Category: Accommodations

where we’ve stayed

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, International, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Hotel Grand Pacific – The Way to Stay

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: WELCOME TO VICTORIA B.C.

If you’re as close as a ferry ride from Victoria B.C. then get on that ferry and spend some wonderful days at the Hotel Grand Pacific. These were some of Bill’s favorite days of the trip. See what you think about our arrival.

Well, Excuse Me!

We drove off the ferry, across the street and parked under Hotel Grand Pacific. I made my way to the reception area and began my transaction with the nice guy behind the desk. Suddenly, there was a woman standing so close to me that she was almost touching me. Wild hair, loud voice and a sort of bright floral house dress. Here I was checking into my room with my billfold, vouchers and notebook wide open and she’s so close to me she could put her hand in my pocket. I was afraid that was her goal and it rattled me.

I think she was merely rude and boundary-less, but I had to complete my entire transaction with her standing right next to me, chatting up both myself and the reception clerk. I must have checked to be sure I had all of my belongings a dozen times, but I couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Bill was outside taking photos.

To say we loved this everything about this hotel would be an understatement. The room was a little tight, but well appointed with a great view. The hotel had bicycles for guests and so our first order of business once we’d dumped our luggage and parked our car properly was to grab a pair of cycles and take off.

Remember that not listening to me stuff. I tried really hard to let Bill know the route he should take on our bike ride, but before I could even get started he was already down the street zooming through the traffic. I thought I was going to get killed. Eventually, he did ask me where he should go, but by that time I was so shook by near death experiences I had no idea where we were or where we should go.

Somehow, probably luck more than anything else, we were at the entrance to a park I wanted to visit. I followed Bill to a bench, got off my bike and spent my time praising God for being alive. Once I was in the park, I’d studied the map of Victoria so much, that I was able to guide us back to the hotel.

Back at the Hotel

Once we returned to our room, it was time for coffee and snacks. Then Bill took his nap. This gave me the opportunity to arrange the room for three blissful days of not packing up and moving EVERY DAY. Then, I caught up in my travel journal and did crossword puzzles, while sitting next to our picture window, drinking a glass of wine.

Come dinner time, Bill decides we’re going to drive somewhere. I usually just go along to get along, but I’m the one who had done the research and I knew everything we wanted was within three blocks of us. We were not going to drive anywhere and try to park in Victoria. And that was that.

Our Evening Stroll

I think Bill cooperated so he could prove me wrong, but we were out of the hotel and on the sidewalk, so I didn’t care. We came to a restaurant called Mosaic Grille & Bar. Bill then decides there are actually restaurants within walking distance and he’s ready to go check out the rest. I really wasn’t up for that. I was afraid I’d end up with fast food and I wanted a meal. I didn’t exactly put my foot down, I’d already done that once within the same hour, but I made a strong case for taking advantage of what was right in front of us.

Once we had dinner, we strolled around the area, taking a closer look at the Fairmont Empress. Then back at the hotel, we went to the spa where the exercise facilities were. I knew then what I’d be doing first thing on the next morning!

The next day started at the gym, but then we went to Butchart Gardens. You don’t want to miss that!

Accommodations, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Lake Crescent Lodge, Olympic Lodge by Ayres & The Ferry

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: THE OTHER END OF THE RAINFOREST

What a great place to put up your feet, right? This was Lake Crescent Lodge, the sister of Lake Quinault Lodge where we started our day in the rainforest. We still had a few miles to get under our belt to get to our final destination for the day. Come along on this stretch of our visit to Wild & Wonderful Washington State.

Coming Around the Bend to Lake Crescent Lodge

With Bill snoozing as I made the right hand turn from Hoh Rainforest Road back to Highway 101, I set my sights on Lake Crescent Lodge. There were many waterfalls I wanted to explore, just as there had been a lot more Pacific shoreline I wanted to see, but this vacation was for both of us and aimless wanderings were not on the itinerary.

