Ninety miles of New York City, Rhinebeck is an ideal place to spend a weekend and explore the Hudson Valley, the 200-plus mile swath of lush, oftentimes mountainous green that stretches from Manhattan to Albany on either side of the Hudson River. No wonder Chelsea Clinton chose Rhinebeck for her wedding.

The surrounding landscapes bring to mind settings in Washington Irving’s classic stories. County roads meander, with farms and forests on the horizon. A small old church and cemetery will appear off to the side. Several miles west steep cliffs dip down to the Hudson River at Rhinecliff.

Rhinebeck is a Victorian village, built largely in the 1800s with designs promoted by the famous architect Alexander Jackson Davis, its streets lined with gate houses, rustic cottages, and English and Oriental villas.

Never fear, though, that this place is stuck in time. Its shops, restaurants, and galleries are au courant.A number of store windows display Soho-chic clothing. Others, like Bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy and Sawkille.com have received accolades for their eclectic selection of contemporary  home furnishings. An old church has become the restaurant Terrapin.

Well-known artists sell their paintings and sculpture here. The older anchors remain: the Beekman Arms Hotel with its tavern, an old stagecoach stop dating back to 1766, Schultzville’s General Store, the Smoke Shop, where locals come each day for cigars and newspapers, and the Wine and Liquor Shop, one of my favorites.

The Antiques Barn and a number of smaller shops provide venues for antique lovers, as do nearby villages such as Red Hook and Pine Plains.

Photos courtesy of Dutchess County Tourism

Wilderstein, the recently restored mansion of the late Margaret Suckley, sixth cousin and intimate friend of Franklin D. Roosevelt, is located in Rhinebeck. This is Roosevelt Land, after all: the Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Historic Site, the family’s Federal style mansion, Springwood, overlooks the Hudson River in Hyde Park, ten miles south.It was here that the first presidential library was created and where, at Top Cottage, the four-term president and Margaret often met secretly.

The neighboring Vanderbilt Mansion, a lavish structure with sweeping lawns down to the water, hosts outside concerts each Wednesday in summer. Eighteen miles south of Rhinebeck in Poughkeepsie, Locust Grove, the 19th-century estate of telegraph inventor Samuel Morse, offers gardens and three miles of trails, and the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College offers a stunning collection of Hudson River School Paintings.

The Dutchess County Fair, which I loved as a child, runs this year from August 23 to 28. The second largest in the state, it features a lineup of agricultural contests and entertainment that ranges from Chubby Checker to bull riding.

My idea of paradise is staying at a B & B right in the village, dining at one of the local restaurants, checking out a local concert, an evening event at nearby Bard College, or an art flick at Upstate Films, and walking back to our room on the quiet, tree lined streets.

Texas is among the top five wine producing states in the U.S., with an interesting wine production history that began with early Spanish missionaries and the German and Italian immigrants that followed them.

After Prohibition and a long quiet period, wine production began to revive during the 1970’s as professors at Texas A&M and other Universities experimented with plantings and fermentation. Now, nearly 200 wineries operate statewide, with some of the most notable vintages produced in the Hill Country north of San Antonio.

Just 20-minutes out from the city center, you can enjoy a luxury experience and get to know Texas wines at the Westin La Cantera, a hilltop retreat at the gateway to Hill Country. The resort’sfarm-to-table  restaurant, Francesca’s, features 14 Texas vintages, and has won repeated Wine Spectator awards.

La Cantera’s resort sommelier, Steven Krueger, is an expert on Texas-produced wines and conducts a multi-faceted wine program featuring wine training, wine-paired dinners, special events and tastings.

During a ‘mini’ tasting, I became intrigued as Krueger gave my group an overview of Texas’s four main wine regions and described the native grape varieties. We began with two white wines — Haak Vineyards & Winery‘s  Blanc du Bois, a dry wine produced in the coastal regions, and Brennan Vineyard‘s award-winning Viognier, from a grape of the south of France that has adapted well to a similar terroir in central Texas.

Next up was a bold red with a dark, fruity, rich tannin taste produced from a Rhone-style blend — Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre and Cinsault with a dab of Viognier.  The vineyard, High Valley, is perched at a 1,200 ft. elevation in the central region, and boasts deep alluvial soils deposited by the nearby Colorado River.

Last, we tried an Inwood Estates Tempranillo from grapes grown on the Texas/New Mexico border, 4,000 feet above sea level. Krueger described it as lush and velvety with hints of rich vanilla, blackberry and cherry.  I could have been in France or Spain except for his Texas accent.

