In Japan, when staying at a temple or tradtional inn called a ryokan,  it is traditional to welcome guests with tea and a snack.  Imagine the smell of piping hot tea and the warm feeling of the cup in your hand. Take a moment to gaze at the beautiful flowers in the brass bowl and enjoy this moment in your life. Breath in and exhale. Take a sip of life!

Upon arrival at Golden Door, I was greeted with hot tea and a ginger cookie. I was also presented with a menu and asked to select my choice for dinner and breakfast. 

The Golden Door's Japanese gardens are a feast for the eyes, especially with the low-lighting during the winter months that cast long shadows and filter light through leaves.  Can you see the big Japanese bell in the wooden frame behind the picture? Imagine in ring and the strong vibration it creates. Ringing it seven times at Golden Door signifies to the guest it is time to gather for dinner. 

The long wooden walkways provide ample opportunities for admiring the rustic gardens. The one above features a dry stream and Japanese sculptures. Serene and relaxing, traditional Japanese gardens highlight the natural landscape and avoid artificial ornamentation.  Natural, aged and worn materials are used to express the passing of time and its unstoppable advance. To grow old is beautiful!

My first international trip was when I was 17 years old, when I stayed with a host family in Tokyo.  Visiting Golden Door brought back my love of Japanese culture and aesthetics. 

Calamigos Guest Ranch is the place to be if you want to a relax, explore and just chill out and take some time for yourself. Situated on prime Malibu real esate - all 200 acres of it - this hip sancturary provides all the lux ambiance along with privacy and a friendly attitude.

​Once you are on-premise, there is really no reason to leave because everything you would want for a vacation, is right there.  Wine tasting, hiking, horsebacking riding, organic pizza making, spa pampering, poolside hanging, and simply enjoying yourself in a beautiful, natural environment with plenty of whimsical designs and mod architecture to make you say ahhhhhhh and feel OM.

The lobby sets the tone for what's in store for guests. With floor to ceiling glass walls that provide an airy feel and connect with the great outdoors, the connected wrap-around porch has plenty of seating and fire pits for socializing. In the evening and on colder days, the double-sided, wood-burning fireplace gives a welcoming glow. There are dog treats at the front desk and for humans, there's always hot coffee and an assortment of upscale teas. There's a piano for live music and the lobby is also home to the aptly named Leo's Lobby Bar.

Calamigos has three pools. This one is closest to the lobby and behind those curtains, is a lovely dining room where an ah-mazing complimentary, buffet breakfast is served from 7am to 11 am.

A few feet away from the pool are cottages hidden behind a wooden fence. Here's Sunshine, on her way to our Premium Cottage! Wait until you see what is behind that blue door!

These shots show the steps down to my cottage, the outside shower, bathroom and yes, there was a complimentary bottle of wine with a personalized note. Calamigos is also growing its own grapesso it is only fitting to enjoy their Calamigos-branded wine!

If you are a dog lover, you will understand that bringing your pooch along for the ride is such a treat! Sunshine  absolutely loves this property, especially the huge field that used to be where the reality fitness show "Strong" was filmed. She also loved prancing up and down the wooden walkways as well as chillaxing on the faux grass couch under the massive trees. This was actually one of my favorite spots too. A crystal chandelier hands from the trees and in the evening, it just looks so magical. It feels like you're in this huge tree house for adults. This is the juncture  you can head off to the "hipster pool" or walk further beyond the cottages to the gym, spa, open field and to the hidden curios like the nostalgic ferris wheel and antique merry-go-round.  

Another fun design aspect are the use of potted succulents that are a signature design element throughout the property.  Along the walking paths are planted herbs such as rosemary and lavender and in other areas that are vegetable gardens interspersed. I loved this aspect because it made me feel very connected to the food I was eating, the place I was staying and to the earth.

 There are five dining opportunities: 1) Leo's Lobby Bar 2) Malibu Cafe 3) Pool Studio 4) Pizza Bar and 5) Buffet Breakfast. These photos are from the breakfast buffet and being a lover of food, I have to say, Calamigos does a stellar job with breakfast. There is everything and more - from omelettes, eggs and waffles made the way you want, to chafing dishes of egg sandwiches, chicken sausage, bacon to oatmeal, cereal and fresh fruit, to a selection of bread, muffins and sweets to the most amazing toasts including salmon with arugula, avacado with corn and fig and goat cheese toast. Oh heck! Yeah! Did I try all that?  Yes, I did - not all - but the picture below tell you what I sampled! YUM!

There's are outdoor pizza ovens and terraced land that grow seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs. I was so tempted to bring home some eggplant and peppers (two of my favorite veggies) but alas, I left them on the vine for someone else to enjoy.

The Spa at Calamigos is totally new!  While I didn't indulge in a spa service, I was happy to explore the new walkway, patio and spa decor.  Calamigos also offers spiritual wellness via a Vedanta philospher in residence. Vedanta is a based on Hindu scriptures in India. Individuals and groups can book 1:1 time or a lecture or workshop. 

