White Sulphur Springs, WV

The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, W.V., is a rare breed: a recently revitalized National Historic Landmark that sprawls on 6,500 acres in the Allegheny Mountains. After a just completed mega-million dollar renewal, the 721-room Greenbrier never looked better. Among the Grande Dame's newest charms are an $80 million, 102,000-square-foot gaming casino slated to open in July, and the first Greenbrier Classic, a PGA golf tournament July 26 to August 1, 2010.

Along with such grown-up goings-on, the Greenbrier offers much for families. What we especially like is that we find all the traditional activities we expect at an AAA Five Diamond property -- swimming, tennis, golf -- plus some that we don't, such as falconry and off-road driving.

For the past few years, the Greenbrier was in financial difficulty. In May 2009 Jim Justice and his Justice Family Group purchased the property and began a multi-millon dollar revitalization. They added new restaurants and refreshed rooms while maintaining the spirit of legendary interior designer Dorothy Draper's decor. Yes, the resort is still a swirl of pink and green, but the hotel exudes a new sparkle plus such modern touches as WiFi, a trendy steakhouse and new restaurants to debut in the casino area.

People have been coming to the Greenbrier since 1778. Called the White Sulphur Springs hotel for its first 125 years, the property's healing waters lured the rich and famous. Closed during the Civil War, the resort gained a wider audience with arrival of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The company purchased the resort in 1910, added the Greenbrier Hotel to the existing cottages and an 18-hole golf course. Among the luminaries who vacationed at the property in 1914, the first time the resort remained open year-round, were President and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and Joseph and Rose Kennedy, who honeymooned at the Greenbrier in October.

For more than 30 years, the Greenbrier kept a Cold War secret. Between about 1959 to 1962, the federal government built a vast underground Emergency Relocation Center, or bunker. In case of nuclear attack or other deadly security threat, the entire U.S. Congress was to be relocated to the bunker. After the Washington Post exposed the bunker in 1992, the government phased-out the facility. You can tour the underground facility, part of which is used for data storage for Fortune 500 companies.

With its casino and updated restaurants, the Greenbrier's betting on a new customer. For long-time fans, the Grande Dame still exudes southern charm. After a four-and-a half hour drive from Washington, D.C., we arrive in the afternoon, greeted by trays of sweets, glasses of wine and water. After all, the lady knows how to entertain.

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