At the southern tip of Florida and only 90 miles from Cuba sits the southern most U.S. city of Key West. Once the base for Caribbean pirates and later home to Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, Key West also served as the winter White House for President Truman and the inspiration for the drawings of John James Audubon.

Inhabitants are a colorful blend of eclectic artists, writers and others just escaping from everyday life. Everyone has a story and they're more than willing to share it with you. No one seems to care about the rest of the world, only about enjoying life every single day. This is Jimmy Buffet's headquarters and the site of the annual Parrot Head convention. Sunshine, tropical breezes, crystal clear water and a never ending party make this an ideal weekend getaway.

Where else would you find a restaurant that celebrates Thanksgiving every Thursday night or a town that sponsors bed races down its main street or a place where restaurant owners call the local jail first when employees don't show up for work?

Unlike other parts of Florida dominated by fast food restaurants and neon signs, Key West is more like a tropical Caribbean island with tall palm trees, incessant sunshine, crystal blue waters, cascading bougainvillea and colorful hibiscus.

Duval Street, the center of most activity is lined with countless open air restaurants and bars, live music, souvenir shops, clubs and B&B's. You could spend your whole weekend here just making (or drinking) your way from one end to the other.

Each day ends and evening begins in Mallory Square with the Celebration of Sunset. The Square is filled with hundreds of people, street vendors, and street performers and the sunset is the most glorious you will ever see.

When warm is what you want, there is no better weekend destination than Key West.
View restaurant & accommodation details here: https://bestweekends.com/seaside-weekends/key-west-fl/

Nestled in the valley between the Green Mountains on the west and the Hogback Mountains on the east, lies the picturesque village of Stowe, Vermont. The quintessential Currier & Ives Vermont town with its white church steeple, covered bridge and magnificent mountain views is the perfect weekend getaway. This beautiful town is what everyone envisions Vermont to be like. The smell of fresh grass in summer or wood burning in winter awaken your senses as you approach this so charming Village.

While it is called the Ski Capital of the East, renowned for Mount Mansfield's "Front Four", that name belies the truly year-round appeal of the resort. I have enjoyed every season here, the colors more vivid than other places; the green fields of Spring, the colorful wildflowers of Summer, the browns, reds and golds of Fall and the stark whiteness of Winter.

The beauty of Stowe has enticed moviemakers over the years as a prime location for films. The Trapp Family Property was the site of the top of the mountain shots of Julie Andrews in the "Sound of Music" and the Edson Hill Manor hosted the movie "Four Seasons" with Alan Alda.

If you are a skier or snow boarder, there is no better place to enjoy those sports in the East than Stowe. It is also a mecca for fly fisherman, the perfect place for hiking and boasts a magnificent Recreation Path which winds through the woods.

2008 saw the opening of the Stowe Mountain Lodge and the transformation of the Spruce Peak mountain area. Slopeside accommodations, a new golf course, dining, shops, high speed chair lift and new snow making capabilities have made Stowe as good a destination as any out West.

For more information, visit https://bestweekends.com/country-weekends/stowe-vt/

Most activity revolves around the three primary towns, each of which has a character of its own. Vineyard Haven, the main port into which most of the ferries arrive, sits on the edge of Vineyard Haven Harbor and is home to a collection of shops and restaurants. Oak Bluffs is a kind of honky tonk boardwalk town with gingerbread style homes, a carousel, an arcade, ice cream shops and a waterfront promenade. It has some very good restaurants, is the place for renting boats, kayaks and jet skis and is the nightspot capital of the island. Edgartown is an elegant seaport with narrow streets, beautiful old whaling captain's homes, fashionable boutiques, wonderful restaurants and exceptional accommodations.

What makes the island particularly interesting is that its geography changes depending upon where you are on the island. In the west are the cliffs of clay, the north, rocky boulders, the south, small ponds and in the center, dense forests. Visit https://bestweekends.com/seaside-weekends/marthas-vineyard/ for the full profile including restaurant recommendations, hotel recommendations and must-do activities.

Lake Placid is a charming little hamlet with wonderful shops and restaurants and delightful places to stay. Crystal clear lakes amid the tall pines of the Adirondack Mountains provide great recreational opportunities for all seasons and Whiteface Mountain offers some of the best skiing in the East. The town itself, overlooking Mirror Lake has wonderful shops and restaurants and maintains its small town charm.

In this episode we talk about two special occasion luxury properties. So if you're looking for a once in a life-time experience to commemorate an anniversary, birthday or other milestone, you won't want to miss this episode!

And checkout https://bestweekends.com/country-weekends/lake-placid-ny/ for additional details after the show.

About 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts sits the magical island of Nantucket, unmatched in its beauty and ability to relax even the most ardent Type A personality. Nantucket has a charm like few other places; cobblestone streets and gas lamps, quaint lanes of cedar shingled cottages and homes surrounded by white fences and adorned with window boxes of colorful flowers. Roses and hydrangeas are everywhere and there are miles of pristine beaches to enjoy. Lighthouses and cliffs, ponds and moors, cranberry bogs and fields of wildflowers make the island the perfect romantic hideaway. Visitors and islanders alike are passionate about their island.

Tune into this episode to hear why I return to this island year after year to vacation with my family. And find more information about all the restaurants and lodging mentioned at https://bestweekends.com/seaside-weekends/nantucket-ma/

Napa is the largest wine producer in the U.S. and is home to over 400 wineries producing some of the most acclaimed wines in the world. Commercial wine production dates back to the 19th century but premium wine production actually began in the 1960's.

Despite its reputation, Napa has retained much of its agrarian origins and remains a small community of people who love the weather, good food and good wine. The scenery is stunning, the weather consistent (70º average temperatures) and the feeling is one of laid back contentment.

