My journey originally included France, where I had planned on visiting some new properties to offer to our guests in 2021 and beyond, as well as Switzerland and Austria. Sadly though, due to a last-minute lockdown of most European countries, I had to make some small changes, leave earlier than expected and head out to the U.S West Coast. There, I started an incredible and memorable road trip. I started with the famous Pacific Coast Highway of California, and retraced the itinerary we actually feature in our CLASSICS OF CALIFORNIA journey – ending up in the beautiful seaside town of Carmel.
The second part of this journey took me through the incredible and diverse farm & ranch countryside of California, on my way to National Death Valley and Yosemite National Park. The third part of my journey had me re-discover Zion and Moab National parks, before ending in Crescendo at the memorable (and historic) Dunton Hot Springs. There, owner, Christoph Henkel, turned Ghost town Dunton, a forgotten corner of Colorado, into a luxury resort where each cabin was named after the miners who built them in the 1880s. Back then, Dunton was a thriving homestead settled by miners digging for gold and silver, but by 1919, it was largely deserted. During my stay, the first snow started to fall on these mountains located on the southwestern side of Colorado, and by the time I left, the whole area was under a beautiful white blanket at least a foot high.
Finally, the last part of my journey took place in the historic town of Charleston, SC. There, in the spirit of Art In Voyage’s promise to guests, I tried and inspected new properties, as well as new restaurants and wine lounges which we will be featuring in our annual Food & Wine Festival journey there, adding to an already amazing experience.