Category Archives: 3) DESTINATIONS — in the U.S.

June 27, 2011 · 11:33 pm

Where the ramble on the East Coast – Berkshires and southern Vermont?

So I’m thinking, with our four free days on the East Coast in early September, we can go so many places in a few hour’s – which I loved when I lived in Boston and later Stamford, Connecticut. (So different from Michigan, where I grew up…and here in Iowa.)

Right now, since we’ll be in NYC and then Connecticut and then end up on Long Island, our best bet may be to go to the Berkshires (North Adams, perhaps) and then to southern Vermont (maybe the famous Dorset Inn in Dorset or a splurge at the Inn at Sawmill Farm in West Dover, which oddly enough was formed in part from my cousin’s vacation home that I visited as a child.) Both are places my husband’s never been to and places I long to return.

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June 2, 2011 · 10:42 pm

Cheap airfare to Hawaii

If I buy a plane ticket now for our January trip to Hawaii, I probably will save a bundle since I just found tickets from Des Moines to Honolulu for about $550. But I can’t quite bring myself to buy them yet – since lots of things could change between now and then. So I’m posting this now – as a reminder in November when I’m searching for reasonable fares, of what might have been….Granted the $525 fare is a three-flight trip (DM to Minneapolis to Seattle to Hawaii). The $700 or so ticket is a two-flight trip.  And it’s important to look at where the flights connect. Some of the three flight trips take you all the way to Georgia and then back to Des Moines. Not good. The best options appear to be two-flight trips from DM to Denver to Hawaii….

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May 30, 2011 · 10:57 pm

Oahu here we come

I haven’t gotten the geography of Hawaii in my head yet – but there’s time. we don’t go there until next January. The NYTimes did have some recommendations for Oahu in yesterday’s paper so here they are:

– For hiking, Waimea Valley on Oahu’s North show – includes guided hikes. The less strenuous Ala Ki Hike takes you to the top of Kalahee Ridge, on a switchback trail through mixed forest of exotic and native plants. More challenging is Diamond Head Crater with stunning views of Oahu’s southern shoreline.

There’s a farmers market (Kapiolani Community College farmer market across from the crater on Saturdays – with Oahu fruit/veg, handmade past, goof breakfast.

Other dining options: Orchids at the Halekulani Hotel in Honolulu (seafood, local produce and banana macadamia pancakes and pork omelets with Lomilomi toatos; or for dinner Kahuku shrimp ravioli, or kona lobster.

More casual dining like Chai’s Island Bistro in neighborhoods like Kapahulu or Haleiwa neighborhoods.

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May 24, 2011 · 4:02 pm

Washington state travels – a little more

Okay, I’ve dug out my journal from 1990 (#20…and fun fact, I just finished #53 last night)  to unearth a few more suggestions for E’s trip to San Juan Islands, Seattle et. al.  Most of the places still appear to be around (and several now have elaborate websites, of course.) Now I REALLY want to go return!

Here they are:

– In Seattle, (on night one of honeymoon) we stayed at the Salisbury B&B in quiet neighborhood at Aloha and 16th Streets.  (Capital Hill)

visited Pike Street Public Market, at Ivar’s Clams (oysters best), walked around Pioneer Square, browsed at Elliot Books; ate at posh Canlis restaurant (courtesy of Uncle Tom, who touted its fresh salmon)

– Anacortes – stayed at another charming B&B, The Channel House (in the “honeymoon suite” no less, only room available) before  taking ferry to San Juan Islands.

– Orcas Island: Stayed at Orcas Hotel,cheerful old hotel, greets you right when get off the ferry; Stopped at craft cooperative/good lunch at Cafe Olga – http://www.orcasartworks.com/ (in Olga, Wa) cool place and has cabins for lodging! Might be called The Doe Bay Resort http://www.doebay.com/ (hippie dippie is how I described it, with clothing-optional mineral baths, yurts., got new owners in 2002); really lied the old fashioned Rosario Resort (including a free lecture, slide show, musical presentation about the island’s history.) Main part of resort is an old mansion. Dinner we ate at The Bungalow (jumbo shrimp scampi on squid pasta and our waitress turned out to be a hitchhiker we’d picked up earlier in the day. small world, Orcas.) Hiked 2-3 miles around Cascade Lake in Moran State Park in the drizzle; got lost, flagged down a passing car and got a lift; drove to top of Mt. Constitution (great view). Ate dinner at La Famiglia Ristorante, homey Italian.

– San Juan Island/Friday harbor: rented mopeds to tour island; romantic Olympic Light b&b (reminded me a bit of the Hamptons w/mountains and w/out flashy mansions/people;  later found out that’s where one of owners is from); Dinner at The Duck Soup Inn – food ok but atmosphere lovely; explored American Camp National Park – spectacular; went to a neat old resort Roche Harbour and organic farm nearby.

I have some other stuff on Port Townsend, other parts if you need E! x0x,b

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May 23, 2011 · 2:57 pm

where to stay on Orcas and San Juan Islands

We stayed at the Orcas Hotel, which was sweet. (the info is from the san juan islands website)

Orcas Hotel

Orcas Hotel
  • 18 Orcas Hill Road
  • Orcas, WA  98280
  • Phone: (360) 376-4300
  • Tollfree: 888-672-2792
  • orcas@orcashotel.com

The Orcas Hotel in the San Juan Islands has been welcoming guests since 1904. The island landmark occupies a place of honor on the National Register of Historic Places. Surrounded by a classic English garden filled with an abundance of fragrant flowers, superb herbs and arbors of…more

And we visited Rosario Resort & Spa/Moran Mansion – which is definitely worth a visit.!

Rosario Resort & Spa/Moran Mansion
  • 1400 Rosario Road
  • Eastsound, WA  98245
  • Phone: (360) 376-2222
  • Tollfree: (800) 562-8820
  • info@rosarioresort.com
The historic Moran Mansion is the centerpiece for this 30-acre resort and marina located on the shores of Cascade Bay. 23 guestrooms and suites, some with gas fireplaces, offer comfortable accommodations and spectacular views of the water and forested mountains of Orcas…more

On San Juan Island we stayed here. (magical setting). wow this makes me want to return!

Olympic Lights Bed & Breakfast

Olympic Lights Bed & Breakfast
Sunny and restored 1895 Victorian farm house with panoramic views of the sea and Olympic Mountain range. Four bedrooms with private baths, full breakfast included….more
And here’s suggestions from my friend Denise who has been there recently: ’d recommend making an effort to get on a smaller boat and visit/picnic/wander some of the smaller islands, if at all possible.  SO beautiful, and such a different experience than even the most quaint of the villages.  Also, there are sea kayaking excursions around some of the islands that are really great – that was one of our favorite days!  So fun to see seals lounging & all the birds from sea level.  

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May 23, 2011 · 2:29 am

San Juan Islands/seattle

My stepdaughter is looking for travel tips for a trip to Seattle and the San Juan Islands in late June. Lucky her! We went there for our honeymoon almost exactly 21 years ago so my memory is a little rusty but I will pull out my trusty journal and find some stuff for her. I do remember that we took the ferry from Anacortes – a more “real” town that we really liked -to the main island and stayed at Friday Harbor. Then we went to another island.(I must ask my friend Denise for tips since she was there recently.)

Other places we visited and liked a lot during our trip: Victoria on Vancouver Island, Port Townsend (land of Dungeness Crab and where Officer and a Gentleman was filmed), and the Olympic National Park and the Hoh Rain forest (and Indian reservation there) and Forks, WA (where Spotted Owl vs. loggers battle was brewing)  and Concrete, Washington (where the novel/film “This Boys Life” is set) and the lodge at Snoqualmie Falls where the  tv show “Twin Peaks” (which was a cult fad in 1990) was filmed. We also went to the indian reservation near the Hoh Rain Forest in the most northwest corner of the 48 contiguous states. (fun fact….)

