LOEWS Summer/Fall 2011 - (Page 38)
(continued from page 36) Should the mood hit, explore downtown St. Petersburg’s burgeoning art scene, ranging from the stunning new Dalí Museum to an exclusive Chihuly Collection of glass art at the Morean Arts Center. The resort concierge staff can give you pointers and help with transportation and other arrangements. Or get into the island lifestyle of funky Pass-a-Grille Beach, a short bike ride away. Have lunch with a view of the bay or beach. Hop a ferry to a deserted island full of shells, then stop at Evander Preston to splurge on extravagant art jewelry that celebs have popped up to five figures to wear. Back at the resort, the shopping must go on! Browse for jewelry, beach togs, and souvenirs, then hit Uncle Andy’s Ice Cream Parlor for a pick-me-up. Retire to your room or suite, where the feel is a cross between The Great Gatsby and Under the Tuscan Sun—in other words, romantic enough to inspire great literature. The luxurious bedding, exquisite crown molding, sumptuous gulf views and plush appointments will make you feel like absolute celebrities. THAT’S NOT SURPRISING, THOUGH: The Don CeSar Resort has more than a strand of celebrity in its DNA. Since it opened its majestic doors in 1928, the famous and powerful have entered, lingered, laughed, loved and lounged on the beach. The design itself probably played a huge role in the draw: Thomas Rowe supposedly went 300% over budget in making his pink castle evoke the romantic palaces of the Mediterranean and Spain via rounded balconies, turrets, arches, sweeping balustrade stairways, intricate ornamentation and red clay tile roofs. Once F. Scott Fitzgerald had declared it a “hotel in an island wilderness” in Tender is the Night, the fame flamed. Clarence Darrow, Lou Gehrig, Al Capone, and other important period figures upped the hotel’s star power until Rowe died unexpectedly in 1940, and The Don fell into debt. With the advent of World War II, the federal government purchased the building to use as a military hospital. During those years more famous guests such as Cary Grant and Joe DiMaggio showed up to support troops on the mend. In fact, every U.S. President from the 1940s through George W. Bush has stayed in the Don’s seventh floor Presidential Suite. These days, the hotel’s guest roster includes such names as Elton John and Justin Timberlake. And let’s not forget Chelle and Rob Walton. Now in our empty-nest years, we’ve discovered that an occasional tryst with the Pink Lady adds a blush of new romance to our lifetime together. We may not be statesmen or celebs, but it only takes a short visit to the Loews Don CeSar Resort to make us feel an intricate part of a history of romance and intrigue in a fairy-tale setting where pampering and posh take us far away
loews magazine
from the everyday.
38
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of LOEWS Summer/Fall 2011
The Great Outdoors
Shore Things
Carmen Herrera
The Right App-Titudes
Spice Routes
Futiles Fixes
Music City Sampler
The Future of Flying
The Stories Behind the Songs
Romantic Pleasure in the Pink Palace
Philly 2.0
The Breakfast Club
Local Living
News and Notes
LOEWS Summer/Fall 2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/Loews/winterspring2013
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https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/Loews/winter_spring_2012
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https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/Loews/winter_spring_2011
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