So snap away, post and participate in this fun summer contest celebrating one of Tuscany’s timeless traditions!

To spend your sunsets with us as an Owner at Castello di Casole, please contact us at 866.963.5005 (toll free in the US) or via email at info@castellodicasole.com. For info about Hotel Castello di Casole, please contact us at 888.927.2580 (toll free in the US) or via email at reservations@castellodicasole.com.

The classic Memorial Day activity is, of course, a good old-fashioned American barbeque. Plenty of Timbers properties  — Esperanza Resort, One Steamboat Place and Dancing Bear Aspen to name a few — offer the opportunity to do your own grilling. But the annual Springtime Barbeque at The Orchard at Carneros Inn is an especially fun way for wine-loving adults to celebrate the holiday.

Guests are asked to come armed with their favorite bottle of wine to the courtyard at FARM and blind taste test each others’ picks while enjoying an al fresco feast prepared by the popular restaurant with their menu of California cuisine. Activities include friendly rounds of bocce and mingling with friends old and new.

The private club Mayacama in nearby Sonoma is the hot spot for families with a Saturday, Memorial Day Barbecue at the Swim & Tennis, with food and activities to keep parents and children of all ages entertained. The same weekend, the resort also hosts the Mayacama Cup Match Play Championship, making it the ultimate time for golfers to pay a visit.

Finally, just because Memorial Day is an American holiday, it doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate abroad. It’s the perfect time to head to Castello di Casole in Tuscany where you can raise a glass at the Visconti Cocktail Party, thrown in honor of the the period when Mr. Luchino Visconti was producing famous films and hosting epic cocktail parties at the estate. Throw back a classic cocktail or try the weekly mixology.

Learn more about Timbers Resorts and ways to celebrate your holidays by contacting us via email at info@timbersresorts.com or by phone, 888.366.6641.

The 2013 Food & Wine Classic.

The annual event held June 14-16 this year in Aspen, Colorado, puts the who’s who of food and wine all in one place so eager epicureans can rub elbows with the best in the industry. The three-day fest features cooking demos, wine seminars, reserve tastings and panel discussions. Novice chefs can master the art of the Swedish Meatball with Marcus Samuelsson or learn how to prepare a Sicilian summer supper with Mario Batali. While oenophiles can indulge in tastings from top wineries like Pritchard Hill and California’s Sin Qua Noa.

While the Food & Wine Classic’s daytime schedule is chock full of interesting tidbits, it’s the glitzy after-hours events that really give guests of the fest something to Tweet about. Last year’s hot tickets included Chef Jose Andres’ party, which was held in a mind boggling $26.9 million mansion, as well as the Casa Tua after-party hosted by Food & Wine restaurant editor Kate Krader and Belvedere Vodka.

This year, attendees should mark their calendars for these two not-to-be-missed evening events:

Last Bite Dessert Bash

Those with a sweet tooth take note: this party at the Hotel Jerome on June 14promises a never ending array of decadent desserts well into the wee hours of the morning. Hosted by Food & Wine’s own Gail Simmons (who also happens to be a judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef”), this soiree will feature sweet treats like cakes, parfaits, tarts and petit-fours from celebrity chefs including Johnny Iuzzini. As Marie Antoinette said, “Let them eat cake!”

25th Anniversary Best New Chefs Party

Get ready to mingle with your favorite culinary stars while enjoying creative cocktails and premiere wines at this star-studded bash held Saturday June 15 on the Sundeck at the Top of Aspen Mountain. In honor of the quarter century milestone, Food & Wine will be honoring Best New Chefs of past and present, including Josh Besh and David Chang.

Ticketholders staying at Dancing Bear Aspen are in luck. Last year the luxury resort’s rooftop lounge (which conveniently overlooks the Grand Tasting Pavilion in Wagner Park) was host to a bevy of premier nighttime events. As a Timbers Resorts Owner, you’ll not only enjoy invitations to their special celebration, but you won’t have far to go to be in the center of the action.

