The astrological new year kicked off with the
on March 20, so what better time to set your travel intentions by the stars? The personality traits of your Sun sign are a great starting point. We called upon our resident astrologer, Jay Austin, based in our NYC office, to apply his stars right to our roster of travel and tourism clients. Working his way through the zodiac, he presents his best ideas for an astrologically compatible adventure:
Aries on adrenaline
Adrenaline-driven Aries is the first and fieriest of the three fire signs. Whiteface Lodge, the only all-suite resort in Lake Placid, New York, home of two Olympic games, can direct daredevils to pulse-pounding activities like ice-climbing, bobsledding, tubing, speed skating, downhill skiing, dogsledding and tobogganing in the winter, and hiking, rock climbing, boating, fishing, cycling and horseback riding in the summer. Rates from $378.
For rams who prefer a warmer clime, the all-suite Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa connects guests with local operators for scuba-diving with sharks – both cage and free – off Florida’s Gold Coast. Rates from $871.
Taurus the environmentalist
The first of the earth signs, the tactile bull is known for its special connection with the environment. At Martha’s Vineyard’s classic Harbor View Hotel, groups of family and friends staying at the hotel can replace traditional meals with a customizable island culinary adventure thanks to a partnership with Farm. Field. Sea. A retreat might include a tour and workshop (such as cooking, foraging, cheesemaking, breadmaking, charcuterie, flower arranging or painting), a wellness or team-building activity, and farm-to-table meals created with local, fresh ingredients. Hotel rates from $129.
The ecologically progressive Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa, one of Arizona’s leading resorts, drew enough monarch butterflies with its thoughtful landscaping to become a certified butterfly habitat in 2015. The monarch butterfly motif echoes in the guestrooms on the area rugs. The resort is also a hummingbird sanctuary, with as many as 400 species of hummingbirds lured by the siren song of the resort’s blooming flora. From $649.
Gemini in the driver’s seat
The love of cars and driving falls to Gemini, as does the need for variety. CIE Tours’ Irish Self-Drive Tours enable guests to mix-and-match destinations to create the perfect vacation, choosing from a wide selection of castles, manor houses, cozy inns and bed-and-breakfasts. Expect friends and family to ask you to skip the Blarney Stone, however, as Gemini already has the gift of gab in spades. From $945 per person.
Geminis with a need for speed can channel their inner Dale Earnhardt Jr. in an eight-minute racing session in a real NASCAR racecar at the NASCAR Racing Experience at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. From $320 per person.
Cancer and cuisine
Each sign is associated with a part of the body and Cancer’s is the stomach, which is no surprise given how much Cancers love to cook (and eat!). From April 19-22, 2018, Sanctuary’s annual Nirvana Food & Wine Festival will return to Paradise Valley, Arizona to showcase the talents of premier chefs and winemakers from around the globe. Among the many highlights, don’t miss Todd English at the Rosé Parté, Bourbon Street Blues presented by Bulleit Bourbon and hosted by Beau MacMillan and Jason Asher, and Flutes & Coops, an inspired pairing of fried chicken and Champagne presented by Moët & Chandon and Woodford Reserve and hosted by Stephanie Izard and Chuck Hughes. Individual event tickets are available from $135.
On the other side of the country, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa‘s elegant seaside restaurant, 3800 Ocean, offers a unique three-hour dining adventure with The Kitchen Table, a five-seat à la minute chef-created experience. Priced from $89 per person.
Leo shines
Leo will find an unexpected den in Cabarrus County, located 20 minutes north of Charlotte, North Carolina. The lion loves the stage, and The Davis Theater in downtown Concord, housed in a historic courthouse, offers an art gallery on the first floor and an intimate theater on the second. Local folk-indie favorites The Avett Brothers are known to turn up from time to time.
Sun-ruled Leos have an affinity for gold, and Reed Gold Mine is the first documented site of gold discovery in the U.S. and the only public underground gold mine in North Carolina. Free admission includes exploring restored tunnels, historic mining equipment and walking trails. Panning for gold costs $3 and guests get keep any flakes they find. Any Leos feeling lucky?
