Joe the Traveler

San Antonio

San Antonio is the second largest city in Texas and while I don’t know how many square miles it covers it is like everything else in Texas, BIG. While I have been to San Antonio several times this trip was the best. The weather was perfect at 70-75degrees each day. All of the highway construction has been finished and the downtown area was busy but not overly crowded.

The airport is relatively small but there is some construction work going on outside that makes it a little difficult to get around. We rented a car from Dollar Rent a Car and it seemed to take forever for their shuttle bus to pick us up. I noticed, while waiting for them to pick us up, that the Hertz shuttle bus came by 3-4 times as did almost every other rental car shuttle bus. Dollar provided us with a nice car and the rate was excellent but the pick up at the airport was frustrating.

On this trip we decided to try using Priceline and got the Omni Le Mansion Del Rio on the Riverwalk. The hotel is quite old but well maintained and a short walk through the lobby leads you to the Riverwalk, very convenient. The hotel has several meeting rooms for conventions and a small swimming pool area. Parking at the hotel is a little expensive but there is a city parking garage directly across the street that is $12 cheaper per night. While the Le Mansion is a nice hotel and convenient to the Riverwalk I DO NOT recommend staying there, if you want a quite night sleep. The hotel is right on a very busy street and the nonstop traffic will drive you crazy. The Riverwalk access, busy street, and city parking garage make it a popular location for weekend visitors of teenagers and young adults. I have nothing against younger people but it seems that every one of them in Texas drives a pickup truck with noisy diesel engines and loud mufflers. Add a bunch of drunk, loud mouth cowboys to the pickup truck noise at 2:00AM and the noise level is unbearable.

In the past I stayed at the Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk and found it to be the best experience, large comfortable and quiet rooms with every amenity. I would definitely pay a little more to stay at the Hyatt again. Since my last visit Hyatt built a Grand Hyatt hotel downtown but I didn’t check it out on this trip. I am sure it is spectacular.

The Riverwalk was just as nice as I remembered it, with lots of good places to eat and drink. You can’t beat the Riverwalk for its atmosphere and fun. We went back to one of our favorite restaurants for traditional Texas beef, The County Line, and once again were pleased with the food. We tried several places for breakfast and found the best was ZUNI on the Riverwalk, the breakfast tacos were spectacular and inexpensive. At night the margaritas flow freely from every restaurant and bar where the crowds are friendly and courteous.

We took a day trip to historic Gruene, about 30 north, with its Quaint shops in the historic structures including old homes, stores, an art gallery, a winery and an ice cream parlor. Gruene Hall is the oldest dance hall in Texas and a lot of fun with live music and plenty of Shiner beer. Gruene Hall is right next to the Gristmill river restaurant & bar. The Gristmill is situated on a bluff overlooking the Guadalupe River. It is a multi level restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining and excellent views.

On the highway between San Antonio and Austin is the town of San Marcos. At the exit for the town is the largest outlet mall shopping area I ever visited. There is a Tanger outlet right across the street from a Prime outlet. If shopping is your thing then San Marcos is the place.

To really experience the Mexican culture visit Historic Market Square in San Antonio. At Market Square you can find a great Mexican restaurant and bakery, Mi Tierra, Mariachi musicians and a huge selection of classic Tex-Mex dishes. Mi Tierra is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The Market Square has a variety of shops and a huge Mercado with every type of clothing and gifts you could ever want.

Everyone should visit Texas in their lifetime and for me San Antonio is best city for learning about their culture, food and shopping.

1pm

Weekend Getaway

Visiting San Antonio (again) for a long weekend. Look for an update with pictures next week.

9am

IN-N-OUT

For those of you who haven’t visited the west coast, you are missing out on something very special. No… not the warm weather or the scenic ocean views. Not even the glamour glitz of Hollywood or the night life. Nope, none of these semi spectacular things. I am talking about the real reason to hop on a plane and go west; IN-N-OUT burger.  Let’s all pause here for a few seconds…mmm,mmm,mmm.

