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From hills — Beverly Hills, that is, to beach — Santa Monica Beach, that is, Loews has you covered in Southern California climes.

I knew I am in Los Angeles when first billboard I spot is shouting out an advertisement for Prozac on Pico Blvd that runs right past Loews Beverly Hills.

The Loews Beverly Hills . . .

But staying at a Loews hotel is certainly no need for Prozac. Beverly Hills has a new neighbor sitting 12 stories atop a hillside with great views of Beverly Hills and LA downtown skyscrapers. The famous shopping street — Rodeo Drive — merges off Beverwil Drive a block away from hotel and wriggles down to high society leather, jewels, and dining emporiums.

Beverly Hills residents don’t really have a new neighbor — Loews Beverly Hills Hotel is formerly a Renaissance Hotel that was originally built in 1964 and known as Hillcrest, but Loews has modernized property throughout, an easy entrance hot spot for Hollywood studio executives.

Fantasia, 2004 winner of American Idol contest, is checking out day I am checking in and a film crew is catching her on tape.

The hotel is regionally trendy with locals, too. I guess originally hotel must have been platted on a real estate map at one time as Lot 1224, which is address of hotel at 1224 Beverwil Drive, and also name of hotel's hot, chic restaurant, where new and up-coming and soon-to-be-famous Chef Eric Rillos offers up premium cuisine (Be there for Friday night Red Couch Sessions, so named because of huge red leather couch wrapping around restaurant.).

The Loews Beverly Hills is a small, almost boutique hotel, with only 137 rooms and suites; VIPs and business executive use place as a second office complex, I think. The concierge, Steve, ensconces himself on 10th Floor, and he is a delightful resource of local golf, activities, entertainment, and dining information. He is fun just to sit and talk with, even if you don’t need his insights.

Now that Western world is on a low carbs diet courtesy of late Dr. Atkins, and with even Coke recently launching C2, a low carb cola, Loews has taken mantra a little farther with “No Carbtails”, or low-carb cocktails. Because Southern California usually sets fad standards that are as ephemeral and chimera as next pop star staying at hotel, I am certain cocktail recipes will rush across nation just like a Santa Monica beach wave. The hotel has also gone retro with a choice of high protein and low carb dinners.

The Metro Man . . .

If you are into low carb groove then you must be sophisticated enough to become a Metrosexual. I am caught off guard with term, but hotel packages a complete haute vacation around trend.

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Thick, eastern Tennessee hardwoods hug The Iron Mountain Inn, standing in glossy magnificence against a backdrop of green mountains and crystal clear brooks.

We pull into circular drive of Iron Mountain Inn after a two hour trip; last 15 miles are up a beautifully winding highway that forms an arbor umbrella in heart of Cherokee National Forest, a spur of Appalachians.

Inn owner, Vicki, greets us on porch of her gorgeous log cabin lodge.

The inn is a pillar of stability, exuding gentleness and comfort along with reliability. The large porch wraps around entire structure, with tables, chaises, and a hammock on each side. Equipped with occasional cat to greet guests, inn welcomes us, luggage and all.

Vikki shows us through air tight door where scents of fresh cut burning wood wafts through inn, happily spitting out its fragrance. The reading and breakfast room is to right, kitchen to left, with an all purpose room adjacent, making a full circle around stairs.

Upstairs houses three bedrooms, two on left, each room representing a time period of Vikki’s life and telling story of what brought her to sleepy town of Butler. All rooms have whirlpool tubs; two outer rooms have balconies overlooking a small rock garden with a trickling stream through middle.

We place our bags in our room and I proceed to porch and hammock for some relaxation before dinner. But first I pick a book off shelf where travelers trade in their tomes for others, continuing on their journey with fresh reading material.

We talk for some time, Vikki and I, about why she lives in eastern Tennessee and what deciding factors were in her building a bed and breakfast.

She loved horses for as long as she could remember. She used to ride in an annual celebration through national forest. She is from North but she loves pristine stillness of South and area she was riding through. He husband passed away and she thought there was no better time to make move.

Vikki lived in a small trailer on property she had searched for endlessly; when inn was completed she opened doors to public and she has loved it ever since.