LUNA

What a week at The 2025 Experience Kissimmee Expedition 💫 We spent valuable time with global trade & media reps — plus product managers and trade media from 10 different markets. Highlights; ✨ Site visits of Kissimmee’s vacation homes, hotels and resorts 🎢 Private reception at Epcot where we enjoyed the refurbished Test Track and legendary Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind rides! 🤝 Marketplace meetings with valued attraction and accommodation partners of Experience Kissimmee 🎉An Incredible closing party hosted at the most incredible Top Tier Reunion vacation home 🐉 Closing out the week with an unforgettable day at Universal’s shiny new theme park, Epic Universe Already counting down to the next one! 🚀 #mykissimmee #getbold #kissimmee #experiencekissimmee #universal #disney #traveltrade #travelmedia #travel #travelindustry @experiencekissimmee @waltdisneyworld @universalorlando @reuniontoptier @margaritavilleresortorlando @rentylresorts @ittn.ie @sellingtravel

Most people walk right past this without realizing how epic it is 👀   The world’s largest surfboard (“The Big Board”) lives in Huntington Beach, and it’s free to see! 🏝️☀️🏄‍♂️🤙   📍 HB International Surfing Museum parking lot (free to see) 👉 Check it out the next time you’re in Surf City USA®   📸 @surfcityusa #WorldsLargestSurfboard #SurfCityUSA #HuntingtonBeach #VisitHB #MoreHB

Escape the algorithm and discover our human-powered paradise. "A.I." means more in Martin County: Authentic Interactions, Amazing Islands, Adventurous Itineraries, Appetizing Indulgences, Artisanal Interests, Alluring Invitations, and so much more. See our latest campaign brought to life in @wanderlustmag #DiscoverMartin #lovefl #travel #travelmarketing #travelinspo

What a week at the @rbcheritage with our UK trade and media guests! 🏌️‍♂️ From watching Matt Fitzpatrick edge out Scottie Scheffler in an epic playoff at Harbour Town with our friends from @savhhiairport , @visitsavannah , and @visithiltonhead - the energy was unmatched. 🏆 But the fun didn’t stop, the group hit the fairways to experience some of the island’s favourite golf courses: • Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III (@seapinesresort ) • Arthur Hills (@palmettodunessc ) Incredible food, better company, and a perfect stay at the @sonestahhi . Until next time, Hilton Head! 🦪⛳️🌅

At RBC Heritage 2026, the plot thickened exactly as Harbour Town likes it: tight, nervy, and decided by guile rather than brazenness. On a breezy Sunday at Harbour Town Golf Links, Matt Fitzpatrick outmanoeuvred Scottie Scheffler in a duel that felt more a war of attrition than shootout. Fitzpatrick began the final round with a cushion - three shots clear, briefly four—but Harbour Town doesn’t yield quietly. Fairways pinch, greens tilt & patience & consistency is currency. Scheffler, the world No.1, applied relentless pressure, closing with a brave 67 as Fitzpatrick stalled into a grind of pars & a costly bogey at the last after mishitting his bump+run to get up & down for par. Suddenly, deadlock at 18-under. And a USA-shouting mob screaming for Scottie Scheffler to prevail. The playoff distilled everything the course demands. Into the wind, from over 200 yards, Fitzpatrick’s decisive blow was a nerveless 4-iron - flushed, climbing, landing inside 15 feet. Scheffler blinked, his approach coming up well short, a rare misfire under the gun. Fitzpatrick didn’t. The putt - firm, centre-cut - sealed it.  This is Harbour Town’s essence: no hiding place, no bailouts - not for the weak of heart or mind. It rewards precision over power, discipline over flair. Fitzpatrick’s closing stretch - largely error-free, not overly fluid but emotionally controlled - was a masterclass in that philosophy, even as momentum briefly slipped. The victory, his second at Harbour Town’s RBC Heritage underlined a player totally at ease on Pete Dye’s cerebral canvas. In a season gathering pace, it also signalled Fitzie’s game is the best it’s ever been: when the match tightened, Fitzpatrick scrambled hard & saw shots others don’t & had the calm & patience to execute the one that matters most in the play-off. It was great for Luca, Ben, Sam & I to be about the only four spectators shouting for Fitzie ….. & then hearing the crowd silenced when the play-off putt dropped! Bring on the Ryder Cup 2027! Luuuukke!

