16 Dec 5 Eco-Friendly Bachelorette Getaways in the Continental U.S.
Hold the Chippendales dancers, bring on the breathtaking vistas. Your bachelorette weekend getaway has got to have two things, good friends and Zen. A little luxe doesn’t hurt either, well at least not when Verte Luxe points the way. So here, without further adieu 5, count them 5, ideas for celebrating with those who got you where you are today—free from online dating! Prepare for your partner to be jealous.
1) Jackson Hole, Wyoming – Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Night Skiing at Jacksonhole and Teton Village
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming, not only boasts some of the finest snow in the United States, but has also been selected as a finalist for the 2017 National Geographic World Legacy Award for their tradition of conservation and collaborative sustainability efforts. They are the first ski resort to join 1% For the Planet, which “accelerates smart giving” of 1 percent of their profits to environmental-protection causes. Fun Fact: The resort recycles 1,000 gallons of used vegetable oil waste annually from their restaurants in order to fully power three vehicles.
Skiing and Snowboarding is 70 percent fun, but it’s also about 30 percent manual labor, often in freezing temps. To put it another way, it certainly won’t make you look any worse on your wedding day. Therefore it is a bona fide accomplishment and sweet rejuvenation is necessary. Take the entourage and head down the rustic village road to Hotel Terra Resort’s Chill Spa, which is a LEEDs certified (yet they “go beyond LEEDs”) eco-hotel and takes extra steps to conserve water. Finally do your apres-ski as it was meant to be: Back up the mountain 9,000 feet for a farm-to-table dining experience with a killer view at Piste Restaurant. It’s the Piste de resistance!
Hotel Terra Resort and Spa
2) Little St. Simons Island, Georgia – Lodge at Little St. Simons
Want a little extra hideaway in your getaway? Do the words “secluded beach” and “nature hikes” cause your brain to think “yaaasss”? Could your bachelorette crew use a laid-back breather to bond? If your answer to these questions is “yaaasss queen yaaasss,” why not work a beautifully simple, all-inclusive veg-out into your pre-wedding festivities. The Lodge at Little St. Simons Island is only accessible by boat. The 11,000 acre island boasts 7 miles of some of the most pristine beaches on the east coast—and only 32 guests maximum (we suggest grabbing your own multi-bedroom cottage).
Private Cottage at Little St. Simons
Kayak through the cat-tailed marsh-ways, catnap on the beach, then imbibe the harmonious rituals of the local eco-system on a hike with one of the local wildlife experts on hand—if you’re lucky, you’ll see an American mink.
The hors d’eurves are from the organic vegetable garden while the beers and wines are locally sourced. Their “seed-to-table program” researches innovative “organic crop methods for coastal southeast soils.” Need we even mention it at this point: The Lodge is committed to conservation practices (they even upcycle oyster shells!). So enjoy the oyster-roast at social hour guilt-free; but tipsy midnight discussions in which everyone bares their newly relaxed soul and contemplates their hopes and fears not included.
3) Portland, Maine – The Inn by the Sea
Seaside View at Inn by the Sea
Remember when Maine was only known as the setting for Stephen King’s scariest tales (Pet Sematery) and lobster? Well, now it’s known for Portland, the hippest laid-back city on the Eastern Seaboard (and still lobster).
A stone’s throw away is The Inn By the Sea in Cape Elizabeth. This boutique hotel and spa has an Earth first ethos and has been name-checked by Forbes Traveler and USA Today as one of the top 10 green hotels in the United States.
Our favorite touches: biofuel-heated rooms, recycled sheetrock in the spa and, naturally (ahem), their commitment to the protection of the surrounding natural habitat. Did we mention there’s an ocean-to-table restaurant with lovely sea views and a chef who consults local marine biologists about under-utilized catches? Oh, and Crescent Beach State Park nearby.
Does everyone in the wedding party have to salivate over crustaceans to hit this town? Not at all, but they should definitely all want to take a “Lucky Catch” Casco Bay cruise that shows off the Maine lobstering experience—and spooky lighthouses. And everyone should want to follow it up with an authentic lobster boil at the straightforwardly named Portland Lobster Company. Yet some people really just don’t dig seafood? That’s what Portland Brewery Tours are for!
4) Napa Valley, California – Calistoga Ranch
“Bottle of white? Bottle of red? Perhaps…” a few tasting flights at the most famous vineyards instead. If you really want to spoil the wedding party—then arrange for a private canyon and lake combo in the sun- and grape-drenched rolling hills of North America’s wine-tasting mecca, the Napa Valley. On nearly 160 lush acres, the Calistoga Ranch spa resort has merged its design and character with the nature it’s enveloped by—think twisted trees popping through wood floorboards. Hike scenic trails while knowing that the Ranch reclaims 100 percent of its waste water.
Winetasting Event at Calistoga Ranch
The family-owned Farmstead at Longmeadow Ranch is 100 percent solar-powered, and there’s even three EV charging stations. But it’s the on-site organic garden American Farm cuisine—think caramelized beets and wood-grilled artichoke— that keeps them coming back. Their Motto: “Excellence through Responsible Farming.”
Once your crew has something in their stomachs, the green winery tours begin. Cade Winery, atop 1,800-feet-high Howell Mountain with staggering views, was designed by world-class modernist architect, Juancarlos Fernandez, to be one of the Valley’s first ever LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified estate wineries.
Happy Hour at Cade Winery
The Odette Wineries were also built by Fernandez with landscape integrated, solar-powered sustainability in the Upper Napa Valley. With a property design inspired by “femininity, strength and power,” Odette (the name of a fabled princess) features a living vegetation roof and a laboratory made from recycled shipping containers from China.
Hall Winery, which also scored Gold back in 2009, boasts a bold-faced-name art collection and sculpture garden that pairs well with any deep, rich varietal. Both Cade and Hall Wineries actually claim to be first LEED and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) certified estate around—we would encourage a healthy rival between these two. Fringe benefit to the Napa Valley experience, drinking some the best wines in the world gives you some of the best wine hangovers.
5) South Adirondacks, New York – Posh Primitive
What does Glamping mean anyway? Glamping.com has everything from “Farms & Barns” to “Cubes and Pods” and “Domes!” We suggest something a little closer to nature: the tried-and-true “canvas cabin”.
At Posh Primitive in the serene and untouched South Adirondacks, you also get organic garden-to-table grub at the lodge—not that you came here for the fancy. All you wanted was to embrace the crisp night air without having to sleep on the ground.
Posh, a homebase from which to explore the region’s scenic visions by canoe, hiking boot or mountain bike, has the perfect amount of amenities for both the ever-outdoorsy trailblazer and the urban rat-racer who needs to ditch the mobile device, dip her toes in the lake and feed that old bookworm. Tired of “roughing it”? Visit some of the local wineries and breweries, such as Saratoga Winery, Adirondack Winery Bolton Landing Tasting Room and Adirondack Winery, before settling around the campfire and pouring out some proverbial liquor for all the bad dates the lucky bride will never have to go on again.
Nighttime at Posh Primitive