Copain Wines

Copain Wines is a premium winery and tasting room located just two short miles from downtown Healdsburg, in the middle of Northern California’s world-famous wine country.

Specializing in vineyard-designated wines from the Anderson Valley and Mendocino County, Copain Wines features a tasting room that’s perched on a hill overlooking the serenely beautiful Russian River Valley.

Pack your own lunch and relax in their picnic tables and Adirondack chairs, and take in the gorgeous local wine country views.

Copain Wines has long been a favorite among both locals and Healdsburg/Sonoma area visitors who prefer its “off the beaten path” location. Patrons gather to enjoy winemaker Well Guthrie’s cool-climate Pinot Noir and Syrah, which have cultivated a cult following since Copain’s inception in 1999.

The winery’s professional staff is warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable. Open by appointment, the winery welcomes guests to join the ‘Farm Table Tasting’ tasting, featuring a selection of Copain’s hand-crafted wines, offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily in the hilltop tasting room.

A fee of $15 is waived with purchase. Members of the recently launched Copain Membership Program may request the ‘Farm Table Tasting,’ or a private appointment between the hours of 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Inspired by his time in Burgundy and the Northern Rhône Valley of France, Well Guthrie marries French stylistic sensibilities with the best organically-farmed California fruit to craft classically-styled wines that are well balanced and food-friendly.

To book a vacation to Northern California’s Sonoma or Napa wine-country, please contact us using the form below.

Hotel Wailea on tropical Hawaii, is Maui’s only boutique hotel. This luxurious resort offers a wide range of activities, from private kiteboarding and paddleboard lessons to yoga classes and spa treatments. Hotel guests can enjoy a Hawaiian getaway and choose a taste of everything this tropical island and Asian-inspired resort has to offer.

By offering a mountainside setting on the Hawaiian island of Maui, Hotel Wailea is a perfect retreat for recharging both the body and soul. The amazing Hotel Wailea on Maui plays an active role in the island’s robust yoga community by hosting regular classes as well as a monthly event sponsored by Lululemon in its glass-walled studio.

The Hotel Wailea Yoga Package provides guests the opportunity to breathe and stretch while taking in stunning ocean views and soothing breezes during private daily yoga sessions led by highly experienced local instructors on one of Maui’s most pristine beaches. The complete Hotel Wailea Yoga Package starts at $795.00 per person (based on double-occupancy) and includes:
. 5 days of private 1-hour yoga sessions on the beach
. A personal yoga mat that guests can take home as a memento of their stay Water, towels, and yoga equipment during sessions
. 5 nights accommodation in an Ocean View Suite
. Attendant Service at Wailea Beach – water, umbrellas, towels and beach chairs are available for guests’ use
. Signing privileges at the Grand Wailea Resort for food & beverage, retail purchases and spa treatments
. WiFi Internet/ iPads / Wireless printer access in the lobby area
. Access to Hotel Wailea swimming pool, sun deck, pool bar and fitness center
. Complimentary shuttle service to beach, shops, golf & restaurants in Wailea
. Preferred tee times for guests at nearby Wailea golf courses (green fees not included)

The Maui Ocean Divas Package is designed for those who are adventurous but also appreciate a pause for pampering and relaxation. An exhilarating learning experience awaits with a 3-day private kiteboarding camp, led by Maui’s
premier kiteboarding school, along with a paddleboarding lesson, while the stunning lush scenery sets a relaxed tone for daily outdoor yoga lessons and spa treatments. The complete Maui Ocean Divas Package starts at $1999 per person based on double occupancy and includes:
. 3-days of private 3-hour kiteboarding lesson with a professional instructor
. 3 morning private outdoor yoga classes
. 1 1-hour Stand Up Paddleboarding
. 1 Facial and 1 Pedicure at the Hotel Wailea
. 4-nights’ accommodations at Hotel Wailea in a Partial Oceanview Suite
. Attendant Service at Wailea Beach – water, umbrellas, towels and beach chairs are available for guests’ use
. Signing privileges at the Grand Wailea Resort – food & beverage, retail purchases and spa treatments
. WiFi Internet/ iPads / Wireless printer access in the lobby area
. Access to Hotel Wailea swimming pool, sun deck, pool bar and fitness center
. Shuttle service to beach, shops, golf & restaurants in Wailea
. Preferred tee times for guests at nearby Wailea golf courses (green fees not included)

Both Hotel Wailea zen packages are available through December 31, 2013 and subject to blackout dates.