It’s a true golfing paradise on Hilton Head. Sea Pines Resort & Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort present two sharply defined examinations of Lowcountry golf - one exposed & exacting, the other quietly strategic. At Sea Pines, Atlantic Dunes Golf Course is Davis Love III’s modern 2016 reconstruction of the island’s original Ocean Course, first laid out in 1962 by George Cobb. It’s tighter than it looks, framed by live oaks & edged with pine needles & tidal lagoons where gators are part of the scenery. The par-4 9th is a standout: a dogleg flirting with water throughout, demanding a committed drive to unlock the green. The short par-4 13th tempts, then punishes. The defining run is holes 14–16: a positional par-5, then the exposed par-3 15th playing out towards the Atlantic, all wind & horizon, before the exacting 16th squeezes the landing area between water & sand. It’s a course of angles & restraint - miss on the wrong side & you’re simply miles out of position. Across the island, Arthur Hills Golf Course at Palmetto Dunes opened in 1989, a typically thoughtful design from Arthur Hills. Bunkers are sparse; contour does the work. Fairways tilt & gather, greens repel & water - often cutting diagonally across play - is in view on much of the routing. The visual anchor is the distinctive water tower that rises above the treeline, a constant reference point as the course twists through lagoons & pines. It’s less overtly dramatic than Atlantic Dunes, but more subtle: a thinking player’s test where trajectory, shape & positioning quietly dictate everything. Luca, Sam, Ben & I enjoyed sporting golf on such beautifully presented courses. Hilton Head certainly passes muster.

The US coast-to-coast trip continued with our arrival on the eastern seaboard in Savannah, heading off to the coast of South Carolina & onto Hilton Head Island. This is Lowcountry America, but cleverly curated - a place where development is controlled, nature respected & everything feels unrushed & perfect. The island is structured around gated “plantations” — self-contained enclaves that shape the vibe, lifestyle & landscape. Sea Pines Resort anchors the south end with its heritage & famous Harbour Town lighthouse; Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort offers polish & lagoon-laced fairways. Add Wexford Plantation & Port Royal Plantation, and you have a patchwork of private domains, each with golf, beach access & its own unique feel. Throw in a classic post-Masters PGA Tour golf event The RBC Heritage & endless wildlife, Hilton Head has a lot to offer. There’s 24 championship golf courses on Hilton Head Island itself & over 40 courses, if you include nearby Bluffton & the wider Lowcountry. Geographically, the island runs north–south, edged by the Atlantic on one side & tidal marsh on the other. Highway 278 is the spine, with plantations branching off into pine & palmetto, the state tree that’s on the flag of South Carolina. Crucially, there are no high-rises - a legacy of Charles Fraser the original developer - which keeps sightlines green & the mood quietly calm & exclusive. The beaches are wide & built for walking or cycling, with dolphins offshore & pelicans skimming the surf. Golf is the real differentiator: strategic, wind-shaped & woven through forest + marsh rather than bulldozed over it. Watch out for the gators though! Mid-island, on a prime stretch of sand, we stayed at the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island, offering a great hotel sanctuary. Set within Shipyard, it’s modern, unfussy & comfortable. There’s a lagoon-style pool, direct beach access & you are in easy reach of the island’s multiple courses. Hilton Head’s appeal is simple: restraint over excess, design over sprawl & a seamless blend of golf, creeks, marshland & coastline that feels quietly confident & classy. It’s been on my bucket list for over 30 years. It did not disappoint!