The wine theme continues at La Cantera’s full-service spa, with a ‘Texas winemaker’s massage.’  Using grapeseed and other essential oils to activate blood circulation, the luxury experience includes ‘tranquility’ time, while sipping a glass of wine.

photos by Ann Yungmeyer

Venturing into Hill Country, I found the quaint town of Boerne.  Settled by German immigrants more than 150 years ago, Boerne offers an array of boutiques, art galleries, antiques, and… more wine tasting.

The shelves of the Boerne Wine Company are lined with more than 300 labels from around the world in a ‘try before you buy’ concept.  Friends gather at the wine tasting bar or unwind on the pleasant outdoor patio with a specially-paired cigar from the walk-in humidor.

With more time to explore, wine lovers can follow the self-guided Texas Hill Country wine trails near the town of Fredericksburg.  A list of 27 wineries, maps and information is available online. During festivals and special events, wineries host tastings of newly-released wines, wine and food pairings, seminars, demonstrations and tours.

San Antonio’s urban amenities are contentment enough, but exploring the nearby wine country makes a fun diversion, especially during wine trail events such as ‘Wine and Wildflowers’ in April, ‘Harvest’ in early fall or the ‘Holiday’ tour.

Frankly, Lake George, New York has never been known as trendy. But it can be perfect for people looking for a quiet place to vacation where they don’t have to compete with celebrities for restaurant reservations. The grande dame Sagamore Hotel, for one, is a classy and historic way to spend a few days.

But aging hotels have their strengths and limitations, and the Sagamore has had to renovate to meet the changing needs of its clientele. Opened in 1883, the Sagamore was the hotel for the affluent back in the days of Teddy Roosevelt. In 2009, it underwent a multi-million dollar renovation, added a 10,000 square-foot outdoor pool, upgraded its lobby, built a new casual lakeside bar/eatery, improved air-conditioning, and installed Wi-Fi capability in all rooms.

Based on a recent visit, the target market of the Sagamore is clear: families. My wife and I encountered many intergenerational outings that included grandparents, parents and grandchildren. One family, in fact, was celebrating the grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary, a daughter’s 25th and another daughter’s 15th nuptials, and wore t-shirts emblazoned with each couple’s photo to prove it. Families of three and four children were plentiful, although couples could have a relaxing time, as well.

Photos courtesy of The Sagamore

Indeed the children’s recreational center specializes in indoor soccer, billiards, ping-pong, miniature golf and computer games supervised by a trained, professional staff to ensure kids’ safety.

The Sagamore’s other main attractions include its three swimming pools (two outdoors) and an 18-hole, par-70 golf course situated on 188 acres, two and a half miles from the resort. Shuttle vans transport golfers, so there’s little waiting. The hotel charges a $25 daily resort fee, but a round costs an additional $125, including the cart.

The resort has also cordoned off areas for swimming directly in the lake. A fitness center includes Cybex machines, treadmills and free weights, and its spa specializes in massages, body wraps, facials and Stone Therapy.

Twice a day, at 11:30 and 2:30, the Sagamore’s replica of a  19th-century touring boat, the Morgan, sails for a 90-minute complimentary tour of scenic Lake George. Who knew that its shoreline is 32 miles long, and that it spans 44 square miles and includes 28 islands for camping?

I’m an active tennis  player, so I felt the sport was treated an afterthought here. Despite possessing five lighted tennis courts, two Har-Tru and three hard, and a tennis pro, the Sagamore offers no clinics, round robins, or any weekday activities (there are clinics on weekends). Emphasis was on selling $90 an hour lessons and generating revenue. The affable tennis pro tried to arrange matches with guests but wasn’t able to. It’s exasperating that a hotel that charges resort fees doesn’t offer any organized tennis program or even a sign-up sheet to meet other players.

Dining at the Sagamore is appealing and easy. Lunch and cocktail service is available at the two outdoor pools. A bustling wait staff buzzes around filling drink and food orders as if they were on Rollerblades. Other eateries include Mister Brown’s Pub for burgers, sandwiches and salads, and La Bella Vita, an upscale Italian cafe. We had steak salads for dinner one night at the Pavilion, the lakeside restaurant, which was romantic, picturesque (particularly at sunset — ask for a seat near the water), and moderately-priced.

