Conde Nast Traveler November 2020

1 CULTURE Rich in Gullah history and Southern hospitality, Charleston culture is apparent at every turn. The area’s stunning natural beauty and cherished traditions have inspired artists, travelers, writers, and musicians for 350 years. Discover the people, places, and traditions found only in Charleston. 2 FRIENDLINESS While cuisine and hotels always merit mention in the reader polls, the warm hospitality extended by Charleston’s locals is a deciding factor in the destination’s enduring charms and widespread appeal. 3 ATMOSPHERE In Charleston, the tides tell the time. Dawn dances on the ocean and through the palmetto tree fronds—a glimpse into the day ahead. The past shines brightly on monumental architecture, and cobblestone streets lead to cutting edge cocktails poured by a new friend. 4 LODGING Experience the splendor of an award-winning historic hotel, complete with handsome antiques and heirloom…

Recently I put on my Out of Office. It’s the first time I’d done so in seven years. I hadn’t even planned it. Stuck on a wild and wonderful rock in Greece, I was happy to run up and down the hill every day for weeks to catch the lucky falling stars of Wi-Fi, but after a while, I just stopped running. I had hoped that as I lifted my gaze from the screen, I would be greeted by the shining faces of my family. But everyone was busy going about their business. It was disorienting for a bit, realizing the show goes on—so smoothly, so fulsomely—without you. Playing cards with their friends; getting to the market early; listening to the local news; someone making their first tzatziki. It’s funny…

Our 33rd Readers’ Choice Awards represent the first time that you, the voters, made your picks when almost no one was traveling. So the names in this year’s edition are the ones that brought you comfort, that you still connected with long afterward, that got you through the months without travel. These are the enduring gems that can withstand the test of time and the vicissitudes of circumstances. So while it is always an honor to be on this list, in this strangest of years it is a special honor, indeed. Many readers have told us that when we emerge from this pandemic, they want to turn their attention to the classics, whether that means personal favorites or places they know have brought joy to others. If that sounds like…

Like the much-road-tripped leg of Highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the less-traveled northern stretch between San Francisco and Mendocino has endless Pacific views (and the same white-knuckle curves) with plenty of places to pull over. After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, wind through the eucalyptus and redwood groves of Muir Woods National Monument; if you stop off at the Pantoll trailhead and hike the Matt Davis Trail, you’ll have a bird’s-eye vantage of the Marin Headlands and the rocky Farallon Islands off in the distance. Follow the highway to reach the cozy Olema House Point Reyes, whose cottages and light-filled rooms are a laid-back base for exploring the area’s wide, windswept beaches and the restaurants at Point Reyes Station. A scenic half hour north, there’s the Marshall…

An unplanned 24-hour layover in Zurich led me to this leafy expanse in the center of town, with its stately façade and striped awnings, a place that has forever set my hotel standard. What initially struck me is that while it has been owned by the same family for six generations—it is a refined time capsule of Louis XVI, English Regency, and Art Deco styles—it also feels of the moment (electronic tablets for ordering everything from a club sandwich to pillows, honey from on-site hives) and thoroughly Swiss (cue the time the concierge booked me an appointment with an eye doctor in mere minutes). I dream of lounging about one of the jewel-toned suites and wandering the acaciaand-fir-dotted grounds before a late dinner at the two-Michelin-starred Pavillon. It’s no wonder…

Travelers f lock to the South of France for its glowing blue waters, but they make a mistake in skipping the region’s inland offerings. Start in the medieval towns surrounding Mont Ventoux, 37 miles northeast of Avignon, basing yourself at the fortress-like Crillon le Brave, set in the ancient cobblestone village of the same name. From there, it’s easy to reach the fruity reds of Château de Saint Cosme and the Romanesque chapel in the walled village of Venasque. An hour south, stop for Cabernet blends and a picnic under the olive trees at the Domaine de Fontenille, an organic winery and hotel in the Luberon (book ahead). Past the plane trees is the wild southern tip of the Riviera, whose dramatic headlands and refreshingly unshowy scene make it an…