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15 U.S. Wellness Retreats With Incredible Spas, Outdoor Activities, and More

From Florida to California, these wellness resorts in the U.S. will help you rest and recharge.

Resetting your mental and physical health sometimes requires more than a 20-minute meditation session or a sweaty HIIT class. Making changes often means doing away with long-held habits and shifting your mindset — which is easier when you can step away from the daily grind and retreat to a place that supports your physical, psychological, or spiritual well-being.

That’s where wellness retreats come into play. They’re designed to aid in transformation through specialized amenities, expert staff, and atmospheric locales. From destination spas with innovative treatments to structured fitness programs, these 15 wellness resorts in the U.S. have it all.

1.Castle Hot Springs – Morristown, Arizona

Tucked into the red-rock Bradshaw Mountains, Castle Hot Springs provides a true escape from the monotony of daily life. Once frequented by affluent families like the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts, the oasis was closed to the public for more than 40 years before reopening in 2019. Today, the luxurious retreat offers everything from sound-bath sessions to scenic e-bike tours. You can relish in the resort’s slow pace, soak in the geothermal mineral springs, nosh on farm-to-table fare, and enjoy spa treatments and yoga classes.

2.Golden Door – San Marcos, California

This tranquil, Japanese-style resort sits on 600 mountainous acres in Southern California. Here, you can access more than 25 miles of private hiking trails, a bamboo forest, and about 80 rejuvenating classes each week. The exclusive experience includes a daily massage, sessions with a personal trainer, skin treatments, and farm-to-table meals. During your downtime, you can relax in the Japanese gardens, take a dip in the pool, or hike the mountain and meadow trails.

3. Carillon Miami Wellness Resort – Miami

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CARILLON MIAMI WELLNESS RESORT

This five-star resort is located in Miami’s North Beach neighborhood, and it has one of the largest spas on the East Coast. At Carillon Miami, guests can challenge themselves with boot camps, boxing courses, yoga classes, or hydrotherapy sessions that end in an igloo-style cooling suite. Book a cryotherapy session, float in a sensory deprivation tank, or enjoy the Atlantic Ocean views from one of the luxury apartment-style accommodations.

4. YO1 Longevity & Health Resorts – Monticello, New York

YO1 is a wellness retreat set on 1,300 acres in New York’s Catskills region, a roughly two-hour drive northwest of Manhattan, At the resort, you can work under the guidance of experts to create a personalized experience. Offerings include an Ayurvedic health center and programs that address anxiety, stress, depression, insomnia, infertility, and diabetes. The property includes 68,000 square feet of therapy areas, and it offers plenty of outdoor space for hiking, practicing yoga, and enjoying nature.

5.Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort – Lanai City, Hawaii

Billed as a “luxurious wellness enclave,” Four Seasons’ adults-only Sensei Lanai, in Hawaii, gives tranquility seekers optimum solitude and seclusion for all their soul-searching needs. Here, you can opt into one-on-one sessions with experts, Thai aqua therapy, lakeside yoga, and elevated spa experiences featuring infrared saunas, Japanese soaking pools, and more. The Optimal Wellbeing Program for One is a structured five-night program packed with fitness and meditation classes, personal nutrition and fitness assessments and guidance, a thermal body mapping experience, and guided hiking.

6. The Ranch Malibu – Malibu, California

The Ranch’s sought-after seven-day wellness retreat is limited to just 25 guests and offers an immersive experience that includes fitness programs and plant-based meals. Guests stay in one of 21 private cottages and enjoy an active schedule of low-impact exercise, massages, and a 1,400 calorie-a-day vegan diet. Those looking to go deeper can book The Ranch Private experience, a weeklong personalized program with minimal interaction with other guests.

7. Hilton Head Health – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Located on beautiful Hilton Head Island off the coast of South Carolina, Hilton Head Health offers guests an all-inclusive approach to wellness. You can join boot camp, yoga, or TRX classes or go kayaking or paddleboarding. The on-site restaurant serves healthier versions of favorites like eggs Benedict and shrimp-and-grits. When you need a moment to yourself, the Indigo Spa provides custom services that support the resort’s health programs in a tranquil, stress-free setting.