For tickets to Last Bite and the Best New Chefs Party visit Stay Aspen Snowmass or call 1.877.900.WINE.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts, contact us via email at info@timbersresorts.com or by phone, 888.366.6641.

What probably doesn’t come up, or at least perhaps not immediately, is physical exercise – much less an early,  winding foot race. But at this year’s Food & Wine Classic in Aspen from June 14 – 16, one of the top events will be just that: a brisk5K run, starting at 7 AM, and hosted by celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

What could possibly get America’s best and brightest toques out of bed and into their running shoes while many of the Food & Wine Classic’s participants are still sleeping off the previous evening’s kick-off parties? The short answer is a good cause: Flay’s 5K raises money to support Wholesome Wave, a charity that supports small farms and works to bring fresh, locally-grown produce to some of America’s lesser fortunate .

It’s hard to imagine a charity that would be closer to a chef’s heart: in 28 states, Wholesome Wave takes on America’s worst food struggles at both ends of the process. On the production side, it partners with some of America’s remaining privately-owned farms, helping them find outlets to sell their produce. On the opposite side, it helps bring food to neighborhoods that often don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

But even apart from the good cause, there are few better places to work up an appetite. The 5K begins just a few blocks away from Dancing Bear Aspen – A Timbers Resorts Residence Club. The start/finish is in Rio Grande Park, loops through Aspen’s tony West End neighborhood, through the Aspen Meadows Resort and down the Rio Grande Trail back to the park. Along the course, runners will take in views of Aspen’s stunning mountains, the breathtaking landscape that served as the inspiration for former local John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High.”

If that’s not reason enough for joining in the run, there are the rest of the participants. Last year’s 5K featured some of the nation’s top foodsmiths, including Chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Richard Blaise and, of course, Flay himself. Top Chef star Spike Mendelsohn tried to make it, but later admitted that he was unable to drag himself out of bed. As for Top Chef star Fabio Viviani, it’s hard to say if he actually ran the race: he showed up and traveled the route…in a wagon that was pulled by another runner!

Bobby Flay’s 5K will run from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on June 14. Early bird registration is $30, and includes an official registration bag and C-9 tee. If you’re in the area, come out to support a great cause, meet some of America’s best chefs, and work up an appetite for America’s premier food festival!

To learn more about ownership opportunities at Dancing Bear Aspen, please contact us at 855.920.2510 (toll free in the US) or 970.920.2510 (direct) or via email at info@dancingbearaspen.com.

Twice an Olympic competitor, and a World Cup finalist to boot — those achievements representing just some of his now legendary runs — Fleischer’s dedication and deeply felt love for downhill athletics is renown.

As he is inducted into the Hall of Fame this year — receiving the same honors that have been bestowed upon his fellow pioneers, proponents, and envelope-pushers of the sport — Fleischer’s status in the very community that supported him throughout his career is now part of the record for all time.

“This induction says to me that my peers in the sport, those that are already in the Ski Hall of Fame, feel that my contributions to the sport of skiing are important enough and of enough value to be recognized and inducted in 2013,” he said. “It truly is a great honor.”

Fleischer’s been a Colorado resident since the age of 10. He lives right in Steamboat Springs, and he keeps shop — Fleischer Sport — at One Steamboat Place – A Timbers Resort.

As he describes it, continuing and contributing to every skier’s passion is simply a natural extension of his already rich relationship with the sport.

“It is inside me and it’s who I am and what I love,” said Fleischer. “Working with Timbers Resorts is a great way to share this passion, as most clients are families and, in many cases, it spans multiple generations.

“Skiing is a very social sport and One Steamboat Place and Timbers Resorts have embraced this and delivered an exceptional product and one-of-a-kind experience with the apres-ski gatherings every day, slopeside ski valet services, and world class lodging and amenities,” Fleischer said. “In my sport, and in my business, it is and has always been about being the best, being a true professional, and in working together with Timbers Resorts I feel we share the same vision.”

Fleischer’s Hall of Fame induction is scheduled for later this year. See the organization’s website for more details and a calendar of events.

