3 Reasons to
Get Out of

Town Right Now

Suddenly: It’s September. Cooler nights, new sweaters, school. When summer left us, it took with it the plans for long, luxurious trips abroad. In their place? The speedy weekend escape. We started daydreaming about mini trips the moment the clock struck midnight on Labor Day. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we’re setting a few ground rules. One: The journey needs to be less than five hours by plane, train, or car. Two: Out-of-this-world food, an injection of culture, and pillows like you read about are all priorities. And three: The destination must be as easy to manage as the clothes we plan on packing.

FROM THE WEST COAST

Joshua Tree
WHAT TO EXPECT:

The dry terrain of the part of the Mojave Desert known as Joshua Tree feels almost Martian in its cool, creepy, album-cover starkness. This strikingly austere landscape is only a two-hour (-ish) ride from Los Angeles, making it a tempting respite. Sure, nearby Palm Springs has no shortage of cute boutique hotels if you like someone making your bed every day, but the area surrounding the Joshua Tree National Park is a rental-house gold mine. One of the best gems in the gold mine (to mix a metaphor) is Casa Mami. Each item—local ceramics, fragrant soaps, Marcel Wanders–designed sofas—within the chicly spartan home is a clear marker that the owners are very thoughtful about design. (And it’s all shoppable!) In the evening, stop by throwback bar Pappy & Harriet’s for a beer and seriously good live music before drifting home to stargaze from the porch.
DON’T MISS:

Jump out of bed early, pack a few snacks, chug more water than you’ve ever chugged before, and head to the park to meet the sun. Watching the morning light splinter across prehistoric-looking rock formations and fill the flat plains of yucca trees is the reason you’re here. Spend an hour or two wandering and appreciating the silence before the unbearable heat kicks you out. That much beauty tends to build an appetite, so head to the insanely popular La Copine for a reviving lunch. The best way to transition to the afternoon: buttermilk-marinated blackened chicken thighs, cheesy grits, and sharp, vinegary Bibb lettuce salad, followed by zesty lime panna cotta and a round of espresso. Before leaving, book a sound bath at the Integratron. Roll your eyes if you must, but tapping into the sound vibrations and general desert magic feels transformative. While you are lying flat, your chest, ears, brain, and heart all charge to the sweet noise of the crystal bowls—it’s like a million hours of sleep packed into one hour. Trust.
What To Pack:

FROM EUROPE

The Cotswolds
WHAT TO EXPECT:

The drizzly, misty, and so, so green landscapes of rural England have been fueling both great literature and autumn escapes since forever. Thyme—a newish Cotswolds destination in tiny Southrop—wraps everything you could want into one tidy, Georgian-style bundle. Guest rooms are palatial, some with four-poster beds, others with vintage wallpaper and claw-foot tubs. The entire property is an ode to good, old-fashioned Englishness, where champagne is poured into proper crystal coupes, organic gardens are meticulously landscaped, medieval barns come cloaked in ivy, and afternoon scones are heaped with jam and clotted cream. Eat as many of Ballymaloe alum (and local son) Charlie Hibbert’s meals as possible in the Ox Barn. And book a few master classes at Thyme’s superb cooking school to take a taste of the Gloucestershire countryside home with you. For a change of scenery, a few steps through the gate and across the street is the Swan, Southrop’s charming pub: a roaring fire, a robust wine list, convivial locals, the works.

DON’T MISS:

This particularly woodsy area of the Cotswolds is ideal for walking. Pull on a sturdy pair of rain boots, cover up cold ears, and stroll through the gardens and across the fields into picturesque Southrop. St. Peter’s limestone church dates from the twelfth century and is filled with intricate herringbone brickwork and reliefs of the virtues and the vices. To go further afield, eighteenth-century marvel Buscot Park (Lord Faringdon and his family still live here, so check the visiting times in advance) is the perfect foil for a rainy afternoon. Rooms are impressively stocked with antiques, and walls are impressively stocked with works by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Botticelli. But the extensive gardens—some with life-size sculptures, some carefully landscaped, and many wild—are the real draw. And the highlight of the weekend? That would be a predinner massage back at Thyme’s Meadow Spa, followed by a floral cocktail on the velvety sofas of the Baa Bar. Let’s put it this way: You can’t go wrong.
WHAT TO PACK:

FROM THE EAST COAST

Mexico City
WHAT TO EXPECT:

One goop staffer was recently lucky enough to have an unexpected layover in Mexico City. And even more surprising than the layover: discovering the elegant, leafy streets of Polanco; the urban oasis Chapultepec park; and the easy, walk-everywhere vibe of the city. First, where to stay? The Four Seasons is undoubtedly exquisite, but consider skipping a big-name establishment in favor of the thirty-five-room Las Alcobas in Polanco. Despite the modern interior, this Yabu Pushelberg–designed hotel is homey: Woven rugs, high-thread-count sheets, and grey and khaki accents create a serene sense of warmth. The hotel’s restaurant, Dulce Patria, is one of the most beloved in the city for good reason. And the basement spa does a stellar eucalyptus-scented massage.

DON’T MISS:

So. Many. Places. For the shopper with kids, Laguito on Calle Emilio Castelar has an array of gorgeously soft rompers and all the little baby things you don’t need but really want. A few doors down, Mexican designer Raquel Orozco has a small, glamorous edit of party dresses and longer pieces to address the black-tie invitations in your life. Mexico City is a culture capital, and while Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul should be on every list, the taxi trip to Coyoacán can be a bottleneck. Instead, have a spicy breakfast of chilaquiles verdes at the always-lively Maque. Then pick up a coffee and amble through the elegant, shady streets lined with old colonial-style homes to the Museum of Modern Art on the eastern edge of Chapultepec Park. The domed modernist building with its permanent collection of Mexican masters—Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Rufino Tamayo—inventive exhibits, and sculpture garden is a delight.
WHAT TO PACK:

3 Reasons to Get Out of Town Right Now

FROM THE WEST COAST

Joshua Tree

What To Pack:

FROM EUROPE

The Cotswolds

WHAT TO PACK:

FROM THE EAST COAST

Mexico City

WHAT TO PACK:

3 Reasons to
Get Out of

Town Right Now