It was gorgeous, but it was also boring. I just kept driving. Lake Crescent revealed itself and I started waking the sleeping monster. He wasn’t all that happy to be awakened until he looked out and saw the lake. He got a lot happier pretty fast.

I made the turn and parked the car. Lake Crescent Lodge was not as rustic as Lake Quinault Lodge. Lake Crescent Lodge had a sort of turn of the 20th Century feel to it. There’s no gingerbread trim around the porch that surrounds it, but there could be. We decided it might be fun to stay there, but we liked Lake Quinault better.

Away from the Lodge, there was the long pier which went out into the lake, something Lake Quinault had not had. The canoes had a different color scheme. It was lovely, but we couldn’t convince ourselves it was as good as Bill’s little Switzerland. We caught our breath and stretched our legs, and then headed to our next stop.

Olympic Lodge by Ayres in Port Angeles

I’ve already told you how happy I was with the accommodations I booked with Black Ball Ferry. Olympic Lodge was the first of them. It spoke to me of Mid-Century Modern – a little stuck in the time frame and could have used some updates, but it was pristine, so no complaints from me.

Our room was wonderful. A big picture window opened onto a golf course. Very relaxing, but we were ready to eat. Remember the day had not afforded us much in gastronomical enjoyment. Unfortunately, Port Angeles didn’t have much to offer either. So, we went to the grocery store and picked out some frozen food, heated it up in the hotel’s breakfast room and had our meal overlooking the golf course.

Next morning I was up early. The exercise room at the hotel was great and I did 3 miles on the treadmill before breakfast. Back in the room I took a bath and got ready for our busy day. Around 9 we went to the breakfast room and enjoyed a pretty substantial breakfast. If I weren’t gluten free, it would have almost been perfect.

The Black Ball Ferry to Victoria

OK, ladies, we all know how sometimes men just don’t listen to us. I had tried since I first booked the ferry to make Bill understand that this was one of those time you had to be there when they said or you would be left behind. All Bill heard was my usual rant about being on time and he was determined to prove to me once again, that showing up at the very last minute, but it not being a problem wins him some kind of points in the game of life.

We’re talking some world class dawdling. I finally convinced him to pick a gas station, any gas station and get some damned gas. While we waited for the tank to fill, I very firmly read him the warning on our ticket about making it on time. I explained that if he missed that ferry then he wasn’t going to Victoria today AND he’d be the the reason we had wasted days and lost money. At that moment the deadline was just a few minutes away. He finished the fuel transaction and tore over to the line for the ferry. We were the next to the last car and they did prevent anyone else from getting into line.

For once, he realized his dawdling and reluctance to hear me about being on time made an impression. Unfortunately, not one that had any lasting effect, but he was very humble for about ten minutes.

Next week we’ll dive right into touring Victoria, British Columbia. Come join us.

Accommodations, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Lake Quinault Lodge

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: THE CHARM OF THE LODGE

Welcome to Wild & Wonderful Washington State, our 2025 Road Trip Vacation. We’ve just arrived at the famous Lake Quinault Lodge where FDR fell in love with what would become Olympic National Park. We fell in love with it, too. Come along and find out why!

A Little Early for Check-In

The other side of Lake Quinault Lodge is not as inviting as the picture above. It’s taken of the back of the lodge. Up front it’s a crowded drive and appears to be a very old small inn. I knew we were a little early for check-in, so I was directing Bill to drive past and to visit Merriman and the World’s Largest Spruce Tree, but Bill was looking at the antiquated inn wondering what I’d gotten him into this time.

Good traveling companion that he is, he saved his concerns for later and drove on to Merriman Falls. Most of the falls in the rainforest require at least a little of a hike to view them. Not Merriman! It is right by the side of the road and it’s a beauty – a small gem of waterfall majesty with overwhelming greenery. Enjoy our photo session in the slideshow below.