To learn more about ownership opportunities at One Steamboat Place, please contact us at 970.875.1000 or via email at info@onesteamboatplace.com.

The hide-and-seek style craze is a network of family-friendly treasure hunts driven by GPS for users who log in at Geocaching.com.

Based on your location, you seek out virtual and real-world markers that other travelers have left to find — a crowd-sourced guide, if you will, to fun and remarkable spots.

What follows are some highlights from the Geocaching database. Follow the links to find caches of your own (all of the searches we ran were within five miles of Timbers Resorts properties’ front doors).

One Steamboat Place: Steamboat Springs offers some 32 geocaches, all of them close to One Steamboat Place. From the 45 acres of Rita’s Fork to the core trail of Botanical Park, you can start your search at the Geocaching website.

The Sebastian – Vail: Following the geocache trail will take you to mountain views from Spraddle Creek Road and to the deep trails some 10,400 feet into the mountain woods.

Dancing Bear Aspen: Explore Aspen’s charming downtown, cache by cache, and then track the treasures in Wilton Jaffee, Sr. Park (and beyond). It’s a hunt-and-seek adventure one dozen locations large in the Dancing Bear corner of this skiers’ paradise.

The Preserve at Botany Bay: Slip down to a local’s beach on Hull Bay. Visit the ships by the wave-washed pier. Geocachers have been to St. Thomas before you, and seven of their secret destinations await.

The Orchard at The Carneros Inn: Some of the cache-makers in Sonoma County have left markers on movie locations — such as from The Candidate with Robert Redford — and some have tagged scenic creekside trails. There are hundreds to choose from in the area. 

Mayacama: Into Shiloh Park you’ll go, and into Wine Country for vineyard views. With nearly 200 in the Mayacama area, you’ll never run out of options.

Castello di Casole: Three geocaches lie in wait for searchers in this part of Tuscany. Visit Le Vergene Castle and slip into Mensano to see its church. Casole d’Elsa – the town for which Castello di Casole is named – is also one of these select destinations.

Esperanza: You might end up close to the museum in Cabo, or you may find yourself climbing to a perch above the white-sand beaches, but the 10 caches near Esperanza are designed to open your eyes to the lush landscape in all-new ways.

The Rocks: From a puzzle on Pinnacle Peak to views of Scottsdale from Goldie Brown Butte, you’re in for high desert action on this geocache trail.

Doonbeg: Train lovers are in for a treat in the town of Doonbeg, where Geocaching leads them to the last engine in the county — the Old No. 5 from 1892, running on what remains of the West Clare Railway.

Owners and guests at Timbers Resorts: get ready to search! Vistas, history, and tucked-away secrets of each of our luxury fractional resort areas await.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts and discover places to geocache near our properties, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.963.4626 (direct) or via e-mail at info@timbersresorts.com.

Italy is filled with some of the world’s most beautiful churches. Each town in Tuscany has its own Duomo, literally translating to “cathedral,” with some of the most impressive in Florence, Lucca and Siena.

Black and White

Siena’s medieval Duomo is the definition of jaw-dropping. The exterior and interiors adorned in alternating stripes of white and black marble — black and white being the symbolic colors of Siena — and is an astounding site on a massive scale. The floor is as impressive as the walls, covered in 56 etched and inlaid marble panels designed by 40 famous artists between 1369 and 1547 but not finished until the 1800s, after six centuries of work.

For a limited time only, (April 6 – October 27, 2013) Siena’s majestic Cathedral Il Duomo is offering a new itinerary called La Porta Del Cielo (The Door to the Sky). After years of restoration, the public will be able to admire the ‘sky’ of the Cathedral: a series of rooms never open to the public, together with a walking tour around the Duomo roofs with breathtaking views of the old city. Just say the word and the Castello di Casole concierge will make arrangements.

Art Enthusiasts

Perhaps the only thing more plentiful in Tuscany than churches is art. Even the smallest towns have rich offerings from Italian masters on display everywhere from museums to town squares.

