9 New England Inspired Warm Weather Getaways

We admit it. There are winters, like, say the one we went through last year that can get to even the hardiest of New Englanders. A warm weather escape is needed. But in leaving New England you may not want to completely leave the region behind—which is why we’ve put together this list of winter getaways with local ties. Some, like Asheville, North Carolina, where the youngest Vanderbilt brother escaped family in Newport to build his own mansion, are rooted in history. Others, like Fort Myers, Florida, spring home to the Red Sox, share a more current connection. Whatever your interest, we’ve put together a lineup that we hope will inspire you to “keep it local.”

Did we miss a favorite of yours? Let us know: Plus@Yankeepub.com.

Asheville, North Carolina

It certainly was a privilege to be born a Vanderbilt in the latter part of the 19th century. While Cornelius Vanderbilt II erected his mega-mansion, the Italian-style villa The Breakers, in Newport, brother William and his wife Alva were designing the nearby Marble House. Tour Marble House today and stroll the sprawling lawn to the ocean’s edge and you can still find a red and gold lacquered pagoda, their version of a Chinese-style teahouse. When Alva Vanderbilt realized she couldn’t actually boil tea inside the pagoda, she ordered a small railroad built from the main house so her servants could quickly transport the tea before it cooled.

Then there was the youngest of Cornelius’s siblings, George Washington Vanderbilt II, who decided to shun the Atlantic coast and build his estate in the therapeutic mountain air of North Carolina. Built in the French chateau style by renowned Manhattan architect, Robert Morris Hunt, the Biltmore House in Asheville is still one of the largest private homes in America, close to 180,000 square feet. Each spring (mid-March), Biltmore celebrates the legacy of American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the mastermind behind Biltmore gardens. The property is open to the public and Olmsted’s influence is obvious throughout the year, but especially in March, April, and May when a progression of blooms spreads like a flowery blanket across the estate. From early to late spring, the gardens come to life with the tulip bloom followed by multi-colored azaleas, rhododendrons, and roses in the resplendent rose garden.

Another joy in the spring is the 80-mile stretch of roadway between Asheville and Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are numerous opportunities to stretch your legs and stroll to lonely mountain streams and waterfalls. Back in town, check out the Asheville Art Museum and visit one of the many galleries, like Woolworth Walk, a gallery in an old Woolworth’s department store.

Asheville is gaining a reputation as a foodie destination. The tapas at Curate, especially the squid ink paella, are worth the wait. Luella’s Bar-B-Que (just north of downtown) serves ribs, pulled pork, smoked chicken wings, even barbecued tempeh. White Duck Taco in the River Arts District is known for their innovative tacos featuring jerk chicken and banh mi fillings. End with an artisanal hot chocolate at French Broad Chocolate or one of the Flemish beers at Thirsty Monk.

Destin, Florida

The Florida Panhandle is a coveted beachfront locale that Southerners would rather keep to themselves. With a 100-mile stretch of sugary sand that fronts the Gulf of Mexico and its fair share of golf and tennis, who can blame them? In Destin, the heart of the Panhandle, you wake up early in the morning, take a stroll with the pelicans and sandpipers on the beach and see the fishing boats head out to sea. Feel free to join in—drop your own line to catch snapper and grouper.

It was fish, in fact, that lured Captain Leonard Destin to these parts in the mid-19th century. The salty dog waved goodbye to New London, Connecticut, and anchored off Moreno Point, where he would build his colonial-style home. Seduced by the warm weather, bounty of sea life, and relative solitude, his descendants would gradually build the town and name it after their beloved Captain.

Even if you don’t plan to fish in the town dubbed “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village,” be sure to taste the fresh catch at one of Destin’s dockside cafés. Plump, tender oysters are the stars of the show, usually paired with fried green tomatoes. Afterwards, stroll along the harbor on the Destin boardwalk. Nick’s in nearby Freeport is one of the best places to sample oysters as well as shrimp, blue crab claws, and gumbo.

Stay at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort for its wealth of activity, including four golf courses, 15 tennis courts, numerous pools, and more than seven miles of beachfront to lounge, sea kayak, and, you guessed it, fish.A more intimate retreat is the romantic Henderson Park Inn. The oceanfront B&B overlooks a mile of undeveloped white sand beach. The nightly rate includes a gourmet breakfast, picnic boxed lunch, sunset cocktails at the “Tiki Hut,” complimentary wine, beach chairs and umbrellas, and bicycles.