We had the pleasure of hosting a media FAM to Huntington Beach, California 🍊🏄‍♂️ What a week it was living the @surfcityusa dream! From sunrise yoga on the beach to shredding waves and cycling down the pacific coastline, we didn’t miss a beat 🚲🏄‍♂️🧘‍♀️ It was a privilege to host such a talented group in the heart of Orange County. Bonding over In-N-Out and the rest of the amazing food Surf City has to offer. A private tour of the International Surfing Museum with the icon Peter “PT” Townend was an ultimate core memory from the trip 🍔🇦🇺🏄 Nothing beats a California sunset and a beach bonfire with s’mores to sign off an epic week in HB 🔥🌅 @paseahotel @joliehuntingtonbeach @javapointhb @primecutaqueria @1oz_coffee @dukeshb @sandbarhb @broadstreetoysterco #travelmedia #prtrip #huntingtonbeach #surfcity surfcutyusa

It’s a wrap - 4 magnificent days in Huntington Beach, Orange County, Southern California rounded off with a fire pit barbecue & S’mores on the beach! Huntington Beach is the sort of place that portrays the sunny California dream without trying too hard. An hour south of Los Angeles, it delivers that elusive mix of history, lifestyle & substance - a beach town with genuine gnarly roots rather than that idealised, overhyped LA cliché. The surfing is not fabricated or a token nod to beach culture; it’s the real thing here. This stretch of the SoCal Pacific coast consistently produces some of the most reliable breakers in the state, which is why the US Open of Surfing rolls into town each summer. An event that gently reiterates HB’s pivotal role in the development of the sport & way of life. Even if you never pick up a board, watching it all unfold - dawn patrol regulars, wiry pros, learners like us - is reason enough to come. Then there’s the space. Unlike tighter, more manicured neighbours along Orange County, Huntington’s über clean beach is gloriously wide & refreshingly unpretentious. You can walk or pedal for miles, past volleyball courts & dog walkers, without feeling hemmed in. The pier, one of the longest on the West Coast, gives HB its centrepoint - part landmark, part social RV. Food is another enjoyable part of the scene. It’s Baja-influenced eating at its best: fish tacos done properly, monster breakfast burritos that set you up all day & a growing craft beer & coffee scene that keeps pace with California’s best. The beachside accommodation at the Waterfront Hotel is charming & relaxed. What really lingers, though, is the chilled mood. Life here orbits the elements: tides, light, wind. Days stretch out, sunsets & sunrises matter & the place hums with a kind of loose, easy optimism. Huntington Beach isn’t just worth visiting - it’s a reminder of how good the simple things in life can be. Thanks to my fellow travellers @luca22piani @maikenf @charliepauly & the “stoked” team from Visit Huntington Beach 🇺🇸🏄‍♂️ @surfcityusa Yea I’m a lousy surfer & SUP’er but I had a great time! And don’t you just love the music of “The Beach Boys”.

On the steady, user-friendly breaks of Bolsa Chica State Beach, Corky Carroll’s Surf School still does what it set out to do in 1996: get people standing up, quickly & properly. Founded by Corky Carroll & Rick Walker, it turned instinctive surf culture into a method. Walker still runs it today & the formula hasn’t drifted. In the mid-to-late 1960s, Corky was among the best surfers on the planet. He won the prestigious United States Surfing Championships multiple times (1966–68), at a point when that contest was effectively the world title for American surfers. He also placed highly in international competition, including runner-up at the 1969 World Championships. Rick was the key architect of how surfing is taught today coming up through the Orange County surf scene, helping built the trusted teaching methodologies. You feel that structure straight away. On the sand, Keith & Joe - the senior instructors - keep it tight & practical. No mysticism, no waffle. Hands under shoulders, one clean pop-up, eyes forward. Do it ten times on land before you even see a wave. The point is obvious: remove hesitation before it costs you in the water. Out back, the equipment does its share. Big foam boards, high volume, soft decks - built for stability & forgiveness. They paddle easily, catch waves early & crucially, give you time to stand. Beginners who insist on hard boards usually struggle; here, nobody pretends otherwise. Keith positions you carefully, reads the sets & when the right wave comes, gives a short push to match its speed. It’s a small assist but a decisive one. Suddenly you’re up, trimming along a clean face, the mechanics clicking into place. Wetsuits are standard - more buoyancy & comfort than survival gear in this part of California, while the board leash keeps things controlled in a busy lineup. Nothing is left to chance, but nothing feels overcomplicated either. That’s the appeal. This isn’t a styled-up surf camp chasing lifestyle clichés. It’s a system that works, delivered by people who’ve done it for decades. Our crew arrived curious; we left with many of us having actually surfed & feeling stoked. Thanks to @bolsadave for these top photographs!

