John Muir Lodge

A rustic retreat in California's Kings Canyon National Park that sits snugly among some of the world's largest and most-famous trees.

The timber-and-stone lodge is fronted by a wide covered porch and flanked by public deck-balconies with chairs and rockers that offer Sierra-sunset views. Inside, a large lobby has a rough-hewn, open-beam ceiling and clusters of twig-framed sofas, chairs and game tables that guests can use with a collection of boardgames. A towering painting of John Muir presides over an antique redwood mantel atop stone fireplace that's usually got a few logs going. The great room can host gatherings like ranger Frank Helling and his snowy beard channeling the lodge's namesake naturalist for a living history presentation. The place exists to unplug, so it's no mistake that there are no TVs in the lobby or guestrooms -- though there is free WiFi in public spaces.

Accommodations keep with the woodsy and somewhat Spartan theme. Natural light fills 34 rooms that have hand-crafted wood furniture and a few modern amenities like iPod docking stations and coffee makers. A Standard room comes with two queen-size beds and a Deluxe comes with a king and a sofa bed.

Dining is found a quick walk down the road in Grant Grove Village at the Grant Grove Restaurant, an open-design family-friendly eatery that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an espresso bar on its patio. The village, which serves as a base to explore the nearly 900,000 acres of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, also has cabins for rent for a more outdoorsy experience. It's all within walking distance of historic Grant Grove and its stands of giant sequoias and fern-flush meadows.

The General Grant Tree is a main attraction on a paved 0.8-mile loop that winds under the boughs of its fellow behemoths. Standing at 267 feet, the mighty sequoia is the world's third-largest tree and was designated the nation's official Christmas in 1928. Yuletide celebrations at its base continue to this day. The nearby Fallen Monarch is a massive long-felled sequoia that's been hollowed by wildfires and now lies as a tunnel that one can walk through. The ancient hull has been used as a shelter by Native Americans and early settlers, and has also served as a saloon, a hotel and a stable for the U.S. Cavalry that was sent in to protect the newly created national park in the 1890s. A short drive takes one to Panorama Point, a picturesque vista overlooking King's Canyon.

Getting There. The lodge lies three miles from the Kings Canyon Big Stump entrance, which is about 250 miles from San Francisco and 225 miles from Los Angeles.

Wuksachi Lodge

Perched high in the heart of Sequoia National Park, one can almost sense the spirits of naturalists like Henry David Thoreau and John Muir at the mountain getaway that boasts the peaks of the Great Western Divide as its awe-inspiring backdrop. 

THE LODGE is a rustic cedar-and-stone construct housing a grand lobby with a high timber-beamed ceiling and rock-rimmed fireplace bounded by overstuffed leather seating. The lobby's mascot, the bulky but quietly friendly stuffed “Eddie Bear,” will likely occupy one of the seats. It's hard to argue that sipping a beverage among the oak, cedar and hickory wood accents isn't made better by a big plush toy.

DINING at Wuksachi's Peaks Restaurant offers Alpine-style indulgence before towering windows with dramatic views of its namesake Sierra peaks. Executive Chef Jeff Graham is behind an eco-friendly program that pulls from the bounty of the neighboring San Joaquin Valley, utilizing local organic-produce farmers, and grass-fed beef ranchers, for dishes like braised Brandt Beef short ribs over barley risotto, and a chickpea fritter with organic leeks and pan-roasted oyster mushrooms. Sustainable seafood choices include creations like cedar-planked salmon, topped with grilled lemon Buerre blanc. For dessert, you won't be disappointed digging into Chef Graham's sugar-glass-topped take on the classic s'more. The adjacent Wuksachi bar also leans local, with a wine list that favors vineyards in Paso Robles, Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara and Mendocino, as well as mountain-themed cocktails.

ACCOMMODATIONS at the AAA-rated three-diamond hotel that sits 7,200 feet above sea level include 102 nicely sized rooms in a cluster of chalet-style buildings along pine-fringed paths. Rooms range from a Standard, with a king-size or two queen-size beds and a desk, to a Deluxe with two queens or a king-size bed, along with a sofa bed, and Superior rooms, mini-suites that have either two queen-size beds or one king, and a sofa bed in a generous alcove that can be closed off with a sliding door -- perfect for some privacy from the kids on a family getaway. The interiors are in tune with their natural surroundings, with Mission-style furniture that's accented by cedar, stone and iron lamps. Modern-day amenities are offset by vintage black-and-white photos of the area's giant sequoias that have been drawing nature-lovers for generations. 

