PRELUDE: IN THE KNOW
1. Break Outdoors
The Great Outdoor Recreation Pages website provides essential information about some of the best action-packed vacations available. Whether it’s mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, climbing, camping or hiking that you’re looking to incorporate into your next break, this website offers a state-by-state rundown of the best places to enjoy your active getaway. Along with destination guides and reviews (including excellent information on national parks), there is also helpful advice on all of the equipment that you’ll need to make your trip more enjoyable. www.gorp.com
2. Shiver Me Timbers
Former sports therapy expert and current motivational speaker Pat Croce has put all of his energy and a huge personal collection of pirate memorabilia into the newly opened Pirate Soul Museum on Key West, Florida. The 5,000-square-foot tribute to the culture of piracy includes over 500 artifacts from the golden age of plundering and swashbuckling. Learn about the exploits of these fearsome adventurers while viewing their writings, sailing instruments, weapons and treasure. So, don’t be a landlubber, and be sure to swagger into this unique museum on your Keys day-trip from Miami. www.piratesoul.com
3. Winding Down
After a full day on the Robert Cupp and Sam Snead-designed golf course, visitors at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort should indulge themselves at the esteemed estate’s Greenbrier Spa. A roomful of herbal teas and fruit juices will cleanse your body on the inside before you enjoy a Georgian Pecan Body Polish to exfoliate dead skin on the outside. To relieve built-up stress, try the Live Oak Massage, which was inspired by the century-old trees indigenous to the South. Lie back, relax and indulge in some seriously soothing Savannah charm. www.westinsavannah.com
4. Snuggling Up
Located two-hours from Minneapolis/St Paul, the Canoe Bay getaway is hidden in the secluded Indianhead region of Wisconsin. The hotel comprises 12 buildings (including several romantic cabins) spread over the 280-acre private forested estate, complete with three private lakes. The getaway’s stunning, contemporary-yet-rustic design and numerous amenities have won it almost every accolade imaginable, including being named the best hotel in the Midwest by Zagat. This is the perfect autumn place to cuddle up with your special someone and escape the stresses of everyday life. www.canoebay.com