I have eaten many hamburgers in my life but nothing compares to the freshness and taste of a DOUBLE DOUBLE from IN-N-OUT.

Many years ago, while visiting California, a co-worker introduced me to IN-N-OUT. I wanted to grab something quick for lunch one day and inquired about a close fast-food place. I have been a regular visitor ever since. Sure there was a long line of people placing their orders and many waiting, with drool running down their chin, to devour their meal but believe me the wait was worth it. I didn’t know at the time that they use only the freshest meat and produce to make their burgers. I didn’t know that their French fries were out of this world. I didn’t know that they invented the 1^st drive through restaurant with the first two-way speaker box. I didn’t know they were a family owned business. I didn’t know the lettuce was leafed by hand and the sponge dough buns were baked daily and that both the cheese and the ice cream for its shakes were 100 percent dairy. Heck, I just wanted to grab a bite and go back to work.

If you want to get tacos or a chicken sandwich or a Happy (?) Meal then forget IN-N-OUT.  They only serve Burgers, FRIES, and a drink…nothing else.

It amazes me that in my lifetime I have seen a huge growth of McDonald’s restaurants around the world. They seem to always be adding some new food item to entice you. Recently they have been promoting specialty coffees and $1 meals. You can get chicken in many forms, tortilla wraps filled with stuff, nuggets of chicken parts, sausage, eggs, and muffins. I have seen them experiment with pizza and even full meals. McDonald’s has been very successful and if fast is what you want you can get in there. Yet, IN-N-OUT, after 60 some years, still only sells burgers, fries and a drink and yet their stores are packed throughout the day.

Now I don’t much care for the greeters at many stores who wish me a “Nice Day” when I enter. I know they don’t really care if I have a nice day but some consultant somewhere convinced their management that we customers want to be greeted when we enter their business. I suppose that would be a good idea if it really meant something to them. When I visit a fast food, or for that matter any chain restaurant, I am prepared for “matter of fact” service.  But, such is not the case at IN-N-OUT. They treat their customers with respect and a friendly smile, every time you visit. The culture of the company is such that they are naturally friendly and treat their customers well.  That friendly service and the spectacular food keeps me coming back for more whenever I can.

This family owned business has stretched its business legs a bit and I have visited one in Tucson and I understand they have some in Las Vegas. They may never make it across the entire United States so start planning your trip to California (or Arizona or Nevada) so that you don’t miss out on the fast-food treat of your life.

11am

Newport Beach California

Newport Beach is a beautiful city with a lot to offer locals and visitors alike. Newport Beach contains some of the most expensive real estate in Southern California. Homes costing $2 million and up. Like to people watch? This is the place.

> 

Newport Beach has what used to be the best airport in the LA area, John Wayne Airport (actually it is in Santa Ana but on the Newport side of the 405 Freeway).

John Wayne airport is easy to get in and out of, they have one terminal and 20 or so gates. Not a lot of frills here but all of the necessities like Starbucks and McDonald’s. You can get off your plane and to your rental car in about 5 minutes if you didn’t check a bag.

The airport has a short runway and because it is located so close to the homes the planes have to rev up their engines while holding the brakes on, then make a quick, steep take off and quickly cut back on the engines for noise control. Kind of a thrill when leaving Newport Beach.

If shopping is on your schedule then there isn’t a better place then Fashion Island. Fashion Island is located right on Pacific Coast Highway with breath taking views of the ocean. The decorations during the Christmas season are terrific. Each year they erect the largest lighted Christmas tree in the United States; an amazing sight with nightly carolers.

There are some great restaurants in Newport Beach, in Fashion Island and along Pacific Coast Highway. Try El Torito at Fashion Island, the food is great and they serve warm hand-made tortillas and cinnamon butter instead of bread at the tables. It makes my mouth water just thinking about them. Of course at Fashion Island there are many other restaurant choices like PF Chang and others too.

Another treat in the food court of Fashion Island is La Salsa, a Mexican fast food restaurant. Don’t let the fast food designator stop you it is a great meal at a good price. There are several La Salsa restaurants in Southern California but this one is my favorite because of its location.