Fort Myers, Florida

Red Sox Nation knows that Fort Myers is home to the team’s spring training facility. The Red Sox debuted their new spring training stadium in March 2012. The stadium has its own version of the Green Monster and can hold up to 11,000 fans. Spring training is the time of year when possibility rules the mood and so it’s the ideal time to see your favorite players at their pre-season best. You can watch players like David Ortiz take morning batting practice, or newly signed stud David Price warm up his arm in settings so intimate it feels as if they could just as easily be at your neighborhood ball field.

Fort Myers was also the winter home to two of America’s most famous inventers, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, who had neighboring estates. Tour the sprawling grounds and then venture inside to see Edison’s laboratory, which has changed little since his death in 1931.

To find that glorious stretch of white sand, take the bridge over to Sanibel Island. Considered one of the best shelling beaches in the world, Sanibel contains some 400 species of seashells on its 20 miles of shoreline. Visit any of the beaches at low tide, especially during the months of February, March, and April, and you might return back to your hotel room with sand dollars, whelks, even a conch shell (note: taking live shells is strictly prohibited).

Located on the outskirts of Fort Myers, just off the last exit before the causeway to Sanibel Island, the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa attracts both baseball and beach lovers. Kayak or sail on the waters of San Carlos Bay, lounge at the large pool, or grab the free shuttle over to the beaches of Sanibel Island. Sample fresh seafood in Fort Myers at the casual Shrimp Shack. Order your shrimp fried, blackened or grilled, or try the fresh grouper sandwich. To top it off, grab a slice of their signature key lime pie.

Winter Park, Florida

Long before there was a Disney World or Universal Studios, New Englanders were flocking to central Florida to escape the chilly winters. They would arrive after a long train ride and settle in Winter Park, a small town 15 minutes outside of Orlando. Attracted by the freshwater lakes, the wealthy patrons would soon create art museums, theaters, and the oldest college in Florida. Founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists, Rollins College is now one of the foremost liberal arts colleges in the state.

Take the one-hour Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour and you can still find many impressive century-old homes on the shores of Lake Osceola. Two museums in town, the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art and the Cornell Fine Arts Museum, are renowned for their collections. The Hosmer features the works of acclaimed glass artist Louis Comfort Tiffany, including the chapel Tiffany created for the 1893 Chicago Expo. Found on the grounds of Rollins College, the Cornell displays works by Chagall, Degas, Picasso, Cézanne, and other well-known names from Art History 101.

Art lovers will also enjoy the nearby Alfond Inn, a 112-room boutique hotel that opened in 2013, thanks to a $12.5 million grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation. Profits from the inn will go directly to Winter Park’s Rollins College for a scholarship fund. Harold Alfond founded the Dexter Shoe Company in Dexter, Maine, and his son Ted and wife Barbara are both Rollins alumni. Barbara serves on the board of trustees at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the couple is recognized by ArtNews as two of the 200 most important art collectors in America. With the assistance of independent Boston-based curator Abigail Ross Goodman (who once ran the Judi Rotenberg Gallery in Boston), the couple amassed a 100-piece contemporary art collection solely for The Alfond Inn.

The Alfond Inn houses a rooftop pool and a great Southern restaurant, Hamilton’s Kitchen, where you can dine al fresco on chicken and grits. If you prefer Florida barrelfish, St. Augustine shrimp, and roasted oysters, head on over to Cask & Larder, owned by James Beard-nominated chefs Julie and James Petrakis. Top it all off with a tasty Waffle Cone, a homemade almond waffle cone filled with bourbon malted milk and spiced caramel corn.

Palm Beach, Florida

JFK’s “Winter White House,” the two-story oceanfront abode where the world watched the young Kennedy family toss around the football on the sprawling grass, is still in private hands. In fact, it just sold again this past June for a whopping $31 million. Yet, one can still get a glimpse of JFK’s time on this 16-mile long sun-drenched island by popping into his house of worship, St. Edward’s Church, or even his favorite burger joint in town, Green Pharmacy.