To learn more or book a reservation, please contact us using the below form.

JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa

The drive to Ko’ Olina is worth the wait! As you drive up the driveway to the JW Marriott Ihilani, leave your cares behind, as this luxury resort is lush and located on 640 acres of tropical opulence. The Spa is located in a separate building near the entrance to the resort.

Once you make your way to the locker room and put on your robe and slippers, it’s easy to slip into the nearby hot Roman tub, set at about 103 degrees. Nearby, also is a steam, sauna, and Vichy shower.

My first spa experience was the Thallaso tub, 125 jets rotating on your bottom-side, starting up by my neck and pulsating on my upper back, then moving down to the undersides and sides of my thighs, calves, and then feet.

There are bars in the Jacuzzi-like tub, to hold your feet in place and hand bars to hold onto. It is one of the only two Thallaso tubs in the USA. It is fed by filtered sea water. There are options colors to chose, to enhance your bathing experience. Each color has a different significance. Red for energy, orange for joy, yellow for wisdom, green for harmony and love, blue for calm and peace, indigo for awakening intuition and violet for awareness and creativity.

They are meant to enhance and realign the spirit. It was such a soothing, relaxing experience! My attendant, Lee, was so serene and caring. She left me to the music and the jets. What a wonderful feeling and experience!

Lee came back and led me to the wet treatment room for my Pua Kai (Flower by the Sea) signature scent scrub and wrap. It is meant to express the romantic nature of the naupaka, one of Hawaii’s most common beach plants. One of Hawaii’s most famous legends is built around naupaka, in which early Hawaiians believed it was based on a love story of a couple, one from royalty and another a commoner.

As it was strictly forbidden for members of royalty to marry people from the common ranks, the two lovers were separated. There are different versions of the naupaka legend, but all carry the same theme: lovers that are separated forever, one banished to the mountains, the other to the beach and that when the beach flower and the mountain flower are once again brought together, the couple would be together again.

Lee scrubbed my body gently with this lovely scent – reminding me of bits of jasmine, roses, orange blossoms, coconut and ginger. After thoroughly rubbing my body with this mixture, she then showered me down with the overhead vichy-shower arm. I was then led to a large vichy shower to rinse off completely, and then into another room to make a choice of a masque lotion or oil mixture for the wrap portion of the treatment.

After my relaxing treatments, I made my way out to the lanai and ordered a refreshing lunch, relaxed for a while afterwards and then made it back into the amenities area and got freshened up before my walk around the grounds.

Suggested improvements:
The lanai where I had lunch was right off of the hotel, meaning that if it’s a high-traffic time, one has to deal with the hotel traffic.

With that said, they say at the Ihilani Spa that they will do everything they can to make sure your visit is not only relaxing, but uplifting. This 35,000 square-foot oasis offers state-of-the-art facilities, helpful conveniences, and service intended to cater to your wellness. There is a fitness center, tennis courts, Pilates room and Yoga is offered on the ocean-front lawn.

This beautiful resort by the sea is set away from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu. Golf (Ted Robinson 18-hole course), snorkeling, whale and dolphin excursions are offered from the property. There is a 43-acre marina with 270 full-service slips imbedded into the Ko ‘Olina community. While on my stroll, I crossed bridges with small hammerhead sharks, rays and assorted fish below. The property offers unique interactive and interpretive guest activity programs here, utilizing this ocean water pond — Reef Shark Feeding, Hawaiian Fish Feed, Seafari Hunt, Hawaiian Ray Experience and the Keiki (children’s) program. There are kids and teens programs, also tennis lessons and clinics for young adults and adults.

The JW can accommodate your small group or a several-course dinner for 1100.

Get away, relax, and enjoy at this oasis as their motto is: Every Step Reveals Paradise…

Here the ocean does not care where you’ve been, the cascading sun does not care where you are going. All that matters is that you are right here.