Florence is, of course, one of the world’s great art centers, but villages from Vinci to Pisa are well worth exploration by art lovers. For a unique experience, from April 19 – May 31, Siena is also organizing “Aperitivi d’Arte con Caravaggio,” or “Aperitif and Art with Caravaggio.”

Every Friday from 7 to 9:30 pm enjoy an outdoor aperitif in front of the Duomo’s Crypt followed by a guided visit to Caravaggio masterpiece “San Giovanni Battista” (displayed in the Crypt until August 18).

One of the best ways to enjoy Tuscany’s culture is to simply explore. But if you want to cover a lot of ground efficiently, there are a plethora of memorable tours for engaging with the culture of Tuscany as well, with focuses from religion to art to fashion and beyond. However, one of the best is the Mystery Tour of Tuscany with Galgano Tours. These private one-day tours, with departure on request, can be arranged to discover charming villages, mysterious fortresses and timeless wonders. The tour begins in Monteriggioni, continues to Saint Galgano Abbey where the ancient sword in the stone is, and ends in Siena where visitors will discover the Museum of Physiocrats and the mysteries hidden in the Duomo’s walls.

To learn more about ownership opportunities at Castello di Casole, please contact us at 866.963.5005 (toll free in the US) or via email at info@castellodicasole.com. Or please reach us at +39.0577.967511 (in Europe) or via email at infoeurope@castellodicasole.com

For availability and reservations at Hotel Castello di Casole, please contact us at 888.927.2580 (toll free in the US) or +39.0577.961508 (in Europe) or via email at reservations@castellodicasole.com.

If anyone knows how truly inspirational the area is, it’s local artist Eva Munarin. It was on holiday in Montelupo Fiorentino (one of the most famous ceramics towns in Tuscany) that she decided to put down roots and study pottery at the Scuola di Ceramica di Montelupo Fiorentino. Eva’s ceramic training is strongly tied to the Florentine Renaissance tradition. She creates her hand-decorated ceramics with an artisan procedure that utilizes various styles such as the historic “Majolica” technique, which results in characteristic lines and dots indicative to the firing process.

Thankfully, her love affair with Tuscany didn’t end there. Years later, Munarin’s husband was offered a job at Castello di Casole, giving them the amazing opportunity to move onto the estate. It was there that Ms. Munarin opened her first studio with a pottery exhibition in 2006. Owners at Castello di Casole are familiar with Eva from classes she has offered over the years and buying souvenirs and gifts from her boutique.

Though she has since relocated to Mensano, a village she dubs, “one of the most amazing small villages you could find in Tuscany,” she speaks fondly of her time on the estate. ”Castello di Casole is an absolute dream for me, ” says Munarin. “The air is so clean and the landscape is the same as it was 100 years ago. ”

Take a page from Ms. Munarin’s book and create your own Tuscan inspired art in one of her  watercolor painting or pottery classes — they’re open to Owners and hotel guests of all ages and abilities. Or venture off property to get your creative juices flowing (and sip on a little vino) with an art class/ wine tasting at Camporignano Farm.

A third option is to venture to her studio in Mensano. Peruse and purchase items from her collection and engage in a friendly tête-à-tête with the artist herself . Though some of her pieces are very traditional using Majolica, the refined, white-glazed pottery of the Italian Renaissance, Ms. Munarin also offers contemporary pieces like metal, glass and ceramic sculptures inspired by “the heart and the fire.”

For more information about Eva and her ceramics, please visit: evapottery.eu

To learn more about ownership opportunities at Castello di Casole, please contact us at 866.963.5005 (toll free in the US) or via email at info@castellodicasole.com. Or please reach us at +39.0577.967511 (in Europe) or via email at infoeurope@castellodicasole.com

For availability and reservations at Hotel Castello di Casole, please contact us at 888.927.2580 (toll free in the US) or +39.0577.961508 (in Europe) or via email at reservations@castellodicasole.com.