Despite its swanky reputation, one doesn’t need to play polo to visit Palm Beach. The estate of oil tycoon Henry Flagler, the man who almost singlehandedly transformed Florida into a tourist destination, is a good place to start your visit. The Flagler Museum houses his personal rail car, an impressive antique collection, and memorabilia from his career at Standard Oil. The Flagler is part of downtown West Palm Beach’s Arts & Entertainment District, which also includes the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, the home and art studio of the accomplished sculptor, and the Norton Museum of Art. The Norton houses one of the finest art collections in the South, with works by Monet, Gauguin, Matisse, Miro, and many other luminaries on display.

Once you’ve had your fill of culture, ride along Palm Beach’s 10-mile bike trail, paddleboard around Singer Island, kayak through the mangroves of Loxahatchee Nature Preserve, golf at far too many courses to mention, and yes, hobnob with high-society at the International Polo Club. The place to spend the night is that paean to the Gilded Age, the elegant seaside resort opened by Flagler, The Breakers. The upscale property refuses to rest on its laurels, keeping contemporary by unveiling such amenities as the spanking new indoor and outdoor Ocean Fitness club, which features the latest exercise equipment and more than 65 classes per week. Needless to say, they’ll get you ready for that polo match.

Bermuda

Less than a two-hour flight from Boston, Bermuda, due east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, is easy to reach. Unless, of course, you decide to sail from Newport, Rhode Island, which can extend your travels from 3 to 6 days. Every other summer for the past 50 years, some 150 sailboats have made the 635-mile crossing in the Newport Bermuda Race. Home to the infamous Bermuda Triangle, where treacherous shoals have wreaked havoc on ships for centuries, sailors have their hands full. Not only do they have to deal with inclement weather, but the strong currents of the Gulf Stream. The Newport Bermuda Race is a nice warm-up to the foremost sailing race in the world, the America’s Cup, founded in Newport and heading to Bermuda in 2017.

Once you do reach the shores of Bermuda, you immediately understand the allure. Plant your feet into the soft pink sand on one of the renowned South Shore beaches like Horseshoe Bay and you can feel your body de-stress with every footprint. The coastline is exquisite. Beaches are buttressed by jagged cliffs that form sandy coves ideally suited for a couple or two. In the early morning, before the beaches start to crowd with sun-drenched bodies, you can horseback ride on the trails of South Shore Park. Spicelands Equestrian Centre takes riders on an hour-long jaunt to the forest and grounds of this park that sits on a bluff just above the South Shore beaches.

No one hassles you on the beach to braid your hair or sell you cigarettes and beer. The purveyors here are found in the stores of Hamilton and St. George selling high-end handbags, perfumes, Gosling’s rum (necessary for that signature Bermuda cocktail, the Dark n’ Stormy), and those cute little Bermuda shorts most businessmen wear in town with a sports jacket, tie, and knee-high socks. Bermuda’s signature dish is fish chowder, a plentiful seafood stew spiced with sherry pepper sauce and topped off with a splash of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. Try it alongside businessmen on the outdoor patio of the Lobster Pot in Hamilton.

Known primarily as a summer destination, average highs last February reached the low 70s Fahrenheit. Bermuda’s Pink Sale is also in full swing from February through April, when many of the hotels on island offer a 50% discount on room rates. Bermuda’s largest resort, Fairmont Southampton has a lot to offer families, from the daily kids’ program that leads younger ones on seashell scavenger hunts to an 18-hole golf course to one of the finest spas on the island. Yet, most families are content to while away the hours on this South Shore stretch of sand.

Harbour Island, Bahamas

One of Bahama’s best-kept secrets is Harbour Island, a three-mile-long, half-mile-wide speck off the coast of North Eleuthera. At first glance, the place feels like it’s straight out of a time warp, with 18th-century clapboard houses edged with picket fences. Cars are all forbidden, replaced by golf carts. Yet, you’re never more than a short stroll from the beach. The island’s tourism board has dubbed the architecture “New England style.” All it takes is one walk into town to realize this tiny island looks as if someone shrank Nantucket and plopped it down in the tropics, adding a three-mile ribbon of pink sand. Aptly named Pink Sands, this magnificent beach is a perfect blush of pink that would look swell on the back of any flamingo.

Pink Sands is also the name of an intimate resort of handsome cottages spread out over 16 acres and 800 feet of beachfront. These spacious one- and two-bedroom suites are adorned with hand-carved Floridian furniture, African prints, and Italian tiles. Baths are spacious and mini-bars are well-stocked (with rum, of course). Also on the beach is Runaway Hill Inn, a stylish pink stucco guesthouse where most rooms face the sea to catch the cool breeze. The owners are so hospitable that as soon as you enter the screen door, a Goombay Smash (twenty ounces of a little of everything, sweetened beyond recognition) is thrust into your hand.

