Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Summer 2012 - (Page 66)

FA M I LY T R AV E L AMERICAN IDYLL PHOTO G RA P HS BY J USTI N L A NE I N THE W I LD S OF GEO RG IA , L AUR EN S A N D LER FIN D S C RE AT URE COMF ORT S F OR A LL T H E FA M ILY FLYING HIGH Clockwise from top left: Father and daughter at play in Lake Oconee; Dahlia earns her wings; friendly wildlife is among the attractions. H Horse farms and hundreds of perfect-circle hay bales line the Greene County Veterans Memorial Highway. Sure, we could take Interstate 20 from Atlanta, but this route feels much more appropriate to The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation — old barns and tiny white Baptist churches dotting the verdant landscape, an occasional rusty pickup truck, the porches of one antebellum town after another. Winding past the porticoed homes of Madison and over the placid expanse of Lake Oconee, I think, this is the Georgia that Ray Charles had on his mind. We hang a left off the highway and there, just past the 11th tee of one of the world’s most exalted golf courses, lies Reynolds Plantation, celebrating all things Southern. But if you’re thinking chicken nuggets and popsicles, think again — as I did upon spilling a ﬂute of champagne into my lobster salad during a roadweary nibble upon arrival. (“You know you’re not roughing it when … ” my husband, Justin, joked, handing me his cloth napkin stitched with The Ritz-Carlton lion.) In the late 1800s a pair of cousins purchased this formidable portion of lushly wooded lakeside land as a retreat for their families, complete with a hunting lodge and all the ﬁsh they could catch. They named the lodge “Linger Longer” to express their desire to stay on at their most beloved place when work called them back to reality. After our sophisticated snack, we scamper down to the lake to see what awaits us. Across the lawns and over a small wooden bridge we ﬁnd kayaks tied to the dock and a pink glow settling over the lake. Dahlia, my 4-year-old, is fascinated by a scattering of animals carved into tree trunks — a raccoon here, a turtle there. During last year’s hurricane several trees fell, but instead of uprooting the stumps, a staff member decided to get out his chain saw and make some art out of nature. After a stroll around the grounds — past the inﬁnity pool that appears to be an extension of the lake, lifted onto an impossible plateau — and an excited discussion of the adventures that await us tomorrow, we fetch sweaters from our room and head out for dinner. We’re planning on a little walk to the steakhouse, but can’t resist hitching a ride in a golf cart when a friendly face insists we climb aboard. We scoot 66 W W W. R I T Z C A R LT O N . C O M http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Summer 2012

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Summer 2012
Table of Contents
Contributors
Editor’s Letter
President’s Letter
Falling in Love With ... Boston
Technology
Design
On the Boulevards
Shopping
Jewelry
Watches
Family Travel
Wellness
Outdoors
Barcelona
Istanbul
Fashion
Culinary
Let Us Stay With You
Heritage

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Summer 2012