Hayes Valley Inn, San Francisco, CA
Posted August 7, 2009 , add a comment
The Hayes Valley Inn is European-style pension.
Hayes Valley has emerged over the past decade to become a real gem of a San Francisco neighborhood. And we have the last big earthquake to thank for that.
What was once a dodgy, crime-ridden area with a sooty overpass running through it, is now a sweet enclave of boutiques, restaurants, cafes, galleries, open space, and some truly awesome jewelry and shoe stores.
Part of the fallout of the 1989 earthquake was the closure and demolition of the Fell Street on-ramp that dominated this central neighborhood west of Civic Center and east of Fillmore Street.
The owners of the Hayes Valley Inn also rightfully take some of the credit. They took over a dilapidated residence hotel (read: crack house) and turned it into a cozy, charming European-style pension.
Victorian-style rooms are all unique.
The 28 rooms on three floors each have sinks and vanities, two shared baths per floor are in the hallways. There are two common areas — a kitchen where a free Continental breakfast is served daily and the Ivy room, a comfortable, Victorian parlor with a corner turret looking out over the corner of Hayes and Gough streets. When I was there a French family was making tea and toast and eating fresh fruit in the little kitchen.
Rooms are small but quaint and clean, with antique furnishings. The lobby area and hallway could stand to a fresh carpet though, the carpet looked matted and dirty downstairs and had a discernible odor, which was a turnoff for me.
Rates are exceptionally reasonable, ranging from $76 to $112 with breakfast and free wi-fi. Management is warm and accommodating making guests feel welcome.
The Hayes Valley neighborhood is a great place to shop and offers much in the way of cuisine — from the higher end like Absinthe and Bar Jules to more affordable choices like Frj tz, Stacks and Paxti’s pizzeria.
Affordable and comfortable Hayes Valley Inn.
Hayes Valley Inn
417 Gough Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(800) 930-7999
Photos by Lisa Dion
Cape Pines Motel, Buxton, Outer Banks, North Carolina
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Cape Pines Motel, Hatteras Island, Outer Banks of North Carolina
“Our rooms are so clean, you would think your MOTHER works here!” claims the Cape Pines Motel. That sounded good to me; cleanliness is always at the top of my list when choosing accommodations. But though the Cape Pines more than lives up to its reputation for being immaculate, I soon discovered that this charming old brick motel had so much more to offer, not the least of which was its gracious owners, Bill and Angie Rapant.
The Rapants purchased the Cape Pines in July of 2006 after years of dreaming of owning their own motel. Both had worked in the hotel industry - Bill most recently as the controller at the Plaza Athenee on Manhattan Island in New York City, which is rated one of America’s finest hotels. With their backgrounds, Bill and Angie know what service and hospitality is all about, and they set out to provide guests with the most enjoyable vacation experience of their lives.
In order to achieve this goal, they gradually remodeled each of the motel’s 29 rooms, upgrading where appropriate, but restoring the original wood floors and classic tongue-in-groove knotty pine walls and ceilings wherever possible. With the addition of custom linens and modern amenities such as mini refrigerators, microwaves, coffee pots, cable TV, and free wireless internet, the Cape Pines has mixed vintage and cozy in a way that makes guests feel they have stepped into the living room of a favorite uncle.
Vintage knotty pine walls make for a cozy home away from home
Original wood floors have been restored wherever possible
Built in phases over a number of years, the motel’s 29 rooms are split between a two-story main building and a row of Courtyard cottages that overlook the pool. In addition to standard and deluxe rooms, one-room efficiencies have a fully equipped mini kitchen with stove, sink, and full size refrigerator; while suites are configured with a living room, full kitchen, and one or two bedrooms.
The two story main building
Unlike other hotels and motels on the Outer Banks, many of which focus on the beach, the Cape Pines is nestled in the heart Buxton, a sleepy traditional fishing village where everything is within walking distance. The local grocery store is just across the street and several good restaurants are close at hand. Nearby, fisherman still load crab pots on old fishing boats every morning and chug out to sea.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
But even those who come to the Outer Banks for its exquisite beaches will not be disappointed; just a short stroll away is the entrance to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which is gateway to more than 100 miles of clean, white sand beach and home to the historic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Best of all, in addition to offering very affordable rates (standard rooms are priced at $49-69 off season and $99-119 in season, while suites are offered at $79-99 off season and $139-159 in season), all courtyard rooms at the Cape Pines Motel welcome pets for an additional, nominal additional fee.
Story and photos by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels
Paradise Motel and Suites Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Posted , add a commentLooking at the outside of the Paradise Motel is like being transported back to the 1950s, when the single story motel was king. Owner-owned and managed, this property is a clean, no-frills place to crash when in Wisconsin Dells.
Paradise Motel in Wisconsin Dells
The rooms are reasonably well-maintained, though the mattresses may seem old to those used to the lush pillowtops of most resorts. Rooms smell a bit musty and even a non-smoking room may smell slightly of smoke. Shower temperature varies depending on if others in neighboring rooms are bathing at the same time and if you do want to wash up, you’ll need to bring your own toiletries. You’ll also need to hike down to the office if you want any ice, but you’ll find the owner to be a friendly gentleman willing to help your stay be the best it can.
Paradise Motel is located in the heart of the tourist corridor, directly across the street from the behemoth Mt. Olympus Waterpark and Theme Park. As such, you may not care that the pool is small and only boasts a diving board and traditional plastic slide, or that said pool is completely packed in the heart of the summer heat.