Outside of the resort, Bolton Landing is a quaint town filled with mom ‘n’ pop stores such as Next Summer, specializing in home decor, and Happy Jacks, a gift store. We ate at Cate’s Italian Garden, and enjoyed fried clams at Son of a Sailor.

Our most surprising experience was the Bolton Beans Bistro, a converted railroad car that operates as a coffee and muffin place during the day but transforms into a gourmet eatery serving salmon, Chilean sea bass, chicken martini, and scallops and shrimp at night. The food is first-rate prepared by owner/chef Katrina Dougherty, though the service can be slow, bordering on glacial.

Photos by Donna Connor

As a kid, I loved going to summer camp –– the camaraderie, the sense of adventure, the trying on of new experiences to see how they “fit.” Maybe that’s why spending a few days at the Omega Institute –– a kind of New Age summer camp for grownups in New York’s Hudson Valley –– held such appeal.

But instead of archery or swimming lessons, Omega’s “campers” get to experience a plethora of classes and programs on wellness and spirituality.

Even if your idea of a retreat is to nap and read lots of books, Omega, with its 190 wooded-acres and many inviting hammocks, makes for a relaxing –– and unpretentious –– weekend getaway.

My friend and I, both wanting plenty of downtime, decided to steer clear of formal workshops. Instead, we opted for a two-day R&R Retreat, which includes accommodations, all meals and daily “open” classes in yoga, meditation, tai chi and movement. Rates, based on a basic dorm-style room, start at $278 for the two-night inclusive experience, but in September and October will be about 20 to 25 percent less, because Omega is waiving the daily program fee.

Omega’s summer camp vibe was apparent from the minute we were greeted by luggage taggers, who also provided our assignments to our basic, dormitory-style rooms. No coincidence: Omega is based on the grounds of a long-closed Rhinebeck, N.Y., summer camp, so many of the facilities date from the 1950s and earlier, while others are more recent additions.

The dorms are not air-conditioned and have shared bathrooms, but more deluxe private rooms with air-conditioning and private baths are available.

I found the classes to be worthwhile, especially a session on meditation chakras, and also enjoyed canoeing on the lake; browsing the 7,000-volume Ras Dam Library; visiting Omega’s Asian-inspired meditation sanctuary, and attending evening programs, such as a folk-pop concert and a screening of a documentary film.

As someone who’s not always so fond of her veggies, I was surprised by how much I liked the food. The meatless, dairy-free meals featured a tasty mix of traditional –– steel cut oatmeal and scrambled eggs each morning –– and creative items ––  lentil meatloaf, and potato and pesto pizza.

Desserts are only offered on nights that have the letter “T” in them, but fresh fruit is plentiful at every meal. The dining hall, with its large circular tables inside and on the porch, also gave us a chance to mingle with the other guests.

For those looking to mix up their diet, a Wi-Fi-accessible café offers reasonably priced, non-vegetarian meals, snacks and ice cream.

While on campus, I also perused the offerings at the massive bookstore, which is seemingly stocked with every kind of self-help book, CDs and clothing and checked out the unisex sauna (included in the standard rate). There’s also a pay-as-you-go Wellness Center with facials, massages and other services.

For me, Omega offered a quick recharge that was as easy on the wallet as it was on the mind. It turned out to be a great way to unwind in a setting that’s visually beautiful and spiritually refreshing, without me once having to sing, “kumbaya.”

The Physick House in Cape May, courtesy of Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts

From the ship’s deck, passengers watch as cackling gulls swoop and soar over whitecaps in the Delaware Bay.

They point at the twin lighthouses — the Harbor of Refuge and the East End Lighthouse — which punctuate breakwaters in the Lewes Harbor.

Beachcombers on the khaki-colored sands became dots in the distance.

It’s just a typical ride aboard the Twin Capes, one of four vessels that comprise the Cape May-Lewes Ferry service, which connects Cape May, N.J., and Lewes, Del.

The 17-mile passage takes about 80 minutes, but whether you are going to Cape May or Lewes, the journey itself is quite the trip: Many times, dolphins and whales accompany the boat, and birders often find new additions for their lists.

Both sides of the bay hold their appeal for visitors. The vibe in Cape May’s carefully preserved historic district is all Victorian, all the time. The Emlen Physick Estate, built in 1879, is a Victorian house museum that offers changing exhibits commemorating late 19th century life and serves afternoon tea. A walk through town provides views of any number of  “painted ladies,” elegant homes with colorful woodwork, sculpted turrets and wrap-around porches.

