womantraveler

The Real Napa Valley Style

On my trips through St. Helena in California's Napa Valley wine country, I'd passed by the homestyle store Vanderbilt & Company and heard through the insider buzz of its unique offerings in dinnerware, linens, bedding and gifts. But I began to really understand what owner Charles Gautreaux is creating in his store when consulting with him on a project. Given that disclosure, you can see the store for yourself through these photos and on its new website -- and enhance your own understanding of the real Napa style, which those in the know are duplicating in their homes around the world.

As the wine harvest flourishes now in northern California, St. Helena is one of the must-do stops on Highway 29, with upmarket boutique shopping along its Main Street and terrific restaurants, such as Market and Terra. I like Market (American comfort food) for lunch and rom antic Terra (southern France meets Asia) for dinner (it's not open for lunch).

Gator 0, Python 0

Hurricanes aren't the only threat of the moment in South Florida. The Wall Street Journal's Evening Wrap reports today that an overzealous python should have considered bite-size portions before trying to gulp down that alligator. And we quote: "Meanwhile, in the Everglades, authorities found a 13-foot python that had burst open while trying to swallow a six-foot alligator whole. Released into the wild by bored pet owners, big pythons have proliferated in the area lately and are battling the alligators for supremacy. So far, that battle is a draw."

When you're skimming across the Everglades in those airboats, don't dangle your toes in the water.

Fall Refresher on NYC Hotels

There are so many hotel choices in New York City that a fresh look is always helpful. Here are the latest recommendations and reviews of stytlish and discerning properties from Fodor's Travel Wire -- including the Four Seasons, W Times Square, The Lowell, and Murray Hill's Roger Williams Hotel.

While you're in the Big Apple, check out these suggestions for the "best brunch."

Luxury Cruising: Custom Travel

Luxury cruises allow for a customized experience built around ports, cuisine, room style, or entertainment. Not interested in a floating city, we opted for Silversea cruise's all-suite small ship experience, regularly voted "the world's best small ship cruise line." Onboard the Silver Whisper, a luxury floating hotel, we learned that Silversea's advertising slogan, "Nothing Excluded," is not hype. With 350 passengers and 270 crew, our wishes were literally their command.

Silversea's all-inclusive experience spared us the inelegance of costly add-ons (except the shore tours, which we avoided anyway). Silversea's "all-inclusive promise" means that all beverages are complimentary throughout the ship, including in-suite beverage cabinets and mini-frigs that are replenished with our preferences daily (some premium wines and spirits are available at an additional charge), as well as all on-board gratuities, in-suite movies and videos, twice daily suite service, personalized stationery, personal email address, and 24-hour room service. While some cruise lines have started the tacky daily automatic gratuity and nonrefundable service charges, Silversea has not, thankfully. Of course, the proper and genteel luxury cruise traveler still tips generously at the end of the experience.

Our suites were 701 square feet -- twice the size of all but the seven largest suites (and more than half the size of my condo). Most of the suites have private verandas (of teak), and Silversea staterooms have marble bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs, walk-in closets, separate bedrooms, and two televisions. The public areas are sleek and modern with beautiful woods, tasteful textiles, and Venetian decor representative of an Italian-built, Italian-based cruise line. Such refined elegance results in a noticeable investment in glassware and mirrors, crystal and silverware, paintings and sculpture. The overall effect is that of a luxury chartered yacht.

Mornings and late afternoons on private verandas, individual tables at all meals, no grouped dinner "seatings," quiet well-stocked libraries, a computer center, genteel parlors, staff who call you by name. I took my morning coffee in the observation deck in the stern. One late afternoon on the private veranda with a glass of wine, I saw what appeared to be a whale diving into the sea. Later storms in the distance led up to a brilliant and edgy sunset.

You will be spoiled, so savor the magic. It arrives unexpectedly.

Online Aids for Small Business Travelers

Online travel websites are offering new conveniences for small business travelers, making it easier for one-stop trip planning, according to the American Small Business Travelers Alliance (ASBTA). Such features and services are growing -- a sampling includes low-rate guarantees, day passes for frequent flyer airport clubs, and new ways to redeem loyalty program points for a wider scope of travel needs.

The Luxury Cruise: Do It Now!

A luxury cruise, like the Silversea Silver Whisper -- drop dead luxury. Do it once, do it now. And to get the most out of it, keep in mind that nothing is perfect, even luxury. So plan for that and you'll have the time of your life. In fact, once you get the hang of it, you can use these tips to turn an ordinary trip into a luxury experience.

Tip One: Luxury is affordable. Shop online or follow travel section ads and find a premier cruise for huge discounts off the rack rate, especially if you travel in the shoulder season -- just before or after high season, which is now. We chose the Silversea line because it is often referred to as the world's best small ship cruise line, offering stateroom suites with private teak verandas and a culinary Relais & Chateau affiliation. It didn't take much digging to find an advertised discount fare from Silversea for 50% off the published fare. In our case that amounted to $3247 a person rather than $6395 each. That's all-inclusive -- meals, most wines and beverages (including in-suite beverage cabinets stocked with our preferences), complimentary 24-hour room service, in-suite movies and CD player, and normal gratuities -- and, most importantly, an impeccably trained staff that does not (to a person) know how to say "no."