In this episode, we'll tell you about our favorite wineries, must-do activities, the best places to stay and our top places to eat. Tune in now, and head on over to https://bestweekends.com/country-weekends/napa-ca/ for detailed information about all of the places and activities discussed.

In this episode, we chat about the Jersey Shore.

It is unfortunate that the image many have of New Jersey is represented by the oil refineries surrounding Newark (Liberty) Airport and the New Jersey Turnpike. In truth, the State's nickname, "The Garden State" more accurately reflects its true nature. While the state is one of the most densely populated in the country, large areas are devoted to vegetable and fruit farming and horse breeding. The northwestern part of the state is mountainous and sparsely populated and the eastern part of the state enjoys some of the most beautiful beaches in the country.

The "Jersey Shore" is the area bordering the Atlantic Ocean and stretches from Sandy Hook (about 45 minutes from NYC) down past Atlantic City. Honky Tonk towns like Seaside Heights share the coastline with a revived Asbury Park, sleepy summer towns like Bay Head and Stone Harbor and beautiful year round communities like Spring Lake and Brielle and the gambling mecca of Atlantic City. My favorite section is the area from Red Bank, south to Bay Head and including Long Branch, Belmar, Spring Lake, Manasquan, Brielle and Point Pleasant among others.

The area has magnificent beaches, wonderful restaurants, great places to stay and a host of things to keep you busy. It is a great weekend retreat. Tune in to hear about the best places to stay, the best restaurants to eat at, and a list of must-do activities.

You can also learn more by visiting: https://bestweekends.com/seaside-weekends/jersey-shore-nj-weekend-vacations-getaways/

Just two hours south of Charleston, Savannah seems years apart from its neighbor to the north in their leap into the 21st century. While Charleston has charged into the new millennium, Savannah seems content to walk there, at its own pace. A stroll down its main street reveals store signs that haven't changed in 50 years. And the locals are quite happy with the state of things. Nevertheless, Savannah's quiet dignity and welcoming hospitality make it an ideal choice for a weekend getaway.

Georgia's "first city" may just be one of the country's most beautiful towns. Founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe on the banks of the Savannah River, the city was planned with a series of orderly grids around 24 squares. The squares today are delightful parks with benches, fountains, flowers and stately oaks dripping with Spanish moss. The parks are surrounded by magnificent, restored mansions reflecting a variety of architectural styles from the 18th and 19th centuries. There's even a section in one of the parks for the blind to experience the wonderful scents of the flowers.

Savannah is a true southern city that has retained its old charm despite the world around it. The pace is leisurely, the people hospitable and friendly. Sitting on a bench in one of the parks, inhaling the aromas of the flowers around you and watching the horse drawn carriages slide by is one of life's real pleasures. It just feels right to be here.

The locals will tell you that Savannah is the most haunted city in America. Ghost Tour director Christine Troxell claims 80% of the homes in the historic district are haunted. In fact, one local restaurant is haunted by a "ladies man" who supposedly pinches women's behinds!

The town got a boost in 1994 from the publication of the book and the subsequent movie, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," the tale of a local sex and murder case involving voodoo, drag queens and assorted other characters. The notorious "Lady Chablis" still entertained a few times a year in a local club until her death in 2016.

Savannah's St. Patrick's Day celebration is legendary and rivals other Irish enclaves like New York, Boston and Chicago. Unlike those cities, however, the weather cooperates with temperatures in the 70's and sometimes the 80's. Perfect for outdoor partying. And, the party is wild, fueled by Savannah's open container law allowing people to walk around with drinks in their hands. It's a day everyone should try once.

Learn more about the restaurants, B&B's, hotels and details on activities can be found at https://bestweekends.com/city-weekends/savannah-ga/

Deb Smith & Jim Flynn discuss the best resorts, restaurants & activities that will turn a weekend stay in Charlottesville, VA into a best weekend!

Nestled in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Charlottesville, Virginia is a largely undiscovered destination for weekend travel, yet offers everything you would want for an enjoyable getaway; great accommodations and dining and plenty of interesting things to do. Charlottesville is best known as the home of the University of Virginia and Thomas Jefferson's beloved Monticello and while a visit to Monticello is worth the trip alone, Charlottesville is so much more than just that.

Two other presidents, Madison and Monroe had homes here that are major tourist attractions and this city of 45,000 residents has a vibrant music scene, wonderful art galleries, ACC college sports, nationally recognized wineries, terrific shops and cafes in a Downtown Pedestrian Mall, great golf courses and a host of other indoor and outdoor recreational activities.

Known affectionately by the locals as C-Ville, Charlottesville is one of those places you visit where you think, "I could live here". Physically it is a small town with small town manners, but it's got big city lodging, dining and activities, making it a perfect weekend getaway.

Listen now to hear all the insider tips for a spectacular weekend in Charlottesville, and visit https://bestweekends.com/country-weekends/charlottesville-va/ for even more information and details so you can craft a perfect weekend.

Deb Smith & Jim Flynn discuss the best hotels, restaurants & activities that will turn a weekend stay in the Hamptons into a best weekend!

The Hamptons is a popular destination, but before the crowded summer months or after the crowds have returned to New York City, the Hamptons offer a wonderful weekend retreat of pristine beaches, quaint shops, antique stores, wineries, top rated restaurants and plenty of things to do to occupy your time.

There is a Hamptons personality to fit just about any mood. Tony East Hampton offers upscale shops like Tiffany and Ralph Lauren, Sag Harbor is a charming waterfront village, Montauk is a laid back and casual beach town and the North Fork evokes thoughts of the California wine country.

Listen now to hear all the insider tips for a spectacular weekend in the Hamptons. For additional information, visit https://bestweekends.com/seaside-weekends/the-hamptons-ny/