i would like to take a vacation for about a week in the US in August.
The destination i am looking for would have the following.
a. Spectacular natural setting with breathtaking views but NOT a beach
b. Comfortable accomodations bordering on luxurious in the lap of
nature..i do not want a commercial multistorey hotel type of
accomodation
c. Possibility of doing some "active" stuff nearby e.g. hiking,
bicycling
d. Not very cold and definitely hot weather. Want to avoid rain
altogether
e. Romantic 
f. Offbeat if possible though not essential
Would like to have suggestions and pictures , web links etc. for
suggested destinations. Any personal experiences will help

Hi!

What a fun question!  Most of this is answered from my own experience,
which I sense is what you are looking for.

I would HIGHLY recommend Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid NY in the heart
of the Adirondack Mountains. This Inn and this region meet every one
of your requirements- natural setting, (no beach!), non-commercial but
luxurious, lots of opportunities for hiking, biking, horseback riding,
boating, beautiful temperate summer weather (and black fly season is
over!), and yes, romantic! (I've had one friend even get engaged
there).

Nearby Saranac Lake is offbeat in the sense of being somewhat artsy
and off the main path. Also, the Olympic Village of Lake Placid itself
is unique in that there is often Olympic training going on that is
open to the public. (Ever watch ski-jumping aerials into a swimming
pool?!)  In both villages you'll find lots of antique shops, local
crafts, used book stores, and some nice little coffee shops that
feature live music at night.

"Mirror Lake Inn is a gracious traditional Inn on the lakeshore with
all the amenities of a modern resort. Warm mahogany walls, polished
walnut floors, marble and stone fireplaces, antiques, and chandeliers
provide a cozy atmosphere and understated elegance.  ..Our luxurious
health spa features rejuvenating massages and pampering body
treatments as well as a cardio-vascular exercise room with magnificent
views of the lake.."
http://www.mirrorlakeinn.com/homepage.htm

Some stunning photos of the region
http://www.adirondacks.com/heilman/prints.html

Things to do in Lake Placid  - this is a very comprehensive site which
covers the entire region. Here you'll find all of the attractions in
the area.
http://www.lakeplacid.com/flash/home/z-home.htm

I can personally vouch for the extraordinary hiking opportunities in
the Adirondack State Park, as well as the beauty. The Olympic grounds
are fun to walk and it's worth paying the fee to take the elevator to
the top of the big ski jump!

Even if you don't take my recommendation, I'm glad you asked the
question. Brought back some nice memories of many summers there!

-K

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Request for Answer Clarification by carmencortez-ga on 22 Jun 2002 12:04 PDT

Great Answer and your personal experience with the place definitely
adds a lot of "value" to the answer, however i would like to have a
couple of more options meeting my criteria. Yes, the mirror lake inn,
does a good job of being a representative of the kind of destination
that interests me.
Thank you once again. I will certainly give a high rating to the
answer and am waiting for you to come up with a few more options.

---

Clarification of Answer by knowledge_seeker-ga on 22 Jun 2002 14:51 PDT

Sure, I'd be happy to give you a few more ideas!

I ran this by another researcher, and she suggested Virginia. I've
done lots of hiking and camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains there and
can tell you it is beautiful and again, holds lots of promise for
rural outdoor activity.  Here are some of the places she suggests:

The Homestead, Hot Springs, VA 
http://www.thehomestead.com 

The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV 
http://www.greenbrier.com 

Wintergreen Resort, Wintergreen, VA 
http://www.wintergreenresort.com 
Wintergreen is also about 30 miles away from Charlottesville, and
gorgeous university town with lots of history (Thomas Jefferson
founded the University of VA and Monticello is located there).

Mountain Lake Hotel, Pembroke, VA 
http://www.mtnlakehotel.com 
** This is where the movie "Dirty Dancing" was filmed. 

Napa Valley Spas & Resorts 
http://www.napavalley.com/lodging/spa_resort.html

And, one final idea for a complete change of scenery - Two years ago I
stayed at the Canyon Ranch Resort in Tucson Arizona.  It was an
absolutely incredible experience as far as the variety of activities
they offer, the food they serve and of course the awesome Arizona
Sonoran desert scenery. If you've never seen a 300 yr old Saguaro
Cactus up close, prepare to be amazed! For variety, they offer trips
to Mexico to shop and to local botanical and zoological gardens.
Naturally, Arizona can guarantee you a rain-free vacation.