The crew enjoyed an afternoon of Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP), attempting to master the 15 miles of glassy canals in Huntington Harbour near Sunset Beach @surfcityusa We were led by long-distance paddling legend & endurance athlete Tom Jones, who knows these waters @everydaycalifornia better than anyone. Tom had a decades-long friendship with martial arts legend Chuck Norris. He served as Norris’s longtime personal bodyguard & training partner. Their bond started when Tom was in the Marine Corps. Tom has been a sought-after trainer for various Hollywood actors looking to get into peak physical shape for action roles. Conceived in the 1960s, Huntington Harbour - a “Venice of California” - replaced oil derricks with a serious luxury location - the $200 million marina was dredged from the old industrialised Sunset Bay Estuary. Architect William Pereira designed the exclusive 680-acre community with connecting navigable waterways. We paddled for an hour around the five man-made islands - Admiralty, Davenport, Gilbert, Humboldt & Trinidad passing multi-million dollar homes, private beaches & luxury yachts. Huntington Harbour abuts the dunes, the main Pacific Coast Highway & the wilds of Bolsa Chica, California’s grandest saltwater marsh. Spanning 1,300 acres of raw coastal beauty, this protected bird sanctuary is a high-traffic hub for the Pacific Flyway. Over 200 bird species - from majestic bald eagles to rare brown pelicans - dance over shimmering tidal channels. There’s 5 miles of salt-sprayed historic trails too - these lands have been guarded by the Tongva & Acjachemen tribes for 9,000 years as well as vocal HB residents who wisely saved it from obvious further property development in the 70s. An evening wooden boat trip with @princechartershb with our wonderful hosts from Visit Huntington Beach - Mary, Carla, Demi & John - brought our harbour discovery to a highly fitting conclusion. Many thanks!

In Huntington Beach - Surf City in both nickname & nature - the story of modern surfing quietly comes into focus. Day 2 starts with a short walk from Main St to the International Surfing Museum @internationalsurfingmuseum It feels less like an institution & more like a time capsule: sun-faded boards, contest posters & glimpses of the DNA of a smart sport that learnt in the 70s how to organise itself globally. Two figures loom large in that journey: Duke Kahanamoku & Peter ‘PT’ Townend. PT guides us through the authentic, eclectic museum collection. He’s lived in HB this last 46 years. Duke is the origin story. In the early 20th century, he carried surfing beyond Hawaii & into California, putting on exhibitions that awed crowds. Olympic champion, waterman, showman - he gave surfing legitimacy & more importantly, imagination. Before Duke, surfing was local & ritualistic; after him, it had the makings of an exciting global action sport. He didn’t professionalise it but he made such a future conceivable. Australian Paul Townend, arriving in the mid-1970s, did the opposite: he gave that loose, sunburnt culture structure. Sharp, articulate & commercially aware, PT understood that surfing needed more than great waves & top surfers - it needed a system. In 1976 he became the first recognised world champion, but his greater contribution was helping shape the early professional tour: rankings, sponsors, media. Surfing, suddenly, had a worldwide season. That vital shift - from tribe to tour - played out on the beaches of Huntington. The town became a competitive mecca, hosting major events & anchoring the emerging circuit that would evolve into today’s global tour. The museum depicts it neatly & the world’s biggest surfboard is a truly impressive monument marking the site - 42’ long with 66 folk atop to break the Guinness world record! Duke lit the surfing flame; Townend built the stage. Between them lies the moment surfing grew up - without entirely losing its soul & vibe. A perfect morning was completed with a walk along both the Surfing Hall & Walk of Fame & lunch at Duke’s restaurant by the Pier. It doesn’t get any better than this! @dukeshb @surfcityusa