Some of the best hotels are the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel and Tennis Club and the five diamond Four Seasons Hotel. There is a Hyatt Newporter close to Fashion Island but it needs some modernizing for my taste.  

Across the harbor is the Balboa Peninsula. On the weekends cars line up to take the auto ferry which lands at the Balboa Fun Zone, an amusement park. Of course you can avoid the long wait for the ferry and drive to the peninsula off the 55 Freeway and Pacific coast Highway.

It’s fun to walk along Balboa and look at the homes, beautiful beaches and sunshine. Kind of makes you want to live there.

For a nice quiet sunset you can’t go wrong with the Newport Beach pier.

You probably won’t find it on any of the tourist brochures but Newport beach California is well worth seeing and doing on a weekend day. 

11am

Hong Kong Visit

Hong Kong is the most exciting city I have ever visited. It has the most distinctive blend of East and West in the world. After you feel the excitement of the skyline and get overwhelmed with the shopping you can savor the delicacies at some of the finest and most unusual restaurants in the world.

The skyline has changes since I first visited about 40 years ago. The downtown area has exploded with new modern buildings, each with worlds of shopping in them.  The area has always been exciting and with the growth of businesses and restaurants it is even more so today.

I first visited HK in 1968, I was in the Navy and we anchored in the harbor. Immediately after anchoring masses of Sampan’s pulled alongside our ship with people trying to sell us everything from chewing gum to stereos.

Sampan in HK Harbor 

When I got on shore the excitement of the city hit me. There was so much to see and do. The culture was so much different than the one I was used to in the U.S. I walked the street, sampled the food and drink and people watched (I didn’t have very much money being in the Navy).We made several stops in Hong Kong during my tour of duty and I enjoyed each of them.

 View from Victoria Peak 1968

I returned to HK 20 years later as a private citizen. I owned my own IT Consulting business and I took a couple of my employees with me. This time HK was different, it had grown up. We flew into the Old Hong Kong airport and if you have ever seen it in a movie or travel show you know that landing there was an experience in itself. The airport was so close to the high rise buildings that you would swear that a crash was inevitable. I revisited HK in 1998 and they had built a new airport…more on this later.

Old HK Airport landing

We stayed at the Sheraton in Kowloon. The hotel was very modern and except for the breakfast buffet, where they served typical Asian breakfast (fish), you would believe you were anywhere in the U.S.

Once we stepped outside the hotel we realized we were in a different world. Kowloon was crowded with people who were rushing in every direction. This was not a problem; we blended in well and felt very comfortable. If you want to buy anything you don’t have to go far. In Kowloon there are more shops, selling everything you can imagine, than I have ever seen. Some of the shops were pretty tacky but a lot of them were fine, selling quality merchandise. There were also street vendors selling knock-off products.

While in Kowloon we visited the Peninsula Hotel and discovered why it is frequently rated #1 in the world. Luxury abounds there.

Our trips across the harbor to Central District of Hong Kong were mostly taken on the Star Ferry, which were frequent and convenient. The Star Ferry connects Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The ferry ride is also known as one of the world’s best value-for-sightseeing trips.

The Star Ferry is by far the best way to cross the harbor.

Star Ferry

Once, we took the subway under the harbor. I am almost 6 ½ feet tall and the subway car we got on was towards the end of the train. I could see almost to the front because the locals weren’t more than 5 ½ feet tall and nothing blocked my view. It was the quite funny.

Sightseeing begins with Victoria Peak. The Peak is Hong Kong’s most popular attraction. It has stunning vistas, great shopping and dining. Although, when I first visited it in 1968, there wasn’t must there other than the view.

You get to the Peak via the Peak Tram which in itself was an unforgettable experience. The tram takes you from Central to the Peak. The tramway is so steep you think you aren’t ever going to make it but trust me you will love it.

As I said earlier, there wasn’t much on top of the Peak when I first visited, just the view from HK’s highest point. By the time I went back in 1988 it had changed dramatically. The downtown building boom had started and the city looked liked a concrete and steel jungle. It was spectacular.