There’s more than bric-a-brac to appreciate here. Birders think highly of the area for its sightings at the  Nature Center of Cape May, the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor and the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary. Whale watch excursions, sponsored by the Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center, also are popular.

At night, dining options abound, from the traditional Victorian ambiance of the Ebbitt Room, located in The Virginia Hotel, to the more casual The Blue Pig Tavern, located in the grande dame Congress Hall. The Washington Inn, built in 1840 as a plantation home, boasts an impressive wine list and a wine school.

Work off the calories shopping on the Washington Street Mall, where antiques and gifts shops line a pedestrian-only street.

Hotel Rodney in Lewes, courtesy of the hotel

Across the bay  is Lewes, a walkable community that calls itself the “first town in the first state” (Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.) Founded in 1631, Lewes has more than its share of handsome period buildings, many of which have found second lives as inns, restaurants and shops. In-town inns include Hotel Blue, a chic urban-style spot along a canal, and Hotel Rodney, a boutique-style property located in a circa 1926 building.

You can’t miss the history here, in large part thanks to the presence of the Lewes Historical Society. The latter owns a bevy of restored buildings, and offers a map for self-guided walking tours featuring 10 maritime sites. The Cannonball House, which was struck when the British bombarded Lewes in 1813, is the society’s maritime museum.

Within walking distance is the Zwaanendael Museum, dedicated to all things Lewes. Since the Dutch first settled Lewes, the museum was built to resemble the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands.

When you’ve had your fill of history, while away some time browsing the boutiques along 2^nd Street, before considering your dining options. The possibilities include Half Full, which is known for its gourmet pizza; the seafood-centric bistro Striper Bites; and Gilligan’s, where the crab cake is king.

Spend the next day swimming, hiking or sunning along the pristine shores of Cape Henlopen State Park or shopping the Tanger Outlets on Route 1.

If you’re able to make a long weekend visiting Lewes and Cape May, you’ll return home invigorated, enlightened and totally charmed.

A good read by this writer: Shipwrecks of the Delaware Coast: Tales of Pirates, Squalls and Treasure

photo by Todd Pitock

It looked like France, it smelled like France, and best of all, from a Huguenot perspective, it wasn’t France. Franschhoek (franz-hook) is Afrikaans for Le Quartier Francais, or “where the French guys live.”

The village, whose main thoroughfare runs through a grid of quaint streets lined by Cape Dutch buildings with gardens and whitewashed courtyards, has recently charmed other wanderers looking for a place to settle, happily many of them with culinary ambitions.

Over the past 15 years or so, Franschoek has blossomed with fine restaurants, artisanal boulangeries and boutique olive-oil producers, cheese-makers, a chocolatier and a charcuterie. Wine farms and tasting rooms begin right at the edge of the town.

It’s all been led by an unusual community of chefs, a dozen of whom posed, tastefully (depending on your tastes), as The Naked Chefs of Franschhoek, for a recipe booklet and calendar to support a local hospice. One of the nudes, and one of South Africa’s best-known chefs, is Margot Janse, who presides over the Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais.

The Tasting Room, with 4-, 6- or 8-course degustation menus, is a demonstration of culinary refinement and finesse, utilizing ingredients –  roasted wildebeest loin, say—that doesn’t leave you wondering what part of the world you’re in.

Across the street, Reuben’s Restaurant & Bar has a diametrically opposite style, with strong flavors and Lucullan portions. The most desirable spot is its whitewashed, stone-floored courtyard, where Sunday afternoon visitors fill the linen-clothed tables, and take their time with a menu that cleverly combines unlikely textures and ingredients. A crispy snapper topped with succulent calamari tubes comes on a bed of polenta that’s kicked up with a fragrant, creamy curry, a gastronomic meeting point of Cape Malay and French Huguenot.

photo courtesy of Franschhoek Wine Valley and Tourist Association

Franschoek is also, famously, a wine destination. Among the tasting room standouts is Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, a joint venture with the French Rothschilds, and Tokara (which, in addition to fine wines crafts sensational olive oils).

Right across from Tokara is another winery, the Delaire Graff Estate, which is producing some of the country’s finest reds. Its restaurant is superb.

How you experience Franschhoek depends on when you visit. On a weekend afternoon, it’s a crash of feeders and wine-drinkers. When the festive interlopers clear out, the local aspect comes through more clearly.

