In our summer U.S. issue of Yolo Journal, we asked some of our most well-traveled friends to share their favorite getaways in the country, and I thought it would be helpful for us to have this list live here so you can access it easily. I also keep adding to it as I hear/remember spots that should be in it! —Y.E.
CALIFORNIA
Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn: “It has such a soul—a major energy pull—and is truly my favorite place in the world. It literally whips every 5-star hotel’s ass.” Marie-Louise Scio
Hotel Ynez, Santa Ynez
Nick’s Cove, Marshall: Try to get a room that’s on the water, otherwise you are across the road, which is technically Highway 1—and while it isn’t busy, it’s still a consideration.
Hotel Olema and Company, Point Reyes area
Mar Vista Farm + Cottages, Gualala: We stayed here ages ago, but friends say it’s still the same. Little cottages that are decorated just right, with a big garden in the middle of them, right across the road from the Pacific Ocean. Eggs from their chickens delivered to your door every morning.
Harbor House, Elk: Our friend Matt Morris covered this in his NorCal road trip feature in the America issue.
Capri Hotel, Ojai
Cuyama Buckhorn, Santa Barbara County high desert
Hotel Bel-Air: “For the scent alone…wood burning fireplaces and blossoming jasmine. Caught in time and feels a world away from LA.” Matt Hranek
Malibu Beach Inn: “A charmingly lowbrow relic of ‘70s coastal Cali surf hotel design, but with all of the high-touch service bells and whistles (read: Toto toilets and world-class wine list) and Scandi-inspired interiors. From the moment you leave the open-air hallway, the sound of whizzing cars on the PCH disappears and all you see is blue. The oceanfront rooms make you feel like you could dip your toe into Malibu’s most coveted cove at Carbon Beach.” Pilar Guzman
The Surfrider, Malibu
San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito: “Arriving on a weekend to personalized stationary in your rustic cottage, a blood orange margarita in the garden and a dinner under the stars—you forget you’re only an hour and a half away from Los Angeles.” Jack Siebert
WASHINGTON STATE
The Society Hotel Bingen, Cook
Lake Crescent Lodge, Port Angeles
Iron Springs Resort, Copalis Beach
OREGON
The Jennings Hotel, Joseph
Timberline Lodge, Mt Hood
IDAHO
Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch, Stanley: “One of my favorite hotels anywhere. Over the pass from Ketchum, on the way to Stanley, is the historic main lodge with a sweeping porch where you can enjoy perfect views of the Sawtooth Mountains. Stay in one of the log cabins with a stone fireplace and hickory furniture. I float the Salmon River and fly fish for cutthroat trout with Verlon the guide. But you can hike, bike, ride horses and end the day relaxing in their outdoor natural hot spring pool.” David Coggins
Three Rivers Resort, Lowell
MONTANA
The Ranch at Rock Creek, Philipsburg
Elkhorn Ranch, Gallatin Gateway
WYOMING
Caldera House, Teton Village
Brush Creek Ranch, Saratoga
COLORADO
UTAH
Amangiri: “Without question my favorite hotel in the United States and truly one of my top five in the world. The staggering majesty of the landscape is complimented in equal measure by the flawless rigor of the hotel architecture and its interiors. The customer service surpasses itself with every visit.” Kevin Sharkey
ARIZONA
Hotel Valley Ho, Scottsdale
Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix
NEW MEXICO
Los Poblanos, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque
Ten Thousand Waves, Santa Fe
TEXAS
Hotel Saint Cecilia, Austin: “When you’re a touring comedian, your hotel is your home away from home. And when you return to various cities over the years, certain hotels tend to hold a special place in your heart. For me, Saint Cecilia in Austin is always a treat. From grabbing a few records from the lobby at check-in to coming home to the glowing SOUL sign over the pool and the singular decor that feels cool yet comfortable/weird—it’s exactly what you want in your temporary home on the road.” Aziz Ansari
The Local Chapter, Big Bend: “It sits atop a mesa overlooking miles of far west Texas desert, which really lends to the secluded feeling that I look forward to when I go out there. My favorite part of staying here is how you can go straight from the desert landscape and into a truly lux-ed out private yurt. This place is seriously beautiful.” Reed Kenney
Willow House, Terlingua
The Inn at Dos Brisas, Washington
LOUISIANA
Soniat House, New Orleans
The Chloe, New Orleans
Columns, New Orleans
MICHIGAN
The Lake Breeze, Lake Superior: Our friend the photographer Matt Morris wrote about this in the most recent issue. “The feeling of being frozen in time…with no website, and only open two months out of the yeaer, the only way to book a room is to call them (906) 289-4514”
WISCONSIN
Camp Wandawega, Elkhorn
Stout’s Island Lodge, Birchwood
NEW YORK
The Lake House on Canandaigua, Finger Lakes: We love this property—the rooms are beautifully done, the lake is lovely, and the area has so many things to do, from antiquing to wine tasting to exploring all the other towns in the area (which we did a story on in the summer issue.)
