Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/674065
CLASSIC AMERICAN HAUNTS ALYS BEACH Under-the-radar heiresses. Hollywood types. International swells. Southern millionaires. One of the few places in the country where the aforementioned mix is Alys Beach, a small town on the white-beached Florida panhandle near the chic Rosemary Beach community. Here, these top-tier types are neighbors, with private houses built in a mandatory Bermuda style that oozes, in the most subtle way, moneyed beauty. At Alys, a majority of the manses are custom-built with prices starting in the low millions. And while homeowners are allowed to select their own design team — noted architects Robert Orr, Gary Justiss and Bobby McAlpine have designed homes here — every detail must be approved by Erik Vogt and Marieanne Khoury-Vogt, the husband-wife urban planners and architects who conceptualized the community's design and layout in 2003. Inside info for future residents: Your house must include a courtyard with a fountain, similar to those found in Antigua and Guatemala, and the exterior must be finished with a three-coat, hand-troweled stucco and mineral-based paints similar Overwater Villa master bedroom ICONIC The Hotel PRESIDENT EISENHOWER, THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF WINDSOR, PRINCESS GRACE AND JFK HAVE ALL VISITED "AMERICA'S RESORT," AS THE GREENBRIER IS KNOWN … AND ITS HISTORY IS NEARLY AS OLD AS AMERICA ITSELF. magic, Sam Snead returned as golf pro and established the hotel as a golf haven. The Greenbrier's dramatic and iconic environs are carefully preserved by Carlton Varney, Ms. Draper's successor in her New York decorating firm. A visit to the hotel and discourse with Mr. Varney when he is in residence is a rite of passage for designers, architects and historians. Last summer, The Greenbrier celebrated the opening of the tennis stadium, Center Court at Creekside, with a rivalry match between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Another 18-hole championship golf course has been announced, designed by golf legends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Gary Player, to be built within an elegant and private enclave upon a mountaintop, dubbed Oakhurst. The 281 home sites overlook Oakhurst Links, with scenic mountain views, and offer ski-in/ski-out access during the winter. Home sites in the heritage-steeped neighborhood start at $300,000 and include access to all Greenbrier Sporting Club amenities, including off-road pursuits and fly fishing, falconry, shooting and, of course, golf. The Greenbrier, greenbrier.com; Oakhurst, Allie Beth Allman & Associates, 214.521.7355, alliebeth.com. The stately Greenbrier hotel, perched in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, has been a Camp David of sorts for presidents and politicians from Woodrow Wilson to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Twenty-six presidents have visited; Joseph and Rose Kennedy honeymooned here in 1914, shortly before the antebellum hotel became a stop on society's golden road from Palm Beach to Newport. From the '50s to 1992, the hotel was shrouded in the highest level of secrecy, with a hidden bunker built into the hillside. The plan was to house U.S. congressmen there in a nuclear world crisis. The bunker has since been decommissioned, and hotel guests can tour the Cold War relic. In 1778, the main attraction was medicinal soothing at White Sulphur Spring, a favored presidential repast. Then in 1884, the first golf course in America was built just a few miles away: Oakhurst Links, a nine-hole course spread across 30 lush acres. Today, The Greenbrier hotel and The Greenbrier Sporting Club, owned by West Virginia entrepreneur Jim Justice, occupy more than 10,000 acres of forests, fields and streams, with five golf courses, a health clinic, spa, medspa and casino. One of the most significant cultural touchstones is The Greenbrier's vibrantly hued Hollywood Regency-style interior, designed in 1946 by Dorothy Draper, who was commissioned soon after WWII. While Draper worked her BY PATRICIA MORA Dorothy Draper's iconic interiors of The Greenbrier are preserved by Carlton Varney. Draper's Regency- style flourishes The Greenbrier spreads across 10,000 acres with the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia as a backdrop. The Old White TPC course, hole 7 GREENBRIER to what was used in some of Europe's most storied masonry buildings. Among the current residences, scarce few are available for rent, so there's a sense of privacy and laid-back, beach-town casualness. There is Charlie's Donut Truck, where homemade pastries and coffee are served from early morning until they sell out. The neighboring Piper's Kitchen serves beach fare, from fish tacos to burgers. And for dinner, there is the charming George's, which offers fine, fresh seafood in a beachy setting, and Caliza, a scene-y poolside spot. Pale- blue beach cruisers are the go-to mode of transport — few of the Bentleys and Range Rovers leave their parking spots. Early morning, the quaint Fonville Press is packed — if not for its zippy lattes then for its expansive patio. The property's first bar, Neat, recently opened, serving classic libations. Once you open your summerhouse at Alys, there is absolutely no reason to leave. Sales 850.213.5500, rental 850.213.5555; alysbeach.com. Christina Geyer T he first thing you notice at Montage Palmetto Bluff is the imposing ruins — remnants of a grand house's facade. Nearly 115 years ago, New York banker Richard T. Wilson Jr. purchased Palmetto Bluff and built his dream estate overlooking the May River. In 1926, a party got out of hand, and the mansion burned to the ground. Devastated, Wilson sold the property, never to return. It's just part of the rich lineage of the almost-island known as Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina, with its prehistoric and Native American roots and antebellum history lush with tales of plantation life. These days, Palmetto Bluff is a luxe destination for vacationers and those seeking a second home — Spanish moss and hundred-year- old trees included. As a hotel, Montage offers guest houses, cottages and will open 200 guest rooms when its inn debuts this fall. Residences for purchase adhere to a design scheme and conservation requirements; Montage employs a conservationist and historian to ensure the environment, wildlife and history go undisturbed. Water sports abound: fishing, kayaking and private tours on board Grace, the restored 103-year-old yacht named for Wilson's sister, wife of Cornelius "Neily" Vanderbilt III. An ideal day at Palmetto Bluff starts with breakfast at Buffalo's, followed by a boat tour with resident outdoor and water guide Boo Harrell. After lunch, take a dressage lesson at Longfield Stables or perfect your croquet game at Wilson Lawn and Racquet Club. During a lazy afternoon, set yourself on the porch at The Inn and have dinner at the Canoe Club, a posh eatery atop the boathouse. Wind down with s'mores roasted fireside on the great lawn. After a few days, you'll be gone with that Low Country wind. Rooms from $500, 843.706.6500; montagehotels. com/palmettobluff. Christina Geyer Gulf Green at Alys Beach Alys Shoppe at Alys Beach Alys Beach A WHIFF OF ANTEBELLUM Longfield Stables