Virgo the health nut
Spa is derived from the Latin word for health through water, and no sign is more health-conscious (or hypochondriac) than Virgo. And no spa is more sublime than the 22,000-square-foot Forbes Five-Star Spa at Pebble Beach, with its signature services incorporating the healing properties of plants, herbs and minerals indigenous to California’s Monterey Peninsula. The Water Experience Room is an enclave with a solo soaking tub and signature shower with tiles by lauded architect TAG Galyean, and its water system is part of a greater sustainability project at Pebble Beach, ultimately reused to irrigate the resort’s golf courses.
Libra in love
Libra the scales is the sign of partnership and marriage, and where else would a Libran be on May 19, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot, but in London? CIE Tours’ Best of Britain tour will put you in the heart of the city on the day of the wedding. The nine-day tour covers a lot in a short time, from Windsor Castle and York to Edinburgh Castle and Cardiff. From $2,370 per person.
Secret Scorpio
The scorpion is fascinated by secrets and the occult (it’s no coincidence that Halloween falls in the thick of this sign). For a touch of the macabre, check out the “coffin doors” at the historic, recently restored Marriott Syracuse Downtown – they were handcrafted in the 1920s by Marsellus Casket Company, which itself was laid to rest in 2003. The guest room doors’ convex shape, reminiscent of a coffin lid, once accommodated a “secret” inner panel in which guests could leave garments that needed to be cleaned or pressed, or shoes needing to be shined. The hotel attendant could then collect the items without disturbing the guest and later return them. Rates from $146.
Sagittarius the perspective-seeking adventurer
The consummate traveler, freedom-loving Sagittarius is always exploring – and the ne plus ultra of international journeys is the “grand tour.” CIE Tours’ epic 24-day Grand Tour of Britain & Ireland starts in London and moves to Stratford-Upon-Avon and York before continuing on to Edinburgh. The tour then explores the Scottish Highlands and wends around the Irish coastline before traveling through Wales and England’s West Country, finally ending in Windsor. From $6,285.
Fueled by its guiding planet, Jupiter, which symbolizes the urge for expansion, Sag is all about new perspectives. And what better way to gain a fresh vantage point than from the basket of a hot-air balloon? Sanctuary’s three-night Thrill Seekers Package includes a hot-air balloon ride over the Sonoran Desert, a guided bike-and-hike on Camelback Mountain, as well as a cocktail and daily breakfast. New POV achieved! $2,810 plus daily resort fee.
Capricorn and tradition
Capricorn’s ruler, Saturn – better known as Father Time – imparts the sign with an appreciation for tradition. Martha’s Vineyard’s historic Harbor View Hotel has served as the second home for generations of families, sometimes accommodating many generations at once. Built in 1891, the award-winning property overlooks the Edgartown Lighthouse, Edgartown Harbor and Chappaquiddick Island, and is flanked by the historic homes of 19th-century whaling captains. Rates from $129.
Aquarius high on tech
The final air sign, Aquarius, whose symbol is parallel lightning bolts, adores technology and electronics. For the Aquarian golfer, nothing is more appropriately Utopian than the RoboGolfPro, the world’s most advanced golf training tool, at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy & Practice Facility. Using the RoboGolfPro, Pebble Beach Golf Academy instructors record the swing, analyze errors, and provide on-the-spot corrections, allowing the golfer to experience what the perfect swing feels like. After repeated instruction on the robot, muscle memory starts to develop and the golfer is able to maintain long-term, consistent performance from the tee box to the fairway to the green. Lessons from $325 per hour.
Pisces makes a splash
Pisces’ symbol, the fish, nods to the sign’s deep love of the water. Guests at Sanctuary have the privilege of being personally coached in their indoor pool by none other than Gold Medal Olympic Swimmer Misty Hyman, best known for her underdog victory in the 200-meter butterfly at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
We all have every sign and planet functioning somewhere in our horoscope – some better than others – so don’t feel limited to, or by, your Sun sign. (To find out where everything in your own unique natal chart is, plug your birth data in at www.astro.com.) Prices listed exclude taxes, fees, gratuities and airfare where applicable, and are subject to change. Packages are based on availability.
By Jay Austin
A post quite similar was also published on AFAR.