Imagine having your own beautiful cottage in the middle of a vast winery. Then imagine yourself standing in your own private patio, overlooking gently sloping mountains dotted with rows and rows of bright green grapevines.

Fall is a wonderful time to visit Manhattan, and one of the awesome things about the city at any time of year is the variety of cuisines available. In this issue of Agenda, we feature two delightful restaurants in the Big Apple that offer scrumptious food and charming ambience inspired by two different countries—France and Italy. So join us in reading about Orsay Brasserie & Bar and Bar Italia in New York, New York.

The Napa Valley Wine Train is a collection of early 20th century dining cars, dessert cars, a wine-tasting car, lounge cars and 5 locomotives that keep it chugging along 36 miles of track. The last car is the Vista Dome Car, which is the most romantic.

The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, California is a little like the wine they produce and sell. You don’t know how good it is until you try it! The 2008 Trinitas Zinfandel they graciously give each guest was outstanding, as was our stay at this very special resort.

Sitting in the lobby of the people-friendly and pet-friendly Cypress Inn in Carmel, California, you can’t help but feel nostalgic for Doris Day. Although not physically present, her aura fills the halls and walls of this lovely hotel, which she co-owns, in downtown Carmel.

If you think Afternoon Tea is for silver-haired ladies wearing white gloves and carrying Gideon bibles, think again. High Tea, an almost century-old tradition, is one of the best “it’s-so-old-it’s-new” foodie experiences at the Palm Court in the Plaza Hotel. This is the perfect spot to get together with friends for a luscious treat. Everything is prepared fresh at the hotel with the best organic and local ingredients, sourced from a variety of New York regions.

The Paramount Hotel is about as convenient as you can get. And comfortable, too. Add to that its style and friendly atmosphere, and you have a great place to stay at a great price, right in the midst of where it’s all happening!

The lobby area is warm and graceful. It actually feels as if you are in a private residence. That feeling continues when you get to your room. Our one-bedroom suite on the 12th floor was elegant and welcoming. It gives you the feeling of home. Or the home you wish you had!

While the fashion crowd went from studio-to-studio, we went from hotel-to-hotel, moving from one to the next to accommodate each hotel’s prior reservations. Our “hotel hopping” proved to be more fun than trouble, and the beautiful weather and close proximity made our moves easy. It was also economical and healthy; saving on cabs and walking all around the city helped us burn off the accumulated calories of too many desserts at New York’s finest restaurants, bakeries, and coffee houses.

Prominently located on Lake Conroe, approximately 60 miles north of Houston and 140 miles from Austin, La Torretta dwarfs all other hostelries in the area. Entering from the highway is a long driveway, taking you past the golf course, specialty villas, the spa, water park, conference center and Chez Roux to the hotel’s modern entryway.