Review by: Sherrie Strausfogel “Hawaii’s Spa Experience”

Fisherman come from all over the world to fish in the beautiful Hawaiian waters every year. Kauai is well know for its class-A sports fishing and Ohana Fishing Charters should be your choice.

Whether you are a die-hard fisherman, first-timer looking for adventure, or a family wanting to bond on the open-ocean, Ohana Fishing Charters has the trip of a lifetime waiting for you.

Kauai fishing is truly some of the best in the world. The Pacific Ocean waters around the lush island of Kauai are still pristine. With relatively few people living, boating and fishing here, the abundance of big game fish is sometimes hard to believe.

Ohana Fishing Charters provides the best deep sea fishing on Kauai. This top notch charter fishing business is outfitted for the serious fishing enthusiast.

Ohana Fishing Charters operates out of Nawiliwili Harbor in Lihue Kauai. Ohana Fishing Charters has been introducing beginners and advanced anglers to the thrills of Hawaiian Big Game Fishing since 1987.

You can cast away in style aboard the Ohana Fishing Charters’ – Ho’o Maika’i which is a 30×10 foot Wilson built fishing boat. This boat is one of the best-known charter vessels on the island of Kauai.

Ohana Fishing Charters
P.O. box 1171
Kapaa, HI 96746
800-713-4682

Photo: Ellenborough Park

Located in the spectacular rolling countryside of the Cotswolds, Ellenborough Park is a 16^th century country house hotel offering the perfect mid-week getaway for those seeking a deluxe male relaxation experience.

Just over two hours from London, the incredible scenery of Ellenborough Park’s grounds and surrounding landscape offers guests a further opportunity to escape.

Guests can escape their daily routines and indulge themselves in ultimate comfort and luxury through a rejuvenating spa experience, exquisite fine food and wine, along with enjoying the extensive grounds and facilities at this luxurious 5-star award-winning hotel.

The Indian-themed spa offers the ideal venue for relaxation with three separate secluded treatment rooms.

Hotel guests can relax and wind down in the hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room. if you’re feeling more energetic, then take advantage of the property’s amazing fitness suite facilities or outdoor swimming pool, heated to a perfect 31 degrees.

Ellenborough Park is part of Mantis, a collection of five star boutique hotels and eco-escapes around the world.

Ellenborough Park which was sensitively restored back in 2011 and has proudly been awarded a number of prestigious accolades since re-opening, most recently winning Leading Country House Hotel and Leading Spa Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2012, along with being voted Trip Advisor’s Traveller’s Choice No. 1 UK Luxury Hotel.

Gentleman’s Luxury Retreat at Ellenborough Park is available Tuesday – Friday from £625

· Overnight stay in a luxury room
· 1 hour – 25 minute spa treatment of back massage, manicure and pedicure
· 3 course fine dining with 3 selected wines specially selected by hear sommelier Clio Giudici

Please use the Contact Form below to submit your travel request for a stay at the Ellenborough Park hotel. We will promptly get back to you.

Opened in 1989, the Legacy Las Vegas golf course was designed by renowned golf course architect – Arthur Hills.

It’s the home of 18 amazing holes of Championship golf featuring bunkers, rolling mounds, large greens and multiple level fairways. The Vegas course is well recognized as one of the “Top Ten Courses to Play in Las Vegas”, as noted by Golf Digest.

Located in Henderson, Nevada – the Legacy annually hosts the local U.S. Qualifiers and the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association). The Legacy provides a complete Las Vegas golf experience for the player of any ability level.

The Legacy Golf Club offers one of the most distinctive tee boxes in all of Las Vegas. It’s the par-three hole named “The Suits.” This incredible 193-yard hole, features tee boxes in the shape of playing cards: a spade, diamond, club and heart.

Legacy also includes the infamous “Devil’s Triangle” which is made up of three challenging holes – #11, 12, and 13. They present a memorable, yet potentially very frustrating experience to golfers.

The Legacy Golf Club course is reminiscent of the classic Scottish links with its curving and sloping fairways.

