Islamorada: A Slice of Paradise

Savannah is one of those cities that seems almost too easy to like. The live oaks are dramatic. The Spanish moss does exactly what it is supposed to do. The brick sidewalks buckle in all the right places. The houses look like they were designed by people who understood proportion, shade, and the value of a proper front step. Even the light seems to arrive with better manners than it does in most places.

I have a built-in advantage when it comes to Savannah. We have family there, so we have been back several times, not just once for the checklist version of the city. I have also done a photography workshop there, which is a terrific way to learn any city. You get up early, stay out late, and pay attention to alleys, doorways, ironwork, reflections, and the way a city changes when the tourists are still asleep.

Somewhere between the baggage claim carousel and the Elizabeth Line, I realized I’d already won. As passengers from my Norwegian flight to London crowded around the conveyor belt waiting for checked luggage to appear, I was already on my way into the city. Twenty minutes later, I was headed toward central London with nothing more than a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. I’ve become a bit of a carry-on evangelist over the past few years. Not because I’m trying to prove some minimalist point or because I enjoy seeing how few shirts I can survive with. I just genuinely think it’s the better way to travel, especially for a long weekend in Europe.

My recent 72-hour trip from Copenhagen to London wasn’t exactly a backpacker’s itinerary. It included a stay at one of London’s nicest luxury hotels, rooftop cocktails, dinners worth dressing up for, and plenty of walking through Soho, Covent Garden, and the rest of central London. Somehow, everything I needed fit inside my Travelpro Platinum Elite Slim Cabin Hardshell Spinner V2, with a backpack holding my flight essentials.

In case you need another excuse for a Montana getaway this summer, a quirky new boutique hotel has opened in Helena, the Treasure State’s capital. The Bell Hotel occupies the site of the former Bell Motel, a classic 1950s roadside lodge thoughtfully reimagined by CWG Architecture. Each of its 14 rooms features locally made chocolates, coffee, and artwork. While in town, ask the front desk about the Bell’s Picnic in the Park package. The hotel supplies a basket of local treats and a blanket; Montana provides the sublime scenery and glorious weather. You’re on your own for companionship.

Hannah honey was a peachy kind of girl /Her eyes were hazel and her nose was slightly curved /We spent a lonely night at the Memory Motel- The Rolling Stones