Greetings from Texas!! One of the major highlights of our trip was a visit to the Shangri-La estate in Diamond Head. Built and owned by Doris Duke, the famous tobacco heiress and socialite, it is now a museum of her amazing collection of Islamic art. In fact, the only way you can tour the house is to schedule one through the Honolulu Academy of Art, and we had to sign up months in advance!!

It is breathtaking. Most of her living spaces were built to be indoor/outdoor, and the house is equipped with sliding screens and even an elevator-like glass window that disappears into the floor with the touch of a button. Doris Duke had no air conditioning, and you can feel the amazing breeze coming off the ocean in almost every corner of the house. The estate was built from the ground up in 1937, and still remains in impeccable shape. Here are some pics from the grounds…