Travel

Little did Jay Shinn know when his family bought the historic Lancaster Hotel in Houston how suddenly he'd put his own mark on it.  The Dallas artist and principal partner's family bought the hotel in July 2017 from another hotel family that had founded and run it 91 years. Then Hurricane Harvey, the most unwelcome of guests, came to visit a month later and flooded the hotel. Silver lining or mother of reinvention? The family decided to close the hotel for a year to rebuild, reimagine and ultimately reveal its new look last fall. Under the direction of another Dallas notable, architect David Cadwallader, the new Lancaster is Regency inspired with a brighter, more open lobby and mezzanine, with colorways of white, gray, cream and taupe accented by gold. The graceful staircase still remains, a prime showcase for some of the hotel's art collection of more than 200 contemporary paintings by Texas artists, curated by Shinn. If you're a sucker for historic hotels and a … [Read more...] about Houston’s revamped Lancaster Hotel is an artsy overnight with more than 200 Texas artworks on display

Ride horses on mountain trails. Crunch through forests on snowshoes. Do puzzles by a crackling fire. Sift for gemstones. Gaze at stars. Dash into the icy night in swimsuits. Childhood dreams become real-life simple pleasures on a ranch in southwestern Montana. You must be at least 16 to stay at Triple Creek Ranch, but it's a perfect place to free your inner child. Established in 1985, this 800-acre year-round guest ranch is surrounded by mountains, a national forest and a river all named for the lovely, robust wildflower called bitterroot. Guests stay in 25 log cabins, combining modern comforts (vaulted ceilings, satellite TV, Wi-Fi) with Western style (gorgeous wood furnishings, photo cards inscribed with cowboy poetry, Montana state-shaped cutting boards). It's tempting to relax by the fireplace or in the hot tub on the deck jutting into the woods. But friendly staff persuade you to savor each gourmet meal, explore the fine Western art studding the grounds and lodge, and do as … [Read more...] about Unleash your inner child at Montana luxury ranch

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — I am wandering inside the Pizitz Food Hall, past grand pillars, under a soaring ceiling, trying to decide what to have for lunch. I settle on Nepalese dumplings, which have won out over Israeli falafel, Ethiopian injera, Vietnamese banh mi and something a tad more traditional around here: Southern biscuits. This dining experience, a collection of globally inspired food vendors in a repurposed 1923 department store, is not what I expected to find in downtown Birmingham.I lived in this Southern city more than a decade ago, and back then, about the only dumplings in town were bready and came atop chicken stew. Downtown was sleepy, and the food scene leaned toward barbecue and meat-and-threes, cafeterias where patrons decide which trio of sides they'd like with their protein. … [Read more...] about Why go to Birmingham, Ala.? The city with a difficult past will surprise — and even delight