The World’s Largest Spruce Tree was reminiscent of old fashioned roadside attractions. It did require a bit of a hike, but to tell you the truth, the tree was not all that exciting. The walk to it was lovely!

There was also a small general store in the vicinity. I had Bill stop to see if they had a decent map. GPS is great for point to point diving, but not so great for sightseeing. The National Park System offered an interactive map, but the area is so big I could never make heads of tails of it. The best map I’d seen so far was in my trusty old atlas, that I still carry on every road trip. It’s decades old, but not only was it decades old, it was also small. I needed current and controllable.

The small store did have this map of Olympic National Park, but it was more money than I’d hoped to spend. I stood arguing with myself for a few moments and then I remembered what an absolute bear I can be when I don’t have a decent map. So, I made the purchase, got in the car and started unfolding the map. It was huge! And it had some gorgeous artwork. Lesson learned! Buy the map!

Below are some scans I made of the artwork, pieced together in Artisan. As you can see it was worth the price of the map!

Checking Into the Lodge

We’d killed about an hour with the side trips and the front of the lodge was now a parking zoo. Bill stayed with the car and I went in to get our room, along with all the people representing the various vehicles in the parking zoo. Courtesy was rampant, efficiency was not.

We parked across the street in the official parking lot, grabbed a few things to get up through the night and headed through the parking zoo to find our room. WARNING, there are no elevators in Lake Quinault Lodge. The grand rustic staircase was lovely, but we didn’t love hauling our luggage up it, especially Old Red, who was missing a wheel.

I could tell Bill was now even more skeptical about my sanity than he had been when we first drove by. The room was (shall we say) charming, continuing the rustic look with a wooden bed frame and accoutrements. It was the antithesis of luxurious. The black & white checkerboard tile floor may have been there from the beginning of time and the plumbing was two or three generations older than what we had at home – functional, for sure, but not modern.

Bill’s claustrophobia set in and he was ready to escape. Things got better after that, because he walked out to the back of the lodge and fell in love. Who wouldn’t love this view? Before we left home I had booked a pre-dinner boat ride, which had been cancelled due to mechanical difficulties. One look at this and we were really sorry to have missed that.

Bill happily went into photographer mode and now has this photo as his screen saver:

He kept saying, “It’s as if we walked in the front door from America and ended up in somewhere like Switzerland.” I was offended for America and pointed out the many gorgeous places we’d explored here at home. Somehow he was convinced Switzerland was better – not that he’s been there, of course.

I love it when I’ve found something he really loves, so I reveled in his frenetic effort to capture every single angle. I noticed several people were drinking a glass of wine as they sat in the Adirondack chairs and I wished I had some, too. It was so peaceful there. I have Bill’s permission, more like a mandate, to get him back to the Lodge soon.

Dinner at the Salmon House

I’d had hopes Bill’s largesse which got us meals at the Salish Lodge and the Elk’s Temple might get us into the Roosevelt Dining Room at Lake Quinault Lodge, but his largesse had dried up. Instead we drove over to the adjacent resort and ate at their restaurant. The Salmon House was good, but it left the Roosevelt Dining Room on my wish list.

Then he went back into photographer mode looking for a good backdrop for a selfie of us. Mission accomplished, example below, we went back to the room. I was out like a light in moments. Bill probably did his Tik Tok thing for a while, but for all I know he went back outside and danced with the moon!

Come back next week and enjoy our day in the rain forest.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Music, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Surprises in Olympia WA

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: A CAPITAL DAY AT THE CAPITOL

We’re moving along to our next destination in Washington State, Olympia, the Capital. We were in for some surprises along the way. Some were good, some were not so good and one was amazing! Come along and see what happened!

Hilton Garden Inn

I might have mentioned that we were less than thrilled with our accommodations in Tacoma. They were a big let down after the Snoqualimie Inn by Hotel America, but for a budget stay, nothing major to complain about.

