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Villas with a Twist

According to concierge.com you can rent some pretty amazing places…check them out.

Twin Palms Sinatra Estate, Palm Springs, California

The dish: Built for Ol’ Blue Eyes and his first wife, Nancy, the 4,500-square-foot Twin Palms Sinatra Estate has 3 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, mid-century furnishings, and Sinatra’s original sound system. A large patio surrounds the cabana and the grand piano-shaped pool.

The details: $1,950 a night, or $650 per room

L’Isle House, Oxfordshire, England

The dish: Play a round while playing lord or lady of the manor at L’Isle House, an 8-bedroom English country house dating to the seventeenth century. The 140-acre estate comprises manufactured gardens, a pool, a tennis court, three fishing lakes, and a private 9-hole golf course. For a full 18 holes, start the course in one direction, then do it again in reverse.

The details: From $25,570 per week, or $456 per room per night

Villa Lyrica, Santorini, Greece

The dish: The 5-bedroom Villa Lyrica, with its traditional Cycladic exterior and modern interior, features a state-of-the-art recording studio (past guests have included celebrity music producers Kevin Shirley and Peer Astrom). The spare, earth-toned décor won’t distract you from your work; for inspiration, head to the terraces, which provide panoramic sea views.

The details: From $11,050 per week or $315 per room per night

Villa Andrea, Glen Ellen, California

The dish: The 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom Mediterranean-inspired Villa Andrea sits on 30 acres of a cabernet sauvignon vineyard in the heart of California’s wine country. The large swimming pool has stunning views of Sonoma Valley, and guests can throw dinner parties in the property’s 7,000-square-foot cave, where the wine is distilled and aged, then show a flick in the villa’s screening room.

The details: From $19,000 per week, or $542 per room per night

Golden Dolphin Villa, Cabrera, Dominican Republic

The dish: The Golden Dolphin Villa, on a 100-acre hilltop estate, overlooks tropical forests and the ocean, and features its own private baseball diamond. With 9 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, the mansion is big enough to accommodate a full field of players.

The details: From $2,100 per night, or $233 per room

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Indian Canyons

Indian Canyons on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation just outside of Palm Springs, California was home to the Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indians. Here, one of the four distinct areas, Palm Canyon of the Andreas Canyon, includes the world’s largest California Palm Oasis. Rock formations like this one line the walls of the canyon. One can only imagine the force it took to heave these heavy rocks into formations such as this one.

The Andreas Creek, a perennial creek, rushes over rocks and boulders past the base of these skirted palms.

Skirted palms huddle together as their feet stay cool in the water.

Reds, grays and brown hues of rocks rise above the canyon. California Golden Eagles and Red Tailed Hawks ride the currents above. One Golden Eagle sat high upon a rock…watching for a mid afternoon snack.

Strands of skirted palms and fan palms march along the creek. With over 150 species of plants within a half mile, this is a great hike for exercise, bird watching, photography and cooling off near the creek. Touching the water it was cool, but not cold. On the lower side of the creek, as you climb over rocks through the palms you are treated to a cooling effect for your hike. Dramatically different, the upper side takes you through more open desert area where the temps rise significantly. As you might expect the views are equally as diverse.

This is definitely an area of contrasts…beauty…mystery.
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Your Shampoo Exploded!

If you’ve packed your bottle of shampoo in your checked bag, have you considered it may leak or explode if it’s too close to the edge and another bag gets dropped on it?

Or, what if your small bag of liquids is in your carry on bag and you have to gate check it? Is that little bag protected enough to withstand other luggage items tossed on to it?