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A Peek Inside a Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco

February 28, 2020September 7, 2017

What is it like inside a Presidential Suite in San Francisco?

How about a sneak peek inside a Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt, San Francisco? What is a Presidential Suite exactly? Do presidents stay there? Rock stars? The Dalai Lama? How about a travel blogger and her business traveler husband? Check, check, check and check.

We actually did stay in The Onyx Suite in Downtown Seattle just after the Dalai Lama left the hotel. That felt pretty darn cool.

We are offered upgrades to suites of this kind because my husband spends half of the calendar year in Hyatt Hotels. Think of how many days that is. These upgrades are a type of thank you for his continued support and loyalty. It is a lovely perk for the sacrifices he (and I make) when he is far from home so often. Upgrades to this level don’t happen often, but when they do, we are very impressed…and grateful!

Hotel Points ~

I have always suggested that sticking with one hotel chain and building loyalty points for future travel is so beneficial. This strategy helps us build hotel points and has allowed us to stay in many extraordinary luxury hotels. Craig and I just returned from a stay on the island of Mallorca at the incomparable Park Hyatt and we stayed there using points. Many of the hotel chains have credit cards where you can earn points for future stays as well.

Los Angeles Times The Taste – A Culinary Family Affair on Labor Day Weekend

February 28, 2020September 5, 2017

So much delicious food at The Taste this weekend!

It was a big, fat, glorious Labor Day Weekend. We hit the family bonanza when both of our grown children and their significant others could fly down from Seattle and San Francisco to be with us for the holiday weekend. The Empty Nest was full to the brim and no one could swipe that silly grin off my face for three days!

If you have been following our adventures, you may remember that we have downsized in the last year and now our current home is not the spacious dwelling where the kids grew up. No, we are living in about half the square footage with fewer bathrooms. Everyone is a good sport and sleeps where we can find room. Rocco (our dog) was beside himself with joy because he could not decide who he wanted to lay by and cuddle with next!

Welcome to Los Angeles :: 25 Very Fun Things to do in LA!

February 28, 2020August 21, 2017

Welcome to Los Angeles ~ 25 Awesome Things to do in Los Angeles!

Summer is still here and the daytime sun is blazing. I know that doesn’t make Los Angeles sound too enticing, but come anyway we have air conditioning! Or if you live in So Cal – Get out and come visit! Maybe wait until the kids go back to school (which is like, now.)

How come they go back so early now? When we were kids we had the luxury of enjoying much more summertime because we returned to school after Labor Day.

A visit to Los Angeles includes a HUGE geographic area. From Disneyland to the South to Venice in the west and Universal Studios to the Northwest. It doesn’t just include Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA). The traffic is awful so you may want to break your time down in to day trips or stay in a centrally located spot and venture out like spokes on a wheel.

Los Angeles :: A Fun Afternoon Visit to The Broad

February 28, 2020July 20, 2017

A Visit to The Broad should be on everyone’s list!

What is it? The Broad is a newish contemporary art museum founded by philanthropists Edy and Eli Broad that opened in September 2015. It is located in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) and sits right next door to the Disney Concert Hall. Craig and I were finally able to schedule a visit to The Broad and we just LOVED it. The building is unique and not too terribly large, so you can take a tour in a couple of hours or less. The collection consists of over 2,000 works of art, but the art gallery is only two floors of exhibits and the entrance is FREE. Yes, free and that is awesome.

15 Amazing Restaurants in San Francisco to Visit Today!

February 28, 2020June 6, 2017

Where to find the most amazing restaurants in San Francisco – We did all the “work” for you!

Searching for popular restaurants in the cities where we travel is one of my favorite activities! Every food and travel blogger likes to offer his or her own take on where to go, but more often than not, there are so many to choose from that their choices may not even be on my list. So… I wanted to share my current “favorites list” for the most amazing restaurants in San Francisco.

My husband Craig’s company is located in the Bay Area and working there is just part of his routine. So luckily for me, we have been traveling to San Francisco for quite some time. However, the restaurant scene of today is far more sophisticated and creative and dining out is more popular than it ever has been.

As hungry diners, our choices now are nearly infinite in the City by the Bay. Local chefs create original, tasty food that makes your heart sing and fulfills the current foodie frenzy. It seems that everyone is following the food and restaurant news and a laser-focused interest in popular cuisine is at an all time high.

A Farm to Table Dinner in Big Sur With Outstanding in the Field

February 28, 2020May 22, 2017

“We are Outstanding In The Field: Setting tables at the source of ingredients, serving from farm to table across the country.”

Last year we attended an Outstanding in the Field farm to table dinner on the beach, at the Secret Sea Cove, in Santa Cruz, at the longest dinner table you have ever seen. The sunset unexpectedly turned bright pink as we ate crab and avocado salad, drank buttery Chardonnay and talked with guests from around the world.

What is Outstanding in the Field?

“Since 1999 we have set the long table at rural farms and urban gardens, on mountain tops and in sea caves, on islands and ranches. Occasionally the table is set indoors: a beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum. Wherever the location, the theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table.”

A Pasadena Showcase House of Design Adventure

February 28, 2020April 27, 2017

This is not a sponsored post. I just wanted to share my enthusiasm for architecture and design as well as promoting a worthy fundraising event. This is a HUGE experience in my town of Pasadena, CA.

Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2017 – This year’s Tudor estate looks especially over the top fantastic.

In the article Behind the Scenes: The making of the Pasadena Showcase House of Design written by Bonnie McCarthy of the Los Angeles Times, she offers a detailed behind the scenes peek inside the project. She shares that it is “recognized as one of the oldest and most successful not-for-profit showcase houses in the country and the showcase will see more than 35,000 visitors. It’s a chance for the public to see what’s on the style radar in the months to come and meet and speak with the designers about their work.”

For many years Mom and I would make the drive from Orange County (about 60 miles) to visit the next masterpiece. Ironically, this year’s design house is literally in my neighborhood! I live on one of the “smaller house” tree-lined streets nearby. 🙂

A Sensational Spring Flower Display in Seattle

February 28, 2020April 3, 2017

The rain showers of the Pacific Northwest bring a spectacular spring flower display ~

If you were asked to describe where you would find the best spring flower display, does Seattle come to mind first? It is doubtful. The Pacific Northwest owns the quintessential bad weather rap for constantly raining with never ending gloomy skies. However, that is just a ruse, because I lived there last spring and it was spectacular.

An Empty Nester Foodie Lunch Adventure at Kismet in Silver Lake

February 28, 2020March 29, 2017

It’s Kismet!

Just down the road from the Griffith Park Observatory is a cute little shop with delicious Mediterranean food created by two clever chefs, Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson. I was familiar with Kismet only from reading popular food and wine magazines, as well as a recent glowing review by the Pulitzer Prize winning, food critic, Jonathan Gold of the Los Angeles Times.

Park Hyatt Aviara – The Perfect Destination for Spring Break

February 28, 2020March 23, 2017

Line up ten discerning travelers and each will offer a different idea for the perfect destination for Spring Break. Craig and I are not huge fans of flying to popular beach vacation spots like Mexico or Florida during Spring Break. No offense to the college students, but they travel by the thousands this time of year and I would rather not hang out with them. They probably hope the lounges at poolside are not full of empty nesters either!