We started the summer a bit early, but with the best of intentions. There would be afternoons lolling on sunny beaches, charming picnics at dusk and lots of crisp white frocks to show off tans.
Yet for a city known more for snowdrifts than sunshine, this has been one long, hot summer. The sunny beaches have become oppressive, the picnics besieged by mosquitoes and, well, the humidity has rendered all those crisp dresses limp.
Hot`s no longer cool–at least in Chicago in midsummer.
”I got in the elevator the other day, and this man–oh, he looked so hot –he said to me, `Don`t you know anyplace that`s cool?` ” said Phoebe Medow of Way-To-Go-Travel. ”I said, `Listen, it`s cool in Peru and the fjords are fabulous.` ”
”Last summer, while Manhattan was sweltering, I was buying big woolly sweaters in San Francisco,” said Karen Preston of the New York-based and oh- so-exclusive Leading Hotels of the World organization.
”My fantasy is to find a cabin high in the mountains–it could even be at a small resort,” mused one heat-harassed globetrotter. ”Then I`d spend my days horseback riding and fishing for cutthroat trout in one of those rushing streams you see in National Geographic. A fireplace would be standard cabin equipment.”
Are there such places? Can you still book a cool getaway for the middle of August, no less?
Of course, say travel pros, if you look beyond such traditional locations as Banff and Jasper or such favorites as cruises in the Scandinavian fjords. Such vacations were jam-packed long before Chicagoans dusted off their hibachis in mid-May.
Still, savvy travelers have never followed the crowds. Instead, they`ve headed off in new directions with an adventurous sense of style. For a cool getaway, that might mean heading south of the equator, where winter is now in full force, or up the world`s mountains, where comfortable sunny days and pack-a-sweater nights are the norm.
Whether these 10 getaways promise fabulous skiing, superb trout fishing or just a bit of rejuvenation, they definitely are vacations with panache.
1. CRUISING ALASKA
”Because so many of my clients have summer homes in Wisconsin, Michigan or the Cape and travel to Europe in the fall, I`d send them on a luxury cruise to Alaska,” says Joan Bransley, president of Winnetka`s Camelot Travel Inc.
”On the Sagafjord, of course. It`s a luxury ship, very elegant–I`d take no less than five dinner gowns and the rest cocktail dresses for a 10-day cruise–and there are so many private parties and soirees. There are elegant Norwegian officers, a very European dining room–the ambience of this vessel is superb. Every ship has a character and this, especially in the era in which we live, is that of understated elegance.”
The cruise begins in San Francisco, traveling north to Vancouver and then Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Ketchikan. Onboard, there`s a Golden Door Spa at Sea.
A 10-day trip in a luxury stateroom is about $10,000 per couple. Settle into a luxury suite and the price tag jumps to about $17,000 per couple. For more information, call your travel agent or Cunard/NAC at 1-800-221-4770.
2. AN AUSTRIAN SPA
Since the Middle Ages, the waters of Badgastein ”have been a favorite of the Hapsburgs, kings and emperors,” says Francis Goranin, president of Vega International Travel Service in Chicago and president of the American Society of Travel Agents. ”Today, if you`re 35 or so, you can spend days strolling the promenade at Badgastein and flirting,” he says. ”If you`re over 35, you can sit on the promenade and just talk about the good old days.”
Badgastein, in the Austrian Alps, has several chic hotels. Yet the place where Saudi sheiks hobnob with European elite is at the antique-filled Grand Hotel de l`Europe. Built in 1909 and renovated in 1982, the five-star Grand has its own casino, indoor pool, a tavern and even the region`s special thermal water in the rooms. You can ski on glaciers, play lawn tennis or feast in one of the restaurants.
A deluxe double at the Grand, with breakfast plus one meal, averages 2,800 Austrian schillings (about $240) a day. For more information, call your travel agent or Utell International at 1-800-223-9868.
3. HIGHLANDS FLING
Pack your khaki trench, as well as your woods and irons. Scotland`s Gleneagles may be the most exclusive course around, considering it has its own railroad station and helipad.
You might find Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher or Sean Connery enjoying the four 18-hole golf courses, five tennis courts, pool, steam bath, hot tubs, squash, snooker or properly proper croquet.
Situated about an hour from Edinburgh, luxurious Gleneagles is noted for its spacious rooms, gourmet dining based on the local produce, and hearty Scottish breakfasts. The double room price averages Pound Sterling130 a day
(about $210); a two-room suite averages Pound Sterling215 to Pound Sterling365 (about $589). For information, call your travel agent or Leading Hotels of the World at 1-800-223-6800.
4. HELI-SKI IN B.C.
”Whistler, British Columbia, is one of the best-kept secrets of North America,” says Steve Sheriff, manager of N.E.W.S. Breaks Ltd. in Chicago. Skiers, hikers and fishermen use its cool elevation to their advantage, coptering to glaciers and lakes high in the mountains to pursue their sport. The area boasts forests, waterfalls and an Arnold Palmer golf course.
The newest hotel is the Whistler Timberline Lodge, opened in January. There are hot tubs, saunas, whirlpools, disco and French/Continental restaurant. What makes Timberline special, though, is its handcrafted furniture, locally produced from teak and white cedar, which shows up in the four-poster beds in lofted suites with vaulted ceilings.
A deluxe suite there averages $280 Canadian (about $265 U.S.) per day. For more information, call your travel agent or the Whistler Reservations Service at 604-932-4222 or the lodge at 604-932-5211.
