Home, home, where I wanted to go...

When I was in middle school, a "miracle" occurred.

I was taken off of a 3 year waitlist and was able to finally attend Camp Seafarer.

Camp Seafarer, on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina!

It was a beautiful place, still is very special to me.

It became a haven for me, a home where I had friends who had more things in common with me than my friends at home. And so I began a change in my life. I changed from the W&L alum kid/Country Club crowd at home, into the Camp Seafarer/worldly kid. It was a huge shift, but my parents know 100% that if I didn't have my "camp family" I likely wouldn't be here today...I mean that with every ounce of my being... but that is a whole other story.

Here is a picture of my camp family (I'm the one in the middle with the huge hat and sunglasses):

...And Three of these women are either my bridesmaids or my MOH...

We had Johnny Seagull's who we'd write love letters to all summer, if not after that...
And we would listen and slow dance to Christopher Cross's "Sailing" at the end of our weekly dances...
Aren't all of the Flying Scots tied down at sunset beautiful?

Photos by: A. Creswick, R. Ney or moi!

Honeymoon Locations in the South: Part 5

Just down the road a bit from yesterday's feature, the Grove Park Inn, is the lovely Inn at Biltmore Estate.
No, you do not get to stay at THE Biltmore Estate, seen below...

...but you can always tour it if you would like. Especially if you stay in the Cottage on the grounds - yes, a 2 bedroom, 2 bath cottage on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate is available for you to vacation, or honeymoon, at. It is definitely the man-made highlight of the Asheville area.

This lovely Inn comes a close second and, as you can tell, it was designed to mirror the Estate it was named for:

How could you not love the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from this dining room?

Don't you just love the stone details?

Would you like to take afternoon tea from this lobby?

Maybe you would rather take a nap in your room, with its own view of the lovely landscape?

Maybe once you check in to the Inn, you decide to go to the Spa for some treatment. A mani-pedi or massage, perhaps? While you decide, sit in the relaxation room:

I normally go for a massage, so this room is where you would find me!

On a side note: The Biltmore Estate is still family owned. I would like to point out that yes, that huge monstrosity that is based off of various features of Italian palazzi and French chateaux is STILL family owned. What the Biltmore family, today primarily the Cecil family, has done is diversify the massive amount of lands that they inherited (8,000+ acres, yup). Frederick Law Olmstead designed the landscapes. These diversifications are what has led to a very successful winery, spa, the Inn, Land Rover driving school, horseback riding, etc. - most of them made public in my lifetime. They have come a long way and I wish them the best as they continue to be successful!

Honeymoon Locations in the South: Part 4

For my special series, Honeymoon Locations in the South, we move from Virginia down further to the South...

Welcome to North Carolina!

More specifically, welcome to the Grove Park Inn, located just outside of Asheville.

I have fond memories of this beautiful resort from family vacations as well as from conferences during my Mom's former career in the fashion industry. We had an English woman on the Housekeeping Staff who would babysit us when my Mom was at fashion shows and meetings. My Dad would try his best at golf and/or tennis. We would sit on the big, broad back "deck" (massive balcony) which overlooked the Blue Ridge Mountains and just gaze out towards the horizon.

This resort is a beautiful place to travel to as a family or as a newly married couple. It is both historic (opened in 1913) and respected throughout the hospitality industry. It was added to the National Historic Registry in 1973. Both families and couples would enjoy sitting next to the fireplace... just don't actually walk into it (yes, it is that big)! When it is cold you can get hot chocolate and it is delicious.

As per the Grove Park Inn website:

This lobby is known as The Great Hall — and for good reason. Measuring 120 feet across, the hall features 24-foot ceilings and two gigantic 14-foot stone fireplaces. It’s famous for the elevators cleverly hidden in the chimneys of the stone fireplaces (put there to conceal the noise of the machinery), which continue to transport guests to their rooms today.

The architecture, the views, and the landscape in general of the Grove Park Inn... they are ideal for someone who has diverse tastes. An outdoorsmen would love it, as would a traditionalist who likes the idea of a rich, luxe lodge out in the country.

Natch, I have to give a shoutout to my talented 'uncle' (really second cousin) Scott, who built the spa at the Grove Park Inn...

...which won numerous accolades for the features and architectural design. He was inspired by the elements which is why there is fire, water, earth and air so perfectly represented in every room of the spa.

They have themed weekends to cater to different tastes and interests - so be sure to check those opportunities out! Whether you want to go mountain biking or to tour the Biltmore Estate... you will not be disappointed by the beautiful lodge, regardless of the season!

Honeymoon Locations in the South: Part 3

In Part 3 of my series, I will now take you Richmond, Virginia to stay at The Jefferson Hotel for your honeymoon!

The Jefferson Hotel is a beautiful old hotel in downtown Richmond, Virginia.

There are many elements in the Richmond area to take in, from the Cary Street shopping district, called Carytown,

to the Museum of the Confederacy,

to the Poe House,

to the world-reknown Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,

who has just started a huge exhibition of Picasso (the only East Coast locale on this tour) that will go from now until mid-May. If you go, you MUST check out their Faberge collection - it rivals the Forbes collection in terms of eggs and photographs & frames of the Romanovs!

The Jefferson itself is a sight to behold.

