Maine Week-AMC’s Gorman Chairback Lodge Worth the Drive

October is the ideal time to visit Portugal. The weather is still warm, summer tourists are long gone, and the wines are being harvested. If you truly want to experience the authentic Portuguese culture—tour little known wineries and dine at mom-and-pop seafood restaurants that only a local would know—and get there via stunning scenic mountain passes and backcountry coastal routes, then you’d be wise to book a trip with Portugal Motorcycle Tours. Owner Miguel Oliveira personally guides all his tours and limits the number of riders to 10. Choose between a Harley-Davidson Touring, BMW 1200GS, and Honda NC750 and then pick a trip that suits your schedule. The 5-day Douro Tour will bring you to the lush green hills of Portugal’s most famous wine region, Douro Valley. Or opt for the weeklong cruise to the southwestern most point of Europe, the seafaring town of Sagres on the Algarve. For a quick taste, take the 3-day jaunt from Lisbon north to the small surfing and fishing community of A doe Cunhados. All it takes is one trip with Miguel and you’ll want more.
On the way down to Amalfi Coast, we stopped for an afternoon in Naples to wait for our friends to arrive at the train station. We left our bags in Left Luggage and walked straight to the pizza joint Elizabeth Gilbert went gaga over in "Eat, Pray, Love," L’antica Pizzeria da Michele Forcella. There’s close to 1000 pizza places in Naples, often referred to as the birthplace of pizza, and Michele Forcella make’s everyone’s Top 10 list, from the Guardian to Yelp. We took a number, waited about 30 minutes with a mix of locals and travelers and then were squeezed into a long table in the last room. You have only two choices, margherita, with a fresh dollop of mozzarella or marinara, tomato sauce only with oregano and garlic. We ordered one of each (Gilbert ordered the double mozzarella in her book) and waited as the pizza come out of the wood-fired oven at breakneck speed. Each of the thin-crust pizzas, which come whole, not sliced, were delicious. But if I went back I’d go with Gilbert’s order. The cheese was so fresh, it made each bite sublime.
In October, I headed to Mexico to meet up with my Largay Travel Family, hosted by Villas of Distinction. But first I needed two days of Me Time to unwind, get a spa treatment, swim in the ocean, dine on great food and enjoy some spicy margaritas, all at the fabulous all-inclusive adults-only property, Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun. Then it was off to Rivera Maya to jump into cenotes, zipline, dance with a mariachi band and snorkel, as they wined and dined us in style! Our group stayed at four different gorgeous villas which were linked together and lined the beach. Each villa had an authentic Mexican style and were adorned with art and each had a pool overlooking the beach. One even had a pickleball court in its large courtyard! With an amazing chef and staff, the villas offered us a wonderful place for lounging and enjoying each other’s company without a care in the world. One night’s entertainment meant that I even got a chance to pretend I was in The Blue Man Group!
–Lisa Leavitt
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Tennis players and mountain bikers of the male persuasion, take note. The Topnotch Resort is now offering a guy’s getaway that includes a two-night stay at the upscale property with breakfast daily, a local Vermont brew and pretzel amenity delivered to the room after check-in, a burger and beer dinner at The Roost, and a $100 resort credit per room to be used towards tennis, spa treatments or food/beverage. Consistently listed among the top 10 tennis resorts in America, Topnotch offers daily tennis instruction by seasoned pros at the property’s six outdoor courts and four indoor courts. Surrounding the property is also a good 50 miles of stellar mountain biking trails like the technical singletrack, Kimmer’s Trail. Afterwards, you’ve earned your 80-minute deep tissue sports massage at the spa. You can also play a round of golf at the highly touted Country Club of Vermont. Rates start at $279, per person for two nights, double occupancy.