A few years back we bought our first home out east. It was the perfect stepping stone for travel with kids. Having a home in nature, when you live in a city, definitely helps bring balance. The pool in the backyard allowed for us to feel like we were away during nap time and we did not have to fret about our kids disturbing other guests.
What I love about the South Fork is the ecological elements it offers. It has a very green sensibility and a great focus on sustainability. We often would purchase our food at local farms and the beaches all catered to its habitat.
And then, within the first few months of being a home owner, I started my fashion line, Michelle Vale Handbags. The more time I spent at my home in East Hampton, the more I felt it was becoming an extension of my life in NYC. Networking events and bumping into colleagues made it feel less like a time out and more like an obligation.
My son started hockey a few years later and we decided to sell the house. I continued with my bag line and also went on to co-found and produce the documentary, “Make it in America: Empowering Global Fashion.” This had me working full throttle and paired with my son’s new found passion, we found we were being significantly deprived of downtime.
Once the film wrapped, I was presented with my next project, Soak. As we searched for American manufacturing facilities, we discovered one in Kennebunk, Maine. I had never been to Maine before, but from the moment I arrived, I fell in love.
The first year had us back and forth multiple times between Kennebunk and Portland. I quickly started to notice that I could breathe a little easier while in Maine. Even though many trips were for work, I found myself wanting to spend more time here on the off hours too.
Portland has some of the best restaurants in the U.S. My business partner and I often say, it’s the closest you get European quality food in the U.S. It truly has farm to table cuisine, with pasture raised animals and pesticide free crops literally down the road in some instances. Prior to us starting our sandal business, there were not many luxury hotel options, but over the past few years this has changed. In Portland, The Press Hotel opened, which we have stayed at many times. There are also a couple of boutique hotel properties as well. Beachside, however, we had not found our place. That is until a few weeks ago, when we booked a trip to stay at the newly restored Cliff House in the Ogunquit/Cape Neddick area just four hours from NYC. It had us at hello.
This super chic hotel ticks all the boxes... ecological, food worthy, posh interior, a pool and chock full of amenities inlcuding a movie theatre, spa, restaurants, gym, art gallery and more. The only thing it’s missing, is the air-kissing of the Hamptons, which is exactly what I like about it. A place I can retreat to, where I can spend quality time with my family, yet also be inspired.
It lends itself to a carefree attitude and also offers a luxe feel. Our days were spent heading off property for breakfast in the morning, followed by a beach walk and then straight back to the hotel. It is here we spend the rest of the day intermittently lazing in the sun, dipping in the pool or hot tub and taking turns playing corn, hole, air hockey or croquet.
Each day, we opted for lunch poolside at Nubb’s, simply because the food was just that good.
It was one of the most relaxing vacations I have had in some time. And the bonus was, we got to bring our newest family member with us... Navy aka #navdog!
This property had the most pet friendly accommodations we have stayed at to date and we traveled extensively this summer. More to come on that... For more images from this trip and others follow me at @mvny on instagram.