I was also looking for a bargain in Olympia, but the bargain ended up being several notches above the Best Western and that was one of our good surprises. Bill was thrilled when we pulled up to the attractive new hotel. He flirted with the cute reception clerk. Then he was absolutely giddy when we got to the room and he saw the TV screen with the personalized greeting.

Food was next and he’d seen a Mickey D’s nearby. That suited him just fine. In the old days, it would have suited me, too, but now I am gluten free, so I suggested I just get one of the frozen food packages in the lobby. I figured, how much could a frozen food meal cost. Try $12! This was the next surprise and I was not happy at all about it. However, we got another surprise, that nice girl who Bill flirted with was embarrassed the food cost so much and sold it to me for $6. That was more like it. Then it was jammies and bed for this girl.

Memorial Day Celebration

The primary reason we were in Olympia was because I had read they have one of the most beautiful capitols in the States. It being Memorial Day, I figured it would be locked up tighter than a drum, but I’d also learned the had beautiful grounds. Even if the hype was wrong and it was just another state capitol building, we were closer to the rain forest and we hadn’t had to spend another night at the Best Western.

There had been no way for me to know that instead of being locked up tighter than a drum, there would be a marvelous Memorial Day Ceremony inside the capitol. That was a biggest and most wonderful surprise in Olympia.

For your information, the capitol building and grounds are beautiful and if you are anywhere near Olympia, they are worth seeing. When I did my research I learned of several free tours you could take around the building and sadly, those were not available, but the celebration honoring the Veterans was a real treat.

We didn’t stay for the whole thing. We wanted to tour the gardens and get to our next hotel by nightfall, so we just enjoyed the opening ceremonies and the initial music offerings. As I said, truly lovely, but soon we were headed further west.

Travel Day Monotony

Washington is a gorgeous state, but when you have the pedal to the metal trying to get somewhere all that gorgeous green stuff can get a little monotonous. As we headed west, that was what we had. I suggested to Bill we might want to go all the way to see the Pacific Ocean and get some fresh seafood for lunch. We did drive out to Ocean shores and Bill loved walking along an empty stretch of beach, but then it was back on the road. No, seafood for lunch.

After leaving the beach area, we headed back northwest and soon there was no question about it – We were in the rain forest. Washington State had been green and beautiful everywhere we had been so far, but suddenly it was greener and more beautiful than we could imagine.

Before we knew it, we’d come to South Shore Drive in Quinault, WA. This was our turnoff for Lake Quinault Lodge – something I anticipated would be one of the highlights of our trip. I was right. Come back next week a see what an amazing place I had found to stay the night!

Accommodations, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

McMenamin’s Tacoma Elk’s Temple

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: IN TACOMA, QUICKY MEETS CLASSY AT THE ELKS LODGE

Well, we’re back in Tacoma where odd is a little more normal than it is in Dallas! We’ve had a great day of sightseeing (and coffee) in Downtown Tacoma and it’s time for dinner. If McMenamin’s is in the name of the venue, expect it to be ordinary. The Elks Temple is no exception. Let’s go for dinner!

Collecting McMenamin’s Locations

I discovered the McMenamin’s brand when we visited Oregon. We spent a lovely morning at Edgefield in Troutdale. The odd mixture of grand architecture, at a poor house, with vegetable gardens was charming and our breakfast was delicious. Bill enjoyed it enough that he didn’t completely nix the idea of dinner at the Elk’s Lodge when I started describing it to him. Actually, a hotel with multiple restaurants & bars, as well as a music venue or two, might not sound all that odd, but I’d done enough research to know it wouldn’t exactly be his cup of tea.

I’m the sort who would stay at a McMenamin’s Lodge just because it was funky and out of the ordinary. That is not Mr. Bill. While I wasn’t crazy about our Best Western lodgings, the creature comforts and familiarity made it a perfect place to hang our hats for a couple of days. Still, I convinced Bill to give the Elks Lodge a try.