If you find the idea of a desert vacation too hot, Canyon Ranch also
runs a resort in Connecticut.  Both are featured on their website.
http://www.canyonranch.com/index.asp


I hope this has helped to round out a variety of suggestions for you.

I've enjoyed browsing some really nice vacations sites!

-K~

Great Answer. Knowledge_seeker followed up on my anwer clarification
wonderfully with the right links and analysis

The specification of "no beach" shoots my suggestion right down, alas.
 (Try San Francisco anyway.  It's gorgeous, and you don't *have* to
visit the beach.)

missy-ga

Yosemite National Park in California: http://www.nps.gov/yose/home.htm

a) breathtaking views indeed, no beach
b) some nice hotels in natural settings (book in advance)
c) lots of hiking trails and biking trails
d) hot and sunny, no rain in summer
e and f) are more subjective, I'll leave it to you. The park is
crowded in sumer but it's easy to get away from the crowd: take a
trail for 10 mins or so...

I just have to agree with Missy on this one. San Francisco has
everything you’re looking for. It is really not at all a beachy place
– it just happens to be surrounded by ocean. But what with frigidly
cold water, sharks and sneaker waves, you’re better off staying away
from a San Francisco beach anyway.

What is does have is an abundance of breathtaking views, surrounded by
areas of stunning natural beauty. A few miles north, over the Golden
Gate, you can hike Mt. Tamalpais
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=471 or just walk through
the majestic Muir woods http://www.nps.gov/muwo/ . An hour outside of
The City, are the wine regions of Napa and Sonoma, some of the most
romantic places you will find anywhere. Many of the wineries have
picnic areas set up under palm trees or nestled in an olive grove. Buy
a bottle of good Cabernet, some pate and a baguette, and you have the
makings of a memorable, romantic feast. And in the Bay area, it NEVER
rains from April until November, fitting your weather requirements
perfectly. In August you can expect 70’s – 80’s in The City, and
warmer in Napa or Sonoma.

I lived in San Francisco for three years, and it one of the most
special places you’ll find anywhere. Let me point you to a couple of
good websites.

Digital City San Francisco is a good starting point for finding out
what’s happening, and what to see and do in San Francisco and the
surrounding areas. It has information on dining, sports, recreation,
lodging and all kinds of tourist activities.

Digital City San Francisco
http://www.digitalcity.com/sanfrancisco/

My favorite winery is Chateau St. Jean, located in the Sonoma town of
Kenwood. They have tastings, both complimentary and reserve (the good
stuff!), as well as lovely grounds and gardens studded with picnic
tables under large palm trees. A well stocked gourmet market will
provide all of the goodies that you need for the romantic feast!

When I left San Francisco, I drove 11 cases of wine from Chateau St.
Jean across the country in winter, as the movers could not guarantee
that it would not freeze.

Chateau St. Jean
Open Daily 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
8555 Sonoma Highway (Highway 12)
PO Box 293, Kenwood, CA 95452
Phone: (707) 833-4134
http://www.chateaustjean.com/

Here is a photo: http://www.chateaustjean.com/chateau/chateau.html

There are many other wonderful wineries in the area. Here are a few:

Gloria Ferrer has wonderful champagne:
http://www.gloriaferrer.com/vineyards.html

Rutherford Hill makes Zinfandel port that will turn you into a port
drinker, if you are not one. They also have the lovely picnic grounds
in an olive grove, that I mentioned above:
http://www.rutherfordhill.com/

B.R. Cohn Winery, also produces some yummy olive oils that you can
sample in their tasting room: http://www.rutherfordhill.com/

I could go on and on, but I will leave you with this site, Napa Valley
Wineries, to explore for yourself. It list over 200 wineries in the
valley.
http://www.napavintners.com/wineries/wineryfinder.html

Enjoy!

Beth

Great answer Knowledge_Seeker!  Now I'm ready for a vacation!

Along with K's suggestions, you might also take a look at Jackson Hole
(WY) and Lake Tahoe (NV).

Google searches:

Jackson Hole resorts
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF8&q=jackson+hole+resorts

Lake Tahoe resorts
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF8&q=lake+tahoe+resorts

Another idea is Mackinac Island, Michigan:
http://www.mackinac.com
"Mackinac Island is the truly "all natural" theme park of America.
Limited to transportation of horse and buggy, bicycle or foot.,
surrounded by water, it has escaped the vast changes of time."

Hotel Listings:
http://www.mackinac.com/index.html?SourceId=HotelList

Enjoy your vacation!

>Lg.