Knit beanies, Northface slickers, jeans, fashionable rainboots and Jack Purcells were the uniform of the day on a very rainy Sunday in downtown San Francisco. So where are all the twenty-somethings going for the best food I have had in quite a while? Sweet Maple.
If you have never been to the island of Maui, please consider putting this destination at the top of your list! It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful, tropical resort destinations in the world. On this recent anniversary trip, we decided to try a few new adventures on an island where we have stayed many times. We visited new restaurants, tried new activities and stayed in a luxury condominium instead of a hotel.
As a savvy traveler who likes her upscale amenities, I never really believed that a condo could compete with the luxurious hotel accommodations that we have been accustomed. I was absolutely wrong. The Hyatt Residence Club Maui surpassed any expectations we could have imagined! Both Craig and I were blown away by the beauty, architectural design, amenities, incredible staff and warm welcome we received at this brand new property.
We were impressed by luxurious design features like elegant bathrooms, granite kitchen countertops, stainless steel appliances and the extra space (compared to a single hotel room) was so w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l as well. Even if you have no intention of cooking or preparing any meals, this property would still fulfill your needs! Additionally, no one is knocking at your door for turn down service or housekeeping and we appreciated this benefit of extra privacy in a condo.
How much fun! Today our readers are sharing where to travel at the holidays! A huge thank you to all of you who sent in your stories and photos! From our readers in no particular order: Edward Pizzarello ~ Pizzainmotion.com We do love to travel during the holidays. We just got back from …
Indulge me for a moment to tell a quick story and then listen to me rave a little about living in Seattle, our adopted city. But first… Although we intentionally made some very major changes in our lives by moving to Pasadena and then living in Seattle temporarily, interestingly enough, I feel kind of …
The month of December is a perfect time of year to share a few itinerary ideas for visiting one of my favorite places, Pasadena, California. The Rose Bowl, The Tournament of Roses New Year’s Day Parade and perfect weather, draw thousands of people to the city every December. When you watch the parade on television you can clearly see the majestic San Gabriel Mountains that are just north of the city and so beautiful. Blue skies and bright sunshine are especially enticing to those that are experiencing a harsh winter.
Just yesterday I published a post on whether traveling at the holidays was on your wish list. Many of you have traveled this time of year. Where have you been? Would you like to email me a photo? I would like to create a collaborative post with your photos. Please send me a photo of …
I believe I never really considered traveling at the holidays until the kids were grown or at least until the nest was almost empty and they were in their teens. Wearing heavy coats, worrying about potential lost gloves, bigger crowds all seemed too much to deal with when the kids were young.
All of our immediately family lived within in driving distance so we never had to fly out of necessity. Now that we primarily travel as a couple, I look forward to the extra excitement of going somewhere at Christmas.
I am a big fan of lights and festive decorations. I love how the city, any city, seems to sparkle this time of year. Even the strip malls and grocery stores look so much better with those clear lights stretched across the roof.
Traveling to San Francisco from Southern California is an easy, quick flight and with no potential snow to add any extra discomfort. When you live in an area where the temperature is rarely below 60, frosty wind and lots of rain can dampen your spirit, however, part of the fun of traveling in December is that it is so different. Changes in the weather and different clothing requirements make it a novelty. I relish the opportunity to wear fun boots, colorful scarves and the warm winter coat I wear only a couple of times a year in Southern California.
We have plans to go back to San Francisco next week to enjoy the holiday celebration and to visit our son Nick who just moved there for his first job after graduating from UCLA. He is looking forward to showing us “his” San Francisco. Craig and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to see the city through Nick’s eyes.
We plan to take him to a couple of our favorite spots and he will take us to his new hangouts. At 22, he enjoys such different activities than we do, that this will be an entirely new way to enjoy this beautiful city!
If you do have the opportunity to plan a trip to San Francisco this month, here is what you could see and do!
The true meaning of Christmas we carry in our hearts, but the magic of Christmas in San Francisco is a wonderful sight to behold! This spectacular coastal California city manages to capture the splendor of the holidays and we are fortunate to live just an hour plane ride away. Craig and I try to get away for a few days each year in the month of December to soak up the holiday cheer and exquisite architecture of San Francisco.
Small neighborhood shops, large department stores, fancy hotels and trendy restaurants go all out to decorate and celebrate for the holiday season. Twinkle lights, gorgeous window displays and several gingerbread mansions are displayed for visiting guests to enjoy as well as the lucky residents.
Union Square is the heart of the city and the best place to begin and spend your free time. It is surrounded by busy stores, large and small, lined with glorious hotels and is definitely where most of the shopping activity can be found!
Our recent anniversary trip to the enchanting island of Maui was filled with new adventures. Hoping to expand our Hawaiian foodie education, we really wanted to immerse ourselves into the amazing local Maui food scene. In my recent post about Maui, I shared how in addition to staying in luxury hotels, we love to eat great food and …
The island of Maui is one of those spectacular travel destinations that whatever you choose to do or see, it will never disappoint you! Sit back, relax and do nothing or fill your day with activities, you will be happy! Everywhere you look is breathtakingly beautiful, the weather is near perfect year round, the local tropical …
Kim Tackett who writes the blog Tour of No Regrets, traveled to Spain with her husband Steve. Kim always has something clever to say and tells a fantastic story. Her photos are fabulous too! Thanks, Kim!
We’ve traveled much of Europe, but never Spain. The stars aligned for this trip…it was Steve’s 60th birthday, our best friends were traveling in France and could meet us for a week so the guys could cycle in the Pyrenees, and Steve and I would still have time to wander on our own. In fact, this was the first trip in years where we weren’t hosting or visiting our daughters. They’re awesome, but traveling with two is pretty sweet! Our trip started in Barcelona, where we met up with our friends, then to San Sebastian (bike riding for the guys, cooking lessons for the gals) and then we were back on our own again. We went to Madrid, Granada and Seville, where this story picks up.
We knew we were pushing it, and the back end of our trip wouldn’t be enough. Or it would be too much. As we planned, we understood this was the point where we would need a cafe in a small village, and time to do nothing but sit, read, write, draw and visit the local markets (you know, nothing). But we only had a few more days and couldn’t miss Seville or Granada. We knew 1 day, 2 nights in each wasn’t right, but we kept comparing it to Yosemite. What if you had one chance to see California and missed Yosemite? Would one day be better than nothing? We compared Seville and Granada, and especially the Alcazar and Alhambra, as Yosemite, and added the last two stops.
In Seville, we stayed a little out of town, at a charming Moroccan inspired hotel, the Alcoba del Rey. They had an incense menu. And a rooftop patio, perfect for kissing under the stars, if one (or two) were so inclined. We skipped the incense, and visited the patio instead. We knew this was where we should be taking things slower—using local buses, leaving the guidebooks behind. But we didn’t have time for that, we had stuff to do, and took advantage of the taxi stand outside our door. (Sidenote: Every taxi driver wants to talk about gun control and Donald Trump. Also, even if they don’t speak English, they all seem to listen to American country radio. Steve thinks they understand the passion. I think they think we like it. Either way, it’s confusing.)
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