It did not go well. It was a Saturday night with a big name concert and everyone, who had not been at the museums, must have been sleeping in for a big night at the Elks Temple. So we had all of Bill’s least favorite things – traffic, no place to park, crowds and noise.

Still, he was a trooper. We got a “Wandering Map” at the front desk and began to explore. In each venue, there was lots of foot traffic, no place to sit, crowds and noise. I expected him to cut and run to the nearest Taco Bell at any moment, but instead he asked where we might get the most normal food. I postulated the Pub might be the right spot. Luckily, the rest of the patrons were more interested in the exotic, so we were seated right away.

We had a lovely meal, perhaps a tad noisy, but it was Saturday night. I think Bill and I shared the salmon to meet my gluten-free requirements. They had a dessert special I could not resist. Being GF makes dessert a hard course to order, but this was a polenta shortcake with mixed berries. Really good!

If you like funky, then The Elks Temple is a must. If you don’t, go to Olive Garden! We headed back to the Best Western to rest up for the next day’s activities and it proved to be a long one. Come back next week for cars, gardens and beaches. You’ll love it!

Accommodations, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Delish Salish

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: ANNIVERSARY DINNER AT THE SALISH LODGE

I’m taking you along on our 2024 vacation to Wild & Wonderful Washington State. We’ve just enjoyed the amazing Snoqualmie Falls and we’re about to check out the dining offerings at the Salish Lodge.

Thirty Years Later He Can Still Surprise Me

Though we left home a few days after our actual wedding anniversary, this trip was our gift to ourselves for 30 great years of marriage. You’ll notice I didn’t say perfect, because we are two humans, but it’s been a darned good ride.

During those years I’ve come to understand the things that will displease him and feeling as if he’s paid too much for a meal is one of them. I really thought having our anniversary dinner at the Salish Lodge would be a pretty cool way to celebrate, but I also knew that most of the guidebooks considered it pricey.

So, as we climbed the hill back towards our car, I introduced him to the edifice we’d seen at the top of the falls. I told him the history and I told him my concern about the prices, but I also told him how wonderful it was supposed to be. Then I even back-peddled on that and told him about the remodel of the main dining room that was going on. I figured he’d make a hard pass on the Lodge and go directly to the car.

Instead, he wanted to check it out. He went up to the reception desk and started a conversation. I stepped away, because I didn’t want to influence him either way. If we had dinner there, great. If we didn’t, I was determined that was going to be great, too.

To my surprise, he made some reservations and we had about an hour to kill before they had room for us. We hung out in the lobby, read all the signs and just enjoyed the relaxation.

As I mentioned, the main dining room was undergoing renovation, so our seats were tucked away in some other spot, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. The bar(?) was cozy, with only a few tables – one of which had to be the best possible view of the falls and we were at the table next to that one, so our view was pretty darned good, too.

The couple next to us was celebrating something, also, but they’d gotten dressed up for their dinner at the Salish. We just had on the casual clothes we’d worn to see the falls. Bill chose the risotto. He claimed he wanted to try something different, but what might have been the difference was that the price was less than the rest of the menu. I opted for the Duroc Pork Chop with Bearnaise Sauce and a spring mix of vegetables.

They brought out some gorgeous bread to entertain us while we waited for our meal, but of course, I’m gluten free, so they brought me a gf dinner roll. Not quite the same, but they get points for effort. We knew we were at someplace out of the ordinary when they added a coconut oil candle to our table.

Then a little later, they brought us a sample of the gazpacho. We hadn’t ordered it and it’s not a favorite of mine, but again a nice touch you don’t get at other places. In fact, the waitress kept us busy with all kinds of samples throughout the meal and topped it off with free hand-made chocolates. The food we had ordered was delicious by the way. Bill felt his meal was worth every penny – even if it was a little out of his usual budget.

When we arrived back at the hotel, it was 9 PM Dallas time and I was beat. I went right to sleep. Bill stayed up a little longer, but I warned him to get plenty of rest, because the next morning we’d be heading to a huge attraction he’d want to be awake for.