NEARBY attractions include the big draw of the big sequoias in the Giant Forest, home to five of the planet's ten largest trees. The famed General Sherman is the largest of these, measuring 36.5 feet across its base. A 3,200 year-old giant named the President rises 247 feet above dense stands of sequoia trees and sugar-pine conifers. Getting there can include a roll through the Tunnel Log, a roadway passage that's cut through a massive fallen sequoia. It's all surrounded by hundreds of miles of hiking trails. Moro Rock is a must-see. 400 steps up a steep 1/4-mile staircase brings one to the top of the dome-shaped granite monolith, with undeniably impressive views of the park and the Great Western Divide. Two miles north of the General Sherman Tree, the Wolverton Snow Play Area welcomes sledding, snowshoe and cross-country ski enthusiasts to its wide snow hill and sprawling meadow. A 40 minute drive from Wuksachi Lodge, Crystal Cave offers a 45-minute tour of stalactites and stalagmites along polished marble paths at a cool and constant 48 degrees.

TIPS. Don't bring your luggage when checking in at Wuksachi's lobby – best to leave it in the car that you'll park in a lot closest to your room. Do bring a flashlight to navigate Wuksachi's footpaths after dark – though the front desk will be happy to lend you a light. 

GETTING THERE. It's about a five-hour drive from San Francisco to a park entrance, with about an hour's travel time to the lodge. The distance from Los Angeles is slightly less. The Fresno International Airport is about 55 miles from the Wuksachi Lodge.
Article written in conjunction with a sponsored media tour.

Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Rwanda - Hotel Review

A cutting-edge destination for eco-tourism, Rwanda’s top luxury safari lodge borders the continent’s largest mountain rainforest and offers extraordinary chimpanzee trekking.

Rwanda offers a luxury boutique resort experience not to be missed at the edge of one of the continent’s oldest mountain rainforests. Nyungwe Forest Lodge sits like a dream on a rolling hilltop in the midst of the vast working Gisakura Tea Estate, with airy private bungalows that sometimes offer fleeting views of monkeys springing past in the forest.

Opened in 2010, Nyungwe Forest Lodge is privately owned by the Dubai World’s Mantis Collection (and managed by the South Africa-based Shamwari Group that has specialized in wildlife safari hospitality for twenty years, with sixteen lodges/wildlife reserves around Africa). The lodge works in cooperation with the government-owned park that organizes and runs all the tours from the hotel.

Guests here pass the time lounging, mingling and sipping fresh passion fruit cocktails in a sprawling glass-walled lobby and bar overlooking sublime mountain views as clouds roll through. Stylish modern décor of wood and stone incorporates contemporary African design elements that flow to the adjacent high-beamed dining room flanked by two romantic fireplaces. The restaurant patio offers spectacular morning and sunset views of the misty hills. For dinner, Continental cuisine tinged with local flavors is elegantly presented in a setting adorned with candlelight and white tablecloths. Meals are all-inclusive, but wine from a well-appointed list that features some fine South African choices is extra. An afternoon African tea ceremony highlights the fruits of the surrounding plantation, where guests can even try their hand at harvesting tea.

Located down a winding plantation path, each of the 24 spacious wooden bungalows offers safari-chic comfort, with slate-walled rain showers, deep soaking tubs, fireplaces and tall glass doors that open onto large, private patio decks just a few feet from the lush rainforest. African art and artifacts surround downy king-size beds, and indulgent extras include chocolates at turndown, daily shoe cleaning and heated towel racks. Additional pampering can be found at the infinity pool. Perched on the edge of the rain forest, it’s a great spot to watch frolicking colobus monkeys or to have a massage. As with many other aspects of the resort, spa treatments feature local ingredients, including tea leaves.

Nyungwe National Park is the largest remaining tract of mountain rainforest in East Africa, and the lodge offers a diverse selection of activities that showcase it, ranging from picturesque monkey-viewing or bird-watching walks to waterfall trails, canopy walkways and challenging jungle hikes. The main draw, though, is the exclusive guided chimpanzee trekking. The park has roughly 400 chimps, and this exhilarating adventure safari experience up steep mountain terrain takes guests through mud, moss and fern, deep into the forest primeval for an unforgettable glimpse of chimps in the canopy above.

The Nyungwe Forest Lodge arranges transfers between Kigali and the hotel for an additional cost upon request. Rates: $220/$320 per person, minimum stay two nights; inclusive of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Facilities also include spa with Jacuzzi, fitness center, private dining room, daily laundry service, free wireless internet, satellite TV. [ Nyungwe Forest Lodge -  Nyungwe Forest, Kigali, Rwanda, 00250, +27 (0) 41 509 3000]

--Martha Burr

Aaron Paul on Location: Need for Speed

Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul races across America in the thriller that shot in Georgia, Detroit, Utah and California Wine Country.

The super-charged spectacle stars Paul as an ex-con who enters a cross-country road race to exact revenge on a former partner, who in turn puts a bounty on Paul's head that draws in a gang of illegal racers. Imogen Poots, Dominic Cooper, Michael Keaton and Dakota Johnson co-star in the adaptation of the popular video-game franchise.

The chance to see America was a big draw. Star Aaron Paul says, “That's [a] reason why I wanted to jump into this film, just the fact that we did get to drive across this beautiful country of ours. I think we shot in seven different states. It was incredible. We were there for some time and I had a lot of time to really enjoy it -- I had weekends off if I wasn't traveling...It's the first time I've ever experienced Moab, Utah...it's like you're a Mars rover riding around on the surface.”

