Hidden in Plain Sight: Two Destinations Your Travel Agent Wants You to Know About (Before Everyone Else Does)

There's a special kind of joy I get from this work—and it's not just the five-star suites or surprise upgrades (though those are fun). It's the moment I introduce a client to a place they've never even heard of, see their eyes light up with curiosity, and then, a couple of weeks after they return home, get the message: "That was the most incredible trip of my life."

Those are the trips nobody posts a hundred photos from because they're too busy actually living it.

Today, I'm sharing two of those places with you. One is right here in the United States—hiding in plain sight—and the other is tucked somewhere most travelers have never thought to look. Both are extraordinary. Both are still secret enough that you won't be fighting for a beach chair or waiting in a three-hour line to take a photo. But that window? It won't stay open forever.

Full transparency? I haven't stood in the Alabama Hills at sunrise or soaked in a geothermal pool in the Azores—yet. But I've researched both of these destinations the way I research every trip I send a client on: obsessively, specifically, and with the question "would I stake my reputation on this?" firmly in mind. I've read the reviews that don't make it to TripAdvisor. I've talked to travelers who've been. I've cross-referenced the hotels, the whale-watching operators, the restaurants. And what keeps coming back is the same thing—people saying it was the most unexpected trip of their lives. That's the signal I trust. And it's exactly why these two are at the top of my own travel list.

✦ ✦ ✦

US HIDDEN GEM: The Alabama Hills, California

Set your GPS for Lone Pine, California—a small town at the edge of the Eastern Sierra Nevada that most people drive through without stopping on their way to somewhere "better." That would be a mistake.

Just west of Lone Pine, tucked against the dramatic granite face of the Sierra Nevada, are the Alabama Hills: 30,000 acres of ancient, rounded boulders, dramatic arches, and sweeping desert that look like they belong on another planet. On a clear morning, when the sun rises behind you and turns the Alabama Hills a deep amber and the snow-capped peaks of Mount Whitney glow pink above them, you will understand immediately why Hollywood has been filming here for over a century. Over 400 films and TV shows have been shot in these hills—from old Westerns starring Humphrey Bogart and Roy Rogers to modern blockbusters. And yet, on any given weekday, you may have the entire place to yourself.

Why It's Still a Secret

The Alabama Hills sit in a part of California that gets overlooked—the Eastern Sierra, which lacks the name recognition of Yosemite or the beachside glamour of Malibu. Lone Pine itself has fewer than 2,000 residents. The area became a California State Scenic Area in 2019, which has nudged it slightly onto the radar, but "slightly" is still a long way from "crowded." Visit now, because the word is getting out.

Best Time to Visit

March through May for wildflower season, when desert blooms carpet the ground between the boulders. September through November for cooler temperatures and golden light. Avoid midsummer unless you can handle 95°F—though even then, mornings are magical.

Where to Stay

Mid-Range: The Dow Villa Motel & Hotel (Lone Pine)—Historic, clean, and charming. John Wayne and Erroll Flynn used to stay here during filming. Rates start around $120/night and the character is priceless.

Step Up: Drive 45 minutes north to Bishop for luxury with mountain views, or a high-end glamping experience.

Luxury Base: Stay in Mammoth Lakes (1.5 hours north) to experience excellent dining and spa options—and day-trip to the hills.

What to Eat

Alabama Hills Café: a genuine local institution for breakfast and lunch. The huevos rancheros are excellent. For a real meal, drive to Bishop—where Erick Schat's Bakkery has been making shepherd's bread since 1907. It is absurdly good.

What to Do

1. Sunrise photography at Mobius Arch: This natural stone arch frames Mount Whitney perfectly at sunrise. Arrive 45 minutes early with a camera and prepare to be stunned.

2. Movie Road self-guided tour: Download the Alabama Hills Movie Map and find the exact spots where your favorite classic films were shot.

3. Whitney Portal day hike: Even without summiting, the first few miles through pines and granite are spectacular.

4. Manzanar National Historic Site: Three miles south, this deeply moving site preserves Japanese American WWII internment history.

5. Stargazing: The Alabama Hills are in one of California's darkest sky zones. On a clear night, the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye. Bring a blanket and lay on top of a boulder.

Getting There from DFW

Multiple daily flights leaving from DFW with options of taking a 3.5 hour drive through high desert or a 4 hour drive through Death Valley (spring or fall only).

✦ Luxury Upgrade

Pair your Alabama Hills visit with 2-3 nights at an iconic, celebrity-beloved Los Angeles hotel for a decadent city bookend. Or anchor in a high-end mountain lodge nearby and hire a private guide for a fly fishing experience on one of California's most stunning rivers. Ask me what I recommend—I have opinions.

🔑 Pro Tip

The Alabama Hills Bureau of Land Management office issues free day-use permits self-registered on arrival. However, overnight camping fills fast on weekends. If you want to sleep under those stars—and you do—go midweek or reserve months in advance. Cell service is essentially nonexistent in the hills—download your maps offline before you go.