You’ll want to be awake, too, next week when we visit the Museum of Flight. Come and check it out.

Accommodations, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Memory Keeping, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Food, Drink & Accommodations Around Santa Barbara

Jane Sadek

MEMORY MAKING: STRETCHING OUR BUDGET

Dinner in Downtown Santa Barbara

After the Casa de Herrero tour was over, we were hungry, but the time of the tour had landed us right in that dead zone between lunch and dinner. We drove to Santa Barbara, found some parking and walked over the State Street. When you live on the Central Coast, Santa Barbara is the big city or at least the biggest city in striking distance, so we’d been there many time during our six year sojourn and we made it point to visit whenever we returned.

State Street is the main drag and there are many choices of restaurants, but most of them can be a little pricey. We walked up and down, visited a few shops and then Bill decided on Pizza. Mizza was a satisfying choice gastronomically, but the service could have been better.

On to Carpinteria

We have a secret when we visit Santa Barbara. We stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Carpinteria . The price is right and it has everything we need. I did a great job describing it last time, so there’s no need reiterating it.

The next day in Santa Barbara was just what it was supposed to be, a chance to decompress before heading back to LA and then back home. We hung around the beachside area and Stern’s Wharf, enjoyed an art show, stopped by the mission, drove around the hills and saw an open house, had lunch at someplace called the Fish House. It was nice, if not spectacular.

Our favorite part of the day was back in Carpinteria. It was about sundown when we rolled into town and I saw a sign pointing towards Carpinteria Beach. We headed that way and found much of the population of Carpinteria making the most of a Sunday twilight.

We spent a good amount of time there, enjoying the people as much as we did the beach. Back in the room, there was a little reorganizing and packing. Bill had some work he needed to do and I did some crosswords. Exciting, right?

Here’s the page I created to remember Carpinteria Beach by.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Memory Keeping, Photography, Road Trips, Scrapbooking, TRAVEL, United States

Leaving Pismo for Santa Barbara

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: PISMO LIGHTHOUSE SUITES & CASA DE HERRERO

Pismo Lighthouse Suites

I can’t abandon Pismo without a shout out to our wonderful accommodations. After the grandeur of the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort, pretty much anything else would have to be a step down, but we didn’t have to step very far down. Pismo Lighthouse Suites proved to be an excellent choice for a stay.

Don’t expect swanky, because it’s not, but it is nice. Very roomy with a bedroom totally separate from the living area and a full kitchen. Bill didn’t think much of the décor, but I thought it was very functional and everything was clean. Who could ask for more when you’re watching your pocketbook at little?

One thing we certainly loved was the breakfast every morning, served in a community room and if you couldn’t find something you liked, then you are really too picky. I’d sure stay here again.

Casa de Herrero in Montecito

Bill usually leaves most of the vacation planning to me, but when he does make a suggestion, it’s a jewel. I didn’t find it in any of my research, but it should be on every must-see list for Santa Barbara. It’s a little pricey and hard to schedule, but it is a gem.

The home is open to the public at 10 AM and 2 PM on Wednesdays and Saturdays – PERIOD! And the tickets are $50 per person. I’ll wait for you to catch your breath. If budget is not a constraint and you can be there on their schedule, then you have to go. You will love it. Lotus Land was $60 each, but it seems to me there was a whole lot more to it. Still, I’m glad I had the opportunity to go.

We pulled into Montecito about 1:15 PM and had to kill about half and hour in a shopping center parking lot. We couldn’t just go hang out by the Casa. They keep the gate closed until a few minutes before the tour and you aren’t allow to park in the neighborhood. Parking is at a premium everywhere in Montecito and the signs at the shopping center were very threatening, so we couldn’t even lock up the car and go for a walk. We had to pretend one or the other of us was visiting one of the establishments, while the other guarded the car.