Both accomplished and novice golfers can expect a demanding course layout, requiring a full range of shot-making skills.

The Legacy Golf Club practice facility offers a variety of features, includes a driving range, practice putting green, and pitching and chipping area. PGA professionals are also available to assist with fine tuning a player’s skills.

Legacy Golf Club – Las Vegas
130 Par Excellence Dr
Henderson, NV 89014
(888) 629-3930

Located on Hawaii’s Big Island, there is a scenic place of refuge called the Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park.

Puuhonua o Honaunau is a 182-acre park full of archaeological sites and reconstructions of an ancient Hawaiian “Place of Refuge”. The park offers visitors a self-guided tour of archaeological finds and recreated Polynesian canoes, houses, statuary and much more.

This sacred site was at one time a home to Hawaiian royalty and a place of refuge for those persons who broke a kapu (ancient Hawaiian law) or defeated military.

This Hawaii historical park offers a self-guided tour and learning opportunities. You start your visit at the park office, then can continue your way down to the beach, to the actual Place of Refuge, walled-in sacred ground where those who broke ancient law could go.

History states that if you could make it to the Place of Refuge before you were killed by the king’s soldiers, your death sentence was lifted.

Instead of king’s warriors chasing after you, you can take a leisure walk down to the actual Place of Refuge, but now it’s just a bunch of rocks and other Polynesian artifacts.

While at the Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, take the time do some green sea-turtle watching, although you are not allowed to bother them. Be advised that is against the law, so running to the Place of Refuge won’t help you there.

Nakalele Blowhole

The Nakalele Blowhole at Nakalele Point is a popular destination on Maui for tourist who want to see this unique performance by Mother Nature.

The Nakalele Blowhole is actually a lava tube that shoots water greater than forty feet into the Hawaiian sky when the conditions of the Pacific Ocean waves are ideal.

After many years of constant surf pounding, the waves created an undercut and eventually wore away a lava shelf. A several foot wide hole developed. This process creates an amazing spectacle as the waves crash in and shoot straight up through the opening, called the Nakalele Blowhole.

Every wave that rolls in pushes water and air through the hole, creating the blowhole eruption that is similar to a geyser, like Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.

Sadly, a California man recently drowned as he got too close to the Nakalele Blowhole. 44 year old David Potts of San Anselmo, California was killed Saturday when a large wave pushed the tourist into the hole opening.

Witnesses state that the man briefly surfaced from the hole when the next wave rolled in, but then disappeared and was not seen again. After an extensive search that lasted for several days that included divers and helicopters, the body of David Potts was not recovered.

Blowholes are very popular to watch and several can be found across the Hawaiian islands. On Oahu, the Halona Blowhole is another popular tourist attraction.

Back in 2002, a teenager from California – Daniel Dick, also drowned when he fell into Halona Blowhole near Sandy Beach on Oahu’s East side.

The jagged lava rocks off Nakalele Point are amazing to see but can be very dangerous. Be sure to keep a safe distance from the Nakalele Blowhole and the strong waves that pound this scenic area.

The easiest way to reach Nakalele Point and see the Nakalele Blowhole is to drive along the Honoapi’ilani Highway (Highway 30) until you reach a parking lot about a half mile past mile marker 38.
From the parking lot, proceed to walk toward the ocean. You’ll arrive at a magnificent lookout, offering a fantastic view of the Nakalele Blowhole.

To actually reach the Nakalele Blowhole, follow a path approximately 200 feet down the hill.

Cattleya Orchid – Akatsuka Orchid Gardens

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens on the Big Island of Hawaii, features the largest collection of orchids and exotic tropical flowers in all of Hawaii.

If you are planning a trip to visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, be sure to stop at Akatsuka Orchid Gardens. You will find over a 1000 species of beautiful orchids grown here.

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens was established in 1974 and is managed by Moriyasu Akatsuka. Mr. Akatsuka worked in a family orchid nursery in Japan and has worked in the orchid business for decades.

The east side of the Big Island receives frequent rain showers and experiences a warm, humid climate, so the Puna district is the perfect location for growing orchids.

