Yolanda Edward's Summer Travel Highlights
Go And See
25 July 2024
The founder of YOLO Journal as well as the former creative director of Condé Nast Traveler magazine, Yolanda Edwards is also a trusted friend of the brand. Given her penchant for exploring, plus her impeccable taste, her travel recommendations are always met with both gratitude and excitement. In other words, when she says to go somewhere, you pack up and go. Here are some of her favourite less-discovered summer gems, also featured in our Summer Zine!
Pantelleria
It’s hard to imagine that there are still some places in Italy that aren’t bombarded with spritz-seeking tourists. But Pantelleria isn’t for everyone—it’s a challenge to get to, and doesn’t reveal itself immediately. If you’re the kind of person who likes renting a vintage Fiat Panda at the airport and prefers the wind to car AC, keep reading. Rather than classic cliffside hotels with perches for sunset cocktails, you’ll have rugged volcanic landscapes with views to the sea all to yourself.
The Parco dei Sesi should be your base--beautifully appointed rooms, lovely views out to the sea, and the best hosts, Margot and Massimiliano, who can direct you to whatever beach/lunch combo seems appropriate for the day, and you. Do not miss the ice cream at Il Gelato di Ulisse, followed by a jump off the dock out front.
Parco dei Sesi: parcodeisesi.com
Il Gelato di Ulisse: ilgelatodiulisse.com
Médoc
Everyone knows Bordeaux and its wine region, and are perhaps familiar with Cap Ferret, the nearby chic beach community where many Parisians summer. Less known is the peninsula north of Bordeaux, where the water meets the wine. Here you have wine making villages like St. Estephe and Pauillac, with their famous estates like Lynch Bages and Lafite-Rothschild, and just a half hour away you have sleepy beach towns like Hourtin, Montalivet, and Soulac-sur-Mer. Even in August you’ll feel like you have it to yourself.
Stay at Ormes de Pez, a charming inn within a vineyard, or La Nuit & Le Jour, a new chambre d’hote owned by a young chic Parisian couple who wanted to slow down. Make sure to have lunch at Le Relais de Sophie in Talais with its extremely local seafood tower.
Ormes de Pez: ormesdepez.com
Le Relais de Sophie: lerelaisdesophieenguinguette.fr
Folegandros
There are sandy beach people and there are rocky beach people, and in Greece, there are also Chora (the old main town of an island that are usually high up on a hill) people and seaside people. I’ve always thought I was a seaside person, but Folegandros changed that. Sitting out on your cliffside veranda at the Anemomilos Hotel, looking out towards Sifnos and Milos is incredibly blissful. And it’s just a three minute walk into town which has some of the best restaurants (thoughtful but not overly fancy) I’ve experienced in Greece, lots of well edited shops, and a great mix of bars and cafes.
It’s an easy drive via taxi or rental car to some spectacular beaches, which have seaside tavernas with the coldest beer and the freshest fish.
Anemomilos Hotel: anemomiloshotel.com
Maine
While everyone in Europe is chasing a place to set down a towel and have a lovely swim, Maine has 3500 miles of coastline, and over 3000 islands to be discovered. Sure, the water may be more on the cold plunge side, but that’s part of the charm. Every time I come to this state I fall more in love. Chebeague Island Hotel is a good place to start—a small little island where everyone waves and says hello, there are lovely beaches, a boat farmstand, and you can go clam digging.
On the mainland we love Migis Lodge, a family-owned old school property on Sebago Lake, where you’ll sun and waterski and jump off the dock and have killer martinis at the end of the day. Hidden Pond is great for families—it’s a hotel that has charming stand-alone bungalows and cottages, close to the calm beach of Kennebunkport.
And then there’s Bailey’s Island, where you can rent seafront cottages from Carter Smith, one of my favorite photographers who has created an extremely charming universe. Don’t be surprised if you fall in love and end up making this your annual summer spot.
Chebeague Island Hotel: chebeagueislandinn.com
Migis Lodge: migis.com
Stinson Beach
It’s hard to believe that this charming beach community which feels so far away, is just a 45 minute drive from San Francisco. For decades this was more of a hippie enclave, and it’s primarily residential, with beachfront properties (some you can rent), and some up on the hill with views of the Pacific. Because it’s such an immediate decompression once you get here, I’d say you could come for even just one night.
Hotels are slim pickings—there’s the Surf Lodge and the Sandpiper, but the ideal is to find a beach or lagoon front rental. Don’t miss a lunch (or any meal actually) at the Parkside Inn, and a very long walk on that gorgeous beach.
Surf Lodge: surflodgestinsonbeach.com
Sandpiper: sandpiperstinsonbeach.com
Parkside Inn: parksidecafe.com
Upstate New York
Most people (including New Yorkers) know NYC and Long Island, and everything else they call “upstate”. The state is huge, and everyone who goes upstate has their version of it—from Hudson Valley to the Catskills, and further, the Adirondacks or the Finger Lakes.
My version of upstate happens in the southwestern part of the state, in Sullivan County, where we bought an old farm 25 years ago. It was love at first sight—from the rolling hills to the Delaware River—it was sleepy and the perfect antidote to our city life. Back then there weren’t cozy wine bars, Scandinavian inspired inns, or well edited stores—we had to bring everything up from the city—but today it’s a very different story. It still maintains its very rural vibe, just with a dash of chic on the side.
Make sure you visit on the weekend when everything is open—and base yourself either in Livingston Manor (stay at the Debruce), or in the Callicoon area (stay at the Boardhouse at Seminary Hill), or rent one of the very cool properties from Red Cottage who specialize in the area. Don’t miss the Black Walnut, a bar meets home lifestyle store that is just brilliant.
Debruce: thedebruce.com
Boardhouse: seminaryhill.co
Black Walnut: thefarmhouseproject.com