Finally, it was almost time for them to open their gate, so we made our way to the home. When the tour started, we were informed we couldn’t take photos inside, but think San Simeon’s dining room turned into a full house. Very Spanish and a little dark.

The original builder and owner of the house was George Fox Steedman from San Luis Obispo, who started out as a metalsmith and woodworker, threw in a few real estate deals and became filthy stinking rich. The house had a metalsmithing and woodworking studio where Mr. Steedman pursued his interests. The house is full of valuable antiques from the Golden Age of Spain, but they are pretty dark and depressing.

Counterpoint to the interior with it’s nod to the Inquisition, outside was delightful and you could take photos. And that’s what you’ll see on the photo book pages I’ve included below.

Accommodations, ART, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Memory Keeping, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

I Love the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: MY NEW FAVORITE HOTEL

Hello Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort

I’ve stayed in some luxury hotels in some pretty fabulous places: Mena House next to the pyramids, Cairo Marriott along the Nile, Hotel Prince De Galles in Paris, The National in OKC – just to name a few. However, that’s not the norm. I’m usually looking for the bargain, so I can stay longer and eat in outrageous places. We just go crash lobbies and bars in swanky hotels, before going back to my bargain. Suits me just fine.

However, in recent years, Bill has demanded I be a little more discriminating in my bargains, because I have landed him in some dumps. Even so, luxury resorts are not our go-to choice. As I researched Huntington Beach, however, pretty much everything was expensive and the Hyatt Regency deal I found was only a small stretch. I was so glad when I sold it to Bill and made the reservation.

The Parking & Checking-In Thing

Bill may prefer I upgrade our accommodations these days, but he draws the line at exorbitant valet parking. Take our almost disaster in Detroit, for instance. As we drove around the exterior of the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach I knew we were in for another adventure in parking. I left Bill to it and went in to claim our room.

I admit I’m chatty and often find myself in a little trouble with Mr. Bill for my gift of gab, but this time my chattiness paid off in a big way. The hotel clerk was clicking away on her computer. She felt they’d booked my room a little too far from the lobby. Perhaps she thought an ancient senior citizen like me was too feeble to walk very far. I told her I was more interested in view than proximity to the lobby and about that time Bill comes in gawking around said lobby like a rube on his first visit to the big city. I said, “You’ll have to excuse him, this is a bit of a splurge for us.” She replied, “Then how about a full ocean view!”

What a Room!

Convinced I was hearty enough to make my way around the hotel grounds, this wonderful lady put us into what has to be one of the greatest hotel rooms in the world. This was the view as we opened the door to our room!

Once I got over that and looked around, I was even more astounded. This room was huge and gorgeous and well appointed. I wanted to move in forever!

There was an entry area with furnishings to accommodate all those little things you like to leave by the door. The bathroom would have pleased any ancient Roman. There was an area with a desk and bed raised on a dais like a throne room on the other side of some columns was a lovely sitting area next to the balcony.

I never wanted to leave, but we still had economy parking to deal with. It turned out to be not big deal at all. Apparently, we’re not the first people to think $65 a day is a little steep. There’s a public parking area right across the street from the hotel for like $10 a day – a far cry from $65. The hotel gives you a permit to stay there overnight. They even have a very elaborate pedestrian bridge to get you safely back to the hotel. We parked near the bridge and enjoyed the stroll back to our room, because the resort is beautiful.

For dinner, we found a place called Baja Sharkey’s at a nearby shopping center where we had margaritas and nachos. Then time for bed, because we were going on a tour the next day.

Here’s my photo book pages of the resort, made in Artisan, of course. Bill would want you to tell me that the fuzzy image on the left is the result of me trying to create a heavenly effect on the page, not his photography.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Photography, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Detroit’s Art Deco Treasure

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: A STROLL IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT

The Guardian Building

We’d started our day in an empty world headquarters, had breakfast in ghost town food court and taken a ride on an abandoned monorail. We were beginning to wonder if anyone actually lived or worked in Detroit. Still, finding gems off the beaten path is one of my favorite things to do, so this hunt for The Guardian Building was just my cup of tea.