From world peace to better ways of living in the poor and rural parts of the country, the goals and ideals that Anna Jarvis and Julia Ward carved into our calendars, starting in the 1800s, are about passion and caring for everyone.

At its core, Mother’s Day still represents that idea. These days, the vibe is a bit lighter and the day has become synonymous with the trappings of springtime, but the message is still the same.

At Timbers Resorts, Owners and guests enjoy Mother’s Day by gathering together and giving Mom some time to revive on her own. The table is set, the flowers are in bloom, the spas are open and the special activities are on the schedule. Here are some highlights of Mother’s Day at three of our luxury fractional resort properties.

The Sebastian – Vail

Vail is rich with ways to celebrate the day. Start with deluxe accommodations at The Sebastian, and then add to that a generous afternoon at the award-winning Bloom Spa (included with the booking).

Later, tour the town where the boutiques are abuzz with Mother’s Day specials. Expect the restaurants to be flush with breakfasts and lunches catering to mom (and the whole clan as well).

Mother’s Day packages at The Sebastian start at $199 per night. Call 800.785.9161 to make arrangements. We’ll see you mountainside on May 12!

The Orchard at The Carneros Inn

Napa is known for wine, and — naturally, if you think about it — it’s equally beloved for cuisine. Mother’s Day Brunch at FARM, The Carneros Inn’s hot spot sets a special table on Sunday. As Owners at The Orchard at The Carneros Inn can attest – the menu should speak for itself! See below for some of the highlights:

MAINE LOBSTER BISQUE: Tarragon Cream, Brandy, Levain Croutons

HEARTS OF ROMAINE: Local Cherries, Roasted Fennel, Marcona Almonds, Ricotta Salata, Bacon Vinaigrette

PRIME NEW YORK: Mushroom Ragout, Spring Onions, Crispy Artichokes, Bordelaise

EGGS BENEDICT: Duck Confit Hash, Garden Greens, Hollandaise

AHI TUNA: Aleppo Chili, Peperonata, Lemon Condimento

MINI DESSERT TRIO:

Lemon Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd and Raspberries; Blueberry Macaroon Napoleon with Crème Fraiche and Almond; Dark Chocolate Coffee Ganache with Lady Fingers and Mascarpone Cream

Reservations are available at 707.299.4880. Brunch is scheduled from 10 am to 2:15 pm for a prix fixe ($79 for adults; $39.50 for children under 12; free for children under 5).

Mayacama

Mother’s Day is a two-day affair at Mayacama.

Mom and the whole family can begin their weekend by lifting a glass overlooking the lush green of Sonoma with the All Vintner Pour on Saturday. On Sunday, Denise Silveira, our activities director, gathers the younger set in the Kids’ Room for activities (time to make Mother’s Day gifts!) and brunch. Later, plan on a mid-afternoon getaway to Mayacama’s Spa.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts and ways to celebrate Mom with us, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.963.4626 (direct) or via e-mail at info@timbersresorts.com.

BALANCE – the word means different things to each of us yet it is something most of us seek in our lives. The Spa at One Steamboat Place has created an opportunity for you to define and discover your meaning of BALANCE while also recognizing where it is missing in your life and finding the tools to access it.

This three-day package includes:

• Yoga classes and one-on-one life balance coaching with our guide for the retreat, nationally known teacher, trainer and personal coach, Valerie D’Ambrosio.
• Luxurious accommodations at the spectacular One Steamboat Place.
• A rejuvenating professional treatment from our professional team of therapists at The Spa.
• All meals and snacks including a private chef for Friday dinner and Saturday lunch.
• Guided hikes on Steamboat’s trails with Valerie and yoga instructor Cristen Malia.
• Ayurveda instruction with Becky Obray, a professional Ayurveda specialist.
•  A BALANCE Retreat-specific menu at a dinner at Café Diva, one of Steamboat’s finest dining establishments.

*Please note, space is limited – reserve your place today.

Join us for this unique retreat by contacting One Steamboat Place by calling 970.870.5103 or via email at reservations@onesteamboatplace.com.