8. Amangiri – Canyon Point, Utah

PHOTO: STEVE JURVETSON/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/CC BY 2.0

his vast Aman property spans almost 1,000 acres in Utah’s section of the Colorado Plateau. And the majestic red-rock surroundings set the scene for treatments influenced by both Asian and Navajo wellness traditions. Amangiri offers a Grounding Journey — a trio of spa treatments encouraging reconnection, stillness, and perspective — and Movement Journey — spa treatments mixed with movement sessions. At sunrise, join a yoga class on top of a rock formation with panoramic views of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

9. Crestone Mountain Zen Center – Crestone, Colorado

This Zen Buddhist monastery and retreat, located at the base of the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado, allows you to get away from it all and reset. You can create a personal program that fits your needs — from a weekend trip to a monthlong stay — and either enjoy the solitude or join group meditations. A stay at the remote Crestone Mountain Zen Center includes three simple, delicious daily meals that can be enjoyed privately or with other guests.

10. The Barns at Troutbeck – Amenia, New York

Troutbeck is a 250-acre estate hotel in New York’s Hudson Valley, and in 2020, it opened The Barns, an on-site wellness facility. At The Barns, there’s a 1,250-square-foot studio space where daily yoga, meditation, and dance-based movement classes take place. Spa services include acupuncture, massages, and somatic experiencing, a body-focused therapy that works to relieve symptoms of mental and physical trauma-related health problems.

PHOTO: Lake Austin Spa Resort – Austin, Texas

On the banks of Lake Austin in Texas Hill Country, Lake Austin Spa Resort packs its daily calendar with yoga classes, sound bathing, and chakra-bracelet making. Dining experiences center around wellness, too, with the resort’s Nurturing Table concept favoring local ingredients – including produce grown a few steps from the kitchen. Spa offerings are extensive, with gemstone treatments, floating meditation, and more than a dozen facials on the menu.

11. The Lodge at Woodloch – Hawley, Pennsylvania

The Pocono Mountains provide an idyllic environment for a digital detox. Surrounded by 500 acres of woodland, the Lodge at Woodloch operates under a “let nature nurture” philosophy. Guests can choose from 35 daily activities, including gardening on the on-site organic farm. Getting your hands dirty nourishes the mind, while spa products made from locally grown herbs and flowers soothe the body.

12. Sensei Porcupine Creek – Rancho Mirage, California

Combining data-driven health programs and the scenic beauty of the Santa Rosa Mountains, Sensei Porcupine Creek is more than just a wellness resort. The 230-acre property sits on billionaire Larry Ellison’s former private estate and features an 18-hole golf course once only open to professional athletes, celebrities, and dignitaries like President Barack Obama. Now, anyone who books one of the 22 luxurious rooms, casitas, or villas can get the star treatment, which includes meeting with medical experts to create a personalized itinerary of fitness programs, spa treatments, and nutritious meals from the restaurant, Sensei by Nobu.

13. Mii Amo – Sedona, Arizona

If your idea of a serene wellness getaway includes stunning architecture, look no further than the adults-only Mii Amo, nestled in Sedona’s Boynton Canyon. The long-standing retreat unveiled a sweeping renovation in February 2023, with sleek spaces designed by Gluckman Tang Architects (best known for its work on cultural institutions like the Picasso Museum in Malaga and New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art). Guests can choose from several all-inclusive journeys ranging from three to 10 nights and spend their days indulging in sound baths, spa treatments, walking meditations, and bike rides on the 400-acre trail network. While the surrounding red rocks are a highlight, so are theatmospheric indoor spaces – from the airy, light-filled restaurant to the 23 casitas equipped with cozy fireplaces and heated bathroom floors.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION

14. Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection – Napa, California

Wellness and wine go hand-in-hand at Stanly Ranch, Auberge’s third resort in Napa Valley. Set on a working vineyard, the property features 135 nature-inspired rooms and cottages, local and seasonally-driven dining, and an extensive wellness program centered around sleep, hydration, fitness, and mindfulness. Drop by the Halehouse to plan your holistic wellness journey with sports experts, medical professionals, and wellbeing specialists. This might include a neuro-stimulation treatment at the spa or a movement workshop at the Fieldhouse. Then cap off your day at the Springhouse

a circuit featuring saunas, cold plunges, salt therapy, and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber – all designed to support recovery and restoration.

