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The hope is, when we return from
vacation, we’ll have gained something
enduring from our travels. We will
have been made be er in some way—
happier, healthier, worldlier.
A different flavor of instruction awaits
you at
Tuscookany
, an outfit that leads
Italian and Mediterranean cooking
courses amid glorious Tuscan scenery.
Guests have their choice of two absurdly
picturesque villas, where local culinary
experts strive to make an Italian grand-
mother out of even the most ardent
Chef Boyardee enthusiast. Their lessons
are supplemented by excursions to a
nearby cheesemaker, awinery andanolive
oil mill. And in case the learning curve
is steeper than you’d hoped, the magnifi-
cent restaurants of Florence are only an
hour away.
Budding sommeliers might want to try
the
Chelsea Sun Inn
, inMount Bethel, Pa.
This cozy, rustic B&B has positioned itself
as an ideal getaway spot for nerve-racked
Philadelphians and New Yorkers. The
main attraction is the adjoining Stone-
hengeWinery and Vineyard, which offers
guests the opportunity not only to drink
lots of wine, but also to try their hand at
making it. At the end of your stay, you
get to take home 12 bo les of self-made
plonk—and while this vintage probably
won’t win any awards, you’ll love it, if only
because it’s yours.
For a hands-on experience sure to prove
enriching to both you and the world at
large, check out the
Ritz-CarltonOrlando,
Grande Lakes
, a participant in the Ritz-
Carlton’s Give Back Getaways, a volunteer
programwhose offerings range fromfeed-
ing the homeless in Tokyo to saving sea
turtles in Sanya. Here, you’re invited to
help conserve the Florida ecosystem, join-
ing hotel staffers as they keep tabs on local
cri ers, construct artificial reefs, practice
the art of “aquatic plant enhancement”
and generally get in touch with the furry,
scaly, swampy side of the Sunshine State.
Thenthere’sRiode Janeiro’s
Hotel Santa
Teresa
. While the hotel—formerly a coffee
plantation mansion—is an architectural
marvel, the buildings you’ll be focusing
on are more modest. The Santa Teresa
has a package that allows guests to lend
a hand in the construction of newhouses
in the impoverished favela Barreira do
Vasco. The work involves replacing ply-
wood shacks with permanent housing,
so you’ll learn to pour cement, set bricks,
fit windows and wear a hard hat without
looking ridiculous. But the real payoff
comes when you meet the people who’ll
be living in something that you helped
build with your own two hands. And the
resulting sense of fulfillment you’ll experi-
encewill feel a lot be er than the sunburn
you might have sustained merely falling
asleep by the hotel pool.
WE
HAVE THE
BRAINS.
Our neuroscience program is led
by the brightest, most forward-
thinking minds in medicine.
Led by neurosurgeon Dong Kim, M.D., and neurologist James
Grotta, M.D., two of the most esteemed physicians in the field of
neuroscience, the Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Memorial
Hermann–Texas Medical Center was the first in Texas and one of
only a few institutions in the country to fully integrate neurology,
neurosurgery, neuroradiology and neurorehabilitation for the
benefit of our patients. The collective expertise of the world-class
team from Memorial Hermann and The University of Texas
Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School
leads to exceptional patient outcomes and more neuroscience
breakthroughs every day. Learn more at mhmni.com.
NEUROSCIENCE BREAKTHROUGHS EVERY DAY
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