A time for escape

by Robert Powell
for Virginia Business Options
December 2006

December can be a time for escape. The holidays offer an opportunity to get away from the office and indulge a few whims.

In this issue of Options, we provide several suggestions for a change of scenery. In our cover story Richmond outdoor writer Lee Graves takes us to Upper Brandon, a serene Prince George County hunting preserve on a plantation that dates back to the 1600s.

In the Travel section, we explore the enchantments of Charleston, S.C., through the eyes of a recently relocated Virginian and discover the delights of Spain's Andalusia region. Closer to home, we sample the luxuries offered by presidential suites at many of Virginia's top resorts.

In Holiday Getaways, we suggest two very different locales for a December vacation, The Ritz Carlton, Naples in Florida and the Four Seasons in New York.

Looking towards the ski season, Our Sporting Life section focuses on offerings at some of the major winter resorts, which range from snowboarding to swimming in an indoor water park. One of those resorts, Wintergreen, can help you get ready for a return to the links next spring by perfecting your golf swing.

You can also escape today's cares by letting your imagination travel back in history. Our Hobbies section looks at a tour service that brings an eyewitness perspective to the Civil War battlefields of Virginia.

We hope that you will sample some of these suggestions for an escape and give us your feedback, whenever you return.