They also offer charcoal grills and a picnic area for guests to use and have a playground with swing set for the kids. A variety of restaurants are within walking distance and each room comes with a mini-fridge and microwave. It should also be noted this motel is pet-friendly.
Rates for a standard room during the peak season summer months start at $99; the family suites at $159. These rates do include passes to Mt. Olympus for each person in your party, though, saving about $20-$30 per person. Expect to pay about half of that during the off-season, since the 49-room motel doesn’t have an indoor pool or any other fancy amenities.
Those who just want a basic place to sleep while vacationing on a budget in the Dells and don’t mind the older qualities of this property should consider this motel for their stay. Tbose used to more modern hotels might be more comfortable sleeping elsewhere.
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Paradise Motel and Suites
1700 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
608-254-7333
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[Photo courtesy of Paradise Motel]
Related Posts:
- Comfort Inn in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
- Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells Wisconsin
- Mayflower Motel in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
- Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Bikinis and Boardies in 2009
Posted , add a commentSwimwear 2009 themes are giving me a serious flashback to the beach style in Sydney, Australia when I lived there in the late 80s / early 90s. Australia, mecca to surfers and beach culture, is the birthplace of major surf labels like Mambo, Billabong and Rip Curl, to name just a few. I loved, loved, loved the fluoro (neon) colors an was particularly fond of anything in the orange spectrum, as well as the bold and simple patterns. But, like all reinvented fashion, garish neon colors have been modernized with sophisticated, and sometimes restrained, color palettes and combined with edgy design elements.
For women, triangle tops remain a staple, but updated with punky patterns and colors like Roxy’s Venice Beach Tiki Tri Bikini.
Bandeau tops, a classic 1950s silhouette, take on an edgy twist with look-at-me elements juxtaposed with elegant color palettes like Seafolly’s Bardot bandeau, and Insight’s Skywalker Bikini.
Bikini by Insight
And the full piece, once the suit of choice for those preferring modesty, is looking much sexier than the bikini these days with midriff cut outs and bold graphics like Volcom’s Knotty One Piece.
Men traditionally have had less selection on shape (it’s a choice of either speedos or boardies, unfortunately) have much more variation with strong graphical elements like chevrons, circles and stripes, even mish-mashed together, offer variation such as the Reef Technic Boardshort, which I find just plain fun to look at.
I especially love how the colors and cut of these Insight Retro Stud Mid Boardshorts work together for a modern take on a 1960s length.
As a photographer, boardies with photo transfers are my personal favorite, as seen here with the masculine design of Rusty’s Smoke Em 20, which reminds me of Donald Sultan’s large format smoke ring photographs.
Boardies by Rusty
Playa Kenepa, Curacao
Posted , add a commentI admit, writing for a beach blog, very few beaches take my breath away. Usually, as soon as I lay my eyes on a beach a sense of relief overcomes me and immediately a sense of reassurance, a sense that everything is, for that very moment [in my world], going to be all right. Then there is Playa Kenepa, on the western end of Curacao. Coming up on the beach I could not believe what I was seeing.
All the elements of ‘amazing’ were present: Cove - check, rocky outcroppings - check, soft sand - check, crystal clear azure waters - double check. In fact, it is so amazing that apparently another Caribbean island took a picture of Playa Kenepa and tried to market it as a piece of paradise found only on their island!
Playa Kenepa, Curacao
I was fortunate enough to see Playa Kenepa from three angles and each one was fantastic. First was from above. Walking towards the beach and seeing it reveal itself in between tree branches sent goose bumps up and down my neck and arms. It was as if I knew I had stumbled upon something special. The view from above was spectacular. Twenty-something feet above the water you could not see where the waves met the rock’s edge but you can definitely see the sandy floor and the coral rocks below. The view was overwhelming and I could not help myself, I needed to get down there FAST.
It was not until I broke the surface after my twenty-something foot plunge that I fully realized what I had just done. I remember thinking before leaping “Always aim for the darkest spot” and at the same time while in mid air “Where is the darkest spot?”
Once back on shore I looked out to see. My second view of Kenepa was perfectly framed by the two rocky cliffs that created the cove effect. I felt like I was in a TV ad, all I needed was a buzzing Blackberry to use as a skipping stone. There were people there, locals and tourists and some local proprietors selling snacks, beer and renting out beach chairs. A little touristy for my taste but the setting more than made up for it. I was fortunate enough be there on a weekday in the early afternoon, I would return to Kenepa later on in my trip only to find it swarming with people. The west side of Curacao is not as developed as the east where the majority of the population and tourists can be found so it is easily understandable that Kenepa was a hot weekend spot.
The most common mode of transportation to Kenepa would be by car but I wondered if there is a better way of getting to this place. I did - by boat.
From my studio overlooking Playa Grandi I noticed fishermen coming in and out regularly. Seeing as I was already on the west side of the island I wondered if I could convince one of the fishermen to swing around the coast and take me to Kenepa.
The boat ride was very relaxing and each time we came upon a beach it was like a surprise because they were all hidden way behind rock formations that were all made of dead coral. Needless to say, turning into Kenepa took my breath away, and once again I found myself in the water and this time waving good-bye to my friendly fisherman who just smiled, waved and shook his head.
