Even one morning during our stay that starts off storm laden, unlike when IвЂ™m in most urban environs, I derive peace from the moody weather as I gaze at the rain splattering the salt marsh cove. With the seemingly never ending sight of sun and sky as well as the opportunity to savor the sunrise from the dining area and the sunset from the opposite side of the Great Room where a spacious deck is accessed by tall sliding glass doors that come off the living room, itвЂ™s as if this accommodation was designed just for me - a self described nature lover who spiritually wilts when not saturated with natural light. Not only are the pair of Carriage House Suites completely separate from the InnвЂ™s other guest accommodations - something that assures privacy galore - but they are the only guest quarters with scenic views of both the pond and the salt marsh cove. Walking up the flight of stairs to the open-plan Great Room (with living/dining/kitchen areas), IвЂ™m immediately struck by the sun flooding this many windowed space thatвЂ™s graced with a soaring ceiling. Luckily, we found that - and more - when we checked into one of the two new Carriage Houses Suites at the Weekapaug Inn in Westerly, Rhode Island.ДЄmong this boutique propertyвЂ™s 33 guest rooms are the two airy Carriage House Suites that just debuted in September. We wanted to be enwrapped in a sense of the serene and the scenic with over-the-top privacy. I didnвЂ™t want any raucous bar or restaurant scenes, nor bustling parks or crowded sandy stretches. So, several months ago, I developed a pandemic travel plan for mental and physical well being: Each month a friend and I would rent a car and spend several nights in a luxe, nature-based locale that was also uber COVID-conscious and no more than three hours from Manhattan. After all, IвЂ™m a New York City resident and travel journalist who normally spends much of the year on the road, indulging in myriad outdoor activities that energize my spirit. For someone like myself who craves sun drenched beaches, lakefront picnics, morning kayak adventures, and peaceful bird watching walks, 2020 has been a difficult and frustrating year. And thatвЂ™s especially the case now when weвЂ™re all trying to stay safe and well (and sane) as the pandemic rages on and the days grow shorter and darker.

For me, itвЂ™s the little things that count.

Endless sky hunt down