Thinking about combining a vacation with a shopping trip? See Top 10 Shopping Destinations to Love -- a coast to coast guide of the best shopping centers in America with information on great places to stay nearby on your vacation.
Jewelry Shopping Vacations
My Dad, a jeweler, had only one hobby, practiced faithfully every time we traveled: He went window-shopping at jewelry stores. In tribute to him, here are three places he would have loved:
Florida: The Breakers
This one-of-a-kind hotel, which defines Southern elegance, has benefitted greatly from a recent facelift. Glittering in the sun, nearby Worth Avenue in Palm Beach houses more than its share of great jewelry stores. A few years ago, we fell in love with a pink, heart-shaped diamond. We could never afford it, but it was exquisite to simply behold.
St. Thomas: Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas
It's a taxi ride from this posh palace by the sea to downtown Charlotte Amalie, where shops glitter with precious gems for sale. And since it's the Virgin Islands, you can take home $1,200 dutyfree. Dad would have been proud.
New York: The Peninsula
A jewel in itself, the Art-Nouveau-style Peninisula is within spending distance of Fifth Avenue's most prestigious jewelers. Tiffany, Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati, Fortunoff, and the stores along Gotham's 47th Street Diamond District all await Dad's discriminating eye.
