Lisa Michelle Lifestyle & Health, Travel

Sea Island- Georgia

Among the shallow sandbars along the Georgia coast,  Sea Island, a luxury, Preferred resort lies in wait for those who venture beyond the inland marshes. The Cloister Hotel, one of a few accommodations the resort has to offer is seated in the main building, which is where I stayed during the duration of my retreat. Aesthetically, the entire location is breathtaking, surrounded by fragrant spanish moss and cascading limestone architecture it envelops the vacationer in relaxed bliss. The service is second to none, especially the concierge who handled all of our plans and reservations with great care and attention.  The resort offers a world renowned spa  as well as a state of the art fitness center and athletic classes. In addition to the year round facilities, the hotel schedules entertainment events, during my stay I was privileged enough to meet Jodi Cobb, the first female National Geographic photographer famous for her intimate portraits of the Japanese Geisha community. In addition to guest speakers, Sea Island offers stellar recreational activities complete with seasoned guides who will show you the hidden gems of the coast. While vacationing I took part in a three hour long sunset kayak tour through the shallow marshes as well as two SUPB (Stand-Up-Paddle-Boarding) sessions, each more lovely than the next. The restaurants offer an incredible array of both local and international cuisines, our favorites were Tavola, which has a brilliant selection of Italian fare, and Southern Tide, located  in the Sea Island Beach Club, perfect for the more casual vacationer. Just steps beyond the doors of Southern Tide are two of the both beautiful pools I’ve ever been to, complete with cushioned lounge chairs in the shade of tropical palm trees. Along the upper deck is the adults only pool, perfect for a relaxing soak or a quick piña colada away from it all. Just a short walk from the beach club is the shore, gleaming white sand and warm, rich blue water await those who visit during the hot summer months. Coming from New Jersey I’ve seen my fair share of great beaches, and this it certainly among the top five due to its sheer cleanliness and beauty. Holistically, Sea Island resort was faultless; top notch service, world class cuisine and the gorgeous setting cemented this getaway as one of my favorite vacations of all time and hopefully I will return soon.

Happy Travels!

Here is the link to the resort, and here are some photographs from my Instagram @lisamichellecorn:

The hall our room was on
The veranda outside the Cloister
Stand Up Paddleboarding
The pool
The indoor pool in the fitness center
Southern Tide Restaurant
The beach
Outside the Cloister
The view from our room

 

Lisa Michelle Travel

The Bellagio- Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Las Vegas is one of the best cities in the world; towering resorts, gourmet dining and world-class shows and we haven’t even gotten to the Blackjack tables. The Bellagio is located in the heart of the strip right across from The Paris and next to Caesars Palace. My family and I got to LAS at around five o’clock in the afternoon, and when we arrived at the Bellagio our room wasn’t quite ready yet but the staff were very courteous and treated us to $100 gift card for our troubles. We ended up using it at one of their featured restaurants, Jasmine, which is home to some seriously good Chinese fare, the fried rice was off the charts good. Soon after, we were told our room was ready and we could go up. We booked a fountain view room with two queen beds. If you end up going here, splurge for the fountain view room as it truly is spectacular and the view of the strip is second to none. Their breakfast options were quite nice, they put out a great buffet but eating there every day proved to be an expensive endeavor, especially when all I ever had were rice krispies, so we purchased a couple of boxes of cereal until our last morning. Even if gambling isn’t exactly your scene this destination is still a must-go, the three things that really left an impression on me were the shows, the shopping, and of all things the mob museum. We ended up seeing Jersey Boys and three Cirque-Du- Soleil shows: O, Ka, and Criss Angel’s Believe. They were all knockout performances but if you’re pressed for time, see ‘O’. It was definitely the most impressive display I have ever seen, combining diving, acrobatics and dance. Next, If you go one place while in Vegas go across to Caesars Palace and get lost in the Rodeo Drive type collection of shops stretching down a winding cobblestone street…all inside the hotel. The ceilings are painted to appear as if you are outside and there are cafe’s that jut into the “street” adding to the effect. The most enjoyable (for me at least) component of our trip was the visit to the Mob Museum. It’s a little bit of a hike( ten minutes by car) but it is worth it, 100%. This museum is a collection of artifacts documenting the development of organized crime in the U.S. and in Las Vegas. Stand in the court room where the actual Kefauver hearings were held and witness the brick wall from the infamous St. Valentines Day Massacre. This was the highlight of my trip and is a must-see for anyone planning a getaway to Vegas. After four days we were exhausted, it should be known this trip will involve a lot of walking from hotel to hotel in some serious heat (if you go in the summer),  but to really see everything you could probably stay a week and still only get a taste of the strip. Here are some photo’s from the vacation, Enjoy!:

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The Airport
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Arriving in Vegas!

 

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Waiting for the rental car…

 

 

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The ceiling in the Bellagio

 

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The View From the Room

 

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The Aria Hotel

 

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Across the Street..

 

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Front of the Bellagio
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Across from Caesars Palace
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Panorama from inside the lobby of Caesars Palace
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Inside Caesars Palace..
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Still inside Caesars Palace…

 

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From the Mob Museum

Happy Travels!

 

 

Lisa Michelle Travel

Enchantment Resort- Sedona, Arizona

Nestled between the fire red mountains and prickly pear cacti lies the five star Enchantment Resort and Mii Amo Spa. This world class hotel is a member of the elite preferred hotel group, an esteemed list of resorts renowned for their commitment to detail, wonderful service and breathtaking facilities. Enchantment certainly deserved to be listed  among these resorts, as it exceeded expectations and continued to astound my family and me throughout our visit. The first sight upon entry were the pristine tennis courts and clay geometric architecture, following our arrival we were swiftly guided to our room by a courteous young gentleman in a golf cart who then proceeded to unload our bags and show us the various amenities our room offered. We stayed in a Casita Junior Suite, featuring a fireplace and unparalleled view of the surrounding Boynton Canyon. The next morning we had breakfast at Che- Ah-Chi, where we were served a dynamite chocolate croissant and refreshing seasonal fruits. Enchantment offers a wonderful variety of activities, If you visit in the summer I highly recommend scheduling these in advance as they do fill up quite quickly; and if you plan to partake in any outdoor rigorous activities try to enjoy them in the morning as it does get quite hot and the sun is very strong, even a dry heat is still heat. We ventured out into the canyon on a guided fitness walk, our guide was extremely knowledgable and accommodating, they do also offer self guided hikes; however unless you are an experienced hiker (which I am not) I recommend going with one of their guides. Perhaps the best activity the resort had to offer was the photography seminar  with world class photographer Larry Lindahl. This was truly a great experience for anyone who even has a slight interest in photography, Larry has published multiple books featuring the American Southwest Landscape and is an extremely knowledgable teacher ( I will leave a link to his website below). Their dining fare was unique and well prepared, our servers were wonderful and each had very interesting stories. The hidden gem of the resort truly is the Mii Amo spa, offering world class massages, meditation and yoga instruction with a focus on health and wellness. It should be noted this facility is open to those 16 or older, for those traveling with young children they do offer a daycare center for your convenience. In addition to the spa, the resort has a stunning pool with a panoramic view of the landscape and a poolside bar complete with snacks and beverages. The resort is roughly a seven minute drive from the center  of town, where you’ll find numerous shops and cheaper dining options. If you have time, be sure to check out the Pink Jeep Tours, while they do not have a relationship with the hotel, they do offer fantastic tours of the landscape and also have trips to the Grand Canyon which is about an hour and thirty minutes away. Overall I would highly recommend visiting this one of a kind destination and exploring the unique beauty of The Enchantment Resort and Sedona.

 

Larry’s Website-

http://www.larrylindahl.com/

Enchantment Resort:

http://www.enchantmentresort.com/