The Rotunda lobby is gorgeous (which used to be a Japanese palm garden),

[note the Tiffany glass atrium]

the restaurants are the top rankings of the entire Commonwealth

and the rooms are heavenly.

What more could you ask for?

Photo sources: The Jefferson Hotel, Carytown Association, Museum of the Confederacy, VMFA and the Poe House.

Honeymoon Locations in the South: Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my series - Honeymoon Locations in the South!



Next stop is a town to the north of my hometown: Staunton, Virginia (pronounced STAN-tuhn).



Staunton has only one decent full-service hotel, the Stonewall Jackson Hotel!



It underwent major renovations in 2005 to update its interior to a higher standard. It had originally opened in 1924, and is on the National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Hotels of America list. It has 124 guest rooms. Part of this project was due to a new parking garage that was built adjacent to the hotel on New Street. The other reason is because of the addition of the renowned American Shakespeare Center ("ASC") at Blackfriar's Playhouse.



As written by Frommer's: "This stunning re-creation of the first indoor theater in the English-speaking world, which William Shakespeare and his colleagues built on part of London's Blackfriars Monastery...is, in itself, a reason to visit Staunton." The theater has 300 seats and is to scale and detail exactly what a serious theater buff would enjoy!



The hotel has a lovely dining room called the Colonnade, which does a very nice breakfast. Another dining option is the bar that is open at night. Often, there is live music at the bar and they have food as well. Both come highly recommended by friends and family. M and I have discussed doing a one-night stay there at some point, so we shall see! As you can see below, their king bedrooms look super-comfy:



So, if you are a couple looking for a southern town with some of the most talented Shakespearean actors in the country, this theater and music town is for you! If you love an old town steeped in unique architecture and history, then this location may be ideal for you as well!



Photo sources: Stonewall Jackson Hotel, Staunton Visitors Center

Honeymoon Locations in the South: Part 1

I'm starting a new series this week - honeymoon locations in the south! [yes, I love the Disney movie Robin Hood. Sue me.]

Today is Part 1, so we will start at a place near my hometown - the Homestead.

The Homestead was founded in 1766 by Capt. Bullett and Andrew Lewis of the Virginia Militia. They built a wood lodge near the famous Hot Springs of Virginia on a tract of 300 acres. Visited by the newly-formed United States Presidents while they were in office (or not), the Homestead grows in popularity. By the early 1800s, Bath County and the Town of Bath, named for the English city are founded. At this point an average of 6,000 people come to "take in the baths" every year.

As early as 1832, the Homestead starts to form itself into the resort that stands today. However, the Homestead has had to resurrect itself many times due to major fires that occurred in previous centuries (literally).

In 1888, J. Pierpont Morgan (of J.P. Morgan fame) purchased the Homestead, as it had gone down in popularity during the Reconstruction era. In 1892, Morgan and additional financiers started renovating the resort and added a new wing. Thomas Edison, a frequent seasonal guest, provided a state of the art power plant. The Virginia Building, West Wing, ladies indoor badminton courts as well as the golf locker room, were completed by 1893.

The Ballroom is added after a major fire in 1901. From 1892-1913, the Old Course at The Homestead is completed by Donald Ross. Almost every single President that has ever been in office has golfed and/or stayed at the Homestead.

Here is a photo of a family taking a carriage ride with a view of the Homestead as it is today:

The Front Porch has tons of rocking chairs to encourage conversation between guests. The entire resort is heavily influenced by the Victorian era.

Be sure to book a suite at the Homestead! Most suites are immaculate in the details of the decor and they are so comfortable. The suites really give you the best deal for your money, and if you are able to drive to your honeymoon, spend that money that would have gone to a plane ticket on a room upgrade! The smallest rooms are almost 200 square feet, with suites going up to 630 sq ft (not including the President Suite). I believe the room pictured below is a Preferred Homestead Suite - which has both a living room and a bedroom and goes up to 500 square feet.

I would recommend honeymooners to stay at the Homestead if they are people who enjoy the outdoors. They offer horseback riding, carriage rides, skiing, ice-skating, canoeing, fly-fishing, archery, paintball, sporting clays, skeet, falconry, riflery, mountain biking and hay rides.

Traditional people would enjoy the Homestead for its classic Southern features that occur indoors as well. Every afternoon Tea is served in the Great Hall. You can enjoy reading by the fireplace or playing games in the Sun Room. You can also go bowling. There is also a spa, too!

Isn't this scene beautiful? Families enjoying the outdoors together. A big band would often play in the Pavilion or out on the lawn. As a child, I enjoyed watching my parents dance cheek to cheek here. I grew up attending Easter brunch, Mother's Day brunch, Memorial Day/Fourth of July/Labor Day parties here on the back lawn by the Pavilion - I even had a few birthday parties here myself!

And if you have kiddies, you should know that in 2010, Travel & Leisure ranked The Homestead #12 of 52 of "The World's Best Hotels for Families." (including my own, below, on my brother's birthday/New Year's Eve... yes I am that kid in the red dress)

Thanks to Disney for the Robin Hood screenshot. Most photos of The Homestead are public domain, Library of Congress or the Virginia Historical Society. If they are not, then they are my own or The Homestead's property.