15. The Lodge at Woodloch – Hawley, Pennsylvania

Celebrity Designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent Just Listed Their Stunning ’70s-style Montauk Home on Airbnb — for $19

The stars of the TLC series ‘Nate & Jeremiah By Design’ are welcoming Airbnb guests into their Hamptons summer home.

Celebrity designers Nate Berkus and his husband Jeremiah Brent is inviting you over a stay in their Hampton’s summer house.

The powerhouse design couple — stars of TLC’s “Nate & Jeremiah By Design” just listed their Montauk, NY home on Airbnb for a stunning summer stay.

“With every detail thoughtfully renovated, our Montauk home is inspired by the landscape and beaches that surround it, and our hope is that it will allow you to truly unplug and reset,” the couple said in their Airbnb listing. “Just a short walk from the water, the design of the house is inspired by all that makes Montauk unique and special, and is a reflection of who we are and what we care about.”

To kick off their hosting duties in style, Berkus and Brent will be offering a one-night stay on June 10, 2022, to two guests for just $19 — an ode to the year they bought the property. The lucky Airbnb travelers will choose from one of four bedrooms in the 1970s era house, and be welcomed by the couple, who will give them a tour, showing them all their favorite design elements of the home.

The winner will be notified.

“Every piece in our home was carefully hand selected, including reclaimed materials from local docks and shores as a nod to the history of the area, paired with furniture and accessories that feel modern and elegant inspired by our travels, the beach and what we like to come home to,” their listing also said. “The space is a blend of high design and casual comfort. Most importantly, it’s where many of our favorite memories live, and where we hope you’ll be able to make some too.”

During the stay, guests can explore the area by hiking through the nature preserve trails through forests and dunes, enjoying the area’s beaches, and shopping at the canal-front stores. But the highlight will definitely be spending time inside the couple’s haven, perhaps by whipping up a meal in their chef’s kitchen and dining under the outdoor pergola, followed by a quiet night relaxing with one of Berkus’ favorite books. Meals and snacks will also be provided during the stay.

You Can Book Gwyneth Paltrow’s Montecito,California, Home on Airbnb — but You Have to Act Fast

Meditation, beauty treatments, and delicious meals are included.

Gwyneth Paltrow is inviting you to her house for a sleepover. Yes, you.

Paltrow officially listed her guest house in Montecito, California on Airbnb for a very special one-night stay for two guests on Sept. 9. And she promises it’s an escape that will leave you more relaxed than when you came.

“My Montecito home is my sanctuary for respite and mental clarity,” Paltrow writes on the Airbnb listing. “Whether you’re seeking a place for unexpected connection or for well-deserved solitude and reflection, when you come to stay, I hope you’ll get as much joy out of the home as I do.”

Paltrow adds that every aspect of the home is “carefully curated by yours truly,” including its calming, neutral-toned decor, all-marble bathroom with gleaming gold fixtures, the inviting living room with plush couches, the fully stocked kitchen, its outdoor dining space, and the cozy chaise lounge chairs lining the gorgeous pool.

The stay includes a few extras that one would expect from a host like Paltrow, like a guided transcendental meditation session and a spa day with all her favorite beauty essentials. (Specifically, she called out her brand’s award-winning Exfoliating Instant Facial along with its new “delicious-smelling shampoo and conditioner to revive you from literal head to toe.) There are also kitchen-inspired meals — Paltrow just notes to please let her know of any allergies! — and a goodie bag filled with presents you can take home.

Disney Parks Just Revamped Its Restaurant Reservation System — Here’s How

All updates are expected to go into effect at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in the coming weeks ahead.

PHOTO: MATT STROSHANE/COURTESY OF DISNEY

With an elegant setting right out of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” Be Our Guest Restaurant magically takes Magic Kingdom diners into the French countryside

Guests will soon be able to view every reservation time slot available for desired date of visit instead of meal time (brunch, lunch, or dinner). Additionally, for those looking to explore all restaurants, guests will be able to search by meal time period and see every available slot open at all available restaurants property wide.

