USA

Pacific Coast Highway road trip tips

Exploring iconic Pacific Coast Highway 1 along California’s coast

There was a time in my early 20s when I’d plan a trip down to the most exact detail. Back then, I was relatively new to traveling—having discovered wanderlust after a stint abroad during college—and planning trip logistics, to me, was as fun as the actual vacation itself. But 16 years ago I married a man who is a bit more laid back about prepping for travel. He prefers serendipity to reading guidebooks. It’s rubbed off.

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff Bluffton, South Carolina

Palmetto Bluff lies in the heart of the Low Country of South Carolina, situated between Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA in the quaint community of Bluffton. The Inn is the centerpiece of the Village at Palmetto Bluff with the Main House on the shore of the May River. Fifty guest cottages and cottage suites are carefully placed on the banks of the river to afford the ultimate views and privacy.

Visiting Florida Keys and Key West

To the south, Key West has a Mardi Gras mood with Fantasy Festivals, Hemingway look-alike contests and the occasional threat to secede from the Union. It’s an island whose melting-pot character allows crusty natives to mingle (more or less peacefully) with eccentrics and escape artists who lovingly call this 4-mi sandbar “Paradise.” Although life elsewhere in the island chain isn’t quite as offbeat, it’s nearly as diverse.

LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort Naples Florida

The LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort is a 4-star hotel is nestled alongside Vanderbilt Bay. This 64-acre tropical retreat combines a leisurely golf game and a “no jacket required” attitude with over-the-top poolside cabana offerings. Beach butlers provide food and beverage service to make for the perfect relaxing vacation. La Playa Beach and Golf Resort has an elegant Florida beach house, toes-in-the-sand feel that invites relaxation.

The Farmhouse Inn Napa California

The Farmhouse Inn is located in Forestville, California (just 1 1/2 hours north of San Francisco) – the hub of the Russian River Valley, literally minutes from hundreds of wineries and world-class restaurants. Surrounded by the towns of Healdsburg and Santa Rosa, the Sonoma Coast and the Santa Rosa airport, the internationally-acclaimed Farmhouse Inn, Michelin starred Restaurant and Spa offers something for everyone.