Telluride is truly an anomaly as a resort community. In Mountain Village, visitors enjoy the opulence and splendor of a mid-mountain location similar to the exclusivity of Deer Valley and Gastaad. Yet, just a gondola-ride away is the charming Town of Telluride, a mountain community in which time seems to stand-still as evidenced by the lovingly restored Victorian homes, the quaint Nugget movie theater and an overall laid-back vibe within the town of 8 square blocks. Yet, between the Town of Telluride and Mountain Village, some of the best dining in the 8-state Rocky Mountain region can be found.

In the Town of Telluride we suggest:

221 South Oak
Campagna
La Marmotte
Cosmopolitan

In Mountain Village we suggest:

9545 Restaurant
Allred’s
Appaloosa
La Piazza
Onyx

Whether you are a guest of one of the Penthouse or See Forever cabins at the Peaks or if you choose to vacation in our ski-in/out vacation rentals including our 6 bedroom luxury Alpen Ridge which sleeps 16 guests or our 9 bedrooms of extravagance in Hood Park Manor which sleeps 20.

Of course, if looking on a slightly smaller scale yet large on luxury and amenities, please consider Tramontana #5, a 3 bedroom / 5 bathrooms flat which sleeps 11 or The Castellina Townhomes providing guests with 4 bedrooms, 6+ baths which sleeps 8.

Whichever vacation rental you choose, our partners in Telluride, you will be most welcomed and probably return year after year.

An opportunity recently came to our attention; an award winning home in East Hampton is available for the Thanksgiving and Christmas/ New Year’s holidays. While the area is known as a summer getaway for New Yorkers, insiders know the holiday season is truly magical on the East-End of Long Island.

The summer car traffic in East Hampton is replaced by window shoppers on foot. The shops and restaurants are decorated in the finest holiday fashion yet there is a serene calmness as locals and weekenders enjoy the crisp ocean breezes and the flat winter light which brought so many artists to the East End. Days are spent strolling along the quaint streets.

During the evening hours, dinner in town or maybe a supper at home and relaxing by the wood-burning fireplace. Be your own Barefoot Contessa and try some of Ina Garten’s recipes where they were created and conceived.  Need some “big-city excitement, hop on an LIRR Train or Hampton Jitney and spend the day in Manhattan (see NYC blog)

May we suggest Whale Rock House as your holiday getaway in the Hamptons. With three bedrooms on one level, all generations of the family are welcome. The expansive living room with fireplace will be the gathering place for family and friends.

For the chef, the gourmet kitchen will entice even the most jaded cook to consider roasting a turkey or glazing the ham for the holidays. Cooks, head into East Hampton for some local produce while the rest of the family plays touch-football in the yard. Before dinner, maybe a sunset walk on the beach.

While The Endless Summer profiled surfers in search of the perfect wave, the term has been used to describe the climate of Southern California. No matter the season, we strongly suggest a visit to Laguna Beach where little changed since The Endless Summer was released to movie theaters in the 1960s.

Laguna Beach is truly a unique enclave within greater southern California. The town is literally nestled between the Pacific Ocean to the west and majestic canyons to the east. Whatever your interest; from the beach (glorious) to the arts (a true artist’s colony) to nature (hikes and nature paths) to dining (from beachfront casual to over-the top gourmand), Laguna Beach has options for everyone.

One of our partners, Best Laguna Vacations offers, in our professional opinion the best selection of beach villas and cottages available in Laguna Beach. Yet unlike other vacation spots where one comments “ok, now what?” after just a few days, Laguna is best experienced for one week or more. Our partners at Best Laguna Vacations are enticing clients of The Society to “stay a little longer” by offering:

• 5% off the second week of rental

• 10% off the third week” on a luxury selection cottages on oceanfront Cress Street including:

A 2 bedroom with an ocean view deck, perfect for wine at sunset:
http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23815

A 3 bedroom so close to the ocean, the waves will lull you to sleep. http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23817

While most ski and mountain resorts market themselves as “perfect for all visitors”, those of us in the travel community know the unique attributes of each resort area. Subsequently we are able to advise which resorts are most appropriate for which traveler. At The Society, we recently received the following question:

My wife and I plan to take our adult children and our grandchildren for a skiing vacation. A few of the adults do not ski or snowboard. We would like the grandchildren to be affiliated with a family-oriented ski-school. We all enjoy fine food and service but realize with young children, this may not be possible. We would love ski-in/out yet walking distance to a commercial area with shops, restaurants, spa and so forth. Any suggestions?

We called the client, asked a few more questions and suggested Beaver Creek, Colorado and specifically two homes, our “Ski Safari” with 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms (sleeps 10) and “Beaver Creek Shangri-La”, with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms (sleeps 14). Both houses offer the opulence associated with a luxury ski-chalet, yet are also comfortable and inviting to all who reside in the homes. Mountain chic is the most apt description for these two unique vacation residences, which we consider among the finest in the Vail Valley.

Beaver Creek the resort is the perfect destination for the multi-generational family vacation. The base area is by many resort standards, quite small, yet is so family friendly with an outdoor skating rink, many shops, restaurants, gelato, spas and our favorite heated walkways and escalators to the lifts. Mornings may begin with a Starbucks coffee and taking the kids to ski school. When descending the last run of the day, warm cookies waiting at the base area.

With an excellent selection of dining options, one will never be bored during vacation. From the casual fare at The Dusty Boot to the fine dining at Splendido to subs and pizza at Blue Moose, Beaver Creek offers a variety of family-friendly restaurants. We would also suggest a night at Beano’s Cabin. For the children, consider the 5:30PM seating with the horse-drawn sleigh from the stables to the on-mountain restaurant.