When you tire of the sun, head to Dunmore Town. The island’s one hamlet is a cluster of narrow, twisting streets lined with small cottages, many built by British loyalists who fled to the island after the Revolutionary War. For lunch, get a plate of conch fritters and fries at Angela’s Starfish Restaurant. By far, the best shop on the island is Miss Mae’s, where you can find island-made linens, shell-laden artwork, antiques, and a gourmet deli.

At night, snag a table overlooking the water at the Rock House Restaurant and dine on local fare such as pan seared grouper, crawfish roasted with basil, and stone crab spring rolls, all washed down with a pomegranate martini—the only way to wash away the winter blues.

Mendocino, California

A mere two-hour drive north of San Francisco, you reach Mendocino County and its riveting 80-mile stretch of California coast, groves of redwoods, and 85-plus wineries. Transplanted New Englanders were just as mesmerized with the scenery back in the mid-19th century when they decided to create the seaside Mendocino village, now a town of 900 residents. If you look beyond the Victorian homes and peer out at the jagged coast and soaring cliffs of Mendocino Headlands State Park, you could swear you were in some fishing village on the Maine coast. At least that’s what the producers of the hit television series, “Murder, She Wrote” thought, when Mendocino village doubled as Cabot Cove, Maine.

One look at a massive redwood tree, however, and you quickly realize you’re not in New England. Half of Mendocino County is national forest, perfect for hikers who want to ramble amongst the big boys. Start at Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve and its five virgin redwood groves. At Fort Bragg’s Glass Beach, those taillights and apothecary bottles of yesteryear have been naturally sanded and reinvented as sea glass gleaming in the sunlight. Sea kayakers can choose from a bevy of estuaries that lead to sheltered Pacific Ocean bays. There’s also wine tasting in Redwood Valley and the chance to ride on an old logging train, the Skunk, through the redwoods.

After a day of adventure, wind down in style at Trillium, housed in one of those historic Mendocino Victorians. The menu features the bounty of the county, including roasted baby beet salad, local wild king salmon, and Covelo Ranch filet mignon. Try to save room for one of their sublime desserts like the blackberry and apple crisp, best paired with a local port from the Meyer Family. Another excellent place to both dine and spend the night is the circa-1882 MacCallum House, featuring rooms, suites, cottages, spa, and requisite wraparound porch.

Honolulu, Hawaii

On March 30, 1820, the first Christian missionaries arrived on the shores of Hawaii aboard the ship Thaddeus. Hired by the New England-based American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and led by Vermont’s Reverend Hiram Bingham, their staunch Protestant values had a swift impact on the indigenous culture of Hawaii. By 1836, not only had King Kamehameha III converted to Christianity, but he was praying at the new Kawaiaha’o Church in Honolulu, regarded today as Hawaii’s version of Westminster Abbey.

A National Historic Landmark, Kawaiaha’o Church still uses the Hawaiian language in their Sunday mass. Glance inside and then stroll over to the Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil. The palace was home to the last of the Hawaiian monarchy, Queen Liliuokalani, before she was overthrown and imprisoned in an upstairs bedroom in the 1890s. Head downstairs to view the crown jewels and then tour the bedrooms, where New England manufacturers like Boston-based A. H. Davenport created much of the original furniture, which was later sold off. The museum is still trying to reclaim those original pieces.

Of course, Oahu is also home to The Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Missouri, the World War II battleship. Another favorite stopover is Hanauma Bay, where you can gently wade into the water and snorkel with hundreds of neon-colored fish. Diamond Head is a wonderful hike that rewards you with exquisite views of the coastline around Waikiki Beach for very little effort. After making the climb, you’ve earned your Mai Tai and ahi pokes at Duke’s Waikiki, a beloved restaurant located on Waikiki Beach.

Within easy walking distance to the beach is The Modern Honolulu, a relatively new establishment known for its sunsets by the pool and rooms that offer both ocean and city views. One night here and you might want to surf away the entire winter.

Author of more than 1500 travel articles and 9 books, Steve Jermanok is a regular contributor to Yankee Magazine. He co-owns a boutique travel agency in Newton, Massachusetts, called ActiveTravels.com.