As part of the reservation system update, it will also be clearer to the guests which meals are being served during what time period, impacting prices and experience. For example, locations that operate as character dining for only some meals, like Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera Breakfast a la cart with Mickey & Friends, will be clearly marked.

The new system will also better help guests budget for their meals as prices may vary from breakfast to lunch and dinner.

The cancellation system will be updated for guests with existing reservations. Most dining locations will offer the ability to cancel their restaurant up to two hours before to avoid the penalty fee instead of 24 hours. Currently, guests that cancel after the time period are charged $10 per person at most locations. Most locations previously operated with a strict 24-hour cancellation policy. The 2-hour cancellation policy has already begun at select locations.

All updates are expected to go into effect at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in the coming weeks ahead.

Disney’s advanced dining reservation system typically becomes available for most restaurants 60 days in advance of visit.

Reservations are essential for many of the most popular fan favorite locations, like Disney World’s Cinderella’s Royal Table and Disneyland’s Blue Bayou Restaurant. Both theme park resorts also offer a last minute function for tables that become available on the date of visit.

2020 Will Be an Amazing Year for Stargazing — Here’s Everything You Have to Look Forward to

From bright planets and shooting stars to eclipses and supermoons

There’s always something special going on in the night sky, from eclipses to meteor showers (and everything in between), and 2020 will have plenty of celestial highlights. As 2020 begins, a bright Venus will rise even higher in the night sky, and as it does, it will form a beautiful close pair with the crescent moon, star clusters, and planets. Add a couple of dramatic solar eclipses and plenty of supermoons and shooting stars, and 2020 certainly won’t disappoint stargazers and skywatchers.

Use this 2020 astronomical calendar so you don’t miss a single celestial event this year.

You Can See Mercury, a Meteor Shower, and Planets Aligning This February

Last month’s lime-green comet and eye-popping planet sightings were mere appetizers to the many night-sky attractions on the docket for 2023 †itle— including several key events coming up quickly. February provides a chance to see the ever-elusive Mercury, not to mention multiple planet and moon conjunctions, a meteor shower, and, if you’re far north enough, those increasingly vivid northern lights dancing.

Grab your binoculars and blankets; here’s everything to watch for in the night sky this February.

All month: Winter hexagon

Throughout February, astro enthusiasts can admire six of the night sky’s brightest stars as they form the winter hexagon. This asterism includes the stars Sirius, Procyon, Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran, and Rigel, according to Royal Museums Greenwich. Several deep sky objects will also be visible within the hexagon, including the Orion and Rosette Nebulae. Night-sky navigation apps like SkySafari will help you pinpoint this winter asterism; a telescope is required to spot the hexagon’s deep-sky objects.

Feb. 8: Spot elusive Mercury

Mercury is a tricky planet to spot, as it’s often obscured by the sun’s bright glare. According to SpaceTourismGuide.com, you can snag a view of the distant planet on the morning of Feb. 8, and the dates surrounding it, just before sunrise. Mercury will hover at 13 degrees above the southeast horizon, so you’ll need unobstructed views southeast to spot it.

Feb. 8: Alpha Centaurids shower peaks

Stargazers won’t see any major meteor showers until the spring, but February does have one event that could generate a solid showing, especially in the southern hemisphere: Alpha Centaurids. The Centaurids are visible from Jan. 31 to Feb. 20, according to High Point Scientific. The peak hits Feb. 8 at 4:40 a.m. ET. A bright moon will wash out much of the meteor-sighting potential, but under ideal conditions, the shower generates bright, fast meteors with up to five to six per hour.

Feb. 15: Conjunction of Venus and Neptune

Feb. 15 marks one of the year’s closest planet conjunctions. Venus and Neptune will come within 45 inches of one another, according to the app Starwalk. You can spot the conjunction in the Aquarius constellation. You’ll need a telescope or binoculars for this one, as Neptune isn’t visible to the naked eye. From the northeast U.S., you can watch the duo starting at 6:17 p.m. EST. Look above the southwest horizon; the pair will fall beneath the horizon around 8 p.m., according to In-the-Sky.org.

