Venice, Scenic Trains, Hualālai & Calistoga {Discovery Dispatch}
Originally published in early 2025. Italicized notes have been added where factual or logistical information has changed; the original newsletter otherwise appears as written.
An Insider’s Guide to Where to Eat, Stay & Stray
![Traveler walking along a palm-lined beach on Hawai‘i’s Big Island]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a4ac7e_0b297dbfac564a07b848f578f007922a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_735,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/a4ac7e_0b297dbfac564a07b848f578f007922a~mv2.jpg)
Hello, Weather Escapees and Sunshine Chasers!
Ever notice how Mother Nature sometimes whispers, “Time for a change of scenery”?
Half of America has been blanketed under snow, LA has been devastated, and my rain-soaked Northern California rooftop continues to be quite the percussion section this month.
I heard her message loud and clear and decided to trade my soggy lawn for swaying palms in Hawaii. Salt water fixes everything! Then I headed to Vail for the first time in a decade, where between hugs and catching up, I happily found myself making surprisingly respectable (so says I!) turns down the mountain. Between adventures, I have embraced the art of strategic hunkering, with a good book in one hand and wine in the other, watching my neighborhood transform into Venice’s distant cousin during storm surges.
~~~
Why do I love what I do? Because being your travel designer means turning “someday” trips into “remember when” stories.
When you work with Viewfinder, you will get:
The gift of time—yours preserved and mine happily spent crafting your journey
Room upgrades and special touches like complimentary breakfast or spa credits that make travel sweeter
Someone who knows which sunset-view rooms are truly worth requesting
A genuine connection who cares how your story unfolds
Your recommendations have created ripples of joy as friends of friends discover places they’ll treasure forever. If someone in your circle is planning a special getaway, please introduce us—I promise to take excellent care of anyone you send my way.
~~~
As winter takes its final bows, I’m already plotting our next discoveries. Until next month, may your travel plans be flexible, your experiences authentic, and your memories worth every penny.
Chasing horizons and sunshine,
~Jody
Welcome to Discovery Dispatch—your monthly passport to secrets that span from ancient alleys and family hideaways to gourmet gems and eye-popping art. Each edition brings a fresh batch of insider finds and stories, all curated to delight history buffs, food and wine afficionados, art lovers, and family adventurers alike.
🌐 Travel Tip: Venice’s New Visitor Equation
Update: Venice’s 2026 access-fee period ended on July 26. Requirements for future years have not yet been announced, so day visitors should check the official Venice Access Fee website before traveling.
Venice has implemented a tourist entry fee to preserve its fragile beauty from overtourism. In 2025, day visitors will pay €5 on 54 select days (April-July weekends and holidays, 8:30am-4pm), or €10 if booking less than four days ahead. Overnight guests, residents, students, visiting family, and commuters are exempt.
Consider it Venice’s creative solution to remain afloat—literally and figuratively—for future generations of wanderers.
🍷 Culinary Corner: Sweet Victory & Cheese Triumph
Correction: The protected product is specifically Nougat de Montélimar, which received IGP status in November 2024.
France treats food competitions with Olympic seriousness, and has recently crowned new royalty in its gastronomic court. Traditional nougat, that cloud-like confection of honey, nuts and egg whites (maybe my favorite sweet of all), has officially earned IGP status (Indication Géographique Protégée), cementing its place in the pantheon of protected French delicacies.
Meanwhile, my cheese-loving friends, Montélimar cheese has emerged victorious in France’s notoriously competitive cheese. Try it if you can find it!
🏛️ Historical Whispers: The Birth of France’s Grande Randonnée
Long before hiking was hashtag-worthy, Jean Loiseau—a French archivist and nature enthusiast—transformed wanderlust into Europe’s most beloved trail system. After presenting his vision to the Touring Club de France in 1945, the iconic red and white trail markers were established by 1946, with the first 28 km section of GR3 inaugurated in 1947.
The network expanded rapidly: the Tour du Mont Blanc in 1951, and the first official guide in 1957. This grassroots effort eventually led to the French Hiking Federation in 1978 and grew to 180,000 kilometers of trails by 2007!!
The GR54 remains one of the most spectacular—and demanding—long-distance routes through Oisans and Écrins National Park.
This year’s “Trail of the Year” goes to the GR54 Tour of Oisans through the Écrins National Park.
