Bluffs Beach

Where: Block Island, a 7,000 acre, pork chop-shaped island off the coast of Rhode Island

Why: Often called “the Bermuda of the North”, much of the 17-miles of beach front on this island offers clean, powdery sand and clear, turquoise-blue water similar in feel to the beaches of the Caribbean.

How: Most visitors arrive to the island via ferry from New London, CT or Point Judith, RI, and New England Airlines offers daily shuttle flights, too. Rent a bike or a moped from Aldo’s on Weldons Way—the best way to navigate the island’s winding, country roads.

The main beach on the island is Crescent Beach, which stretches along the island’s east coast from the ferry landing at Old Harbor to Clay Head. It includes Town Beach, a best bet for families as this busy stretch includes a pavilion with food, restrooms, and changing rooms, as well as life guards during peak hours.

Fitness fans will appreciate the journey to Bluffs Beach at Mohegan Bluffs marked by the Block Island Southeast Lighthouse, accessible via a long, steep staircase. Our favorite time to visit is first thing in the morning when the beach is nearly empty, and visitors can wander along and take in the dozens of stacked rocks placed there by previous visitors, and maybe create one themselves.

Vacationers looking for a bit of privacy should bike down the dirt road to the Clay Head Preserve, where a short hike leads to Clayhead beach. On the way back to the trail head, visitors should take time to explore “the Maze”, a series of interconnected pathways offering spectacular viewpoints of the island.

Best of all, admission and parking at all beaches is free.

More: For maps, photos, and travel info on the island, check out the Block Island Tourism Council’s super-helpful website.

Town Beach

Bluffs Beach

A couple enjoys the quiet of the beach accessible via the Clay Head Preserve’s nature trail

With the heat wave hitting NYC, we’ve been dreaming of cool breezes and the white sand of the beach. Hence this week’s Glorious Getaway, The Surf Lodge in Montauk, a boutique property with a casual, bohemian vibe on Long Island’s East End. New this summer is the property’s restaurant Byron, serving prix-fixe brunch and dinner menus designed to showcase the fresh seafood and local vegetables the area is renowned for. While you’re out East, head to the beach in Ditch Plains to watch the surfers and snack on summery treats like lobster rolls at the popular Turf Truck. Need a brunch stop on your way out of town? Check out local favorite Mr. John’s Pancake House and order their specialty, crepe suzette.

all photos via The Surf Lodge

It just doesn’t get more Glorious than Shelter Co. a new L.A. and San Francisco-based pop up lodging service catering to groups looking for a stylish, overnight outdoor experience. Co-founded by husband and wife team Mike and Kelsey Sheofsky, one of the planners at incredible event design firm Alison Events, the company makes camping chic with European tents featuring luxe amenities not often found in the great outdoors (think area rugs and 400-thread-count sheets). These pictures are from a set up they created at the Leonard Lake Reserve, with charming details like Scrabble on the dock and a ready-to-bake s’mores kit. They’ll also arrange lounge vignettes, bar set ups, and lighting schemes for parties. Choose your location from their list of venue partners including stunners like Sonoma’s Scribe Winery and Russian River’s Dawn Ranch, and get inspired by their gallery of past events like this charming soiree in Brentwood.

all photos via Shelter Co.

Nature lovers looking to channel their inner cowboy will be thrilled to discover Montana’s Ranch at Rock Creek, a working cattle ranch comprised of over 6,600 acres nestled at the base of the John Long Mountains that offers visitors a chance to experience some of the prettiest, wildest wilderness in the United States. Guests can spend their days here horseback riding across fields of wildflowers, hiking the surrounding hills, or mountain biking the forest trails. The ranch also offers Western sports like clay shooting and archery, and even pistol shooting at the nearby Rod & Gun Club.

There are a range of accommodation options to choose from—opt for “glamping” in a canvas tent along the Creek, or take a room at the main Granite Lodge, or settle into one of the property’s twelve log cabins. Fly fishing fans should check into Trapper Cabin, which offers secluded fishing right outside its front door thanks so its position beside the river. Evenings see guests gather at the Silver Dollar Saloon for cocktails and games before dinner at the lodge, with dishes like Montana-raised beef and lamb, paired with local, seasonal produce prepared by executive chef Josh Drage. Families can take advantage of the property’s Little Grizzlies Club, which takes kids on outdoorsy excursions like tadpole collecting or a visit to the ranch’s horse barn, while parents will enjoy a trip to the Granite Spa for rejuvenating treatments like the Rock Creek Stone Massage.

all photos via The Ranch at Rock Creek

Castello di Amorosa in Napa Valley, a venue for the Festival del Sole. photo by Jim Sullivan

We’ve been a little slow with posts on GA as of late because we’ve been busy at work on a few other projects (more on those soon), but will be returning to our regularly scheduled programming just after Memorial Day, and with some exciting, new features! Meanwhile, here’s a roundup we put together for the Daily Beast on the top food and wine festivals happening across the U.S. this summer. Cheers and have a great week!