That’s what Neil Jewell, a 33-year-old British transplant, loved about the place, which he found after vagabonding around Africa and leaving behind the sun-deprived, dreary confines of London. Jewell, the chef at Bread & Wine, a vineyard restaurant at a wine farm called Moreson, is also the local charcutier.

His maturing room has 5,500 pounds of meat hanging on hooks – cured, smoked, and dried. The kudu biltong has a splash of port, pimiento and juniper. Locals bring pigs they slaughtered themselves for him to carve up and work his magic on.

“We have something special here,” Jewell said. “People come to experience it. Jo’burgers look and think it’s another gold mine. They’ll come in and open a restaurant that someone will declare is going to ‘set a new standard’ and put the rest of us out of business.

“They don’t understand that here it’s only about the food. So, let them come. They’ll be gone soon enough.”

Actually, they likely will come back — as diners with reservations.

A version of this story originally appeared in ForbesLife and is reprinted by permission of the author.

One good book: Franschhoek Memoirs: Life in the French Valley

For a look at another unique wine region, check out Christine Sisson’s visit to Mikulov, Czech Republic, here.

The Yale campus in its fall glory, photo by Michael Marsland/Yale University

Dorm life for me was never like this. At The Study at Yale Hotel, a boutique property near the Ivy League’s school New Haven campus,  the niceties abound: My room had soft leather armchairs, Frette linens and a sleek marble-floored bathroom.

From this comfy perch, I set out to have my (vicarious) thrill. I wanted to experience the Ivy League without the grueling academic workload or bank-draining tuition.

Yale University, with several well-regarded museums, a major repertory theater company and leafy campus lined with stately brick and stone buildings, is especially well-suited to such a college town getaway. Even better, much of the good life at Yale is free, even for those not affiliated with the school.

As for its location, New Haven over the past few decades has done much to improve its reputation as one of Connecticut’s rougher cities. Although the fringes remain a bit scruffy, the well-scrubbed downtown boasts many ethnic and finer dining restaurants, wine bars, and one-of-a-kind bookstores and boutiques.

This is also a town justifiably famous for its authentic, Neapolitan-style thin-crust pizza, of which most have a strong (garlic-infused) opinion. For many, there’s no place but Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, better known as Pepe’s, which started in 1925. However, I took the advice of a local and tried Modern Apizza Place, a less touristed purveyor and was pleased with the pie; it had the right combo of crackly crust, gooey cheese and not-too-sweet tomato sauce.

A cozy nook at The Study at Yale Hotel, photo by Robert DiGiacomo

During a three-day visit last fall, I easily whiled away my time. There were the the university’s two great freebie museums: the Yale Center for British Art, which is considered to have the most complete collection of works by that country’s artists of any non-British institution, and the Yale University Art Gallery, whose comprehensive holdings span ancient to modern times. For me, the star there is Van Gogh’s Night Cafe, but the other works by the likes of Manet, Picasso, Thomas Eakins, etc., are pretty good, too.

The indie bookstore scene includes the Book Trader, a haven for used titles, and Atticus Bookstore/Cafe, which is also a good spot for breakfast, lunch or a snack.

Wanting to further immerse myself in all things Yale, I also took a campus tour led by an extremely good-humored junior political science major from Iowa. Although a relentlessly positive spokesperson for her institution, she did let us in somewhat behind the curtain.

The statue of Revolutionary War figure (and Yale alumnus) Nathan Hale, famous for the line, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country?” The likeness isn’t really accurate –– there are no portraits in existence of Hale; instead, the face is based on a random student from the early 20th century, when the statue was sculpted by Bela Lyon Pratt .

And those gorgeous, Gothic-style, ivy covered stone buildings that look like they’ve been around for hundreds of years? Most were constructed during a 1920s campus building boom. The oldest building on campus, the circa 1750 Connecticut Hall, is a Georgian-style red brick structure.

Gothic-style architectural statement, photo by Michael Marsland/Yale University

One part of Yale’s mystique remained unsettled after the tour, however. Our guide professed to know nothing about its infamous secret societies.

Still, I got a sense of the authenticity of the Yale education and the possibilities that result from having someone like the Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington have tea at your residential college, or interning in Africa, as our guide had done the previous summer.

But as I left campus without a care in the world other than to decide between a nap, a bookstore browse or a stopover at a wine bar,  I quickly made my peace with my virtual connection to Yale.

