10 Most Luxurious Hotels in the US
Posted July 14, 2009 , add a commentDo you have several thousand dollars lying around to spend on an extravagant night of pampering? Me neither. But someone in the United States is enjoying the life of luxury.
Here’s where they’re doing it…
10 Most Luxurious Hotels in the US
Enjoy everything from camping to beachfront property at the nation’s top luxury hotels. Continue reading '10 Most Luxurious Hotels in...'
The Beaches of Tahiti, French Polynesia, South Pacific
Posted , add a commentI am sick of writing about beaches I’ve actually been to: Northern California rugged, all sweet grass and ice plants, sand the color of wheat, full of fiber and good for you. Today I want fantasy, I want plumeria, pikake, flowers with blooms bigger than my belly. Today I want sand the color of a bleached blonde looking fake and not necessarily good for me. Today I want Tahiti.
Continue reading 'The Beaches of Tahiti, French...'
Oregon’s Historic Crater Lake Lodge
Posted , add a commentPost by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip
Historic Crater Lake Lodge
Photographer’s will love the endless photo opportunities at Crater Lake. The lake looks beautiful captured in black and white, but the many shades of blue found in the water are beautiful, as well. What surprised us most about a recent road trip to Crater Lake, Oregon was the amount of snow on the ground in mid-June!
High Touch, Not High Tech
Nature-lovers will appreciate that Crater Lake Lodge has resisted the urge to go high-tech. You won’t find multiple cell phone towers in Crater Lake National Park. Save your battery and turn your cell phone off while you visit the historic Crater Lake Lodge. The 71 room lodge, originally opened in 1915, went through a major renovation in 1995.
Deluxe Lakeside Room #401
The fireplace in the Great Hall welcomes visitors to sit down and relax. In warm weather grab a chair on the balcony and enjoy the breath taking views from the edge of the caldera. If you are planning a trip to southern Oregon, be aware that advance reservations are a good idea if you’d like to snag a Deluxe Lakeside room. On our particular visit, there were four rooms available on a walk-in basis. By the time we showed up for our early dinner reservation, the lodge was sold out.
If you didn’t book your room reservation on-line, up to 13 months in advance, you might want to try the other Xanterra Parks and Resorts property, the Cabins at Mazama Village. Keep in mind that neither the Lodge or Mazama Motor Inn are pet-friendly.
Clawfoot Tub with Lake View
There are rooms to fit ever price range, from ground floor pricing, starting at $151, to Deluxe Lakeside rooms, listed for $206, to the four loft rooms, complete with mini fridge and views of the Klamath Valley.
Photos by Nancy D. Brown
Crater Lake Lodge
565 Rim Drive
Crater Lake National Park, OR 97604
Michael Jackson Memorial - Los Angeles Hotels Offer Special Rates
Posted , add a commentHotels in Los Angeles are offering special rates for Michael Jackson fans who want to attend the King of Pop’s Memorial service at the Staples Center on Tuesday, July 7th at 10 am.
Staples Center, Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau has partnered with the Michael Jackson fan club to make arrangements for out-of-town fans. Initial estimates suggest that at least 750,000 people are expected to be in Los Angeles for the Memorial service.
The Staples Center held a lottery for 17,500 free tickets, and received 1.6 million registrations, with over 1 billion hits on their website.
Hotels in Downtown LA offering special rates include the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, Wilshire Grand Los Angeles, Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens and the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Hotels close to LAX include the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, Radisson Hotel at Los Angeles Airport and Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel.
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
In the Hollywood and Universal City area the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City are offering special rates.
Each participating hotel’s special offer is detailed at http://discoverlosangeles.com/play/arts-music-and-entertainment/michael-jackson-memorial.html and includes a special promotional code to redeem at the time of booking.
A note of warning - even if you have a place to stay in downtown LA, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to attend the memorial service. The free tickets have already been handed out, and LAPD has made clear that only ticket holders and credentialed media will be allowed in or even anywhere near the Staples Center.
But if you want to experience a Michael Jackson themed trip, then you could make use of the special rates at one of the aforementioned hotels, take a chance with the Staples Center, and also attend the other events being organized in LA to honor Michael Jackson.
On July 9th, Universal CityWalk will become “Universal Moonwalk” with Southern California’s largest public outdoor celebration of Jackson’s life. The GRAMMY Museum in Downtown LA has extended its exhibition of Jackson’s most iconic wardrobe pieces, Jackson’s star is located on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Jackson filmed his “You Are Not Alone” video at the Pantages Theatre and of course, STAPLES Center is where the public memorial for Michael Jackson will take place.
Staples Center photo by liangjinjian; Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel photo by B.D. Solis
Bolinas Beach, West Marin, California
Posted , add a commentIt is fitting that I write about Bolinas Beach right before the 4th of July. After all, throughout high school I spent every 4th of July there at the beach, drinking beer during the day and dodging bottle rockets at night. Perhaps best known for its residents who supposedly tear down road signs along Highway 1 so that outsiders cannot find their way* toward the town affectionately called Bo Bo, Bolinas is not for the faint of beach lovers.
Bo Bo surfer. http://www.flickr.com/photos/cproppe/3184005582/
Legend has it that a woman rides her horse along the shorebreak, naked a la Lady Godiva. I have never seen it myself, but believe it nonetheless. One time a man at the beach asked me to take his picture, so I did. Before I could snap away he had taken off his pants (but not his shirt). I have seen fights in Bolinas, parades, festivals, drinking, surfing, swimming, beautiful artwork, I have heard poetry and music; I have taken a bottle rocket to the eye in Bolinas.
Artwork on the beach. http://www.flickr.com/photos/localleaflover/520883765/
I could describe the sand (white, sugary), the water (friendly but cold). I could describe the beach, the flora, the fauna, but who are we kidding? Bolinas is a beautiful beach but it is the people that make it what it is. Bolinas is artists, musicians, freaks, surfers, nudists, dogs running after waves and kids running after balls. Bolinas is a wonderful place to go. Special. If you can find it.
Possibly part of a parade, possibly not. http://www.flickr.com/photos/11114469@N00/223712234/
*Please note: the map on the link is incorrect. Like, incredibly incorrect. It will lead you to a beach between two tony towns. This is not Bolinas, but this is indicative of the humor of the town.
