1. Rancho de los Caballeros, Wickenburg, Arizona
Tap into your inner cowboy (or cowgirl!) with a ranch experience that will re-"boot" your spirits in no time. This family-owned, Southwest-style dude ranch
is located within an hour of Phoenix, and offers all the home-on-the-range activities that have made it a top destination for greenhorns since 1948. The
lodge is built in true hacienda tradition, with whitewashed walls, hand-hewn beams, and colorful Mexican tiles throughout. Trade in your cell phone for
some reins, and soon you'll be acting like a kid as you don a cowboy hat to take a breakfast ride into the desert or try your hand at team penning. There's
also trap & skeet shooting, ATV tours to nearby ghost towns, and barbecued ribs cooked over a mesquite campfire by starlight.
2. Little Palm Island, Florida
Hidden away some 28 miles off Key West, this private-island resort has a luxurious yet low-tech approach to adult fun and relaxation, with 30 thatched-roof bungalows--set on stilts and tucked here and there like treehouses--mingling with the branches of surrounding tropical foliage. Your bungalow might not have a telephone or a television, but it will have palm-framed ocean views and a tempting hammock (remember those?) slung between shady palms. During the day, slather on sunscreen and enjoy flats fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, dolphin encounters, and a decidedly adult version of picnicking which starts with a seaplane carrying you away to a private island and includes all kinds of gourmet delights, from caviar to champagne. At night, don't miss dining on the beach, feet in the sand, under star-filled skies.
3. The Resort at Paws Up, Montana
Part of a 37,000-acre working cattle and horse ranch—conveniently located about a half-hour drive east of Missoula—this very polished resort is where you'll find "glamping," which is short-hand for "glamorous camping." Leave your sleeping bag behind for this approach to camping, but bring along your sense of wonder and prepare to be wowed by everything from your roomy and luxe tent (we're talking marbled shower in your private bath) to a night sky chock-full of brilliant, dazzling stars. Savor the invigorating fresh air of Big Sky Country when you raft down the Blackfoot River, enjoy a scenic wagon ride, go fly-fishing, and saddle up to "bring home them doggies." And with all that fresh air, you'll sleep like a baby back in your tent every night.
4. Star Island, New Hampshire
Star Island is one of the rocky, wind-swept Isles of Shoals, located off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more than 100 years, summers here have provided visitors with a welcome respite from their busy mainland lives. While the island's Oceanic Hotel may have been grand in its day, today it would be considered very basic, at least as far as accommodations and services are concerned—but certainly not in spirit and scenery. You won't find 300-thread-count sheets here, and depending on the room you book, you may even share a bathroom (remember that from your summer camp days?). But Star Island is unique, and your stay here will be memorable, from the family-style dining to the occasional front-porch sing-along. Yes, it has some religious overtones since it's run by the Universalist Church (if you want wine or liquor, it's BYOB). But with its wild setting and summer-camp-like activities—fishing, hiking, boating, and themed conferences in painting, writing, natural history, and more—you can pretty much design your own stay. For more info on Star Island conferences, visit www.starisland.org/conferences/2014-conference-listings.
5. Nonsuch Bay Resort, Antigua
With its location on 40 acres of lush, tropical gardens that front beautiful Nonsuch Bay--offering calm, clear Caribbean waters--this sophisticated resort
is a natural for an adult summer-camp experience filled with water sports: kayaking, paddle-boarding, kite surfing, snorkeling, and more. In fact, the
professional sailing school here is part of the resort's inclusive package, and offers a "white-glove" sailing experience that includes small-group
instruction, refresher courses, technique clinics, and special sailing trips and activities like informal racing. If you'd rather just dabble in a little
Hobie Cat time, you can take a sailboat out by the hour or arrange for a private lesson. After a full day on the water, retire to your decidedly not summer-camp-like Beach Cottage, elegant Apartment, or Hilltop Villa for luxury amenities and stunning Caribbean views.
6. Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Alberta, Canada
You know the location is divine when a hideaway is set within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as this one is in the impressive Canadian Rockies. Here, you can stay in your "just right" luxury log cabin, choosing between a cozy one-bedroom or a sprawling eight-bedroom, or anything in between. Depending on which you choose, you'll likely have everything from your own kitchen to a stone fireplace, a spacious porch or deck, and an outdoor grill. The lodge can pre-stock your fridge with favorites, or have the concierge book a private chef to do all the work for you, leaving you more time to enjoy outdoor adventures like "transparent" glass-bottom kayaking, white-water rafting, guided fly-fishing, horseback riding, helicopter tours, and Jasper Tramway rides. As for the perfect way to end a day of Rocky Mountain adventure--simply sink into the warm waters of Miette Hot Springs for a therapeutic soak.
BONUSES!
Here are a few bonus summer-camp-like retreats where the living is easy and the fun will make you feel like a kid again.
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
The Fairmont Orchid
, The Big Island, Hawaii:
An island getaway with gorgeous views and sophisticated dining, plus just-for-fun outdoor activities like outrigger canoe paddling lessons, "turtle talks"
(green sea turtles nest along the shores here), and archeological hikes to nearby petroglyph fields.
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Vancouver Island, Canada: A remote wilderness setting with 20 luxury guest tents and "go wild" adventures like hot-springs hikes, horseback wildlife viewing, and rock climbing for all levels of experience.
Little St. Simons Island, Coastal Georgia: A private barrier island shared by just 32 overnight guests at a time, who stay in delightful lodges and cabins and enjoy activities like birding, beach combing, bicycling, boating, and evening turtle walks on the beach with a naturalist.
To learn more about these escapes and to reserve your summer camp vacation, call Hideaways Travel Services at 800-843-4433 or e-mail ts@Hideaways.com.
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