do so, and its organic farm supplies everything from the decorative flower arrangements to the root-to-table menu. In other words, it's all pure bucolic bliss. Plus, proximity to Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey) certainly adds to its many charms.
Read Reviews Heckfield Place
Savannah, Georgia
Head to Savannah if you're looking for an enchanting little getaway. The first thing many people think of when they hear the mention of this historic spot is the Spanish moss that lines the city's cobblestone streets and all those idyllic mansions. Imagine spending three days meandering through charming alleys and indulging in delicious lowcountry cuisine. Alleviate food comas at the ultra-chic Perry Lane, a Luxury Collection Hotel. Located in the center of the historic district, the hotel is adorned with an expansive art collection curated by Savannah socialite Adelaide Harcourt and, perhaps most crucial for a Southern summer, boasts a rooftop pool.
Read Reviews Perry Lane Hotel, Luxury Collection
Newport, Rhode Island
The incredibly opulent Gilded Age mansions—the Breakers, the Elms, Marble House—are reason enough to spend a weekend in this tony Rhode Island town. You can stay in your own version of a historic property at the aptly named Vanderbilt, an Auberge Resort. The restored mansion actually did belong to a Vanderbilt, Alfred Gwynne, who built it in 1909. Today, the 33-room hotel has two pools, a great art collection, light-filled rooms, and a rooftop bar with expansive views of the sailboats bobbing in Narragansett Bay.
Read Reviews The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection
Big Sur, California
America has no shortage of stunning coastlines, but none are quite so powerful as Big Sur. Just driving down this cliff-hugging stretch of Highway 1 is an experience in itself but the state park also has a wealth of trails and hikes to explore. Stay at the adults-only Ventana Big Sur, which occupies 160 acres of lush flora and where all of the rooms have private outdoor space. For a true home away from home feel, book the standalone Cottage House, which is equipped with an outdoor tub, hammocks, and a fireplace. Or, if you prefer to be more at one with the surroundings, opt for the glamping option and stay in a luxe tent surrounded by towering redwoods. Whatever you choose, there's really no bad vantage point from which to soak in all of Big Sur's edge-of-the-world glory.
Read Reviews Ventana Big Sur
New York, New York
Any New Yorker will tell you that the city shines on summer holiday weekends because it's blissfully empty, what with everyone clamoring for the Hamptons. Why not use this as an opportunity to revisit Manhattan's tried and true classics? First, you make like Eloise and book a room at the Plaza (also obligatory: afternoon tea). Then spend your time shopping up a storm at Bergdorf's, admiring Cézanne's drawings at the MoMA, and taking many a leisurely stroll through Central Park. A pre-dinner martini is a must at the iconic Bemelmans, followed by soufflés at La Grenouille, another New York institution.
Read Reviews The Plaza
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