Read more: Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power

Nantucket's Main Street during Christmas Stroll (Michael Galvin/Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce)

Nantucket Noel

I lived briefly on Nantucket in the early nineties, and for years afterward, friends I made there would ask in November if I was coming back for “the Stroll.” They were referring to the first weekend in December when the summer people return to the island to shop, drink hot toddies, and stroll the cobbled streets admiring the light show.

Nantucket in December is a far cry from the sun-drenched summer oasis many people know. On this small island thirty miles off the mainland, winter hits sooner and harder than it does in nearby Boston. Most hotels and restaurants shut down by October, but many reopen for the holiday season. It really is the quintessential Old New England Christmas experience, complete with top-hatted carolers and wandering musicians. If you can’t make the actual stroll, Nantucket Noel now lasts the entire month preceding Christmas. Carlisle House Inn is offering 20 percent off holiday rates if you book by December 10. — Cathleen McCarthy

Jersey Jingle

A bedecked Cape May Victorian. (Courtesy of Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts)

Every year or two, I return to Cape May, NJ in winter— oddly tugged by its quiet promise of Victoriana gone mad, its nostalgic plea to remember ghosts of Christmases past (or, more likely, ones that never were). The town’s famed “painted ladies,” its bed-and-breakfast inns, virtually heave with gingerbread (this time of the literal variety), and the scent of pine and cinnamon, of nutmeg and peppermint permeates the ocean-chilled air.

This seaside town celebrates one last hurrah ’round about now before virtually closing down until Memorial Day. Once more, the fudge-samplers are out, the lanterns are lit, and the horsedrawn carriages clip-clop through darkened streets. Those rides, and the trolleys and the walking tours, come with holiday-tinged cant (the ghost story, the Victorian tales, the Christmas carols), but they never hit you over the head in Cape May. Not for this place, the garish, the commercial, the rowdy. Even the holiday parade, which starts a short walk away in West Cape May, is charmingly small-town. Strutting mummers, tooting fire engines, marching bands, and, yes, the lima bean king and queen, take part.

When the quaint and the Victorian get to be too too, I head for a Grand Marnier — usually accompanied by one of a roster of accomplished pianists — before the fireplace at the sophisticated and lively Brown Room in Congress Hall, Cape May’s classic hotel. As the wind roars outside, there’s an unspoken camaraderie that’s pretty hard to find in the loud jangle of so many other public spaces. It’s what I think the holiday season should be all about. — JoAnn Greco

Le Meridien on Balluta Bay, St. Julians. (photo Cathleen McCarthy)

Looking for something different to explore on your next trip to Italy? Consider an overnight in Malta. Access is easy and cheap: 90-minute flights from Rome start at $147 round-trip.

With its sunny climate and miles of shoreline, Malta has long attracted Europeans fleeing winter’s chill – and bargains are mounting as new and refurbished hotels compete for attention.

This little country is gearing up for a boom. Nowhere is that more apparent than the popular northeast coast where cranes are visible from the shore. St. Julians is the tourist mecca where most of the shopping and nightlife take place, and new hotels line its wave-worn limestone beaches, facing the vivid Mediterranean.

Two five-star hotels here completed major renovations recently: the Hilton on the Portomaso waterfront and Corinthia, which added a nightclub to its three restaurants on St. George’s peninsula. Nearby, the InterContinental sports a huge conference and fitness center with pools, squash courts and climbing wall.

Hotel Phoenicia in Valletta (photo Cathleen McCarthy)

Le Meridien opened four years ago on Balluta Bay, appealing to younger business travelers with a bright palette, hip ambience and full-service spa. Westin Dragonara is on its own little peninsula, a short walk from a casino and the nightclubs of Paceville. Best option: the Bay Suites added in 2006 with kitchenettes, black leather furnishings and your choice of bay-facing balconies or private seaside gardens.

Valletta, Malta’s capital, is a short ferry ride away or 30 minutes on the brightly-painted buses that wind along the craggy coastline. The Maltese government recently commissioned architect Renzo Piano to design a new open-air opera house, relocated parliament and revamped city gate, but the unveiling of his plan last summer sparked local controversy and the project is currently stalled.

Newest among Malta’s luxury hotels is the Grand Hotel Excelsior overlooking Valetta’s Marsamxett Harbor and Manoel Island. The Phoenicia, next door, was the luxury hotel on the island during the final decades of British rule. (Malta became independent in 1964.) A bit dowdy now compared to its slick competition, the still-elegant Phoenicia still boasts impeccable service and proximity to Valetta’s main attractions.