 Peak Tram

Stanley Market

Take one of the great Double Decker buses, and your money, to Stanley Market. The bus ride gives you a great feel for the various neighborhoods in HK. Stanley Market is a perfect place to find silk garments, sportswear, art, Chinese costume jewel, souvenirs and other bargains, and is definitely worth half a day or so. I understand that the people make clothing for the best designers in the world in their little shops while making a few extra dozen for themselves to sell in their stores in Stanley. Bargains abound here. See it. Do it.

Restaurants in HK are everywhere and of every style from the finest to street vendors. You can experience the best that Asia has to offer and if you get tired of eating like Asians then you can eat at McDonalds, KFC, or Pizza Hut. I discovered a restaurant called the Chicago Bar & Grill while there. It was in a huge office building with a shopping center in it. The restaurant served typical Chicago and Midwestern food and was decorated with pictures of Chicago and its politicians. A fun place with hometown food.

We also went for a spectacular dinner at JUMBO, a floating restaurant. Jumbo is massively large and you can only get to it via a small boat. Once inside Jumbo the sights and sounds (and food) were spectacular. We had the pleasure of having a local resident with us and he helped us understand the food items but we could have easily managed by ourselves. I watched one of the chefs take a ball of dough and by using only his hand he pulled and stretched it into very thin pasta noodles that were used in the soup. A great show and a lot of fun.

I revisited HK in 1998 and by then they had built a new spectacular airport, away from the buildings and connected by a train that whisked me to my hotel in about 15 minutes. I was by myself and had just traveled there from India. It was a long trip and I was tired but I didn’t have any problem finding my way around the airport, getting through customs, and finding the trains. It was the most enjoyable airport experience I ever had. The train was right outside the door and it was clean and easy to get around on.

new Hong Kong Airport

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Kowloon and once again Hyatt didn’t let me down. Great rooms, restaurants and shops. Again I took the Star Ferry over to Central and explored everything there including Victoria Peak. It was hard to believe but the modern travel modes, buildings, restaurants and shops were even better.

By 1998 the Peak area had been totally revitalized. The Peak Tower, with its iconic wok-like top, offers a dazzling array of shops and great dining with a view experience, leisurely shopping and souvenir hunting. It is spectacular and should be a destination you wouldn’t want to miss.  I enjoyed lunch there, looking out the large expanses of glass on the most spectacular view I could imaging, high atop the tallest peak in Hong Kong looking on the city and the harbor.

Peak Tower

View from Victoria Peak 1998

Please put Hong Kong on your list of must places to visit in your life, you will not be disappointed.

12pm

Hong Kong

I have been to Hong Kong 4-5 times in my life and have loved each visit.

I am going to compile my notes and pictures an post them in the next 24 hours.

It is talking a little longer than I thought.

7pm

Sedona Sweat Box deaths

In my post of Oct 02, I made the comment “I don’t get the spiritual thing but some wacko hippies like to bring people here and profess to them that they “know the way” to well being. If you’re into that hang on to your wallet.”

I guess I should have said “watch out for your life”. It amazes me that people will follow others to their death because they are told stories of mythical powers.

Go to Sedona (it is beautiful), enjoy the scenery, shopping and restaurants but stay away from the faith healers.

3pm

LA’s Secret Airport

Long Beach, CA

It was many years ago that I first went to Long Beach. I was in the Navy and assigned to a ship that was in dry dock in Long Beach. Back then (I won’t tell you how long ago) Long Beach was a bustling NAVY town. There was a huge Navy presence there and the PIKE was still going strong.

In case you are too young, or don’t remember, the Pike was an ocean front amusement park. When I got there is was dirty and sleazy and I am glad they tore it down. Now, the area it used to occupy is filled with shops, restaurants and the convention center, a huge improvement.

Anyway, Long Beach has grown up. The downtown area is modern with good restaurants and hotels and is a safe place to walk (during the day). If you are interested in shopping, visit 4^th street for trendy shops, restaurants, and people watching.  Another decent area is Belmont Shores.