The Akatsuka Orchid Gardens can be found in the island town of Volcano on Highway 11, near the edge of the rainforest.

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens is open 7 days a week, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Be sure to visit the display room and see many of Mr. Akatsuka’s beautiful orchids up close. They also offer a free self guided tour of the flower gardens.

If you would like to purchase flowers for yourself or friends and family but don’t want the worry of keeping your flowers fresh during your Hawaii stay, don’t worry. You can have your orchids shipped anywhere in the world. All of the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens products are both agriculturally inspected and certified.

Akatsuka Orchids
11-3051 Volcano Road
Volcano, HI 96785
(808) 967-8234

Wiesbaden

Hanau is located in the scenic Frankfurt Rhine-Main region, in the heart of Germany. The famous Brothers Grimm (Jacob and Wilhelm) were born there and 2013 marks the 200th anniversary of their first publishing of the first volume of “Children’s and Household Tales.” Years later, Walt Disney brought to life the famous characters – Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding Hood.

Now the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region is celebrating this milestone by offering various events that celebrate the work and life of the Brothers Grimm. The region can be described as a fairy tale-like landscape, with amazing castles and an unmistakably magical atmosphere.

Frankfurt Rhine-Main region features an array of cultural, historical, and culinary delights, plus thriving cities like Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Aschaffenburg and Mainz, in addition to traditional villages such as Seligenstadt, Bad Homburg and Rüdesheim.

Hanau is where the rivers Main and Kinzig meet, inviting visitors to enjoy some absolutely amazing scenery. At the market square, in front of the Baroque Neustädter Rathaus (town hall), stands the impressive Brothers Grimm memorial, which commemorates the famous sons of Hanau and marks the starting point of the 373 mile-long Fairy Tale Route.

The “EXPEDITION GRIMM exhibition is located in the documenta-Halle and sponsored by the State of Hessen. Between April 27th until September 8th, some of the Grimm brother’s most precious manuscripts and personal mementos will be on display. This unique exhibition also sheds new light onto who the Brothers Grimm really were: far from being mere fairy tale collectors, they were also language scholars, legal historians, and politicians.

There are incredible festivals to enjoy, including:
Grimm Fairy Tale festival, Hanau (from May 1st – July 1st)
Brothers Grimm Museum in the Castle Bellevue, Kassel
Brothers Grimm Festival, Kassel (from July 18th – August 18th)

One of the most significant Renaissance castles in all of Germany is the impressive Johannisburg Castle. The Johannisburg Castle features a front made of bright red sandstone, and is truly the landmark of the city of Aschaffenburg. The stunning castle is a spectacular sight along the shores of the famous, river Main. There is no better place for seeing breathtaking, historical castles than right here in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region!

Additional events to plan on attending, include:
– Art Views 2013 in Offenbach (April 24th – 28th)
– Darmstadt Art Nouveau Festival (May 24th – 26th)
– Skyscraper Festival in Frankfurt (May 25th – 26th)
– International Jazz Festival “Bingen swings” (June 28th – 30th)

Please use the Contact Form below to submit your travel request to experience the Brothers Grimm celebration in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region of Germany. We will promptly get back to you.

On the Big Island of Hawaii, Hapuna Beach is consistently called America’s most beautiful beach. Hapuna Beach is located in Hapuna Bay, at the north end of the beautiful Kohala Coast.

Hapuna Beach is the largest white sand beach on the island and is unbelievably beautiful. Hapuna Beach on the Big Isalnd of Hawaii is about a half a mile long and 200 feet wide.

The sandy beach faces almost directly towards the west, so you will almost always be treated to amazing sunsets.

There is excellent snorkeling to be found at the south end of Hapuna beach along the rocks. There are also some pretty cool lava tubes or cave to explore in the cliff side.

The body surfing’s pretty decent, especially when the wind picks up). Going on a weekday means less crowds and more room to explore on your own.

There’s a snack bar at the park entrance offering basic food choices,  plus chair and umbrella rentals, which help protects you from the tropical sun.

Shade is minimal at the beach, so pay the $10 for two chairs and an umbrella, and enjoy your day. If it’s too windy, find yourself a shady area near the trees in the back.