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A holiday-themed cocktail part of Opal's seasonal cocktail program.

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Top Holiday Cocktails To Ring in 2026
These holiday cocktails – part of Opal’s specialty holiday cocktail program – aren’t just complex symphonies of flavor, they’re liquid works of art. And we’ve got the recipes for you to recreate during your own holiday festivities.
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A Florida-themed Christmas ornament on a tree.

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5 Game-Changing Benefits of Taking Your Holidays on Vacation
If the stress of your holiday hustle has been weighing you down (especially if you’re the one hosting the festivities), this may be an article you want to read. Because a holiday week getaway may just be the best gift you can give yourself.
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Aerial view of a winding coastal road bordered by dense forest with autumn foliage, rocky cliffs, and waves crashing against the shoreline below.

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Why Mount Desert Island Was Voted America’s Favorite Island
It wasn’t a tropical escape that scored number one in the “Top 15 Islands in the Continental U.S.” list in Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Awards. It was a lobster-claw-shaped piece of land off the craggy coast of Downeast Maine.
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The view of Frenchman Bay from Bar Harbor

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A Coveted Coastal New England Road Trip
The beauty of a multi-day, 220-mile road trip up the craggy coast from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Bar Harbor, Maine isn’t just the plethora of enticing pit stops along the route – from high culture to scenic coves. It’s also the way that Opal properties serve as your easy and convenient overnight waypoints for piecing together one epic coastal cruise.
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A man and three children, all wearing swimwear, run and play together on a sandy beach with Sandpearl Resort in the background.

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Best Family Beach Resorts in Florida
Planning a family beach vacation to Florida? From morning splash time to sunset s’mores, Opal Collection offers a variety of beach resorts up and down the coast that take the hassle out of family vacations.
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A serene beach scene unfolds in Clearwater, Florida, with a long pier extending into calm, blue waters. Sandy dunes with patches of grass grace the foreground. The clear sky holds a whisper of clouds near the horizon, while small structures dot this idyllic attraction on the pier.

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Must-See Clearwater Florida Attractions You Never Knew About
Think you’ve experienced all of Clearwater Beach? This list of hidden gems might make you think again.
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A father and daughter play in the gin-clear waters of Jupiter, Florida.

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6 Best Crystal-Clear Water Beaches in Florida that Rival the Caribbean
You don’t need a passport to frolic in the blue waves identical to what you’d find in everyone’s favorite tropical sea. You just need these favorite Florida beaches.
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A family enters the lobby at Hutchinson Island Beach Resort & Spa.

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10 Experiences to Level Up Your Next Opal Escape
Opal Collection resorts and hotels are more than just luxurious places to lay your head. From private chef-led culinary events to hands-on outdoor adventures you’ll be raving about for years to come, here’s how our collection can craft and connect you to indelible experiences that discerning travelers covet.
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ice cream month

National Ice Cream Month: The Scoop on Our Favorite Flavors

From blueberry basil to guava, Opal destinations boast dozens of unique ice cream flavors within a cone’s throw. Join us on a taste bud–led tour in celebration of July as National Ice Cream Month. Marble Cake [Lake George, NY] Martha’s Dandee Cream near The Sagamore maintains a…

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Father's Day 2015

Father’s Day Gift Guide

This year for Dad, don’t settle for anything that comes in a box. Give him one of these six OPAL experiences in our Father’s Day gift guide that will have him raving for years. Night Photography in Acadia [Bar Harbor, ME] Give him a different perspective of Acadia…

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A woman and a child playfully pose at the beach, holding hands. Both wear sunglasses and casual summer clothes. The woman bends down to kiss the childs nose, and gentle waves touch their feet under a clear blue sky.

The Opal Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Instead of picking out flowers or sending a quick card to Mom this year, why not find her a present that recaps your last vacation together? We’ve curated a Mother’s Day gift guide for unique treasures made to remind Mom of the allure of the Eastern coastline. Combing the Beach [Bar…

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opal collection surfing

Exploring the Florida Surfing Scene

It’s certainly not Hawaii or California, but Florida has some of the best breaks, not to mention some of the biggest names in surfing. Cocoa Beach, just north of Opal Collection’s Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa, is home to six-time world champion Kelly Slater and plays host to the…

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Jazz month festivals

Festivals and Fixes for Your Jazz Month Cravings

April is Jazz Appreciation Month. To celebrate, we’re highlighting the best ways to get your jazz  fix, no matter if you’re exploring the coast of Maine or playing footsie with some golden sand on the coast of Florida. June Freihofer’s Jazz Festival [Saratoga Springs, NY] Just 30 minutes south of…

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Aerial view of Sarasota reveals a narrow strip of land with a sandy beach separating the green-tinted ocean on the left from a dark blue river or lagoon on the right. The landscape, nestled in this coastal paradise, is dotted with dense green vegetation and a winding dirt path.

10 Reasons to Visit Sarasota, Florida

While the circus may be its cultural signature (and there’s nothing wrong with that), there’s more to Sarasota than just Ringling and trapeze art. 1. Pristine Mid-Century Architecture Few realize that Sarasota is home to some of the country’s finest examples of mid-century modern architecture. Architectural enthusiasts that are in…

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Ghost Orchid

Ghost of a Chance

Catching a glimpse of a ghost orchid is rare, but even rarer is the multiple blooms this mysterious flower continues to produce in Naples’s swamps. By Jason Fitzroy Jeffers “Can you see it?” asks RJ Wiley, pointing high up into the dense tangle of trees in the swamp before me.

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