This iconic early 20th-century luxury hotel located in Santa Barbara’s American Riviera, has being meticulously restored to capture all the romance and glamour that made it a favorite getaway of Hollywood’s elite. Nestled within gloriously landscaped gardens, El Encanto enjoys sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean from its commanding hilltop perch.
Route 66 is undeniably one of the most celebrated highways in America. From some of the most picturesque views in the United States to its distinct diagonal angle that runs between Chicago and Los Angeles, Route 66 has all the elements that continues to captivate USA Road Trip lovers. Take the journey through Route 66 and discover why the road trip spells out legendary proportions!
Mother Nature worked overtime on the rugged Monterey Peninsula, a highlight of the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, the road that follows much of the California coastline. The peninsula is a surf-and-wind-sculpted wonder of cliff-lined beaches, sandy dunes, rocky shores and deep ocean bays. The old fishing town of Monterey, forever immortalised by Nobel Prize-winning novelist John Steinbeck, remains the peninsula’s biggest draw.
This is the prototypical California beach moment: you’re in your shorts and flip-flops, standing on a street with palm trees and clear blue sky overhead. Scantily clad nubile young things zip past on Rollerblades. Nearby, gently breaking Pacific Ocean waves lap on to the glistening sandy shore. Across the street, a café overflows with tanned patrons, shaded by a canopy of bougainvillea. And you think: “It’s January!”
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa is an historical five-diamond resort offering the epitome of luxury in casual elegance and a discovery of true sense of place. For almost 90 years, discerning travelers have enjoyed a mild Mediterranean climate with unsurpassed mountain vistas amid beautifully-appointed, Spanish-styled buildings and a mild Mediterranean climate on the 220 tree-lined acres.
California has a long and storied vineyard history. Despite the emergence of successful, smaller vineyards on the East Coast of the United States as far north as the finger lakes area of New York, California wine country, primarily Napa Valley and Sonoma, remain the heart of the U.S. wine industry in terms of production and popular understanding.
After showbiz pioneers Cecil B. DeMille and Jesse Lasky were drawn to the climate-blessed West Coast in 1911, Hollywood ceased being a real place and became a concept, a glittering Tinseltown synonymous with glamour and ambition.
The U.S. is home to some fabulous big-city art museums, but – surprise – there’s also great art viewing in several smaller cities. Here’s where to go for the ultimate art tour:
