November 2009
3 posts
5 tags
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...
Weekend Getaway
Visiting San Antonio (again) for a long weekend. Look for an update with pictures next week.
5 tags
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...
October 2009
9 posts
7 tags
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...
6 tags
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...
2 tags
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.
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...
6 tags
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...
5 tags
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....
Kim Komando Show →
3 tags
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...
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...
September 2009
11 posts
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....
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...
Venice Beach, CA
Venice Beach is located relatively close to LAX and adjacent to Santa Monica. Enough said…Ok well there is more; I stayed at the Venice Beach Inn several times and it is quite enjoyable. Comfortable rooms and a nice morning breakfast. It is just a short walk to the beach and the boardwalk and there are several decent restaurants and gift shops within a block of the hotel.
Venice Beach has a...
Huntington Beach, Ca
If you like the ocean, sunshine, large sandy beaches, and surfing then Huntington Beach is for you. I have stayed at the Hyatt Resort in Huntington Beach several times. It is a really nice hotel/resort with a couple swimming pools, a spa, good restaurants, and easy beach access over the top of Pacific Coast Highway.
The hotel is fairly large but easy to get around in. The main swimming pool gets...
Garden Grove, CA
OK, there isn’t much in Garden Grove but there is an excellent hotel there, the Hyatt Regency Garden Grove. This is an excellent hotel, clean comfortable rooms, beautiful lobby, lounge and restaurant and very convenient to major freeways. It is just a few blocks from the main gate at Disneyland and just a few blocks from the I-5 freeway. This is my favorite hotel in the Disneyland area.
I...
Albuquerque, NM
I took a week off and visited New Mexico this summer (July). While I have traveled the American Southwest before and have changed planes in Albuquerque I never set aside the time to explore it.
Albuquerque itself was not very impressive, a city with a college, a bunch of freeways and an airport. Getting around the airport was easy but it doesn’t offer very many amenities. The food counters aren’t...
Santa Fe, NM
OK, here is what I think of Santa Fe, the Capital area.
Crowded, small streets, too many vendors selling the same thing, too few good restaurants.
Some how the people there think they are cool. They remind me of a bunch of old hippies from the 60’s who haven’t grown up. A lot of motor cycles and beer drinkers with wayyyy too many left-wing liberals for my liking.
We stayed at the Inn of the...