Are you feeling like maybe now is the right time to treat your family to a special experience? If so, here are five resort destinations to consider.
Four Seasons Resort, Santa Fe, New Mexico
It’s a Santa Fe experience in perfect balance. You’ll relish the privacy, tranquility and easy access to the pathways leading into the Sangre de Cristo foothills provided by the New Mexico resort’s expansive setting. Yet, you’ll be just minutes from the center of this cultural gem where world-class galleries, fine dining and cultural experiences await. Begin each day with a complimentary guided hike, during which you’ll learn of the resort’s colorful history while marveling at the vistas from the ridgeline trail. Later, relax by the pool, sample a spa treatment or access the year-round options to explore the region provided the on-site Adventure Center. As the sun sets, the rich aroma of the local pinon burning in each casita’s kiva fireplace will mix with your memories of the day, crafting a heady concoction that will linger long after you return home.
Contact: https://www.fourseasons.com/santafe
Turtle Inn, Placencia, Belize
A holiday trip to this Central American outpost offers an extraordinary bounty of experiences packed into a short time frame. This trip offers a chance to explore ancient caves, get immersed in Mayan culture and kayak through freshwater lagoons. You can also snorkel above the second largest barrier reef in the world, hang out with spider monkeys, loggerhead turtles, toucans and kingfishers, and watch the sunset. End your trip at the Francis Ford Coppola-owned, 25-room, seaside refuge where you will fall fast asleep to the sweet song of the natural world in your thatched-roof bungalow.
Contact: www.CoppolaResorts.com/TurtleInn; www.TravelBelize.org
Oasis at Death Valley Resort, Furnace Creek, California
Visit this dramatic desert landscape to explore colorful canyons, volcanic vistas, amazing sand dunes and low-lying swaths of desert. It’s a place where rain is rare, the air is dry and adventure abounds. Yet, you can settle in to a luxurious hideaway with a colorful history and graceful appeal at every turn. Stay at the Inn at Death Valley to experience a Hollywood-style spring-fed pool, cozy cabanas, a superb spa and stylish guest rooms. Known to the Hollywood elite and savvy travelers since the late 1920s, The Inn provides a unique opportunity to experience the stark beauty of this uncommon National Park, only to return to your own oasis in the desert. Nearby, The Ranch at Death Valley provides a sprawling, more casual, family and adventure -focused option, a perfect basecamp in which to gather multiple generations.
Contact: www.OasisatDeathValley.com; https://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm
Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida
With 13 miles of beaches, abundant native wildlife and a pristine environment, this barrier island, located off the coast of northeast Florida, has been luring families for decades. Stay at the 446-rooom Ritz Carlton on the Atlantic shore and the kids may want to join the hunt for fossilized shark teeth on the beach or learn to balance on a stand-up paddleboard. Add other water sports to the mix by trying jet skiing, boogie boarding, kayaking and surfing. Children five through 12 can look forward to the Ritz Kids program that offers immersive adventures designed to introduce young people to the natural wonders of the island. They’ll learn about sand dunes and ancient forests and how recycling can make a difference through storytelling, art and even food. Hopefully, the kids won’t be too tired to appreciate story time, snacks and a tuck-in offered by a friendly pirate and his friend the princess.
Contact: https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/florida/amelia-island
Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa, Carlsbad, California
As a resort guest in this picturesque, coastal community, you'll enjoy a relaxing getaway plus VIP treatment when you visit Legoland. You'll have access to a private entrance when you head to the 128-acre theme park where 60 interactive rides, shows and attractions await. Book the Great Indoors Package and the kids can chill out in an in-room, child-size tent where sleeping bags beckon or hang out in campsite-inspired canvas folding chairs. Spend time at the beach, outlet shopping or taking advantage of the resort's pool and waterslide, kids activity center, fitness center and spa.
Contact: www.sheratoncarlsbad.com. visitcarlsbad.com.
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