The Long Beach airport is the SECRET for visiting L.A. I fly JetBlue from Chicago to Long Beach whenever I can. The Long Beach airport is a throwback to the 1940’s, tiny without many services, but the easiest airport to get in and out of in the state. The airport is convenient to all the coast communities as well as downtown L.A. If you have the opportunity to fly into Long Beach please give it a try, I guarantee you will like it.

There is a very nice Marriott hotel at the Long Beach airport. It is great if you are a business traveler but you wouldn’t want to stay there if you are a tourist because there is nothing else near it except the airport.

There is also a very nice Hyatt Hotel in Long Beach, I recommend it.

In summary, Long Beach has a nice downtown and ocean front and the best airport in southern Cal.

11am

Free Sheraton Night

CHICAGO (AP) — The owner of Sheraton hotels will offer thousands of guests a free night’s stay in dozens of North American locations as part of a massive campaign that kicks off Wednesday to highlight the chain’s $6 billion revitalization efforts.

The deal is available for overnight stays on Oct. 23 and will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis through a company Web site. Eighty-six recently renovated Sheratons in the U.S. and Canada — about 40 percent of the brand’s North American locations — will participate in the promotion.

Additional nights and services will cost extra, but the offer will cover the cost of taxes, fees and surcharges, said Hoyt Harper, senior vice president of brand management at Sheraton’s parent company Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

About 2,100 rooms will be available to those who register on Sheraton.com/freenight. Guests will be able to book rooms on the site from Oct. 6 to Oct. 9. Guests who get to the site too late for the free night will be offered a coupon for a room discount.

11am

Kim Komando Show

10am

Sedona AZ

Sedona AZ is a little more than 100 miles north of Phoenix. The drive there, up RT 17, takes you through a couple of small towns but just off RT 17 close to Camp Verde is Montezuma castle national monument. Montezuma Castle Monument is the location of the native cliff dwellers in North America from 1000 years ago. This is an amazing sight and well worth seeing. It is hard to believe that people used to live in these rooms high up in these limestone cliffs. There is a lot to see here and a good break from the drive.


I am not sure of the elevation as you go north from Phoenix and not much grows the further north you go. On many parts of the drive you might think you were on the moon. Very interesting, beautiful drive and I recommend it.

Sedona is called “Red Rock Country” and whether you’re into archaeology; arts and culture; shopping; or the spiritual and metaphysical, you can do it all here. Very fascinating scenery, nice town, some good restaurants, hotels, and nice shopping make for a good day in Sedona. I don’t get the spiritual thing but some wacko hippies like to bring people here and profess to them that they “know the way” to well being. If you’re into that hang on to your wallet.

All-in-all Sedona and the drive north from Phoenix is quite enjoyable and I recommend it.

3pm

Tucson and the surrounding areas

Tucson and the surrounding area has really grown, I guess that proves its popularity, the bad side is traffic. There are plenty of multi-lane roads and highways but there are also plenty of cars and trucks fighting for space. Having said that, there is so much to see and do it is worth the battle.

One of my favorite places to stay is Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. It is a beautiful hotel with tons of amenities. Nestled in Ventana Canyon, the scenery is spectacular. It is a short trip from the resort to Sabino Canyon, take the tour for spectacular desert scenery, it’s a great experience.

Another great resort is the JW Marriott Starr Pass resort. It is out in the middle of nowhere (soon to change) and a beautiful hotel. They have a good spa and a spectacular golf course. They have nice restaurants and large meeting rooms. Overall a good place, desert location, nice views and very comfortable.

Close to the JW Marriott is the Arizona-Sonora desert Museum; it combines a zoo, museum and botanical garden. Plan to spend several hours here, there is a lot to see and you will definitely enjoy it. The zoo hosts many of the animals in their natural desert habitats. Some real eye openers there.

I like airplanes and was amazed at the Pima Air & Space Museum. It is one of the largest air and space museums in the world. There are more than 275 aircraft, many of the most historically significant and technically advanced aircraft produced. Adjacent to the museum is the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARG), also known as the “Boneyard.” The facility is located adjacent to the Museum at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. It is absolutely fascinating to see the thousands of airplanes parked there and being scavenged for parts.

