Award-Winning Inn Lavishes Wine and Spa Comforts

Within the Stonehedge Inn & Spa's wine-themed Left Bank restaurant, diners sniff and swirl one of seemingly limitless vino options before intoxicating palates in ripened aromas and alluring tannin, herb, and fruit notes. The restaurant's curated wine collection of more than 100,000 bottles has earned the restaurant Wine Spectator's most prestigious and coveted Grand Award. Thanks to co-innkeeper and wine aficionado Levent Bozkurt, the wines are aged to peak flavor in the inn’s wine cave before the restaurant hosts debutante balls for them and presents them to patrons. Although wine is not covered by this Groupon, Left Bank diners can choose a glass or a bottle from the 2,000 selections on the daily wine list to pair with fresh, local fare crafted by executive chef Florent Boutet. A visit to the eatery bolstered by a $50 dinner credit yields such thoughtfully prepared dishes as pan-roasted organic chicken breast ($26) and Angus-beef prime rib eye with herb spätzle ($37.50).

Thirty-six acres of New England woodland frames the Stonehedge Inn & Spa, a recipient of the AAA Four Diamond distinction for 21 consecutive years. The European-style manor rests on a large island on the left bank of the Merrimack River, a 110-mile-long waterway whose history and landscapes were famously commemorated in writing by Henry David Thoreau. Husband-and-wife innkeepers Dawn and Levent Bozkurt draw on their extensive backgrounds in the hospitality industry to create a home-besting respite for guests. Deluxe king and Deluxe double rooms bedecked in French-country furnishings cosset overnighters in stately comfort, and windows and a handful of balconies open to views of the area’s pastures, scenic woodlands, and landscaped gardens. Bodies mend the day’s cares during bathtub soaks in rooms’ European-style marbled bathrooms before wrapping up in warm towel cocoons from the heated rack and in plush robes.

Within the spa, guests can lounge in the indoor pool and jacuzzi, or work up a sweat on the fitness equipment and tennis court. Aestheticians are available to enliven skinscapes with spa services, including tension-kneading massages and facials. The private outdoor deck awaits company to ensconce in quiet time or to join for bouts of sunlight-basking.

Tyngsboro, Massachusetts: A Wooded Retreat Outside Boston

Tyngsboro's location is a springboard for both outdoor recreation hotspots and Boston’s urban metropolis. Less than an hour’s drive northwest to New Hampshire lies Wapack National Wildlife Refuge, a 1,672-acre park built to protect species including hawks, migratory songbirds, deer, bears, coyotes, and foxes. Hikers can tackle a 3-mile segment of the Wapack Trail, a tributary of the Appalachian Trail, which rewards trekkers with mountain views and ample solitude in which to fine-tune yodels. For a taste of pastoral New England, a short drive takes explorers to 300-year-old family-run Smolak Farms, where the fruits of its orchards and berry fields beckon the senses during picking excursions, at the farm stand, and in the petting zoo. The Smolaks' renowned cider donuts seem to invite their way into mouths, sating vocal stomachs before autumn-weekend hayrides.

Boston’s bustle hovers about 40 miles away, with a seemingly endless host of activities to entertain all interests. Attracting curiosities from the world’s many corners, the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail hums with activity as cobblestone roads unveil the past on riveting walking tours that cover 16 historic landmarks, including the site of the Boston Massacre, the Old North Church, and the Bunker Hill monument.

Retail mecca Newbury Street encompasses one of Boston's premiere shopping districts with eight blocks of sidewalk cafes, boutiques, and designer stores tucked into residential brownstones. The street abuts the manicured Boston Public Garden, an urban oasis awash in flowers and dotted with trees, making it an ideal spot for scenic repose or games of tag with the hedges after a day of shopping.