Every day feeling like Sunday? Vital Social Distancing, seems more like a recipe for Stir Crazy Stew. During this stressful period, online postings have revealed distinct personalities; it’s abundantly clear that some are devoted and very well read news junkies, others need daily doses of humor, others or all are rabid Netflix bingers.

Continuing from last week’s list of luxury properties with private bungalows and villas – for the eventual first toe back in the water. Read on, we hope to transport you to a world of escapism and brighter times ahead.

Inn at Five Graces, Santa Fe, NM, a charmer! I’ve been a frequent visitor to this picturesque city, the oldest capital in the United States, the charming city is set at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and possesses a unique Southwestern charm all its own. A few miles south, these mountains diminish down from a height of 13,000 feet to a flattened level plain, marking the end of the North American Rockies. A desert jewel, The Inn of the Five Graces in Santa Fe wows with exotic decor, raw silks and rich color that seamlessly blends the Southwest with the Far East. Step through its doors, and a feast of color and texture awakens the imagination. Each distinctive room showcases handcrafted artisan pieces and eclectic treasures from the historic Silk Road that once linked Europe and Asia. Echoes of rustic Spain, lingering in New Mexico’s Hispanic heritage, are reflected in the diverse style, a trademark synthesis of East and West. The richness will evoke memories of your Journeys to Istanbul and India. The Seret family who own the Inn have roamed the world to bring together Persian, Indian, Tibetan, Uzbek and other Eastern architectural elements and antiques with classic Santa Fe adobe construction. https://www.gwenbooks.com/2018/05/inn-of-the-five-graces-santa-fe-new-mexico/

Ranch at Rock Creek, Montana – Ultimate Dude Ranch. Our favorite adult & kiddy Relais & Châteaux Ranch in Montana books up fast in summer – time to plan for your lavish Western Glamping escape. Adventure and glamping make for a superb visit to Ranch at Rock Creek, just a short distance from Missoula. Our multi-generation families stay for a week, sometimes two weeks. The Forbes Five Star guest ranch has more activities than one can actually enjoy in a week, something for everyone and whenever you feel like moseying out from your rustically elegant and very comfy lodge room, private home or an over the top Glamping Tent, set on the banks of the gurgling Rock Creek. Camping in the most elegant style, bug free, full indoor bath and a roaring stove to ward off the cool night chill. Consisting of 29 private homes, lodge rooms and elegant Glamping Tents, some easily accommodate a large family gathering. https://www.gwenbooks.com/2018/10/summer-at-the-ranch-at-rock-creek/

Triple Creek Ranch, Montana, Adult Dude Ranch–Triple Creek Ranch is an award-winning Montana Luxury Ranch Resort hidden away in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. The valley was the ancestral home of the Salish tribe of the Flathead nation. The luxury Ranch caters to families with children16 and older, but the majority of the clientele is adults. Cowboy chic décor abounds, the architecture provides the first hint, charming log cabin homes and cottages dotted amid the towering fragrant Ponderosa Pines. The air is fresh, the skies robin egg blue, all this punctuated by the gurgling creek running through the property; my comfortable cabin was enhanced by the sound of the rushing creek, guaranteeing deep sleep. The owners are serious Western fine art collectors and generously share their collection in each cabin and in all the public spaces, truly an added perk.

There is an annual Stave Puzzle Weekend, if you aren’t a puzzle expert by now, a weekend here will enhance your skills- imagine warm fire, a fine Cabernet and a Stave puzzle weekend! https://www.gwenbooks.com/2017/09/triple-creek-ranch-montana-luxury/
https://www.gwenbooks.com/2018/04/triple-creek-ranch-activities/

Further afield: Four Seasons Maldives Private Island – Voavah. A heavenly hideaway, a sublime sanctuary offering the utmost in privacy and iconic Four Seasons pampering at the world’s first exclusive-use UNESCO hideaway, Voavah. A seven-bedroom private island Maldives home, the sojourn includes a 62-foot luxury yacht: Voavah Summer and a marine territory that’s utterly your own! Voavah, private island is a welcome addition to the two luxurious Four Seasons Resorts in the Maldives.

Our mantra on the art of the opening act, your arrival sets the stage: with a personal VIP Seaplane, alighting on the pristine pure white sand, your private beach! Tip toe over the scuttling white shelled hermit crabs and the delicious dilemma develops, what shall you do first: laps in the pool, a discovery afternoon of diving or casting, or snooze until sunset? Decisions, decisions!

Sneak peek: accommodating up to 22 guests in seven bedrooms, with its own chefs, staff, private spa, and a 65-foot-long PADIequipped motor yacht with a dedicated dive master. This extraordinary five-acre, island paradise is your private playground – retreat or indulge in the total privacy as a castaway!

https://www.gwenbooks.com/2018/02/four-seasons-maldives-private-island-voavah

We haven’t stayed yet, but Twin Farms Resort and Spa, in Vermont is represented by one of our very reliable discerning firms. A Relais & Chateaux and Forbes Five Star Resort, double blessings! Located about one-and-a-half hours from the nearest commercial airport in Burlington, the journey into the bucolic landscape surrounding Barnard, Vermont begins the Twin Farms experience. Once on the property’s vast 300 acres, seclusion and privacy come first. And there is a ‘story’ – which I always adore, who can resist an authentic history, or a property built around a smart or in this case, a romantic tale?

When Nobel prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis proposed to journalist Dorothy Thompson, she promised to marry him if he bought her a farm in Vermont with sweeping lawns, orchards, and “delicious air.” They found their idyll in a 1795-era farmhouse on 300 acres – all of which they purchased in 1928 for $10,000. In various seasons, they created and entertained at Twin Farms. Their guest list included political and literary figures who lingered for provocative discussions, outdoor activities, and the opportunity to attend the couple’s legendary parties. Dorothy kept Twin Farms until she was no longer physically able to live here. As she grew frail, her family sold off parcels of the land, completing the final transaction in 1958. Subsequently, Twin Farms changed hands several times. It operated as Sonnenberg Haus, an inn with a reputation for fine dining, when Thurston Twigg-Smith acquired the property as a second home for his family in 1974. By the late 1980s, the Twigg-Smiths found themselves able to visit Barnard only a few weeks a year, so they decided to launch a Bed and Breakfast to share this special place – a quaint notion that soon escalated to the number one small hotel in North America.

Open all year, the resort offers specific activities related to the seasons. Sinclair Lewis described his favorite hideaway in Fall at Twin Farms: Our legacy revolves around Fall foliage, bringing unparalleled beauty in shades of red and gold bathed in crisp air, with the promise of warmth and intimacy at the end of the day. “There will be apple trees and flaming lilies, and the moon over the low mountains and you and me, after dinner, sitting….on the terrace, and inside, when it becomes chilly, the fireplace and lamplight and lots of books,”

Freestanding cottages, lodge rooms and Farmhouse rooms provide multiple stay options. The cottages are secluded amid 300 wooded acres, ten freestanding cottages comfort and inspire with fireplaces and screened porches – each a unique setting for reflection, romance and serenity./https://www.twinfarms.com/

A unique plethora of somewhat secluded options for your first foray back to civilization. We also have a list of very isolated private homes available, so private we can’t broadcast the locations, but if you have an interest, ping me for a proposal!

Be Well and be Safe, we look forward to curating your dream escapes!

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”
 
— T.S. Eliot