It was Travel Advisor which clued me in on the existence of a pristine Art Deco skyscraper in Downtown Detroit. Once we got off the People Mover I asked Google Maps to find The Guardian Building and as I thought, it was just around the corner from the monorail stop. Instead of trying to describe it, I’ll just share some of the photos we snapped.

Gorgeous, right? Like the Renaissance Center, there wasn’t much in the way of human occupation. There was a security guard behind a desk in the central lobby and up the stairs was a large open area. A barista lurked behind a coffee bar and there was a tour company office on the other side and that was it. Where were the rest of the inhabitants of Detroit?

Campus Martius Park

While the Riverfront and Greektown are obviously popular areas in Detroit, we’d be seeing those with the family later in the weekend, so I wanted to focus on things we wouldn’t see with them, which took us to this downtown park.

It was here we finally connected with humanity. As we strolled along a well landscaped path between the skyscrapers, we happened upon a beach bar. Yes, I said a beach bar. Sand, lounge chairs and drinks with fruit in them. Don’t believe me?

It would have suited me fine to take a load off and sample their wares, but Bill was not in lounging mode. He was doing his best to play tourist, but he was distracted. Not only were most of our credit cards compromised by hackers, but the market was open and we’d just turned over our real estate photography company to the new owner. We were supposed to be celebrating that last bit, but after nursing our enterprise to success for six years, we were having some separation anxiety. Was this guy going to be able to handle it? It’s not that we weren’t happy to see it go. We just didn’t want it back!

At the end of the park is One Campus Maritus, the Compuware headquarters, famous for this 14 story waterfall.

And that left one final stop along Woodward Avenue we wanted to visit, The Grand Circus. It’s not a circus with a tent, but a park in a circle. It was a much quieter venue than Campus Maritus with its beach bar and perhaps we would have skipped it altogether had we known, but it was right next to a People Mover station, so it turned out to be quite convenient.

On to our Next Accommodations

The People Mover took us back to Renaissance Center, where we claimed our rental car and headed to Pontiac/Auburn Hills. That was the location of the Residence Inn which would be our home away from home over the next few days. It was close to all the family events and had just what we wanted.

Certainly the Renaissance Center Marriott was more glamourous, but the Residence Inn offered a comfort the swanky hotel did not – a separate sitting room I could escape to each morning. I wake up so early out of habit, but Bill knows how to sleep late and I like to give him that luxury. On the way, we stopped at a grocery store to get some items to enjoy during our stay – wine, bottled water, fruit, protein bars etc.

I’m a pretty easy-going traveler. I don’t think I have ever rejected a room, even though there have been a few times I should have. Bill on the other hand is a little harder to please. He will go down to the desk and complain when he doesn’t like something. At the Residence Inn, he didn’t like the view. It’s a suburban Residence Inn, so I didn’t expect a view, but he did. We got a different room and don’t tell him, but I sort of liked the first one better. It seemed a little more convenient and not quite as dorm-like, but Bill did like the view better, so we stayed.

The Family Weekend

Over the next few days, we were involved with family. We had a get together at a local restaurant Friday night and the big Gender Reveal at a Country Club Saturday. Sunday we hung out at the Riverfront, had lunch in Greek town and a game of golf in the afternoon. On Monday, the main event was an absolute feast, fit for a Pharaoh with all our Egyptian favorites. While it was a lot of fun, it wouldn’t be of much interest to anyone outside the family. (It’s a boy by the way. Our Grand Nephew will arrive in October.)

After the feast, we went back towards Detroit and stayed at the Smithfield Westin. It was a nice hotel, but we were just there to sleep. In the morning I was finally getting to do something that had been on every version of my itinerary the Detroit Institute of Art. Come back next week and enjoy our visit.