We here at Glorious Americana are BIG fans of the people over at Kinfolk, a collective of artists who believe that well-made meals and conversation over the dinner table can bring people together, and that entertaining can be artful without being overly complicated or contrived (read their manifesto here). From their magazine to their online films, the Kinfolk aesthetic is one focused on lovely, natural simplicity. The group also produces a series of dinners in various cities across the U.S. (the next will be in Philadelphia on May 26th). Take a look at this video from the event the group held at The Green Building in Brooklyn in February—from the food to the decor, the whole thing is just so well put together and really proves the point that elegant doesn’t have to mean formal. Want more? Browse through the photos from the event (including plenty of delicious detail shots)  and check out recipes from the menu created by culinary company The Jewels of New York.

Today we’re looking west toward Utah and the Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa in Moab. What a serene, gorgeous setting it has along the Colorado River, surrounded by towering red rock formations and a dry, desert landscape (you may recognize the scenery from films like Rio Grande, Thelma and Louise, and 127 Hours).

Sporty types will find themselves right at home, with year-round adventures like trail hiking, mountain biking, ATVing, and horseback riding right outside of the resort’s front door, and Canyonlands and Arches National Parks are only a short drive away. And, good news for animal lovers: the resort is pet friendly, and is one of the few of the country to offer outside boarding of guests’ horses.

After a day of activity, hit the spa for rejuvenating treatments with regionally-appropriate names like the “Desert Rain Soak” in a tub of wild sages and lavender, followed by a 50-minute massage. We’d end the day with a late afternoon dip in the pool, followed by a dinner of locally-sourced fare like the Cherry-Pasilla Rubbed Buffalo filet and a glass of wine at the resort’s River Grill Restaurant.

It’s starting to warm up for good, and with summer on the way we’re looking forward to a few weekend trips to the beach. One spot that’s definitely on the list: Ruschmeyer’s in Montauk. While the King & Grove group recently renovated the property, which was originally built on three lakeside acres in 1952, the hotel still has a delightfully old-fashioned, nautical summer camp vibe. There are a host of activities to keep visitors busy, like bicycling, bingo, paddle boarding, and yoga. Guest rooms, designed as modern takes on the classic cabin, circle the central lawn (aka “The Magic Garden”) with teepees, ping-pong tables, and grills guests can use whenever they like. Hungry? Head to the onsite restaurant where the culinary team behind one of our favorite New York City eateries Fat Radish has created a sustainable, seafood-focused menu paired with a wine list focused on biodynamic, sustainable, and organic wines. The hotel is open from May to September, and is accepting reservations for the summer now.

Restaurant at Ruschmeyers

Queen Deluxe Room

Actress Emma Watson at Coachella. Photo by Mr. Newton via Harper’s Bazaar

While I didn’t make it to Coachella this year, I still had a blast reading all about the fabulous  music, parties, and, most especially, fashion that came out of the last two weekends in the desert. In case you missed it, here are some of my favorite stories from the festival:

• Street style highlights from the Telegraph, Elle.com, and Harper’s Bazaar

• Billboard ranks the 10 best performances of both weekends

• Ruby Aldridge on performing and on her favorite summer playlist at Vogue.com

• Instagram photo essay of the festival via Guest of a Guest

• Band interviews and festival coverage from Rolling Stone

• What celebrities wore at this year’s festival from In Style

• Florence Welch of Florence + The Machines breaks down her festival style on Vogue.com

• A collection of images from the L.A. Times coverage of the festival

• Lucky’s “Coachella Survival Guide”

It’s sort of a shame that we don’t continue the “Spring Break” tradition into adulthood. I don’t mean that we should all pack our bags and head back to Panama City (margaritas should be served out of a pitcher, not a squirt gun), but building in a few days out of the year solely dedicated to relaxing and catching up with friends in a scenic setting is a pretty wonderful concept.

I’ve been reminiscing about a trip I took a few years back with my girlfriends to one of my favorite springtime destinations: Scottsdale, Arizona. We checked into the Four Seasons Resort at Troon North, a perfect home base for an “adult” spring break. It was an incredibly relaxing three days, most of which were spent catching up with one another around the pool (below). When we did motivate out of our lounge chairs, we took advantage of some of the resort’s onsite activities, like wine tasting at Talavera Restaurant and treating ourselves to massages at the lovely spa. A few of us even got up early one day for a sunrise hike up nearby Pinnacle Peak. I came back home after the trip feeling totally refreshed and recharged and, best of all, better connected with the women closest to me—time well spent in my book.

What are some of your favorite spring break spots for grown-ups?

My friends and I enjoy some poolside margaritas

View from the lobby

Inside one of the property’s “casitas”