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April 29, 2011 · 2:50 pm

Mount Vernon, Ia. – one of 10 cool small towns

I didn’t know until I heard a plug on Iowa Public Radio this morning that the small northeast Iowa town of Mount Vernon was named one of then “cool small towns” by Budget Travel Magazine. Turns out this was back in 2009. But I’d have to agree. It’s the home of Cornell College and the wonderful restaurant the Lincoln Cafe and is smack in the middle of some bucolic farm country and about a half hour south is the booming artsy college town of Iowa City.  One place I don’t know that was mentioned in the Mount Vernon blurb: Fuel, a coffee shop/antique store.

The 2009 cool town list also includes Jacksonville, Oregon, which my husband and I visited in 2010 during a visit to my sister-in-law’s house in nearby Medford, and Tubac, Arizona which we visited many times during visits to see my dad in Tucson. (In Tubac, the mag recommends the interior design story Pancho’s, Tubac Center of the Arts, and Tubac Country Inn. Good to know since I’m sure we’ll be back there.)

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April 13, 2011 · 2:10 pm

Midwestern hotels to check out

Also from a recent issue of Midwest Living:

– Chicago – Elysian, Ritz-Carlton, Hotel Palomar (rat pack-esque doormen!)

– Columbus, Indiana, Inn at Irwin Gardens

– Novi, MI, Baronette Renaissance

– Shell Knob, Missouri, (wherever that is), Stonewater Cove

– Dubuque, Hotel Julien

– Kohler, Wisc., The American Club

– Custer, S.D., Custer State Park Reunion Cabin

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March 21, 2011 · 10:50 pm

burgers in Texas, Mexican food in Houston!

More on-the-road suggestions from my friend Kathy:

We ended up eating a lot of Mexican food on this trip (not surprising, I suppose, since we spent so much time in Texas). We did hit a Whataburger once. It’s a chain that bills itself as a “Texas treasure” since the 1950s, and while it is still fast food, I must admit that when this semi-vegetarian first bit into a Whataburger, it reminded me of the drive-in burgers I used to eat when I was a kid. It’s a step above the big chains.

The other restaurant of note was Pappasito’s Cantina in Houston. It had come highly recommended. It’s a chain with restaurants scattered throughout the city and, from the lines forming out the door, a popular one. We waited for about a half hour with a pager in the parking lot, but since it was a balmy, full-moon spring night, the wait wasn’t terrible. The restaurant itself was roomy, and the food worth the wait. I had wonderful fish tacos: a couple of pieces of lovely fish, seasoned and grilled instead of breaded, with a big mound of homemade chunky guacamole and pico de gallo, rice and black beans. C.  had steak and chicken fajitas that were also terrific.

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March 16, 2011 · 2:30 pm

Where to eat in Memphis’ Germantown…

This comes courtesy of my friend Kathy who is on a road trip with her family from Des Moines to Houston via some of my favorite places, including most recently,   Memphis.  Before they left, Kathy’s family got some road food recommendations from a well-known BBQer in Des Moines who owns Woody’s.  Here’s the first restaurant they tried in Memphis’ Germantown area. Can’t go wrong with a place that offers complimentary deviled eggs!!

The Germantown Commissary, 2290 S. Germantown Road in the Germantown area of Memphis. According to the menu, a commissary is another term for a Southern general store. Interesting decor, with twinkle lights, and bleached animal skulls, movie posters and old tin signs on the wood-paneled walls. Great dry-rub ribs and tamales smothered in chili and cheese. Excellent coleslaw. Almost every dish comes with a deviled egg. Homemade lemonade and sweet tea. We didn’t have room for dessert, but they looked great: tall layer cakes and cream pies.

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