✦ ✦ ✦

INTERNATIONAL HIDDEN GEM: The Azores, Portugal

You have almost certainly never booked a trip to the Azores. This is the part where I gently tell you that you've been sleeping on one of the most extraordinary archipelagos on earth.

Nine volcanic islands rising from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, roughly 1,000 miles west of mainland Portugal—the Azores are what happens when Iceland and the Caribbean have a child and nobody tells anyone. Impossibly green, dotted with crater lakes so blue they look digitally enhanced, lined with hydrangea hedgerows in every shade of violet and pink, warmed by the Gulf Stream, and somehow, almost entirely undiscovered by American tourists.

The main island, São Miguel, is called "The Green Island" for reasons that become obvious the moment you land. At Sete Cidades, two lakes (one green, one blue) sit side by side inside a collapsed volcano. At Furnas, you can cook a meal by burying a pot in geothermally heated soil. At Ponta da Ferraria, natural hot springs bubble directly into the Atlantic Ocean. And at Lagoa do Fogo ("Lake of Fire"), an impossibly blue crater lake reflects the sky so perfectly it makes you question reality.

Why It's Still a Secret

The Azores dropped off the American travel radar decades ago and never quite made it back on. European travelers (particularly the Dutch and Germans) have been visiting for years—but the archipelago lacked direct American flight connections until recently. That changed, and the Azores are now quietly becoming one of the most discussed "next great destinations" in luxury travel circles. The window to arrive before the crowds is now, not later.

Best Time to Visit

May through October for the most reliable weather. July and August are peak months—though "peak" in the Azores is nothing like "peak" in Santorini. Shoulder season—May, June, September—offers cooler temperatures, green landscapes, whale-watching season, and prices that will make you do a double-take.

Where to Stay on São Miguel

Luxury: There's a boutique luxury property on the island built entirely around its geothermal heritage — thermal pools fed by natural springs, an exceptional spa, and design that feels like the island itself conceived it. The rates will pleasantly surprise you for what you get. Ask me about it.

Mid-Range: There's also a wonderful collection of mid-range properties spread across the island—locally rooted, consistently excellent, and the kind of places that feel like they belong there rather than just landed there.

Ultra-Luxury: The ultra-luxury option on the Azores isn't something you'll find on Expedia. Private estates tucked into the island's interior, fully catered, vineyard views, complete seclusion. This is a conversation—and one of my favorites to have.

What to Eat

Cozido das Furnas: The most unique dining experience in Europe. A beef, pork, and vegetable stew slow-cooked for hours in volcanic earth. Eaten at Tony's Restaurant in Furnas, directly next to where the pots are buried. Reserve 24 hours in advance—they stop seating at 1 PM.

Queijadas da Vila: Traditional sweet pastries from Vila Franca do Campo. Azorean cheese: São Jorge cheese, aged in sea caves, is extraordinary. Fresh limpets (lapas) grilled with butter and garlic—humble looking, transcendently delicious.

What to Do

1. Sete Cidades crater hike and viewpoint: The iconic view of twin lakes—one green, one blue. Hike the rim at sunrise for a private experience that will rearrange your priorities.

2. Whale-watching: The Azores sit in the Atlantic migration corridor. Between April and October, sperm whale sightings are essentially guaranteed. Former whalers-turned-conservationists guide these trips with extraordinary intimacy.

3. Furnas geothermal park and valley: Walk among bubbling mud pools, visit the Terra Nostra Garden with its natural thermal swimming pool, and eat your cozido.

4. Caldeira Velha waterfall and thermal pool: A waterfall-fed natural swimming pool in a fern forest. The water is the perfect temperature of a bath. Arrive at opening time.

5. With a full week, I always suggest adding a second island—one so remote and untouched that most travelers have never heard its name. Let's just say: waterfalls pouring directly into the Atlantic Ocean.

Getting There from DFW

Total journey takes approximately 10-11 hours often routing through São Miguel or Lisbon.

✦ Luxury Upgrade

The Azores and Lisbon together makes one unforgettable itinerary—a few nights in the city before or after the islands, with the right hotel, the right dinner, and a fado evening that closes the whole trip perfectly. Two Michelin stars may or may not be involved. Call me.

🔑 Pro Tip

The Azores require NO visa for US passport holders. The currency is the Euro. The roads in São Miguel's interior are narrow and winding—embrace the pace. Most importantly: the Azores are not a beach destination. Come for the landscapes, the food, the thermal experiences, and the extraordinary diving and whale-watching. Come ready to be transformed.

✦ ✦ ✦

Ready to Go Somewhere Extraordinary?

Still thinking about one of these destinations? Good. That means you're already halfway to booking.

Here's what I know after more than five years in this industry: the trips that change people's lives are rarely the ones they planned for years. They're the ones where someone they trusted said, "Trust me—go here"—and they went.

I am that someone for you.

Whether it's the strange, ancient beauty of the Alabama Hills at sunrise or the impossible greens of an Azorean crater lake—I will plan every detail, handle every booking, and make sure your hidden gem experience is everything it should be, with none of the stress.

Your hidden gem is waiting — and the window to experience it while it's still secret won't stay open forever.