Feb. 26: SpaceX Falcon 9 launch

Come Feb. 26, a new crew will head to the International Space Station. This SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will send the Crew 6 mission astronauts on a six-month ISS expedition, according to Space.com. If you’re on the Florida Space Coast — and the weather cooperates — you can catch the launch at 2:07 a.m. EST from the Kennedy Space Center. You can also watch the event live.

Feb. 27: Conjunction of the moon, Venus, and Mars

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, a waning crescent moon will pass by Venus and Mars in the southeast sky roughly one hour before sunrise. You can find Venus above the moon, with Mars between them. The moon will pass under Mercury the following morning, with Venus and Mars on its right, and Saturn to the left.

From a Planet Pyramid to a Strawberry Moon — Here Are 6 Can’t-miss Astro Events This Month

There’s so much in store for June’s night sky.

We’ve had quite a showing of planets in the first half of the year, and June’s lineup shows no signs of slowing. The month brims with night-sky and early-morning sights, from a moon and Saturn meetup the weekend of June 9, to a pyramid of two planets and the moon just after sunset on June 21.

Speaking of June 21, this month marks the official start of summer in the northern hemisphere — peruse our favorite 2023 summer getaways if you’re planning a warm-weather escape.

Ready to kick off your month of stargazing? Here are June’s hottest astro happenings.

June 3: Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation

After sunset on June 3, Venus will hover at its furthest separation from the sun — 45 degrees east of it — making this a perfect night to spot our solar system’s brightest planet. Look toward sunset to catch it, according to EarthSky.org. It will be at its official greatest elongation at 3 a.m. EST on June 4. Twilight is the best time to admire its full glow; according to stargazing app SkySafari, it will brighten even more between now and August.

June 3: Full Strawberry Moon

Don’t miss the month’s full moon, known as the strawberry moon — a nickname it earned from the Indigenous Algonquian, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota communities. They named the month’s moon after June’s prolific strawberry harvests, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Unfortunately, the name doesn’t correlate with the color — but we will welcome the year’s first supermoon next month, on July 3.

June 9: A Moon and Saturn Meet-up

Before dawn the morning of Friday, June 9, stargazers can watch the gibbous moon and Saturn travel within 10 degrees (or the diameter of a fist) of each other, according to SkySafari. It’s the perfect distance to snap a photo of the meet-up, while the following morning, June 10, will provide an even better vantage point. At that point, you can simultaneously catch the moon and Saturn in your stargazing binoculars.

June 20: Crescent Moon, Venus, and Mars Hang Out After Sunset

While many of the month’s best planet sightings require an early wakeup, you can catch the dramatic crescent moon, Venus, and Mars all at once just after sunset on June 20. The moon will move out of frame by around 10 p.m. ET. Look low in the western sky to find them

June 21: Summer Solstice

It’s officially summer in the northern hemisphere — a celebration of the sun crossing its northernmost route in the sky, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. It’s the day with the longest stretch of sunlight, and one that’s been celebrated for time immemorial. Some of the best-known summer solstice events include Stonehenge in England and Fairbanks, Alaska, home to the Midnight Sun Festival, which takes place on June 24 this year. Summer solstice brings the all-hours midnight sun to Arctic destinations like Iceland and Norway, while in the southern hemisphere, June 21 marks the beginning of winter.

June 21: A Moon, Mars, and Venus pyramid

Summer solstice isn’t the only happening on June 21. This evening, look to the western sky for a view of the waxing crescent moon, Venus, and Mars creating a wide night-sky pyramid. According to SkySafari, stargazers in the Americas can view the trio at once via binoculars, with Mars on the left, Venus at the bottom, and the moon as the point on the triangle’s right. You can admire the moon and Venus right after sunset, but you’ll need to wait for the skies to darken for bright-orange Mars to emerge.

The planet pyramid will stick around until around 11 p.m. when it sinks beneath the horizon.

Tonight’s Supermoon Will Light Up the Sky — Here’s When and How to See It

On Tuesday, sky-watchers will enjoy a vivid and shining beacon in the southeast sky: the second full supermoon of 2023. The Full Sturgeon Supermoon, named for the sturgeon fish that appear in the Great Lakes region in August, will reach its largest size at 2:32 p.m. ET, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The lunar marvel will continue to appear exceptionally large and illuminated as it rises just after sunset.