👨👩👧👦 Family Adventures: All Aboard for Winter Wonder
Are you looking for something to do with your family that is not weather dependent? If you are looking for a little adventure, as well as some shelter from the storm, consider these rail journeys where you can, in essence, find both:
Update: During winter, the Durango & Silverton train travels to Cascade Canyon rather than continuing all the way to Silverton.
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado offers a classic journey through snow-covered canyons and past frozen waterfalls.
Update: Rocky Mountaineer operates seasonally from spring through fall rather than during winter.
For more expansive views, the Rocky Mountaineer provides a luxurious experience through Canada’s winter scenery, where families can spot wildlife while enjoying hot chocolate against the impressive backdrop of mountain peaks.
The Grand Canyon Railway offers a adventure for the 65-mile journey from Williams to the South Rim, with Old West characters, musicians, and even a playful train robbery (trust me, kids will love it!). The vintage cars provide spectacular views of the changing landscape, from pine forests to high desert plains.
These trains provide an opportunity to experience travel as it once was, when the journey itself was valued as much as reaching the destination.
🎨 Art & Inspiration: Visual Feasts Worth Traveling For
Update: All three exhibitions mentioned below have concluded. Steve McCurry: Regards ran through March 23, 2025; Wayne Thiebaud’s San Francisco exhibition closed August 17, 2025; and the Ruth Asawa retrospective closed September 2, 2025.
Art aficionados, two not-to-miss exhibitions:
Steve McCurry—the photojournalist behind the iconic “Afghan Girl” with her haunting green eyes on National Geographic’s cover and countless images from conflict zones that defined visual storytelling for a generation—has brought his distinctive eye to Provence with an AI-enhanced exhibition. The show transforms his legendary portraits and street scenes from India, Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia through a technological lens that somehow manages to both honor and reinvent his humanistic approach to photography.
Meanwhile, San Francisco offers a double visual indulgence with exhibitions featuring Ruth Asawa’s organic, ethereal, wire sculptures alongside Wayne Thiebaud’s paintings that make ordinary objects extraordinary. Both artists transform the mundane into the magical—much like travel itself.
🏨 Hotel Highlight: Four Seasons Hualalai’s Double Crown
Some accommodations simply provide a place to sleep—others become the reason to travel in the first place. Four Seasons Hualalai falls firmly into the latter category, recently claiming the dual honor of #1 Hotel in the US and #1 Resort in the US (by US News and World Report).
This Hawaiian haven represents the pinnacle of luxury without pretense, where exceptional service feels less like staff following protocols and more like friends anticipating desires. Here, volcanic landscapes provide dramatic contrast to meticulously maintained gardens, and “standard” rooms would be considered suites almost anywhere else.
Sunset at Hualalais 18th hole Baby Kona Pineapple Dining at the Residents' Beach House Rainbow dining in hawaii
Four Seasons Hualalai — © Holman Photography 2025
A stay at Hualalai is not just accommodation—it is a masterclass in hospitality that shows us just what true “aloha” really is.
Perks when booked through Viewfinder typically include:
Daily breakfast for 2
100USD hotel credit for rooms or 200USD for suites & private retreats
Room upgrade to next category (subject to availability)
Early check-in, late check-out (subject to availability)
🌟 Destination Spotlight: Calistoga’s Quiet Luxury
I rediscovered Calistoga recently while escaping a writing deadline. This northernmost hamlet of Napa Valley offers something increasingly rare: genuine wine country charm without the velvet ropes.
Geothermal waters have attracted wellness-seekers since the Victorian era. The real magic happens when you venture beyond Lincoln Avenue to family-owned wineries like Tedeschi, where three generations of winemaking expertise translate into exceptional Petite Sirah.
Between tastings, Calistoga’s legendary mud baths will entice you. Unlike its more polished neighbors to the south, Calistoga delivers wine country elegance with a refreshing lack of pretension (though there is plenty of luxury to be had with Solage and Four Seasons there), but it is a good balance between indulgence and authenticity. Read more here.
Ready to Build Your Trip?
Whether you are dreaming about Europe, the Galápagos, Hawaiʻi, or a winter escape, I can help shape the trip around your interests, your pace, and the way you like to travel.
And your referrals are always appreciated—there is no higher compliment.
About the Author
Jody Holman is a travel advisor and the founder of Viewfinder Travel. She designs thoughtful, highly personalized journeys informed by firsthand travel, trusted global partners, and a photographer’s eye for place. She writes about travel the way she lives it: observant, realistic, and always with an eye toward making the experience feel human.
All photos copyright Holman Photography 2025 unless otherwise noted.
Comments