Inness, Accord
Sound View Greenport, North Fork Long Island
Shou Sugi Ban House, Watermill
Troutbeck, Amenia
Homestedt, Livingston Manor, the Catskills
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Omni Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods
VERMONT
The Woodstock Inn, Woodstock
Shelburne Farms, Shelburne
Twin Farms, Barnard
MAINE
Hidden Pond, Kennebunkport
Migis Lodge at Sebago Lake, South Casco
Blair Hill Inn, Greenville
The Gills Group, Bailey Island: Fashion photographer/film director Carter Smith grew up on this island, and has a group of seafront cottages that he has lovingly restored, with many of his finds from his travels.
MASSACHUSETTS
The Inn at Kenmore Hall, the Berkshires: “I loved staying here so much that I booked my return trip the minute I got home. I just had to get back to re-experience the beauty of the thoughtfully restored 18th-century Georgian hilltop manse run by two lovely fellas who have created my favorite new retreat. Scott Edward Cole, who has been in hospitality for years and makes a mean cocktail and the most beautiful bacon-y breakfast, and his partner, Frank Muytjens, a gifted fashion designer who led J. Crew menswear during the height of its workwear-meets-preppy heyday, both have a gentle but exacting way about them, and a shared aesthetic that favors a pure warmth and richness. They take great care to ensure that you feel more like a friend up for the weekend than a getaway guest. The rooms are spacious yet homey, with warm caramel-colored wood-plank floors, smooth marble mantels and rich textured fabrics on cushy furniture that invites lounging, napping and reading. I can’t remember the last time I relished spending so much time in a room away from home, poring over an amazing array of collectible art, photography and design tomes. The apple orchard overlooking the valley is about to bloom and the expansive new vegetable garden is sure to be ready for harvest when I return soon, very soon.” Bruce Pask
The Wauwinet, Nantucket
Life House, Nantucket
Salt House Inn, Provincetown
The Charlotte Inn, Martha’s Vineyard
Greydon House, Nantucket: “Hands down there really is only one place to stay in Nantucket (unless you have some well-heeled friends with a ‘cottage’ on the beach), and it’s Greydon House. Designed by Roman & Williams about 5 years ago, it just gets better as it ages. I might suggest wasting away some days here eating fresh oysters from down the way, chasing them with a G&T and a splash of bitters, then repeating until you lie down in a painfully comfortable bed. I’d say the biggest problem with staying at G.H. Is that you won’t want to leave to experience the charms of Nantucket.” Douglas Friedman
RHODE ISLAND
Ocean House, Westerly: I’ve always said that if you can’t get to a grand hotel in Europe, this is next best closest thing.