5. BACK TO NATURE
The 18,000-acre Pine Butte Swamp Preserve in Montana, in the Rockies south of Glacier National Park, is home to all sorts of mountain wildlife, from elk to bear and coyote, as well as an active and significant dinosaur dig. The Pine Butte Guest Ranch, at the edge of the preserve, might prove the ultimate naturalist`s getaway, with wildflower hikes and early-morning bird walks, as well as hikes up to alpine lakes to visit mountain goats and bighorn sheep. A staff wrangler oversees horseback riding and campfires.
Most meals are in the lodge, but some are served alfresco with magnificent scenery as the appetizer. Guests at the ranch, operated by the nonprofit Nature Conservancy, stay in log cabins that feature stone fireplaces and handmade furniture.
Rates include three daily meals, horseback riding, dips in the heated pool (it just snowed at the ranch) and the naturalist programs: $525 per person per week or $80 a day. For information, call your travel agent; the Montana Tourism Office, 1-800-548-3390; or the ranch, 406-466-2158.
6. PRIVATE NEW ZEALAND
”New Zealand is the destination these days,” says Agnes Armstrong, manager of Neiman-Marcus Travel Service, ”especially when you stay in the very deluxe, very private lodges.” The north island–with its Maori culture, dramatic fjords and lakes–has attracted Pierre Cardin, Chuck Yeager and other visitors who want to get away from it all.
Armstrong suggests staying first in Auckland at the Ellerton Lodge. A historic sea captain`s home, the Ellerton is a huge estate with rose gardens overlooking the city. After a few days, head 140 or so miles north to the Bay of Islands for water sports, fishing and golf at the secluded Okiato Lodge. On a peninsula overlooking the Bay of Islands, the Okiato is famous for its gracious suites and formal dining room.
Rates at both the Ellerton and the Okiato are about $200 a night per person. All meals and beverages are included, as is some sightseeing. For more information, call your travel agent or the New Zealand Tourist Board, 212-698-4680.
7. SCHUSSING ARGENTINA
San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina`s Southern Lakes region is primo for both downhill and cross-country skiing. In the Andes near the Chilean border, ”Bariloche is at the crossroads to some top ski destinations,” says Paul Lenakos of Chicago`s Travel 333. ”There are mountain chalets, forests, lakes. It`s several hours from some glaciers and a fine hunting and fishing preserve.” The flavor is Swiss.
Whether you ski Cerro Catedral, mountain-climb, fish or take hydrofoil trips on the lakes, you`ll enjoy days in the mid-50s throughout the July-to-October winter season. The premier in-town lodging is the stone-and-wood chalet-look Hotel Interlaken, perfect for those balancing a bit of skiing and relaxing. For the intense skier, the colonial El Casco is closer to the slopes.
A night at Interlaken averages $60 for a double, though there are 10-day packages with a few days in Buenos Aires for around $1,500. For more information, call your travel agent or Ganymedes Tours at 782-3343.
8. A HIMALAYAN TREK
Not for the weak-willed: You have to be fairly fit for the Kashmir-Ladakh Trek, according to Joanie Williams for World Expeditions. Yet this tour takes you to places ”the British used to go to during the days of the British Empire when they wanted to get away from the heat of the Indian plains,” she says. The 22-day trip includes a 14-day trek through the vale of Kashmir in the western Himalayas, three days of rafting on the Indus and five days living on a houseboat on Lake Nageen.
Things aren`t all tough, of course, with a professional trip leader and crew of porters and ponies included.
The total trip–including all meals in the camping portion and breakfasts on the houseboat, runs $1,324 (not including airfare via Delhi to the departure point, Srinagar). For more information, call your travel agent or World Expeditions, 1-800-541-3600.
9. MIND OVER MATTERHORN
No, not at Disneyland; this is the real thing, in charming Zermatt, Switzerland.
Zermatt is situated perfectly for mountaineering and glacier skiing on the Plateau Rosa, as well as hiking around mountain lakes. Because the area is jammed with tourists in winter, now`s the time to visit and avoid crowds. There are tours through the nearby Rhone wine region if you need
fortification.
The top hotel is the elegant and comfortable Seiler Hotel Mont Cervin. After a three-hour journey from the Geneva airport, a train brings you to the town of Taesch; from there, a carriage transports you to the hotel. Breakfast and lunch or dinner is included at 300 to 350 Swiss francs a night (about $200 to $235). For more information, call your travel agent or Leading Hotels of the World at 1-800-223-6800.
10. ICELAND FISHING
Plan a long weekend of salmon and trout fishing in Iceland. Way-To-Go`s Medow says, ”It really is something different.” Indeed, Iceland boasts deep fjords, vast ice fields, volcanoes and hot springs.
A long weekend takes you into Reykjavik before you travel about 40 minutes to the Hotel Valholl, in one of Iceland`s most famous national parks. The hotel, open only May to September, was built in the country`s traditional style, with only 30 simple rooms. Then dig out the flies and tackle Lake Thingvallavatn, Iceland`s largest lake, in Thingvellir National Park. (You don`t have to pronounce it to fish it.) Geologically unique, the park is a favorite with hikers and photographers.
Rooms at the Valholl average $61 per night, double, though Icelandair offers special weekend packages. For more information, call your travel agent; the Iceland Tourist Board, 212-949-2333; or Icelandair, 1-800-223-5500. —