Just down the road from Tucson, about 50 miles, is Tubac, AZ. Tubac is the perfect shoppers’ paradise with over eighty galleries and shops that feature hand-crafted items, sculpture, paintings, clothing and some of southern Arizona’s best import shops. A great shopping and sightseeing place.

10am

Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun

It’s time for me to get out of California for a while (I’ll come back to it later). On to Arizona…The first time I visited Phoenix was about 25 years ago (picture below). At that time Phoenix was a small town and hadn’t begun the enormous growth it has.

Back 25 years ago there were a lot of dusty streets and the drive to Scottsdale seemed like driving across the Mojave. Wow, have things changed. I have been back to the area many times and while I don’t stay in Phoenix anymore it is still fun to go back to the city and experiment with the restaurants and shops.

I stayed at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale when it was first opened and it was the only thing on the property, next to the golf course. Now, Gainey ranch is congested with shops and hotels, the Hyatt doesn’t even stand out anymore. Having said that, I still like Scottsdale, there are some great restaurants and shops despite all the traffic. El Pedregal is a very nice shopping center and over the years the restaurants there have changed hands but always remained good. I like the location of this center and the design reminds me of the desert many years ago.

There used to be a restaurant called Oaxaca up on East Pinnacle Peak road but it isn’t there anymore. Their food was excellent and the view overlooking the valley was spectacular at night.

Cave Creek is more like Scottsdale used to be back a few years ago. A couple of good restaurants, my favorite is El Encanto on Cave Creek Road, and some fun shops and a lot of desert.

In Carefree you will find the Carefree Resort & Villas. It is a very good resort with nice desert views, tennis courts, and a pool. What more could a person want? The rooms are good and the service is nice.

Much more modern, and not very favorable to the desert surroundings, is the Kierland shopping district and the Westin Kierland. Very nice place, modern amenities, nice stores and hotel. The locals like it but if I were a visitor wanting to experience the desert I would avoid this place. Once again, I am not putting it down it is a great area but you won’t get a desert feel there.

I have been all around the Valley, Mesa, Glendale, Surprise, etc. and there are some great sights to see, hotels to stay in, and shopping to do (not to mention the golf courses). If you like baseball then spring training is for you. The Cubs are in Mesa and a whole slew of other teams are scattered around Phoenix making spring time a fun time for all.

If you haven’t experienced springtime in the desert you are truly missing something. Everything is in bloom and the beauty of it all is spectacular. Take your clubs, tennis racket, jogging shoes and have a ball in the spring.

Spend some time in the greater Phoenix area and you will find the best restaurants, shopping, resorts, scenery, golf, sophistication, and fun that the desert Southwest can offer.

Phoenix 1982

4pm

Why so much Hyatt

As I post my travel comments you will notice that most of my hotel visits have been at Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. This has not been by accident. I have been traveling on business and pleasure for over 40 years. I have stayed in major and some smaller cities, resorts in the desert southwest, and ocean front properties. I find that I get the best choices, rates, and comfort at Hyatt properties.

I don’t mean to put down other hotel chains. There are some fine Marriott, Hilton and Sheraton properties and even a few good budget hotels that I would recommend but overall Hyatt offers the best.

Have I had bad experiences at Hyatt properties…you bet, the Hyatt Regency in Monterey California is one. The last time I stayed there was fall 2005. I was very disappointed, the room I had was dirty, old and worn. I couldn’t see out the sliding patio door because it was so dirty. Also, the Hyatt resort in Mission Bay San Diego, bad room, poor maintenance, and unclean. I understand these two hotels have been remodeled but I hesitate to visit them again.

For budget hotels I recommend Hampton Inn but a word of caution here, some of them are pretty bad. I understand that Holiday Inn Express hotels are good but I haven’t stayed at any.

So for me it is Hyatt, my overall satisfaction rate is 4 ½ stars.

9am