Here’s where and how to watch the Full Sturgeon Supermoon this week, with some background on the phenomenon.

What Is a Supermoon?

Before we dive into spotting this month’s supermoon, let’s talk logistics. The supermoon spectacle occurs when the moon’s orbit reaches its closest point to our planet, known as its perigee, according to NASA. When this happens, the moon can appear roughly 14 percent larger than a full moon that’s located at the furthest point from Earth, known as the apogee.

The August 1 moon will be roughly 222,158 miles from our planet; the average distance between Earth and our space-rock neighbor isaround 238,900 miles, according to EarthSky.org. The Full Sturgeon Supermoon, which earned its name from the Indigenous Anishinaabe communities in the Great Lakes region, will appear roughly 7 percent larger than average, per stargazing app SkySafari.

How to Watch Tonight’s Full Sturgeon Supermoon

To catch the bright Full Sturgeon Supermoon, look to the southeast sky just after sunset. It will rise at 8:43 p.m. local time in New York City, according to Space.com. It will appear within the Capricornus constellation.

To amplify your astronomical sightseeing, look to the western sky as the sun sets to catch Venus, Mars, and Mercury in a row. The trio will slowly set as twilight descends.

Bookmark More Summer Supermoons

This isn’t the month’s only must-see supermoon. August 30-31 will welcome the year’s closest – and therefore largest and brightest — supermoon, the Blue Moon (the name for the second full moon in one calendar month, according to Starwalk.) The next Blue Supermoon won’t hit until spring 2026.

2 Supermoons, a Meteor Shower, and a Saturn Sighting — Here’s What to See in the Night Sky This Month

August will bring two supermoons, along with multiple planet sightings, the peak of a powerful meteor shower, and ideal star-cluster viewing.

July delighted stargazers with the year’s first full supermoon, and there’s more where that came from this August — a lot more. This month will see not one but two supermoons, along with multiple planet sightings, the peak of a powerful meteor shower, and ideal star-cluster viewing.

Summer is also an ideal time to spot the Milky Way, and its dynamic galactic core, in the northern hemisphere. To catch it, head out during a new moon — around August 16 — and head to a dark-sky viewing location, such as a national park.

Grab your binoculars, picnic blankets, and red-light flashlights: here are the best astronomical attractions for August 2023.
August 1: Full Sturgeon Supermoon
August’s stargazing begins with a bang as the Full Sturgeon Supermoon rises the evening of August 1. The moon, named for the fish that appear in the Great Lakes region this time of year, will look around 7 percent larger than the typical full moon. It will reach its largest size around 2:30 p.m. ET, but stargazers can watch for it just after the sun sets just before 9 p.m. ET in New York City, according to Space.com.

August 3: The Moon Approaches Saturn

In the pre-dawn hours of August 3, point your eyes high in the southwest sky to see a bright, waxing gibbous moon near Saturn. The two will travel toward each other within the Aquarius constellation and will lie within 2°15′ of each other, according to Space Tourism Guide.

Aug. 12-13: Perseid Meteor Shower Peak

Aug. 12-13: Perseid Meteor Shower Peak
The Perseid Meteor Shower, one of the strongest showers of the year, will reach its peak from Aug. 12-13. You can catch the entire shower throughout August, but its peak will generate 100-some meteors per hour for those watching beneath dark skies with minimal light pollution, according to NASA. The near-to-new moon, roughly 10 percent illuminated during the shower’s peak, will only add to the shooting-star visibility. To enjoy the shower, find a dark spot with wide-open nightscapes, and look toward the Perseus constellation in the east to northeast sky. The shower’s activity peaks around midnight on August 12 until dawn on August 13

August 19: See Star Clusters

According to stargazing app SkySafari, August 19 is an ideal night for catching star clusters with your binoculars. Look to the southern sky between the Altair and Cebalrai stars to see three clusters well. You can find the shimmery white and reddish stars of the Summer Beehive Cluster one finger-width above the bright Cebalrai star. Halfway between Cebalrai and Altair you’ll find the Tweedledum Cluster, as well as Graff’s Cluster. The former is smaller but brighter, while the latter appears larger yet dimmer.