Sea Breeze Inn, Block Island
Weekapaug Inn, Westerly
The Chanler at Cliff Walk, Newport
CONNECTICUT
The Whaler’s Inn, Mystic: “Right on the water, steps from three great restaurants (The Oyster Club is my favorite), and walking distance to a bookstore, it’s the kind of inn you always hope will be a small town, but rarely is.” Stephen Ringer
Mayflower Inn & Spa, Washington
NEW JERSEY
Congress Hall, Cape May
MARYLAND
Inn at Perry Cabin, Talbot County: I love this area—biking around the harbor, eating crab boils…it’s heaven.
The Ivy, Baltimore: Yes this is in a city, but it’s such a getaway within it. Probably the best breakfast I’ve ever had in a hotel, and it has all the movies you can watch for free! Incredibly thoughtful decor. Perfect stop if you’re on a road trip that goes anywhere through this area.
PENNSYLVANIA
Omni Bedford Springs Resort, South Pennsylvania’s Cumberland Valley: We love this area—it’s way past Philadelphia and close to Pittsburgh—a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Great antiquing nearby, the hotel itself is a historic gem, the pool is epic, and if you come here, you’ll definitely be driving from somewhere, so make sure you try out all the local potato chips in any gas station you stop in.
The Lodge at Glendorn, Allegheny Forest: Absolutely caught-in-time, also in the middle of nowhere, just below the border of New York, this is a gem that nobody seems to know about. Great for those who are fishing obsessed.
VIRGINIA
The Homestead, Hot Springs: A historic hotel with great hot springs that even George Washington frequented. We love this place!
WEST VIRGINIA
The Greenbrier, Allegheny Mountains:
NORTH CAROLINA
Old Edwards Inn, Highlands, Blue Ridge Mountains
Highlander Mountain House, Highlands
High Hampton Resort, Cashiers Valley
The Swag, Great Smoky Mountains
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Dewberry, Charleston: “A stay here is like stepping back into the ‘60s, in the best way possible. The building’s JFK-era architecture shines through its modern updates, but what I love more are the little retro touches that you discover along the way, a top-notch grasshopper cocktail, and around the holiday season the Christmas tree is decorated with piles of tinsel.” Zachary Weiss
Post House, Mount Pleasant
TENNESSEE
Blackberry Farm, Great Smoky Mountains
GEORGIA
Greyfield Inn, Cumberland Island: This hotel should be on your bucket list—it’s a historic gem on an island you can’t believe exists in this country—and it has fantastic food, most of it from their organic gardens.
The Paxton 1884, Thomasville
FLORIDA
The Gasparilla Inn: “A little like going to camp, without the forced group activities. There was a regular cadence to the day that was so relaxing and lovely. A place to go for breakfast… afternoon snacks at 4 every day… cocktails next door every evening… ping pong… reading on the chintz couches in the living room. And there’s also a beach! Heaven. It feels like old-timey Florida in the best way. It’s kind of analog in a way… if Maine were in Florida, this would be it.” Ann Mashburn
HAWAII
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Waimea
The Royal Hawaiian, Honolulu: Editor’s note: See the following from my close friend who was just there in July 2021—we had heard great old school things from some of our contributors, but they hadn’t been there in a couple of years: “The Royal Hawaiian is truly awful. The hotel has been ruined. The rooms are black with magenta and silver accents, food is Sysco junk, and the worst part is they ruined the bar. The service is feral…nobody cares. Lines and lines of people everywhere, they don’t pick up the piles and I mean piles of trash thrown on the beach. We left after two days and went to the Kahala Hotel in Diamond Head which was fantastic. Old school Hawaiian luxury, understated and quiet. The beach there is like a swimming pool. They make this frozen pineapple daiquiri that I’m still dreaming about. Service was excellent.”
Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore, Oahu: “It just had a renovation and is simple and stylish. You can’t beat the location. It’s not as sweet as the Waimea Cottages on Kauai but it is the only game in town and it’s so fun to go to the North Shore.” Cristina Hudson