St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina (photo Cathleen McCarthy)

But the most beautiful spot on the main island of Malta is the ancient walled city of Mdina, a 15-minute drive from Valetta and St. Julians. Entering Malta’s original capital is like time-traveling back to medieval Rome. Very little has changed over the centuries, including the baroque homes of the nobles, St. Paul’s catacombs in neighboring Rabat, and the 17-century palazzo of the Xara Palace Hotel. If you can’t spend the night in this Relais & Châteaux property, a meal at de Mondion, with its breathtaking views of the city below, is well worth the splurge.

The cheese doesn’t just stand alone in the Poconos. It’s there in abundance — the motels with the heartshaped tubs, flashy billboards for the area’s “attractions” and the ski areas overflowing with hotdogging teens— all threatening to override any appreciation of the remaining unspoiled landscape. At the same time, there is another side emerging in Milford, a small town on the Delaware River in northeastern Pennsylvania that offers a more civilized Poconos experience. There, a revival is in full swing that will go a long way toward making you forget the cheese factor.

My country weekend HQ was the Hotel Fauchere, a stately Italianate grand dame holding court on Broad Street, the town’s main drag. The circa 1882 building was a wreck when entrepreneur Sean Strub acquired it in the spring of 2001. Five years later, after a careful restoration, the former New Yorker reopened the Fauchere as a 16-room boutique hotel, pairing its grand period charm with modern-day, in-room bells and whistles such as flatscreen TVs, marble-lined bathrooms, Frette linens and Kiehl’s bath products. Now part of the Relais & Chauteaux collection, the property also includes a fine-dining restaurant, a lively bar, its own patisserie and an affiliated day spa.

Still, one swank hotel does not a destination make. Milford, which is about 90 minutes’ drive from Manhattan, also has history on its side, as well as good shopping and easy access to the the Delaware River Water Gap National Recreation Area.

As the seat of Pike County, the town has long commanded a certain level of local importance. In the 19th century, its well-to-do denizens commissioned a who’s who of American architects (notably Richard Morris Hunt, Calvert Vaux and McKim, Mead & White) to build their homes and major public buildings. Although local fortunes have waxed and waned since, many of the buildings are intact in Milford’s nationally registered historic district, which makes for a pleasant stroll.

Perhaps most impressive of Milford’s historic homes is Grey Towers, the estate of native son Gifford Pinchot, a two-term Pennsylvania governor who palled around with Teddy Roosevelt and was the first head of the U.S. Forest Service. The property, which includes a rambling stone mansion and 102 acres, is now a national historic site. The house is open for tours from May through November (and by appointment during the off season) and offers special holiday events in December; its manicured gardens and unspoiled parkland, are open year-round.

But Milford’s most important claim to fame — and one that surprisingly connects this small town to one of the nation’s greatest tragedies — can be found at The Columns, a museum operated by the Pike County Historical Society. Prominently displayed among its somewhat musty collection of old photographs and donated bric a brac, is an American flag that was said to be hanging in Ford’s Theatre the night President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865.

After Lincoln was wounded, the stage manager, Thomas Gourlay, a Milford native, ripped the flag down and used it to cradle the president’s head. Later, he passed on the flag to his daughter, Jeannie Gourlay, who was a performer in the fateful production of “Our American Cousin.” In 1954, the flag was donated to the historical society. With the vestiges of bloodstains still in evidence, the flag offers a startling link to this still potent chapter in our history.

Feeling just a little creeped out by this “CSI” moment, my partner and I were happy to return to the sunshine and take a short drive to some of the Delaware Water Gap’s waterfalls, including Dingmans and Raymondskill, each of which plunges down into a ravine from a height of more than 100 feet, for an invigorating walk-about.

However, if your weekend “goal” is do as little structured as possible, that’s easily accommodated, too. Broad Street’s brick-lined sidewalks, with several blocks of galleries and shops, are good for a wander. Around town, more retail awaits in the converted buildings of the Old Lumberyard and The Upper Mill — testimony all to Milford’s growing appeal as a regular weekend retreat for New Yorkers and others.

Ready to rest before dinner? Milford is compact enough that you’ll be hard-pressed to end up more than an easy walk or quick drive from naptime or a relaxing soak in the tub. And I can promise — it won’t be heartshaped.