August 26-27: Saturn at Opposition

See Saturn during its closest approach to Earth, known as opposition, overnight from August 26-27. During this period, the planet will appear at its brightest and most visible. According to SkySafari, the ringed planet will stay illuminated by the sun and visible all night — it’s the brightest Saturn will get all year. Use a medium or large telescope to see Saturn and its moons up close.

August 30: Full Blue Supermoon

August will close the month with a grand finale: a full blue supermoon. A blue moon is the name for the second full moon in one calendar month. The sun will peak in size just after sunset and will be the closest, brightest, and fullest supermoon of 2023. We won’t enjoy a moon this close to Earth — 222,043 miles — until November 2025, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

15 Best City Hotels in the Continental U.S.

The best city hotels in the United States include stylish newcomers and several longtime favorites.

Impeccable service, chic interior design, and exciting new arrivals influenced Travel + Leisure readers as they voted for the best city hotels in the continental United States. Readers also praised hotels in places that didn’t make it onto last year’s list — Boston, Denver, and Washington, D.C., among others.

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, invites its readers to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels (including safari lodges) were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

readers were particularly entranced with hotels in Chicago, New York City, and Charleston, South Carolina. The Loutrel, a 50-room property in Charleston’s historic downtown, won the No. 2 spot because of its “fantastic location and friendly staff” and “beautiful rooms with handwritten welcome notes,” according to voters. Small touches, such as complimentary bicycles and craft cocktails in the Veranda Lounge, contributed to the welcoming feel of this Lowcountry property. Another Charleston hotel, Wentworth Mansion (No. 8), garnered praise for its restaurant’s outdoor patio and the southern hospitality that extended to couples and family groups alike.

In the Windy City, “sophisticated charm and elegance” come together in the No. 3 Pendry Chicago, which opened in May of last year in a 1920s-era landmark building. “The brand’s attention to detail in terms of design, experience, and staffing make it easy to distinguish from want-to-be competitors,” wrote one reader. Another newcomer worth traveling for: the Newbury (No. 15). Guests loved the rooftop Contessa restaurant, part of chef Mario Carbone’s Major Food Group, the lobster chowder at the Street Bar, and — a real treat on a drizzly Boston day — working fireplaces in select corner suites. “This is the best hotel in Boston by far,” wrote one reader, adding that “the vibe is buzzy and cool, but the rooms are beautiful and chic.”

On the West Coast, No. 7 L’Ermitage Beverly Hills — built as the first all-suite hotel in the U.S. — remains a draw for its privacy, but Pendry West Hollywood (No. 10) may be emerging as the new authority on California cool. The latter is attracting glitterati of all stripes with modern LED art in the lobby, customized wellness sessions in its Hydration Room, a screening room, a members-only club, a restaurant by Wolfgang Puck, and more.

New York City hotels are still winning favor with T+L readers. Longtime uptown darling, the Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, emerged from a three-year renovation in November 2021, and guests were ecstatic, voting it into the No. 12 spot. Refreshed rooms and suites, the debut of a restaurant, Dowlings at the Carlyle, and a new Valmont spa completed an update that paid homage to the hotel’s glamorous beginnings, including its original designer, Dorothy Draper. “The staff are incredible, and there are great nightlife options,” wrote one reader. “I can’t wait for a return visit to Bemelmans for a martini.”

A few blocks south, located steps away from Central Park, the Lowell claimed the No. 1 spot. Find out below what readers had to say.

1. The Lowell, New York City

Located on a charming, tree-lined street on the Upper East Side, this New York institution continues to dazzle guests with “stunning attention to detail, beautiful rooms, and amazing food,” wrote one reader, although most importantly, the staff and service “make you feel like you’re family.” More than one voter proudly shared that they’ve been repeat guests for several years, pointing to the key location, the sophisticated reception area, the “romantic aura,” and cozy hideaways like the Club Room and Jacques Bar.

Put simply, “This is a home away from home,” wrote one dedicated voter.

Score: 98.80

2.The Loutrel, Charleston, South Carolina