I have many happy memories of this pool when I was a guest at WellFit (which has now moved to Utah). The building with the green roof has top-of-the-line fitness equipment including treadmills, elipticals, bikes, weight training and free weights. There's a fitness studio on the other side with rowing machines, punching bags, foam rollers, yoga mats and just about every type of fitness equipment you would ever want.  Both gyms are available 24/7 to guests. During my stay, the evenings were very quiet and I was perfectly happy to use both gyms and feel like a fitness champ!

If you have an eye for the unusual, or enjoy exploring or like taking picutres, there are endless opportunities at Calamigos to be a kid again and see things in a different perspective by allowing yourself to forget about time and wander with wonder.

I had a fabulous one-night stay so I could write up an article for Travel Pulse. The one thing I was very sorry to miss was the new Calamigos Beach Club. Why? Ooops. No one mentioned it. That being said, I read and heard it is totally fab and  is a great place to catch the sunset, have a few drinks and have the Calamigos courtesy Tesla pick up up and take you back to the ranch. The Beach Club is (of course) beachside and offers a variety of options from paddleboarding, surfing, snorkeling as well and the bar offers wine, beer and cocktails (and food!)

Having sampled deliciously innovative Swedish food at the Nordic Fest press event, I was curious to learn about Sweden - a place I have yet to visit.  Josefin Haraldsson, Marketing Director of the Stockholm Tourism Board and I caught up after the event for a couple of interview and she painted a picture of a place that sounds glorious and well worth a visit.  

To read more about Josefin Haraldsson, Director of Marketing, Stockholm Tourism Board click here.
To read about Tina Larsson, Press Officer, Stockholm Tourism Board, click here
To read the Spruce Ice Cream recipe from Sweden's Michelen rated Gastrologik click here

WTJ: What are the top 3 things you would like our readers to know about Stockholm? 
 
JH: Stockholm is widely regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, built where lake meets sea, with eight centuries of history and culture to choose from. We refer to Stockholm as “urban nature” since the city consists of 1/3 water, 1/3 green parks, 1/3 urban area. Stockholm is built on 14 islands, connected by 50+ bridges. Each district has its own unique character, offering something for every taste; old, new, luxurious or casual.  

Unspoiled nature can be found everywhere!  Green is the new black and no large city has more green spaces than Stockholm. First, there is Stockholm’s National Urban Park, which stretches through the town like a green oasis, and then there is the water, of course. Wherever you look, there’s water. And it’s so clean, you can go fishing and swimming right in the city center. The sparkling blue water and the archipelago next door as a perfect counterweight to the metropolitan feel of the city, is what defines Stockholm and gives it its unique character with thousands of islands to discover. The 4-hour in-sail through our archipelago is often rated as one of the absolute highlights of a Baltic cruise. 

Few cities pack so many interesting attractions into such a compact and easily accessible area. Royal Palace? Check. Medieval old town? Check. Scandinavia’s most visited museum, The Vasa? Check. The worlds one and only ABBA Museum? Check. Cool restaurants and nightclubs? Check! Shop and visit the city’s attractions before lunch, and try a different kind of sightseeing in the afternoon – or the other way around. It is easy to stroll from one attraction to another.

WTJ: How would you describe the food scene and what makes Stockholm so special?

JH: In recent years the city of Stockholm has gained international attention and reputation as a place where chefs are reinventing their roots and food traditions, and are creating new. The chefs are innovative and creative and everybody is talking about the importance of staying as local or organic as much as possible. The restaurants are more focused on changing the menues according to what the season has to offer. Some of the star restaurants are even working without fixed menus’ and just create the menu according to what the best ingredients are that day. This of course makes the food scene in Stockholm quite unique because of the ingredients we can produce depending on the season here in the north of Europe.

The newest trend we see here in Stockholm is that the health aspect is becoming more and more in focus also on the restaurant scene. Both healthy in the sense of well balanced, but also because the ingredients are more and more organic and therefore healthier in the perspective of being produced without being sprayed.  Good to know is that many of the fine dining restaurants in Stockholm typically have a bistro with a more casual menu both for lunch and dinners, often referred to as a “bakficka” = “back pocket”.

WTJ: What are some of the wellness experiences that are unique to your destination?

JH: Nature is around the corner, available for everybody. Stockholm is a  perfect destination for soft adventure such as kayaking, Stand Up Paddling, hiking, biking and skiing or skating in the winter.Since 2/3 of the city really is nature, the possibility to activity or adventure is close at hand. Swedesand Stockholmers have become a running people – everyone is running and the trend today toparticiple in sports events like triathlon and marathon is growing as we speak. Swedes like not just to visit events but also to participate in them. Most companies also offer the employees a chance to do some exercise during working hours or at least contribute money wise to an activity for their wellbeing.

Stockholmers can easily find a hidden gem in the woods where to pick berries, mushrooms and such and then go home to prepare a nice meal. In autumn the discussion over lunch on a regular Monday is very often where you went to find the mushrooms that you now are eating together with pasta for lunch. Or how are you taking care of all the lingonberries you found last weekend?   

I believe Stockholm is a perfect city for wellness travel. Open and welcoming with loads to offer for both body and soul, you feel right at heart.

Photos Courtesy of Stockholm Tourism Board