Post Travel: Vineyard Hotels and Borrowing a Boat

Vineyard Hotels

If your idea of summer bliss includes chilled rosé, leafy rows of grapes, and alfresco tasting, a vineyard hotel offers a front-row seat to the season’s most delicious show.

• Ideally situated amid Michigan’s Old Mission Peninsula’s restaurants and wineries, Chateau Chantal (chateauchantal.com) is surrounded by 75 acres of vines and water views. With 12 rooms and suites, the cozy B&B hosts wine dinners, cooking classes, and other wine-centric events. And just 12 miles down the road is Traverse City, home to shops, galleries, cafés, walking trails, and cultural hotspots.
• For a palate-pleasing alternative to Napa Valley, head to California’s Central Coast and Paso Robles, a region ripe with more than 200 wineries. The 171-room Allegretto Vineyard Resort (allegrettovineyardresort.com) sits on 20 acres of lush gardens, with a spa and pool with private cabanas. You can also book a vineyard tour or yoga sessions in the abbey and browse the estate’s impressive art collection. Be sure to sample Allegretto’s private label wine, which pairs well with the Cal-Mediterranean menu at the hotel’s Cello Ristorante & Bar.
• Just 39 miles from Buffalo, New York, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, is a picturesque Victorian-era town in Canada’s most prolific wine-producing province. It’s also a scenic summer HQ for tasting, attending the famous Shaw Festival theatre productions (April to December), and visiting Niagara Falls, less than 30 minutes away. Book one of the 21 rooms and suites at Riverbend Inn & Vineyard (riverbendinn.ca), which dates to 1809 and adjoins the Peller Estates winery, surrounded by 57 acres of vineyards. There’s also a gourmet restaurant, bikes for cycling along the scenic Niagara River Parkway, and a complimentary seated tasting for two at partner winery Peller Estates.

Practical Matters: Weigh Anchor

You don’t need to own a boat to set sail on an epic summer vacation. Boatsetter.com has more than 50,000 vessels in more than 700 locations to choose from, as well as one of the largest networks of certified captains, making it easy to get on the water. The company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Caitlin Choate, tells us more.

Is it easy to use?

As simple as booking a hotel. Search by destination, choose a vessel type, select dates, and decide whether you’d like a licensed captain on board, or you prefer to go without (local licenses may be required).

Do you recommend lakes, rivers, or the open ocean?

Lakes and inland waterways are wonderful for beginners because they offer easy navigation and smooth conditions. Rivers provide a mix of scenery and culture. Coastal trips are perfect for those seeking a bigger adventure.

Where are boaters going? U.S. favorites include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg, Chicago, Seattle, West Palm Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego. These cities have beautiful waterways and are also close to dining, culture, and attractions.

This article is featured in the May/June 2026 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.