Columbus, Georgia stands in for the starting point of Mount Kisco, New York in the film's race that stretches from the Empire State to the California coast. Columbus' 13th Street Bridge, which connects the town to Phenix City, Alabama, plays a prominent role, with a sequence that ultimately sends a car careening into the Chattahoochee River. Rural New York is also represented by the Myrtle Hill Cemetery in Rome Georgia, with Rome's Cave Spring Road doubling for a byway in Middle America. A car wash in Macon, Georgia is also featured in the flick.

The mountainous red-rock landscape of Moab, Utah gets some screen time with a massive chase sequence that gets dangerously close to a drop-off above the waters of the Colorado River. Filming in Utah also hit its famed Bonneville Salt Flats. The largest of a series of flats west of the Great Salt Lake is home to annual land-speed events like “World of Speed,” and has been featured in films like Independence Day (1996) and Con Air (1997).

A pitstop in Detroit finds Aaron's character behind the wheel of his custom Ford Mustang named Beauty for a chase with police in the Motor City's downtown hub. The race finishes in California, with filming taking place north of San Francisco in Mendocino wine country, where vineyards give way to a run through redwoods and end on the Pacific coast at Mendocino's Point Arena Lighthouse. The film opens on March 14th.

3D Travels With Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Mr. Peabody and Sherman take a time-bending ride to Turkey, Egypt, Florence, Italy and across France.

Set in modern-day New York City, Peabody's retro-ritzy penthouse serves as a launching point for an adventure that drops Peabody (voice of Ty Burrell, Modern Family), Sherman (Max Charles, The Neighbors) and Sherman's frenemy Penny (Ariel Winter, Modern Family) at historic locations across the planet in the 3D update of the Jay Ward animation classic that opens on March 7.

The WABAC Machine makes an early stop at the Palace of Versailles to eat cake with a peasant-poo-poo-ing Marie Antoinette. Peabody's dangerous flirt with dessert finds him facing Robespierre's guillotine on the outskirts of Paris. Florence, Italy is also featured in the flick, as Peabody and Sherman detour to ask Leonardo da Vinci for some old-school help in powering up their high-tech ride. A pratfall from Peabody elicits a famous smile from the disagreeable model Mona Lisa, and Sherman takes to the skies in Leonardo's famous flying machine for a glide over the iconic dome of the Florence Cathedral and the bridges of the Arno River.

The threat of Sherman getting removed from his adoptive doggy daddy prompted flashbacks to Sherman's upbringing, and events like his learning to ride a bike ride in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the sleepy beach spot where the Wright brothers pioneered flight from the base of their bicycle shop. Past time travels also took the canine-and-kid duo to the South of France to see Vincent van Gogh paint Starry Night, into India to chill with Ghandi, to London for a stop-off with Shakespeare, with a bend into Bible lore to see baby Moses float down the Nile in a basket.

Ancient Egypt also saw some screen time with Penny nearly getting forced to marry the bratty young royal Tutankhamun, who likely lived in Akhetaten, whose ruins stand today at a site named Amarna around 360 miles south of Cairo. Myth mixes with historical fact for a ride in the Trojan Horse as Agamemnon (voice of Patrick Warburton) leads a gang of proudly unwashed Greeks that are joyously preparing to plunder the City of Troy. Today, the archeological site that's believed to be the historic city is a popular day trip from Istanbul, with some well-preserved Roman architecture among the remnants of the razed fortification.

Jason Bateman Chose L.A. Over D.C. for Bad Words

The dark comedy, which opens in limited release on March 14, got retooled for a trip to Los Angeles.

Jason Bateman said “no thanks” to Washington, D.C. in shooting his directorial debut Bad Words. Bateman pulls double duty in the movie, also starring as a nasty proofreader who uses a loophole to enter a spelling bee with kids. Over the nation's capital, Los Angeles was selected to shoot the low-budget flick that has a planned theatrical roll-out to go national on the 28th.

Bateman explains the production's shift across the country, saying, “It was originally scripted for D.C. It was originally scripted as the Scripps Spelling Bee to be televised on ESPN. I just knew that we probably wouldn't be able to clear those two things because of the content. Scripps would probably say, 'No thanks.'” The “content” Bateman refers to is his foul-mouthed character's habit of bringing naughty words into a spelling bee with kids, a bit of vaguely racist comedy and some sexual content like children discussing nipples.

But it was money that kept the crew from filming Inside the Beltway. Bateman reasons, “ESPN, even if they said 'Yes,' we wouldn't be able to replicate the production value. Location-wise, we just couldn't afford to go to Washington D.C. So it was as simple as changing that it's the Golden Quill Spelling Bee and it's Los Angeles, and it's the Sportsmen's Lodge and it's public television. And that...saves you tons and tons of money.”

Allison Janney, Rachael Harris, Phillip Baker Hall and Kathryn Hahn co-star in the flick that Focus Features picked up at last year's Toronto International Film Festival.